18 Weeks!

 

How Big is Baby? the size of a sweet potato

Weight Gain? -1 this week, so +9 overall (is it wrong to say Woo Hoo!!! I mean this whole weight gain thing and getting squishy all over is not easy for me).

Workouts this Week: One upper body strength training (using the resistance bands Jon got me for Christmas!), one stair climber cardio session, one lower body strength session.

Maternity Clothes?  I don't know what I'd do without my black leggings with sweaters or sweatshirts for days off.  And my regular dresses are still working for me when I go to work.

 

Belly Button (in or out)? In

Sleep: I started using "The Cloud" (AKA: what Jon and I call my ginormous, amazingly fluffy LeechCo pregnancy pillow) every day for the last week and a half or so, and let me tell you, it has upped my sleep comfort factor!  My hips don't fall asleep as much as before, and I'm resting well.  The only downside is climbing over the mountain it creates to pee once or twice a night. 

 

 

Cravings: Pickles...and I seriously have to restrain myself from drinking the juice straight from the large Costco sized jar!

 

Aversions: Chicken breast, red meat, ground turkey, sweets/chocolate
 

What I Missed: Actually wanting something sweet...with the extreme cold this week, there were several times that I thought "Ohh, hot chocolate would be so good and comforting right now!"  Then I actually thought about drinking it and it made me gag.  Oh well.  There could be worse things!

 

Symptoms: Still not much of an appetite, but other than a few quick bouts of nausea, at least that has drastically improved.  Otherwise, acne like I'm 13 all over again, really dry eyes, and some headaches here and there.

 

Movement: I can now confirm that the "bubbles popping" experience is truly Little Miss Lerma!! I've been able to feel it more and more as the week progressed, and while I'm still a bit shocked I started feeling it at 16 weeks, that is definitely my baby girl!  Most amazing thing ever!!  Jon is definitely jealous : )

 

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!!

 

Best Moment of the Week: Getting to spend time drinking coffee and catching up with my best friend who lives too far away (even though it really is less than 2 hours away).  I definitely needed that my Stefi-poo : ) 

 

Worst Moment of the Week: Having to work the full 16 hour night shifts again...ugh they are bad not being pregnant, but now it just took it to a whole other level of awfulness!

 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Our 20 week ultrasound...I know, it's 2 weeks away, but I can't wait to see Baby Girl again.  I'm sure she's grown a TON since we last got to see her!! And now knowing it's a girl will make the ultrasounds that much more fun!

17 Week Update...and Gender Reveal!!!

As you may know, we got genetic testing done around 12 weeks, and were so excited that by 14 weeks we would know whether we would be having a boy or girl.  Well, due to some lab irregularities and having to re-run my tests 3 separate times, it took 5 weeks. But we now know what we're having!!!  Here's your chance to get in your last minute gender prediction.

Now that that is done..........Wait for it....
 
                                  It's..............
 
                                                           A......................


Gotta love the 5 am pre-work no natural light pic two weeks in a row : )

How Big is Baby? the size of an onion!

 

Weight Gain? 10 lbs since stims, +4 since finding out we're preggo

Workouts this Week: One prenatal yoga session, one major house cleaning (yes, this is a workout for me these days as I purposefully add in some lunges, squats, ab stuff along the way!)...unfortunately that's where the list ends.  I'm trying to remember the pre-pregnancy days when I had time and energy to work out 4-5 times a week...that's just completely laughable now!

Maternity Clothes? Leggings and sweaters still...love them!
 

Belly Button (in or out)? In

Sleep: Sleeping well for the most part, and as much as I can! I started using my pregnancy pillow this week to see if it would help with my hips and legs becoming numb as well as some of my low back pain. So far it hasn't made much of a difference...other than feeling like there is a 3rd person in our bed (the thing is ginormous!).

 

Cravings: Indian food (specifically chicken makhni, basmati rice and garlic naan), Lara bars,  and strawberry lemonade fauxgaritas : )
 

Aversions: Chicken breast, meat, sweets/chocolate
 

What I Missed: Glass of cabernet with our Indian dinners twice this week

 

Symptoms: This week I really started to feel pregnant.  It was the first week that I felt like moving around I was carrying a little something extra.  Certain quick movements that used to be an every day afterthought, now make me pause and think, "Wow, can't do that anymore!"  Yoga moves that I used to laugh at being considered an exercise, are now making me tremble!  And moving over in bed about a trillion times each night b/c my hips fall asleep, and feeling the sharp round ligament pain is definitely a reminder.  Yes, I am pregnant!! And it's so exciting! 
     Aside from that, this week I've also had really bad headaches, mild nausea that comes and goes, low back cramping, and some low abdominal cramping that initially made me nervous but my MD said is normal at this point with all the stretching my uterus is having to do!

 

Movement: I've felt a few little things the past couple of days that felt like bubbles popping in the center of my lower abdomen...some friends say this could be it!  Or it could be gas.  Gotta love that I can't tell the difference!
 

Gender: It's a GIRL!!!! (So for the record, Jon and I were both right : )

 

Best Moment of the Week: Finding out that we are having a girl!!

Worst Moment of the Week: Also finding out that another piece of my DNA is jacked up. Just like my crazy combination of clotting disorders, the preliminary abnormality found has only been documented in several cases worldwide.  We are doing more testing to get more information, but for now, just another reason to wonder how in the world am I normal with the crazy DNA I walk around with!?!?

 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Buying little leggings and little bows (which for the record multiple pairs of leggings and cute little onseis were purchased this week at a thrift store b/c they were just to cute to pass up!!), and starting to plan the look of the nursery!!  It just got so much more real now knowing we're having a little girl!

*And just for a little comparison, since I was wearing the same jeans and black shirt, let's see what a difference 9 weeks makes : )

 

First Trimester Must Haves

Now that I'm completely out of the first trimester, and well into the second (whew, that flew by!), I thought I'd put together a list of my "Must Haves."  It will be a good reminder for me in future pregnancies, and helpful to other first time mamas just trying to figure this all out right along with me!

1.) Soda Stream- If I could pick one must have, this would be it! I don't like to drink pop because of all the sugar in it, and certainly don't want to do diet with all the fake sugars and chemicals.  But a cold glass of something with taste and fizz just helps nausea in a great way. Enter my soda stream that Jon got me last year for my birthday...now this year's pregnancy best friend! I don't add anything to mine usually, I just enjoy the fresh, sparkling water. But as I'm able to expand my culinary horizons (AKA: nausea and quesy stomach much improved), I look forward to infusing it with fruit, cucumber, or peppermint!

2.) Suave dry shampoo- I'm not really all that into "doing" or blow-drying my hair on any normal day, and with the exhaustion that first trimester brings, that definitely flew out the window.  Enter Suave's dry shampoo.  For $3 you can't beat it! This does wonders for soaking up oil, giving body, and helping to get somewhat of a style.  My kind of product.

3.) Saltines- a major food group for breakfast, lunch, and dinner during my first trimester. Nothing more to say.

4.) Ginger pills- An entire bottle is less than $4, and they are almost a miracle pill! I literally have one in my work bag, one in my car, one in my kitchen, and one on my bedside stand. Ginger everywhere. It really does help with the constant nausea of the first trimester, and even though most times never completely took it away, at least took the edge off!

5.) Yoga pants- I mean really, is there anything greater!? They go great with the comfy sweatshirts at the end of the day, but also double as tights under dresses, or as pants under long sweaters with cute boots. Pregnancy's best friend these pants are!!

6.) Burts Bees chapstick- I like the original and this is great for my lips that have been so dry and chapped this winter!  I like that it gives a nice, tingling feeling to a body that otherwise just feels blah all over. I seriously use this about ten times a day.

7.) Slipper boots- I don't have the exact pair as above, and seeing as I get pretty much my entire wardrobe from thrift stores, I won't be able to.  BUT-  I have no less than four pairs of oh so comfy slippers that I live in daily.  After a long day on my feet, all I want is to slip my feet into something comy, cozy...so perfect!

8.) Comfy, large sweatshirts- The first trimester is not the best at making you feel at your best.  You don't quite look pregnant yet, but you certainly don't look like yourself.  Enter in, big, comfy sweatshirts!  Nothing is more inviting at the end of a long day. Oh the comfort!

9.) A super soft, fuzzy throw-  Do you see a pattern in my first trimester must haves...yeah, comfort!  I bought the best soft, fuzzy ombre throw from Macys (which is no longer online) but is very similar to the one above (and for the same price).  And oh how I love curling up in it at the end of a long day!

16 Week Update

Another week...and more time to wait.  We were excited to get genetic testing done so early so it would give us the gender of our Little One in an expedited way. And yet here we are, still waiting (apparently the lab got way behind during Christmas and New Years).  Either way, everything else is going well.  With next weeks post will be the gender reveal!!!

Sorry for the bad lighting and the incredibly tired eyes...that's what you get at 5am before work with no natural light, and a really tired lady!

So here is the 16 week pregnancy update!

How Big is Baby? the size of an Avacado!

Weight Gain? +9

Workouts this Week: Nonexistent.  This cold is still kicking my butt. That and work. So between the two, the most exercise I've gotten this week is the half mile walk to and from the parking garage and work daily (although I will say they are brisk walks, sometimes jogs, on the really cold days!). 

 

Maternity Clothes?  Leggings and sweaters...can't go wrong!

 

Belly Button (in or out)? In

Sleep: I'm sleeping well (sometimes not even waking up until right before my alarm goes off at 5 am to pee!).  I have just worked late nights several times over the last week which gets me home later, in bed later, and asleep later.  I really want to get more sleep this weekend!

Cravings: Strawberry lemonade smoothies!  Mmm....Jon has been making these for me and they are SO good!! It's literally the one thing I actually crave...everything else I've been eating is just tolerable. (side note- Jon and I laughed b/c today I had a really long, rough day in the PICU and as I was getting into the car, I thought "Man, I really need a strawberry lemondade!" Ha.  Normally I'd be wanting a glass of cab...but nope, strawberry lemonade smoothies all the way now!).

 

Aversions: Chocolate or anything sweet/candy/dessert, meat, grilled chicken breast, veggies in general

What I Missed: Perhaps a little vodka in that strawberry lemonade smoothie : )

Symptoms: Nausea that comes and goes (but is not as horrible as before), low back cramping, really dry eyes

Movement: Not yet.

 

Gender Prediction:*Dana- GIRL *Jon- GIRL

 

Best Moment of the Week: My brain must be royally fried from work because I literally can't think of anything...and not because it was a bad week, I just can't think of anything amazing or exciting. Tomorrow I will be kicking myself at this b/c I will actually remember several things, I'm sure! 

Worst Moment of the Week: Long, lingering cold that I just can't shake.

 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Definitively finding out if the Little One is a boy or girl!!! Agghh the suspense!

15 Week Pregnancy Progress!

I'm going to start this post by requesting that you solely look at the bump, and not the fact that I haven't washed my hair in 2 days (although have taken about 2 showers daily for the sole benefit of steam), and couldn't bear the thought of putting on makeup.  This cold that I've had for the last 5 days is nearly wiping me out!  When I thought which one I'd regret more: not taking a bump picture for several weeks, or taking a pic of the bump but looking sick, I went with the former.  So we'll see as I look back on this blog post-pregnancy if that holds true.  Since I had to get dressed for a doctors appointment anyways, I figured why not!! 

So without further ado...here is the 15 Week Pregnancy Progress!

How Big is Baby? The size of an orange!

Weight Gain? +8 total

Workouts this Week: I had such high hopes for this past week because I spent most of it in GA with my family, and typically we work out together pretty much everyday.  But those high hopes were quickly grounded when a nasty cold came and took over. So I got in one great 3 mile walk/run at an awesome lake park in GA, and a quick upper body TRX workout, but that's it. 

 

Maternity Clothes?  Sticking to all my comfy, non-pregnancy clothes for now...we'll see how much longer that lasts! *Although the sweater I'm wearing in today's pic is GAP maternity from one of my best friends, and oh my is it oh so warm and cozy!

Belly Button (in or out)? In

Sleep: Sleep was good for the most part this week until the cold hit, and then it's been pretty (REALLY!) rough.
 

Cravings: Anything white still...saltines, bread, rice noodles with butter and parm
 

Aversions: Meat, chicken breast, veggies in general, I guess pretty much anything that's not white : (

What I Missed: Margaritas x2 with Mexican night at my parents house (margarita on the rocks with salt) and a night out at a Mexican restaurant (frozen sangria margarita).

Symptoms: Nausea has definitely gotten much better this week!  There were only a few days of true bad nausea, the rest are more queasiness which is so much more tolerable!  Otherwise back to having no energy, but that's probably more the cold and not so much being preggo.  

Movement: Not yet, but we are getting closer and closer to feeling this, and I can't wait!

Gender Prediction:*Dana- BOY *Jon- GIRL

I generally love surprises, but this one is killing me! I seriously look at my belly and think about it all the time! This one truly has me confused!

Best Moment of the Week:  Not having to go into my 16 hour night shift Sunday night (granted I had to call off because I had a fever with this nasty cold, but still, I can't imagine how horrific I would have felt had I gone in!).

Worst Moment of the Week: Having this horrible cold, and not being able to take anything other than tylenol which does nothing for me!

 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Finding out if Little Lerma is a boy or girl...we should get the call this week!!