Twenty Three Weeks

Story time
"My favorite sound is my mother's voice when she sings or talks to me." Now that bones in her ears have hardened, your baby can hear you and prefers your voice to any other sound. Give her a daily treat by reading, talking, or singing to her. If you feel silly reading to your belly, remember that the more your baby hears your voice, the more familiar it will be to her when she's born.

Super sac
The amniotic fluid that surrounds your baby is the perfect place for her to grow into a healthy newborn. The salty fluid keeps her warm, protects her from infections, and is buoyant enough for her to exercise her developing body. Right now the amniotic sac contains about a pint of fluid, which is refreshed every three to four hours.

Measuring up
Your baby looks like a tiny, thin newborn. She now weighs close to 1 pound and measures 9 to 10 inches, about the length of a Barbie doll.

Twenty Two Weeks

Mommy started a new job during Week 22, so this update is a little late.
This is what baby was doing while Mommy was busy working:

Brow know-how
As if concentrating on a tricky math problem, your clever baby can furrow his brow. And now he's actually getting eyebrows to do it with! These fine hairs, like the hair on his scalp, don't contain any pigment yet—they're pure white. His eyelids are completely developed too, though they're fused shut until about 28 weeks.

Womb workout
"Waving my arms and legs is fun!" Jumping jacks may be your baby's favorite activity these days. Now that his arms and legs have reached their final proportions (but not their final size), he's exercising them vigorously—kicking, flexing, and clasping his hands. Speaking of his hands, fingernails now completely cover his fingertips, just as yours do. And they keep growing. In fact, you may need to trim your baby's nails right after he's born so he doesn't scratch himself.

Prepare for padding
Even though your baby measures more than 9.5 inches now, he still doesn't weigh much—about 13 ounces. At this point, he has only 1 percent body fat. But from here on out, he'll be adding layers of fat, which will help him to produce and retain body heat. Your little one's fat is a lot like the kind you're putting on during pregnancy. It's called brown fat and is readily turned into energy to keep both of you on an even keel.

What Has Mom Been Doing?

Welcome respite
Despite the occasional aches and pains, this stage of pregnancy is fun! Your belly has grown enough for you to really "feel" pregnant, and the rest of the world knows it too. But you're not so big yet that you have trouble getting out of a chair or tying your shoes. Your morning sickness has probably ended, and your appetite's back, perhaps with a vengeance. Enjoy this time.

Dawn’s Notes:
We’ve only gained 13 pounds so far.
Hurray!