I'm back!

Sorry for the quiet week... I've been feeling pretty miserable all week.  I apparently came down with some sort of "flu" over the weekend (even though I had my flu shot, blah).  I have been completely and utterly exhausted all week, and I've had a horrible cough (that's made the exhaustion even worse.... nothing saps your energy and makes you hurt worse than the inability to stop coughing!).  I really should have taken a day or two off of school (to be honest, I'm not completely sure how I made it through the week).  But sub plans are so frustrating to put together, and now with the news team and being the only one that knows what's going on there it's even harder to be out.

I did see my OB for my regular monthly appointment in the midst of this, and she didn't seem too concerned.  The biggest concern with getting sick is getting a fever (not good for baby to get too hot in there), but thankfully I didn't have one.  It still probably would have been a good idea for me to get some rest, but that's what I'm enjoying doing now!

The monthly appointment went well.  I'm always surprised how quick and simple it is.  They basically check the heartbeat, then ask if I'm having any issues or questions, and that's it.  I did ask if our baby being slightly "overweight" right now meant anything for later on, and of course she responded with the typical disdain of doctors dealing with people who get too much information off the internet or from books.... she basically said that no, it doesn't mean anything right now, but I really do hate how doctors can be like that.  Yes, the internet is out there and putting tons of information in the hands of people who don't know how to use it properly, but that's why I'm asking questions... to find out what is useful information, and what isn't.  I'm not freaking out and being a hypochondriac about everything, I'm just curious!  I really hate being laughed at by doctors... doesn't make you feel at ease to question anything else that is on your mind....I had some other silly questions I wanted to ask, but I didn't feel like asking after that. (Where exactly do my organs go? And what about my abs?  All this coughing usually hurts my abs, but it's just hurting my ribs now, so where are my abs? How far apart can the baby's movements be? Can he "float" from side to side in my uterus or is he just that long that I can feel things high on the right then low on the left?)

Jason is going to be out of town this next week, which I am not excited about.  I always hate being home alone, and I'm not always in the best emotional state these days, so I'm afraid it's going to make it that much worse.  Maybe you'll be hearing from me more this week...

Our baby is now the size of a mango (or heirloom tomato according to the description below).  I'm not quite at the point where I'm comfortable talking to my belly and reading aloud and what not as suggested below, but I am thankful that in being an elementary school teacher I already do a lot of that (and singing too!) very loudly and constantly throughout the day, so baby is probably hearing all sorts of fun things! :P I'm even trying to keep my tone more friendly when dealing with "problem" students.

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! His brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that he may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to him, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on his skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.