Sweet Little Turnip

Week 17 started yesterday and we have ourselves a 5 inch turnip-sized baby.  He/she can move their joints, and sweat glands are starting to develop.  Also the skeletal frame is hardening from cartilage to bone.  I just love marveling at everything going on in there - it just amazes me every week when I get the updates emailed to me. 

This morning I got great news from the doctor's office that our penta screening results came back just as we were hoping - negative to Downs, neural tube defects, and Trisomy 18.  Thanks be to God!!!

Last weekend we had Christmas in Maryville with Cody's family and his sisters and mom were so sweet to give us a few things for the baby....I have to say a highlight was Cody's baby bib that Rita Ann had managed to save all these years and I just love picturing our baby wearing it (even though it's embroidered with "Cody" on it!)  It was amazing to me how great of shape it's in as it's a cloth bib that I'm sure went through the washer countless times. 

This weekend we'll be in NE to celebrate Christmas and will get to spend time with both mom and dad's sides over the weekend.  I also have a super fun lunch date planned with my phi mu besties on Monday in Omaha - can't wait! 

Oh - and if you've got a spare prayer, please send one up for my Grandpa who was admitted to the hospital Monday afternoon and we're praying he'll be out in time for Christmas.  He has some fluid around his lungs as well as a painful infection in his legs and his legs were giving out on him when he tried to walk.  Makes me sad to think of him in the hospital - especially at Christmastime.

On a lighter note....2 weeks from today until we find out if we're having a boy or a girl!!  Anyone have any feelings one way or another?  It's always interesting to me to hear people who "just have a feeling" :) 

16 Week update

Today is the start of week 16, and I’ve been feeling really good lately.  I’m not quite as tired as I was in the first trimester and last night I was even able to jog a little which felt really good (don’t think I’ve even attempted since early October).  I was really surprised that I was able to make it even a mile because I have been so irregular with any form of exercise.  Like 1-2 times a week, sometimes not at all.  Oopsy. 

My goal for the 2^nd trimester is to be better about making time for exercise.  I’ve been working long hours and using that as an excuse, but I need to just make the effort.  I feel so much better about myself when I’m do.  I am really going to try to get in 3-4 days a week.  I’m not doing anything that’s high impact at all…just walking on the treadmill or doing the elliptical for my cardio, and then sometimes will talk myself into doing some light weights and toning work. 

This week the baby is 4 ½ inches, and they say the size of an avocado.  (Are avocados really 4 ½ inches long?  Week 15’s size was the size of my fist – an avocado seems like a regression, doesn’t it?  Maybe I just need to do more cooking.)  A lot of the reading I’ve been doing says that 16 weeks is about the earliest that movements from the baby can be felt, but that some moms don’t feel anything even until week 20 or so.  I hope I don’t have to wait that long!  Every night I lay in bed and try to figure out if I’m feeling anything and then I’m pretty sure I just start imagining feelings that aren’t really there. 

Yesterday I had a penta test which is a blood test that screens for chromosomal abnormalities (things such as Downs Syndrome, Spina Bifida, and other neural tube defects).  We have to wait for about a week to get the results back….in the meantime, I’m trying not to think about it because it’s not something we can change the outcome of and we’ll love the baby just the same no matter what the results.  Still – it’s a little unnerving thinking about the what-ifs, and of course no parent wants to hear that their baby is anything but perfectly healthy.  All we can do is continue to pray and put it in God’s hands.

January 6^th is the date of our sonogram and we’ll find out if we’re having a boy or girl….stay tuned!

So far still targeting May 31^st as our due date!

Maternity Pants = BFF

I am 2 days away from being at 15 weeks and already I caved and bought some maternity pants.  Am I depressed about having to do this already?  NO!!!!! I am in heaven!!  I am more comfortable than I've been for the past 3-4 weeks.  Granted, I probably didn't technically need maternity pants yet, but I needed a bigger size and didn't want to buy 2 rounds of new pants.  So, straight for the maternity pants I went this weekend (while I was supposed to be Christmas shopping for others).  Not sure if you can tell, but I am super happy in my new pants:

Here's a side pic...the bump looks bigger when I look down at it.  I was surprised when I saw the picture that it didn't look bigger.  At any rate, I'm getting there!!

Early Achiever

So my good friend Shelby gave me some great encouragement that has stuck with me regarding the advanced nature of my weight gain….she said she liked to refer to herself as an “early gainer” at that stage in her pregnancy.  I think I’ll do one better and refer to myself as an Early Achiever.  Yes, I do like the sound of that!

p.s. Thanks to many for boosting my spirits after the last post.  You helped a ton!

Highs and Lows

Yesterday we had another OB appointment.  This time the Doppler picked the heartbeat up right away, loud and clear.  It was amazing to hear.  I think Cody and I both got huge smiles on our faces when we heard it and I didn’t want Dr. Heit to turn off the monitor – I just wanted to keep listening to our baby.  The heartbeat was right around 150 bpm….supposedly that means a girl.  ???  We were hoping to schedule our sonogram for before Christmas so that we could share the news with everyone at Christmas time, but Dr. Heit said it was a tad too early.  So the official sonogram date is set for Thursday, January 6^th.  Can’t wait!!

Now for the “low” part.  Dr. Heit told me I needed to slow down my weight gain.  Ouch.  I have gained 8 ½ pounds so far and he told me I really should only gain 10 lbs in the first half.  Well, today starts Week 14, so I’ve got 6 more weeks to hold steady and only gain 1 ½ lbs.    I asked him if we could chalk about 3 of the pounds up to just coming off the Thanksgiving holiday and he laughed and said he’d give me that, but in all seriousness, he told me I need to be better about exercising and only eating 200-300 extra calories a day.  I know, I know. 

The past few weeks I have definitely been taking the eating for two thing literally and I really haven’t been regular about exercise the entire pregnancy.  I’m not sure why I thought I would automatically be the cute pregnant lady who doesn’t gain weight anywhere but her cute basketball belly when really I haven’t done a whole lot of work in that direction.  Sigh.  I’m sure I sound like I’m making a big deal out of nothing, but for some reason, it was really hard to be told I’d gained too much weight. 

So after we got home, I flung myself on the couch and cried.  Had me a little pity party.  Then Cody, probably feeling very helpless, was being extra nice and doing all these nice things for me, which for some reason made me cry even harder.  I was trying to pinpoint why exactly I was crying and I couldn’t.  At one point, he was packing up my lunch for today and I saw him marinating some fresh mozzarella for my salad and I started crying over that too b/c at that moment, mozzarella sounded really gross.  What is wrong with me???  Holy hormones!   I’m sure he was just ready for me to go to bed and start a new day J

Anyway, that’s the latest baby news.  Here’s to finding a good workout routine as I start my second trimester!

Winding down the first Trimester

Well, today marks the start of week 13, which is the last week of trimester 1!  In some ways I feel like it went by fast, but in other ways not.  I'm just really looking forward to looking pregnant and feeling the baby's movements. 

The size comparison of the baby this week is to a peach.  And they say the baby weighs about the same as a quarter.  He/She even has fingerprints already, how amazing is that?! 

Feeling really good lately, still tired, but that's about all I can complain about.  Some of my pants are getting more and more tough to button, so I think I'll try the rubber band trick in the near future. 

Last night I was singing in the shower and normally Cody has something smart to say about my singing, but this time he just told me to keep it up so the baby can get used to the sound of my voice. I'm sure he subsequently went into the other room and laughed at my singing, but he knows I've been extra weepy lately, so not to laugh to my face.  :)

Looking forward to a 4-day weekend in NE!  The baby is really hungry for some mashed potatoes! 

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.  We have so many things to be thankful for, you included. 

xoxo

Old Wives Tales

My sister-in-law, Sara, recently got me thinking about some of these "tests" which prompted me to research what other old wives tales were out there for predicting the gender of a baby.  Here's how we did:

Old Wives Tale:  Heart Rate
If the baby’s heart rate is above 140 bpm, it is said that the baby will be a girl.  If it is under 140 bpm, then it will be a boy.
Result = We were right at 140, so this one’s a toss up

Old Wives Tale:  Ring Test
Using a string, hang your wedding ring over your pregnant belly.  You are having a girl if the ring swings back and forth  and it’s a boy if it swings in a circle.  
Result: Boy

Old Wives Tale:  Mayan Tale
The Mayan tale adds the mothers age at conception and the year of conception.  If the result is an even number then mom is having a girl.  If the result is an odd number then a boy is on the way.  
Result: Girl

Old Wives Tale:  Cravings
People believe that if you are craving salty foods while pregnant, you can count on having a boy.  If you crave sweets, fruit, and orange juice, you are having a little girl.  
Result: Boy

Old Wives Tale:  Time of Conception
The person that is most aggressive in bed at the time of conception is the opposite of what the baby will be.  
Result: Girl

Old Wives Tale:  Moodiness and a Little Pecker
If you are really moody, you are having a girl since you have extra girl hormones in you.  Your pregnancy will make you smile and be more happy if you are having a boy because there’s a penis inside you.
Result:  HA!  This made me laugh! I'm not sure on this one - I am probably grumpier when I'm tired and I'm definitely way more tired these days, but Cody hasn't complained yet, so I think this one's too hard to answer at this point. 

Old Wives Tale:  Clumsy vs. Graceful
If the pregnant woman is graceful throughout her pregnancy, she’s having a girl.  If she becomes clumsy, she’s having a boy.  
Result: My first inclination is to say Girl. Although, I did drop my breakfast on the garage floor this morning.  Toss up so far, but I think it’s probably too early for this test. 

Old Wives Tale:  Side You Most Rest On
If a pregnant woman prefers to lay on her left side, she’s having a boy.  If she prefers resting on her right side, she’s having a girl.  
Result: Girl

Old Wives Tale:  Hands
When the pregnant woman is asked to show her hands, it’s a boy if she keeps her palms down and a girl if she shows her palms up.  
Result: Boy

Old Wives Tale:  Dad’s Weight Gain
If the dad-to-be gains weight while you are pregnant, it’s a girl.  If he doesn’t gain weight, you’re having a boy.  
Result:  Boy...so farJ

Old Wives Tale:  Breast Test
If a pregnant woman’s left breast is larger than the right breast, she’s having a girl.  If the right breast is larger, it’s a boy.
Result: Girl

Old Wives Tale:  Protein
When a pregnant woman craves meat and cheese, count on a boy.  
Result: Boy

Old Wives Tale:  Feet
Are your feet colder now that you are pregnant?  If so, you just might be having a boy.  If your feet have stayed the same before pregnancy and during, you’re having a little girl.  
Result: Boy

Old Wives Tale:  Urine
What color is your pee?  If it is bright yellow, you will have a little boy.  If your urine is a dull yellow, plan on a girl.  
Result: Boy

Old Wives Tale:  Headaches
If you are having headaches, you might be carrying a boy.  

Result: Boy

Ok - that's 8 points for a Boy, 4 points for a Girl, and 3 toss ups.  We'll see in a couple months for sure!  Planning to find out the sex and it should be right around the end of the year/first of January.  Can't wait!!

Let the belly pics begin!

11 Weeks:

Dancing Babies, Fist Bumps, and First Cravings

I've been intending to write about our appointment last Monday Nov 1st - we got to see our baby!!  The original plan wasn't to do an ultrasound that early (10 week appointment), but Dr. Heit had trouble finding the heartbeat with the Doppler (ummm, really scary for a few minutes) so he sent us into the ultrasound room instead.  In retrospect, I'm so glad the little heartbeat wasn't picked up on the Doppler because we got to see our little dancing baby on the ultrasound!  It's little arms and legs were really moving, so the ultrasound tech told us it looked like the baby was having a dance party in there :)  Loved the dance reference!  Here is a picture of our little one:

In case you aren't able to tell what's going on in this picture (don't worry - my mom thought her grandbaby had two heads and Aunt Sarah couldn't find it at all) On the upper left side of the black circle is the baby's head, the two dots on either side of the head are the arms, then you can make out the body and the two dots/legs at the bottom. 

Dr. Heit came into the ultrasound room after awhile to make sure everything was ok (he must've been slightly nervous when he couldn't find the heartbeat on the Doppler) and when he saw the baby and the healthy heartbeat he breathed a sigh of relief and went in for a fist bump with Cody - so funny!  Cody was surprised to say the least! 

Last night I had a very unusual craving.  All of a sudden I just really wanted some chocolate milk.  This might not seem strange to anyone, but I honestly don't think I've drank (is drank the proper tense?) a glass of milk by itself since I was in elementary school.  And I've really never cared much for chocolate milk.  So this was really strange.  Luckily we had milk on hand and I also found some Nestle mix in the cupboard (who knew we had that??!), so a crisis was averted and Cody didn't have to run to the grocery store!

Over the past week and a half, I've been battling a nasty respiratory cold, but I think I've got it pretty much behind me now.  The other good news is that the nausea I'd been experiencing in weeks 6-9 has greatly lessened.  YAY!  With those two improvements, I'm planning to hit the gym tonight for the first time in, well, since about week 6 (major yikes).   

I'll try to update more often...my intent with this blog was to be much more frequent than I have been so far!  Tomorrow marks the start of week 11!

First Blog!!

Well, here goes...I've been thinking about starting a blog for awhile now, but until we found out......WE'RE PREGNANT....I kept putting it off.   

So anyway - I'm in my 9th week this week.  We are so so so excited to be parents!  

The baby is the size of a big green olive this week (my sister said "I knew there had to be some reason for me to like green olives!"), and next week we're up to a prune.  I'm loving the comparisons to food!  Speaking of food, I've adjusted my diet pretty significantly since I found out I was pregnant.  For instance, no more daily starbucks treats in the mornings and no more vino treats in the evenings.  Cody said we could probably decorate the nursery with the money we'll save on me kicking my Starbucks habit and wine consumption.  Sad, but true.  Sigh.  Also, I used to take frozen Smart Ones for lunch everyday b/c, well, I'm kind of a lazy eater if it's left up to me.  Now, Cody (being super-dad already) packs me well-balanced home made lunches, and very rarely do I eat anything processed.  I hope I can continue this diet after the pregnancy!

Some things things that I've noticed in the past 3-4 weeks:

• My beloved Orbit Sweetmint that I consumed a pack+ daily now makes me nauseous. Actually pretty much any flavor of gum - I'm apologizing right now for my breath for the next 7 months!
• When my stomach is empty I get super nauseous.
• My sense of smell is crazily heightened - I can't wear my perfume, had to get non scented deodorant, etc.
• My pants are getting tighter - I'm not sure that this is actually the baby (unless the baby is growing in my thighs and butt); rather, I think it's more the overeating I've been doing since Cody has been making me lunch and dinner every day!
• I'm super duper tired all the time.  I'm in bed before 9:00 most nights which is a good 2 hours earlier than my typical bed time.  It amazes me that I can sleep as much as I've been sleeping lately.  

Until next time!