The Baby, 15 Weeks

How your baby's growing: At around 4 inches long, crown to rump, your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 ounces. He or she is about the size of a softball now!! He's busy inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, which will help develop the air sacs in his lungs. His legs are growing longer than his arms now, and he can move all his joints and limbs. That means his hands are more functional, too. Sweat glands are appearing, and although his eyelids are fused shut, he can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, he's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but his taste buds are beginning to form. And if you have an ultrasound, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or girl! But remember, we are not going to find out the sex of the baby! :) (Don't be disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down the gender depends somewhat on how clear the picture is and the position of your baby during the ultrasound; he may be curled or turned in such a way as to keep you in suspense.)
Other stuff my book says (Your Pregnancy Week By Week, by Curtis and Schuler):
"Your baby's rapid growth continues. Its skin is thin. At this point, you can see blood vessels through the skin. Fine hair, called lanugo hair, covers the baby's body. By this time, he or she may be sucking its thumb. Eyes continue to move to the front of the face but are still widely separated. Ears continue to develop externally, and continue to look more like normal ears. In fact, your baby looks more human with each passing day. Bones that have already formed are getting harder and retaining calcium (ossifying) rapidly. If an X-ray were done at this time, the baby's skeleton would be visible."

We have another doctor's apt on Monday, and I am hoping to hear the heartbeat again! I loved that! I do have a small "pooch" as K calls it, but don't really "feel pregnant" in any other way, and would love that reassurance again with the heartbeat. :) I do still have my days of fatigue and queasy stomach to look at certain foods, but they are fewer and farther between. Thank you to all my wonderful friends and family that are keeping us and the baby in your prayers! We love you all!