12 week US of our Little Lerma #2!

Little Lerma #2 profile! Such a cute little nose : )

Ultrasounds (US) are just the best!  They are a reassurance that there is indeed a little life growing inside you.  And while the growing belly, constant nausea and gagging, and insane bloating/gas are also good reminders, there is nothing compared to seeing your little one wriggle around on the screen, kicking its legs, bringing its arms over its head, and just being all around fetus-cute : )

Our 12 week appointment went great.  We are still in awe at how "easy" and nonchalant and spaced out these "regular" OB appointments are! Starting out with a fertility specialist last time, and then getting sent to an OB who then dealt with possible genetic problems, then complete placenta previa, and what seemed like a different "problem" at each visit, etc etc etc. it seemed like there were endless blood draws, endless appointments, endless worries that kept piling up.  Thankfully it all turned out perfect in the end and there were many unnecessary worries involved.  So with all that behind us, it makes this pregnancy seem easy-breezy (well, with the exception of how I have been feeling!).

Plus, I really like the OB office that I am going to this time around. It is a very small practice with two female OBs and they are both great...super different, but great.  I don't care who ends up being the one to delivery my baby, and that's definitely NOT something I would have said about our Chicago practice (although that was a practice of 9, so totally different ball game!). 

We actually got to have 2 US because they were trying to measure the nuchal translucency of the baby which required him/her to lay a certain way.  Apparently Little Lerma didn't get the memo b/c he/she was just not cooperating. The tech had me rolling around on the table and laying in different positions to get the baby to move just the right way, but no such luck. But we got some super cute pictures! 

Just chillin with legs propped up!

It's amazing to me at just 12 weeks you can see so clearly the arms, hands and fingers!!

And the thigh, knee and foot!

This is what I affectionately call the freaky-fetus-alien-pose

So we got to go chat with the doctor, were reassured that everything was going "perfect" and sent back to the US room.  This time the baby was cooperative, the nuchal thickness was averaged at  0.04 (= super low, normal is less than 3.5mm), and we got to see our little peanut squirming all over once again.  Love it!

And the best part...getting to hear the heartbeat...aww such a sweet, sweet sound!

12 Week Bumpdate!

Oh first trimester, how nasty you can be.  Grateful to be pregnant. Perhaps more grateful to be almost done with this trimester!

OK, my mind really wants a margarita...my stomach just can't handle the thought of it!

Ironically enough, as the weeks have gone by I think the bloating has gone down some, and the bump is smaller than it was at 8 weeks.

How Big is Baby: The size of a lime

via

Weight Gain: I lost another 3 pounds in the last 2 weeks, so down 9 lbs overall.

Workouts: Still feeling pretty awful most of the day...every day (with the exception of 2 days this week which was a nice break).  Getting out in our neighborhood to take a short 1 mile walk is considered a success these days.  On one of the days I felt decent, I was able to get out to a nice park and do a walk/jog for 2 miles. Otherwise it takes all my energy to sit on the couch. 

Maternity Clothes: Wearing all my "fat" clothes and comfy summer dresses, so not needing maternity yet.  

Belly Button: Innie

Sleep: Once I fall asleep, (which these days seems to take forever, and is usually about 11pm!) I sleep like a rock thanks to the Diclegis I am taking.  No thanks to the Diclegis, I stay zombie like until about 10 am.  At least I am getting some good rest though. 

Cravings: Pickles (and I seriously have to restrain myself from drinking all the juice straight from the ginormous container!), saltines, bagels with plain cream cheese. That's pretty much what I eat these days (with a fig bar before I even roll out of bed).

Aversions: Pretty much anything other than pickles, bagels and saltines. Meat, chicken and fish especially churn my stomach. I have dry heaved into Isabella's pureed bowls of food more times than I care to admit.  Don't care for sweets either.  

What I Missed: Feeling human and not like a super nauseous, gagging zombie all the time!!

Symptoms: Bloating, gassiness, tiredness (although this has improved over the last 2 weeks), extreme all day nausea and dry heaving and gagging incessantly. I thought 2 days before I was 12 weeks that the nausea was so much more manageable (for the 2 days prior), so I stopped taking the Diclegis.  BAD, bad, BAD move!! The next 2 days were absolutely miserable (read: laying on the bathroom floor, dry heaving, and crying!).  Back to Diclegis for another weeks or 2!

Movement: Too early

Gender: I'm going with GIRL this week. Jon's sticking with GIRL too. 

Best Moment this Week: Pool days with Isabella on our deck, rare moments of improved nausea, and being able to tell more friends and family about our pregnancy! 

Worst Moment this Week: Feeling like poop all the time. I know I am a broken record, but this pregnancy is kicking my butt!

What I am Looking Forward to:  Second trimester and feeling better. Seeing Little Lerma #2 on US this week!

11 Months!

I can't believe that I have an 11 month old.  Next month, my baby will be 1!  Everything about my pregnancy with Isabella Rae flew by, and her first year of life has been exactly the same.  There are so many moments in the day that I want to bottle up to be able to pour out  and experience again later. So many mental images I want forever ingrained in my mind.  And yet time just flies by.  I am doing my best to savor every moment with this sweet baby, b/c I know that she will not be a baby for much longer!

Happy 11 Months Isabella Rae!

Gah, she looks like a little lady, not baby here!!!

Yes, this is blurry b/c she kept squealing so hard and rocking the chair...just had to include how precious her little squeals are!

11 Month Highlights:

-We celebrated Daddy's birthday with the family, and had Fried Ice Cream with homemade strawberry and hot fudge sauce (per his request). Well, you didn't have any of this, but the adults did.  And unfortunately, per our usual lately, there were no pictures from this get together.

-We took several drives to enjoy the gorgeous weather and look around our area.  You generally either enjoyed the ride and the wind, or took a little nap.  We found some great places that we will really enjoy this summer (Lake Lanier, Buford Dam, and some really cute parks). 

-We spent a good amount of time enjoying the gorgeous Southern spring weather (that really felt like summer) swinging in the swing and taking walks around the neighborhood. Good investment that little $25 swing has been...you love it!

-We celebrated Mother's Day by strawberry picking which was a lot of fun!  It was hot and sunny but you loved being outside in the Ergo just chillin' and dancing with your Daddy! 

-You are still not crawling, but you are getting closer and closer.  You push yourself up on all 4s, and then just rock back and forth.  You definitely move though- to get around you put yourself on your belly and push yourself backwards...it's pretty funny to watch! 

-You have been laughing a lot more this month...like, for real, super giggles!! We can't get enough!!

Does that laugh get any sweeter!?!?!?

Sleeping:  This girl has really gotten her act together when it comes to sleeping!  While I wouldn't hesitate for a second to say she was a terrible (terrible!) sleeper til she was about 7 months, she really has changed her tune and starting really liking her sleep!  She goes to bed sometime between 5:15 and 6:15 every night, and will sleep usually until sometime between 6:30 or 7am (occasionally she sleeps in til 7:30!).  She wakes up to eat, and then goes back down until 8:30 or 9, although lately she has been either relaxing or playing in bed a majority of that time as opposed to sleeping like she used to. She tends to cat nap off and on during this time now : )  She takes a 1.5 hour nap in the morning around 10:30 or 11, and then another 1 hour nap in the afternoon (usually around 1 or 2).  So yes, that's a whopping 16 or so hours of sleep a day.  I seriously think she is making up for all those months where she was sleeping about 50% of what she should have been!   

Breastfeeding:  Some friends have said their kids self weaned by this age.  Isabella is definitely NOT one of them! She loves her mama's milkies! She is still breastfeeding 4-5 times a day. She usually eats around 7am, 10 am, 12:30, 3pm and 5:30pm for 5 feeds, or 7:30am, 10am, 1pm and 5pm for her 4 feeds. Before bed, she gets a bottle which she takes anywhere about 3-4 oz.  Or some days she likes to eat at 6 am, but the second feed generally stays the same.  

      I made the decision at the beginning of this month to stop pumping at 9pm which has been amazing!  So we have just been using milk from our freezer stash and will have to use formula for this one feed if she still needs it in several weeks. I didn't think I would be ok with this, but with everything going on right now, not pumping was the best decision for me. And considering the amount of breastmilk she gets throughout the entire day, I am totally fine with it!

Isabella Loves:
-Eating "adult" food, AKA anything on Mommy or Daddy's plate!

-Moo cow during sleep and in the car

-Going places and seeing new things

-Being outside
-Wood cube activity center and Musical play table (she likes practicing pulling up on these)

-Sophie the giraffe and her Hippo lovie

-Musical toys

-Soft blocks

-Bathtime in her pink tub with squirty toys and bath books

Isabella Hates:

-Shoes and socks, things on her feet
-People eating in front of her and not sharing the food!

11 Month Stats:

Height: 28 in (25th percentile)

Weight: 17 lb 11 oz (5th percentile)

*Wearing size 3 pampers, and we have officially run out of friend/family given diapers so just purchased Costco brand...so far, so good!

*Wearing some 3-6 mo dresses and short sleeved onesies, but also wearing 6 mo, 9 mo and even 12 mo outfits.  9 mo pants seem to fit the best, although still a but loose around the waist.  

Isabella's Firsts this Month:
-First time pushing up to all 4's, but still not crawling
-She now has 2 bottom teeth, so not a first, but a fun second : )

First Foods:  She has been SO interested in eating whatever is on my plate, so I try to give her what is soft and she can gum and swallow!  Green and black olives (and she loved it...I was shocked!) Brisket, macaroni and cheese, pineapple, cottage cheese, black beans, chipotle chicken burrito bowl, mushrooms off of a gourmet pizza, a variety of gourmet cheeses.

This Month in Pictures:

Girlie loves being outside and looking at the flowers

Gotta watch her closely or she'll drink all the bathwater out of her squirty toys!

And this is what 2 minutes after church looks like...she is out for the count!!

Beets are still one of her (if not the one!) favorite foods!!

Fun in the playroom

Anytime this girl gets fussy in the evening, taking her outside gets instant smiles!

"Mmm brisket is delicious!"

10 Week Bumpdate!

Well, we are at the 1/4 of the way mark!  I have to say, since I have been so sick this time around, time is just not flying by the way it did last time.  While I relish in being pregnant, I look forward to the "better" parts of pregnancy.  More of feeling the baby move, hearing the heartbeat, seeing the bump grow.  Less of the constant nausea, vomiting, headaches, extreme fatigue, etc.  Either way, I am pregnant, and this is a blessing. So without further ado...

How Big is Baby: Size of a kumquat

Via

Weight Gain: Down 6 lbs, thanks to the predominant saltines and sparkling water diet (but still 18 lbs heavier than where I was at this point with Bella). 

Workouts: I have forced myself out of the house several times to take a walk around our neighborhood, which is about a mile.  At the beginning of 8 weeks, I did prenatal pilates and strength training (and then felt awful afterwards, so threw that idea out the window for the next week!). I am not putting any pressure to workout since I can barely keep minimal food down.  Looking forward to feeling better and starting a regular routine though.

Maternity Clothes: Wearing my comfy workout gear, loose fitting tanks and summer dresses. 

Belly Button: Innie

Sleep: I started a medication called Diclegis at 8 weeks for my nausea which has helped a bit, but the side effect is extreme drowsiness (as if I needed more of that).  So, I take one at 8pm, and generally sleep well through the night. The drowsy effects don't usually start to wear off until 10 am, so I wake up with Bella still pretty sleepy, but that goes away after awhile. If I do have to pee in the middle of the night, I feel like a 1000 lb gorilla trying to drag myself out of bed and across the floor to get to the bathroom.

Cravings: Very occasionally I will crave something salty like chips or pickles, but my diet mostly consists of fig bar in the morning, saltine crackers and sparkling water throughout the day, and a bagel with cream cheese for lunch or dinner. On good days I try to get some oatmeal with protein powder in, which is about half of the time.  I did crave watermelon last week, and Jon went out and bought me one (he's a keeper for sure!). 

Aversions: Pretty much everything! Definitely meats, chicken, turkey, and fish, make my stomach absolutely churn.  

What I Missed: Coffee...I can't even stomach the smell still, but I SO badly miss my hot cup of java in the morning!

Symptoms: Constant nausea, extreme fatigue, and I get out of breath SO stinking easily.

Movement: Nope, too early

Gender: I'm still so undecided, but I guess I will say boy. Jon still says girl : )

Best Moment this Week: Last week we got to see our Little Lerma (8 weeks, 1 day, measuring just 1 day behind)!  Heartbeat was nice and strong at 164 BPM. Such a surreal moment for us, and certainly established in Jon's head that we are, indeed, pregnant!

I will say this is one of the weirdest US pics I have every seen! Either way, the head is on the left, the "hole" in the head is the brain, and the back curves around  to the right and goes down to where tiny little leg buds are. 

Worst Moment this Week: Still feeling so awful and like I am not entertaining Bella like I should be. 

What I am Looking Forward to: Second trimester! Also looking forward to celebrating Mother's Day this weekend with my family strawberry picking and just relaxing.