15 Weeks, 1 Day

Baby at 15 weeks.

We had the sonogram done, along with another blood test, but the pictures weren't really posting quality. Everything came back normal, which is good news. The surprising news was that the baby, although a little young to be able to clearly determine the gender, looks very much like a boy. We all saw it, and it looked very ... boy-like. So much for my girl feelings. Khurram is still holding out hope that we'll discover it's really a girl at the next scan. I was too, at first, but now I'm just trying to adjust to the idea of another boy. The main reason I wanted a girl was so that Layla would have a namesake like Mina does in Maya (Maya Yasmin.) We may or may not try one more time, but let's get through one pregnancy at a time, shall we? I already know that people will think I'm crazy if I do try, but they already think that anyway, so they can just think what they like. I do know that I will love this child every bit as much as I love my other children, regardless of whether it is a boy or a girl.

At around 4 inches long, crown to rump, the baby now weighs about 2 1/2 ounces. He's busy inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, which will help develop the air sacs in his lungs. His legs are growing longer than his arms now, and he can move all his joints and limbs. That means his hands are more functional, too. Sweat glands are appearing, and although his eyelids are fused shut, he can sense light. If someone shines a flashlight at my tummy, he's likely to move away from the beam. (Granted, people really don't shine flashlights at my tummy all that often.) There's not much for the baby to taste at this point, but his taste buds are beginning to form. I'm officially in my second trimester now.