21 weeks: Kicks, Pomegranites, Brother and Grandchildren

Little one,

You are nearing the end of your 21st week inside your Mom's tummy. Your Brother grows more and more excited to meet you every day. He say 'baby!' whenever he sees a baby, and kisses your Mom's belly without even being prompted. He's getting pretty good at your name too. We say 'what's your sister's name?" And he responds with something very similar to your name!

You're an active little girl. Your Mom feels you kicking all the time, mostly when she's inactive. And I can feel you kicking every night now...a far cry from a few days ago when I first felt you kick.

Your mother's belly continues to grow largery and larger, but she's really taking it like a champ.

I tell her how beautiful she looks, but she refuses to believe me. But, c'mon!


21 weeks

 At 21 weeks old, you are "gulp[ing] down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid."

So last night you got to taste fajitas for the first time. And tortillas. Between your Mom and Brother, we were running the watiress ragged getting fresh, hot flour tortillas. The two of them must have consumed 8 or 10 tortillas for the night.

But, from Tex-Mex to the produce aisle, this week you are the size of one of your Mom's favorite foods (which will be in season just in time for your birth): the pomegranite.

You've reached a milestone in your development this week. Your reproductive organs and your womb are developing quickly. That means you've already got a lifetime supply of eggs in your womb...about six million of them.

We stumbled across this factoid when we were pregnant with your brother: a mother pregnant with her daughter also contains the eggs that will one day be her grandchildren. Mind blown, right? So when GiGi was pregnant with Yaya, Yaya already had the egg in her womb that would become your Mommy.

So when I feel you kicking tonight, I'll  envision myself extra spoiling our eventual grandhildren (if you choose to have any...which, and here comes the parental guilt, you'd better ;) ).

But don't worry, I'll spoil you first.

A Matter of Taste

At 21 weeks, you are officially the size of a banana: Over 10 ounces and 12.5 inches long, on average.

Well, techincally YOU are a banana!

One of the coolest things about being a banana (aka being 21 weeks "old") is that you are now TASTING. That's right, bud, your taste buds are now fully functional- and you are tasting whatever your Momma is eating!

Baby-rearing sources suggest eating a variety of foods while pregnant, since studies show that when you come out, you'll be most interested in food you've already experienced.

And, boy, did we hook you up yesterday. But the sensory overload wasn't just a tasting-adventure; you got fine dining AND fine arts.

As a birthday celebration, Mimi and Pops took us to see a matinee showing of the opera "Otello" (a hilarious comedy) at the brand new Winspear Opera house in Dallas. But before we went, your Mom packed a lunch for the road. This lunch consisted of a PB&J, an apple and pumpkin seeds. And more pumpkin seeds. And more pumpkin seeds. In fact, your Mom didn't stop eating until we got to the Opera house, which was a gorgeous building which, unfortunately, you couldn't see. But, you did get to hear some really loud classical music and operatic singing! And you reacted like crazy-- kicking and rolling and punching.

By the end of act I (aka 45 minutes later), your Mom was starving again. So we went to the concession bar and being faced with a designer "micro sandwich" for 6 bucks (a micro sandwich is even smaller than it sounds) and candy, your mother chose candy.

So, a half a box of chocolate-covered almonds later, we were back in the opera house.

Now, maybe you were just a little bit bored (like your Mother who was more fascinated by the new building and hall than that particular opera) or maybe you really liked loud, tragic song. But, by the end of it, you were most likely just kicking because your mom was playing with you.

Finding the "Moor" a bore, your Mom took to pushing gently on her belly to wake you up-- and you responded by kicking and turning and stretching. At least you were both entertained!

After the last curtain call, we headed to dinner at The Grape, where you had a very nice gourmet meal. For appetizer, you tried candied brie (which we made sure was pasteurized, so you'd be safe) with crackers and bread with butter. For dinner you had grilled beef tournedos, maitre d'butter, garlic-herb frites, bitter greens salad and a red-wine demi glace (that's gourmet talk for steak, with garlic fries and a salad). And for dessert, you had the apple pie with Heath bar ice cream.

So, sensory overload for you in the taste department- what a way to start using your taste buds!

But, of course, later that evening, your Mother was starving again and- low and behold- needed to eat...you guessed it...a banana. But I wouldn't be to worried about those cannibalism worries we had earlier. It's been weeks since she's craved the fruit that matches your weekly size.

In the end, though, no matter what you experience in utero, whether you like bananas or tournedos or the Bard or Turendot, it's all a matter of taste. And now that you have taste buds, you know what I'm talking about!