WEEK 9

BABY HALL'S WEEKLY PROGRESS:
Perhaps the most important development happening this week is taking place in your baby-to-be's heart. While his heart has been beating since week 5, it has been maturing more and more each day. The heart is now divided into four chambers, and the valves that will help funnel blood in and out of the heart are forming. Although your baby's heart is beating, your healthcare provider probably won't be able to pick it up during your prenatal office visits quite yet. Give it another week or so.

The umbilical cord is your baby's lifeline in utero -- connecting Mother and Baby. Made up of three spiraling vessels (one vein and two arteries), the umbilical cord provides oxygenated blood to help your baby breathe. Connected at your baby's abdomen, one vein carries blood to the baby's heart while two arteries carry blood out of baby's heart and back to the placenta. This system of pumping blood in and out of your growing baby's body not only provides oxygen and nutrients, but also removes any waste that your baby produces as he's developing. Along with your baby, the umbilical cord will continue to mature and strengthen to provide everything your baby needs to survive and mature.

The constant blood flow is helping your baby-to-be's limbs develop and lengthen. He already has the beginning of arms, legs, and fingers; this week his toes are also taking shape. Inside those limbs, bones are forming. As those bones develop, joints such as elbows, ankles, shoulders, and wrists are helping your baby move more freely. You won't be able to feel all this movement because your baby-to-be is still so tiny -- even though a sonographer could capture it with an ultrasound.

Another fun note: Baby's eyelids are forming this week!

At our first sonogram on June 29, we were able to detect Baby Hall heart beat at only 6 weeks!! It was beating at 118 BPM, keep that little heart beating strong :)!!

Doctor Follow Up

Today was my 2 week follow up with the doctor. Unfortunately my insurance denied a second sonogram in the first trimester so we were a little bummed about that. I did have my blood work done and should get the results from that in 7 days. The doctor said that everything still looks good and we should see a new baby Hall around February 20, 2011. We did discuss a second C-Section (I knew it was coming) and he feels that is my best and only option all things considered. SOOOOO, that means that Baby Hall should realistically arrive sometime in the week of February 11-18 depending what rate how he/she grows.

At this point (8 weeks and 3 days) Anna has not kept her secret very well so we will be mailing out announcements very soon. We do hope that everyone will keep us in their prayers, as we are not yet out of the woods. We are still in a very critical time and with the recent past still lingering in our minds, we just pray everyday that God will bless and touch my body to shelter, nourish, and protect this baby so that we can hold him/her in our arms in just a few short months!