You rescued him, nursed him to health, and after many passionate nights, he disappears. You go on with your life and find out you are carrying his child. Just as you think you've moved on an inch, he reappears.
Up until this point, the baby's length was measured from the crown of the head to the bottom of the rear end (CRL). Now your baby's length is measured from crown to heel (CHL). Now she has grown to over 8 ½ inches (21.6 cm) long and weighs about 12 ounces (.34 kg), roughly the size of a banana. Her eyelids have finished forming this week, and she is very busy moving around and swallowing amniotic fluid, moving around and not necessarily on a schedule since she sleeps 12-14 hours daily. As she swallows amniotic fluid, the digestive tract is continuing to mature, and she is also receiving some of the caloric intakes from the amniotic fluid. Her vagina has fully formed but will continue to develop until birth.
You are still gaining weight and with that comes stretch marks (which can be avoided using cocoa butter or aloe vera or vitamin E lotions), acne, dark spots, water retention, mood swings, and even morning sickness. Be sure to drink enough water daily, take short breaks during time on your feet, brush after every meal (because the baby could be affecting your teeth), and to try to remain upbeat as all these changes happen. This is the time when you are truly starting to do everything for two and it shows.
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It's not that she's a Bridezilla. But a pregnant bride is not fun, either. I come home from work to find her crying. Not a shock these days, but the question is what she's crying about.
"I don't like any of them!"
A bunch of magazines are all over the bedroom floor and she is in the middle of them all, head bowed and sniffling. Bridal magazines. I'd rather deal with national espionage and armed terrorists. I take a deep breath in the doorway. "What's wrong now?" I really look at her, and see her eyes are puffy and her nose is reddish. Luckily, she is not looking at me, or noticed my annoyance with her mood swings for the last three seconds. Oh no, this has been going on awhile. "Angel?" In another breath, I change hats. I become the man who takes care of her and I leave the government job and its skills someplace else. "Aw, sweetheart, come here." I help her up, and sit in my favorite upstairs chair. I settle her on my lap, not as easy as it used to be, but I do it seamlessly. I grab a tissue, think better of it, and grab the box. "What's wrong, Angel?" I offer the tissue I pull.
"None of these wedding dresses will look nice on me," she sniffles. "I will look like a big fat white cow."
I suppress a chuckle. "You're five months along, not fat, darling." I look at the magazines on the floor. I want to pick them up, but not yet. "And if white bothers you, you can wear ivory, off white, whatever."
"But I want to wear white," she pouts. "I know it's wrong in some respects, but...I do."
"Listen, angel," I lightly tilt her chin up so she has to look at me. "I love you. I want to marry you, and our baby being there is nothing but a gift on the way for both of us. My God, you were just gasping my name last night." I stroke her arm, then her hip and thigh. "And I was just as hot for you as I was five months ago...hell, five minutes ago before I came into this room."
"What happened?"
"You were crying, kills the mood, just a little..." I put her hand on my groin and devilishly wink. "a little."
She giggles softly.
"How about this?" I think aloud. "We'll go online and look. These magazines look like they are all for women who aren't expecting. Can't pick a dress that way, can we?" I shake my head at her, and she does the same to me. "And, angel?"
"What?"
I exhale with relief. She is herself again. "I know you wanted to do a backyard wedding, and I love you for it, but can't we hire people? You've got a lot going on with our daughter, here, and I don't want you stressed trying to make this day happen."
"Auggie—"
"I can afford it," I say, gathering her close on my lap. "Tell you what. You buy your white wedding dress, and I give you a nice black credit card for the rest, hmm?" I gently nuzzle her neck. "Yes?"
She chuckles softly as I tickler her neck with my nose. "Yes."
We keep a few magazines and throw the rest out, and then go online looking at dresses. She keeps saying she wants to look beautiful for me, but she does that everyday. She glows now, and her hair is thicker. She uses herbal shampoos and conditioners that I can't stop sniffing. Her breasts are bigger, her figure fuller. I love caressing her. And then there is our little Walker...Amelia, Sky, Gabrielle, Eleanor, Rachel, Sophie, whatever. Watching the whole process is changing me, I realize as we shower together and I put lotion on her swelling womb.
"Who are we inviting to the wedding?" she asks as we get in bed. "My family is dead."
"Mine too." I think.
"Kind of sad, don't you think?" She asks, lying next to me and putting her head on my chest.
"It is, but we are having a baby, so neither family really ends, does it?" I smile down at her.
She smiles brightly up at me. "Nope." She pauses. "And my dress shopping is just beginning!"
"We picked a dress!"
"No, we picked several," she giggles. "Don't worry, babe, you don't have to come with me. I'll take a friend."
I look at the printout of choices we made. Happy at least that is no longer a concern, I snuggle close and fall asleep.
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So which one? Inquiring minds wanna know! Let the voting begin!
