Week 16

How far along? 16 weeks

How big is baby? An avocado-4 1/2 inches long and 3 1/2 ounces

Total weight gain/loss: Forgot to weigh in this morning. 

Maternity clothes? I wore some this week. I had a freak out moment Tuesday night about not having any clothes that look right in me right now, so I ended up going shopping Thursday afternoon and getting 2 maternity sweaters and 2 maternity t-shirts. I think the problem is I'm so much more bloated in the evening than I am in the morning. It's ridiculous. 

Sleep: Much better! Only waking up once or so to go to the bathroom, but getting back to sleep is pretty easy. 

Best moment this week: Winter break! Not necessarily a pregnancy related thing, but I think I will be able to caught up on some rest and feel less zombie like when school starts again.

Movement: I was certain I felt it last week, but this week, I'm not so sure. I'm freaking out that the baby has passed on one level, but I logically know and understand that it's still early and either a) I didn't really feel it last week or b) it's there, I just haven't felt it this week. 

Food Cravings: Still milk, and I hate that cookies and sweets are so accessible right now!

Food Aversions: None in particular. 

Gender: This week I'm more inclined to think its a girl. 

Labor Signs: None. 

Pregnancy Symptoms: The acne is back this week, especially on my back. The bloat is bad in the evening. I had a kid tell me at a performance Tuesday evening that she thought I was going to "carry big." Thanks, kid. After already feeling bad about myself, add to that holiday stress, exhaustion, and hormones, I was done. Of course, Thursday morning, another kid told me I was too skinny and wanted to know when I was going to start looking pregnant, further cementing the idea that my bloat is much worse in the evening than in the morning. I think it's exacerbated by the need to urinate as well. 

Belly Button in or out? In. 

What I miss: I missed my husband this week. He was out of town at a conference Wednesday through last night late. It's good to have him home!

What I am looking forward to: Christmas! I'm so excited for Christmas this year and I have no clue why. I had a crazy pregnant lady moment earlier this week. I had an obsession with being able to tell our families the sex on Christmas. I called an elective ultrasound place to see if they had any appointments available for Christmas Eve. My plan was to schedule it, and if the husband didn't approve, I'd cancel it. It ended up being a non-issue, as they had no appointments available. I could have gotten an appointment for next Friday, but I've decided to be patient and wait for the anatomy scan. 

Upcoming appointments/events: 16 week check up is scheduled for Friday. I'm hoping we can go ahead and schedule our anatomy scan then. 

Weekly Wisdom: Celebrate.

Milestones: Nothing really at this. Just plugging along for now.

My Shirt is a little full in the back in this picture, making me a little thicker than I really am. I promise. Also...next week I am going to take a morning and evening picture for comparison. I swear it's huge.

Week 15

How far along? 15 weeks

How big is baby? An apple or navel orange-4 inches and 2 1/2 ounces. 

Total weight gain/loss: Up one pound this week, for a total of 16 lbs. still not thrilled-I am eating more junk than I should, but I'm happy it's getting a little better. 

Maternity clothes? I wore 3 pairs this week. One pit I inherited from my sister nd they were really too big. I also wore my new target ants, which were fine. I did wear my new gap jeans yesterday, too, and I had a hair me keeping them up, although they were fine through the hips and thighs. I hope that gets better. 

Sleep: Sleep is ok. No big change. 

Best moment this week: Getting most of my Christmas shopping and wrapping completed. One more person to shop for!

Movement: Still not sure. When I think I feel it, though, it's usually in the evenings. 

Food Cravings: Milk..

Food Aversions: None. 

Gender: We both dreamt it was a girl on Friday night. 

Labor Signs: Nada. 

Pregnancy Symptoms: Acne is improving. Otherwise, I've just Ben exhausted this week. 

Belly Button in or out? In. I have a very deep belly button, so if it pops out, it'll take a while.

What I miss: Energy. I could really use it right now. 

What I am looking forward to: Knowing that I'm feeling movement!

Upcoming appointments/events: Next Friday is our 16 week appointment. 

Weekly Wisdom: Love and cherish very moment-you never know when life will change. In light of the horrific events in Conneticut on Friday, I can't imagine if I were one of those parents. But you can't live your life in fear. Embrace and cherish every day. 

Milestones: Movement! As I sit here writing this, I am certain I felt three little movement spasms. Based on what I felt, I would wager what I felt before was also some movement, but it wasn't nearly as clear as this has been.

I feel huuuuuuge in this picture...I blame a delicious family dinner for part of it!

Week 14

December 9, 2012

How far along? 14 weeks

How big is baby? A lemon-about 3 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 ounces.

Total weight gain/loss: Total of 15 lbs. the last 2 weeks I've been holding steady, so while I feel like I've gained a huuuuuge amount compared to what I would have liked, I am hoping I can transfer some of excess Thanksgiving weight into baby weight. I get that I need to gain, and most of 1st tri I ate to prevent from getting sick. I'm not going to starve myself, but I'm working on getting a better handle ontne cravings and making sure I'm getting in more fruits and veggies. 

Maternity clothes? Not wearing any, but considering getting a pair of Gap jeans really soon. Those jeans fit me better non-pregnant than any other and they ome in talls. They're not cheap, though, and I'm debating the cost. Gap also has a pair of red pants I want, too....for not as much. 

Sleep: Getting better. I stayed with my parents Friday night, and it was rough. I was up at 4AM, and couldn't go back to sleep. My friend let me borrow her pregnancy pillow, and I really think it helped last night. 

Best moment this week: Staying home on Friday to clean the house. Sounds lame, but it was so necessary. 

Movement: I keep thinking I fel something every so often, but I think I'm imagining things. 

Food Cravings: Carbs are always a good idea, but that's my philosophy in life in general. 

Food Aversions: Cafeteria food. I smelled it twice, and wanted to yak. Usually I can at least tolerate it. 

Gender: We started talking names last name, for the first time seriously. (Ironically, it was initiated by a list an eight year old gave me.) We seem more interested in girl names, but maybe that's because there is more variation in them. 

Labor Signs: None whatsoever. 

Pregnancy Symptoms: Friday (and yesterday, for that matter) I was extremely weepy. Like out of control. The acne is still bad, and I've been meaning to write about the red bumps on my chest...I've had them all along, but forget to include them here. It's not acne, just bizarre. 

Belly Button in or out? In. I have a very deep belly button, so if it pops out, it'll take a while. 

What I miss: Energy. Being able to have a drink after a long day. 

What I am looking forward to: Looking pregnant, not like I eat Thanksgiving dinner every night. 

Upcoming appointments/events: Need to call and schedule my 16 week appointment for 2 weeks from now. :-)

Weekly Wisdom: Think rationally. Acknowledge the worst, but never assume that till you fully assess the situation. I landed a jump wrong yesterday and assumed I had just jammed my toe. Then I struggled with getting my shoe on. And it hurt to walk. Then by the evening I had convinced myself I had actually broken it. Hypochondriac much? Today the swelling is down, bruising is still there, but it feels much better. And, considering I can move it, it's definitely not broken. I know my situation was not pg related, but it's so easy to let your imagination run wild when pregnant. 

Milestones: I'm officially in every single book out of first trimester! Woohoo! This pregnancy is 33% complete...but I have to keep in mind I was oblivious to the first 3 weeks and 5 days of it, so of course this trimester is going to seem longer. 

Same shirt I was wearing at 10 weeks, with a little bit of a difference.

***And now I'm officially caught up with all my weekly posts!***

Week 13

December 2, 2012

How far along?  13 Weeks!

How big is baby? A peach or a cocktail shrimp-almost three inches long

Total weight gain/loss: At the Dr's office last week, it was a total of 15. Eek! That's horrendous. I blame thanksgiving for some of that, but otherwise, I just need to calm down the eating. 

Maternity clothes? Not wearing any yet. My sister gave me two bags yesterday of things she had kept, so I feel Luke I have a fair amount now. Unfortunately, the jeans in there were too short, but considering all the things I won't have to buy, I'm definitely ok with splurging on a pair or  two. 

Sleep: Not a good week for that, both in staying asleep and sleeping in. 

Best moment this week: Actually getting to hear the heart beat. 

Movement: None. 

Food cravings: I haven't had any, except food in general. 

Food Aversions: Nothing new. 

Gender: No cue, but I'm already tired of the question, "What do you want?" Sometimes I won't to respond, "If it's not a girl, I'm going to go kill myself," or something equally ridiculous and horrible. What do people expect me to say?

Labor Signs: Nope. 

Pregnancy Symptoms: Face is better this week. Ivebeen ravenously hungry, too. I've started supplementing my morning cereal with a smoothie to help. 

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: As much as I wanted to tell people, I'm already tired of people, especially students, trying to touh me. For crying out loud, I don't even really have a belly yet! And of course, everyone knows better than you want you should or shouldn't be doing. 

What I am looking forward to: Calmness-our how is over at school, so things should calm down some this week. 

Upcoming appointments/events: I need to call this week to schedule my 16 week appointment, which will fall the week of Christmas. 

Weekly Wisdom: Mind your own business. 

Milestones: Going public. After our appointment on Monday, we put it on Facebook, and I announced it to our students. I knew it was going to be a double edged sword, but it does feel good to let it out. 

Can't see much in this sweater, but I promise, it's there.

Week 12

November 25, 2012

How far along?  12 Weeks!

How big is baby? A plum. About 2 inches long and half ounce

Total weight gain/loss: Went back on the promise-why did I think I would weigh in during Thanksgiving? I'm really afraid of what it's going to be, though. I feel like my face looks ridiculously chubby. 

Maternity clothes? Still resisting. I did order a pair of black pants from target. They are longs and were on sale for $16. Score. 

Sleep: Eh, just depends on the day. I am staying up later (yay for 9:30!), but I keep waking up earlier and earlier. 

Best moment this week: Telling friends from college at a wedding yesterday. I was going to get a non-alcoholic Bloody Mary and asked how my friend's was. She offered me a taste and when I refused, she knew. It was pretty awesome. 

Movement: Just some gas. 

Food cravings: I love chocolate. 

Food Aversions: Garlic does bad things to my digestive tract. Nobody likes it. And withou bring too graphic, it's not that it makes me nauseaous. 

Gender: My friend Heidi guessed girl. I still think boy, but we're both pretty intuitive. One of us has to be right. 

Labor Signs: Nope. 

Pregnancy Symptoms: My acne comes and goes. Of course, this week it came just in time or Thanksgiving. I've also experienced some diarrhea-thank ou, garlic.  

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Sleeping in. 

What I am looking forward to: Going public this week. 

Upcoming appointments/events: Tomorrow! Not sure exactly what they will be doing-maybe the NT scan, but maybe not. 

Weekly Wisdom: Sleep is always a good idea. 

Milestones: Telling college friends and extended family. 

Week 11

November 18, 2012

How far along?  11 Weeks!

How big is baby? A lime or fig. About 11/2inches long and .25 ounce

Total weight gain/loss: I'm up again, I'm sure...next week I'll weigh in, I promise. 

Maternity clothes?  No, but my regular jeans are jus no cutting it. I need to stick to my non-maternity stretchy jeans. I also opened up the box of pre-weight loss clothes last nit. I found some great things I forgot I had kept and I think I'll be able to get some use out of them for next few weeks/months. 

Sleep: Not good, but not as bad as it was. 

Best moment this week: Surviving. It was a rough week, aside from the pregnancy. 

Movement: Nada. 

Food cravings: Not really, but the power of suggestion is huge. 

Food Aversions: I might try a banana again this week. 

Gender: Still guessing a boy. 

Labor Signs: Still have a ways to go for that. 

Pregnancy Symptoms: Still bloated. Exhaustion isn't as bad...I still want o be in bed by 9, but I'm it passing out before then. 

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: People thinking they know my body better than I do. Even with the limited people who know, there are a few who think they know better than I do what I should be doing with my body. It's particularly frustrating when the information is antiquated, although none has been harmful. And I know it's only going to get worse. 

What I am looking forward to: Being able to tell my students. 2 more classes!

Upcoming appointments/events: Not another for a week. 

Weekly Wisdom: Embrace the moment. It'll be gone before you know it.

Milestones: No biggies this week. Just trudging along. 

Ugh...what face is that that I'm making?

Week 10

November 11, 2012

How far along?  10 Weeks!

How big is baby? A prune or a kumquat-about 1-1/4 inch long.

Total weight gain/loss: I haven't weighed in today....

Maternity clothes?  I caved and bound a tummy sleeve at Motherhood Maternity this week. I've used it twice (thank you, bloat). My work pants feel OK, but I am wearing my stretchier, one size up jeans. I did purchase a pair of dress pants at Motherhood Maternity for half price today. 

On a side note, why in the world does Motherhood Maternity insist on taking forever to let you check out? I thought for sure I was going to get caught in there on Tuesday, and today wasn't much better. I even paid cash in hopes of making it go more effeciently. It didn't work. 

Sleep: Sucks. I routinely wake up at 2:30, then often 4:30, and if I can sleep in, it's again at 6:30. 

Best moment this week: We told the hubs's grandparents this weekend while we were helping move them down towards us.  I don't think they got it at first, but then they got very excited.   

Movement: Nope, although the baby can now move his/her arms. 

Food cravings: Milk tastes really good.  

Food Aversions: Still wont touch bananas. 

Gender: Back to thinking its a boy. 

Labor Signs: Nope, although my sister in law told me I was leaking something. I freaked for a moment, but then realized it was my water bottle. 

Pregnancy Symptoms: OMG-The bloat. It has been super awful this week. The nausea has been OK, and as mentioned earlier, I've been sleeping horribly. I also have noticed my boobs getting bigger. I fill out some bras that had gotten bigger on me after losing weight. 

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Energy. I have been exhausted ths week. 

What I am looking forward to: Thanksgiving...from a pregnant and non-pregnant perspective. I cannot wait to tell people...and eat some awesome food!

Upcoming appointments/events: We got our 12 week appointment scheduled or Monday, November 26. Between my show that week and the hubs's schedule. It was a nightmare. 

Weekly Wisdom: Be understanding of others-you never know what they are going through, and they don't necessarily know what you are going through.

Milestones: Double digits! Baby is 25% done baking. In addition to telling the hubster's grandparents, I also told 2 more close friends and the teacher I work with most closely at school. I can't wait to make it general knowledge. 

See? Major bloat. And no more black shirt...after traveling all weekend and moving people around, I'm lucky I even got a picture taken.

Week 9

November 4, 2012

How far along? 9 weeks

How big is baby? An olive or a grape. Almost an inch long. 

Total weight gain/loss: Gained another pound this week, for a total of ~4.5 pounds gained.

Maternity clothes? Nope...while I am seeing more bloat this week, my clothes are still fitting just fine. I do feel like my bloat is showing more this week more than ever before. I felt very round this afternoon. 

Sleep: OK, I had some rough nights this past week, but they were not directly related to the pregnancy. Tuesday night I tossed and turned...I was so afraid things were going to go poorly with the ultrasound on Wednesday.

Best moment this week: The ultrasound! We met at the dr's on Wednesday afternoon. The Dr was a bit long winded, then we got down to business. First he did a routine pap smear (which was the last painful pap I've ever had), and next thing we know, we're looking at a little blob on the screen. Our little blob. It was awesome. 

Once we got home, I took a picture of the ultrasound and sent it to my aunt and cousins with the text, "Trick or treat!" I got some absolutely awesome reactions. I had my aunt show the picture to my grandmother while I was on the phone with her and attempted to explain what she was looking at. They are all very excited. 

Movement: The only movement I am aware of was seeing the heart beating. 

Food cravings: Dairy and hardy foods. I told the hubs I wanted pot roast and mashed potatoes for dinner. They were delicious. 

Food Aversions: Not a fan of the spinach salad I made to go with dinner was not appealing. 

Gender: This week I'm thinking girl. 

Labor Signs: Thankfully no. 

Pregnancy Symptoms: My nausea has subsided some, and face is thankfully not breaking out this week. It's not completely cleared up, but at least I'm to getting any new zits. I also have had some ridiculous saliva production going on. 

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: People not doting on me. As more people know, they want to check in on me more or tell me I shouldn't do certain things. I love and appreciate that they care, but sometimes it gets to be a bit much. 

What I am looking forward to: We're going up to PA to help move the hubs's grandparents done to VA. We're going to tell them and his uncle that day. 

Upcoming appointments/events: Trying to get our 12 week appointment scheduled. 

Weekly Wisdom: Just one day at a time...

Milestones: I bought my first baby purchase this week. Friday afternoon I popped by Babies R Us. I found a 1st Halloween onesie and sleeper that I picked up for super cheap. Then, while I was at Costco, The Original Christmas Classics hopped into my cart. I can't wait to share them next year!

 

Week 8

October 28, 2012

How far along? 8 Weeks!

How big is baby? A Raspberry or a kidney bean. I almost bought some raspberries in the store yesterday, but then I felt canibalistic. 

Total weight gain/loss:Stayed the same this week! So about 3 lbs total

Maternity clothes?  Nope
  Sleep: I have created this little nest in bed. A king sized pillow on either side, with a third one at my head and my foam contoured pillow with that. It has made me much more comfortable this week, and I've been sleeping much better.

Best moment this week: Telling a random person in Ulta that I am pregnant. I was looking for some pregnancy friendly acne treatment. This kind lady gave me a recommendation, but it had salycic acid in it. I told her that I appreciated the rec, but I was pregnant and couldn't use that kind. It was kinda fun.   

Movement:Nada.

Food cravings: If I see it or hear about it, I want it. Last night, it was pizza, really bad. I almost ordered Papa John's just for me.

Food Aversions: Bananas still don't seem appealing, but nothing else.

Gender:I have no clue...no strong feelings right now.

Labor Signs: Nope

Pregnancy Symptoms: My nausea has been better this week. I find I am more likely to get sick if I drink decaf coffee, so I'm not drinking it as much. I feel like I need to pay more attention to my caffeine in take other than coffee, too, so I can drink my caffeine in my coffee. I miss it-mainly for the flavor. 

I also had a random gagging episode in class on Friday. It was not pleasant, and I do not recommend it to others. 

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss:Coffee. I know I can drink it, but I need to make sure I'm being careful of any other caffeine intake.

What I am looking forward to: Ultrasound on Wednesday!

Upcoming appointments/events: We have our first appointment with the doctor on Wednesday, including an ultrasound. We are so excited, but I think we'll go crazy if this Hurricane Sandy knocks out electricity and our appointment is rescheduled. Right now, we still have power, but the storm isn't so bad yet. We'll see how things go.

Weekly Wisdom: Do what you can, when you can...including nap.

Milestones:Today is 8 weeks! I feel like that is a huge accomplishment right there. 

At least my hair looks a little better than in the last two.

Week 7

October 21, 2012

How far along? 7 weeks

How big is baby? A Blueberry! About 1/2 an inch

Total weight gain/loss: Forgot to weigh this morning...I'll do it later this week. 

Maternity clothes? Nope...although I spent $30 at Kohl's this week on 2 pairs of shorts, a pair of jean capris, and a maxi skirt. All maternity. I can't pass up a great sale, esp on stuff I will need come May. 

Sleep: I find that if I take a short nap and stay up later (10 or 10:30PM) I sleep through the night much better. Otherwise, I wake up around 4AM and have trouble going back to sleep.

Best moment this week: We had our first Dr's appointment this week! We both went, and after we did the insurance paperwork, we were sent back out to the lobby to wait. When they called me back again, Nick got ready to come back with me. The nurse said, "No, we don't need him right now." Ummm...ok. We did height and weight (and she said I was 3 inches shorter than I am! We measured when I got home. She's wrong. I have not shrunk) and then I peed in a cup. As she took my blood pressure, we talked some about the blood draw. I realized at that point she had no intentions of bringing Nick back for anything else. I played up my unfortunate blood giving situation from 3 years ago, and she said she would take me to a room and lay me down to do the blood draw. We went over my medical history (she gave me a look when I mentioned the twins in my family), and once we got ready to go through my "goody bag" together, I said, "My husband would really appreciate being here for this. Can I go get him now?" He came on back, which was nice to have another set of ears to hear this, and then we did the blood draw. It wasn't that bad...and I don't think people realized it wasn't the sight of blood or the needle that made me sick before, but rather the actual loss of blood. Overall, a good appointment, with a few grumpy moments.

Movement: I felt the blood flowing out of my arm. That's about it for pregnancy related movement. 

Food cravings: Protein. I am curious to see if I'm a little anemic when we get the results from the bloodwork back.

Food Aversions: Still not digging bananas.

Gender: Had a dream Friday night it was a girl. In this dream, I was walking around with my newborn, and a day later, I realized she hadn't fussed or cried at all, so I hadn't fed her. I decided to try to breastfeed, and she wouldn't let go. I walked around for the rest of the day with this baby literally attached to me. I didn't even have to hold on to her, the power of her suction could do it alone. If I could detach her,she wouldn't cry, but make this frightening face where she would smack her gums together. Reminded me a little of Seymour from "Little Shop of Horrors."

Labor Signs: None

Pregnancy Symptoms: My grandmother is bedridden, and when we visited her yesterday, she had soiled herself. I felt so bad I could not stay in her room. My sister and aunt got her cleaned up quickly, and my grandmother was able to get up (with assistance) and visit us out in the living room, but I nearly lost it in the bedroom. 

I've also still been dealing with some nausea. I have found that food helps, especially protein. I feel like I've eaten like a pig this week, but now I think I have a better idea of what to do to keep the nausea better under control.  

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Wine. I picked up some sparkling grape juice and wine this week. Makes me happier.

What I am looking forward to:

Upcoming appointments/events: First Ultrasound in a week and a half!

Weekly Wisdom: Figure out what you need to do to survive, then adjust that to make you healthier. This week I have eaten whatever to try to prevent me from getting sick. I'll take what I learned this week, stop being a pig, and hopefully eat healthier and not get sick. Fingers crossed!

Milestones:Thankful to be through the first appointment and still have a positive pregnancy test. I am so nervous, though, that when we go in on Halloween, there will be no heartbeat. I will rejoice in everything we've experienced so far.

Forgive the bad hair...

Week 6

October 14, 2012

How far along? 6 Weeks

How big is baby? A sweat pea or a lentil seed

Total weight gain/loss: +1lb. I am in survival mode this week due to some sickness/hunger issues. When I weight in on Thursday, I'll reassess my habits.

Maternity clothes? Normal clothes are fine this week. In fact, I feel like my bloat has gone down, for the most part. I did order some cute clearance items from Old Navy last weekend and they came in on Friday! Woohoo! I love new clothes...even if I shouldn't be wearing them until the spring. 

Sleep: Pretty good. I've heard horror stories about women having to get up and pee in the middle of the night. That's not me-yet. I actually don't feel like I have to pee that much more in general. I would say I'm up about an hour earlier than I need to be about 4 days out of the week, which sucks, but it isn't so bad.

Best moment this week: Telling our friend Bryan that we are expecting. We went to dinner on Friday with him and some other friends. I was afraid I would be found out at dinner when I didn't order a drink. I made it through the evening incognito, but when it was just the three of use back at Bryan's house, making dinner plans for the next evening, I told him I had to be careful about eating sushi at this point. He is very excited for us, but afraid we'll abandon him after the baby comes.

Movement: None

Food cravings: A milkshake has sounded so good this week. And peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I had have neither.

Food Aversions: After waking up waaaaaay too early on Tuesday, I grabbed a banana to supplement breakfast as I ran out the door. As soon as I peeled it, I nearly ralphed. I couldn't get rid of that banana soon enough-the sight and smell of it was absolutely appalling.

Gender: I still think it's a boy.

Labor Signs: Thankfully, no. 

Pregnancy Symptoms: I am starting to wonder if I'm not becoming anemic already. I have some serious issues with getting sick feeling if I don't eat soon enough. I'm also finding, though, that it's not just about eating something, but more about having some sort of meat. I've been eating a lot of string cheese and greek yogurt, hoping that the protein would help me out, in addition to grapes, apples, and carrots, but when I had a random mid-afternoon burger on Friday and chicken sandwich on Saturday, I did so much better. 

Belly Button in or out? Definitely in.

What I miss:  I wish my sushi options had not been so limited last night. I got a veggie roll and a shrimp tempura roll, which were great, but everyone else's tuna looked amazing. I plan on letting myself enjoy some sushi once I get out of my first trimester, but I'm being overly cautious for now.

What I am looking forward to: Being able to tell more people.

Upcoming appointments/events: We meet with the OB Coordinator on Thursday! We will go over my medical history, insurance information, and do some initial bloodwork. They say this appoint will last about an hour. I feel like this will make it "more real," if there is such a thing.

Weekly Wisdom: "Do what you can, when you can." After feeling so crappy this week, I will clean when I feel like it and nap when I feel like it. 

Milestones: None right now...

You can tell it's been rough...glasses and all.

Week 5

Sunday, October 7, 2013

How far along? 5 Weeks

How big is baby? A mere .13 inches, or the size of an appleseed. In other words, teeny tiny, but visible.

Total weight gain/loss: I'm going to count this as my start...

Maternity clothes? None...although, Old Navy had some stuff on clearance that I ordered last night.

Sleep: I loooooove going to bed early. And apparently waking up early.

Best moment this week: Wednesday (10/3) I finally felt normal-after a week of major bloat, gas, and fatigue.

Movement: Does occasional cramping count?

Food cravings: None, just starving all the time.

Food Aversions: none, yet. 

Gender: I am anticipating a boy, as is my SIL, but the Chinese Gender Charts in all their infinitive wisdom say it's a girl.

Labor Signs: I hope not!

Pregnancy Symptoms: Mild cramping, fatigue and hungry. Today I was a little queasy-my stomach bowels felt almost hungover today, but Nick felt that way some, too. Maybe it was something we ate.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Nick had a hard apple cider with dinner Friday night. It looked so good.

What I am looking forward to: Everything!

Upcoming appointments/events:  Medical history appointment in 2 weeks on October 18. First Dr appointment (with dating ultrasound) on Oct. 31. 

Weekly Wisdom: "Today I am pregnant, Today I am happy, Today I am healthy, and Today is all that matters." I've seen this on a couple of different blogs, and I have to agree.

Milestones: Being able to tell very close friends (2 each) and immediate family.

Bump Picture:

Cycle 3...

Monday, October 1, 2012

After 3 months of trying, I woke up on Thursday, September 27, 2012, at 4:30 AM. I tossed and turned for a while before stumbling into the bathroom. I knew I was 11 days past ovulation, but I had a negative test on Tuesday, so I wasn't too hopeful. I went ahead and took a test. After 2 mins, it was still stark white. I went ahead and dumped my pee cup (glamorous, I know), and carried the stick with me as I went to get dressed. A minute later, there was a line. A beautiful, pink line. I couldn't believe it. I came downstairs in a fog of disbelief. A line is a line, but I'd feel better if I had seen it spelled out...Dammit! Why did I dump the pee so quickly?

My plan was to stay quiet until Nick got home from Marching Band later that night...I was going to fabricate some fantastic scheme to announce it to him. No such luck-I crawled back in bed with him, spooned him, and whispered in his ear, "I took a test this morning. It was positive." He rolled over, we made out, and I felt much better.

Upon returning downstairs, I had a revelation. We were hanging out with friends tomorrow, and everyone would know something would be up if I wasn't drinking with everyone else. And I had someone else I had to tell. I texted my friend Rachel, whose home we'd be invaded, "I need help faking drinking tomorrow night." She was more than willing to oblige. :-)

That evening, once Nick and I finally got to talk, we were debating whether or not to tell our parents yet. On one hand, we wanted to wait, but we were going up to his parents on Saturday, and we probably wouldn't see them again until Thanksgiving. I felt it was important to deliver the news in person, rather than over the phone. And if we told one set of parents, we needed to go ahead and tell the other set.

By Friday evening, we went ahead and decided to share the news. While at my parents' house, I asked my dad if he had thought any more about getting a bigger place for vacation next summer. Of course, he went on a tangent about looking for a new place. I thought I was going to explode before I said, "I am not sleeping on a pull out couch next summer with Nick, David, and a newborn baby." I thought my parents were going to fall over in shock and surprise. The next day, Nick just told his parents, "We were going to save a lot of money on wine over the next 9 months." His parents are equally as excited, but somehow, I don't think they were quite a surprised.

Right now, we are excited and terrified all at once. We go in for our first appointment for medical history and bloodwork in two weeks, and then have our first doctor appointment on Halloween, when I'll be 8 weeks 3 days. Fingers crossed everything goes well between now and then.

TTC-Patience is a virtue.

August 24, 2012

Patience is the theme of the day. I have none.  Today, I spent all day waiting for the repairman to come and fix our cable, internet, and phone. (Even with a 4 hour window, he was still 2 1/2 hours late.) But worse I am feeling so many "weird" symptoms and constantly plagued with "Am I pregnant? Am I not? What's going on with my body right now?"

It's so hard not over analyze every little thing that is going on with my body. Tonight in particular, I feel like my uterus/ovaries/whatever is doing a little dance. It's not crampy, just a little twingey. What's that? I'm sure it's always there, but I'm so honed in on it right now, I'm just noticing it. The weird "symptom," though, that I'm sure is abnormal is I am so ridiculously hot and then freezing the next. My temps have been staying up on my chart, which is exciting, and I can't help but wonder if surges of hormones are causing my temperature to jump around. It's so weird to me to say I feel hot when usually I am always frigid. Lastly, I've been pretty tired this week, but I think that has more to do with starting back to work than anything else. And maybe some allergy related stuff, too.

I don't know if I am feeling this way because to me, this is a prime month for getting pregnant. Because it's so important to me, and so new, I think I'm jumping the gun on everything. But on the other hand, I really feel like this is our month. I don't want to put too much stock into that feeling, be wrong, and disappointed later, but my intuition is usually pretty good. So...I'm torn. As of tonight, I have taken three (negative) pregnancy tests already, fully knowing it is too early for a positive. I am only 9 DPO (Days Past Ovulation) right now...I'm going to try to hold off testing again till Saturday, 1) when it's more likely to be accurate and 2) before I drink tailgating at Buffett!

So when it comes to waiting, I'm really struggling this month.

TTC- On to Month 2

August 8, 2012

So here we are, on month #2 of TTC. Month #1, although fun, was obviously not productive. Our timing sucked, so I can't say I'm too surprised.


Month #2, however, already has some new challenges. In a studio faculty meeting, it came up that this year is the 20th anniversary of the student company-the company I grew up dancing with and now choreograph for. This show will probably feature a fair amount of alumni performances. I don't know when the show will be, but it will be in the spring. Depending on when/if we conceive, I probably will not be able to perform in this show. I'd typically be ok with that, but this is kind of a big deal. I am trying to decide if I'm not able to perform, how will I feel about it? Is this enough reason to stop trying? How far long can I be and still try to perform? If I decide to delay TTC for a few months, that might put me on Maternity leave at the beginning of the school year, which I really don't want to happen. So then dowe put it off longer? Another year? And all of this could be moot. We could have trouble TTC. If we delay, and then have trouble, it would make it that much longer. Then again, it could be we wait, and the performance is not worth it. There are so many unknowns, but I can't ask without giving away our prospective plans.

And then delaying things a few months (to a year) would give us more time to get finances in order and redo our kitchen. But are these really reasons to put off something so important? In the grand scheme of life, this month or next would be the most ideal for conceiving. I'd have a little bit of time off at the end of school year, then all summer off with the baby. I hope to talk to a friend of mine who  has an acute understanding of me and this organization, hopefully she can offer some guidance or at least help metalk it out. 

Baby Journey: T-1 Month

July 18, 2012

So I just finished my first month off birth control. I see this isn't our first month of trying to conceive because we really used all my knowledge on the subject to try to avoid conceiving. And it appears we were successful. :-D I started temping, observing fertility signs, and charting all my findings after reading Taking Charge of Your Fertility (highly recommended, by the way) and am using Fertility Friend to actually record all my information. I do find that I am having trouble charting when I should...partially because we were gone so much, and partially because the dogs wake me up at odd hours all the time.

As far as side effects go, I thought I was having a pretty easy time coming off the BC after almost 7 years on it, but I found right around ovulation, I was having some pretty severe headaches, dizziness, and what I called "foggy head." It was almost like being hung over without drinking anything the night before. I actually had one more when I was doing laundry to leave for New England, I had to lay down I was so nauseous feeling.

The other major negative I have noticed this cycle is my face. Yikes. Breakouts galore. I picked up Oil of Olay's version of a sonic cleaner in hopes that it will help curb the Breakouts. I'm using a lot of benzoyl peroxide right now to clear it all up, but hope that once I get this flair up under control, I can stop using it.

I was expecting my period to come while I was out of town on "Gaycation," so I picked up two pregnancy tests to take with me "just in case." I felt really awkward buying them and had mixed feelings about using them. I wanted to do it just to affirm a negative, but then again, I was afraid of getting a positive with people I didn't want to know about it yet. I resisted the urge, nature let me know it was OK to drink, and I was not in an awkward situation with our travel mates.

Since getting back to the "real world," I've actually gotten very excited about TTC. This cycle seems real. Getting pregnant now would mean a middle of April due date...I could take possibly take off from there till the end of the school year, or at least everything but the last two weeks before school lets out, then be off for the rest of the summer. That sounds fabulous to me. I think that we are ready. I try not to talk about it too much...while I know the hubster feels the same way I do, I also know he gets annoyed when I obsess too much. I did mention that if we take my grandmother's bedroom suite for our bedroom (hello, king sized bed!), it just so happens that what we currently have in our room has both a twin and a full/queen headboard which would make it great to grow with a baby into childhood. Before I could even get the thought out, he was saying the same thing. He's also made a lot of comments about getting the house ready to put on the market...partially because after visiting other areas of the country, he's ready to get out of our current city, but I think that thinking about raising a family here is not something either one of us wants to do.

So what's going to change this cycle? I'm going to get more serious about charting. This morning I was 30 earlier than my set time, which isn't horrible, but if that persists, I'll just move the default up. I'm going to seriously cut back on alcohol consumption-which isn't bad as it is, but it can be when I'm around certain friends. And most importantly, I need to pick up some prenatal vitamins. I should have already started them. Oops.

Here we go months, 2 months off BC, first actual month of trying!

New beginnings

Wednesday, June 13, 2012




It’s an exciting day: The last day of school (with students) for the school year. Sure, I have to go in tomorrow to turn in keys and finalize a few things, but the end is here. I’m so excited about this summer. For the first time in 6 years, I am no longer working with the marching band. That means my summer is about 4 weeks longer than it has previously been. I have a huge sense of freedom, both for my time and spirit.



Nick and I are actually taking a real vacation. In about 2 weeks, we’re headed up to Maine for a wedding, then we’ll be visiting a friend from college, and touring Boston during the Fourth of July Holiday. This will be our first big vacation together-completely out of our comfort zones-and the first time we’ve actually flown together. We’ll also be heading down to Gatlingburg, TN, with some friends on our “Gaycation.” We have two gay couples we’re close friends with, so we’re staying in a time share together in July. I’m anticipating lots of pool time, a trip or two to some wineries, white water rafting, and some outlet shopping.



I also turn the dirty 30 in less than a month. I’ve made no bones about how excited I am for this. My 20s have been rough, and I’m ready for a new chapter in my life. We’re planning a big bash at our house on July 7, in between vacations.



Speaking of new chapters in our lives, one of my things on my thirty before thirty was to do some soul searching and really figure out how we feel about having children. Nick and I have been talking a lot lately, and today, we’re taking a big step. I took my last birth control pill this morning. I would start the placebos, but I never take them anyway. I’m starting to chart, and we’re actually going to try to avoid for the next month or so. I’d really love to have a June baby, but we’d be content if it were to happen anytime from here forward. Its super scary and exciting all at once to embark upon this journey. For now, we’re not planning on telling anyone. I have mentioned it to two friends: one because she just had a baby back in March and I’ve been grilling her for information, and another who is thinking about jumping on this band wagon. It’s nice to have someone who knows and not keep it completely a secret, but I’m glad to not have everyone know what is going on, too.



So here’s to change…let’s see where this summer takes us!

What I've Been Drinking Lately...

Shirley Temple to go with my veggie sushi

Sparkling Welch's Red Grape Juice

Sparkling Martinelli's Apple-Pomegranate Cider

And it's all because....

Estimated Due Date: June 9, 2013

Our family is adding a new member come June 2013!

Buffett 2012

It's been a while since I've had a chance to update this thing. Oops. Labor Day weekend we had our annual pilgrimage to see Jimmy Buffett perform. We got up there about 3PM, tailgated until about 7:30, and then headed in for the show. We had a fabulous time...and my jello shots were quite the hit!

A Charmed Life

The hubster and I have a tendency to gaze longingly at some of our Facebook friends' pictures and activities. They are young, beautiful, and seem so happy. Some are traveling everywhere, some have gorgeous children, and some just seem embrace every meal or glass of wine. I admit, there are a few friends that I have "Facebook crushes" on. Their lives look perfect and I love to stalk them online, a little envious but always in awe. And let's face it, we all know most people like to put their best foot forward on Facebook. It's all about the wonderful things going on (unless they post complaints and "woe is me" statuses to get attention).

I have said many times this summer that I was looking forward to turning 30. My 20s were a bit rough-lots of good things happened, but it felt like we were constantly trying to push ahead to get to where things would be "OK." Finish college, find jobs, be able to afford a mortgage. And since the hubster took a non-traditional route, it seemed that much more difficult. Things finally feel a little more settled, and I was relieved to have this set the tone for my new decade in life. Maybe we'd get to travel some. Maybe we'd feel a little more financially comfortable. Maybe we'd have time to enjoy life rather than work, work, work.

When I came back to work this week, a older teacher who I am Facebook friends commented that she loved seeing all the pictures I posted of our different travels this summer. I was a little taken aback-someone enjoyed "watching" me on Facebook? Could someone think that I lead a charmed life?

I took some time to think about it this week, and while we were tailgating at a concert this weekend, I realized how good I really have. Good food, good drinks, great friends, money to afford the luxury of a concert, and a fabulous husband to top it all off. I do, in fact, live a charmed life. 

The Great Pinterest Challenge

I have a few friends that we are all crazy over Pinterest. We have similar tastes, so at least 50% of what we have pinned have been repinned by others. One friend texted me to say her goal for this year would be to wear at least one Pinterest inspired outfit per week. I thought that was pretty clever, but I wanted to expand it. I decided that I would try one Pinterest inspired "thing" each week-whether a recipe, outfit, craft, whatever. That was 2 weeks ago...and you see how much I've done with it.

As fate would have it, though, we lost our cable, internet and phone in a storm last Saturday. The lovely repairman at Verizon finally came today and fixed the primary problem in about 5 minutes and also replaced a cable box that had gone bad upstairs. He was here for a grand total of 20 minutes.

This time, though, gave me a chance to catch up on some of my Pinterest-ing ideas. I found two different ideas that I had been meaning to try for a while, and finally got around to.

 Oatmeal Cupcakes

Oatmeal Cupcakes, originally found http://greenlitebites.com/2009/03/07/banana-oatmeal-cups-with-chocolate-chips/

 Last night I attempted these cupcakes. I thought it might make for a fabulous, hardy and healthy breakfast. What I didn't think about was that fruit, when combined into a recipe, adds points. Even though these are primarily bananas, they were a little more points plus wise that I would have wanted. But they are very healthy. I'm not sure how I feel about the texture. Mine were a little bit mushier than I had expected, but the hubster likes them. He thinks they need a little salt, but overall not bad.

My version

I think they look better in the pictures than in real life.

Our second idea was a home decor/improvement idea. We do not have a "regular" laundry room, but rather a hallway that leads out to the garage.  We used to have bi-fold doors covering the washer and dryer, but they always got in the way. Then, one fell off the hinge. We've been living with our washer and dryer just out there for all the world to see for a month or so...I saw this on Pinterest a long time ago and thought it would work for us.

Curtain Hiding supplies from Martha Stewart

I got a shower curtain to use to cover up ours. I still want to play around some with of the positioning and length. I haven't hemmed it yet for that purpose. I found this shower curtain way back in March for $10 at Garden Ridge, but I think it's going to help keep the mess hidden and make the wall interesting.  So here's my version:

Not amazing, but most convenient.

So those are my "big" projects. Stay tuned for what mess I make next.