10 weeks

So it's been a chaotic week.  Last Monday Dan got a call saying he'd be laid off for a week.  We took it in stride, it actually worked out for the week because there were a lot of things we'd been meaning to get done that have to be done during the day.  However, on Friday he got the call that the layoff is going to be longer.  Hopefully they'll call him back by the end of the month, but they aren't sure.  He put is name on the list at the union hall, but he's #25, so 24 people will be called out before him.  We're trying to stay optimistic though.

One of the things that needed to be done during the week was to take my SUV into the shop.  My airbag light was on (meaning they weren't working).  He had to take it to the dealership and it costed $90 just to diagnose the problem.  They then told us that to repair it it'd be about another $1000 and I also need a belt replaced.  So we started getting concerned about the safety and reliability of my car with me being pregnant.  We started looking at some of the dealerships on the same road for a new car.  We figured if I could get the SUV paid off and keep my payments close to the same and have a reliable car, it'd be worth it.  So we ended up leasing a 2010 Nissan Sentra.  It only had 22 miles on it, I know people with Nissans and they love them, it has a lot of safety features and it will fit a carseat in the back and a stroller in the trunk.  We are paying about $20 more a month in payment, but it gets WAY better gas milage, so we'll save in gas and it will save us on insurance since it's brand new, it's a car and has more safety features.  So all in all it's been a crazy week!

OH!  And my next doctor's appointment is tomorrow!  I'll make sure to update afterwards!

This week our little one is about the size of a prune!

Here is what is going on with the fetus and me this week (Oh!  Make sure you read the new message under the ticker at the top of the page, it's a good one this week!):

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.
If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.
In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

Before you got pregnant, your uterus was the size of a small pear. By this week, it's as big as a grapefruit. You may or may not be ready for maternity wear now. Even if you're not there yet, your regular clothes are probably feeling uncomfortably tight and your blossoming breasts are straining the seams of your bra. The thickening in your midsection is most likely due to slight weight gain and bloating. If you're between regular and maternity clothes, pants and skirts with forgiving elastic waistbands (or low-rise waistlines that sit below your belly) will provide some much-needed comfort.