BZ2! 12 weeks and counting...

And so it begins....They say there are never as many pictures of the second baby as there are of the first (& I suspect that perhaps if child # 3 or 4 comes along, the only pictures of them are those drawn in stick figure fashion by their older & more frequently photographed siblings) and alas, this is already true of BZ2. By this time in my first pregnancy we had snapped a good several photos of my burgeoning belly & I had religiously sent a weekly Baby Z update. To date not one belly photo has been captured and this is the mere second installment in the chronicles of BZ2. But, I am in a different place and space - literally, figuratively, mentally, emotionally, the list goes on. 

I am absolutely as “into” this pregnancy as I was the first time around, just in very different ways. I have committed to walking 90 minutes Monday through Friday. It’s a good, challenging walk with several hills and it gets me out in the sunshine (hooray for Vitamin D!) and fresh air. It’s as close to "meditating" as I get, really. I'm seeing an amazing holistic healing therapist. I'm stalking a yoga teacher I met that is incredible with the hopes that I can somehow do classes with her. I met with a new midwife today (who happens to be exactly what I wanted and needed and was looking for the first time around! - they are not all created equal you know) and saw an amazing chiropractor so that we can address the things that were likely large contributing factors in birth numero uno (can you say asynclitic?!). I'm in, baby - all in! But enough about me, let's see what BZ2 is up to...

We are TWELVE weeks in, people! The first trimester is almost over - finished, finito, fertig! Amazing. It's hard to believe we are 1/3 of the way through already. I'm in no hurry, as I have much to do and to accomplish (see above!), not the least of which is picking names. The name Luke was chosen before he was ever even conceived - what a luxury! On our walk today I told Jared that it really was rather foolish of us to use the only two boy names that we liked on one child (talk about blowing your wad)! Ah, hindsight... I proposed that we may have to just change Luke's middle name so that we can give it to the possible second boy-child as a first name. Jared says it's Luke's and we can't take it away from him. I say, Hey man, momma giveth and momma taketh away. Jared countered offered with Roman Luke. As much as I like it, that's just silly. 

So little baby no-name (if a boy) is almost completely finished with his or her systems and is now moving into the growth and maturation stage. Vocal cords begin to form and the liver begins to function (ooh - does this mean momma can have a beer now?! Nah... heheh). 

  

The pancreas begins to produce insulin and reflexes have formed. If I were to push on my abdomen, BZ2 would likely squirm, although I wouldn’t be able to feel the movement. Fingers will soon begin to open and close, toes will curl and the mouth will make sucking movements. And apparently, BZ2’s intestines have grown so fast that they are likely protruding into the umbilical cord and will start moving into the abdominal cavity some time around now. O_O Love all this alienesque stuff. Fun fun. Eyes have moved from the sides of the head to the front and ears are now in place too. Good work, BZ2!

And with that, I deem you all sufficiently updated. See all y'all with the next installment....! ☯ ♥ ✌