Week 18

All's well. Weather's cold cold cold. Now that I have begun to feel our little flipper moving, I notice it all the time - like butterflies in the stomach. Poor Scott is constantly called over to feel - but as of yet hasn't gotten so much as a kick. On an exciting work note, I was just notified that I won three awards in this year's Virginia Press Association contest. No idea what I've won yet. We'll find out when we travel to Roanoke for the conference in late March. Here's the typical weekly update I get by email and pictures of both our babies to boot.

How your baby's growing: Head to bottom, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a large sweet potato) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll likely start noticing more and more. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin and her ears are now in position and stand out from her head. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and Fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If your baby is a boy, his little parts are noticeable, though he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

Reid