Bébé through the ages

I was not supposed to have another sonogram for the rest of my pregnancy, but my doctor recently decided to do one more around 32 weeks. Nothing of concern, just something he told me he started doing more routinely since the last time I was pregnant, to better assess the baby's growth and guesstimate her weight at birth. So compared to three ultrasounds four years ago, I had no less than five this time. It's always fun to compare the mind-blowing progression of a baby in utero, with such important changes occurring every week.

Bébé F is doing well. At the time of the scan, she weighed about 4 1/2 pounds, and should weigh around 7 pounds 3 ounces when she's born (LP was 7 1/2 pounds, 10 days early). All through the pregnancy, her measurements and development, the stretching of my uterus, etc., have been exactly, exactly the expected average. She's continuing to put on 1/2 pound a week, which is extraordinary! I've gained over 35 pounds so far, pretty much the same as last time (I'll probably gain 45 overall again). Only this time I know how difficult and long it was to lose it. 

She's been head-down (in position for birth) for a while now,  about a month and a half. This time, I felt her turning this way (ouch). Her movements seem much more frequent and stronger than they were with LP -maybe I just don't remember, or maybe it's just the way she's positioned... She is very active, wiggly, and responsive, becoming agitated when LP cries, and starting to move whenever M puts his hand on my belly. She's often plain hurting me, although I don't hold it against her. :-) She's hiccuping (sometimes very strongly) several times a day, which her brother also used to do at this stage. A very good sign, my doctor told me, since it means she's practicing her breathing, working hard to get her little lungs ready (they're the only thing that could still not be fully functional if she were to be born at this point). We didn't get pictures from this last sonogram; at this stage they're getting too big to have a clear, general view... It was more like isolated body parts popping in and out of view. She was in a strange position, which made my doctor laugh and say: "Poor baby, good thing we don't remember that time"... She was kind of stuck on one side, with one leg spread over her stomach.

10 weeks, a tiny wiggling shrimp (cross marks her beating heart)

12 weeks

20 weeks, playing hide-and-seek

26 weeks, 3D scan. This little face is strikingly similar to newborn LP. Both my children will apparently have my mouth!