8 Weeks

 

How far along: 8 weeks - EDD bumped to 09/09/15

 

How big is baby: The size of a raspberry - Baby is moving his or her arms and legs like crazy. Fingers and toes are now only slightly webbed, and baby's tail is almost gone. He or she is forming taste buds this week, and growing about one millimeter each day!

 

What are we having: We'll find out in April. I'll take a moment to mention that I really think baby is a boy.

 

Symptoms this week: The dizziness I was having last week seems to have subsided, but I find myself having minor heart palpitations. I know this is normal, but it takes my breath away each time it happens. More and more things are making me gag, and it drives me nuts. I haven't actually thrown up, so we're still good on that front! The exhaustion is officially at its worst thus far, and I'm hoping it peaks soon. Feeling tired is something I absolutely hate, so this is mild torture for me.

 

Weight gain/loss: All zeros for now.

 

Food aversions/cravings: I've reached the point where I'll be ravenously hungry, I'll get something that sounds awesome, and two bites in it sucks. I can only eat small portions otherwise I feel sick, and I'm definitely developing aversions. Seafood was the first one I noticed, which makes me sad because I love it. We went out to a great seafood place that I like, and I ordered things that I love... I couldn't even swallow my food. It tasted great, but my body apparently just didn't want it.

 

The baby belly: My bloating still borders on extreme by the end of the day, but now my stomach isn't returning to its flat-ish state by the next morning. I now have a tiny little perma-pooch under my navel. It sticks out like a little lump, and has made regular pants-wearing nearly impossible. It's quite firm, and I can't stand to have pressure from a waistband on it. I've officially started the transition to maternity pants, and am stocking up on the kind with the convertible panels so I can wear them now and later.

 

Movement: Baby is moving now, but I have a long way to go before I can feel it.

 

What is freaking me out: I have an irrational fear that we're going to find out that something is terribly wrong during our 12 week NT scan. I'm sure this is a common fear, but it's very pervasive. I'm not over 35, so my risk isn't higher in terms of age, but 33 is pretty damn close. It's very unsettling for me to think about, and I find myself wishing my insurance would just cover the MaterniT21 blood test at 10 weeks instead. I find myself Googling all sorts of crazy things, none of which ever ease my mind in the slightest.

 

What I'm totally loving: Baby is huge! Comparitively speaking, of course. This weeks ultrasound was on what I thought was 8w3d, but baby grew a ton and was measuring 8w6d. I know it's only three days, and it could drop back with next week's scan, but I'll take it! For now, it means I'm that much closer to being out of the first trimester. Baby's heart rate was also up to 178, from 150 last week. All of that growth certainly explains why I'm so freaking exhausted.

 

What I'm looking forward to: Next week's ultrasound. I'm so amazed at how much baby grows each week. He or she looks more and more baby-like each time, so now I'm eager to see what the scan during week 9 will show. The picture from this week doesn't look like much, but on the screen we were able to see little arms and legs moving, the heart beating, and blood pulsing through the umbilical cord.