17 weeks and FL bound! :)

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 17 weeks

Size of Baby: avg size: 5 in

Total Weight Gain: ~10 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I borrowed a bunch of cute dresses from my preggo friend (thanks, Nikki!) that will accommodate my bump through the rest of summer and look super cute too.  I'm excited to have a whole new summer wardrobe right before my FL trip!

Best Moment this week: time spent with my hubby.  Since I'm leaving Wednesday at the butt-crack of dawn, I've been appreciating all the time I get with him before I go.  I'm going to miss that guy!

Gender: undetermined for 3 more weeks (if baby cooperates at 20 wk u/s).  Three weeks?!  That sounds almost doable.  Especially since one week is my vacation, then it's only 2 weeks... ok, ok, I can do this :)

Movement: none.  yet.  I'm lying in bed trying to feel it at night. :)  Every once in a while I think I might be feeling something, but I'm not claiming anything I can't differentiate from blood pulsing in my abdomen.

Food Craving: cold water; it's been hot here, so my water bottle only stays cold for a little while, and I'm always wishing later it was cold again.

What I Miss Most: being able to eat a whole meal without feeling miserable afterwards.  Josh is always laughing at how breathless I am, especially after I eat.

Sleep: not too bad except the morning I woke at 2:15am and couldn't get back to sleep till 4:15am.  Fortunately it was on the weekend.  Otherwise, I've found a position that's comfortable for now and am making it most of the night, except potty break.

What I am looking forward to: I can't wait to be in FL with my friends and family.  I'm going to get to enjoy some of my oldest and closest friendships, plus I'll get to go to my brother John's birthday dinner, on top of having TWO baby showers with lots of FL loved ones.  And I'm also looking forward to coming back home to my husband and pups after a week of being away; I love those guys the bestest.

Belly Button: normal (in).  I read this morning that the top of my uterus is supposed to be 2" BELOW my navel at 17 wks.  Mine is at least 2" ABOVE belly button.  So when they said I'm carrying high, they're not lying!!  But I've got good pics this week to show I ~really~ am pregnant :)

Symptoms: The reflux is still a regular problem during the day, but I'm trying not to take the max allowable amt of the meds unless I REALLY need it.  Like the day I woke up feeling yucky and we were going Cajun for lunch; yeah, I took zantac morning and night that day. But otherwise I'm toughing it out during the day and just taking it for dinner/bedtime relief.  I've also been short of breath a lot.  Even though I don't look overwhelmingly pregnant, b/c I'm carrying so high I'm feeling the organ-crushing most women get a little later in their pregnancies.  My lungs and stomach just don't have their own space anymore.  Also I've had some back pain lately too, I'm assuming from growing breasts and belly, coupled with straining something during exercise or movement.  But other than those and generally tiring out quicker than "normal", I have to confess I really am enjoying the second trimester like they say you should.  I'm enjoying showing and looking forward to feeling movement without the intense discomfort of 3rd trimester.  Enjoying each day as it comes. :)

16 weeks and counting....

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 16 weeks

Size of Baby: avg size: ~4.5-5 in

Total Weight Gain: ~10 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I'm wearing more and more maternity clothes.  Plus I bought new (bigger) underwear and will be borrowing some bigger bras from a preggo friend who can't wear her old ones right now.  But I still hardly look pregnant.  I've had two people (a friend and the RNP at my appt) say that I'm carrying high already.

Best Moment this week: my dr's appt Friday when I got to hear baby's heartbeat again, and got some questions answered.  Nothing like peace of mind.

Gender: undetermined for 4 more weeks (if baby cooperates at 20 wk u/s)... the weeks are dragging when I think about how long 4 weeks seems :)

Movement: none.  yet.  I'm lying in bed trying to feel it at night, though. :)

Food Craving: none this week.

What I Miss Most: my clothes; more than half my wardrobe has been set aside.

Sleep: has gotten so much better this week thanks to my new bff - ZANTAC 75!!  Finally I can sleep on one pillow again without burping acid into my mouth.  I have an ulcer in my mouth for the first time in my life b/c of the stupid acid.  So glad for something that takes care of it finally.

What I am looking forward to: I leave for FL in just over a week, and I'm getting SO excited about seeing family and friends.  And I've been DYING for the water lately... the beach, a pool... I'm not even feeling very picky :)

Belly Button: normal (in)

Symptoms: Since I started taking the Zantac, I've been feeling so much more normal.  I'm still more tired than I should be.  Weeding (in the hot sun) took ALL my energy this weekend, and I've been crashing mid-day for naps.  But otherwise the nausea is GONE (after weeks without B6 I'm ready to claim it), the reflux is under control, the peeing has balanced back out to just slightly more frequent than normal.  The round ligament pain is only occasional now that I know to be super careful about every movement, cough, sneeze, and laugh. :)  Basically, I'm starting to feel the peak they call 2nd trimester.  Now I just can't wait to start actually showing...  Here's my pathetic little baby bump.  You, my friends, recognize it, but strangers still don't know.

16 weeks

15 weeks

I plan to take pics next week.  16 wks seems like a good time for pics :)  I'm still not much bigger than I have been.  Belly looks huge to me when I look down at it, then I look in the mirror and realize that strangers still wouldn't know the truth.  *sigh* :)

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 15 weeks

Size of Baby: avg size: ~4-4.5 in

Total Weight Gain: ~10 lbs

Maternity Clothes: my bottoms are almost exclusively maternity; a couple looser pre-preg pairs I can wear with the bella band.  My tops are almost exclusively still regular, though I've had to set aside some of my shorter and/or tighter shirts till next year; I'm looking forward to the days when I can wear the cute maternity tops and fill them out :)

Best Moment this week: Harry Potter 7b was a great way to start our Saturday.  Also when I realized it had been 24 hrs since my last B6 and I was still feeling fine. :)

Gender: undetermined for 5 more weeks (if baby cooperates at 20 wk u/s)

Movement: none.  I was reading on some message boards about women feeling things this early, but I haven't noticed any yet.  I'll probably start paying more attention in the upcoming weeks, though.

Food Craving: I wouldn't call it a craving, but coffee/tea has started sounding good again lately... though my new Keurig could have something to do with that ;-D

What I Miss Most: my clothes; at least half my wardrobe has been set aside.

Sleep: most nights I'm so tired I can't even remember when I get up to pee if I've already been up or if I'm remembering the previous night.  The past few nights I've started having hip pains that wake me up/keep me awake.  Yuck!  And I'm still having VERY vivid, semi-realistic and bizarre dreams each night.  I only remember them the moment I wake, though, usually.  And half of the ones I do remember I'd never tell anyone anyway ;-D

What I am looking forward to: Friday is my "16 week" appointment (a little early b/c dr's on vacation next week).  Josh was able to get off work and is coming with me!  It's just a listen-to-the-heartbeat appt, but I am looking forward letting go of the worry that gradually creeps in on me between visits.

Belly Button: normal (in)

Symptoms: The week started out nauseous, but I have hardly taken any B6 for the past few days!!  I've started actually getting rumbly-tummy-hungry from time to time too.  I almost felt "myself" a few days this week, with energy levels closer to normal.  I've also been feeling a lot of stretching aches low near my hips and have occasional pain in my hips.  It may be time to make stretching part of my nightly routine. AND I've been having to pee way more often this week.  A lot of what I've read said that was supposed to get better 2nd trimester, but I just feel like there's a rock sitting on my bladder!!  It's ridiculous that you can be walking out of the bathroom and feel like you need to go back again.  And yes, I'm doing all the lean forward, make sure you emptied your bladder tricks b/c I'm SICK of being in the bathroom.  But it doesn't seem to matter.  Silly baby, get off my bladder :)

14 weeks already? So hard to believe I'm 1/3 of the way there!!!

How Far Along: 14 weeks

Size of Baby: avg size: ~3.5 in

Total Weight Gain: ~7 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I love my new shorts!  They're so comfortable.  The downside is that I have to do laundry EVERY weekend to make sure I've got clothes to wear that fit me.

Best Moment this week: being the coolest thing at Chick-fil-A; Josh's shirt was a total hit!  And I had a pretty good birthday too :)

Gender: undetermined for 6 more weeks (if baby cooperates at 20 wk u/s)

Movement: none yet; I can't wait!!

Food Craving: it still changes from moment to moment.  Saturday we were watching TV and there were a couple scenes where people were eating/cooking burgers and I HAD to have one, so we drove across town and had our first Five Guys burger.  Good stuff!

What I Miss Most: not having to think so hard about what I can wear.  I'm so frustrated that none of my pants fit.  I think my hips are already starting to grow! >:-|

Sleep: still waking once a night to pee.  I've been having crazy dreams, and I often wake up feeling emotionally overwhelmed.  I remember them when I wake, but after falling asleep and waking again with a new dream, I usually lose track.

What I am looking forward to: HARRY POTTER!  The last HP movie is out this weekend and we're going Saturday morning with Mark & Melissa.  I've also booked my flight to FL for August to visit and for showers, and am starting to make plans for when Josh's parents come to visit in September.  (can anyone say spa day with Shelia?!)

Belly Button: normal (in)

Symptoms: the new trifecta: heartburn, reflux, and nausea.  MISERY!  I hate it, and it's almost constant.  Doesn't matter what I eat; I just had an APPLE and it's giving me reflux.  I keep hoping that "any day now" I'll see an end to the nausea.  I'm out of progesterone at the end of this week, so my latest hope is that I'll start feeling better after that.  They were out of the green apple B6 lozenges, so I got stuck with the cherry lollipops - ICK!  But if I don't take them 3 x's a day religiously, I always regret it. 

Welcome to the 2nd trimester!

Sorry this post is late.  I've had the words written all week, but I haven't had much extra time in the evenings to get the pic on.  So I'm using Molly's laptop while baby E sleeps to pull the pic I took on my iPhone from FB to put on here... sheesh, who knew that getting this post out would turn so complicated!?  Regardless, here's the 13 wk mini-bump and details:

Pregnancy Highlights:


How Far Along: 13 weeks

Size of Baby: avg size: ~3 in

Total Weight Gain: ~6 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I went shopping this weekend for maternity shorts b/c none of mine fit anymore except my workout shorts.  Which I was wearing for working out, sleeping in, AND daily wear; it was time to invest.  So I bought two pair which will hopefully get me through summer, along with the dresses I have.

Best Moment this week: registering for baby stuff, and then spontaneously deciding to have dinner at Texas Roadhouse.  I love dinner out with my hubs!

Gender: undetermined for 7 more weeks (if baby cooperates at 20 wk u/s)

Movement: none; I can't wait!!

Food Craving: nothing major this week.  But I've definitely been hungry.

What I Miss Most: not having to think so hard about what I can wear.  Sometimes I'll get something on before I realize it's not going to work (some of my shirts are already too short).

Sleep: still only waking once a night to pee.  Was not happy to be awakened by fireworks at 11pm on the 4th.  15 min of fireworks and a while to get back to sleep leaves me pretty slow the next day.

What I am looking forward to: this coming weekend is Cow Appreciation Day (Friday wear a cow costume to CFA and get a free meal; wear a piece of cow clothing and get a free sandwich; Josh's shirt is HILARIOUS!  Pics to come!).  Saturday is my birthday, a project in the yard, ice cream cake and my present from Josh (if he can wait that long).  Sunday is a pool party for the 5 yr old I watch during the week.  Busy fun weekend!

Belly Button: normal (in)

Symptoms: everyone keeps saying that the nausea should let up any day now (hello 2nd trimester), but I'm still just getting by on B6.  If I forget to take it, I start feeling sick and realize later why.  Otherwise the lightheadedness has started to be an issue occasionally, something I'm prone to anyway.  

Ticker

I'm trying to figure out how to get a countdown ticker on my blog.  I can't seem to figure out how to do it on the blog as a whole (it keeps telling me the url I'm copy/pasting from thebump.com won't work), but I think I may have figured out how to get it in each post.  If you're a genius with computers and want to help me fix it, great.  Otherwise, I'll hopefully have a ticker on each post from now on :)

12 weeks

Pictures next week to celebrate my entry into the 2nd trimester! :)

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 12 weeks

Size of Baby: avg size: ~3 in

Total Weight Gain/Loss: ~5 lbs

Maternity Clothes: bought a pair of leggings to wear with my tops/dresses, my first official maternity pants :)  Also bought my first 32D bra.

Best Moment this week: Got to hear baby's heartbeat at my dr's appt today.  Also scheduled my next appt for 16 wks (to hear heartbeat again) and 20 weeks for the regular ultrasound.

Gender: undetermined for 8 more weeks if baby cooperates

Movement: none; I can't wait!!

Food Craving: I drove to the store at dinner time to get groceries just so I could make barbeque chicken on Sunday.  I've been eating a lot of chicken and fruit and drinking a lot of milk.

What I Miss Most: fitting into my clothes.  Not NEEDING a nap to get through the day.

Sleep: still only waking once a night to pee, but a few times I've had to get up early to eat something too.

What I am looking forward to: going to breakfast and shopping with my preggo friend from small group on Saturday!

Belly Button: normal (in)

Symptoms: It seems I'm on a one-good-week/one-bad-week schedule with the nausea and fatigue.  Last week was my good week, and I started feeling sick again this weekend.  But I actually feel okay about the nausea b/c it gives me peace about my hormone levels.

11 weeks

Sorry, no pics this week. I had a busy weekend and no time for belly pics...just look back at last week's pics and imagine about another cm more pooch :-)

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 11 weeks

Size of Baby: avg size: 2 in

Total Weight Gain/Loss: ~5 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I went today and bought a couple cute dresses/tops that should last me indefinitely; though they don't look at all maternity yet, they will when my belly is truly big.

Best Moment this week: coming home exhausted after a busy long day to find my amazing husband had single-handedly taken care of ALL the chores. Love that man!

Gender: undetermined, though old wives' tales and friends' stories and hunches say boy. I love the totally unfounded guesses :-) Still gotta wait about 9 more weeks, people!

Movement: none; I can't wait!!

Food Craving: MILK! I've also eaten scrambled eggs with ketchup twice this week (2nd time for dinner tonight!) :-)

What I Miss Most: Energy. Not feeling like I might puke at any moment. And b/c of the energy, caffeine.

Sleep: I've been so tired lately that I've actually been sleeping solid till 4-4:30am recently.

What I am looking forward to: Next week (Tuesday) is my next dr's appt!

Belly Button: normal (in) - actually it might be a little MORE in than usual b/c of the pooching belly

Symptoms: Full on nausea. And lots of being tired after very little exertion. Nelly needs naps!

10 wks

I'm going to post these blogs a day early; I don't actually turn __wks 0days till Tuesdays, but I have Mondays off and it's easier to get done then... otherwise you'll be getting them a week late!! ;-D

This is my "outfit" for taking pictures :)

I had a request specifically for a bare belly pic, so here it is.  Don't get too used to these; I won't be taking them every week.

 

I put on my running clothes and was amused at how much my belly already pokes out in my usual running shirt.  I won't be wearing this one all the way through the summer b/c I don't want to stretch it out. :-)

Pregnancy Highlights:
 
How Far Along: 10 weeks

Size of Baby: avg size: 1.5 in

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm already up 5 lbs, which seems like too much to me, but the dr didn't say anything a week ago, so I'm trying not to worry too much about it.

Maternity Clothes: My baggy pants are fitting me without any "baggy" anymore, and I bought a Bella band to help make my clothes wearable a little longer.  I'm going to be in maternity clothes by my birthday at this rate!! :)

Best Moment this week: standing in church realizing how grateful I am for all God has brought me through, miscarriages and all.  Realizing how much he loves me, and how much I love this little one (not the same amt I guess, but related)

Gender: undetermined, though I keep accidentally saying "she".  Lindsey did that w/Elijah before she knew what he was, so NO, that's not an indicator that I'm having a girl :)

Movement: none; I can't wait!!

Food Craving: I drove halfway across town to the nearest Quiznos for a honey bacon club while I was running errands this week.  I've also been eating oatmeal, a texture I usually have trouble with, but not lately.

What I miss: sleeping through the night.  Energy.  Salad (but the thought of it now makes me want to hurl).

Sleep: The same: I'm waking around midnight to use the bathroom, then tossing and turning from 3am till the alarm at 5:30am.  I'm having those crazy pregnancy dreams too. 

What I am looking forward to: what I'm NOT looking forward to is shopping for pants that fit :) I'm looking forward to a friend's baby shower this Saturday; they're adopting internationally and the baby is already 1yr old (but not here yet), so it'll be unlike any shower I've been to before.

Belly Button: normal (in)

Symptoms: I thought I was doing pretty well b/c my symptoms were kinda tapering off, but they came back with a vengeance this week.  Nausea and fatigue.  Glad I had last week off work; lots of couch time! :)

Another New Beginning

As most of you know (b/c I've already gone public on FB), I'm pregnant!  I thought it would be fun to track some of the highlights for you to follow each week.  Of course in these first weeks there's not too much to tell, but a friend of mine blogged her pregnancy and I really enjoyed following it, and thought "I'm going to have to do that when I get pregnant".  So here it is, format stolen directly from her :)

My barely baby bump, just enough to make my pants tight.  Apologies for the angle of the picture; I had to set the camera on the table and turn the timer on.  I might try to find a better place for the future, but this is what I've got for now. :)

Pregnancy Highlights:
 
How Far Along: 9 weeks

Size of Baby: about an inch (average)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: a few pounds already

Maternity Clothes: I'm wearing my baggy jeans but no maternity clothes yet.  So far I just look like I'm getting "fat", not pregnant. :)

Best Moment this week: seeing baby's heartbeat again yesterday at the ultrasound!  And finishing the Steamboat Springs Half Marathon in less than 3 hrs.

Gender: undetermined

Movement: none

Food Craving: pizza has been a constant, and too many carbs

What I miss: surprisingly, b/c I don't drink much - alcohol.  I wish I could have a mojito so bad!

Sleep: I'm waking around midnight to use the bathroom, then tossing and turning from 3am till the alarm at 5:30am.  I'm having those crazy pregnancy dreams like my apocalypse dream where I was looking for the bathrooms instead of stressing about the catastrophe. 

What I am looking forward to: everything :) - painting the dresser/changing table, picking out furniture for the nursery, registering, showers, starting to show, maternity clothes, the whole shebang.

Belly Button: normal (in)

Symptoms: I can't seem to keep my eyes open past about 8:30pm without a nap or two during the day.  And I'm eating smaller meals more often to avoid the trifecta of hunger, queasiness, and bloating.