Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Praise & Prayer

Punkin's lower limb paddles have developed foot plates. The hand plates are developing ridges indicating where Punkin's fingers and thumbs will be. As the process of forming the digital ridges continues, our baby's hands will look like the shell of a scallop. Baby's critical period for arm development has ended. The arms are now at their proper location and proportional size for this stage of development. The elbows will become visible in the next 2 days. By now Punkin's trunk & limbs will begin to make spontaneous movements, as the connection improves between his/her brain and his/her tiny muscles and nerves.

Indentations are present where Punkin's knees and ankles will eventually develop. Over the next 2 days, the toe rays will appear.

Pigment is present in the retina of Punkin's eyes (eye color won't be established until after birth). His/Her eyelids are also forming.

On each side of his/her head, there are small swellings, which will become the auditory canal and the grooves of the outer ear. Semicircular canals that sense balance and body position are beginning to form in Punkin's inner ear.

Punkin's palate continues to develop.

The jaw and facial muscles are beginning to form, but the eye muscles have completed their development.

The baby teeth (or first teeth) are developing beneath Punkin's gums.

Punkin's heart is beginning to mature its 4 chambers. Within the heart, the trunk of the pulmonary artery (the blood vessel that sends blood to the lungs to gather oxygen) separates from the trunk of the aorta.

The neck and trunk have have begun to straighten. Remember prior to this, Punkin has been shaped like a "C".

Punkin now measures nearly 2/3" long. It might be tight, but 2 babies the size of Punkin could play in the cap of a liter-size plastic bottle.

Punkin's kidneys are beginning to produce urine as they start their ascent to their final position near the small of the back.

The gonads are forming in the pelvis and, over the next week or so, will become either testes or ovaries depending on the sex of our child. By today or tomorrow, Punkin's nipples will become visible.

Punkin now displays a reflex response to touch-if an object touches the baby's head, he/she will turn away.

The tissue that will form the brain hemisphere is prominent. Yesterday marks the day when the earliest recordable brain waves will occur.

Amy's skin has been breaking out ever since she found out she was pregnant. This is due to an increased secretion of oils and to the hormonal changes of pregnancy. She has also been very nauseous and most night's only eats tomato soup for dinner with oyster crackers. She's still been moody and her energy has decreased... not being able to make it thru the day without a nap.

PRAISE: Amy's progesterone levels have raised to mid-level, which is great! We need to see the levels 2 times in the "high-level" before we can stop the progesterone shots, though.

PRAYER: Amy underwent a test called a High Sensitivity CRP test. The nurse told Amy that levels should be under 2, while Amy's was 20. A high level suggests that you have an acute infection or inflammation, which can cause complications in pregnancy such as preeclampsia. However, the nurse said the slightest thing, such as a cold, can throw the levels off, which Amy had when she had the test done. So, we are going to wait another 2 weeks before having the test done again. We are asking for prayer and for others to believe with us, that the cold threw the test off and that there will be NO COMPLICATIONS! Thank you! We are truly blessed by all of your prayers and dedication to our family. xoxo

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