Baby Bolin: 18 weeks

Head to bottom, Baby Bolin is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a large sweet potato) and she weighs almost 7 ounces.

She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll likely start noticing more and more. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin and her ears are now in position and stand out from her head. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and Fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If your baby is a boy, his genitals are noticeable, though he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

How mom's life is changing:

Bigger, more comfortable clothes are a must now as your appetite and waistline increase. Look for specially designed maternity clothes that can accommodate your expanding belly.

You may have heard that it's best to lie on your left side during your last two trimesters. Here's why: When you lie on your back, your uterus can compress your pelvic veins — in particular, the inferior vena cava, the vein that returns blood from the lower half of your body back to your heart. Lying on your left side helps remove this pressure. Try placing a pillow behind you, or under your hip or leg for comfort.

Your cardiovascular system is undergoing dramatic changes, and during your second trimester your blood pressure is probably lower than usual. Don't spring up too fast from a lying or sitting position or you might feel a little dizzy.

If you haven't already, you'll probably have an ultrasound done sometime this trimester (usually between 16 and 20 weeks). This painless procedure helps your practitioner check how your baby's growing, screen for certain birth defects, check the placenta and umbilical cord, determine whether the due date you're working with is accurate, and see how many babies you're carrying. During the exam, you might see your baby moving around or sucking her thumb. You may also find out the sex of the baby!

Cast your vote!

Jamie and David have narrowed it down to a few names they love for Baby Bolin.

Cast your vote and help them decide on a final choice!

Vote on your favorite GIRL name
	Devyn Leigh Bolin

Devyn Leigh WINS because Mommy & Daddy say so :)

Vote on your favorite BOY name
	Jeffrey Ryan Bolin
	Ethan James Bolin
	Jadon Lee Bolin

The results are in...

Baby Bolin will be...

...a BOY! 40% 6 votes

...a GIRL! 47% 7 votes

...TWINS! 13% 2 votes

15 votes total

Thanks for voting everyone. We will find out soon who was right!

Baby Name Help!

Jamie & David already have a name picked out if Baby Bolin turns out to be a girl, but need a bit of inspiration for a boy name.

Leave a comment and let them know what name you think would be perfect if Baby Bolin is a boy…

Serious names only… Kenny!

For help looking up names, check out Baby Names or Baby Center

Baby Bolin: 17 weeks

Baby Bolin weighs about 5 ounces now, and he's around 5 inches long — about the size of a large onion. He can move his joints, and his skeleton — until now rubbery cartilage — is starting to harden to bone. His sense of hearing is also developing. The umbilical cord, his lifeline to the placenta, is growing stronger and thicker.

How mom's life is changing: With more weight up high and out in front of your body, you may feel a bit off-balance as you walk around. Store away your high heels and wear low-heeled shoes to reduce your risk of taking a tumble.You're likely to feel protective of your tummy, and that's good. Trauma to your abdomen could be harmful to your baby and dangerous to you, so be sure to buckle up when you're driving. Keep the lap portion of the seat belt under your belly and very snug across your hips for maximum protection.

Smile for the Camera!

16 weeks!

Boy or Girl?

Soon we will find out if Baby Bolin is a boy or a girl...

What do you think Baby Bolin will be?

Baby Bolin will be...
	...a BOY!
	...a GIRL!
	...TWINS!
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Not sure? Check out the previous "Boy or Girl" post full of Old Wives Tales to help you decide!

Baby Bolin: 16 weeks

At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, Baby Bolin is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks, she'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, though, doubling her weight and adding inches to her length.

Her lower limbs are much more developed now. Her head is more erect than it has been, and her eyes have moved toward the front of her head. Your baby's ears are close to their final position, too. Some of her more advanced body systems are working, including her circulatory system and urinary tract. Her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, circulating her total blood volume through her body many times. (By the end of your pregnancy, this will increase to about 190 quarts.) The patterning of her scalp has begun, though her hair isn't recognizable yet. Although closed, her eyes are moving (slowly), and she's even started growing toenails.

How mom's life is changing:

Have people been telling you how wonderful you look? The "glow of pregnancy" is real, thanks to increased blood flow to the skin. You may be enjoying yourself more, too, now that your hormones have stabilized and nausea has eased up. You're also probably less anxious about something happening to your baby (the risk of miscarriage drops dramatically after the 14th week) which likely adds to your overall sense of well-being.

Soon you'll experience one of the most wonderful moments of pregnancy — feeling your baby move. While some women notice "quickening" as early as 16 weeks, most don't until about 18 weeks or more. If this is your first baby, don't be too anxious — you may not be aware of your baby's movements until 20 weeks or so. The earliest movements may feel like little flutters, gas bubbles, or even like popcorn popping. Over the following weeks they'll start to feel unmistakably like kicks.

Baby Bolin: 15 weeks

At around 4 inches long, crown to rump, your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 ounces. He's busy inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, which will help develop the air sacs in his lungs. His legs are growing longer than his arms now, and he can move all his joints and limbs. That means his hands are more functional, too. Sweat glands are appearing.

Although his eyelids are fused shut, he can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, he's likely to move away from the beam.

There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but his taste buds are beginning to form.

And if you have an ultrasound, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or girl! (Don't be disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down the gender depends somewhat on how clear the picture is and the position of your baby during the ultrasound; he may be curled or turned in such a way as to keep you in suspense.)

Baby Bolin: 14 weeks

Head to bottom, Baby Bolin is 3 1/2 inches long — about the length of a lemon — and weighs about 1 1/2 ounces. Her body's growing faster than her head, which now sits upon a more well-defined neck. By the end of this week, her arms will have lengthened and will be in proportion to the rest of her body. (Her legs still have some growing to do, though.) She's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair all over her body (called lanugo).

Her liver starts secreting bile this week, a sign that it's already functioning properly, and her spleen starts contributing to the production of red blood cells. She's also producing and discharging urine into the amniotic fluid, a normal process that she'll keep up until birth.

You still can't feel your baby's movements, but her hands and feet (which are now half an inch long) are more flexible and active. Thanks to brain impulses, her little facial muscles are getting a workout as she squints, frowns, and grimaces. She can grasp now, too, and she may be able to suck her thumb.

How mom's life is changing: As early discomforts (nausea, fatigue) begin to fade, you may start to regain some energy and feel more comfortable with how your body's changing. (Although the top of your uterus is only a bit above your pelvic bone, that growth may be enough to push your tummy out a bit.)

Starting to show is an exciting pregnancy milestone and it will likely give you and your partner the visible evidence of a baby that you've been waiting for. Take some time to plan, daydream, and enjoy this amazing time. It's normal to worry a bit now and then, but you can also breathe a little sigh of relief knowing that with the start of this trimester your risk of miscarriage has dropped significantly. Now try to focus on taking care of yourself and your baby and having faith that you're well equipped for what's ahead.