The Best is Yet to Be...

One big baby!

2012-03-30T13:38:00.000-04:00

So, I'm now 35W & 4 days along... that means there's right around 4 weeks left of this journey...I can't believe we're getting so close to meeting little Avalyn! It's crazy to know that something I've wanted for my entire life will be here in a month. It's going to be the best day of our lives...

I went for an ultrasound yesterday, per Dr. C's request. With my feet swelling & my blood pressure being weird, she wanted to have one done for added reassurance. Well, Miss Ava is growing to be a big girl! She currently weighs in at 6lbs, 12 oz. I'm figuring with the 4 weeks that are remaining and the 1/2-1lb per week she'll gain, we could potentially have a 10 pounder on our hands! Lets all hope that this doesn't happen. I was 8lbs when I was born & J was 7lbs, but he was also a month early. He could have easily been 10lbs if he'd gone full term. We'll see what happens, I guess! It doesn't appear that I'll need to go on bedrest. Although my feet swelling was causing some concern, I'm doing really well... I just have fat feet. :) Hopefully they'll shrink after I deliver (along with a few other body parts).

Here's a picture of Ava's face...I'm pretty sure she has my nose and cheeks :o)

Too bad her eyes aren't visible! It kind of looks like she has a blanket over them....

J and I are going out on an actual date tonight.... After looking at the calendar for the next few weeks, we realized that we have commitments EVERY weekend until Ava's EDD. We HAVE to take some time out for ourselves now, because who knows when the next time will be! It'll be nice to have a yummy meal (steak!) that we don't have to clean up afterwards.

Tomorrow, I'm treating myself to one last pedicure and I'm spending some time with my mom. It'll be a nice, peaceful day & I don't have to be on a schedule...can't wait! Hopefully I can even sleep in. I don't tend to sleep very late on the weekends, but I'm going to try to force myself to relax until around 9am. I owe it to myself to savor this time now, while I still can!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to a great weekend! I hope you all are too :)

Until next time! :)

It's been a while!

2012-03-22T14:47:00.000-04:00

I've been MIA and I'm sorry..... It seems I'm back to the fun waiting game (it never seems to end). We wait to get AF, then to O, then to test. Once we get our BFP, we wait for our first appointment, then the gender scan, then for baby's arrival.

I'm 34 weeks and 3 days along today. This coming Monday marks 5 weeks until my due date. As grateful as I am to have been able to experience this journey, I'm officially OVER IT. I'm so ready for her to get her here and hold her and love her. I have cankles (big ones!) and my blood pressure's been if-y. Dr. C. seems to think there's a good chance I'll have to go on bed rest soon. I don't want that! I miss sleeping on my back, & gasping for air when I walk short distances. Ava is literally sucking the life out of me. But I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. She's worth every ache, pain, and pound I've gained (40 so far!)

I was given a beautiful shower last month and we got pretty much everything we'll need for a while. It feels so good knowing that my baby girl will be loved by so many people! We really are a fortunate family & we are so blessed. We've got her room all ready, the car seat's been installed, all we need is our sweet baby girl to fill the space! I can't believe she could potentially be in this world in a month! J's getting super excited too...he's going to be the best daddy ever.

I am, however, looking forward to getting my pre-baby (make that pre-wedding) body back. I want to feel sexy and confident again! I'm not afraid to admit my vanity on this....but that's the MAIN reason I want to breast feed. I know, I know. I should want to do it for all the other reasons (healthier for Ava, better on our grocery bill, yada yada yada). I like those reasons too, but honestly, it's for me. I hate feeling like I do (fat & squishy) & I know breastfeeding will get me back to normal more quickly. If that makes me superficial, then I guess I am, but I'm ok with that for now :)

Hopefully, I will check in a couple more times before her arrival!! That's all I've got for now :)

We moved!

2012-02-17T11:46:00.000-05:00

Yep! We FINALLY closed on our dream home...We've been so busy over the past 3 weeks or so, that I haven't had time to give an update, so here I am!

Let me just say....I'm NEVER moving again. EVER. Especially when I'm pregnant. I feel like I've been working 2 jobs for the past couple of weeks. I come to work, then go home & work for 3-4 hours at the house. It's exhausting! Dr. C tells me I'm supposed to "take it easy" & I know she's right, but I can't stand living in clutter. I want everything done before Ava arrives (in 10 weeks!)

My ankles have been swelling (not an attractive look, people!) Cankles suck. Because of the swelling, Dr. C had me do another ultrasound to make sure Ava was doing OK & she's better than OK! She weighs 3.2 lbs & she even has some hair on her head (I'm not surprised by this, because J & I happen to be the hairiest people I know) So, I just have to keep my feet up as much as possible (not easy when I have a desk job) and I have to watch my sodium intake, which means really boring food. I haven't been following either of these rules & I'm sure I'll regret that soon...It's really hard to eat right when you're on the go all the time.

My baby shower is a week from tomorrow (at my new house!)...I can't wait to see everyone! Unfortunately, I had to invite Crazy. Because of her being there, I've requested that absolutely no alcohol be present. How sad is that? Not that people would expect to drink at a baby shower, but I know sometimes Mimosa's are offered. I just refuse to contribute to her obnoxiousness. I really can't stand her. She's an awful, awful person. More on her later, though....

They've moved my due date to April 30th...which means I'll be 30 weeks this Monday. I have a feeling that I'm not making it to the full 40 weeks. I'm HUGE! I think she'll probably come a couple of weeks early, which is perfectly fine with me! We're still working on getting her nursery ready & I can't wait for it all to be complete. J's going to do a mural on one of her walls (butterflies to honor his mom). It's going to be beautiful! I'm also going to make her bedding. I'm not wanting to use a bumper in the crib, so I was having a really hard time finding a bedding set that I liked. I found a really cute pattern which I'm going to use for her bed skirt & window treatments. I think we'll be putting her crib together this weekend. I can't wait to start seeing it all come together.

Happy Friday Everyone!

25 weeks, so...

2012-01-20T14:30:00.000-05:00

This means there's only 15 weeks left! I'm wondering if I'll go early or if I'll go over my due date. I've heard that 1st timers tend to go over, but we'll see. I don't want to be induced unless it means Ava's safety. I'd prefer to let nature/God decide when she gets here. Here's my birth plan: enema (if there's time, PLEASE!), epidural (if there's time), and a Jimmy John's spicy italian sub- I've been craving this for so long & I can't wait to sink my teeth into it! I'm easy! People who make "birth plans" bug me. I mean honestly, the dr.'s know A LOT more about giving birth than I do & I trust that they'll do what's best for me and my baby. I'm not going to freak if something has to change at the last minute (like a c-section) or something. I'll just have go with whatever gets thrown my way.

I had the worst dream ever last night....
For some reason I was put to sleep to give birth to Ava & when I woke up, I was at my mom's on her couch. I asked her where Ava was & she pointed to the other room. When I went in there, Ava was in my dog's big crate sleeping. I woke her up & she turned to look at me & smiled. But she had a mouth full of big white teeth! Then I picked her up, so I could get a better look at her & she had little tiny arms (like on a T-rex) with two fingers in each spot where there would normally be one finger (so 20 fingers in all!). And she had 7 toes on one foot & 8 on the other. I started sobbing & asking why the doctors never told me she'd look like this. All the women in my family were there & kept telling me how perfect she was. I was scared, angry, and sad. But I kept telling Ava that I loved her no matter what....

So weird! When I go to see Dr. C next week, I'm demanding an ultrasound so I can count all of her digits.

Some great news is that we got the house! We close next Friday (the 27th) at 4pm. We can't wait to get out of the rental... I'm so ready to start painting Ava's room & the rest of the house. Since J's such a great artist, I'm giving him *most* of the creative control on her room. He's going to do a mural for her walls. I'll pick the color scheme, of course. It'll definitely be soft, soothing colors because I don't want too much stimuli in there. Anyway, it'll be so great to have something that we can grow into together for many years to come.

On a negative note- my father-in-law is an a-hole. I haven't talk about it here yet, but it's time. Since my mother-in-law passed away (not even 6 months ago!), my father-in-law (i'll call him "T") has met a woman (we'll call her "Crazy") and announced his ENGAGEMENT to the family last weekend. T has not only moved on faster than I could change my underwear, he's completely ignored his kids cries for comfort and frustration of the loss of their mother (his WIFE of 40 years). He has told my sister-in-law to "F off", because she was curious about where her mother's jewelery is. Crazy drinks too much and basically lives in la-la land. And she wears fur coats. She's obnoxious and has no idea how her presence makes everyone feel. She acts like we're all accepting of her and T and like my mother-in-law never even existed. I can't stand her & I'm pretty sure she's aware of that fact. I don't care.

They're both selfish & I'm kind of at the point that I don't want either of them around Ava. Mostly because every time we're with them, they're drunk (it's super classy). And the fact that T talked to his own daughter like she's a piece of garbage. If he treats her that way, what's stopping him from treating Ava like that? I've lost all respect for T and it hurts. Mostly because for 5 years, I looked at him like he was my dad too. Once J's mom died, though, his true colors came shining through. Everything I thought he was has gone away. I have nothing to say to either of them...it sucks for J too. Not only has he lost his mom, he's now feeling like he's lost his dad. No child should ever feel that way.

The only positive thing from all of this is that J has learned what NOT to do as a father. He's going to be an amazing dad....

24 weeks

2012-01-13T11:52:00.001-05:00

Just an updated survey... Sorry, I don't have anything more interesting!

How far along are you? 24 weeks today (according to my pregnancy ticker). That means there’s only 16 weeks left!

How big is Baby? About the size of a corn cob (8.5 inches long). That’s what my “What to Expect” app says, anyway

Weight Gain? About 17 lbs, total. Dr. C says that’s a perfect range, so that’s good!

Gender? Baby girl J

Maternity Clothes? Definitely

Stretch Marks? None (yet)…I have a feeling they’ll pop up near my delivery date, though.

Sleep? Some good nights & some bad

Symptoms? None! Just a big ol’ belly J

Movement? She’s a little dancer in there…she loves when her daddy talks to her, too. She’s shows off for him!

Food Cravings? Cereal. I eat a bowl every night before bed. My favorite kind, right now, is plain corn flakes with chocolate syrup drizzled on top. Yummy!

Labor Signs? Of course not

Belly Button in or out? More like flat…

What I miss? My clothes fitting, my waistline, not worrying about everything under the sun…

What I am looking forward to? Meeting our angel. I can’t wait to see what she looks like!

Best moment of the week? Unfortunately, nothing really all that significant has happened this week…

23 weeks....

2012-01-06T16:01:00.000-05:00

and I'm feeling like a beached whale. I can't even imagine what it's going to be like by the end of these 40 weeks. I've gained 17 lbs (give or take) and my doctor seems pleased with that number, but it kind of freaks me out a little.

Anyway, I've been feeling pretty good and Ava's getting to be more & more active every day. J's only felt her move a little bit, but she loves kicking me when I lay down on my back. The other day, I was curled up on the couch taking a nap and she kicked me so hard that I woke up thinking someone hit me in the gut!

Here's my belly (sorry it's been so long!):

It's so weird to know that there's a little baby chillin' in that gut. I love her so much already & we can't wait to meet her! I've bought her crib (thanks to my mom giving us some $$ for Christmas to go towards her crib) and the glider for her room. Also, my aunt gave me a crib mattress (it's 10 years old) but it seems to be in great shape, so I'll try it. She had it for her grandson, but he only slept on it a few times. Luckily, they aren't that expensive, so if it doesn't work out, I can always go and get a new one. We got a ton of clothes already for her, so I know she won't be hurting in that area. Diapers and formula are a different story, though.... I'm planning on *attempting* to breast feed, but I'm not banking on it. I'm going to try to save up lots of $$ to help pay for formula in case we end up needing it.

I'm pretty sure we got the house we've been wanting! We are just waiting on the actual loan to get approved....we've got 1 week until it's all supposed to be finalized. If it goes through, we'll close on Feb. 3rd (J's B-day!). I'm keeping my fingers crossed and saying a lot of prayers that this works out for us. The waiting and wondering is making me cranky, though. I'm sure I'll know something by next week, so I'll update more then!

It's official!

2011-12-21T08:39:00.001-05:00

After anxiously waiting for the 20 week ultrasound, we found out last Thursday that we are having a......

GIRL!!!!!

We are super duper excited and we can't wait to meet our little angel.... Avalyn Morgan will be here around April 30th.... We chose this name for many reasons, all of which hold some sort of symbolism in our hearts....

See, if we had a boy J always said he wanted to name him "Eagle"....that wasn't going to work for me-EVER. So, as a way to compromise, I started researching names that meant eagle, without actually having to say it.... that's where Ava comes in. Apparently, Ava means eagle in Greek mythology. The "Lyn" part of her name comes from J's mom, Linda. It's obvious why we chose this. Morgan was my dad's middle name, and I wanted to remember him. So there it is.....but I think we'll just call her simply Ava. Love it :)

These past few days have been hell!!! After the big reveal on Thursday, I said to everyone how easy this pregnancy has been and I couldn't wait to see how easy giving birth was going to be. Then, God played a funny trick on me. After a quick trip to the ER on Saturday morning, it turned out that I had a kidney stone! Well, wouldn't you know it, pregnant women can't be treated for kidney stones. They have to pass on their own!!! Let me just say, if I can survive that kind of pain, childbirth really will be a breeze. I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on my worst enemy. Thank God it finally passed last night! It was about the size of a 1k diamond ring!!! OUCH.

On a positive note, we think we've bought ourselves a home...I don't want to jinx it just yet. After several counter offers between ourselves and the sellers, we've come to an agreement. I'm not getting to excited yet, though. J is meeting with the inspector today, so once we pass that, then I'll jump for joy and start packing. I really hope everything turns out ok, because I was really struggling with not being able to experience the whole nesting aspect of decorating Ava's nursery. With us being in the rental we're in now, I wasn't allowing myself to get excited over baby decor....now I think (hope) that we get to experience that!

I'll know more this afternoon about the inspection and hopefully will be able to return here with great news.!

19 WEEKS!!!

2011-12-09T11:41:00.000-05:00

Well, we are almost 1/2 way there! I can't believe how fast time has gone by. It seems like it was yesterday when I saw those 2 pink lines on my HPT. I was at work on Monday, August 22nd, and took a test in the hall bathroom. The second line came up immediately. I texted my friend Ally to come in there ASAP, because I needed another set of eyes- I just knew I was dreaming! She saw it & I started shaking uncontrollably. I was so scared, excited, and in complete awe. Honestly, my first thought was "Linda has everything to do with this...Thank you God!" In all that J & I had been through over the past month, getting pregnant was the very last thing that I thought would happen. I was so convinced that I wouldn't conceive until everything settled down, so I had pretty much been getting drunk every night for four days in a row (from Thursday night- Sunday) No, I'm not a lush, but we had several family & friends that had get-togethers, so the wine was free-flowing. I can't resist good wine! :) These past few months seem like such a blur to both J & I. As time goes on, our excitement and anticipation grow stronger. And my belly keeps getting bigger!

We found out last weekend that two of our girlfriends are also preggers! I'm so excited that I'm not the only one in our circle of friends!! One of the girls is 4 weeks behind me, and she's married to J's best friend. The timing couldn't be better! We'll get to be on maternity leave together and our kids will be close. The other couple is due in August, I believe. They haven't officially told us (secrets are hard to keep among all of us), so we've been practicing our surprised faces ;) I think they're waiting until they get out of their 1st trimester to tell us, which is understandable. After getting this great news, it just confirms our having to wait so long for our baby was all just part of God's plan! I'm grateful for how this is all playing out & I don't think it should be any other way.

We have 6 days to wait until we find out the sex!!! J & I can hardly stand the wait....Whatever it ends up being, I'll be excited & I know J will be too. Even though he REALLY wants a boy, since he is the last male in our family with our last name. He got really emotional about it the other night...It was hard to not laugh, but aren't I the one who should be emotional? It's sweet to see him so excited and happy about all of this...I love that man.

We keep forgetting to take pictures of my belly...I'll probably regret that later. I'm to the point that I can't see my toes anymore, so that should give you some perspective on my growth. I love it, but I am kind of missing my waistline. It will return, I'm sure though! I'm anxiously waiting for some definite action from this baby. I want to feel some kicks, punches and rolls. I want J to be able to feel it too. Hopefully, it will happen in the next couple of weeks! If there's one thing this baby is teaching me, it's patience. Believe me, I've definitely needed it!

I will post again next week after we find out...... eeeek!

Blog Award

2011-12-08T11:37:00.000-05:00

Thanks Courtney at Our Pathway to Parenthood for this nomination!

Now, the rules of the award:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award!

2. List 7 things people may not know about you.

3. Pass the award to 15 other bloggers and notify them as well.

Seven things about me:

1- I love music...all of it anywhere from Etta James to Def Leopard to Alan Jackson to Outkast. It's all good to me and puts my mind at ease. Music was always on in my house growing up, so I was introduced to all sorts of different styles. I really regret not learning to play an instrument...I did ask for a drum set from Santa when I was younger, but he never came through for me. Damn, Santa.

2- I love to dance! My mom put me in dance lessons at the age of two and I haven't stopped since. It's in me, it's a part of me, and I hope that my kid inherits that love from me! I used to say that I wanted to be a back-up dancer for Britney Spears...would have been cool!

3- When I dream at night, the dreams almost always involve water. Whether it's an ocean, a river, or a pool, there's water. It's the weirdest thing. I wonder what it symbolizes?

4-I think I'm sort of psychic. I get premonitions about people...for example, when I was younger I had this extremely bad feeling about an ex-boyfriend's (who I hadn't spoken to in 6 months) grandmother (to the point that I was feeling nauseous), so I called him & told him how I was feeling. He said that he was actually at the hospital with her and she wasn't going to make it through the night. Stuff like that happens a lot with me....

5- I'm in love with NYC! If it wasn't so cold there, I'd go all the time. That's where J & I got engaged, so I have a special fondness for it. There's nothing like it & I love the energy there. And the FOOD! Everything in NYC tastes like heaven to me. We are thinking of going back for our 5th anniversary....the baby will be a year old by then, so I think we could leave him/her for a weekend at that point!

6- I'm excited to teach myself how to sew with a sewing machine! I have a ton of creative energy that I've been suppressing for the past 2 years (I'm finishing my Bachelor's Degree in a few weeks, so I've been busy with that- YAY me!), so I'm really looking forward to making stuff. I want to make purses, clothes for the baby, curtains, etc...

7- I'm a worry wart. I can't help it. Sometimes I think I need medication to calm me down....I've been told several times by strangers that I'm an anxious person. It drives J nuts. I can't help it! I'm always thinking about the what-ifs and the potential consequences that could happen. I hope that changes when the baby comes!

Blogs I nominate (I regularly follow these):

1) http://littleloomanlog.blogspot.com/

2) http://mrssneakers.blogspot.com/

3) http://whenohwhenwillitbe.blogspot.com/

4) http://kandjstaats.blogspot.com/

5) http://erincantblog.blogspot.com/

18 weeks!

2011-12-02T09:50:00.002-05:00

How far along are you? 18 weeks today (according to my pregnancy ticker). I’m almost ½ way there!

How big is Baby? About the size of a sweet potato (5.5 inches long). That’s what my “What to Expect” app says, anyway

Weight Gain? About 10 lbs, total. Dr. C says that’s a perfect range, so that’s good!

Gender? We find out in 2 weeks! The Chinese Gender test says girl…we’ll see!

Maternity Clothes? Definitely

Stretch Marks? None. My skin is starting to feel tight, though. I keep forgetting to buy some cocoa butter…maybe this weekend.

Sleep? Just OK…I keep waking up on my back & I get nervous, since I’m not supposed to. Apparently it could hurt the baby? I need to find a way to stop rolling over….the body pillow isn’t really helping to prevent that. Hmmmm

Symptoms? None! Just a big ol’ belly J

Movement? I think I felt some movement & J felt it, too. I don’t know for sure, though. Could’ve been gas

Food Cravings? Ice cream! I don’t normally eat ice cream like that, but I’m loving my milkshakes!

Labor Signs? Of course not

Belly Button in or out? Still in, but flatter everyday, it seems

What I miss? My clothes fitting

What I am looking forward to? The gender scan in 2 weeks…my mom, stepdad, & J’s dad will all be in the room for Baby N’s big reveal! Will it be an Inny or an Outty? It will definitely be an unforgettable moment for all of us!

Best moment of the week? We’ve decided to buy a home!! I want to try to buy one before the baby comes, but if that doesn’t happen, that’s OK. We haven’t actually started looking yet, but we’ve been pre-approved, so we’re getting the ball rolling. It’s so exciting & we are so happy for this much wanted step in our lives! Plus that means that we can actually decorate a nursery for the baby J

16 week survey thingy (a few days late)

2011-11-21T12:46:00.001-05:00

How far along are you? 16 weeks, 3 days today (according to my pregnancy ticker). I’m officially near the end of my 4^th month! (apparently pregnancy is actually 10 months)

How big is Baby? About the size of a turnip (5 inches long, 5 oz). That’s what my “What to Expect” app says, anyway

Weight Gain? About 6 lbs, total, I guess

Gender? We find out in 24 days!

Maternity Clothes? Definitely

Stretch Marks? None. My skin is starting to feel tight, though.

Sleep? Pretty good! I got a new body pillow. It’s a “Back N Belly” maternity pillow & it’s HEAVENLY. I feel like I’m in a cocoon when I lay in it. J wants to use it after I have the baby for himself!

Symptoms? None this week.... I keep forgetting I'm pregnant. Not really, but if I didn't know that I was, I'd probably be treating myself to a few beers or glasses of wine.

Movement? I *think* I feel stuff going on in there, but it’s nothing definite.

Food Cravings? Nothing really this week. My appetite is not as big as it was and when I do eat, I feel REALLY full for hours afterwards. I think I’m going to have to eat small meals throughout the day from here on out.

Labor Signs? Of course not

Belly Button in or out? Still in, but flatter everyday, it seems

What I miss? My clothes fitting

What I am looking forward to? Thanksgiving this week. I am so very thankful for our blessing…..And I can’t wait to try the peanut butter pie and cheesecake I’m going to make!

Best moment of the week? I got a call for a potential job offer! I’ve been trying to get on with this company for a long time. Unfortunately, I’ll have to get back in touch with them AFTER the baby comes… She seemed interested in me, though. We’ll just have to wait to see what happens then!

my 15 week pic

2011-11-14T11:38:00.000-05:00

Getting bigger!

*ignore Lady's tail*

Toilet paper and bed hogs

2011-11-11T09:06:00.000-05:00

So, this morning, I woke up for my usual 3am pee session. There's nothing worse than having to wake from a dead sleep to do this. I envy babies so much for this very reason. They can just go whenever they feel the urge and continue to dream the night away. Can there be anything better than that? Anyway, so I'm 1/2 peeing and 1/2 sleeping on the toilet and went to grab the toilet paper. There was only one little square left on the roll!!! I immediately knew who the culprit was & his name starts with "J". So, I had to get up, waddle over to the cabinet to get another roll with pee dripping every which way, cursing J the whole way. Who wants to deal with that at 3am? NOT ME.

So I go back to the bed after cleaning myself up and realize that J is all over my side of the bed. We have a king, but somehow, I'm sleeping on two feet of space, while he had about 4 feet behind him. So, I kindly ask him to scoot back a little. He said "I'm on my side!" I'm like really? "cuz you and your cuddle pillow and morning breath are all in my business! Move over!" Then he called me a bed hog & I called him one back (we're so mature!) I also reminded him how its common courtesy to replace the toilet paper if you're the last one to use it all. He gave me some lame excuse to why he didn't and couldn't understand what the big deal was. I said "of course you don't get it, you have a d**k! All you have to do is shake it!"

So there you have it....we actually argued about toilet paper and who's a bigger bed hog. At 3am. Marriage is bliss!

On to more important things..... I'm 15 weeks today! We keep forgetting to take a weekly picture, but I'll do it this afternoon when I get home & try to post it. This past week has been pretty good....nothing really significant has happened, so I guess I'm blessed to have zero drama to complain about....(other than the above mentioned craziness)

Here's my survey for this week...Enjoy!

How far along are you? 15 weeks today (according to my pregnancy ticker)

How big is Baby? About the size of a naval orange. That’s what my “What to Expect” app says, anyway

Weight Gain? About 6 lbs. I’m up one pound from last week, which is good. I’m supposed to gain about one pound per week from here on out. So, I’m thinking, in total I’ll gain 30lbs.

Gender? Won’t know for a while (I’m really thinking boy, though)

Maternity Clothes? Same as last week

Stretch Marks? None

Sleep? Just OK. I’ve been having some crazy dreams! I dreamed the other night that we had 15 kittens in our house. Everywhere I turned there was another kitten hiding under something. Strange.

Symptoms? None this week. Still tired, but I might as well get used to that. I’m going to be tired for the next 18 years, at least!

Movement? I think I feel stuff going on in there, but it’s nothing definite.

Food Cravings? Nothing really this week. My appetite is not as big as it was. I’m still really thirsty, though.

Labor Signs? Of course not

Belly Button in or out? Still in!

What I miss? My clothes fitting

What I am looking forward to? My next Dr. visit on Dec 1st. I think they’re going to check for Spina Bifida at that visit, which means they’ll likely do an ultrasound. I’ll have to tell Dr. C to keep the monitor turned away, because I’m afraid I might see the sex. I don’t want to find out then because we’re finding out as a family (grandparents and all) on December 15^th! I don’t want to ruin the surprise!

Best moment of the week? We saw some friends for the first time since we announced our pregnancy and they could tell immediately that I’m showing J I’m really proud of this bump!

This week's survey says:

2011-11-04T13:14:00.000-04:00

How far along are you? 14 weeks today (according to my pregnancy ticker). But the baby's measuring about 14 weeks, 4 days. My due date has been moved to April 30th, but I know it will change again.

How big is Baby? About the size of a naval orange. That’s what my “What to Expect” app says, anyway

Weight Gain? About 5 lbs. Trying to keep it under 5 lbs for the 1^st trimester!

Gender? We find out on December 15th! All the grandparents are coming, too. We want them to be involved in this baby as much as possible.

Maternity Clothes? Getting there! I definitely have a bump...I'm actually kind of huge for only being 14 weeks. I look more like I'm around 20 weeks or so. I don't mind, because my weight is staying the same.

Stretch Marks? None

Sleep? Still great!

Symptoms? I'm really tired lately. And emotional, too, but I'm trying real hard to keep that in check

Movement? I thought I felt something the other night...felt like bubbles, but it could have been gas.

Food Cravings? I really am craving mac-n-cheese. The homemade kind with the almost burnt crusty top. Mmmmm. So good!

Labor Signs? Of course not

Belly Button in or out? Still in, but getting flatter.

What I miss? My clothes fitting and girls nights out. I'm not really comfortable going to a bar with a baby bump. Something seems wrong about that.

What I am looking forward to? Finding out the sex! Once we do that, we can start registering for things we want, like clothes, crib bedding, and other fun stuff.

Best moment of the week? I'm in my second trimester now!!! only 25 weeks to go! That's only 6 months....I'm so excited :)

13/14 weeks- i don't know anymore

2011-11-02T08:55:00.000-04:00

They've changed my due date from 5/4/12 to 4/30/12. I know that's only 5 days difference, but now I'm not sure if I'm actually in my 2nd trimester yet, or if I have a couple more days to go. Regardless, baby will be here somewhere in that time frame. EEEEK!

It's been getting more and more real for us & I'm FINALLY getting over my fear of miscarrying. We actually bought the baby's carrier and stroller on Sunday. It's a Snap-N-Go & the carrier just locks into place. It's MUCH lighter than a traditional travel system that we were originally looking at. We'll get a normal (but light!) stroller when the baby's around 9 months or so. We were also planning on not getting a crib, but a pack-n-play for the baby to sleep in, but I think we've changed our minds. Since we rent our home, I'm not really wanting to do a nursery, because I don't want to get attached. When we buy a house, we'll definitely decorate the room. Besides, I'd prefer to have the baby in our room for the first 6 months. I think it's important to have the baby close by.

Anyway, we went to the Dr. C's (our wonderful OB) office yesterday (I wanted J to meet her), and we got an ultrasound. Let me just say, our baby is already full of personality. I can't wait to meet him/her! As soon as she put the thingy (that's the ultrasound thing that goes on my stomach), baby N was staring straight at us, with it's hands up by it's head. We could see little fingers and it was jumping all around. I swear it looks like it's smiling from ear to ear......
Here's a pic:

It's so amazing that it used to look like a little blob. Now it has a face, and bones, and a rib cage! What a beautiful thing....

11 weeks!

2011-10-14T08:43:00.000-04:00

This past week has been pretty good. I haven't had any real complaints...I did puke on Wednesday, though! That was kind of exciting! I'm almost out of this first trimester :) YAY! It hit me the other day that we only have 6 months until this baby gets here. 6 MONTHS!! I feel like we have so much to do & I'm getting a little bit overwhelmed. I know it will all work out, but time flies by SO fast.

This coming Wednesday, we get to have another ultrasound. I can't wait for that! I also have ordered a fetal doppler that should have been here by now, but apparently, 2-3 day expedited shipping that costs $20, really means 10 days. I would have saved my $20 and waited 14 days for it to arrive. That's the only thing I hate about ordering things online. Oh well. It will get here when it wants to, I guess.

How far along are you? 11 weeks today (according to my pregnancy ticker)

How big is Baby? About the size of a lime. That’s what my “What to Expect” app says, anyway

Weight Gain? About 5 lbs. Trying to keep it under 5 lbs for the 1^st trimester!

Gender? Won’t know for a while (I’m really thinking boy, though)

Maternity Clothes? Same as last week

Stretch Marks? None

Sleep? Still great!

Symptoms? I’ve had some headaches here & there and I vomited a couple of days ago (finally!).

Movement? Probably, but I can’t feel it yet

Food Cravings? Milk! I’ve always loved milk, but I really love it lately. I was up at 1am the other day chugging milk. It was SO tasty! I REALLY want a spicy Italian sub from Jimmy John’s, but since I’m not supposed to have deli meat, I have to wait L

Labor Signs? Of course not

Belly Button in or out? Still in!

What I miss? My clothes fitting

What I am looking forward to? My next ultrasound on Oct. 19^th. We’ll get to hear the heartbeat & J will be there with me. For this appointment, they will also be checking for Down’s Syndrome & a few other genetic things…hopefully everything is good!

Best moment of the week? Making it to the 11 week mark. Also, J told me my growing belly is sexy. I kind of think he’s just trying to make me feel better about how I’m feeling, but I’ll take it! He’s so sweet when he wants to be!

10 weeks.....

2011-10-07T11:54:00.000-04:00

This week has been great so far! I'm really looking forward to the weekend, because I want to do a little fall cleaning. I don't know if its because I'm pregnant or not, but I'm really having the urge to "nest" and get organized. We moved into our house a little over a year ago & I feel like my closets need some love. I feel like our crap was just sort of crammed into them and it's been making me crazy for the past few weeks. This is the first weekend that we've had no obligations, so I'm taking full advantage of it!

Lately I've been doing a lot of thinking about what the future holds for J & myself once the baby comes. Some ladies I work with were urging us to take a "babymoon". I love the idea of doing that, but (yes there's a but) there are many reasons why we shouldn't do this. A) it costs money to travel & right now all of our extra cash is going toward the "baby fund". B) If we go anywhere I'd prefer Italy & that's definitely out of the question. The next choice would be the beach, but Christmas is right around the corner, so we'll need to save for that and I'm NOT putting my fat ass in a bikini right now. C) the majority of this pregnancy is in the winter months and by the time it does get warm, I won't be able to travel-I probably won't feel like it either. So, I think we may take a little family trip (our first!) after the baby is here and before I come back to work. It'll be nice and warm (June-ish) and it will be perfect beach weather. NO it's probably not going to be very romantic, but it'll be our family. Sounds perfect to me!

Also, I've been thinking about the kind of mother I want to be. If we have a boy, I don't want to raise a wuss. I want him to be a MAN and be OK with getting a little dirt here, or a scrape there. Of course I'll love him more than life itself, but I want to try my best not to baby him. I want him to know how to stand on his own two feet. And how to do laundry. For a girl, I really want her to be strong, confident and smart. I want her to know that she's capable of anything in life she wants and she doesn't need a man to make her dreams come true. Not that I want her to be a feminist, but I don't want her to be needy either. For either, I want to teach them morals and values and that it's not OK to lie. EVER. I just want them to be good people who know how to love and show compassion for others. It's overwhelming knowing that J & I will be the ones molding this little person into something great.

I've been feeling really great so far! Here's this weeks survey thingy:

How far along are you? 10 weeks today (according to my pregnancy ticker)

How big is Baby? About the size of a prune (1.5 in long)? That’s what my “What to Expect” app says, anyway

Weight Gain? About 5 lbs. Trying to keep it under 5 lbs for the 1^st trimester!

Gender? Won’t know for a while (I’m really thinking boy, though)

Maternity Clothes? Same as last week

Stretch Marks? None

Sleep? Still great!

Symptoms? Just a little constipated. Great.

Movement? Probably, but I can’t feel it yet

Food Cravings? Milk! I’ve always loved milk, but I really love it lately

Labor Signs? Of course not

Belly Button in or out? Still in!

What I miss? WINE L , and my clothes fitting

Best moment of the week? Making it to the 10 week mark. I will feel SO much better about everything once I’m out of the 1^st trimester. I’m worrying about everything, when I know there’s probably nothing to worry about. My fear right now is that the baby’s heart might have stopped beating after I got my flu shot last week. I’m assuming, though, that if that were to happen, I would have already started spotting or cramping. I have neither of those, so it must mean that all is good!

9 weeks!

2011-09-30T08:41:00.000-04:00

It's still getting bigger! I have a feeling that I'm going to be a HUGE pregnat lady. My co-worker is five months and I'm the same size as her :( She keeps telling me my belly will shrink before it gets big, but I don't believe her.

How far along are you? 9 weeks today (according to my pregnancy ticker)

How big is Baby? About the size of a green olive? That’s what my “What to Expect” app says, anyway

Weight Gain? About 4 lbs. Trying to keep it under 5 lbs for the 1^st trimester!

Gender? Won’t know for a while

Maternity Clothes? Same as last week

Stretch Marks? None

Sleep? Still great! I'm getting really fatigued in the afternoons, though

Symptoms? Same as last week. I've noticed that I'm a little snippy with my co-workers (only the annoying ones, though!)

Movement? Probably, but I can’t feel it yet

Food Cravings? None this week

Labor Signs? Of course not

Belly Button in or out? Still in!

What I miss? WINE L , and my clothes fitting *I must confess that I tasted my friend's beer last night at dinner- it was DIVINE!*

What I am looking forward to? My next ultrasound which is on Oct. 19^th. We’ll get to hear the heartbeat & J will be there with me. For this appointment, they will also be checking for Down’s Syndrome & a few other genetic things…hopefully everything is good!

Best moment of the week? Making it to the 9 week mark, of course!

I'm really looking forward to this weekend! The weather is supposed to be perfect and we don't have any set plans. I'm trying to coordinate with my SIL to get our neices and have them spend the night with us (they're 7 year old twins). They are so much fun to have around. I was thinking we may go to a corn maze up in North GA, but it all depends on what day we pick them up. I also want to go see The Help with J. I just finished the book last night (LOVED IT!), so I'm really excited to see the movie now. We'll just have to see how the weekend unfolds. That's all I've got for now....

31 weeks to go!

8 weeks!

2011-09-23T15:56:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that I've made it to 8 weeks already! Time is flying by & things are starting to feel more real to me. In about 7 more months, my dream will have come true. I'll be a MOM. My entire life, I've always known that I was meant to have a child, but when we began having such a hard time getting pregnant, I really started to question my purpose for this life. I began to hate myself, hate my life, and hate my potential future. I had this hole in my heart that I just knew would never be completely filled. But then, miraculously, God answered our prayers. Unfortunately, he took someone very special from us, but he also gave us something that is so precious. We are forever thankful to him for our blessing.

I found this little survey that some other bloggers are using to help track their pregnancies, so I thought I'd use it-mostly for myself, so I can look back on it and my weekly changes... here we go!

How far along are you? 8 weeks today (according to my ovulation date)

How big is Baby? About the size of a raspberry, I think

Weight Gain? About 2-3 lbs. I'm trying to keep it 5 lbs or less for the 1^st trimester!

Gender? Won’t know for a while (hoping for a boy)

Maternity Clothes? I have a belly band & my mom got me a couple of jeans but I haven’t had to wear them yet. Luckily, I get to wear scrubs to work, so I'm super comfy most of the time

Stretch Marks? None (yet)

Sleep? Great! Except when I get up for my usual pees, which is around 2x per night

Symptoms? Boobies (mostly nips) hurt, super bloated, some nausea but its not a daily thing.

Movement? Probably, but I can’t feel it yet. I can feel gas moving, does that count?

Food Cravings? I was craving steamed pot stickers for a few days, but I got over it. Nothing else really.

Labor Signs? Of course not.

Belly Button in or out? Still in! I hope it pops out! *I have a weird mole in there that I'm dying to get removed*

What I miss? WINE L , and my clothes fitting, feeling attractive.

What I am looking forward to? My 1^st appointment with my new OB. I’m hoping she’ll give me another ultrasound! I’ve missed my weekly check-ins on Baby N, since Dr. K released me.

Best moment of the week? Making it to the 8 week mark. Each week that passes feels like a victory! Only 5 more to go until I’m in the 2^nd trimester.

So far, I feel really lucky that this pregnancy has been so easy for me! I know it's still early & I may get more symptoms, but I'm great with how things are going for now. These past couple of months have flown by! I'm trying to make every effort I can to enjoy every moment of this pregnancy. Who knows if/when I'll ever have this chance again!

7 weeks, 3 days

2011-09-19T19:44:00.000-04:00

It doesn't appear to me that the bloating is going to go away...it's getting worse! This is really my only constant symptom, so far. I had some fatigue & a little nausea, but that's it!

J & I went for an ultrasound last week & we got to see the heartbeat! It was truly amazing to see life happening right in front of our eyes. It looked like a a little tiny light flickering around in there. So cool.

Dr. K released me, so I won't be getting anymore weekly ultrasounds. I get to meet my new OB next Monday, so hopefully I like her! Her office is 3 floors below mine at work, so that's really convenient for me. Convenience will definitely trump anything else, especially the further along I get.

There's nothing else that's really worth mentioning at the moment. I'm just taking one day at a time & praying that I make it through the first trimester

32 weeks, 4 days to go!

5 weeks!

2011-09-02T09:18:00.000-04:00

Still bloated!

We had dinner with the family last night to celebrate my father-in-law's 62nd birthday. We decided to tell him our big news by giving him a Braves bib & a Falcon's bib (his two favorite teams). He was slightly confused at first and said "why do I need these?" All I could do was point to my belly and smile.Then he said "OH! I thought you were looking a little chubby!" Thanks, Pop. Just what I needed to hear....

My symptoms this week have been:
Chubbiness (apparently)
emotional
gassy
tired
bloated

I really don't feel pregnant yet. I want to, but maybe I never really will. Unfortunately, the above symptoms are pretty normal for me.....

I get to go for my next ultrasound on Wednesday. Hopefully we'll get to see the hearbeat!

1st ultrasound :)

2011-08-31T15:30:00.000-04:00

Baby N (that's what we're going to call him or her) is in the right place!! Yep, the little sac is floating in my uterus, right where it's supposed to. I was so happy to see that!!! I was still really nervous that it would be ectopic, even though there's been no bleeding or cramping. I'm so very relieved and NOW I can start getting super excited :)

Now...what am I going to do about all this GAS?!?! Holy moly, I feel like my ass could start a fire somewhere.

That's it for now!

Week 4 details

2011-08-29T09:01:00.001-04:00

Here's my belly (I'm really bloated!):

My symptoms so far.....

HUNGER!

Sore boobies at night

I feel like I do when I'm getting a cold

My skin is really dry (I prefer this over my usual greasiness)

My symptoms are still worse in the evening.

My beta on friday was 176, which is more than double what it was on Wednesday (it was 71), so that's great news! I think I may be getting an ultrasound as early as this Wednesday because my RE knows my history with the ectopic and they want to rule it out. I hope I get to see something! It's OK if I don't because I know it's still REALLY early.

4 weeks down, 36 weeks to go!

It's official!

2011-08-26T08:21:00.000-04:00

Yeah, so.....

I"M PREGNANT!!!!!!

Here's my levels so far:
8/22/11- beta-18; progesterone-18
8/24/11- beta-71; progesterone-29

I'm officially 4 weeks today

So far so good! I have to go back on Saturday morning for my 3rd beta & progesterone test & I'll have the results the same day...

I'm still in shock and it seems like my symptoms don't really appear until the evenings (so far). I'm praying that it sticks & it doesn't end up being ectopic. I'm kind of having the same pain on my left side that I had with 2 years ago with that pregnancy.. I won't know anything until I go for my first ultrasound in a couple of weeks... I really could not handle another loss, especially after J & I feel like this baby is a blessing from God and, in a funny way, a gift from his mom...We think that maybe she put in a good word for us!

I'm just taking each day that I'm pregnant as a blessing and take it one day at a time....

I'm so excited and I'm already in love with him/her.... This is what I've been praying for for the past 2.5 years & now our dreams are coming true. It's amazing and God is so good!

Welll

2011-08-22T14:24:00.000-04:00

EEEEKKKK!!!! I'm still in shock!!! I just got back from Dr. K's office for my beta & progesterone check...nervous and excited and scared..... On friday at my 7dpo check, my progesterone was only 10, so I'll probably end up with supplements..... I can't believe it!!!!

Miracles really do happen....