Week 16

It feels like a week since yesterday. I asked a patient over the phone what she had to eat yesterday and she told me, "Heidi, I was in your office yesterday." Oh. I guess I'm just excited about being off for 5 days in a row! That and I feel super tired. I've been getting anywhere from 8-10 hours of sleep every night and I still feel exhausted.

I've managed to make it back to the gym for some exercise - walking and water aerobics. I feel better now that I can get out of my apartment and do something for a change. And my appetite is still good. (Speaking of which, excuse me while I go grab a snack.)

Ok. I'm back, key lime pie yogurt in hand.

Enough about me. Let's talk about Ziggy!

Ziggy is about 5 inches long and more than 3 and a half ounces - the size of my open hand. (That's a visual, no?) (For those of you who seem to enjoy the fruit/vegetable theme - the baby is as big as a turnip!) Body fat is beginning to form and will continue to accumulate through the rest of the pregnancy. By the time Ziggy gets here, body fat will make up 2/3 of his or her weight! Chubby, chubby!

Remember last week: that the bones in the ears were forming? Well, Ziggy should certainly be able to hear things now! In fact, loud noises - our crazy dog, Maggie, barking, for example - could actually startle Ziggy. This is good news, as it will actually get him or her used to it. Babies in the womb who regularly hear a dog barking will become babies who sleep right through the dog's outbursts. (Thank goodness, right?)

The eyes are making side-to-side movements and can even perceive some light, though the eyelids are still sealed.

And here's some proof that Ziggy will truly be one of a kind (like I need any!): within the next week or so, the pads on the baby's fingertips and toes will become adorned with completely individual swirls and creases. (Fingerprints!)

Reflections:
I have commented to many people how God truly knows the desires of our hearts.  During a particularly difficult relationship in my life, I remember a yearning in my heart for the man I was with to say and do certain things. Those things have since been fulfilled in my husband. I never told anyone those things. I never even prayed them aloud. But somehow God knew. He knows the desires of our hearts.

I have dreamt all my life of someday being a mommy, holding a newborn in my arms, kissing boo-boos and tucking little heads into bed at night. I've wanted nothing more or as much as the privilege of being a mother. But I understand that it's a privilege. I take motherhood very seriously. It's no ordinary job being a mom. You are responsible for the one thing God finds most precious - a child. Everything you say and do can affect that child. For good or bad. It's an awesome responsibility.

And now, I have been granted, again, the desires of my heart - a child. And with that promise has come other good things. My husband has become more aware of his health and has taken actions to improve it. I have found my relationship with both my mom and my mother-in-law strengthening. Things that were of great importance before have now fallen to the side. Even my relationship with my Creator and Savior has gotten stronger. When God blesses you, He doesn't do it half-way. It's a ripple effect.

So, I have no idea what you may be going through today, but whatever it is, know this: God knows the desires of your heart. Psalms 37:4 says "Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." If you delight yourself in him, he will give you the desires of your heart. And if I know one thing to be true, it's this: God keeps His promises.