30 Weeks

This week in Monkey development:

• His brain is developing wrinkles. Up until now, the surface of his brain has been smooth, and the rapid growth he's working on now means he needs more surface area for those deep thoughts. Hence, wrinkles.
  
• His little water world contains a pint and a half of amniotic fluid
• Lanugo, the hair that was helping with the body temperature regulation, is starting to disappear as he puts on more fat
• Monkey is now capable of producing tears
• Toenails are in their final stage of production
• At almost three pounds, he's going to more than double his weight in the next 10 weeks (and in the case of Zoo Keeper's family, tripling his weight is entirely possible!). He stretches to just under 16 inches.
  

29 Weeks

Things happening this week: Monkey is hardening his skeleton, which takes lots of calcium. His head is growing bigger as his brain is really filling out. His bone marrow is now completely responsible for his red blood cell production and he's starting to regulate his own temperature. His eyes can move in their sockets and he is increasingly responsive to outside stimuli like light and sound. When he's not busy preparing for his second appearance on stage in a few weeks, he is working very hard at packing on the pounds and working out. At just over 2.5 pounds, he measures more than 15 inches long.

It's Official: Third Trimester at Last

By all accounts we are officially in the third trimester today. To celebrate, large quantities of blood will be taken. Hooray! But before we head to the doctor's office, here is the weekly update on Monkey:

His eyes are blinking now as he responds to light and dark and he's got eyelashes! His brain is doing some heavy duty work creating neural folds and pathways. His bone marrow is cranking out the red blood cells and his adrenal glands are starting to put out some hormones of his own. His big task from here on out is putting on fat - without the fat deposits under his skin he wouldn't be able to regulate his body temperature, which is a big challenge for newborns. At around 2.25 pounds and just under 15 inches, he's got a ways to go before he's ready to meet the world. In the past week he's become more active, and we haven't been able to discern a pattern in his waking and sleeping as it seems he is awake all the time. He's very chillaxed about it though - he's a swimmer, not a fighter.

Week 27

According to various sources, the third trimester either begins this week or next week. Monkey and Zoo Keeper don't particularly care which, but we seem to be entering the home stretch either way. This week Monkey's brain continues to work on hearing and taste. Right now he has more taste buds than he'll ever have again, and about 2 hours after Zoo Keeper eats he can taste the difference in his amniotic fluid. His heartbeat is very strong and occasionally can be heard through the naked ear on the belly. His lungs are nearly at maturation, and his chances of making it on the outside are very good right now - not that he needs to be in any hurry. He is practicing his breathing (which sometimes leads to hiccups), might be sucking his fingers, and is settling into periods of waking and sleeping like a newborn. At more than 2 pounds and 14.5 inches long, he has doubled his weight in the past month.

On a more serious note, Zoo Keeper belongs to a pregnancy message board for babies due in July. In the past few weeks two of the babies have been born: one survived and has a great prognosis, and the other was too early to have a chance. Please keep those families in your prayers and ask for continued success for baby Aybra (born at 26.5 weeks - same due date as Monkey) and healing for the family of baby Owen (born at 22.5 weeks, lived 12 minutes).

We are reminded once again how very, very grateful we are that Monkey and Zoo Keeper are both healthy and growing.

2nd Trimester Winding Down

We have only a week or two left (depending on your source) in the second trimester. And week 26 is apparently fairly action-packed. Monkey is opening his eyes this week - so far they've been fused closed so his retinas can develop. They still don't have much pigment in them, though. He's also growing the hair on his head - odds are strawberry to blonde judging from Zoo Keeper baby pictures - and if he has any cowlicks or weird growth patterns, they're forming now. This is a huge week in brain wave development, and he's becoming more responsive to outside stimulus like light, sound and those crazy people pushing on the belly. (Please do not try this without permission: Zoo Keeper tends to exhibit some ursine-like qualities lately.) His head has become more mobile, so he can shake his head for yes or no, if he knew what that meant. At 14 inches and about 2 pounds, he is trying to make the most of his still somewhat-roomy environment by practicing 'pedaling' - a pre-walking leg exercise that he'll eventually use on his bike.

At this point we don't anticipate seeing Monkey again until perhaps the very end, when we might need to see how big he is. We'll try to get some other pictures up in the next few weeks as work on the Monkey Habitat continues.

Week 25

Once again, we are reminded that Monkey is working hard to put on weight and develop his lungs. Also this week he is starting to turn pink - tiny capillaries are forming under his skin and filling with blood. His skin is becoming less wrinkly as a layer of fat forms underneath it. His nostrils are opening so he can practice breathing, and his heartbeat should be easily detected by a stethoscope. His fingers are becoming more dextrous and he should be able to make a complete fist. When we had our ultrasound a month ago, we saw his hands opening and closing. Apparently keeping them closed is a marker for genetic abnormalities, so that was good news!

He's put on another few ounces and should measure at about 13.5 inches. Babycenter.com, in their infinite knowledge of produce, says he 'isn't much bigger than your average rutabega'. If you don't know what a rutabega looks like (and the Zoo Keepers don't - no Food Network in this house!) they've actually put together a little visual aid if you're looking to waste some time. We found it amusing.

Week 24

This week, Monkey is developing taste buds. The Zoo Keepers are having many heated discussions about whether eating ethnic food at this time will develop an appreciation for those cuisines later in Monkey's life. Monkey is also working on that big brilliant brain, lung development and gaining weight. Between last week and this week, he's probably gained a quarter of a pound from last week, so just under 1.5 lbs total. Checking in at about a foot long, BabyCenter advises you to 'picture an ear of corn'. If you need a more immediate point of reference, this is about the distance from Zoo Keeper's elbow to the middle of her (admittedly petite) hand.

Yes, that seems crazy to us too.