BABY GRIFFITHS

September 2: Thomas is now 2 months old and has received his first set of vaccinations. He screamed upon receiving the needles, but quickly calmed when it was all done. He was "cranky" for the rest of the day so he spent most of the time in either Pam's or Derek's arms. He is now officially more than 8 pounds, and still filling in nicely. Yesterday, Thomas tried out the Tummy Tub, a way of bathing him that simulates the womb as it keeps him in a fetal position and he is completely submersed in water up to his neck. He seemed to enjoy the experience, although Pam found it a bit of a challenge as both of her hands were supporting his head so it was hard to actually bathe him. Until he can hold his head up by himself, the Tummy Tub will be used to soothe him rather than bathe him as it is clear Thomas was definitely relaxed in it! Thomas is still feeding every 2 - 4 hours, and is awake for an hour in the morning, evening and in the middle of the night. While awake he enjoys getting "tummy time" either on one of his parents chests or on the floor. He is getting better at turning his head from one side to the other when on his tummy, and can independently hold it up for a few seconds before it goes back to bopping up and down. 

August 27: As of August 22, Thomas weighed in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces ... and this time he gained the weight strictly from breast milk, no supplement! It's hard to believe that he was only supposed to arrive today ... since he seems to be gaining an average of one ounce a day, he is most likely about 8 pounds today and doing extremely well! On Thursday he surprised his mom by lifting his head as he lay on her stomach and chest and stared at her for close to 10 seconds; his neck muscles are definitely strengthening. He is awake much more often now and appears to be taking in his surroundings, perhaps his curiosity about what is around him has prompted him to start turning his head whenever he is on his belly. Grandma & Grandpa Griffiths came for a visit last night and had a great time holding, watching and cooing at their grandson. Today, Pam & Derek took Thomas and Hobbes on a long walk in the NCC trails across from where they used to live. Thomas slept the entire time in the baby carrier and Hobbes enjoyed every scent. Later this week, Thomas will be two months old which means it's time for his first round of vaccines. Strange to think he wasn't even supposed to be here yet. 

August 16: Thomas is now 7 pounds, 3 ounces! He had his first visit to the cottage on August 14 and while he slept most of the time, he seemed to enjoy himself. His great-great Aunt Phyllis had a chance to hold him ~ it was amazing to see a 96 year old woman's eyes light up as she held a 7 week old baby. He also met Liana and visited with his Aunt Tina and his maternal grandparents. The 2 hour car ride each way also went well as the motion lulls him to sleep. On Monday, Thomas surprised his great-grandmother for a little visit. Again, it makes Pam & Derek feel fortunate when a 91 year old woman's eyes light up as she speaks of her adorable great-grandson as a miracle. On Tuesday, Pam's best friend, Jen, drove over from Montreal with her daughter, Sophie, to see Thomas. This was the first time she has seen him since out of the hospital, and even though Pam & Derek see him as a "big boy", Jen assures them he is still little; in fact he now weighs more than when Sophie was born. It was fun to watch Sophie watch Thomas as she peered over the edge of the play pen and kept repeating "baby"! Grams & Pops also stopped by for a short visit and Jen eventually relinquished Thomas so that his grandmother could hold him, of course, Sophie had to get in on the action to! While Pam & Derek are still very tired, they are enjoying visiting with friends and family.

August 9: Thomas is getting bigger with each passing minute, or so it seems. Look at how much he has lost/gained below:

June 30: 4 pounds, 3 ounces

July 6: 3 pounds, 3 ounces

July 25: 5 pounds, 4 ounces

August 2: 5 pounds, 12 ounces

August 9: 6 pounds, 8 ounces

That's right, Thomas has more than doubled his lowest weight and now weighs in at 6 and a half pounds! Considering his hearty appetite and his fairly easy going manner, he's definitely keeping most of the calories that he gets every feeding. He is still receiving a supplement in his breast milk and takes between 55ml - 85ml every 3 hours, so it is no wonder why he is growing at such a rate. He is using his vocal chords more frequently these days, but usually only to clue his parents in on something, such as his hunger or a need to be burped. 

August 6: It's been a great week, albeit a tiring one. Pam finally understands what being a parent is all about and why her first-time mom friends often talk about being tired and needing to take naps! One week after coming home, Thomas had gained 9 ounces (more than half a pound!), he has most likely hit the 6 pound marker, or at least from the chipmunk-like cheeks and "chubby" legs it sure looks as though he has. Thomas has been enjoying going on walks with his parents and Hobbes and meeting the neighbors. He had his first day visit out of the home when on Friday he went to Toledo to visit with his paternal grandparents. While Pam & Derek enjoyed a dip in the 82 degree pool, the grandparents happily pushed Thomas' stroller up and down the shady driveway. His next day trip will hopefully be to visit his maternal grandparents and aunt up at the cottage. Thomas has outgrown 3 of his 5 premie outfits and is now wearing some sleepers Pam had bought for a full-term baby. Of course, the sleepers are still big, but at least he can stretch his legs in them. Derek often volunteers to give Thomas a bottle so that Pam can take a break and hopefully fall asleep, however, he still doesn't volunteer to change diapers (but will if asked)! Hobbes is still loving Thomas and likely sees him as a puppy. When it's time for Thomas' bath, Hobbes enjoys lying down next to Thomas while his diaper is being removed and then sits and waits until he is all clean at which point he tries to lick his forehead, but seeing as he is now clean he is always told not to. Family life is great.  

July 31: Aunt Tina came for a visit yesterday. She marveled over his tiny size, skinny legs & cute facial expressions and waited all day to see him open his eyes. He is still bottling well and is putting on weight, although he still looks small to most people. Thomas also went for a short visit to Michelle & Nick's home in downtown Ottawa. He faired well in the car & slept through his entire visit, better then crying the whole time. Speaking of crying, Thomas is starting to exercise his lungs more and more these days as he is beginning to let his parents know when he is hungry. He still settles down nice & quickly upon receiving his food or being held. Thomas went to see his family doctor for the first time today. After a thorough check-up he was declared "healthy", and is now allowed to feed on demand over night, going no more than 4 hours between feedings, but still every three hours during the day. 

July 26 - 28: Thomas has enjoyed three days of visitors. On his second day home, Thomas' maternal grandparents, Pops & Grams, came for a visit. They enjoyed giving him a bottle, rocking him to sleep & simply watching him. On his third day home, Thomas' paternal grandparents, Grandpa & Grandma Griffiths came over with a homemade dresser for his nursery (see the nursery link). They too enjoyed feeding him his bottle and holding him. It's amazing how grandparents turn into photographers or paparazzi when a grandchild is born! Today, Thomas' great-aunt Heather paid him a visit and brought him an outfit that Pam & Derek are hoping he'll soon grow into. Thomas' continues to sleep almost all the time, and only wakes when woken by either of his parents. Hobbes still enjoys sitting near Thomas, and while Hobbes is definately a hyper barking dog, Thomas doesn't seem to mind in the least. Now the only problem is Hobbes seems to have become even more territorial and goes into "protector" role when someone unfamiliar stops by. Speaking of which, Pam & Derek continue to be amazed by their neighbors' kindness ... last night one neighbor and her two sons stopped by with a meal (including a yummy dessert) for Pam & Derek to enjoy. 

July 25-26: Thomas is finally home! Pam & Derek were told a week ago that as long as he continued on the same track and didn't forget to breathe, then he would be discharged from the Civic on the 26th. Then, on the 24th, Thomas' doctor decided to let him go home even earlier. Needless to say Pam & Derek were very excited. Thomas weighed one whole pound heavier the day he came home then the day he arrived. He managed just fine in his car seat, although the straps tightened just enough to hold him in snug. The car ride home was uneventful as Thomas sucked on his soother and slept the whole way. Once home, Thomas was introduced to a very curious Hobbes. Hobbes spent the first few hours barking every time Thomas made a noise. But after a while, he finally seemed to understand where the noise was coming from. Hobbes now positions himself close to Thomas and loves to be picked up to see him sleeping or sit at Pam's feet while he is feeding. Of course, after Thomas' big burps, Hobbes then likes to give a sniff and licks the top of Thomas' hat. The first night was also very smooth, Thomas would wake every three hours when either Pam or Derek went to him, he continued to eat very well, and then after a quick snuggle would fall back asleep. Pam & Derek can only hope this routine will continue. 

July 21: Pam gave Thomas a bath today by herself. Thomas definitely prefers when Derek is there to hold his hands and distract him ... he spent most of the bath crying/screaming, but at least he was clean! Jen, Frank & Sophie came for a visit today. Fortunately, Thomas had earned the right to lose his nose tube & be back in a crib. As long as he can keep his temperature up & take his bottles without falling asleep then the changes will remain. Jen was a little surprised by how tiny the babies were, even more so when a machine beeped to signify a problem for another baby. She also pointed out how much smaller Thomas looks in person than in his pictures. Of course, Pam & Derek think he's looking pretty big as he is gaining more than an ounce a day (thanks to a supplement being added to the breast milk) and at last check was at 4 pounds, 12 ounces. Just think, 5 more ounces to go before he can safely fit in a standard car seat! 

July 18 - 20: Thomas has settled in well at the Ottawa Civic Hospital. Once again, Pam & Derek are very pleased with the hospital staff and the care Thomas is receiving. Thomas was bathed by his parents again on the 19th; no pictures this time as both Pam & Derek were too busy! Thomas really enjoyed the warm water, and kept his crying to a minimum. He is taking most of his feedings by bottle or breast now, and only once or twice a day needs some of the milk through his nose tube. He is back in an Isolette for the moment (different hospital, different policy), but seems to enjoy the warmth and the silence it provides. Now, if only Hobbes could pass his puppy school test tonight and graduate from beginner class then maybe Pam & Derek would be ready for Thomas to come home! 

July 17: Off to yet another hospital! The staff at CHEO felt Thomas was not in need of their services, so they graduated him to a special care nursery in a general hospital (Ottawa Civic). The first thing Pam & Derek noticed at the Civic was how few beeping machines there were. At CHEO the machines were beeping every few minutes to alert the nurses to a potential problem. At the Civice, Pam and Derek heard only 3 or 4 beeps during their 2 hour visit. One of the good things about Thomas' transfer is he is slowly getting closer to home, another is he will likely get more attention at the Civic since the babies don't have as many serious problems. Of course, a new hospital means learning a new policy, staff, etc., but Pam & Derek are definitely getting used to change. Aside from the transfer, Thomas had another great day, he stayed awake to try breastfeeding for much longer this time, and then took 34ml out of his bottle at the next feeding. He pulled out his nose tube (again) and this time, Pam stayed to hold his hands back while the nurse put in a new tube. Pam's not sure squeezing harder, Thomas or Pam. It was incredible how much it pulled at her heart to see Thomas in discomfort as he cried (and screamed) while having the new nose tube inserted. Of course, within minutes of it being inserted, Thomas was back in a peaceful slumber!

July 16: Pam & Derek have begun to establish a routine during their visits with Thomas. Upon arriving at CHEO, Derek holds Thomas for about an hour, after which they change his diaper, take his temperature and move one of his wires/sensors to the other foot. Then the nurse listens to his heart and measures his belly. Next comes a chance to try breastfeeding again. Thomas now knows what to do, but gets pretty tuckered out before long. Since he gets too tired trying to get enough milk for himself from the breast, Pam & Derek then snuggle him up and try him on the bottle. If he isn't sound asleep by this point, he can take from 1/4 to 2/3 of his feeding this way. If he is asleep, through the nose it goes! Either way, once he's asleep Pam kangaroos him. After a while, Pam & Derek put him back in a clean sleeper then into his crib he goes. Of course, he usually wakes at this point and lets his parents know how upset he is to be exposed to cool air for a few moments. 10 minutes (or so) later, his eyes begin to close. Pam, Derek & Thomas are able to enjoy this routine twice a day. Other interesting news ... his weekend nurse told Pam & Derek that if a bed opens up at the Ottawa Civic Hospital, he will most likely be transferred as he isn't so much a "sick" baby anymore. 

July 15: Now that Thomas is growing bigger everyday and is more than two weeks old, his nurse decided it was time for Pam & Derek to have some "parenting practice". Starting with a cuddle from dad, during which Thomas fell sound asleep only to be rudely awakened by dad changing his diaper. Needless to say, his vocal chords are also strengthening! Then Pam had a chance to bathe him while Derek played the role of paparazi. It was nice to have him free of all wires, but bathing such a ting baby in a bowl of water was a little nerve racking. Thomas enjoyed having his hair & face washed as he stayed bundled up in a blanket, but when it was time to bathe his body he clearly did not enjoy the cool air. Fortunately, he was soon wrapped up tightly again. After his bath, he changed into the best fitting sleeper yet, and was snuggled up against Pam's chest where he had a chance to try breastfeeding. At first, he wasn't too sure what to do and spent his time looking all around, but within a short while he was latching on for short periods of time; a great start for a premie. Afterwards, Thomas was given a bottle of which he drank 1/3 before falling sound asleep ~ all of the action made him pretty tired! Pam then kangarooed him as he received the rest of his meal through his feeding tube. All in all, another wonderful day!

July 14: What a treat it was for Pam & Derek today. Upon arriving at CHEO, they found Thomas in his own little crib, fully clothed in one of his tiny sleepers & covered with one of his own blankets. Then came the fun of trying to change his diaper, which meant removing part of the sleeper all the while minding the wires. It's true what they say about changing a boy versus girl ~ Thomas fooled his parents several times today into thinking he was all done his business, and then resuming once the diaper was off! A sleeper & several blankets later, he was clean, dry and ready to go again! Derek was able to cuddle with Thomas as he received his feeding through his tube and Pam had a chance to hold him kangaroo style, pretty much skin-to-skin. It was incredible to see how relaxed he became being held tight on Pam's chest. His sucking reflex is improving and he is getting better with the soother. Hopefully he will master this soon so that he can take a bottle and breast. One more bit of great news, he has now surpassed his birth weight and is over 4 pounds, 4 ounces ~ of course, all of his "premie" sleepers are still WAY to big for him, but boy does he look cute!

July 13: Okay, Pam & Derek realize Thomas isn't really able to "smile" yet, but he sure can use his smile muscles! The above picture is by far the best yet! Thomas had another super day; he put on over one ounce which puts him just one ounce shy of his birth weight. Due to his growing size, he will most likely be out of his Isolette (incubator) by tomorrow and into a crib-like bed as he can now sustain his own temperature with just the use of blankets. He tried a bottle last night with a nurse, but wasn't too sure what to make of it. Pam & Derek helped him get more used to a soother today, in the hopes that his ability to suck, swallow & breathe will all coordinate together soon.

July 12: Today, Grandma Hyde & Aunt Tina came for a visit. Thomas was wide awake and squirming about in his Isolette when Grandma was with him, and sound asleep both in his Isolette and in Pam's arms when Aunt Tina visited. Aunt Tina had the joy of seeing his smile muscles at work, as he enjoys making many faces both in and out of sleep. Derek had a short visit in the evening, but it was cut short when another critical baby was brought in and was being set up as Thomas' new neighbor. It's times like these when Pam & Derek are happy to be Canadians where any baby who needs help is able to get it. 

July 11: What a great day! Thomas' IV came out this morning, which signified that he is able to fill his tummy with approx. 37ml of breast milk. His food is still going in through the tube in his nose because he has yet to master sucking, swallowing & breathing all at the same time; fortunately he will outgrow this and might even try a bottle later this week. On top of that, Thomas is almost back to his birth weight! The pound he lost in the 5 days following his birth has almost completely returned as last night he weighed 4 pounds 1 ounce. Pam & Derek spent 2 hours admiring their son as they held him all snuggled up in their arms. It was nice to not worry about the IV as they held him, and he didn't need as many blankets this time to sustain a healthy body temperature. Thomas also spent the better part of the visit with his eyes open again, it's great to see him so observant but makes it that much more difficult to leave him at CHEO. Pam & Derek just keep reminding themselves how lucky they are to have the chance to get to know him early & they cross their fingers that time will continue to fly and that he'll be strong, healthy and ready to come home soon.

July 10: Pam & Derek arrived just in time to change Thomas' diaper, it's funny how something so small can make you feel like a parent. Changing the diaper in his Isolette while he is attached to many wires can be a bit challenging, but Thomas is a real trouper! Pam spent an hour holding him while he received his lunch through his feeding tube, he slept the entire time. At his next feeding, he decided to stay wide awake and was very alert to everything going on around him. He is now up to 31ml/3 hours a big difference from last Wednesday where he started at 3ml/3 hours. He continues to hit a few "speed bumps" along the way, but overall the nurses and doctors feel he is doing very well, as do his mom & dad. 

July 8: Thomas decided he would start his visit with his mom and dad with his eyes wide open. He stayed awake with his eyes open for a good half hour, during which time Pam had the "pleasure" of changing another poopy diaper (Derek had his chance later on). To make things even better, Thomas' jaundice was down again, which meant all of the lights were turned off (for now). Due to this, Thomas was transferred into his current home, the Isolette (basically an incubator). During the transfer, his nurse asked for Pam & Derek's help by holding Thomas while they changed all of the wires and tubes. They were told they might only be able to hold him for five minutes, one hour later, Pam had enjoyed holding the little warm bundle known as her son and since Thomas was doing so well being held, Derek had a chance too. In total, Thomas was held for over 2 hours today, he seemed totally at peace with both of his parents, and Pam & Derek left the hospital saying it was definitely a good day. 

July 7: Pam and Derek spent most of the day with their son today and had a great time. After a conversation with their nurse last  night, they assumed they'd be walking in to more ultraviolet lights as last night his jaundice was again increasing, but much to their happy surprise, Thomas was down to only one gel-pad light which meant the eye mask was able to come off! It was great seeing his little eyes try to open throughout the day. He was pretty relaxed during the visit, and had all 4 of his grandparents commenting on how cute and strong he was looking. Mom got to change 2 more of his diapers today, while it's a bit of a challenge with all of the wires and the IV in his foot, it got done without too much fuss.

July 6: Thomas has now received much needed breast milk for 24 hours and seems to be enjoying the effects. He definitely has more energy and his vocal chords are getting stronger. Pam changed his diaper today ... tar like poo much to her surprise and happiness. He hadn't had a poo since they stopped feedings a few days ago in Kingston. Thomas is now down to only 2 lights instead of 5 to treat his jaundice. As soon as he can lose the remaining lights Pam & Derek will get to hold him again, something they think both they and he will benefit from!

July 5: Pam and Derek had a great visit with Thomas this afternoon. They were both able to spend a few hours touching and talking to him. Derek was able to change his diaper, which had Pam laughing. On top of that, they started feeding him breast milk through a tube in his nose. As long as his tummy continues to tolerate it, the feedings will increase which will mean he will start to put back on some of the weight he lost. The many bright lights are also doing their job, as the jaundice is starting to go away. Thomas' daytime nurse and the doctors and staff at CHEO have been great so far and have made the transition from the Kingston General Hospital much easier then anticipated. 

June 30: Thomas Derek Griffiths arrived early much to the surprise of his parents who were visiting Derek's parents. Mom had just settled down for the night when lo and behold, her water broke at 11:20pm on Thursday night! Dad was as calm as could be expected and got mom safely to the nearest hospital, he even "arranged" for a police escort (after being pulled over for speeding that is!) The Brockville Hospital was not equipped to deal with such a premature delivery and all the hospitals in Ottawa were closed for premature babies due to the  lack of beds, so at 3am, mom got shipped off in an ambulance to the Kingston General Hospital. After an ultrasound showed Thomas was doing well in the womb, an examination at 5:30am showed mom was 2cm dilated. After receiving a shot of morphine, both mom and dad tried to get some rest, although the metal chair made it difficult for dad to get any sleep and the increasing contractions also kept mom awake. By 9:30am, dad convinced mom to have the nurse examine her again as her complaints for the pain kept increasing. Mom thought it was just the morphine wearing off, but the examine showed her now at 4cm. Off the birthing room they went. Dad listened carefully while the neonatal intensive care team described what was going to occur, while mom tried to manage the non-stop contractions by bracing herself on the bed and swaying back and forth. By 10:10 mom was ready to receive a much wanted epidural, but she opened her big mouth and said she felt like pushing, so the nurse insisted on another examination ... this time she was fully dilated (going from 4cm to 10cm in half an hour accounted for the non-stop, excruciating contractions). Mom started pushing "au naturel" at 10:20 and by 10:33 Thomas had entered the world with a welcomed cry. The NIC team did a quick exam and found him to be a whopping 4 pounds, 3 ounce, not too shabby considering his age, and then whisked him off to the NIC unit. 

Since then, Thomas has had different forms of ventilators to help him breathe and has had wires attached to him to keep track of his heart, respiration, etc. On July 4, 8 years to the day after mom & dad went on their first date, Thomas was air lifted to the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontarion (CHEO), as a bed had opened up for him. Mom and dad were thrilled to have Thomas closer to home, seeing as he will be staying in CHEO for approximately 5 - 8 weeks. 

Today, July 5, mom & dad visited Thomas who was breathing all by himself for the first time. He continues to have occasional spells where his heart rate drops significantly because he forgets to breathe, but mom and dad have been assured this is somewhat normal for premature babies so they shouldn't worry. He is now under an intense amount of ultraviolet lights because he is jaundice, but at last check he was improving. Now mom & dad are waiting for Thomas to start putting on some weight, since birth has has lost close to one pound, but again the doctor's are not too concerned and will create a feeding plan that works for him (his tummy is a little too sensitive/young to receive breast milk through the feeding tube, so he is currently receiving supplemental nourishment though his IV).

While this is definitely not what mom and dad had imagined, they are both dealing the cards they were dealt with smiles, after all, their son is here!

June 23: What a week! Baby Griffiths has a new habit that is driving Pam a little crazy; he likes to stick his head up just below her ribs and push out, enough so that Pam can feel the contour of his head. While it's neat to feel his little head, it's definitely not comfortable.

Baby Griffiths' isn't even here yet and is already being warmly welcomed by so many people ...

On Monday Pam met and had dinner with many of her neighbors, who presented her with a wonderful basket full of baby necessities including sleepers, blankets & more! Another neighbor knitted a beautiful sweater and hat, which will be used on winter walks. Then on Thursday, Pam had dinner with some of her old co-workers (2 of whom are also pregnant!) and again, baby Griffiths' was spoiled, a homemade quilted blanket, much needed clothes & more were very much appreciated!

June 15: WEEK 29 ... the third trimester arrived last week and with that comes, you guessed it, another doctor's appointment! Heart rate this week was 145bpm (still normal), and based on the size of Pam's belly the doctor says he is growing at a good rate (not too big or too small). The nursery is almost complete now, thanks to everyone's generosity at the baby shower. Pictures of it will soon be up for everyone to see.

May 19th: The end of WEEK 26 ~ A few more weeks and it'll be the third trimester! Yet another doctor's appointment has come and gone. This time round, the doctor had a hard time taking the baby's heart rate, every time she found the heart, the baby would move. After several minutes the baby was calm enough for us to find out that his heart rate was 141 bpm. Derek & Pam have bought the crib and had fun setting it up. They'll soon start painting the nursery; Derek will paint and Pam will enter the nursery periodically to supervise. The baby has started moving around a lot more this past week, every morning, noon and night Pam can feel him kicking away, it's a pretty good feeling, that Derek should be able to enjoy within a couple of days (still not quite strong enough to feel on outside).

April 27th: FOUR MONTHS TO GO -- that means we're more than half way there! The baby is starting to move around more frequently. Pam is usually able to feel the baby moving in the evening when she is either sitting at the computer or lying in bed. It will be at least another few weeks before Derek is able to feel the baby move.

April 19: Yet another doctor's appointment today; mommy & baby both got a clean bill of health. This time, the heartbeat was found as soon as the Doppler touched Pam's stomach (in the past it took at least 5 seconds to find the heartbeat). It sounded very loud and strong.

We went for our THIRD ULTRASOUND today (April 5th), the baby is just over 19 weeks. Derek held his breath until the technician showed him the heartbeat (136 bpm). We were not only able to find out the gender of our child, but we also found out that the baby has:

    ·           arms, legs, hands and feet all where they should be

    ·          the heart with the 4 chambers it is supposed to have

    ·          2 kidneys that look good

    ·          A big head with a brain and brain stem

    ·          A great looking spine

    ·          A cute looking nose

The technician commented several times how great the baby looked, she was especially pleased with the heart and how cooperative our baby was.

You are seeing the profile from about  the waist up.

The white circle to the left of the nose and mouth is actually our son's right fist.

If you look carefully, Pam is sure he is already smiling.   

March 16: We heard the heartbeat again today—boy, does it sound fast (and surreal)!!

Baby Griffiths’’ SECOND ULTRASOUNDDwas at 12 weeks, he or she is finally looking more like a little person, although he or she seems to have a big head (like mom and dad).

Baby Griffiths’’ FIRSTT  ULTRASOUNDDwas at only 8 weeks. It measured only 1.5cm and looked more like a tadpole than a baby (hope this isn’t indicative of things to come). At least we could see and hear the heart beating!!