For comparison

Just a side by side comparison of week 8 vs week 12. Taken last weekend, but I don't think there has been great change since then. Both these photos were taken in mid-afternoon. When I wake up in the morning my belly isn't as large as this.

13 Weeks- Development

Your Baby This Coming Week

Your baby measures about 3.2 to 3.5 inches (7.6 to 8.9cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 0.9 ounces (25g). Your baby is now nourished by the placenta.

His face is developing and his cheeks and the bridge of his nose are appearing. His ears are moving from the sides of his neck to higher on his head and his eyes are moving closer together. Your baby's external genitals are now distinct and may be recognized on an ultrasound. Your baby will move away from stimuli near your tummy, such as noise and light.

Your baby's eyebrows have formed and a small amount of hair, called lanugo, has appeared all over his body. Lanugo, which will be shed before birth and replaced with the hairs with which your baby will be born, is thought to have a protective function.

Insulin is present in your baby's pancreas. Some bones may be well outlined. Your baby's thyroid gland, already developed by this week, begins to make hormones.

Baby boys begin to develop the prostate gland at this time and the ovaries of baby girls descend from the abdomen into the pelvis.

Your Body This Coming Week

By now your uterus is about the size of a large grapefruit. If your due date has not already been predicted, an ultrasound measurement of your baby's head can be used to make one.

Your pre-pregnancy clothes are probably too tight by now. If you haven't already got some maternity clothes, now is probably the time to get some. You'll be most comfortable in loose-fitting clothes. Make sure you really like your maternity clothes- you'll be wearing them a lot. Friends, family and thrift shops can be a great source of maternity clothes.

You may feel less exhausted than you did earlier in your pregnancy. Some women even start to experience a rejuvenating surge of energy at around this time. Many women report that the second trimester is the best time of pregnancy as the morning sickness of the first trimester has usually passed, and the discomforts and weariness of the third trimester have yet to begin. If you would like to take a last holiday before your baby arrives, the second trimester, with your doctor's approval, is probably the best time to do so. This could be a good opportunity for you and your partner to connect and share some couple-time before the baby arrives.

13 Weeks

Your baby has reached the size of a medium shrimp and weighs nearly an ounce. (Length: almost 3 inches, head to bottom.)

I had thought about omiting this image this week since I dislike all seafood. And what's with the shrimp when all of the other images are fruits or vegetables?

Week 13 Journal

How far along? 13 weeks.
Total weight gain/loss: Same as last week. Woo hoo! Finally a week of no change.
TP test: Just over 9 squares, maybe 9 1/2 squares.
Maternity Clothes: Ugh. Lots of my existing clothes are tight or don't fit at all. As I find things that don't fit anymore I'm taking them out of my closet and putting them into a storage tub. Need to start thinking about picking up a few pairs of maternity pants.
Food cravings/ aversions: Just one odd one that I haven't tried yet. But I think that mixing chocolate and strawberry syrup into a glass of milk would taste good.
"Morning" Sickness: For the most part gone. A few times I've felt a little queasy, but usually it's because I'm hungry.
Signs of Pregnancy: Tight clothes. I think I've also started to experience round ligament pain.
Stretch Marks: Nope.
Sleep: I hate our bed. It's small and the mattress is not comfortable at all. Eagerly awaiting our tax return so that we can get a new one.
Big things this week: I don't think there's been anything that momentous.
Gender prediction: Who knows. I think I'm trying to avoid predicting one way or the other because I don't want to be wrong.
Movement: Well the info says the baby is moving (and has been for a while) but I can't feel it yet.
Labor Pains: Nothing yet.
Belly Button in or out? Definitely in. Wondering when I should take out my belly ring.
Wedding rings on or off? On. And a little loose.
Weekly Wisdom: I've got nothing. Unless you want to count, if you want a second ice cream bar, go for it.

What's for eats?

I feel like I'm constantly eating or hungry. Many days at 10 or 11 in the morning I'm already thinking about dinner. This is probably why I'm putting on the weight- not because of the teeny tiny baby. I decided to keep track of what I eat/drink in a day. Here's what I consumed on Wednesday.

Breakfast- 7:30
Chocolate butterscotch-chip cookie
Cranberry bagel with butter

Morning Snack- 10:45
Package of Smartfood
Pear
Dove chocolate

Lunch- 12:30
Smart Ones- Santa Fe Rice and Beans
Sun Chips

Afternoon Snack #1- 2:45
Granola bar
2 mini peanut butter cups

Afternoon Snack #2- 4:00
Cheese and crackers
Yogurt

Dinner- 6:30
5 Guys Burgers & Fries
- Little Bacon Cheeseburger
- 1/2 of a regular size fries

Drinks
1/2 liter of Crystal Light
A little less than 2 liters of water
Juice box- apple
1 can Sprite

(1/2 liter = about 2 glasses or roughly a 16oz bottle)

12 Weeks

Your baby is, by this time, the size of a lime and weighs 1/2 ounce. (Length: just over 2 inches, head to bottom.)

12 Weeks- Development

Your Baby This Coming Week

Your baby is about the size of a peach and is growing rapidly. Crown to rump, your baby measures 2.6 to 3.1 inches (6.5 to 7.8cm) and weighs 0.5 to 0.7 ounces (14 to 20g).

Your baby's legs are longer than her arms and her skin is red and transparent. Her eyelids are fused together and won't open for about four more months. Her arms are long enough to reach her mouth and she may begin to place her thumb in her mouth. Her sucking reflex, however, is not yet developed.

The tissue that will become your baby's bones is being laid out, especially around her head and her arms and legs. Some ribs may be distinguished at this time. The nose and chin are more prominent now.

Your Body This Coming Week

You are beginning your second trimester of pregnancy.

Your uterus is growing rapidly and is filling the pelvis and moving up into the abdomen. If you are still having morning sickness, it may stop around this point.

Some women will get stretch marks on the breasts, hips and buttocks that may show up this early. They will later fade but will probably not disappear altogether. Some women experience itching around this time but it is more common later in pregnancy.

You probably have noticed changes in your breasts. They are becoming larger and heavier and the areola is probably darkening. They are preparing to secrete milk for your baby!

Your placenta is now well developed and is responsible for hormone production which was previously manufactured by your ovaries. Estrogen and progesterone are the primary hormones which are now being produced. These hormones are necessary for maintaining your pregnancy and inducing the changes necessary for it to progress.

Your baby will begin to practice breathing in the next few weeks as her chest rises and falls in mock breathing motions. She will also swallow small amounts of amniotic fluid which will be passed as urine.

Your placenta is providing all of your baby's needs for nutrition, oxygen and waste disposal, though the amniotic fluid will become more important later on.

All major components of the body are formed and now must grow and mature. From now on, your baby's development will consist primarily of organ maturity and growth and body refinement.