BJ at 15 weeks...the debut

The week of May 4th, 2009.

BJ is growing and now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). BJ is busy moving amniotic fluid through the nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in baby's lungs begin to develop. BJ's legs are growing longer than the arms now, and BJ can move all of his/her joints and limbs. Although the eyelids are still fused shut, the baby can sense light. If I shine a flashlight at my tummy, for instance, it's likely that BJ would move away from the beam. There's not much for your BJ to taste at this point, but he or she is working hard at forming taste buds. If we were having an ultrasound this week, we might be able to tell if BJ is a boy or a girl! But we won't find out until next week.

I actually had an appointment today, just a routine check. Everything is progressing fine, but the doc has to get a measure on BJ's heartbeat at every visit. So, she was running the doppler along my belly, but couldn't find the heartbeat. She said BJ was moving around a lot and it was hard for her to get a read, so we went to get an ultrasound just to make sure things were ok. This is my first Ultrasound!!! As soon as the tech placed the wand on my belly, I heard the beautiful heartbeat!! It has slown down from the 174 it was when BJ was just an embryo. BJ's fetal heartrate this visit was 159. The tech wouldn't even go near the southern region, so we will just have to wait until next week to find out if BJ is a boy or girl. But here is a sneak peak!! BJ must like the camera. This shot is face forward.