18 Weeks

Our baby's ears are now facing forward and are completely formed so she can actually hear us talking now. This week is also the beginning of ossification. And while that sounds like some long and involved paperwork you'd have to fill out, it's really a fancy medical term for the hardening of our baby's miniature bones. And that's a good thing. Our baby's nerves are making more and more complex connections. Her sense of smell, taste, sight and hearing are all developing. A substance called myelin, which makes nerve connections travel faster, is now coating our baby's nerves. Our baby now weighs between 5 and 7 ounces and is about 5½ inches long—about the size of a pickle from the corner deli. (I'm familiar with pickles, right? My regular accompaniment to a big bowl of ice cream? Just kidding.)
At about 18 weeks, I have begun to feel a suspicious flutter in my belly. The professionals call it "quickening," some call it "baby's makin' waves!" Within the next few weeks, those tiny bubbly feelings will become more obvious. And soon enough they'll be unmistakably identifiable—especially when I (and anyone within 10 feet of me) can see tiny feet, elbows and knees moving across your belly.