Twenty Two Weeks

Week 22 has arrived and it brought a little friend that I was hoping I would never have to meet again. His name is heartburn. And I know it's a "he" because no woman would exact this suffering onto another woman at such a vulnerable time. I have heartburn on occasion when I'm not carrying a person around inside me, but something about being pregnant makes it about 79 times worse than normal. I had it so badly a few nights ago, I was searching the internet for home remedies and subsequently scouring my cabinet for vinegar, because that is suppose to be the magic cure all. FYI for anyone who has never been pregnant, Tums, Rolaids, all that "normal" heartburn medicine you can take, it no longer gives you ONE IOTA of relief. It's one of the cruel jokes that pregnancy plays on you. It falls under the same category of having to pee so bad, you sprint to the bathroom, only to have three tiny little drips come out. But, I digress, I had no vinegar, so I decided on another home remedy, an apple. It actually helped for about 10 minutes, at which point, I developed heartburn from eating it too fast. Bringing life into this world really is a beautiful thing.

But enough about me, on to the stats about the baby. She is the size of a spaghetti squash this week. Is there a difference between regular squash and spaghetti squash? I apparently am not very knowledgeable on all the different variations of squash. You'd think after watching six seasons of Top Chef, I'd know these things.

And here is the email for week 22. My gal is really growing up in there.

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.


Happy trails...
L