Week 18

The time has FINALLY come!  We find out tomorrow what gender Baby H is!!  Will BH be a sports crazed boy or a little fairy princess girl?!  Either way Curt and I are so excited and can't wait to find out!  Although my appointment is at 8:40 in the morning, we won't actually know the results until after dinner tomorrow night.  We are waiting to find out BH's destiny with the rest of our family.  We are having everyone over for spaghetti and after everyone makes a happy plate the purpose for tomorrow night will be revealed!!  I'll be sure to post the video (hopefully) of how we go about revealing!

Now...on for this week's info!!

Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing.  And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon!  While in earlier weeks, your baby may have been able to sense sound with her primitive ear structure, this week, the bones of the ear become fully formed along with the part of the brain processes signals from his ears  Your baby's skeleton, which up until now has been made up of flexible cartilage, is now hardening into bone.  Myelin, a protective covering around her nerves, has begun to form.  Myelin plays an important role in the communication between neurons and it will continue to develop through her first years of life.  caseosa At 18 weeks, your baby's skin is still thin and transparent, so to help protect him, something called vernix develops.  This is a greasy, cheese like substance that not only insulates her developing epidermis and dermis from the amniotic fluid; it also makes her nice and slippery for an easier delivery!

Wow...that's a lot going on!  And...you know how 40 weeks seems like forever away!?  I only have 22 weeks to go!!  It's amazing how time is flying by!!  

Don't forget there is still time to enter my contest for a FREE thermal tote.  You have until 5:00 TONIGHT and all you have to do is simply leave a comment under that post!  :)  Also later on tonight, for all you basketball fans, I hope to write about this past weekends trip to the ATL with my mom and our friend, Nancy, so stay tuned!!