21 Weeks, sort of...

We are almost to 22 weeks and I still haven't updated the blog with information about 21 weeks. Eeep! This week at work has been ridiculously stressful to say the least so blogging has not really been a priority. Plus, not a whole lot has changed. My kids know I am pregnant now, although many of them claim to still not believe me because I am too little. The rest are pissed they didn't know sooner. Oh well, at least once an hour one of them says something about it. One nice young man even wanted to press his belly against mine so he could feel the baby kick. I don't think he visualized that until he saw my look of shock and dismay. So much for boundaries I suppose (I didn't let him, obviously). Now reading the baby stuff is funny because he is SO much bigger than the average size of babies. Oh well. I am also extraordinarily tired, not in a normal way either. I think I will have them check my iron levels at my next appointment. So much for the mommy update too, I guess it just doesn't apply to me an my little guy this week.

So, here we are with a banana!
Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion, and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, if baby is a girl, her womb is now stocked up with her lifetime supply of six million eggs (the number will drop to around one million by birth).

By week 21, your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces, and her length from head to rump is seven inches, about the length of a spoon. Ten and one-half ounces is also the size bear cubs are when they are born. Your baby has begun her main project for the rest of your pregnancy: putting on weight. She regularly drinks amniotic fluid for hydration and nutrition, urinates in the fluid and breathes in and out (fortunately, the fluid pool refreshes itself every three hours). Her eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. Taste buds are forming on her tongue. Her eyelids are still sealed, but her eyes are active.

Mommy update:

Some women report feeling better and more energized at this stage of pregnancy than they have at any point in their life. We hope you're one of them! To safely build up your endurance for labor and for taking care of your baby later, take long walks outside or on a treadmill, ride a stationary bike or use an elliptical trainer. To keep your uterus and pelvic-floor muscles toned, do Kegel exercises and have orgasms! If your doctor has told you to avoid sex because you're at risk for preterm labor, ask what he means by "sex" and which acts may be off-limits.