21 Weeks

Happy Thanksgiving!!! It was great to see everyone at the start of this year's holiday season and this year Jason and I have a little something extra to be thankful for. We, as usual, had a busy Thanksgiving and had to make our rounds, but we made it everywhere and left stuffed. I was a little bit disappointed though, because I never got to have any turkey! Grandma took us out this year to an Italian restaurant where you could choose Italian off the menu or traditional turkey dinner. We chose Italian figuring we'd be having turkey at the rest of our stops for the day but I got so stuffed I couldn't eat anything else all day. So Jason is going to take a stab at roasting his first turkey for me this weekend. I can hardly believe that next year we are going to have an extra mouth to feed for Thanksgiving!

The pregnancy is flying by as it has been and I'm still feeling pretty good. The baby is getting so strong and active lately. The past two days before I went to sleep I feel her kicks like 10 in a row instead of just maybe one or two and I swear if the lights were on I could have seen my belly move. At least that's how strong they felt to me. Jason seems to have bad timing and is usually not around or is already sleeping when she kicks. And then other times she gets shy for her Daddy and stops kicking when he puts his hand on my belly. I think we are getting a little bit closer to agreeing on a name for her, and I assume one of these days I will have to have an acceptable baby bump but for now I'm still sporting the beer belly. My Aunts claim that their turkey bellies were bigger than my baby belly but I don't agree! LOL




How far along? 21 weeks 1 day
Weight gain/loss this week: +0
Total weight gain/loss: +9
How big is the baby? banana
Maternity clothes? nope
Sleep: I've accepted that I'll never sleep the same again
Best moment this week: buying all our baby furniture
Movement: Yes! Her kicks are getting so strong
Food cravings: I give up on this question
Gender: GIRL!!
Labor Signs: Still feeling some Braxton Hicks but not as many as last week
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss the most: turkey because I didn't get any
What I am looking forward to: Actually looking pregnant
Symptoms: The boobs are sore again, braxton hicks

Weekly Update: Baby gulps 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. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

Dear Co-Irker,

I don't know what it is about a pregnant woman that causes you to lose all your tact, or maybe you just didn't have any to begin with. I know a lot of the things you say are joking or in good fun, but some of the stuff I just really don't understand. Unless you are my friend or family member, here are some things you should keep in mind when dealing with a pregnant woman.

1. Don't ever refer to my belly as fat, chub, pudge, or any other word that essentially means fat. I am growing a human being inside me. I am supposed to gain weight! If a woman wasn't pregnant and really was just getting fat, would you just so bluntly bring it up to her? I think not. Besides, I realize that I am in this awkward in between stage and as a naturally thin woman who does not and will not allow herself to gain weight, it is sometimes hard to appreciate my changing body. You are giving me a complex so shut up.

2. This goes along with number one. Why do you feel it is necessary to tell me that I am never going to lose the last 10 pounds of baby weight, or that my hips will become so wide I will never fit into my regular jeans again? FYI...I am 5 months pregnant and I can still wear, zip AND button my regular jeans and fully intend to lose every last pound that I gain from this pregnancy. If my body is never the same, then so be it but I refuse to just sit on my ass post pregnancy and eat donuts and complain that I am fat.

3. Why do you think it is ok to ask me how much weight I've gained??? This is just none of your business and its rude. Next time you do, I will ask you how much weight you gained in the past 6 months and see how you like it.

4. If I don't know you, you shouldn't be touching my belly out of nowhere. Besides, the baby is just now reaching my belly button this week, so anytime before that you were just rubbing my pudge as you like to call it. Also, NEVER try to lift up my shirt to see my belly again. Seriously, that is ridiculous.

5. I don't want to hear about how your brother's wife's cousin was in labor for 300 hours. Or how many women used to DIE during labor! Or how much pain I'm going to be in if I have a C-section. Or whatever other horror story you can think of that has to do with labor or pregnancy. You do realize that eventually I will have to go into labor right? Why are you trying to freak me out more than necessary?

6. Yes, I'm sure there is only one baby in there. Didn't you just finish telling me how small I am for being pregnant? What makes you think there would be more than one baby?

7. Yes, I really do have to pee this often. There is nothing I can do about it.

8. I have no idea when I am going to start showing. It's not like I can push a button and my belly pops out.

Seriously, what is wrong with my co-workers????? Or people in general who say things like this to pregnant women? I know once I start showing I'm going to start getting these types of comments from random strangers. I mean seriously, anyone who reads my blog knows how much weight I've gained, and if I know you I don't mind if you rub my belly all night long! I'm not exactly shy about putting the personal things out in the open with people I love but why random people think that just because you are pregnant you don't deserve the same respect as any other person I just don't understand.

OK, vent over. I feel a little better now :)

First Baby Items Purchased!

My mom and I have been slowly looking around for the things we will need for the baby. One day while we were out we saw a great deal on a convertible crib that I really liked and we ended up putting it and the matching dresser changing table on layaway before the sale was over. We were planning on just paying it over time and then picking it up a little later on but then my Grandma volunteered to purchase it for us. We couldn't believe it and we are so grateful! The people at Babies R Us told us it was in stock so Jason picked up his brother to help with the heavy lifting, and we picked up Grandma and headed over. Well, surprise surprise, the people at Babies R Us SUCK and an hour later they said it has to be paid in full and then they bring it to the store. So now it should be in the store within the next two weeks. We were all just a little annoyed but whatever. We also got the mattress for the crib, the rails to convert it into a regular bed, and then went over to Ideal Baby and got the rocker. Now we just have to get up in that room and clean it out, touch up the paint, and then start putting it all together!

This is the crib and the dresser which will double as the changing table in espresso.

And the rocker and ottoman. My mom is going to recover this in a fabric that matches whatever bedding we pick out because this ones looks like it will get very dirty very fast.

Thanks again Grandma!!!!

20 Weeks and Halfway to Baby!

This week marks the halfway point and I can hardly believe how fast the time has gone by. I can only hope the next 20 weeks go by just as fast! I think with the holidays right around the corner, it's going to be January in the blink of an eye. I'm still feeling generally good overall. Yesterday, I got a little bit nervous though, because I was having a lot of Braxton Hicks. I've been feeling them randomly for the past week, maybe one or two in a day, but Thursday there was maybe 4-5 and then yesterday it was like almost one or two in an hour! So I called the doctor and he said it is very common to feel BH in the second trimester and the frequency I was feeling them was nothing to be very concerned about. He recommended that I take it easy for the day, drink a ton of water, and if they increased to more than 4-6 and hour to call back right away. The concern then would be pre-term labor and basically there is nothing they can do to stop it this early. So I followed the doctors orders and today I feel a lot better and have only had maybe one today. I haven't had any soda with caffeine at all since I've been pregnant, and yesterday I really wanted one so I did. I figured it would be ok since they say caffeine in moderation and less than 200mg per day and one soda has less than 100mg, but I think that might have done it. Anyways, all else is great. Still waiting for the belly to pop but it's getting a little bigger every week. Jason loves to look at it and touch it but hasn't been at the right place at the right time to feel her kick yet. We are still trying to agree on the perfect name for our princess but getting closer to choosing something.



How far along? 20 weeks 1 day
Weight gain/loss this week: +2
Total weight gain/loss: +9
How big is the baby? cantaloupe
Maternity clothes? nope
Sleep: I've accepted that I'll never sleep the same again
Best moment this week: I dunno
Movement: Shes moving a lot
Food cravings: I give up on this question
Gender: GIRL!!
Labor Signs: Starting to feel Braxton Hicks
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss the most: Apple Martinis....yummy
What I am looking forward to: Actually looking pregnant
Symptoms: The boobs are sore again, braxton hicks

Weekly Update: Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!

The start of the bump

So I woke up this morning feeling bigger than usual. I don't know if it was just the big dinner I had last night or maybe the yummy red velvet cake we had for dessert, which by the way the baby loved. She was squirming around in there big time after that. But the scale is officially displaying a number I have never seen before and quite honestly I don't really know where I'm putting the extra weight. I'm really hoping at some point the weight gain slows down because if not I'm going to end up gaining way more than I wanted to. Oh well. I've been wearing mostly flowy shirts lately because I feel like I have a beer belly look going on but today I decided to wear a tight one and show off my little "bump." So I got ready for work feeling very self conscious and took these pictures of myself to show Jason. I told him I felt big today and of course he responded and said he thought I looked beautiful! Apparently I feel big, but still look normal because no one at work said anything but the usual "When are you going to start looking pregnant?" I know I'm going to look back on these pictures in a few months and laugh for thinking I looked big!! I think the bump is slooooowly starting to form and I really think that it's going to appear overnight.

The Dogs Know

I'm officially convinced that the dogs know I'm pregnant. I know it sounds crazy but I read a couple of articles on this about how the dogs might be able to sense it, or smell the change in hormones, or something. Hunter has always been very attached to us but lately he will not let me out of his sight. If I get up to go to the bathroom, he follows me and waits for me. If I get up to get a drink, he follows me. No matter what I do, he is at my feet and sometimes he gets in the way and I almost step on him or trip over him. He also always has to lay by me and put his head on my belly. I can not wait for the day when he's laying on my belly and gets kicked by the baby! LOL Hailey on the other hand has always been way more independent than Hunter but even she wants to lay on me more lately. Even Chris and Keira's dogs pay more attention to me than usual and lay on me. I'm telling you...the dogs know!

19 Weeks

What a great week we had this week! We are still over the moon about our baby girl! It's all finally getting a chance to really set in now and finding out the sex has made it so much more real. Jason is so excited to be having a little daddy's girl and I can't wait to start shopping for everything and putting together her nursery. I always said I didn't care what sex the baby was since I eventually hope to have one of each and I still think that's true but I can't help but wonder if I secretly wanted a girl first because I am just so excited. I feel so much more connected to her now that I know she's a little girl. And Jason, who admitted he wanted a boy first, had the biggest smile on his face when we found out and immediately starred spreading the news before the ultrasound was even finished! We have been talking a little bit about names but haven't come up with anything yet. Now that I know she's a little girl I feel bad calling her "the baby." She needs her own name!

Then Friday night we had our surprise date night. I was told I had to go buy a nice dress and not worry about where we were going. Jason tries to surprise me from time to time but usually he gets too excited and tells me or gives me too many hints until I figure it out. This time he kept the secret from me for a few weeks. So we got dressed up and went out to a nice dinner and he told me we were going to see Legally Blonde the Musical at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. I love Legally Blonde and have been wanting to see the musical for a while now but we always missed it. I loved it! It was such a cute show and a great date night.

As far as the pregnancy updates, there's not much new to talk about. I'm looking a little bit more pregnant every week, some days more than others, but still waiting for the really baby belly to appear. My symptoms are mostly the same although for dome reason I just didn't sleep very well this week. I am starting to feel her move around a lot more and I even felt a first real kick! I was laying down and all of a sudden, THUMP! I'm still not really feeling the kicks from the outside yet but hopefully soon.




How far along? 19 weeks 2 days
Weight gain/loss this week: +2
Total weight gain/loss: +7
How big is the baby? mango
Maternity clothes? nope
Sleep: Back to crappy
Best moment this week: Finding out were having a little girl!
Movement: Starting to feel the kicks! She's getting stronger every day.
Food cravings: Still none really
Gender: GIRL!!
Labor Signs: No and hopefully not for a while
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss the most: Apple Martinis....yummy
What I am looking forward to: Actually looking pregnant
Symptoms: Nothing major this week

Weekly Update: Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

and the BIG Ultrasound Says....

We are so thrilled to be expecting a little princess!! We had our big ultrasound yesterday and she is measuring perfectly. She was sleeping throughout the whole appointment so I was a little bit nervous that we wouldn't be able to get the "money shot" but we got a good shot of her legs up and spread apart and there wasn't anything hanging out in between them! I was surprised to learn that I have an anterior placenta which means the placenta is in front of the baby. While this is completely normal, usually it means you can't feel the baby moving until a little bit later on because the placenta acts as a sort of barrier between you and the baby. They said its probably due to my size that I am lucky enough to feel her moving around in there already!

Today I went in for my regular doctor appointment and the doctor said he looked over everything from last night and that she looks perfect! All of my blood work is great, my urine is clean, and my uterus is growing like it should be. He says since my uterus and baby are growing right on track that I shouldn't be concerned at all about not really showing, just that I'm carrying her really well right now. Apparently, its a GOOD thing my boobs have been so sore and are growing. It means I will have a better chance of being able to produce the amount of milk necessary for breastfeeding. He does think I need to be drinking a lot more water throughout the day, which I knew, and I'm really trying!! Then he listened to the baby's heartbeat with the doppler and he said she was very active. Every few seconds you could hear a THUD on the doppler and those were the kicks! All in all he said everything looked fabulous! Now we just have to think of a name for our baby girl :)

18 Weeks

I can't believe we are almost halfway there! We have a very exciting week this week. Wednesday is our BIG ultrasound where hopefully we will find out if Baby S is a boy or a girl. Most people still think boy but I just really don't know. Then Friday we have a date night that Jason has planned and I have no idea what we will be doing!

I feel like my appetite has finally slowed down a little bit and I'm eating more like a normal person. My weight gain has also tapered off for now. The belly is still slowly rounding out. This morning I was walking around in my shorts and sports bra and Jason smiled and patted my belly. I'm like "What, its sticking out?" He's like "YEP!" I think I still look like I pigged out on Halloween candy or something. I hate to disappoint you all who are looking forward to seeing a baby belly on Thanksgiving but at this point I just don't think its going to happen! I did have to finally make my first garment purchase due to my changing body. Nope, not maternity pants, but new bras! Let me tell you, I forgot how comfortable a properly fitting bra can be. Also, this week the heartburn returned with a vengeance. It reared it's ugly head twice this week, the first time it hurt so bad I thought I might throw up for the first time all pregnancy. I think I may have felt the baby kick my hand the other day! I was laying down and the baby was moving so I put my hand on my belly and felt a tiny little flick! Hopefully Jason can feel it kick soon too. I also got both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 vaccinations this week. Oh and the baby's 12 week test results came back all completely normal so everything is looking good.



How far along? 18 weeks 2 days
Weight gain/loss this week: 0
Total weight gain/loss: +5
How big is the baby? sweet potato
Maternity clothes? nope
Sleep: It's ok
Best moment this week: Jason starting to notice my changing body. It's cute.
Movement: getting more frequent
Food cravings: Still none really
Gender: Find out this week!
Labor Signs: No and hopefully not for a while
Belly Button in or out? In but I think its getting a little bit shallow
What I miss the most: My flat belly
What I am looking forward to: Wednesday's appointment and Friday's date!
Symptoms: Sore boobs, heartburn

Weekly Update: Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon.

17 Weeks

I hope the baby had a growth spurt this week because I sure did. I gained three pounds and my belly is definitely starting to round out a little bit. I'm having a little bit of a hard time embracing the weight gain. I know its necessary and because I am growing a baby inside of me, not just because I ate too many doughnuts but still, three pounds in one week seems like a lot to someone whose weight really stays the same all the time. Plus, I still don't think I look at all pregnant, just plumper than usual! Other than that, I have resorted to sleeping in a sports bra lately and I am much more comfortable! I'm still only feeling the baby move occasionally and waiting for next Wednesday for our big ultrasound!

How far along? 17weeks 2 days
Weight gain/loss this week: +3
Total weight gain/loss: +5
How big is the baby? onion
Maternity clothes? not yet
Sleep: It's ok
Best moment this week: Nothing too exciting this week
Movement: occasional
Food cravings: Still none really
Gender: 10 more days
Labor Signs: No and hopefully not for a while
Belly Button in or out? In but I think its getting a little bit shallow
What I miss the most: My flat belly
What I am looking forward to: Finding out the sex
Symptoms: Frequent peeing, sore boobs

Weekly Update: Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

16 Weeks

Most of the symptoms from last week have gone away and I'm back to feeling pretty good again. The baby has made his or her home right on top of my bladder lately which has caused me to have to pee even more than I already was. Yesterday, in my 8 hour work day, I peed 9 times. Yes, 9, and yes I kept track. I was curious because I thought it was getting a little bit out of control. Luckily when I am laying down the pressure is somewhere else so I'm not having to get up all night long. The boobs are still very sore and seem to be growing faster than the belly and a new bra is definitely overdue. I can feel general movements from the baby but no actual kicks yet and the belly is slowly starting to grow and looks bigger when my bladder is full. Now, we are just looking forward to November 11th for our big ultrasound.





And just for fun here's a comparison 4weeks vs 4 months. Can you tell a difference? To me it's huge.

How far along? 16weeks 2 days
Weight gain/loss this week: 0
Total weight gain/loss: +2
How big is the baby? avocado
Maternity clothes? no
Sleep: not bad
Best moment this week: Feeling the baby moving!
Movement: yep
Food cravings: Is it strange I don't have any?
Gender: Soon!
Labor Signs: No and hopefully not for a while
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss the most: This week its wine
What I am looking forward to: Finding out the sex
Symptoms: Frequent peeing, sore boobs

Weekly Update: Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender.

Party in my Ute!

So, the pops and bubbles I was feeling WERE the baby! So cool! The movements for the past two days have changed a little bit and become much more obvious. Now it feels like something is swimming around in there. You know those goldfish that you win at a carnival that they give you in a plastic bag? When you are holding the bag you can sometimes feel the water being pushed around and every once in a while if the fish swims close to the edge you can feel a big swoosh. Imagine that but from the inside and that's what I think it feels like! It is amazing to feel your baby squirming around inside you and really makes it a lot more real now!

Stupid Comments

I swear, I work with some of the most highly paid professionals in the nation's workforce and it just proves that money doesn't buy you class. To give these people the benefit of the doubt, I know they were joking with me which is why I responded the way I did, but still!!

Picture a 50-something year old overweight man who carries his weight in his belly like an extremely pregnant woman. He finds out I'm pregnant and says "Yea I thought you were packing on the pounds but I didn't want to say anything!" To which I respond "Actually, I haven't gained any weight yet, but I bet my belly won't get as big as yours even when I'm in my ninth month."

Next is a 40-something man trying to get my attention by calling me fatty. My response : "I'm pregnant, what's your excuse?" He's like "Uhh, I'm 47"

LOL Seriously! Like I said, I know these people were joking but what if I would have taken them seriously. Call me crazy, but that just doesn't seem like the thing to say to any woman, much less a pregnant one! I have noticed I've become a little bit "saucy" lately and was kind of proud of my quick comebacks because I usually think of the perfect thing to say back to people like this about 10 minutes too late. Oh well...stupid comments to be continued...

15 Weeks

So last week I said I had a lack of symptoms. This week I have plenty to talk about. First are the sore boobs, which really have been sore throughout the whole pregnancy but lately at times they are almost unbearably sore. They feel heavy and full and like they've almost doubled in size so maybe that's why. My hair seems to be falling out in hand fulls. Every time I take a shower tons of hair falls out and clogs the drain. Annoying. Speaking of clogged, my pipes are backed up. There's nothing worse than feeling fat, gross, and bloated all the time. The doctor switched my prenatal vitamins so hopefully that helps. I've had a headache almost every day this week. And last but not least (I think) is the heartburn. I've never in my life had heartburn and wasn't even sure what it was the first time, but then it happened again and it hurts! Luckily, its only happened twice and has come and gone very quickly so hopefully it stays that way. They say if you have heartburn during your pregnancy the baby will be born with a head full of hair so we will see. Other than that, I'm up two pounds and I can see a difference in my body although probably no one else can. If I weren't pregnant now would be the time where I start hitting the gym and eating a little bit better. I guess I just have to get used to my body changing! I've also been feeling what MIGHT be the baby, like little pops or bubbles but it's not enough for me to be sure its the baby and not just my uterus stretching or gas moving around.

How far along? 15weeks 2 days
Weight gain/loss this week: +1
Total weight gain/loss: +2
How big is the baby? orange
Maternity clothes? no
Sleep: ehh its ok
Best moment this week: umm, I'm gonna go with pooping
Movement: Maybe?
Food cravings: No not really
Gender: We have to wait 3 more weeks :(
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss the most: pooping
What I am looking forward to: I really want to find out the sex
Symptoms: Too many this week

Weekly Update: Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now out measure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements.

This Month's Appointment

Jason had to work for this appointment. I recruited my mom and Keira to go with me and we all hoped that they would do an ultrasound and hopefully be able to determine the sex of the baby. Of course, this is the first appointment that they didn't do one. I think I got spoiled because I had been getting so many ultrasounds and got to see the baby more often than most. We did get to listen to the baby's heartbeat with the Doppler. The doctor picked it up right away and joked saying that it was a boy since the heartbeat was so "strong." He said he was happy with my "minimal" weight gain and also recommended me getting both the standard flu shot and the H1N1 shot and then we were on our way. We went to three different baby stores to browse and get ideas and I put the crib I picked out on layaway since it was a great deal and the sale was ending. Three more weeks until the big ultrasound! So far most people think it's a boy and we can't wait to find out