Week 26, Opening her eyes, moving her head, and more!

At long last, our little swimmer can see the womb! Our miracle’s little eyelids have finally separated (they were fused closed previously) and she's probably having her first moments of sight as you read this. Baby Ortyl's eyes are blue in the womb (like her Papa's) but may change colors after birth. This is true for all races because the pupils do not have their final color until a few months after birth. In addition to seeing her little studio in my belly, she's recently acquired the ability to say “yes” and “no” in rudimentary sign language as she can now move her head back and forth. This is also the time where Baby O's little super star’s head hair is starting to grow! A cute little cowlick or two may be springing into position right now, getting ready for years of cute-but-stubborn bed-head. Also, her fingernails and toenails have grown in and our little raisin continues to slowly pile up fat beneath her still-loose skin. Most importantly, brain tissue and neurons are all developing at a rapid pace, increasing Baby O's (genius-level?) brain activity and will continue to function at accelerated levels for the first seven to eight years of childhood! Blood vessels start to develop in the lungs to prepare baby for life outside the uterus. Her blood circulation is completely functional. The umbilical cord system continues to grow and thicken as blood travels with considerable force through the body to nurture our little baby. This week Baby O's crown-to-rump length is approximately 9.2 inches (that is only from the top of his head to his bottom and does not include her leg measurements) and she weighs almost 2 pounds!