Week 32

Yes, it appears someone is smuggling basketballs out of Sports Authority these days! People keep telling me I look small -- but I feel huge! Notice I'm wearing the same outfit I wore the first time I posted a bump photo (14 wks or so). What a difference! I also attached a picture of the tissue paper poms I've made so far for the nursery that hang near her crib!

How far along? 32w 6d

How big is baby? Not sure if my bump fruit ticker changed this week or not. My iPhone app tells me she is as big as a large jicama this week - whatever that is. She probably weighs close to 4 lbs. In the next 7 weeks, she'll gain a third to half her birth weight!

Maternity clothes? Still getting by with what I've got.

Sleep? I'm still sleeping fairly well but I'm waking up more frequently in the middle of the night either to use the bathroom 50 times or because my back is KILLING me! I'm not really supposed to sleep on my back for long periods of time, but sometimes it's absolutely required (says me)! Sleeping on my side sometimes gives me terrible pain in my back and I can't get back to sleep. I can't WAIT to be able to sleep on my tummy again!

Best moment this week? Had my baby shower and it was a wonderful success! My mom and co-worker put it on and did a fantastic job! Pictures to come! This little girl is already incredibly loved and blessed by friends and family!

Worst moment this week? Just the gradual discomfort I feel more and more of every day.

Symptoms? Back pain galore, shortness of breath, heart racing, little diva is still up in my ribs, so those ache almost every day, all day. Yesterday I think I finally experienced my first Braxton Hicks contractions. Not painful, but a very strange tightening sensation. Gerrick worries every time I grab or poke at my belly and asks if I need to go to the hospital! lol. So cute. I try to muster enough energy every day to get some sort of walking in, but it's hard, especially after a long day at work!

Movement? Baby C is an olympic gymnast in the making! She is a VERY active baby! She's very quiet at bedtime and through the night, so I'm hoping that trend continues after birth.

Belly button? Still an outie!

What I miss? Sleeping on my tummy, sleeping in my own bed, cool weather!

What I'm looking forward to? Starting our childbirth classes this weekend and getting my replacement at work all lined up and trained so that I can breathe easier in case she decides to make her debut early!

Week 30

O.M.G. - are there really only 10 weeks left in this pregnancy?!? In some ways it's felt like it's taken forever to get to this point, but then I look at the calendar and begin to have a panic attack. There's still so much to do, and so little time to get it all accomplished!

How far along? 30w 6d

How big is baby? The size of a squash - and she'll remain the same 'food item' (that sounds so wrong) for a few more weeks. No more weekly ticker changes! She's around 16ish in. and weighing in at around 3 lbs. It's hard to believe she doesn't have much more growing to do lengthwise, but she's still got lots of weight to put on yet. She's getting stronger everyday, and that's evident by all of her movement! She's also begun to settle into cycles of waking and sleeping now that she is capable of REM sleep. She continues to open her eyes, but her eyesight is very poor, and will be right after birth as well. Once here she'll have 20/400 vision and only be able to see objects a few inches from her face. (Sounds just like her mom when she doesn't have her contacts in!)

Maternity clothes? Still the same. I have been given a few larger items of clothing (not maternity) to get me by. Thank you!

Sleep? Never an issue! It's amazing to me that I can have the fan blowing on me all night, no blankets, and not get cold at all! Amazing how many things pregnancy changes in your body's chemistry!

Best moment this week? Not baby related - but my Bailey girl got all of her stiches out this week and looks wonderful! Now she just has to grow all of her hair back!

Worst moment this week? Baby in the ribs -- enough said.

Symptoms? I feel like I'm re-living first trimester all over again in so many ways. Once in a while I get moments of nausea but the fatigue is what's killing me. I can't walk as far as I used to because the extra weight is killing my back and I get winded from walking up a simple flight of stairs. It also makes it hard to walk when your feet are often swollen like a couple of sausages. Not very attractive either! She must have a leg jammed into my right rib somewhere and sitting all day in an office chair is not working for me anymore! Wow, I sound like a whiner!

Movement? When doesn't this little baby move? We are now starting to see rolling movements - like an elbow or knee going across my belly. Although it's wonderful that our little girl is so strong, I will admit that it creeps me out a bit. It's almost alien like. The movement has always freaked me out a bit and I'm just not one of those women that thinks it's the greatest thing ever. Don't get me wrong, I like the movement as reassurance that she's okay, but it's something I don't think I'm going to miss.

Belly button? Still an outie. Much easier to keep clean! ;)

What I miss? Running, feeling like a normal person who can do normal things. It's amazing the simple things we take for granted....

What I'm looking forward to? Upcoming baby shower and cooler weather! Bring on fall!!

Week 28 and a Babymoon!

I know, I know, I'm the world's worst blog updater! It's hard when you look at a computer all day long to get motivated to do it when you get home. I'll update with pictures this evening, but thought I would at least get this part finished to get some of you off my back! ;) We headed out on a roadtrip for our babymoon! First stop was Vegas to see a friend and the sights, we were in Laguna the next day and San Diego for the duration. We had such a wonderful time!

How far along? 28ish weeks

How big is baby? The size of an eggplant! She's around 14 1/2 in. long and around 2.5 lbs. Her eyes are now open and she's practicing blinking and she can probably see light that filters through the womb. This probably includes seeing the shadows of our hands because the little stinker kicks away until we touch my belly!

Maternity clothes? Yes, though I don't have too many. I've refused to spend the outrageous prices that they know they can gouge you with. I wear a lot of skirts and shorts with elastic waistbands. I have made many of my old shirts work and now that I'm in the home stretch I intend to keep it that way!

Sleep? Still sleeping wonderfully! As long as I have my body pillow and a nice cool place to sleep, I'm good!

Best moment this week? Getting away with my hubby for a wonderful babymoon!

Worst moment this week? None

Symptoms? Fatigue has set in again for the third trimester. Other than that, we're way past the symptoms portion of things - there's no hiding the fact that this girl is expecting!!

Movement? I have an active little baby! I hope this is not a sign of things to come when she's on the outside....

Belly button? Offically an outie! Very strange to me.....

What I miss? Owning my body. I love the little miracle that's growing inside, but I'm ready to get my tummy back, thank you very much!

What I'm looking forward to? Putting together the finishing touches on the nursery and getting signed up for prepared childbirth classes!

Nesting

Well, now that we know we have a little girl on the way, we've almost completed our registry and have started putting together the nursery....so much fun! It's hard to believe I'm 23 weeks along now. It's even harder to believe that there are only 17 give or takeish weeks left...wow!

So, little diva already has a closet (plus a few drawers) full of clothes for the start of her life. It's sort of sad when this little baby - who isn't even here yet - has a better wardrobe than her mom! Gerrick spent a good deal of last weekend putting the furniture together. I know he didn't have a lot of fun doing it, but it looks wonderful! Now we just have to choose a bedding, paint and get the decor and we'll be on our way! I seem to be --no, I have been -- very ADD about choosing crib bedding. I find one thing I like, then another, then another...you get the idea. The two I've narrowed down to are not my original top two. Go figure. I'm driving Gerrick crazy!

I don't want a bedding that's strictly tied to one particular theme. I didn't want something too 'baby' and something she could grow with. Our current theme is going to be elephants. Feel free to let me know which one you like the best. Enjoy the pictures! We will update with more as we progress....

Week 21

How far along? 21w 6d

How big is baby? The size of a large banana (in length). She is swallowing several ounces of amniotic fluid each day for hydration and nutrition. Her taste buds now work and the experts say that babies can actually get a tatse for what they will like as outside babies based on what mom eats during pregnancy!

Weight gain? No scale so I don't have a new number. Next appointment is June 28th.

Maternity clothes? Yes and very stretchy pants/shorts (think yoga pants and running shorts). I tried to fit into a pair of my old jean/cargo shorts that have ties instead of buttons.....didn't work out so well.

Sleep? Is getting more uncomfortable by the week, but I'm still able to sleep very well through most of the night. I don't think I ever got the 2nd tri energy back so I'm exhausted all the time. Gerrick says he now has a new nickname for me - choo-choo-train. Apparantly my snoring is keeping him up at night. Wait, isn't that usually the other way around?!?

Best moment this week? Finally feeling real kicks and feeling them from the outside! Dad even got to feel them once too!

Worst moment this week? None. I'm a pretty content pregnant girl. :)

Symptoms? FATIGUE, some nausea

Movement? Yes! So cool! I'm starting to learn her sleeping and active patterns. It feels like popcorn popping in my tummy!

Belly button? Pretty much doesn't look like a belly button anymore. I wouldn't call it an 'outie' but it's pretty much even with the rest of my tummy now.

What I miss? Not overheating so easily in the summer! It's terrible, and summer's only begun!

What I'm looking forward to? Getting the crib and dressers for the nursery!

So Excited to Be.......

It was a morning for picking sides - as evidenced by the pictures. Obviously thinking pink worked!!

Of the ten of you that voted in the gender poll, seven of you are smarter than I am! I was convinced from the beginning that this baby was a boy!

It was so amazing to see a recognizable human on the ultrasound screen -- so different from week six when she was just a blob with a flickering heartbeat! She was very active through the whole thing -- squirming around and we even got to see her stick her thumb in her mouth. So cute!

When the sonographer revealed the sex to us, I instantly burst into tears (happy ones of course), then looked at Gerrick and apologized -- he wanted a boy in the worst way. Even so, this little girl has already captured his heart and he can't stop talking about her! I couldn't resist and took the rest of the day off to go clothes shopping with my mom! Finally knowing that we're expecting a girl has made this much more real for me. I love this little girl with all my heart -- and I know she's surrounded by so may people that feel that way as well. What a lucky little lady!

Week 20 (Half Baked!)

We have made it to the halfway point -- how exciting! I can't believe that in only 4 months we will welcome our baby! Four months ago I just found out we were expecting, and other than the sickness, that time has gone really fast!

How far along? 20w 2d

How big is baby? The size of a cantaloupe! Skin is getting thicker, genitals are fully formed and toenails and fingernails are continuing to grow. Baby C can now hear sounds and is able to recognize familiar voices -- like mom and dad's. Familiar sounds of voices and music may be comforting to the baby once it's born. How cool is that?

Weight gain? I was so excited coming out of our anatomy scan, that I really didn't ask my weight -- but I think total is around 9 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Yes! I only have 2 pairs of pants. I'd like to get one or two pairs of shorts but I haven't liked the way any that I've tried on have fit. I wear mostly dresses now at work (maxi, etc.), which are sooooo comfortable!!

Sleep? I still sleep pretty well, but it's starting to get uncomfortable. I'm not a side sleeper....at all. I'm a back sleeper, and that's not an option anymore. I'm also a stomach sleeper, which I can still get away with, but I'm afraid I'm squishing the baby. If I lay on my stomach though, I tend to feel more movement! So needless to say, I struggle. I start out with the best of intentions on my side and wake up on my back anyway. *sigh*

Best moment this week? Finally finding out the sex of Baby C!! (see next posting)

Worst moment this week? None! I've been floating on clouds since Tuesday!

Symptoms? Easily fatigued -- Shopping for baby clothes is hard work!! Nausea if I don't eat right when I feel hungry.

Movement? I feel little clicks and pops, which I know aren't gas so I assume are baby. Found out at the anatomy scan that I have an anterior placenta, which is acting as an extra buffer for me to feel a lot of movement. That also means dad probably won't be able to feel kicks from the outside for a little bit longer.

Belly button? Almost all the way out! It looks so strange to me in the mirror -- I don't even recognize most of my mid-section anymore. Finally broke down and bought a pregnancy belly ring, which is way comfy, but far from cute -- therefore, not really adding to the beauty of the mid-section. :)

What I miss? Energy!

What I'm looking forward to? Starting the nursery!

Week 15

I'm back! -- In a timely fashion too! :) Pictures above are right at the end of week 15 into 16. Look at us grow!

How far along? 15w 6d

How big is baby? The size of a navel orange. Also my favorite fruit of the moment! The legs now outmeasure the arms and all four limbs now have functional joints.

Weight gain? 4-4 1/2 ish lbs. I'm doing well. If I continue at a rate of 5 pounds a month, I'll end up at about a 25 lb ish weight gain.

Maternity clothes? I have only bought a few pairs of pants, but oh, how I love those pants. I can still get away with my own shirts.....for now.

Sleep? Still sleeping amazingly well! I bought a body pillow last week and for the most part I like it -- though I'm not sure exactly how to use it. lol. I just sort of wrap myself around it and it seems to work pretty well, except when Bailey (our Jack Russell) decides that this is a new bed for her and smooshes the whole thing down -- therefore defeating its entire purpose!

Best moment this week? Feeling the best I've felt since pre-pregnancy on Tuesday. It was wonderful!! I haven't felt quite as good since, but I think it's very slowly getting better all the time. We heard the heartbeat again at this weeks doctor's appointment, and was told I'm measuring right on track!

Worst moment this week? None

Symptoms? Still some lingering nausea, easily fatigued.

Movement? I think I may have felt some flutters or tick-tocks, but it's so hard to tell at this point. I mostly get these feelings when I'm laying down.

Belly button? Still in, but I can see that it's certainly not as in as it used to be. Running out of room with the belly button piercing. The nurse noticed this too as she reminded me that they do make longer, stretchy jewlery.

What I miss? Nothing. I'm very content this week.

What I'm looking forward to? May 31st. This will be a recurring theme for 4 more weeks. We want to know the sex of this baby so we can start shopping!

14 Weeks

Nearing the end of week 14, and I've been a terrible blog updater. :( Finally took a first bump picture, as you can see. It was taken closer to the end of 13 weeks. I'll post an updated one in the week 15 post. Yes, I cross my heart I'll update for week 15!!

How far along? 14w 6d

How big is baby? About the size of a lemon. Last week he/she was the size of a peach, which to me seems bigger than a lemon. ::shrugs::, I don't make the rules. Much of Baby C's development this week is focused on the reproductive system, and the thyroid gland is now producing hormones. He/she is also developing fine hairs all over their body. No, we aren't having a dog, (or so we hope) -- it's job is to keep the baby warm until his/her body fat accumulates.

Weight gain? Won't know until next week's appointment.

Maternity clothes? Yes, please! I just bought a few pairs of maternity pants and am questioning why I waited so long. They are the most comfortable things e.v.e.r!! I don't intend to spend a lot of money on a maternity wardrobe, but these should help get me through.

Sleep? Still sleeping well. I think I'm going to start looking at body pillows though because when I lay on my side, I feel like my stomach is just hanging there. What a lovely picture I've just painted for you!

Best moment this week? It's not pregnancy related, but seeing our good friends Tom and Heather, who were visiting, over the weekend. We had the best time! I felt so good on Sunday, I was even able to dance on the Kinect!

Worst moment this week? Just getting through the days at work. It's been very hard to get and stay motivated.

Symptoms? Can you guess? haha. Nausea and exhaustion are still my "best friend". It seems to come and go though on an every other day basis. I'm having to get up at least 2-3 times a night to go to the bathroom. It must be God's way of preparing you to get up numerous times in the middle of the night with baby.

Movement? Not felt by me. Should be one of these weeks soon though!!

Belly button? In, but I think it's time to invest in a stretchy belly button piercing retainer. I think I really "popped" in the last week or so.

What I miss? Feeling normal.

What I'm looking forward to? Our gender/anatomy scan on May 31st! I can't believe it's only 4 weeks away! Vote on my gender poll at the top of the page to guess what you think we're having!

Week 11

Houston - we've officially heard a heartbeat! We had our 2nd appointment this week and it was very uneventful (I suppose that's a good thing). Took the doctor about 5 seconds to find that glorious little sound!

How far along? 11w6d

How big is baby? The size of a lime and 1.5 in. long. All systems are fully formed and now just need more time to develop. Baby is rather squirmy in there, but I can't feel any of that yet!

Weight gain? Came out even this time. Nothing gained, nothing lost!

Maternity clothes? Nope, but I'm thinking of looking for some cute summer dresses at Motherhood sometime soon. Will be much more comfy than pants. If I wear jeans, I'm at the point where they're getting chucked across the room immediatley when I get home.

Sleep? I heart you sleep. Please keep being my friend for as long as possible!

Best moment this week? Hearing the heartbeat! Gerrick says it sounds like water swishing around in a bottle. I want to purchase a doppler for home use, but he's not going for that.

Worst moment this week? Having to pull over on the side of the road on the way to work to throw up my breakfast. Charming.

Symptoms? Nothings changed. Doctor prescribed my Zofran. I don't know if it's working of not. It does give me horrible headaches and constipation though, that I know for sure! So, I'm having to take more drugs to counteract the side effects of the other drugs.

Movement? Yes, but not that I can feel. This is the only reason I wish we would have done the NT scan -- for another ultrasound and get to see baby flips.

Belly button? In!

What I miss? Margaritas...again. I've gotten at least 2 virgin strawberry daqueries to help fulfill that need. It kind of worked.

What I'm looking forward to? October! I know, I'm a whiner. At this point I want this baby baked and out!

Celebrity Bump Watch

Ok, so there are about a gazillion celebrities in Hollywood at the moment that are due to have babies sometime this year. Here is the only one I really care about. Pink.

I think she's due sometime this month. I love her. Gerrick says I have a girl crush....maybe so. None the less, she just seems to be one person in Hollywood who's real, down to earth and really cares about her fans. (Check her out on Twitter - you'll see). I think she'll be a fantastic mother (probably one of the few to raise the kid herself. Gasp!) I'm excited to hear about the arrival of her little munchkin!

Week 10

I'm finally back with an update! I don't keep my promises very well -- and I apologize to those that check in regularly. Once I think the morning sickness is over, it comes right back and I have no desire to sit and blog. I hope this changes soon. Well, this week Baby C is a prune. Last week was a green olive -- which looked much more appetizing then this vomit-inducing prune!

How far along? 10w6d

How big is baby? About the size of that ugly prune up there. I like seeing that the baby floating in the bubble up top actually looks like a human now!

Weight gain? Will find out on Tuesday

Maternity clothes? Nope, still fit in my regular clothes--which is amazing because I think a bump is starting to become noticeable.

Sleep? This is probably the one thing I've enjoyed so far this pregnancy. I sleep at least 9-10 hours a night. I've had to start taking my lunch hour as nap hour. I had been sleeping on the floor of my office (terribly uncomfortable) or the car (like a hobo). My bosses have been kind enough to buy me a portable cot, comforter and the squishiest, most comfy pillow so that I'm not hitting a wall by 3 pm everyday. So nice!

Best moment this week? Mad our first appointment with the hospital for an early pregnancy class. Should be interesting!

Worst moment this week? Continued nausea--does it ever end??

Symptoms? Same story.......different day........

Movement? Not that I can feel? Hope the ultrasound shows some baby gymnastics!

Belly button? Still in

What I miss? Being able to do things around the house on the weekends. I'm either too sick or too tired to do very much for very long.

What I'm looking forward to? 2nd appointment and ultrasound this coming Tuesday! I hope we see an actual human looking baby instead of a blob! We are supposed to hear a heartbeat as well!

Week 8

How far along: 8w3d

How big is baby? The size of a large red raspberry! He/she is growing amazingly quickly at a millimeter a day. Baby is also moving arms and legs, even though it's too early to be felt by me!

Weight gain? Won't know until April 5th at our second appointment.

Maternity clothes? Nope! I'm enjoying my jeans while I can!

Sleep? Has never been a problem for me, and still isn't. I am thinking of buying a body pillow however, since I'm not used to sleeping on my side.

Best moment this week? Finally feeling a little bit like myself again. I've felt like I've been fighting the flu for two weeks now and finally started coming out of the constant nausea at the end of this week.

Worst moment this week? Wednesday wasn't fun. Called in sick just as I was walking out the door to work. Even the energy in took to talk that day was a stuggle for me. Who would think something so small could make you feel so terrible!?

Symptoms? Slight nausea, hungry often.

Movement? Not that I'm able to feel yet!

Belly button? In!

What I miss? Margaritas!!

What I'm looking forward to? Blogging more! Maybe rejoining the world of the living!!

Blog Challenge: Day 8

A picture of a place you've visited:



In May, 2008, we were able to travel to Alaska to visit family. It's a beautiful state and definitely a place we'd like to see more of. This is a photo I took of killer whales in Kenai Fjords National Park near Seward, AK. Seeing killer whales for the first time in the wild brought me to tears!!

Week 7

I apologize for my absence and delay in any new posts. I have felt like a train-wreck for the past week and a half. All I want to do when I get home is lay on the couch and die. Or maybe just sleep. At least the nausea isn't rearing it's ugly head when I'm asleep. Onward to week 7! How far along: 7w3d

How big is baby? About the size of a blueberry. Baby C's brain is growing rapidly and gaining about 100 new cells every minute!! Arms and legs should be sprouting as joints form and kidneys are now in place! My bump ticker says that the pigment in the eyes is now complete.

Weight gain? I'll let you know at my 11 week appointment, since last week's appointment was the first time I'd weighed.

Maternity clothes? Nope!

Sleep? I'm getting lots of good quality sleep! I feel like one of those people with the disease where you sleep all the time, and feel like I get nothing accomplished around the house --but I digress, rest is important!

Best moment this week? Seeing Baby C's little heartbeat! Too cool!

Worst moment this week? Feeling like death warmed over -- almost every minute of the day!

Symptoms? Nausea, duh. Still hungry every 2-3 hours. I finally broke down today and bought a pair of Sea Bands. I'll let you know how they work, or not. I'm a bit of a skeptic.

Movement? Too early

Belly button? Still in!

What I miss? Feeling like myself. I've almost forgotten what that's like!

What I'm looking forward to? Maybe some snow this week. A snow day would be wonderful!!

Blog Challenge: Day 7

Favorite Movies:

Annie is my favorite childhood movie. I could (and still can) recite every line and song. I would watch the movie every Monday night when we would go to my parents' friends house for dinner. I had Annie jewlery, I was Annie for Halloween, I would act the movie out.....I wanted to be Annie! Laugh if you must, but it brings back some great childhood memories for me!

The rest are more recent and are the first ones that come to my mind. I love movies, so it's hard to pick just a few. I'm sure I'm forgetting many.....