18 weeks and a poll!

Not much news this week. I'm showing a little more, although I still think that to outsiders I just look like I need to put down the Budweiser. Supposedly 18 weeks is the beginning of month 5 :jaw hits floor: Still no movement (waaa!!!) but am on the edge of my seat waiting until January 13. The big day! Speaking of the big day, please direct your attention to the poll to your left. Take a shot at guessing what baby W is and then leave me a comment with what you chose.

Here are a few things that may help in your decision:
1) Chinese Gender Chart says Boy (http://www.thelaboroflove.com/chart/pred.html)
2) No morning sickness (aka vomitting) yet I was really nauseous for 3 weeks (Yuck!)
3) Milk - Oh how I love you!
4) Pickles - Shout out to you too!
5) Mommy intuition is broken. I've had no dreams of what this baby is.
6) Acne - oh aren't you fun?
7) I come from a family of girls (me and sis) and my sister has two girls.

Now vote!

17 week bump!

Taken on Christmas morning!

The countdown begins...

16 weeks!

How far along? 16 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Up 2 pounds - woop woop.
Maternity clothes? No, except for my BeBand from Target
Stretch marks? Negative Ghost Rider
Sleep: eh, I pretty much toss and turn all night and have to get up to pee at least once.
Best moment this week: Hearing the heartbeat again while also hearing the baby kick via the doppler
Movement: None
Food cravings: None really
Gender: Unknown
Labor Signs: None, and lets keep it that way for another say 22-24 weeks.
Belly Button in or out? in
What I am looking forward to: my big ultrasound in January
Milestones: Scheduling my Big ultrasound for January 13 (although I might need to change it for Mike's schedule...but I don't wanna...stomps feet!)

A little something for you to listen to. I recorded the heartbeat with my phone at my appointment yesterday. You can't see anything (except my shirt) but you can hear the heartbeat.

Baby got Christmas gifts already...

Thanks Mom and Dad for the gifts you sent for your future grandbaby. I have been eyeing this bouncer since April, and loved it so much that I bought one for my cousin Ashleigh who had a darling little boy named Connor in May. I told my mom about it and it arrived at my door yesterday with three other boxes full of stuff. Wohoooo! Baby also received two books "If you give a Pig a Party" and "If you give a Cat a Cupcake." If you haven't read these books, check them out. They are just so cute. Along with the books came the stuffed animals from the book. So baby has the cat and the pig. On our doorstep yesterday was Mike's diaper bag that he has been wanting since he used my sister and brother-in-laws. The reason I ordered it so early was because it was $15 off on black friday. Can you say deal? It's a backpack diaper bag and so cool.

Fisher Price Soothe N Play Bouncer - Woodland Animals


Our backpack just has a "W" on it.

Did you know...

According to Baby Center, it's a fact that:
Your baby is slightly more likely to be a boy than a girl. On average in the United States, 1,048 boys are born for every 1,000 girls.

So I'm only 15 weeks today and I've already grown a love obsession with babyGap. Seriously, they have some of the cutest things. So, being the crazy person that I am, I checked out the site and noticed that they had quite a few onesies on clearance. Who doesn't love a sale? Two of the onesies I liked were from Halloween and they were on sale for $2.99. I saw another one that I loved and it was on sale for $7.99. I added them to my cart. I then found a coupon code for 20% off plus free shipping. What a freakin deal. So needless to say, I got all three onesies shipped for $12. Wohoo!

They were delivered yesterday. Here are the three I ordered:

This one says: perfect, exactly right, without any flaws or defects:perfect little fingers and toes.

Question for mommies that breastfed...

I've been reading about breastfeeding lately and had no clue that it is recomended that you shouldn't introduce a bottle or a pacifier for the first month or so to avoid nipple confusion. What? I'd like to give breastfeeding a shot but would also like to pump so that Mike will be able to feed the baby with a bottle as well. I'm also not opposed to pacifiers so I planned to have those as well. If you breastfed, what was your experience with bottles and pacifiers? When did you introduce them? Was there any issues with nipple confusion? I know this is just me being new to all this but from what I remember with my sister and a few girlfriends that breastfed, they didn't wait a month to introduce these things. Am I just being a worry wort?

Your thoughts are appreciated!

What's happening this week?

14 weeks from Baby Center:

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

A little late: 13 week belly

This was taken on Thanksgiving. You can't really see much (other then me looking fat).

I've made it to 2nd Tri!

Today I am 13 weeks and 3 days. That means I am officially in my 2nd Trimester. If you divide 40 weeks by 3 trimesters you get 13.3. I am so excited to be out of the dreaded 1st Trimester. It is such a stressful time.

We had our 12 week checkup on Wednesday, Nov. 25 (I was actually one day shy of 13 weeks)and everything is fine. All they did was have me pee in a cup, take my blood pressure and listen for the baby's heartbeat with the doppler. She warned me that it may be too early to hear it and that the nurse that listened for it last time at 8 weeks 6 days probably found my own heartbeat thinking it was the babys (since she says it is unusual to find it at that gestational age). I think that is rediculous since it was in the 160s and very quiet. Whatever. So she puts the doppler on my stomach and right away you can hear the heartbeat. What a relief! I had planned to ask to record it with my cell phone but was so excited to listen to it I didn't want to interupt. Mike was able to make the appointment so he got to hear it for the first time. He was smiling from ear to ear.

My next appt. is on Dec. 16 and they will be drawing more blood for my quad screen. The quad screen determines if a woman is at higher or lower risk of carrying a baby with a birth defect. This test is not 100% but it can bring forth markers that would then allow us to decide whether we want to do further testing such an an amniocentesis. I'm not too worried about this test.

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



I took my first belly picture on Thanksgiving (13 weeks) and will post it soon.

Is it possible that time might actually be flying by?

I just noticed my ticker shows I'm under 200 days! Woop woop!

Week 12: Plum

All I can say about the past two weeks is "I'm exhausted". I have no trouble being in bed and asleep by 8pm.


Today's e-mail from Baby Center:
The most dramatic development this week: Reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over two inches long and weighs half an ounce.

What does a fig, peanut and a lime have in common?

According to the sites I follow, they each say something different about the size of the baby this week. Baby Center says the baby is the size of a fig, The Bump says the baby is the size of a lime and the book I have "Great Expectations: Your All-in-One Resource for Pregnancy & Childbirth" says the baby is the size of a peanut. But they all say the baby is about 1 1/2 inches long.

Here is the information I get from Baby Center via e-mail every week:
Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.

She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

Sorry for anyone who isn't a fan of these types of photos (I wont post them often) but I find them interesting. This is 11 weeks:

Just for fun!

Get your own gender prediction!

10 Weeks

I seriously can't believe I am 10 weeks today. I'm just 3 weeks away from saying goodbye to the 1st Trimester. I can't wait. My next appointment in November 25.

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

In this picture baby is being compared to the size of a prune.

The results are in!

I passed the 3 hour glucose tolerance test with flying colors.

I also got my H1N1 shot today.

Yumm Yumm Glucola!

It was 6:30am, I had fasted all night and I was ready to get the 3 hour glucose tolerance test out of the way. As I believe I mentiioned in my previous post, I didn't pass the 1 hour test I took in the doctors office last Wednesday. So today's test took 4 hours and 15 minutes and I had to stay there the whole time. They took my blood right when I arrived and then 45 minutes later I was given a bottle of glucola (which contains 50 grams of glucose). Once I was finished drinking it, they drew my blood once an hour for 3 hours. I'd like to say I'm pretty good with having blood drawn but having to prick your arm twice in the same vain is not so fun. Especially when the nurse is so close to a nerve that you feel it. I'm glad it's over and I finally got out of the office at 10:45am.

Now I sit and wait for the results. I'm praying that I pass.

Oh what fun!

I spent last weekend in Boston visting my sister, brother-in-law and my beautiful nieces. I had a blast. It was nice to relax, nap, and visit with my best friend. The trip was too short (4 days). Come Monday, I felt an itchy throat. Thought it just might be from the dry air on the airplane. Come Tuesday, cough begins. Come Wednesday, doctors appointment. The appointment was for an exam, I was to take the glucose test (tests for gestational diabetes - they test anyone over 25 early in pregnancy instead of waiting until 26 weeks), give blood (7 vials- OMG) and try to hear the heartbeat through a doppler. The exam and everything was good. Then the nurse pulled out the doppler and warned me that it may be too early to hear the heartbeat (I was 8 weeks 6 days) and that they usually can't hear it via doppler until 10-12 weeks. Well thank you baby Jesus, we have an overachiever. She FOUND it! It was really quiet, but beating in the 160s. Totally normal. I was so thrilled she found it and sad that Mike wasn't there to hear it. The nurse decided to take my temperature because I had the chills and she wanted to see if she could give me the ever so controversial H1N1 vaccine. My temp was 99.3. So she decided against giving me the shot and told me to come back in next week when I'm feeling better.

Come Thursday, I had a terrible nights sleep because my nose ran all night and being pregnant you can't take anything. So I took the day off work to rest (sort of - I still did a few things). I get a phone call from the nurse while I'm on the other line with a coworker. She leaves a message for me to call her back. My heart starts pounding. They said they would review my results with me at my next appointment. So I call back, hand shaking, and she informs me that I didn't pass the 1 hour glucose test. Fan-freakin-tastic. They want the results below 130 and mine was 135. So now I get to go do a 3 hour test that requires me to fast for 8 hours and sit in a lab and have my blood drawn once an hour. FUN!

I am now 9 weeks along and baby is the size of a green olive. I'd also like to add that baby is no longer considered an embryo and has graduated to a fetus. Woot woot!

Houston, we have a heartbeat!

I had my first ultrasound appointment this morning. I was so nervous and excited. I'm surprised that I was able to sleep last night. I'm also glad that I scheduled the appointment for 8am instead of 4pm. Who could sit and wait for this all day? Mike was luckily able to go with me and I met my new doctor and the nurse. They are great. I was so thrilled to see the baby, yolk sack and a flickering heartbeat. The doctor said that everything looks great and that the baby is measuring spot on based on my last mentrual period. 7 weeks 5 days. This puts my estimated due date at June 3.

Did you just eat my sea-band?

How is it that a dog can find the one thing that you've been relying on and decided to chew it up? That would be my sea-bands. She didn't chew them both. Just one. Anyone aware of the fantastic sea-band? Let me explain. Sea-bands are wristbands that exert pressure on the accupressure point on the wrist. They apparently help in alleviating nausea. Which I've come decide that I do have. At first I just felt "blah" after I ate. But it wasn't consistent. My friend Jenni always told me that morning sickness (which I've learned ranges from nausea to full on vomiting)always felt like a hangover to her. Well, I wasn't feeling hungover so I assumed the feeling was just in my head. But four days later and sitting at my computer I would feel a little bit of that watery mouth, headache, I don't feel good feeling. Nothing yet to the point of...I think I'm going to vomit. So I pulled out the sea-bands that I had on hand. And two days later I found one chewed up on the living room floor. Thanks Daisy!

So Mike took me to Rite-Aid yesterday after we went grocery shopping and I searched the store for the sea-bands. Ten minutes later I find myself on the antacid and laxitive aisle. How did they decided that anti-nausea medication fits in between heartburn and constipation/diarrhea? As of right now I have neither of those pregnancy symptoms but I may come to understand Rite-Aids decision later down the line.

Today I am 6 weeks 6 days and actually am feeling pretty good. I always start to feel a little quesy when it's been awhile since I last ate and unfortunately not everything sounds good to me. I have to really feel up to eating something to eat it. Like last nights homemade burritos with spanish rice and beans. Hit the spot as did this morning halloween colored donut that I picked up at the grocery store last night.

Well that's it for now. Less then a week until my first ultrasound. Thoughts and prayers that baby is doing well and has a strong heartbeat.

6 Weeks [is there a baby in there?]

I'm still in a state of disbelief. Today I am 6 weeks pregnant. I'm just counting down the days until my first ultrasound on October 20. I tested positive on September 26, one day after Mike's birthday. He was away at work until Sunday night (11pm). I can't believe I was able to keep it to myself until then. He is so very excited as am I, but we are also very cautious.

I went to the Urgent Care on Monday, September 28 to get my referal to an OB/GYN. I tested postive there and I didn't have to hold it (usually when you are so early in pregnancy, you need to hold your urine in order for you to have enough pregnancy hormone show up). I was excited about that. Plus I had pretty dark lines on my First Response Early Result home pregnancy tests.

Here is the size of baby at 6 weeks: Sweet Pea


Here is how I told Mike: