Week Twenty Seven: Eyes can open

We are at week 27 with 90 days to go. Here's what is going on with peanuts development

• He weighs almost 2 pounds now and is about 14.5 inches long.
• His hearing continues to develop.
• The eyes can blink, open and close.

My wife has reached the third trimester and is 2/3 of the way through. It may be hard to believe, but peanut now appears much like he or she will look like at birth. He also now has eyebrows and eyelashes and hair is growing everyday. The muscle tone is improving and his body is getting plumper.

Peanuts brain continues its rapid growth. He may start to recognize our voices, so we can't forget to share music, conversation, and even books with him. The retina at the back of peanuts eyes is beginning to develop. His eyes can open now, and he will notice and may turn his head if we shine a flashlight against the belly.

At 27 weeks, peanuts length will have tripled or quadrupled from the 14 week mark. If peanut is born this week, the chances of survival is now at least 80 percent. However, serious complications are still possible.

Be Prepared

Well Christmas was a few days ago and it was great spending it with my wife. Just think, by next Christmas baby Will be here and all the presents under the tree will be for him. I got some really cool gifts for Christmas. One of my favorites is the Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads book that my wife got me.

Whats really neat about this book is that it's designed like the Boy Scout Handbook (I'm an Eagle Scout). Like the Boy Scout handbook it has a how-to feel with tips, tricks, and overall guide with survival skills. On the back cover it mentions that the book shows you how to construct an emergency diaper out of a towel, a sock, and duct tape. So this book should be interesting and informative to read. Well I have to get going talk to you soon.

Week Twenty Six: Second trimester ends

Hello all we are now at week 27. When it comes to peanuts development his is what is happening: He measures 14 inches long and weighs over 1.7 pound. Hi eyes begin to open around this time. Peanut will make breathing movements, but there is no air in the lungs yet. Hands are active and muscle coordination is such that they can get a thumb into the mouth. Thumb sucking calms the baby and strengthens the cheek and jaw muscles. If we were to get a brain scan for peanut it will show response to touch. Touching and playing with peanut is possible now, as he may respond to our touch through the belly wall. Brain growth continues with brain wave activity for the visual and auditory systems starting to develop. He is probably very active in the womb, as the most active weeks are typically between weeks 24 and 28. My wife may begin feeling her belly tighten and relax at odd moments or irregular intervals. These are Braxton Hicks contractions. They are painless and help the uterus prepare for the birth. Many babies have developed a predictable routine for sleep and active periods. Twins may have entirely different routines from each other. My wife also may be experiencing shortness of breath as the uterus is very close to the rib cage at this stage. Some resources say some moms are not able to fully expand their rib cages; however, this does not negatively affect the baby in any way. This week also marks the end of month six, which is the last month of the second trimester.

We have signed up to a couple registries

Hello everyone, hope you are all doing well. It's been busy as the year end draws closer. With me having three weeks off of work for the Christmas Break I have begun to clean out the room and get it ready for baby Will. Though I don't know what I am going to do with some of the stuff like my desk and drawing table. There's no more room for that stuff anymore, so I might get rid of it. I was planning on painting the room, but it is easier to paint a mural on a canvas. Don't have to worry about repainting when we leave. In one of the baby books it suggest that we get curtains for the windows, all we have right now are blinds, so I am going to have to buy that stuff soon.

Me and Yissel decided to sit down and go through the list of stuff we need, since we bought some stuff. But after going through the list, we still need a lot more things for baby Will. To make things easier for us we created a registry list at Target and Baby's "R" Us, but you are more then welcome to check them out if you want. Well it's time for me to go and next time I will be adding pictures.

Week Twenty Five: Exploration continues

	My wife is now 25 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 23 weeks). Here is what is going on with peanuts development as of this week. Peanut is around 13.5 inches in length and weighs 1 and half pounds. His bones are becoming solid and hands are now fully developed. The brain is growing rapidly, the brain cells are starting to mature. The sexual organs are fully developed. Peanut is now pretty well built portion wise even though he still has little body fat and his skin is thin. The structures of the spine begins to form -- All 33 rings, 150 joints and 1000 ligaments. The tiny brain is growing rapidly, and he is starting to fill the space in my wife's uterus. Her uterus is now about the size of a soccer ball and she looks pregnant. Peanuts hands are now fully developed, although some of the nerve connections to the hands have a long way to go. Dexterity is improving. He can make a fist and clasp objects placed in palm. Exploring the structures inside my wife's uterus may have become peanuts prime entertainment. Fascinated by the amount of tactile stimulation a peanut gives himself; he will touch a hand to his face, one hand to the other hand, clasps his feet, touch his foot to his leg, his hand to his umbilical cord. Blood vessels of the lungs develop. His nostrils begin to open. The nerves around the mouth and lip area are showing more sensitivity now. His swallowing reflexes are developing. He can hear sounds outside the womb and the brain cells are starting to mature also. Already he can learn and remember and can recognize our voicees. Babies at 25 weeks of pregnancy stand a 50% chance of survival.

The theme for the baby's room

For the past couple of months we have been planning on creating a Winnie the Poo theme for the baby's room. It's a great theme that the baby can grow into, but in a lot of ways it is also a neutral them. Sure there are some really cool and interesting neutral themes, but it easier to design a really cool theme and to know what kind of stuff to get. Of course we have been looking at other gender based themes like, hello kitty, princesses, cars, trucks, monkeys, jungle, airplanes, etc. Since we now know it's is a boy, we have begun looking at a monkey or rainforest theme.

Week Twenty Four: Practices breathing

My wife is now 24 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 22 weeks. Here is what is going one with peanuts development.

• Peanut is now gaining around 3 ounces (90 grams) a week.
• He weighs about 1.3 pounds and is 12 inches long.
• His eyelids can be seen very clearly.
• Being born at this stage is officially considered viable, he may well be able to survive.

Peanut is producing surfactant. This is stuff that keeps the small air sacs in our lungs from collapsing. Peanut is also covered with a fine, downy hair and the skin is protected by a waxy substance. Some of this substance may still be on his skin at birth at which time it will be quickly absorbed. Peanut practices breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid into developing lungs.

Peanut gains about 3 ounces this week. The weight is in muscle, bone mass and organs. The body begins to fill out with his appearance increasingly becoming more like a newborn. Taste buds begin to form. If my wife drinks something strange or bitter, he may be observed showing his distaste.

Little creases have appeared on his palms. The muscular coordination of the hands has improved as he sucks his thumb. Over the next week or so, the sweat glands will be forming in the skin. The lungs are developing branches of the respiratory tree and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.


After this week he is officially considered viable. 36% of babies can survive premature birth at 24 weeks - However, serious complications are still possible.

Week Twenty Three: Sense of balance develops

In the Great Expectations book, it says that Will is about 7 1/2" from crown to rump and weights around 13-16 ounces. His fingernails are almost fully grown, and organ systems are becoming more functional and specialized. He has a distinct pair of lips, and his first canines and molars are developing from hard tissue below his gum line. He looks like a miniature newborn. That just amazes me.

Week 23 appointment

Today we had an another monthly appointment and according to the doctor we are 23 weeks. That means 16 weeks till D day (April 4th). I can't believe how much time has gone by and before we know it peanut (William Ezekiel, as of two weeks ago) will be here in our arms. During today's visit they did the usual check up and said everything is going great. They used the ultrasound machine and we heard William's heart again beating at 150 beats per minute. This time is a lot louder then before, which is was exciting. I still want to get a stethoscope before its to late. After the appointment we went shopping for William again and got him some music to listen to while he still in the tummy.