A Great Medford Trip

This has been an awesome week.  Dan and I went down to Medford to see my family for the first time in months!  Everyone was super excited to see the growing baby bump.  My step-mom was supper sweet and bought me some cute new maternity clothes.  We had a great time catching up with Dad and Shawna.  We also went up the hill to visit with my Mom and Keith which was lovely.  Their property is so relaxing and peaceful it but me right to sleep...oops!  I felt bad about that but they understood.  I got some good cuddle time with their dogs.  We went back down to Dad's and my good friend Leslie stopped by so we could catch up and I could meet her new little guy, Jared!  He such a cutie pie, only 6 weeks old.  I absolutely fell in love when he fell asleep on my chest in the tree-frog pose!  On Sunday, I got up early to pick my grandmother up for Mass.  I love getting to share my faith with her!  It is such a gift to have that time with her and to be unified in our familial and spiritual bond.  That grandmama of mine is simply amazing!  I took Lilly over to Dad's for brunch and Shawna's parents were over.  We had a lovely time catching up.  The Old One and Buzz are pretty excited to be great-grandparents!  Dan and I dropped Lilly off and head north.  We stopped in Roseburg to pick up our wine and visit with Dan's parents.  We had a great time catching up and seeing them.  It was a wonderful weekend!

I had my second doctor's appointment yesterday that went very well.  I still can't get over how amazing the heartbeat is.  Doc said that I am doing great!

Week 14

Baby Size: a lemon!  The baby measures 3 1/2 inches and weights 1 1/2 ounces.
Baby Development: According to BabyCenter.com:
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... 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.
How I feel about being pregnant:  Excited for this adventure!  A bit tired of throwing up most mornings but even that isn't as bad as it was in the beginning.
Symptoms:  Still throwing up most morning and with stretching itchy skin.  New new symptoms include stretch marks, being very lightheaded, and loose joints!  My blood pressure is down (96/62) but that's normal with pregnancy, which is causing me to feel very lightheaded/dizzy.  My joints are feeling loose and wiggly.  Last week, my right wrist could not support an item that I regularly pick up.  Also last week, my leg did not want to move with the rest of my body while getting out of a booth which resulting in a very sore right hip for a day.  Last night, my left knee did not turn with my upper body so that has been sore today.  My doctor said that a hormone called relaxin is released during pregnancy to help the hips widen for the growing baby and future birth but that hormone effects all joints.  The things you learn!
Cravings:  Nothing really.
What I am most excited about: I love my doctor!  Dr. Reilly is very level-headed, down to earth, easy to talk to about any crazy concern, non-judgmental, sympathetic, respectful, and uses common sense!  I had a great appointment yesterday and scheduled my first ultrasound...so excited to see the tadpole more clearly!
Something sweet your daddy did for me:  He took Dolce to the vet early in the morning so I could get more sleep!  I picked her up but that extra sleep was critical!
Funny moment: Scratching my belly at work without realizing it!  I was in my office with the door open, shirt pulled up and belly band down, scratching my belly.  The stretching skin is really itchy, even with my regular lotioning.  It felt so good to scratch, almost as good as rubbing my eyes during allergy season!  I had two co-works come to ask me a question and all three of us broke out in laughter.
Special moment: Going to Medford last weekend.  I had a great time visiting my Dad and Shawna and my little sister, my Mom and Keith, my grandmother, my step-grandparents, and dear friend Leslie.  Les also brought her six week little guy over for me to meet him for the first time.  Jared was absolutely precious and tree-frogged on my chest while he fell asleep for a little bit.

13 and Counting

Week 13

Baby Size: a shrimp or a peach, 3 inches head to rump and weighs an ounce
How I feel about being pregnant:  Blissful.  I am feeling better and enjoying the newness of this adventure.
Symptoms:  I am still occasionally sick in the morning but no where near what it was. The skin is stretching and feeling tight.  It is such a weird feeling to not be able to puff out my gut.  There is no where for the skin to go.  This creates a really uncomfortable feeling when I eat too big of a meal.  My stomach skin is also super itchy, even with applying lotions.
Cravings:  I am liking fruit, especially lemon.  I am also really wanting chocolate this week.
What I am most excited about: Buying stuff for the tadpole.  I found some really cute little onsies one clearance!
Something sweet your daddy did for me:  He tells me that I am beautiful regularly which is so sweet because I don't always feel beautiful these days.
Funny moment: Dan told be not to puff out my gut when taking my picture last week!  He thought I puffed it out to make the baby bump look larger than it was.  He turned a pretty shade of red when I told him I was not.  I showed him the lack of difference when sucking it in vs. puffing it out vs. normal.  All three look very similar!
Special moment: Reading the weekly update emails on the how the tadpole is growing and changing.

Feeling Blessed

This has been a pretty darn good week!  I am feeling human again...yay for B6!  I have the best, supportive family a girl could ever want with wonderful friends and the perfect husband.  I am not really fearful of what this new adventure will bring but truly excited!  I even have started to scope out and started to research some of the baby stuff we will need.  Over the weekend we were able to purchase the first nursery furniture piece.  A friend of a friend was seller her glider so we got a killer deal! 

I can just picture Dan or I rocking in this awesome chair with the little tiny new addition to our family.   Yes, I am definitely feeling blessed these days!

Yesterday completed week 12 of pregnancy!  I absolutely cannot believe that I am three months along in this journey.  It seems like we just found out yesterday but really that was two months ago.  I am definitely looking forward to the second trimester; hopefully the morning sickness will go away and I will regain some of my energy.  At this point, I am going to start to take weekly pictures to show the baby bump grow.  So at week 12, I am this far along:

 I am not really showing too much but I can tell all the differences!  I am definitely into maternity clothes and loving dresses/skirts.  I am at the point where I just look like I have gained weight but not because I am growing a human.  I know I will start to show more soon and am looking forward to that.

The baby is now the size of a lime, 2 inches from head to rump and weighs about half an ounce.  I think it is completely amazing that the little tadpole now has reflexes and can move those arms and legs.  Plus, the eyes and ears are now in the right spot so the little face really looks like a little person...amazing!  Definitely feeling blessed!

I saw on another blog a great little weekly rundown list so I am going to start to do that, too.  Sorry, a bit of this will be repeated from above but I will keep it quick! 

Week 12
Baby Size: a lime, 2 inches head to rump and weighs half an ounce
How I feel about being pregnant:  Excited!  The first trimester is waning away and my fears with it!
Symptoms:  The all-day sickness is better.  I am still occasionally sick in the morning but even that is getting better.  At this point, I just feel really really tired but I think that is probably being enhanced my allergies.
Cravings:  None yet.  Mostly foods just don't sound good.  I have noticed that I am wanting fruits more, especially citrus!
What I am most excited about:  Goodbye first trimester!
Something sweet your daddy did for me:  Dan is absolutely amazing!  He cleans, cooks, handles the dogs, lets me sleep, and puts up with me when I am a crank-a-potimus!  He really is the best!
Funny moment: I felt like a hippo doing my prenatal yoga DVD for the first time...then add the girls "helping".  Two Great Danes are not good yoga buddies!  They kept circling me and nosing me.  They just were not sure about all these crazy poses and movements their mom was making.
Special moment: Getting the first piece of nursery furniture.  Oh!  And realizing that this is Dan's first Father's Day on Sunday. 

Like I have said a few times, I am definitely feeling very blessed these days and largely because of the support, love, and help from my wonderful husband.  Early in the week I was trying to figure out what to get him for his first Father's Day.  Both sets of my parents sent lovely cards/gifts to me on Mother's Day and I felt loved and encouraged.  I felt like this was really happening and was overcome with joy and peace.  I want Dan to have something similar.  I finally figured out my gift to him and told him later that night that I knew what his Father's Day gift was.  He looked at me and said that he is not a dad yet and I said, "Of course you are!"  He then looked sheepishly at me and said that he did not get me anything on Mother's Day and I said that's not the point.  I enjoyed watching the wheels turned as he processed the information that this will be his first Father's Day.  It was a really special moment for me because that man was made to be a father and I got to watch that reality sink in for him.  Yes, I am truly blessed!

Week 11

I am officially 11 weeks preggo today...only 29 more to go!  I love getting weekly emails with updates on how the baby is developing and what my body is going through.  I especially love the fruit/size comparisons!  So as of today, I have a fig...

 
The peanut's little body is almost fully formed now, but with lots of growing left to do. She or he is probably about an inch and a half long (about the size of a fig) and is busy kicking and stretching, though the movements are too slight for me to feel yet. The tiny fists are opening and closing, and many of the bones are beginning to harden. 

My doctor recommended B6 and half a Unisom tablet to help with all-day sickness and so far it seems to be helping.  Sunday was such a tough day that I tried the combo as I went to bed.  On Monday and Tuesday, I actually felt more human and less sensitive to smells.  So exciting!  I keep hoping that in just a few short weeks the morning sickness will subside...seriously, hoping!

I have had a little more energy and am pushing myself to get back to working out.  I really have missed it for the last month and feel like I am regaining the energy and strength to actually get some cardio and yoga in.  Just taking a boring walk really helps and tomorrow I plan to walk and swim at the pool.  I bought a prenatal yoga DVD to help with stretching and lengthening my spine.  Since I woke up a few weeks ago with intense shoulder pain, I kept thinking, "I really need to do some yoga...stretch and strengthen my back and arms again!"  Thanks to Amazon, I was able to get a DVD that I really enjoyed and on Monday, I started yoga again!  I completely forgot how much I love love LOVE yoga.  It is such a great relaxing work out where you can push the pose to your preference!  My back, arms, and legs are already feeling so much better and the tension is starting to release from my hips.   Ahhhhhh.... Oooommmmm!

Sights and Sounds

This was another week filled with ups and downs.  Nothing new, I know!  My all-day sickness is really starting to get old but I keep holding on to the hope of just a few more weeks...then I will be out of the first trimester!  I am seriously hoping the all day nausea and vomiting will end with the first trimester...please!  Really, the all-day sickness was the worst of it and today has been especially bad.

Now for the good!  On Wednesday, I officially hit the 10 week mark.  That means I am 25% of the way done!  Wahoo!  I know it sounds silly but I am just excited to get out of the first trimester.  I learned that the tadpole is the size of a kumquat...

Our baby is about an inch long from head to bottom.  It has arms over its heart with fingers and toes that are not longer webbed!  There are even little fingernails starting to form and fuzzy hair starting to grow.  This whole process is very odd but very amazing and could only be designed by God!

The best came on Thursday when Dan and I met with the doctor for the first time.  She was very excited for us!  All my screening tests from the nurse's appointment came back good so no worries there.  Dr. Reilly answered some questions and gave some tips for morning sickness.  Those tips will be tried tonight!  I learned that I can sit in a spa, as long as the jets are not on, which is one of the most calming things for me.  I also learned that I can eat raw sushi!  I almost cried when she gave me this news.  She said that parasites are the main concern so only eat at reputable places and stick to salmon and tuna...so excited!  I really wasn't sure how I was going to survive summer without sushi.  Next, she brought in the ultrasound so we could take a quick peak at the tadpole.  I could not see the little peanut on the screen, even after asking, and even after she pointed it out.  Thankfully we were given an picture and Dan showed me while she wheeled the machine out!  Check out our cute tadpole!

The blob in the upper left corner has a little peanut inside.  The circle on the right is the baby's head and the other circle is its body.  Dan even got to see an arm move!  Such an amazing sight to see!  Even more amazing was getting to hear the heartbeat.  Oh my goodness!  To hear the little heartbeat inside of me of our baby brought me to tears.  It was such a fast little thing (116 beats per minute which is normal).  That was actually the highlight of the week for me!

All in all, the ability to see and hear our baby made up for all the all-day sickness!