16 weeks today!

Wow! 16 weeks today. Above are some photos from the internet of what a 16 week old baby looks like....it's pretty incredible how they are starting to look more like actual babies and not little alien creatures anymore!

You know I love that site that tells you what is happening each week. So, here's what's going on this week:

Fat begins to form underneath skin, providing your baby with insulation for the
coming months.
Did you know that both baby and placenta are now about the
same size?
Your little one has reached 4.57 inches (11.6cm) and approximately 3.53 ounces (100gm).
His head and neck are held straighter now.
This is a week of "mights!" You might hear the tiny thumps of his
heartbeat with an external monitor now. The genitals are developed sufficiently
that an experienced sonographer might be able to determine if your baby is a boy
or a girl.
Her heart is pumping as much as 6 gallons of blood a day and
beats at a rate about double your heartrate.
If you could take a peek inside, you would witness your child's reflexes in action! (Sucking, swallowing and blinking are now evident.) She is probably even hiccuping even though you don't feel it yet!
Your baby has learned to breathe! This is apparent from the regular movements of his chest. Isn't it amazing that he is able to breathe "underwater," inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid? These actions help the lungs to develop and grow.

Some pretty cool things are happening!

First off, I havn't felt any thumps or taps yet. I've been focussing on lying still for a little bit after dinner to see if I can notice anything, but no luck yet. Hopefully, soon though!

Also, this is the time when an ultrasound could reveal whether the baby is a boy or a girl!!! I am absolutely dying to find out, but Sandy and I agreed that we would wait until the baby is born....how am I going to last that long??? (I am the one who unwraps Christmas presents and then re-wraps them because I can't stand the suspense!!! Although, the really strange thing is that I absolutely love surprises. I think that's why Sandy wants to wait so badly --- he knows this may be one of the moments in life when I'll have to wait and wait and wait and there's nothing I can do to find out and ruin the surprise!)

And, the last item that stood out to me is that the baby has learned to breathe...a skill that will prove very important! ;)