14 weeks! second trimester! baby block is a lemon!

and i don't mean that our baby is a dud... so no jokes on his/her lemon stage!

yes, i'm very excited today. i'm officially 14 weeks along, which means i'm officially in the second trimester. this means that my exhaustion is going away (i will already admit to having more energy) and the rest of my first trimester side effects should diminish (which means maybe the headaches will subside, but i'm not counting on it). most of all though, major stuff happens in this trimester. i'll feel the baby kick for the first time. the rest of the world will finally be able to recognize that i'm pregnant (not just getting fat or something). and other great baby-making developments.

so, onto this week. from babycenter.com:

How your baby's growing:
This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

See what your baby looks like this week.

How your life's changing:
Welcome to your second trimester! Your energy is likely returning.

The top of your uterus is a bit above your pubic bone, which may be enough to push your tummy out a tad. Starting to show can be quite a thrill, giving you and your partner visible evidence of the baby 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 try to focus on taking care of yourself and your baby, and having faith that you're well equipped for what's ahead.