18w 2d

I had my appointment yesterday, it went very well. I did much better this time when I gave my urine sample, I was so proud. The actual appointment went very quickly, I asked if I could get a flu shot and she said they actually recommend it since a pregnant woman's immune system is not as strong. Then we heard the heartbeat, which she found right away. I really wanted to put that doppler in my purse because I could listen to that heartbeat all day long. So if you want to get me a present then a doppler would be great ;)
Afterwards Marna took me out to dinner which was really sweet of her. We had a good time talking about baby stuff and she told me her labor and delivery stories. All I have to say is I hope mine are as quick as hers!

I felt a good strong kick last night when I was talking to Brian, it made him jealous and want to feel the baby. Hopefully it's not too much longer until he can. I know he'll just love it. I'm hoping to feel more kicks as right now they just come a few times a day at random times.

So I'm not sure what month I'm in, am I in the 5th month? The book What to Expect When You're Expecting says approximately 18-22 weeks is the 5th month, but a booklet I got from the doctor's office says the 4th month is from 16-20 weeks, so I wouldn't start my 5th month until week 20. It's all so incredibly confusing, I just think it's easier to say how many weeks I am, but a lot of people give me a puzzled look, pause and then ask, "So how many months is that?" Your guess is as good as mine, lol!

I'm feeling great and trying to relish in this as much as possible. I still have a stuffy nose but such is pregnant life and it's easy to deal with when you think of the little one growing inside you.

1 week and 1 day until we find out the sex!!!!!!

17w 6d

I'm 17 weeks 6 days today :)
My body is fighting off a cold and I hope it wins. I started feeling sick on Friday, sore throat and headache all day at work. I chugged down water like it was going out of style and I think it helped because Saturday I was feeling a little better, just had a stuffy nose. Still have a plugged up nose today but that may be a pregnancy symptom.

I feel like I popped this week, my 18 week photo really shows that. I will post in the next few days so stay tuned ;)

I am so excited that I am almost halfway through the pregnancy, yay! Only 22 more weeks (give or take a few) until we get to meet this little person growing inside me, I just love thinking about it. My friend Tiff gave me some baby clothes that Maggie has already outgrown, 0-3 months. I also have a few items that Jaime and Anna (stepmom) gave me. I have the clothes sorted in 3 piles: boy, girl, neutral. I absolutely love looking at those tiny clothes. Obviously I've always thought baby clothes were absolutely adorable, but now that I'm pregnant it is crazy to think my little one will be wearing those cute clothes. I just love it.

Only 10 more days until we get to find out the sex!! I really hope our little one cooperates so we can see the money shot, please don't be shy baby-we want to get your nursery all set up. Brian and I both took the day off so we can go out to lunch and celebrate and then get started on registering. Maybe we'll pick up a cute outfit or two, if I can get Brian to loosen the purse strings ;)

I wanted to take some pictures of the nursery before we start to work on painting and decorating:

From the door:

To the right when you walk in (we plan to recover the glider):
Standing in front of the closet (crib is on the right side):
Standing by the crib, looking at the changing table:
View from the glider:
Standing by the changing table:

It's not a huge room, but we will make it work. I can't wait to see what it looks like as the end product. I'm thinking the walls will be a tan/mocha color, boy or girl. Then on 1 or 2 of the walls doing thick vertical stripes in the same color, but a glossy finish. Anna did that for Cassidy's room and I really liked it. It's subtle, but adds just a little something extra.

I have to say thank you to Tasha for letting me in on the Walmart info. I never even thought to look at Walmart since I was trained as a business student to dislike it due to their business process'. Anyway, I love finding a good deal and I even found another bedding there that I might like for a girl. Either way Tasha, we have good taste :)

I think I may have started feeling the baby. It doesn't feel like a "flutter" like I thought it would, it's more like a twitch inside my tummy. I felt it last night and it came every 5-10 seconds for quite awhile, hiccups maybe? I was pretty excited, I hope it was the baby, either way I like to think it was :) I've felt it a few times since then and I get the biggest grin on my face and start talking to the little one.

One of my favorite things is when Brian puts his hand on my belly. We'll be lying on the couch, or standing around talking to friends and he'll start rubbing it. I just love it. I can't wait for him to feel him/her kick. I told him to be prepared because I might wake him up in the middle of the night to feel the little one, he said he was more than ok with that.

Alright, I'm going to get on with my Sunday chores. I'm hoping to update more frequently than weekly as I don't want to leave out anything!

Week 17

Symptoms:

Sciatic nerve pain-ouch! I was hanging out in the kitchen cleaning up a bit and about fell over when I got this pinching pain in my lower back on the right side. I've heard when things move around in there that nerves can get pinched so I am pretty sure that is what it is, but it's true I'm not a doctor so technically can't diagnose myself. Although isn't it early for sciatic nerve pain, maybe it's just a nerve. Who knows, either way it was there for a few days but thankfully it's almost all gone. I feel it a little when I bend over, but nothing compared to what it was. The only remedy was lying on my side with a pillow in between my legs. You can imagine that is tough to do at work, I so wish I could've worked from home. Oh well, it's all worth it.

My next appointment is coming up, the weekly check up. I'm excited to pee in a cup. No wait, I'm not excited to pee in a cup because I suck at that. I'm excited to hear the heart beat! And I like that Marna will get to hear her little grandbaby's heart beat too. Only 2 weeks until we know what we are having!

Other than that I'm pretty boring. Things are going well. I continue to get excited when I look at different things we will need for the baby. My kind and generous sister, Jaime, has 3 wonderful children and her family is complete. Since she has no use for baby stuff any longer, she gave us her crib, changing table, playpen, Baby Bjorn, toys, and more toys. We are so fortunate, that is a huge savings. So the nursery is just waiting for bedding to be added, clothes to be hung, finishing touches to be made, and of course, a baby.

As far as maternity clothes I'm still scraping by with what I have, trying to save money. When I mentioned to Brian that I may need bras he asks if I can borrow them from Jaime. I love that he is willing to spend money eating out all the time, but he doesn't want to fork over some money for my expanding breasts that are housing the food for his child! Sheesh.

I don't think I have felt any movement yet, but maybe I have and just didn't know what it was. I'm looking forward to feeling little flutters and kicks :)

Thanks for the belly pic reminder Jenny. I had all these great thoughts when I first started this blog that I would take belly pics every other week until about week 16 and then start doing every week. Man the weeks can go by fast! But I really do want to get better about taking weekly belly pics as the baby is suppose to double in size over the next 4 weeks! My photo this week looks the same as week 14, I think I had just eaten dinner in the week 14 belly pic.

Baby:
Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

Belly picture:

Week 16

Symptoms:

So far so good, things are about the same. I am noticing at night that I can't eat as much because I get that uncomfortable full feeling pretty easily. But I do eat breakfast, snacks, lunch, and more snacks so I think a small dinner is still plenty. Still no new cravings, just trying to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. I am eating lots of fruits but I have to say my vegetables are lacking a little now. I enjoy cooked asparagus so I think I'll get some to help fill my quota.

I think since I have very little symptoms and my belly still looks like a pot belly to me that I feel like the last few weeks have gone by really slow. On one side I feel like I've been pregnant for a really long time (can you imagine how I'm going to feel at 7, 8, and 9 months?!). But on the other side I think to myself how long I've been wanting and praying to get pregnant and it's finally here, I'm actually pregnant and soon we get to find out the sex!
I LOVE reading pregnancy blogs and labor stories, I can't get enough. So if you know of any let me know :)

Brian isn't going to the next monthly appointment since our big u/s is just 2 weeks later. I asked his mom if she wanted to go with me so she is going to join me :) I made sure that Brian informed her we won't get to see the baby or anything just hear the heartbeat. He said she was still very excited and can't wait. There is a chance our kids are the only grandchildren she'll have (depends on Sara-Brian's twin, no pressure though, lol), so I want to include her in this journey. Plus, she was a nurse before she retired and I always love to have a medical professional on my side, hehe. I asked my mom if she wanted to come as well but she says she'll make it to another one, she wants Marna to enjoy this one.

I've been reading my Baby Bargains book and looking online for some things. I think I want the Chicco travel system, where the car seat snaps right into the stroller. That is the one Brandi had and I took it for a test ride and loved it, it's easy to steer and easy to use. I also have been brainstorming colors for a girl or boys room. I'm thinking for a girl we'll do pink and brown. That is really popular right now and while I don't like to copy, I just love the colors together. This is one of my favorite bedding sets for a girl. I really like this one for a boy. Who knows, once we find out the sex I'll start more serious searching. We don't plan on going crazy with paint, just a neutral color, then we'll use the decorations to nursery-it-up. For diaper bags we are going to keep it kind of sporty, so Brian can carry it. I LOVE this one. It's a perfect mix of sporty and cool which I love, plus it has orange which is a plus since we're Beaver fans :) I still plan to get a smaller one for me to carry around for little outings and that one will be more girly and cute.

Baby:

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length . Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too.

Little One:

Week 15

Symptoms:
Feeling good this week, nothing too monumental to report. Still feel a little tired but that could just be me being lazy.
We went to Motherhood Maternity to get a belly support thing for my back. I know it is way too early, but I have a sway back which means my lower back is already under pressure. I haven't started wearing it because it just feels too soon, Brian is very adamant that I start wearing it early to try and help alleviate some of the inevitable back pain. I kind of like that he's so bossy about it, just proof that he cares :)
I'm still able to wear my jeans without having to unbutton them. All my jeans have room in the waist because my junk is big so I have to buy my jeans one size bigger to fit it in. My shirts are causing the problem, I need longer shirts to cover the pot belly. I borrow from my mom and I bought 2 long shirts which has helped.
Brian has been referring to the baby as a girl now so I have no idea what he thinks it's going to be. Oh well, only 3 1/2 weeks until we find out!

Baby:
Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam.

Week 14

Symptoms:

So our appointment last week went good, we heard the heartbeat with the doppler, we even heard the baby kick a few times. The little one kept moving around so the doctor had to keep chasing it around. It was wonderful to hear the heartbeat and I think I slept a little better that night.

She told me to stop sleeping and exercising on my back, the reason has to due with lack of oxygen to the baby. So it's just side and tummy sleeping for me, although the belly sleeping may not last too much longer. I have been loving my body pillow, it feels good and helps sleeping on my side more comfortable. Oh, and no pilates.

My energy level has gone down a little. We went to Washington for a few days and saw some friends, I seriously was falling asleep by 10 pm and sleeping until 8 or 9 am. I felt like such a party pooper but I could not keep my eyes open for the life of me.

I am still liking vegetables, celery to be specific. I know that doesn't have a lot of nutritional value but hey, it counts. Steak is not so appetizing, which is weird for me. It's not that it sounds gross, but it just doesn't sound good. Brian swears his kid will like steak though.

Brian thinks the baby is a boy, and I think it may be a girl. Although I did have a dream last night that we found out it was a boy, we'll see if my dream was accurate. 5 more weeks and we find out! We really don't care either way, we are just praying for a healthy baby and can't wait to start the nursery.

Baby:

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam.

Belly pic (it's getting big! Please excuse the crazy hair)

Update

I scheduled our big ultrasound, the one where they make sure baby is healthy and we get to find out the sex!
Mark your calendars people, it's a big day......October 2nd, 2008.

6 more weeks, don't forget to cast your votes (points to the left)!

Oh, and I want a green olive.....like now. Gotta love cravings.

Week 13

**Note: I think I'm kind of doing the whole week thing a little late. When I am 13 weeks-13 weeks 6 days, I update that as week 13, when in reality that is actually week 14. I realized this awhile ago but didn't want to change it. I'm thinking I may try and adjust it so it's accurate, we'll see, either way I'm updating weekly. :)

Symptoms:

We have our 2nd appointment today!! I am of course thrilled, I really want and need to hear that little heartbeat. I wish I got an u/s every time but I'm trying not to be greedy :) Seriously though, is it so unreasonable to want a picture of my baby every 4 weeks?!

I am feeling great (knock on wood), seriously. Although my gag reflex is sensitive, my nausea is non-existent, my headaches have subsided, and I'm starting to get a little energy back. So far I really like the 2nd trimester. I'm getting a little belly so it's a good thing I finally told work. My boss was very sweet and asked nothing work related, she just talked about her pregnancies, asked how I was feeling, and told me to tell her anytime I wasn't feeling well. My co-workers were all very excited for me. Whew, so glad to get it out in the open.

My favorite thing to eat right now is toast with raspberry jam, yum. I'm still doing a good job of drinking water, especially while I'm at work. I am going to make sure I go on walks with MJ at least 4 times a week, which I started doing last week. Also I started pilates last week and am hoping to do that at least 3 times a week. I did notice my lower back was sore the day after I did pilates so I think I need to do the modified version, guess my old back just ain't what it use to be ;)

Baby:
Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a peach) and weighs nearly an ounce.

Baby:

*Last week I used week 13 information for week 12, I went back and adjusted. I got a little ahead of myself!

Week 12

Symptoms:
I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open to write this. I want to sleep all.the.time. I've also started to get headaches which sucks, Tylenol is not my pain reliever of choice, but of course it is while I'm pregnant.

Felt a little nauseous in the beginning which I wasn't expecting, that's ok though, it's worth it. I did crave vegetables on Tuesday! All day at work I was thinking about celery, broccoli, carrots, and dipping them in yummy ranch. I had carrots and cucumbers at home so I stopped by the grocery store and picked up the rest. I got home and vegged out, it was awesome and I'm thrilled to be craving healthy stuff. Talking about it makes me wish I brought some to work, dang.

Tuesday was also the day I took out my belly button ring. It was time, even though I'm sad that chapter of my life is over, it is more than worth it and I'm so happy for the next chapter. One week until our 2nd appointment yay!

I still haven't told work, eeks. I'm not sure why I'm delaying so much, I'm not afraid of their response as I'm sure they'll be happy for me. I don't know, I just need to tell them because I think I'll feel relieved.

Time seems to be going slow these days, and I hear it will only get worse in my 3rd tri. Since I'm not really showing (although my layer of fat and bloat makes it look like a baby belly) and my symptoms are lessening it just feels surreal. Also we aren't purchasing any baby stuff until we find out the sex so I think that adds to the feeling of, "Is this real or am I dreaming?" Soon enough I'm sure I'll get that belly and it will feel more real. In 3 days (13 weeks 3 days along) I'll be in my 2nd trimester, yay! The first trimester has definitely been a stressful rollercoaster, every odd symptom was scary to say the least. I know that will continue and I will stress about different things as the pregnancy goes on, but hey, one trimester down, woo woo!

Baby:
The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.
Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

Baby:

Week 11

Symptoms:
Started out pretty uneventful, which is good. My nausea is definitely lessening, although my energy has plummeted as well. I go to bed by 9 pm every night (sometimes earlier) and I'm still tired. I still have a bland appetite, no more real cravings, although Burger King and McDonalds sound good most the time.
On Wednesday night I was absorbed in Breaking Dawn (so good it's not even funny) so I only took time to eat a quick bowl of cereal. At 9 when we crawled in bed I realized I was VERY hungry, normally when I get hungry I feel nauseous so I was excited I actually had hunger pains. Brian asked what I felt like and I told him scrambled eggs and toast, do you believe he went downstairs to make it for me?! I couldn't believe it, so I joined him to help because I felt so guilty. He said next time I can stay in bed and he'll bring it to me. ?!?! I could get use to this, although I hear it's not the same when you're pregnant with your 2nd so I'll try to enjoy it while I can. Either way, he's a sweetie and I was very appreciative.

I have seriously been slacking on belly pictures, I will get better. Not a lot of change, just more lovely bloat. I can suck it in though so I know the baby is not showing yet, it's just a nice cushion around my mid-section, gotta love that ;P I do have a week 9 belly picture on my camera that I'll post.

Baby:
Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

Little One:

Belly Picture: