12 Weeks Along (Friday, 8/8/08)

I got to spend another weekend frantically doing laundry and packing. I had to cut out a few things on my to do list because I was exhausted and it is physically impossible for me to stay up past 10pm. Sunday morning we left for our vacation at Higgins Lake. At least this time we had a much shorter drive although it was in the uncomfortable and not air-conditioned truck so it was torturous nonetheless. We had great weather with only a tiny bit of rain interference. We rented canoes for a 2 hour ride on the Au Sable in Grayling. Paul and I shared a canoe with Rachel riding along in the middle but halfway through, we switched canoes with my parents since my butt kept going to sleep in ours and theirs was much more comfortable. When we switched, Rachel stayed in the canoe with them and actually took over paddling duty for nearly an hour while my mom got to relax in the middle of the boat. How nice! She was pretty good at it. Having finally mastered riding her bike, she took it with her to the cabin and rode a few times around the block every day. We are really proud of all of her progress this summer. Most of the week was spent reading on the porch, lying in the sun, floating around the lake on innertubes, and roasting marshmallows over the campfire while looking for shooting starts. I shared my pregnancy books with my mom who was amazed at how much more they know now than they did when she was pregnant with me. In my opinion, knowing what’s going on in the womb makes that connection with my baby all the more strong.

News from the womb…
The baby’s skin is sensitive all over and any type of touch will cause the baby to move. The brain now has the same structure it will have at birth, it’s just a smaller size. The baby’s olfactory system is developing. The thyroid, pancreas, gall bladder, and bony part of the palate have completed their development. The tooth buds for the permanent teeth have begun to form as do the membranes that will become the vocal cords. The pancreas has begun to secrete insulin. The intestines are now fully contained in the abdomen. The muscles in the wall of the baby’s digestive tract have become functional in order to begin practicing the movements required to push food down the tract. The urine that formed in the baby’s kidneys has been excreted into the amniotic fluid. The baby is now 50-61mm (2.5 inches) long and weights about 1/2 ounce.