7 weeks and 2 days

Hello Everyone,

Beth and I have officially graduated from the fertility clinic! We are now free to go on to our OB. Today was our second ultrasound with the fertility clinic. The primary goals today were to measure the embryo and attempt to audibly pick-up the heartbeat. Our embryo (baby-to-be) measured at 0.92 cm which is about the size of a grain of rice. This puts our little one at 7 weeks and 2 days. With regards to the heartbeat...(drum roll please) WE HEARD THEIR LITTLE HEARTBEAT FOR THE FIRST TIME! It was amazing. Their little heart was beating at 140 bpm (this is good, strong, and right on target). All in all, things look great so far. We are having a picture perfect pregnancy. Beth and I would like to thank Dr. Kim and all the wonderful people at the University of Chicago Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility group. They are the true magic makers here. They have given us the greatest gift we could ever ask for. Lastly, what kind of host would I be if I didn't leave you all with a list of exciting things going on with our baby-to-be right now. Here you go.

• This week your baby's brain is growing at a mind-boggling 100 cells per minute within a see-through skull.
• Your baby's face is becoming more defined this week.
• A tiny mouth hole (which will be ready to wail before you know it!), tongue, nostrils and ear indentations are visible.
• His or her eyes are wide open, but he doesn't have irises (the colored part) yet.
• Baby's arm buds are growing. At this point they look more like microscopic ping-pong paddles than arms.
• Baby's leg buds are also forming and will look like tiny paddles by the end of the week.
• The umbilical cord—the connection between your baby and the placenta—is now visible.
• Your baby is now between 1/3 and 1/4 inch long—about the length of a Tic Tac and about as heavy as an eyelash. While that sounds tiny, he or she is approximately 10,000 times bigger than at conception.

Thanks everyone. Keep checking back for more updates.
The Lacnys