Baby Journal Day 4

Nothing to report. Besides the occasional foot falling off, nothing special has happened. Honestly, when this project is over all will be joyful.  No one in the sophomore year is ready for parenthood. NO ONE. If the moral of this was don't have sex...point taken.

Baby Journal Day 3

  Things have gotten much better.  Megan and I have sort of developed a system.  We exchange playing mommy throughout the day to keep from getting too overwhelmed.  I took care of her 3rd, 4th and 5th period and from 2:10 to 3:00, then Megan left and took Macie home for the night.  I've gotten used to holding the baby properly, so no more head flopping. Thanks gosh she isn't real.

Baby Journal Day 2

  It's only the second day...Megan and I are both in over our heads.  I'm frustrated.  My entire routine has been changed. Opening my locker has become a trouble.  I'm late to almost every class; trying to carry 7 pounds of duct tape + books that way as much as me...not exactly the easiest thing, especially while rushing up and down stairs and trying to not get yelled at by a nun.  Also, while sitting in class trying to take notes, I've realized I accidentally let the baby's head slip.  I definitely have to get used to this fast.

Baby Journal Day 1

  Our baby was born February 11th 2011.  As you already know, it's a girl. We decided to name her Macie Caitlin Morris-Goss. We now have to keep a "Baby Journal" documenting our thoughts, feelings, and everything that's going on during these two weeks of motherhood.
  Honestly, Megan and I are very happy about Macie. Everything seems to be going smoothly. She's healthy, and besides Megan's employment troubles nothing too serious has happened.
  Megan is taking care of Macie for the weekend, so I haven't really gotten the chance to experience what it will be like; but I have helped friends with their children and they have had many complications.  Little things such as opening their lockers and carrying their books to their next class have been proven difficult. Also, something that surprised me was that there is "proper" way to carry a baby.  I already knew you must support the head, but I had no idea that holding her improperly could seriously hurt her.
  We have a lot to learn.
 

Time Line

From week 16-24
  The baby now weighs about 1.4 pounds. The nervous system is starting to function. We'll now be able to tell if it's male or female just by looking at it (it's a girl) She can now suck her thumb, yawn, stretch, make faces and hiccup. The mother will be able to feel her movements, and the babies heart can be felt with a stethoscope.
things that complete or continue development:
* eye components
* eyebrows and eyelashes
* increased muscle development
* hand and startle reflexes
* fingerprints and footprints 
* nails on fingers and toes
* alveoli (air sacs in the lungs) 


Life Card #3
"Mom, you are not gaining enough weight...is this a problem for just you or both you and the baby?"
Weight gain is very important during pregnancy, it provides nourishment for the baby and is vital for proper baby development. Pregnant mothers should gain at least 20 pounds during pregnancy; all this weight would be distributed throughout the body:
* 7-8 pounds = baby
* 2 pounds = amniotic fluid
* 1-2 pounds = placenta
* 2 pounds = uterus
* 7 pounds = maternal fat and nutrients 
* 4 pounds = maternal blood
Women should gain weight at a steady pace during the first trimester. If the mother doesn't gain weight at all, then the child could suffer from malnourishment, low birth weight, or premature birth.

Life Card #2

  Apparently Megan lost her job.  She has gone from being a powerful, well-paid executive to working as a waitress at a dead-end restaurant. How will this effect Mother and baby? Well, first there's the salary. Waitresses only earn minimum wage, I don't know exactly where she's working, but even at a five star restaurant the pay doesn't amount to what she's used to. I guess the child can't really be effected by this, since you can't miss what you never had. Does our baby really care about money? She's about the size of an avocado....I don't think she really minds.
  Megan however, is depressed.  She's missing working at the top of the food chain, senior manger of her fancy company, downtown in this really shiny building. All these emotions she's feeling; confusion, fear, stress, anxiety...this could actually affect the child. If the depression gets out of hand, Megan could turn to unhealthy habits, such as: drinking, smoking, poor nutrition, or even suicidal behavior. This could cause premature birth, low birth weight and developmental problems.
  My suggestion to make sure everyone is healthy and happy is to consult with our health care provider about pre-cautious therapy...possibly a support group for pregnant female couples who have just lost expensive jobs.

Embryonic Development

1# Differentiation: the process when a cell becomes more and more specialized, taking a unique shape and preparing to preform a particular task.

2#

3# The stages of differentiation are:
  * the cell divides
  * four new daughter cells are created
  * the new cell tissues develop to create two new cells

4# Endoderm => stomach, intestines, lungs, colon, liver, pancreas, bladder
Mesoderm => heart, blood (lymph cells), spleen, skeleton
Ectoderm => nervous system, hair, pigment cells, eye lenses