Week 23 - Not even born and he's already an international traveler!

Man is that tummy getting big! It's so cool! So, we were thinking about Kai and all that he's done already since he was conceived. He's traveled through 4 different countries and he's not even born yet! That's more than many people do in their entire life. Just thought that was kinda funny. And, just in what we have planned in the future, he'll visit the US, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and possibly Ecuador. Just amazing how much he gets to do being a little MK (Missionary Kid).

So, this week, now that I'm back on track, Kai is officially the size of a large mango. He weighs just over a pound, though it seems like he should weigh so much more by now if you go by Lisa's belly size. He is more than 11 inches long and I'm sure a lot of that is leg. Baby Center says that now Kai's sense of movement is well developed and he can feel the movement from walking, running, and even dancing. It also says that you can see him move under your clothes, but we discovered that last week.

Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, which is always a good thing, and his hearing is becoming more keen. His little cochlea (the inner ear part that houses all the parts for hearing) is fully formed. He can hear what we hear, but not necessarily at the same level. The sounds and stuff are obviously muffled by the belly, muscles, and all that fluid in there. Studies show that babies at 5 months begin recording sounds from the outside, learn the rhythm of speech patterns from mommy, and can even start distinguishing the pitch and speech pattern of people. They begin recording memories and dream. I can't imagine what in the world Kai is dreaming about, but it can't be too exciting. I mean, all the kid gets is sound from outside, food coming in the little tube attached to his belly, and he swims around all day. What could he possibly dream about? Sushi? Yogurt?

I really like what The Bump has to say about this week. "Baby's little face is fully formed--minus the baby fat of course. The next task at hand: sprouting two teeny-tiny nipples." I'm not sure why, but the word "nipple" still makes me giggle and especially when it says sprout. I get the image in my head of cartoon farmland bowing up under the pressure of the seed and then "pop, pop" two little flowers sprout. For some reason, that's the way I imagine his little chest creating nipples. POP, POP, just like popcorn and they're there! Tada!

Man it feels good to be all caught up on this blog!