Dear Hop Hop:
I missed writing to you last week and I am so sorry! It was the week before Easter and I was spending the week with your Jaju and Grampy! I know that is no excuse, but that’s all I have. As a matter of fact after writing your 16 week letter I think I started to feel you move inside my belly! That feeling got stronger during the 17th week, and now I love to sit back and wait for you to move. I think that’s one of the most special things about having you in my belly. Only I get to feel these early movements, and it’s an experience that no one else gets to share with you. I cherish it.
Do you hear my heartbeat little one? I hope it’s a soothing sound in there for you, because I know how much I like to hear your little heart every time I go to the doctor. When I went to my 16 week appointment your heart rate was at about a 152. Right in the middle which doesn’t help me decide if I think you are a girl or boy. People keep telling me you are a girl, but I am not so sure. They say that my face has changed. Not one person has guessed boy, but again I am not convinced. We will know very soon, and I am ready!
The 17th week finally brought me some relief in the “feeling better” department. I have been able to eat again which is a HUGE milestone! I know I requested some help in that in my last letter, so I appreciate it. I can’t say I have any real cravings yet. Well, maybe chicken floutas which I got last night…your welcome! I am just happy that food and I are getting along again. That’s all that matters.
We have so many fun things coming up in the weeks ahead. I have a feeling time is going to start moving very fast now. Your little brother talks about you ALL the time. He is SUPER excited. I hope that excitement continues when you are actually here. I can see his little head spinning thinking about you. The other day he asked “so…where will Hop Hop sleep?”. We told him we have a special room for you that we can’t wait to set up! I can’t believe that soon we get to decorate it for you! Will it be pink or blue???
Hop Hop 18 Weeks
Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long, and he weighs almost 7 ounces (about the size of a bell pepper). He’s busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you’ll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they’re still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he’s born. If you’re having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you’re having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.
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