22 Weeks

I've gone completely baby-crazy over the past week. I've been catching up on my baby books, completed the baby registry, scheduled our L&D and breastfeeding classes at the hospital, have been diligently studying baby girl names, and have the overwhelming urge to shop for baby items that we need. Even though I've had zero energy, I really want to start working on the baby's room and am planning to run up to Lowes this weekend to grab some paint swatches to get the ball rolling. I think my "nesting" instinct is starting to set in - it's either that, or sheer panic that I only have 3.5 months left of this pregnancy!

From Baby Center this week, at 11 inches and almost 1 pound, our baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If I could see inside my womb, I'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on her skin, which she'll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, her pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.