Fruit of the Womb

I've just entered my 17th week of pregnancy and I officially have a can't-suck-it-in-to-hide-it baby bump now! It's not so big that I have to start wearing maternity pants, but we're pretty close. I plan on writing a letter to whoever invented the belly band (this stretchy band you wear over your pants that allows you to unbutton the pants, but they stay on and you can't tell it's unbuttoned) to offer my thanks and congratulations, it will keep me in my regular pants for at least a few more weeks!

On Black Friday Justin and I hit the mall to take advantage of the sales and load up on Christmas gifts. (I've always loved day-after-Thanksgiving shopping, it can't be helped!) We were walking through the mall and we came across a Motherhood Maternity and stopped so I could look at dress pants. The jeans I can still make work, the dress pants are becomming increasingly difficult to fit in comfortably. The sales person graciously set up the dressing room and I stood outside of it just staring and didn't even realize I was wide-eyed and breathing heavily until the woman kind of nudged me and told me it was going to be okay. I tried one pair on and then left the store in a hurry with my belly band beacuse I'm just not ready for all those extra inches of awkward and ugly panel. -plus I technically don't need them yet. I want to put it off as long as possible...

Anyway, on to the development: at 17 weeks Baby Bail can move its joints, and its skeleton — until now rubbery cartilage — is starting to harden to bone. Its sense of hearing is also developing so Justin is adament I listen to more Mozart and classical music, although I think Christmas music will suffice for now because I can't get enough of it! and at 17 weeks it's approximately (on average) five and a half inches, which is the size of a turnip. I had to laugh when I read that though because they always turn my baby into a fruit or vegetable! For your reading enjoyment, here are all the foods Baby Bail has morphed through:

Week Four – Poppy Seed
Week Five – Sesame Seed
Week Six – Lentil Bean
Week Seven – Blueberry
Week Eight – Kidney Bean
Week Nine – Grape
Week Ten – Kumquat
Week Eleven – Fig
Week Twelve – Lime
Week Thirteen – Medium Shrimp
Week Fourteen – Lemon
Week Fifteen – Apple
Week Sixteen – Avacado
Week Seventeen – Turnip

...beacuse I promised Erin...
the first bump picture (me at 17 weeks) I can still see my feet though, which I consider a good thing! I'm not usually quite this big... this was after a big dinner!