Week 17--Changes and Developments

Sorry this is a day late this week. I stayed home from work yesterday and completely spaced it off. I know, I suck. Anyway, this week should be pretty mellow, even though I start classes again tomorrow, but not too much is happening with the baby either:

• White fatty material, called myelin, begins to enclose the nerve fibers of the spinal cord.
• Lanugo (a soft, fine hair) covers the baby's shoulders, back, and temples (so it looks more like a monkey).
• Your baby's lungs are beginning to "breathe" the amniotic fluid (although the placenta will still supply the necessary oxygen until he/she is born).
• The circulatory and urinary systems are working.
• The reflexes are quickly developing. These reflexes will allow the baby to swallow, suck, and blink.

The only things I'm really excited about are the potential for feeling movements, and the baby's hearing should be developed enough in the next week or two to actually hear the world around him, so I won't just be crazy if I talk to my stomach anymore! Woohoo