11 Weeks

My fig-sized baby is now fully formed — measuring about 1 1/2 inches long and weighing in at a quarter of an ounce. The skin is still transparent, allowing many of the blood vessels to show through. Some of the bones are beginning to harden, and tiny toothbuds are starting to appear under the gums. The fingers and toes have separated, and the baby may soon be able to open and close its fists. Hands and feet will develop the quickest this week. Baby is already busy kicking and stretching, and the tiny movements are so fluid they look like water ballet. These movements will increase as the body grows and becomes more developed and functional. The mouth will open for the first time this week. As the diaphragm develops, baby may also start to get the hiccups. Salivary glands and vocal cords also begin to develop. The eyes are completely formed, but the membrane that will be the lids keeps them covered still. The heart is beating around 150 beats per minute now.

Dr Powers said that a five day discrepancy isn't much of a discrepancy at all, and since we're likely to induce like we did last time, whether to avoid a mad dash to the hospital or to urge the baby along during a brief head-down period between transverse somersaults, we'll probably be picking our own due date anyway. He felt comfortable going with my original dates, since he figures that by my sixth child, I probably know my body pretty well. K still disagrees, but for the purposes of this blog and the inevitable due date questions, we'll go with May 24.