Week 18: Was That Baby Movement???

Size of Baby: Sweet Potato (roughly 5.5 inches)
What's that Babe up to: moving all around, yawning, hiccuping, sucking, swallowing, making faces
Symptoms: the typical unmentionables (that i've mentioned before), random crying
Food Cravings: whatever someone mentions. a fb friend said they were eating an egg in a nest. Guess what I had for breakfast, and I don't even like dippy eggs. Someone else on fb said Stoltzfus Meats is having a special on their DELICIOUS chicken salad. Being a former employee I really know how good this stuff is. Guess what I want so bad right now.... and it's 9 hours away.
Food Aversions: none, i'll take it all- including those leftover fries and chicken nuggets you were about to throw away! ;) (yes i did save that food from the garbage at work...)
Weight: 159. oh yikes...
Weight gain so far: 11 lb. give or take a couple pounds depending the day and time
Maternity Clothes: Oh sure, I love the comfiness of the pants and the length of the shirts! I told Andrew last weekend that I may just keep these maternity shirts because they're nice and long for this long torso body! Still fit into most of my longer shirts, and my sisters old jeans from before she got super-skinny
Stretch Marks: no- checking weekly and using coconut oil
Sleep: still good. catching myself laying on my back (my preferred sleep position) and trying to remember to stay on my side (my least favorite position)
Best moment this week: camping with some of Andrew's family. I also enjoyed 2 bike rides and a long walk around Maumee Bay State Park
Miss Anything: Sleeping through the night without having to go downstairs to pee
Movement: I was getting pretty annoyed and frustrated that I hadn't felt the baby move and then as I was watching the Steelers game at a friend's house I felt a little something weird right below my belly button! It was either my child moving in anger towards the many Steelers' incomplete passes or my stomach churning in anger towards the many Steelers' incomplete passes. I'm gonna go with it being the baby. I felt it yesterday too and can't wait to know FOR SURE that was definitely the baby!
Belly Button: In, but looking different
Wedding Rings: still fit
Looking Forward To: My niece, Greta, coming for the weekend (!!!), Alexa being home for the weekend, and babysitting my friend's ADORABLE little baby boy on Saturday! Oh! and I'm also excited for my appointment on Tuesday so I can get some solutions to my unmentionable problems.

Journal:
  I kind of said a lot in my stats portion that I don't know if I really have more to say!
  This week I only worked on Monday, due to my Dr being out and not having patients scheduled for me to see. The bank won't really like this week (the bank, AND my husband seeing the bank) but I am simply loving it. Yesterday I FINALLY cleaned out our front porch room. If you haven't been to our house, let me explain the problem with this room. It's good for nothing. Honestly, it's a closed in porch that is hot in the summer, cold in the winter. It is directly beside our dining room and has a big bay window going outside, but also two windows and a windowed door between the dining room and porch. Since it's basically unusable, it became a catch-all of random things that have no home (or just never made it there.) Because of all the windows, everyone can see it all from the dining room upon entering our house. Andrew hated that, and I can't say I was a huge fan either. I finally got that all cleared and cleaned out yesterday!!! Of course, some of the stuff still hasn't found it's home and is scattered around the dining room. I will finish that project today. I kept our stroller out there, and also a cedar chest that is holding more baby stuff that we won't need for a while. Feels good to have a clean room. That's 2 in one month!
  Today and tomorrow will be spent cleaning the rest of the house of it's clutter, decorating for fall, and making some delicious foods. Then it's time to make the house messy again as 4 different kids invade to have fun. (that would be: Lowen, Harley, Greta, and Alexa). How exciting! :)
  I guess I don't have any other fun baby stuff to tell you... I'm planning on my diapers coming today and I must say I'm pretty excited about it! :)
 Have a great week!!!
-b

Week 17: Getting Ready for Nursery!

Size of Baby: large onion (roughly 5.1 inches)
What's that Babe up to: turning rubbery cartilage into bone, puttin' on some fat, just like the babe's momma
Symptoms: Round Ligament Pain, and the typical unmentionables, increased SWEATING, pants not wanting to stay up, itchy boobs
Food Cravings: just gummy bears today.
Food Aversions: my green beans at supper. I actually almost gagged after I finally swallowed my bite.
Weight: 156
Weight gain so far: 8 lbs. I read this week that I probably gained 5-10 lbs. hurray!
Maternity Clothes: I've worn a dress, 2 skirts, a pair of pants for work, and a new shirt
Stretch Marks: no- checking weekly and using coconut oil
Sleep: on the couch this week since Andrew was sick. He gets an uncomfortable sore throat... I get full blown cold/flu. Not this time, mister.
Best moment this week: spending the weekend with my sister getting my room ready to become a nursery.     And also, shopping at Target.
Miss Anything: Sleeping through the night without having to go downstairs to pee, leaning over to pick           something up without grunting
Movement: ... no. Nothing. Come on, baby... MOVE!
Belly Button: In, but looking different still
Wedding Rings: still fit
Looking Forward To: camping in fall weather this weekend with some of Andrew's family. Also- would         really love to feel this amazing creation inside my womb.

Journal:

Last weekend my sister caught the bus and hauled herself out here to help me out. I am SO super-grateful for her help in getting all my crap valuables reorganized to make room for a baby. :) I forgot to take a true before picture, though I did take some during and post photos. I did find this before photo, though, from my instagramming days (before I smashed my ipad) And it pretty much looked the same as this when we started.

Before: Craft stuff everywhere

During: moved sewing machine and cubby to "craft side" of room

During: before the move...

After: The "nursery side" of the room

After: so clean!

Where everything went!

 So now I just need a bunch of baby things for the nursery side! Actually we just need a crib and a dresser. And of course all the necessary supplies. Speaking of supplies... last night I ordered 10 cloth diapers in adorable prints and got them for HALF OFF! Amazing. With shipping, it came to $7.40 a diaper. That's amazing. :) I want to make some curtains (valances) and some wall art for the nursery side too, but let's be honest... I still have 23 weeks to get that done. Oh did you see those awesome coral lamps?? The colors I'm trying to go for the nursery are Gray, Coral, Turquoise and Navy. My sister (and others) think if I have a boy that the coral will not be fitting... I think with THREE boy colors and ONE girl color... we'll be alright.

Other than that this has been a pretty boring week. I worked every day-- which means Mon-Thurs, for those not familiar with my dental schedule.

FYI- my new "baby age" week starts on Wednesdays. Sometimes I write these on Wednesday, sometimes Friday, and lets be honest, sometimes Saturday. This post's stats were done on Wednesday but this journal, today, Friday. So today I watch Lowen while trying to get a million things done for the weekend. We are camping this weekend and I'm so excited to be outside by a fire in sweatshirts pants and fuzzy socks. I think Autumn came last night. I like that.

Still waiting on this baby of mine to move! Have a great weekend!

Prayer:
God you are an amazing Creator! Thank you for sharing your beauty with us in the changing seasons, the trees, their leaves, the flowers, your people. Help us all to take time to notice and appreciate these gifts you've given us. Amen.

Week 16: Funny story...

 Size of Baby: Avocado (roughly 4.5 inches)
What's that Babe up to: listening to me, growing hair, eyebrows and lashes, making taste buds
Symptoms: Round Ligament Pain, and the typical unmentionables
Food Cravings: buffalo chicken
Food Aversions: none
Weight: 155
Weight gain so far: 7 lb. (i think it's time to slow down... i still have 24 weeks to go!!!
Maternity Clothes: I've worn a dress, 2 skirts, and a belly band so far. Oh and a pair of pants for work.
Stretch Marks: no- checking weekly and using coconut oil
Sleep: multiple nights of fitful sleep due to suffocating dreams!
Best moment this week: hanging out with our friends from PA- The Derr's!!!! :) Also- fair food.
Miss Anything: Sleeping through the night without having to go downstairs to pee
Movement: nothing yet, but anxious to feel something this week! They say I could this week...
Belly Button: In, but looking different
Wedding Rings: still fit
Looking Forward To: My sister coming this weekend for baby organization! and feeling my baby move!

Journal:
 Ok so I have a funny story that actually probably isn't nearly as funny as I'm sure it was in real life. You know, one of those, "had to be there moments." Anyway- so last Saturday evening Andrew's family all got together for his sister's birthday (which is today!) and as the later evening was rolling by we went inside for a game of Up and Down the River. Classic card game. There were 10 of us sitting around the table playing. About half way through (we'll say around 9:30pm... getting really late you know) people were getting funnier and funnier. Ultimately- someone (I don't remember who) said something REALLY funny (I don't remember what) and I started laughing. Really, everyone laughed a little... the difference is I was laughing a lot. And I couldn't stop. I kept laughing and everyone starts looking at me and laughing that I'm laughing so hard. My sweet husband tells me that it wasn't really that funny. Oh, he meant well.. I'm sure. But my uncontrollable laughing fit immediately turned into an uncontrollable sobbing fit. I kid you not. I was bawling- tears and snot everywhere- sobs, like where you hiccup your back. It was awful. I was completely out of control of my own body. HA! Everyone else was still watching me and now not know what to do (I remember my bro-in-law saying he couldn't tell if I was laughing or crying) How awkward.
I finally recover from that and we continue in the game... then again someone says something and I just chuckled. That's it. Again, my sweet, well-meaning husband says- "don't laugh too hard and start crying again." My response: "Don't say that, I feel like... I'm.... on... the.. verge!!!!" As I'm speaking this sentence I cry out the last part and start crying ALL OVER AGAIN. uncontrolled. unstoppable.
This is a true story.

In other news... Our friends spent Sunday and Monday morning with us and it was quite delightful!!! We usually see them about twice a year, only this year they were much closer in the calendar! We hung out at home, saw my brother-in-laws homemade airboat, went to the Fulton County fair, and played some Chutes and Ladders and Sequence. Fun-filled day! Monday morning Andy helped Andrew with some moving/lifting things that I don't do, and Amber and I watched Dr Quinn while putting together a puzzle. :) Every time they leave or we leave them, Andrew and I always seem to say, "They are such fun people. I wish they lived closer." And it's so true.

The rest of Labor Day Andrew and I spent digging potatoes out of the garden- which was actually pretty fun! We weren't sure if we were going to get very many potatoes but with the first dig the plant had like 5 or 6 potatoes on it and we both were yipping with glee. We ended up with over 125 pounds of potatoes. I don't hardly ever make potatoes (which as a member of a potato farming family is probably shameful) so I'm going to have to change that here this year! The best part is we have a lot of red skin potatoes. The reason I never make them is because of the prep time involved in washing, peeling, and cutting them up. I had to do that almost every night after school when I lived at home (where a meal without potatoes... isn't really a meal). I think that's why I hate it. The beauty of red skins is they don't need peeled! Hallelujah! :)

Andrew and I then picked up some tomatoes from the field that had just been harvested.... SO many wasted tomatoes!!! We got way more than we needed (with a whole field full still there) and that's what I worked on on Tuesday.

To end our productive day at home we took the cycle to Bryan to get a movie and eat pizza and buffalo chicken dip together. We got Flight, because we both love Denzel Washington. Neither of us was a fan of the movie. Probably his worst ever. Sorry Denzel... but the best part was of the home video he was watching where he was "coaching" his son on his backyard football play and it was reminiscent of Remember the Titans (my favorite Denzel movie) Too much nudity, drugs, and alcohol for these folks!

That was our week! Now as my 16th week begins I'll be anxiously awaiting to feel our little avocado's movements! Look for some before and after photos next week on our nursery preparation!! :)

16 weeks.... I thought this was interesting...

10 weeks ago I looked like this!

Now I look like this!

YIKES!

Week 15: Only One!

How about some more stats?? :)
Size of Baby: Naval Orange
Symptoms: Round Ligament Pain
Food Cravings: none
Food Aversions: none
Weight: 152
Weight gain so far: 4 lb
Maternity Clothes: I've worn a dress, 2 skirts, and a belly band so far. Oh and a pair of pants for work.
Stretch Marks: no- checking weekly!
Sleep: With a snoogle pillow which I love!
Best moment this week: hearing the heartbeat again!
Miss Anything: Yes! sleeping through the night without having to go downstairs to pee!!!
Movement: nothing yet, just gas bubbles!
Belly Button: In, but looking different!
Wedding Rings: still fit
Looking Forward To: My sister coming next week for baby organization!

Journal:
   Check it out!! Amalah answered my question on her blog!!! I'm so excited! I read through the comments and found someone else claiming to be the original poster... funny- she must have used the same words as I did!  See it here! Amalah's blog is one I started following once I became pregnant because of her pregnancy calendar. It's much more interesting and entertaining than The Bumps.

I had my second OB appointment on Tuesday this week. When the nurse took my blood pressure right away it was super-high! 140/78! I was then nervous that this orange was giving me high blood pressure and, oh goodness, am I going to have to take medication?! Well... after sitting down for a while and getting to hear that precious heartbeat that I'm in love with my doctor took it again and it was 114/58. MUCH better and much more normal for me! *phew! Other than that it was a pretty short and easy appointment. Oh! I almost forgot! When she was checking the baby's heart rate she said, well let's make sure there's just one in there... Immediately I thought "oh shoot- Andrew isn't here... what if she finds two!!!" So she found the sweet baby's heart beat first on the left, then she went to the right and found mine, then she moved a little more towards the center and heard the baby's again. My eyes got big (because she wasn't close to the first spot) and she paused and said... "I think that's the same baby." It was the exact same heart rate and she said it was just from another angle/side. OK!!! If you say so! I'll breathe a little easier once I only SEE one. (although I think twins would be AWESOME... we're not quite financially prepared for that!!!) Anywho... from my last visit (5 weeks ago) I gained 4 lbs. Awesome... I've started to become more concerned about gaining too much weight too fast and not exercising enough. But when I put it like that, that's less than a pound a week. I think now that I'm in my second trimester I'm supposed to gain about a pound a week. Of course I gain 5 lbs in a day but seem to somehow burn it off in my sleep!

I've started taking walks with my dog more too. I'd like to make it more of a regularity but when work is exhausting and then I have to preserve my garden I don't much feel like going for a walk. I'm pretty excited about the new leash I got her though! It's one of those retractable kinds... since she likes to run off when I'm walking too slow. Actually she's pretty good about coming back and we don't walk on a very busy road, but still-- a little more peace of mind. I think she's going to be my post-baby workout too. I'll take this little orange inside me for a walk in the stroller and Libby on the leash. I daydream about those days!

Speaking of daydreams... the other day I was daydreaming about my water breaking and going into labor. I was picturing different possible scenarios and none really sounded great... I pictured it happening at work first, which is probably the worst possible place. Can you imagine your hygienist using her sharp instruments in your mouth and then suddenly writhing in pain from a contraction?? Or better yet have her polishing your teeth and all of a sudden hear a some water dripping/splashing below your head which is placed right in her lap as her water breaks?! Whoa. Talk about traumatic dental experiences. Perhaps I won't be working that late into my pregnancy though... Then I started daydreaming about my water breaking at home. I decided the only acceptable rooms would be the kitchen or the bathroom everywhere else has carpet and I don't even know how you go about cleaning that up. eeeeee......
I also daydreamed about these happening and Andrew being at work. If I am at work then I'd be REALLY close to the hospital and Andrew wouldn't be terribly far but my hospital bag would be at home.... maybe that means I should keep that in my car. :) I pictured what his reaction would be to a phone call, or his reaction to waking up in the middle of the night. How exciting.... what lovely daydreams...

In other news- my feet have been getting SO sore by the end of the night... which I'm pretty sure has nothing to do with being pregnant and has everything to do with that they always do when I'm on them a lot. I have a new routine now that I LOVE. Every night at supper I soak my feet in COLD water with Epsom salts as we're eating. It is incredibly rejuvenating to my feet and my soul. :) Last night I came home from an extra long day at work and was pretty mopey about it all and I was going to lay down in bed for a while when I saw that my awesome husband got me a bouquet of flowers. What a dear! :) So instead I laid on the floor of the dining room under the ceiling fan with my feet up on a chair. It was a sight, apparently. Andrew came in and thought I was crazy... then he gave my feet the most amazing foot massages ever. I love him. :)

You know who else I love??? (In a different way of course)  My sister, Michelle. She is coming out to visit next week and I CAN NOT WAIT!!! She's bringing the MegaBus out to Toledo (which is what I told you about and then deleted) and we're going to head straight to Babies 'R Us to register for some goodies!!! :) Well, we may make a stop at Steak & Shake on the way. (WOW I love that place!) Once we get home we're going to have so much fun ORGANIZING everything. I'm super-psyched. We have to convert my craft room/closet overflow/guest room into a nursery... while still keeping all those other things in there. I love to organize- really I do... but when it's something so huge a project like that I need reinforcements and my sister is the perfect candidate.

Much love!

Prayer:
Father, I thank you for providing a loving husband, a plentiful garden, and a home to live in. I thank you for this amazing miracle inside my womb and I marvel at the beauty of you knowing who this baby is and the person this baby will become, for you have been knitting him together for 15 weeks! I pray that you would continue to be with my baby and shape her into a healthy strong child. I pray that you would help Andrew and I as we prepare to become parents and have the unforeseeable decisions to make. Give us wisdom as we get ready to welcome our child into your world. May we be a blessing to your name forever. Amen.

Week 13: One Trimester Down, Two to Go!

 Size of Baby: Peach. "I'm a Peach! A Rockford Peach! I made it! I can't stay!!!"
Symptoms: digestive issues of course, round ligament pain
Cravings: spicy things, specifically chips and salsa, buffalo chicken, hot tamales
Aversions: nothing, really
Weight: 150

aw look! it's a bump!!!

Journal:
  I actually wrote this week's entry on Tuesday. Today is Saturday. I was adding the pictures in today and I somehow managed to completely erase everything I wrote on Tuesday. You can imagine my frustration and anger at this very moment. It wasn't a short little post either. It included info on my newly acquired cloth diapers, it included my first MegaBus adventure, it included my joyful reflection of my spontaneous trip to the beach with my sister and her family. I have no desire to write about such things again right now so I'm sorry that you don't get to hear all about them. Perhaps someday I'll come back to it, but I wouldn't hold my breath!

I leave tomorrow for my first work trip- lets hope this digestive system cooperates with being around non-family members in close spaces!!! ;)  (sorry, Julie!!)
I picked out all my outfits on Tuesday to make sure I took stuff that fit. I purposely chose things that would not hide that little bump I got... Otherwise I think I'll just look fat!

Sorry this is such a lame post. I think it was a really good one but I have no idea how to find the old one... Blogger automatically saves everything like every 10 seconds and I kept hitting undo to no avail. Boo.
Ok well- better luck next week. Actually... I don't get back until Wednesday night and I have another appointment the following Tuesday so maybe I'll just wait until after that. We'll see.

Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Week 12: Popping out!

Size of Baby: Plum (or Lime again??) 2.5 in.
Symptoms: digestive issues, sleepiness, stronger nails!
Cravings: nothing too strong
Aversions: no major aversions but none of my dinners really taste good to me.
Weight: 148

Journal:
  So my "baby bump" has been trying to make an appearance for a number of weeks now. I'd get all excited that I'm starting to show in the evenings but then in the morning I'd be back to normal. So really I was just showing my food baby! WELL this week- when I wake up in the morning that little belly is STILL there! It gets MUCH bigger by the end of the day and is generally uncomfortable but I can't say I don't like it. The pictures above were taken in the morning (hence my sleepy eyes and whitening trays) so that's a true belly there- without the added food.

Speaking of food- I'm hungry and I'm ready to take these whitening trays out so I can get some cocoa/peanut butter puffs in my belly. YUM! Andrew and I went with his brother and his girlfriend to the Henry County Fair last night to watch the truck pulls (yes I'm writing this blog a little late...) I'm not so into watch pulls but I decided it was a good idea to go along because I could get some cheese curds. I love me some fried food!!! They were just as delightful as I anticipated but I probably shouldn't have eaten the last 5. Oh well!

This week I went through a whole bunch of maternity clothes that my sister and sister-in-law gave me. It was like Christmas! I then decided that it was a good idea to go through ALL my clothes and take out what doesn't fit already, and what I know I'll never wear again, and what I know I won't wear again until the baby is here. Organizing clothes may be one of my favorite things. My closet has now expanded tremendously!

My office is going on a "business" trip soon and I was somewhat trying to figure out what I could wear to that... Then I decided I better wait to decide what I'm taking to that until it's closer to the time because who knows if stuff will fit by then! For example- I tried on a bunch of maternity jeans on Tuesday and 2 of them fit me nicely then. Last night (Friday) I tried both of those pairs on and they were too small. As in they looked like they were painted on my thighs. Now surely my thighs didn't grow that much in 3 short days?!?

Ok my hour is up and my tummy is growling! Time for food!

Week 11: More of the Same

Size of Baby: Lime
Symptoms: exhaustion, occasional crying spurts, really jacked up digestive system, throaty phlegm-I've actually had this for basically the whole time..... funny I kept forgetting it.
Cravings: hot beverages  (I mean, it feels like fall around here!)
Aversions: Most things- especially sweet things that should be salty: like pizza.
Weight: 149

 Journal:
   I almost gave my unborn kid some birth defects. Well THAT was close! *phew!* All I wanted tonight was some Wild Berry Zinger tea. Is that so complicated? I mean-- I have some already. I didn't have to beg the hubbo to go get me some.... it's in my tea box. (which could be why I wanted it--- I'm so influenced by the power of suggestion.) HOWEVER! I remembered reading several places about avoiding herbal teas, so I figured I better make sure my Wild Berry Zinger wouldn't kill us. Sure enough- it contains Rosehips and Hibiscus.... two herbs that are not recommended during pregnancy due to birth defects, miscarriage, early labor, and low birth weight.  REALLY?!?!? Fortunately- my Peppermint Twist tea has no twists- just peppermint- which can be "settling for upset stomachs commonly experienced during pregnancy." How nice. I want my Wild Berry Zinger. I guess I'll just eat a whole bowl of blueberries along with it- that should help.

Maybe it will help my other problem too.... The fact that my digestive system is a TOTAL WRECK!!!! LORD!! GIVE ME SOME NORMALCY! Of course, Andrew would say this is normal for a King gut. I promise you, it isn't. I've given Activia (you have to sing that) a fair shot- every day for 2 weeks and it has done anything but make me regular. I've tried eating leafy greens-- I just end up pooping leafy greens. (Sorry, was that too much?!) I'm pretty sure my body isn't using anything that I'm feeding it. Except for that 10 oz steak I ate on Saturday... I guess the baby and I used that right up.
I wish I could go with Ms. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus and take a tour of my digestive system... just to see what the heck is going on in there.

Today was the first day I told my patients, "I'd like to get you scheduled for your next prophy cleaning- We're looking at FEBRUARY!!!!!" That means the month that I give birth to this child is only a prophy recall away!!!!!!!! WOWSERS. I think I'll be pushing before I know it. I think I better get a crib...

I guess I should go take a shower... my legs are super-hairy. Another lively side-effect of pregnancy. I love how they are called "side effects," like being pregnant is a drug.
Then again... let's reflect on my pregnancy brain as of late and reconsider this being "drugged."

As for that symptom/side effect of occasional crying spurts... last night I snuggled up to Andrew in bed and he stated that he would only snuggle if I moved back over to my side of the bed. Most people might think he's just a smart guy thinking ahead (of when I fall asleep and he's crowded with no room to sprawl) but what was my reaction??? Instant anger and hurt- I vehemently rolled over to my side, back to him, and started BAWLING. What the heck.

Prayer:
 I'm almost done with my 1st trimester and you've totally pulled me through with zero vomitting!!! Kudos to you, God... You've done it again! :) Amazed me with your simple miracles. Help me to enjoy every step of this pregnancy because like a friend told me, no subsequent one will be anything like it. Thank you for the joy and love that I feel already for this child just by hearing the heartbeat. You are an amazing Creator, and I could never express my gratitude and awe of your work enough! May your name be blessed!
Love you for always. -B.