18 week update

i didn't mention this earlier, but when we went to the doctor last week, we were told that our due date has been moved up. we are no longer due on feburary 8th, now it is february 5th. now i know most of you mom's are thinking, "they can't really tell, because the baby is going to come whenever it decides to come!" but, we are really excited about this date change! wayne and i have been hoping all along that the baby would be born on the fifth because that was my grandmother's birthday. she passed away shortly after her 80th birthday last year. now, i although i miss her very much and i am sad that our little one will not be able to meet her, it would be really neat for them to have the same birthday.

now, i am saying all of this to preface the fact that i am actually a little farther along than i thought. (just a little) so, my "change over day" (the day that my doctor says that i begin a new week) will now be thursdays instead of sundays. so, i am a little late in getting this update to you but hopefully i will remember to do the 21 weeks on a thursday for you! ha! i just looked at my calander and 21 weeks will be on our 4 year anniversary and we will be traveling, so i will have to update you after we get back. :) but, anyway... here's what babycenter.com tells me about my baby for 18 weeks...

"head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. he's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. his blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. a protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. if you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. if you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound." **our little jackson was not too shy for us!! :)