Monday, December 24, 2012

37 weeks


How Far along: 37 weeks

Size of Baby: a stalk of swiss chard (according to baby center)

Total Weight Gain: 26 lbs. so far...

Gender: ??? 

Movement: The movement seems to have slowed down a little in the last few days. Maybe Pat is running out of room?

Sleep: Not so good. But, my last day of work was Friday so now I can sleep in!!

Maternity Clothes: Now that I'm done with work, I think I will be rockin' sweatpants and Paul's t-shirts from here on out.

Symptoms: Some braxton hicks, swollen legs, and just general uncomfortableness.

Aversions: No aversions. 

Cravings: a coke slurpee

What I Miss: Alcohol. I've had some sips of Paul's red wine that tasted so good!!


Monday, December 17, 2012

36 weeks



How Far along: 36 weeks

Size of Baby: a crenshaw melon (according to baby center)

Total Weight Gain: 26 lbs. so far...

Gender: ??? 

Movement: Lots of movement!

Sleep: Not so good. I guess I'm getting prepared for all the sleepless nights ahead of me :)

Maternity Clothes: I have now reached the stage of my pregnancy where I only want to wear sweatpants. Thank goodness I only have one week left until Christmas break (and Thursday is pajama day at school, yippee!)

Symptoms: The baby feels really low! It's making me waddle :) and I constantly feel like I have to pee.  I'm still underestimating the size of my belly-yesterday, I leaned over the oven door to pull out our pizza and I burnt my belly!

Aversions: No aversions. 

Cravings: Sweets!

What I Miss: Being able to move around like I used to. 

Best Moment of the Week: Paul installed the car seat and I started to pack my hospital bag. We are almost ready! Here are the outfits I packed for coming home from the hospital. I wonder if we will be wearing the pink or the blue??



Not So Good Moment: At my appointment today, my doctor tried to check me to see if I'm dilated. He couldn't tell because the baby's head is so low it's in the way! I'm so curious now. He did say that my cervix is thinning and from what he felt, he thinks this baby is going to be big..yikes! :)

I am getting so anxious to meet this little one. I just want to know when Pat is going to make his/her debut!


Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Maternity Photos


A few weeks ago, Paul and I had some maternity photos taken. 
The photographer was recommended to me by a friend from work. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I really love the way they turned out. 
Here are some of my favs...









I can't wait to see what she does for our newborn photos!






Monday, December 10, 2012

35 weeks



How Far along: 35 weeks

Size of Baby: a honeydew (according to baby center)

Total Weight Gain: 20 lbs. so far...

Gender: ??? 

Movement: Constant movement! Paul stared at my belly for half of mass on Sunday because the baby was going crazy in there. It's such a trip to see..and feel!

Sleep: Not so good. I guess I'm getting prepared for all the sleepless nights ahead of me :)

Maternity Clothes: My maternity clothes are starting to get tight. ugh.

Symptoms: I'm so hungry and thirsty. Like, all. the. time. Swollen ankles and calves-especially after sitting or standing for long periods of time. I've also had some pretty bad cramps this week. My doctor says they're Braxton Hicks contractions.

Aversions: No aversions. 

Cravings: Sweets!

What I Miss: Being able to move around like I used to. 

Best Moment of the Week: Spending a whole weekend alone with Paul! We haven't had one of those since July. It was so nice to spend some quality time together. I can't believe we will be meeting our baby in 5 weeks or less!!


Monday, December 3, 2012

34 weeks


How Far along: 34 weeks

Size of Baby: a cantaloupe (according to baby center)

Total Weight Gain: 20 lbs. so far...

Gender: ??? 

Movement: This baby is constantly moving! He/she likes to push out on my stomach with its butt (this was confirmed by my doctor :)

Sleep: Not so good. Rolling over is like a 5 minute event. 

Maternity Clothes: All maternity clothes, plus I'm now wearing Paul's clothes for lounging around the house.

Symptoms: I was informed that the "indigestion" I was having last week is actually heartburn. It continued this week too. I really only get it around 5:00pm, but when I do, it's yucky! Also, I'm starting to feel large and in charge. My calves, arms, and hands are starting to swell and I'm having a hard time moving around like I used to. Even my maternity clothes are feeling a little snug. Oh, and I keep underestimating the size of my belly and accidentally bumping into things with it!

Aversions: No aversions. 

Cravings: Sweets!

What I Miss: My old body.

Best Moment of the Week: Once again, my best moment was my 34 week appointment with my doctor. I know some people hate going to the doctor, but I really look forward to my appointments. This week, my doctor told me the baby's head was down and he or she was hanging out on my right side. I love hearing those little tidbits of info because I'm constantly wondering what's going on in there!


Thursday, November 29, 2012

PAT

I got a few questions about this on my last two posts, and I realized I never wrote about it!

Way back when I found out I was pregnant (seems like so long ago!) Paul and I decided we did not want to know the gender of our baby. But after about a day or two of calling the baby "it," we decided we needed to come up with a name to call our baby until we met him or her. Paul said we should call the baby Pat.


For those that don't know, Pat is a character from Saturday Night Live that is an "androgynous misfit whose sex is never revealed." Haha! I thought it was kinda fitting.

We've been calling our baby Pat ever since. 

No, we are not actually naming our baby Pat. We have other names picked out. But I will say, I've become so used to calling the baby Pat that it might take me a while after he or she is born to stop! 

I can't wait to meet our little Pat! Hopefully he or she will look nothing like the character above :)




Wednesday, November 28, 2012

33 weeks


How Far along: 33 weeks (I'm very late getting this up, I'm actually 34 weeks right now, but the pic is from week 33) (Oh, and I think I need to start taking the pic at the beginning of the day rather than the end; I look tired haha!)

Size of Baby: a pineapple

Total Weight Gain: 18 lbs. so far...

Gender: ??? 

Movement: I think the baby is running out of room, it's starting to get uncomfortable! 

Sleep: Not so good. I wake up constantly and just can't seem to get comfortable. 

Maternity Clothes: All maternity clothes, plus I'm now wearing Paul's clothes for lounging around the house.

Symptoms: I have to sit up straight for at least an hour after I eat, otherwise the food feels like it sits in my chest and starts to come up (gross, I know). I guess I would call it indigestion?? Also, co-workers, friends, and strangers alike are telling me I've "dropped." What?! Isn't it a little early for that?

Aversions: No aversions. 

Cravings: Cereal

What I Miss: My stamina. I get winded just walking from one side of the room to the other!

Best Moment of the Week: I washed all of Pat's clothes, blankets, lovies, etc. It was so fun going through all of it and imagining the little baby that will soon be wearing those tiny clothes :)  I can't wait to meet him or her!!



Monday, November 19, 2012

32 weeks



I was not feeling the pic today..can you tell?



How Far along: 32 weeks 

Size of Baby: a large jicama

Total Weight Gain: 18 lbs. so far...

Gender: ??? 

Movement: Lots of movement-the baby is pushing out on my stomach constantly!

Sleep: Sleep has been pretty good this week, except for the fact that I get up 3 times a night to go to the bathroom.

Maternity Clothes: I'm pretty much in all maternity clothes at this point with just a few pre-pregnancy pieces mixed in. 

Symptoms: My emotions are out of control! I go from slightly irritated, to filled with rage, to weepy in a matter of seconds. Yikes! Poor Paul :)

Aversions: No aversions. 

Cravings: I am really excited for Thanksgiving food this year. I can't stop thinking about my mom's stuffing.

What I Miss: Feeling normal. Will I ever feel normal again??

Best Moment of the Week: My friend from Pueblo, Lauren, hosted a shower for me this weekend. It was a really nice shower and Pat got lots of great stuff! I left there feeling so incredibly blessed, which made me cry (please see "symptoms" above).


Tuesday, November 13, 2012

31 weeks



How Far along: 31 weeks 


Size of Baby: over 16 inches and 3.3 pounds-the equivalent of holding 4 navel oranges (according to baby center)


Total Weight Gain: 18 lbs. so far...


Gender: ??? 


Movement: Lots of movement-the baby pushing out on my stomach constantly!


Sleep: Sleep has been pretty good this week. What a difference a decent night's sleep makes :)


Maternity Clothes: I'm pretty much in all maternity clothes at this point with just a few pre-pregnancy pieces mixed in. 



Symptoms: I had terrible heartburn yesterday and Sunday. I've never really had heartburn and I hope I never get it again-it's so uncomfortable! I'm also starting to feel like the baby is running out of room (and I still have two months to go!!!). My lungs feel squished and when I eat it feels like the food is sitting in my chest.


Aversions: No aversions. 


Cravings: Frosted Shredded What cereal! Paul bought a box from the store and I polished it off in two days. Then I went back to the store and got more. It's so good!



What I Miss: Nothing this week.


Best Moment of the Week: My Grammy and G-daddy sent us the stroller we registered for. I was so excited when I saw the package on the doorstep. I opened and assembled it right away. When Paul got home, I told him I wanted to take it for a test drive around the block and he told me that was embarrassing haha. Thanks Grammy and G-daddy!!!


Monday, November 5, 2012

30 weeks


How Far along: 30 weeks


Size of Baby: A head of cabbage (according to baby center)


Total Weight Gain: 18 lbs. so far...yep, I gained 6 pounds in 2 weeks. I think the scale at the doctor's office is wrong :)


Gender: ??? 


Movement: This baby loves to push out on my stomach! Also, I'm kind of wondering if he/she is breech at the moment because I've been feeling some really low kicks on my insides. And he/she kicks hard!


Sleep: Sleep was terrible this past week until last night. "Falling back" was glorious!



Maternity Clothes: All pants are maternity, and I'm in mostly all maternity tops too. 



Symptoms: Nauseous after meals, and my belly button has partially popped out, but not all the way.


Aversions: No aversions. 



Cravings: Halloween candy really got me last week. I just couldn't resist it. I ate so much I gave myself a stomach ache. I've also really been enjoying pears lately.



What I Miss: A Coors Light with a setup. For those of you that don't know, a setup=a glass of ice with salt on the rim and lime wedges (it's a Pueblo thing). Delicious!



Best Moment of the Week: I had my 30 week appointment on Friday (I see my doctor every two weeks now).  Heartbeat was great and I'm measuring right on track. My parents also helped me paint the dresser for the baby's room. I really like the way it turned out!


I can not believe how fast the weeks are going right now. Time is flying! I can't believe we will be meeting our baby in 2.5 months or less!!!




Monday, October 29, 2012

29 weeks






How Far along: 29 weeks. 

Size of Baby: A Butternut Squash (according to baby center)

Total Weight Gain: 12 lbs. so far...

Gender: ??? 

Movement: Lately, the movement feels like he/she is pushing out against my stomach. I'm constantly wondering what body part I'm feeling in there.

Sleep: Sleep is getting worse. I'm starting to get uncomfortable. Also, I woke up last night with a terrible cramp in the front of my leg where my shin is. My foot was stuck in the flexed position and it really hurt. I was making a fuss and it woke Paul up. He rubbed my leg until the cramp finally went away. Paul teased me and said he would have thought I was in labor with all the commotion I made. He has no idea what he's in for :)

Maternity Clothes: All pants are maternity, and I'm in mostly all maternity tops too. I'm down to one coat that still fits me. Uh oh.

Symptoms: Nauseous in the mornings after breakfast, leg cramps, SI joint pain.

Aversions: No aversions. 

Cravings: Pillsbury Toaster Strudel. I'm obsessed with it. I had one every night last week.

What I Miss: A sound sleep.

Best Moment of the Week: I spent the weekend in Boulder with my mom and dad and they helped me check a lot of items off my to-do list including deciding on a stroller, and a paint color for the dresser in the nursery. They also bought the baby a car seat. Yay!


Monday, October 22, 2012

28 weeks


How Far along: 28 weeks. Hello 3rd Trimester!!!

Size of Baby: A Chinese Cabbage (according to baby center) weird.

Total Weight Gain: 12 lbs. so far...

Gender: ??? I kinda think it's a boy and Paul kinda thinks it's a girl haha.

Movement: Tons of movement! Sometimes it's so strong it shakes my whole body.

Sleep: Sleep is ok. Not bad, not great. I'm having really vivid, strange dreams. I had my first dream about the baby this week and it was a stressful one! I dreamt the baby was born and it was a boy, but he was Asian and he was 2 years old. Strange! Also, he was so heavy I couldn't even hold him and I kept leaving him in his carrier and forgetting about him for hours!!! I woke up in a sweat haha.

Maternity Clothes: All pants are maternity, and I'm in mostly all maternity tops too. I basically wear the same five things over and over, but I don't want to keep spending money on maternity clothes. Boo. 

Symptoms: BAD SI joint pain! My class had a field trip to the pumpkin patch on Thursday and I think I lifted too many pumpkins because my back was killing me when I woke up on Friday. By the end of the day I could not even stand up straight. Yucky.

Aversions: No aversions. 

Cravings: Honey Baked Ham! I haven't had any, but it sounds so good!

What I Miss: This week, I'm changing this to What I Don't Miss: Our friends Bert & Lyndsay came down for the game on Saturday and Paul enjoyed a little too much Whiskey. He was feeling a bit hungover yesterday and that is something I do not miss one bit!

Best Moment of the Week: I had my 28 week appointment and glucose test this week. I passed my glucose test (yay!) and got to hear baby Creighton's heartbeat. My doctor said I'm  measuring right on track and everything is looking great! That is always just the best news :)



Monday, October 15, 2012

27 weeks


How Far along: 27 weeks

Size of Baby: 2 lbs., the size of a head of cauliflower (according to baby center) 

Total Weight Gain: 12 lbs. so far...

Gender: ??? 

Movement: The baby is moving constantly these days-so fun!

Sleep: Sleep is ok. Not bad, not great.

Maternity Clothes: All pants are maternity, regular dresses and tops-although, the regular tops are getting a little short. Getting dressed for work in the morning is hard..slim pickins!

Symptoms: Just a slight feeling of stretching and tightening in the belly area.

Aversions: No aversions. 

Cravings: No real cravings this week.

What I Miss: My old clothes.

Best Moment of the Week: Paul and I had our first birthing class this week. I wasn't sure if Paul was going to be able to make it because of work, but he did and I was so glad!!!



Monday, October 8, 2012

26 weeks



How Far along: 26 weeks

Size of Baby: the length of an English hothouse cucumber (according to baby center) 

Total Weight Gain: 12 lbs. so far...

Gender: ??? 

Movement: Lots of movement this week! I can see the ripples and jerks under my stomach constantly. Feeling the baby move just never gets old. My mom even got to feel it for the first time this week.

Sleep: Sleep is ok. Not bad, not great.

Maternity Clothes: All pants are maternity, regular dresses and tops-although, the regular tops are getting a little short. I just ordered a few long sleeve maternity tops from Old Navy. Hopefully they will get me through the next few months.

Symptoms: I didn't really notice any symptoms this week other than having cramps and feeling tired. Oh, and it's getting harder to put my shoes and socks on.

Aversions: No aversions. 

Cravings: Egg salad. Mary made some for me on Saturday and it hit the spot!

What I Miss: Beer and Wine

Best Moment of the Week: Paul and I finally took a tour of the other hospital in town and made our decision on where I will deliver.
And,
My mom and dad and Bob and Mary (Paul's parents) came to visit for the weekend. On Saturday, my mom, Mary, and I went to Babies R Us in Colorado Springs to check out baby gear. Thanks to that trip and a very helpful email from my cousin, Elizabeth, I have pretty much decided on every item for my registry. The grandmas also bought baby Creighton a super cute pack n play! While we were gone, the grandpas built some storage shelves in our garage.
On Sunday, my parents helped me clean out the dresser and closet in our guest room. It was a big chore, but the room is officially ready to be transformed into a nursery. It felt so good to check some big things off my To-Do list this weekend and I'm so thankful for the Grandparents and all of their help!! This little baby is so loved already :)


Monday, October 1, 2012

25 weeks


How Far along: 25 weeks

Size of Baby: the size of an average rutabaga (according to baby center) WHAT THE HECK IS A RUTABAGA??!!!!

Total Weight Gain: 12 lbs. so far...

Gender: ??? 

Movement: Not a whole lot of movement this week. He/she must be sleepy.

Sleep: Sleep was pretty good this week!

Maternity Clothes: All pants are maternity, regular dresses and tops-although, the regular tops are getting a little short.

Symptoms: a little bit of heartburn and, this is a weird one, my fingers seem to be shrinking. My rings are so loose they almost fell off at work the other day. 

Aversions: No aversions. 

Cravings: A loaded baked potato. I actually haven't had one yet and the craving is growing stronger-just ask Paul what happened at Wendy's last week when I was informed they were all out of baked potatoes. Also, I'm still loving caramel apples.

What I Miss: Beer and Wine

Best Moment of the Week: This isn't baby related, but I traveled to Durango, CO with the football team for their game against Fort Lewis. It was my first time to go to Durango and it was really fun! This was the perfect weekend to go because the Aspen trees are changing color which made for a beautiful drive. It was nice to spend a weekend with Paul, plus the football team won their game which was an added bonus!



Sunday, September 23, 2012

24 weeks



How Far along: 24 weeks

Size of Baby: the length of an ear of corn (according to baby center)

Total Weight Gain: 12 lbs. so far...

Gender: ??? 

Movement: The movement is getting stronger/harder. It's feeling less like flutters and more like kicks and punches. It makes me wonder what position the baby is in and what parts are moving in there! 

Sleep: Restless. Lots of tossing and turning, weird dreams, and trips to the bathroom.

Maternity Clothes: All pants are maternity, regular dresses and tops. The dress above is a non-maternity one I got for football games because it's red and blue. I bought it about a month ago and Saturday was my first time to wear it. It fits now, but I'm not sure how many more weeks I'll get out of it.

Symptoms: The menstrual-like cramps are back with a vengeance. Very uncomfortable!

Aversions: No aversions. 

Cravings: Sweets, sweets, and more sweets!

What I Miss: Going for a long walk without getting cramps.

Best Moment of the Week: This week was my preschoolers' first week back at school. They had some pretty funny comments when they saw my baby bump. One little boy who was in my class last year saw me and said, "Ms. Kathleen, it looks like you're almost growing a baby in your tummy!!"
I said, "I am growing a baby in my tummy!"
He was so amazed and now he asks to touch my belly every day.
Some other funny comments: "Did you eat too much and that's why you have a baby in your tummy?" "When my mom had a baby, the baby came out of her foot. Is your baby gonna come out of your foot?" ??!! that one killed me.
And all of my kiddos wanted to know if there was a boy baby or a girl baby in my tummy. I said I didn't know and asked them what they thought. Almost all of them said girl and they think she's going to be named Ms. Kathleen-just like me. They are too funny :)

Sunday, September 16, 2012

23 weeks



I took the picture above first and then took this one a few days later. I feel like my belly is getting bigger every day!


How Far along: 23 weeks

Size of Baby: A large mango (according to baby center)

Total Weight Gain: 12 lbs. total. I gained 9 pounds in the last four weeks aaahhhhhhh!

Gender: ??? 

Movement: Lots of movement and now I can see it from the outside. It's so crazy.

Sleep: Sleep has been pretty restless.

Maternity Clothes: All pants are maternity, regular dresses and tops.

Symptoms: Calf cramps in the middle of the night, starving all the time (hence the 9 lbs.), and I've been really emotional this week. I cry at the drop of a hat. 

Aversions: No aversions this week.

Cravings: A bagel with cream cheese. But not just any bagel, I've been craving the kind that my Grammy and Grandaddy always have at their house when we visit. They get them fresh and they're so yummy. 

What I Miss: My skinny jeans.

Best Moment of the Week: Hearing the baby's heartbeat at my 24 week check-up. Every time I hear that sound and the doctor says, "Great heartbeat," it's just music to my ears :)


Saturday, September 15, 2012

On being a coach's wife

I write a post like this every year around this time. I guess it's because when the football season rolls around I find myself with a lot of extra time to sit and think :)

Having a husband who coaches college football for a living is weird. In some ways, it's very similar to any other job, but then again, it's like nothing else.  

For example: Paul works 13 hours a day on average during the season. I can think of a lot of jobs where people work 13 hour shifts. The difference is, Paul works 13 hours a day, 7 days a week, from the first week in August until December or January. Not to mention the 6 road games he travels to where he is gone for 2-3 nights per game. He doesn't get to take a day off for anything, no matter how important it is. Weddings-nope. Holidays-nope. Family Reunions-nope. I don't even want to think of what would happen if I went into labor on a game day.

And heaven forbid we lose a game. Losing=cranky hubby.

I saw this on pinterest and and thought it was so funny AND true!


The hard part about it is trying to explain this crazy schedule to other people. So many people just don't understand what the big deal is over some stupid game. I mean lets face it, lives aren't at stake here. 
It's a game.

I don't expect people to understand it. Heck, I don't understand it sometimes and it's my life! But the fact that people don't get it can make it very isolating and lonely. Which is why I'm so thankful for the friendships I've made with other coaches wives. These women are the only other people who truly know what life is like in the world of football. Plus, they're always there to listen (and join in) when I need to complain.

Yes, we have to turn down invitations to events we wish we could be at.
Yes, I eat dinner by myself every night of the week.
Yes, I cried when my husband left town on Thursday for the second time in less than a week (can I blame that on pregnancy hormones?)

BUT...

There are so many wonderful things about being married to a football coach.

Paul loves his job.
He gets to mentor young men and help them develop the qualities that will make them successful adults.

After every game, no matter if we win or lose, the slate is wiped clean and there is another game to look forward to the following week. Game days are the best!

Football, just like life, is full of seasons. And just when I think I can't stand a particular season any longer, the next one is right around the corner.

And the best part? It keeps me on my toes. I can actually say that I like not knowing what our life will look like 1, 2, 10 years from now. It's fun to imagine all of the possibilities!

So I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's not perfect, but it's my life and I wouldn't want it any other way. 



*I can't end this blog post without saying how thankful I am to the men and women in our armed forces and their families. Every time I complain about how much Paul works, I'm reminded of those who go months/years without seeing their loved ones and the constant worry they face-all for our freedom. I am forever grateful!






Monday, September 10, 2012

22 weeks

(Not the best pic. My photographer, aka Paul, was really busy this week)


How Far along: 22 weeks

Size of Baby: A spaghetti squash (according to baby center)

Total Weight Gain: 3 lbs., but I haven't weighed myself since my appointment last month. We'll see when I go to the doctor on Friday.

Gender: ??? 

Movement: This little guy or gal is a squirmy one lately! He/she moves a ton at night and actually wakes me up! He/she also moves a lot right after I eat. 

Sleep: Sleep has been pretty restless.

Maternity Clothes: All pants are maternity, regular dresses and tops.

Symptoms: Still having menstrual-like cramps.

Aversions: No aversions this week.

Cravings: No real cravings this week, however, every time I drive past a McDonald's I'm tempted to pull right in and get a cheeseburger and fries.

What I Miss: Nothing this week.

Best Moment of the Week: Paul finally felt the baby move! It was so fun to share that experience with him. We can not wait to meet this little person!!

Worst Moment of the Week: Well, it turns out those menstrual-like cramps I've been having are actually contractions. I decided to call my doctor about it this morning, just to be sure it was normal. He sent me straight to labor and delivery where they hooked me up to the monitor and sure enough, I was having contractions.
hooked up to the monitor
I was not dehydrated and luckily baby's heartbeat was great (150). My doctor did an ultrasound and said my cervix was measuring at 5cm which is really good (smaller than 3cm can signal possible premature labor) and there was no funneling. So he gave me a shot with some medicine to help stop the contractions. After about an hour, he sent me home to rest. Unfortunately, he's not really sure why I was having contractions and said this is something that could continue to occur for the rest of the pregnancy. Thankfully, everything is ok! It was definitely a scary morning, but I'm just so relieved that the baby is safe and snug in there. Thank you God!!

Monday, September 3, 2012

21 weeks


How Far along: 21 weeks

Size of Baby: A carrot (according to baby center)

Total Weight Gain: 3 lbs.

Gender: ??? 

Movement: Lots of movement this week, especially right after I eat.

Sleep: I can never get enough! I'm so tired all the time.

Maternity Clothes: All pants are maternity, regular dresses and tops.

Symptoms: Calf cramps and cramps in my lower abdomen.

Aversions: No aversions this week.

Cravings: No real cravings this week.

What I Miss: Having energy!

Best Moment of the Week: Feeling the baby move more this week. I can now feel it from the outside too!



Tuesday, August 28, 2012

20 weeks



How Far along: 20 weeks (I'm actually 21 weeks today, late again!)

Size of Baby: A banana (according to baby center)

Total Weight Gain: 3 lbs.

Gender: ??? I go back and forth. One day I think it's a boy, the next day I think it's a girl.

Movement: A little bit of movement, mostly at night.

Sleep: Same as last week-still having a hard time getting comfortable.

Maternity Clothes: I went to Denver last weekend and stopped at a maternity store. I bought two pairs of pants for work and splurged on a pair of designer jeans. I'm pretty excited about all three pairs of pants and can't wait for the weather to cool off a bit so I can wear them! (this pregnant lady is over the 100 degree temps)

Symptoms: A little bit of nausea, calf cramps, feeling crampy off and on in my lower abdomen, oh and I think my belly button is getting bigger.

Aversions: No aversions this week.

Cravings: CARAMEL APPLES! I can't stop thinking about them, but I'm too lazy to make some.

What I Miss: Nothing this week.

Best Moment of the Week: Paul and I took a tour of one of the hospitals in town (there are two to chose from in Pueblo). It was fun to walk around the labor and delivery unit and get a picture of what it would be like to deliver our baby there. Just another reminder that this is actually happening and our baby will be here before we know it! So exciting and kinda scary.
Also, yesterday was my first day back to work from summer break and my baby bump got a lot of love from my co-workers :)


Monday, August 20, 2012

19 weeks


How Far along: 19 weeks (I'll actually be 20 weeks tomorrow, I'm a little late getting this up)

Size of Baby: A large heirloom tomato (according to baby center), 11 oz. (according to the ultrasound we had this week)

Total Weight Gain: 3 lbs.

Gender: ??? We had our 20 week ultrasound this week and could have found out the gender, but we want to be surprised on his/her birthday. It was hard to resist the urge the look at the ultrasound screen and find out, but I'm so glad we are going to wait. It's so fun to daydream about whether our little one will be a boy or a girl and not know for sure.

Movement: I've been feeling a little bit of movement, but not a ton. Our ultrasound tech said I have an anterior placenta which means the placenta is situated on the front side of my uterus (between the baby and my abdomen) which is why I haven't felt a whole lot of movement. 

Sleep: Sleep went from great to not so good this week. I'm having a hard time getting comfortable.

Maternity Clothes: Still wearing mostly non-maternity clothes: lots of sun dresses, gym shorts, and t-shirts. Although, my friend Lauren gave me some of her maternity clothes this week which was so nice!

Symptoms: The nausea and vomiting came back this week (weird?). I also woke up one morning with terrible low back pain. I couldn't even bend over to put my hair up in a towel after my shower. I asked my doctor about it and he said it's sacroiliac joint pain and that it's common and something I will probably experience off and on for the duration of my pregnancy. lovely.

Aversions: I wouldn't call it an aversion necessarily, but I just really don't have an appetite for vegetables. I have to force myself to eat them and I'm sure I'm not getting enough.

Cravings: No real cravings this week.

What I Miss: Feeling normal.

Best Moment of the Week: Our 20 week ultrasound! Hearing the ultrasound tech say that our baby looked "perfect" was music to my ears! Talk about an answer to my prayers. It was such a relief. And seeing him/her move all over the screen was so fun. I wish I could see that every day. When we saw the baby's face, his/her mouth was wide open in a big smile and the ultrasound tech said, "It looks like he's laughing!" (note: she had not looked for the gender yet, so "he" was a generic term). It was definitely the highlight of my week :) 

Here are the pics from the ultrasound. The top one is baby's face and the bottom one is baby's feet.



We are already so in love!

  



Saturday, August 11, 2012

17 & 18 weeks




I wasn't able to do my 17 week update last week because I was at my parents' new house at the beach and they don't have Internet yet. So, I decided to group last weeks update in with this one.


How Far along: 17/18 weeks

Size of Baby: turnip/green pepper (according to baby center)

Total Weight Gain: ? I don't have a scale at home, so I haven't weighed myself since my last appointment.

Gender: ???

Movement: I felt the baby move for the first time at the end of week 17! I was laying on my back when I felt it. It was so cool! Since then, I've felt it a few more times, but every time I do, I still think, "Was that the baby??"

Sleep: Sleep is good, other than frequent trips to the bathroom :)

Maternity Clothes: Still wearing mostly non-maternity clothes: lots of sun dresses, gym shorts, and t-shirts.

Symptoms: Round ligament pain

Aversions: None

Cravings: Still craving sweets: snickers ice cream bars, cookies, sugary cereal, etc.

What I Miss: Nothing in particular this week.

Best Moment of the Week: Feeling the baby move, spending time at the beach with my family, AND two different people at the airport asked me if I was expecting. It was the first time someone I didn't know asked me :)




Monday, July 30, 2012

16 weeks


How Far along? 16 weeks


Size of Baby? An Avocado (according to baby center)


Total Weight Gain? 0 (I lost 4 lbs. during my first trimester, but gained it back by my last appointment, so I'm back to where I started)


Gender? ???


Movement? No movement yet, but I seriously can't wait! My doctor said I could start to feel it any time now :)


Sleep? Sleep has been ok, kind of restless.


Maternity Clothes? I stopped wearing regular pants at around week 7 or 8. Luckily, it's summer so I've been wearing lots of sun dresses, gym shorts and t-shirts. I do have one maternity dress and two maternity tops that I've been wearing, but most of my normal clothes still work.


Symptoms? Still nauseous and throwing up on occasion, especially if I go too long in between meals.


Aversions? None


Cravings? Candy-anything from snickers to gummy bears. Oh, and yesterday morning I wanted a chocolate glazed donut really bad, so Paul went out and got me one. What a nice hubby :)


What I Miss? Drinking alcohol-especially beer. I went to happy hour with some friends from work last week and let me tell you, drinking water at happy hour just isn't as fun.


Best Moment of the Week? My 16 week appointment with the doctor. We listened to the heartbeat on the Doppler and it's nice and strong-150!



Sunday, July 22, 2012

Peanut Butter Pie

Today is Paul's birthday (happy birthday babe!)

To celebrate, I made Peanut Butter Pie.



I kind of adapted this recipe from two I already had; one from Kraft and one from Tasty Kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 Oreo pie crust (6 oz.)

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed

1/4 cup hot fudge (ice cream topping)

Beat cream cheese, sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer until blended. Fold in Cool Whip. Spoon mixture into crust. Drizzle hot fudge on top and gently swirl with a knife. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.


This was the first time I've tried this recipe. I brought it to the field house (Paul had to work on his birthday. boo) and it got the seal of approval from all of the coaches, which in my world, means it's a keeper. 



Enjoy!


Wednesday, July 18, 2012

first trimester in a nutshell


Even though we just broke the news on here last week, I feel like I've been pregnant forever (yikes, I still have over 5 months to go)! I am officially in my second trimester, but I thought I'd do a little recap of the first one.

Week 4: I found out I was pregnant when I was 4 weeks along. I felt really good: excited, a little tired, sore boobs, kinda crampy, but otherwise normal.

Week 5: Same as week 4, but a new symptom revealed itself: heightened sense of smell, which was particularly bothersome when walking anywhere near the school cafeteria. Ew.

Week 6: This is when it all went downhill. I started feeling nauseous-I wouldn't really call it "morning sickness," more like "all day sickness" woof.

Week 7: Constant nausea, throwing up, loss of appetite, and bad taste in my mouth. We took a trip to New York to visit a friend and lets just say, I now have an aversion to New York. The smells, the heat, and the crazy cab rides do not mix well with pregnancy hormones. We also had our first ultrasound this week where we got this beautiful picture. It was a relief to see the heartbeat and know that everything was looking good so far :)

Week 8: Nauseous, throwing up, no appetite, bloated, tired. This is the week I officially stopped wearing pants unless they has a stretchy waist. All other pants felt so uncomfortable when they pressed on my stomach. This was also the last week of school before summer break wahoo!

Week 9: Same symptoms as above. Thank goodness I was on summer break because it was hard to do anything but lay on the couch. The only thing I could manage to force down my throat was carbs-this is what my kitchen counter looked like.

Week 10: Same symptoms as above. I finally called my doctor in desperation and he prescribed me some anti-nausea medication. It wasn't a cure-all, but it helped!

Week 11: Same symptoms. We had our 12 week appointment and got to do another ultrasound which I was thrilled about! It was amazing to see how much the baby had changed in 4 short weeks. What looked like a bean before, looked like a baby now. We got to see him/her move its little hands and feet. That was the coolest experience. I wish I could see that every day!

Week 12: Same symptoms. Even when I wasn't feeling terribly sick, I just didn't feel normal. I felt like a stranger in my own body. I went up to Boulder and my mom took me shopping for my first maternity clothes.

Week 13: Same symptoms, but slowly starting to feel less nauseous. We went to visit Paul's parents for the week and it felt so good to float in the lake every day!

Week 14: Second Trimester!! Finally starting to feel better. Still feeling nauseous on occasion, but not nearly as often. Praise the Lord!


I've been trying to take a belly pic every week since I found out. I missed a few here and there, but here's what I did get..



So there you have it, the first trimester in a nutshell :)




Wednesday, July 11, 2012

So Excited...



And We Just Can't Hide It!!!




God has blessed us with a baby due in January!




We are OVER THE MOON!


Monday, June 18, 2012

Pink or Blue?

My friend Rachel had a little gender reveal dinner last week. It was really low-key with just a few people, but it was so fun! She had us meet at a restaurant in Boulder. When we came around the corner, this is what we saw...


Her husband, Ben, is so funny. He jumped up and said, "It's a BOY!!" Poor guy is gonna be out-numbered :)


I'm so excited they're having a little girl! We had all been trying to guess for the last few weeks and couldn't wait to find out.  I'm pretty sure everyone guessed girl. Rachel had looked up all of the old wives tales and gender charts and everything was pointing towards pink. She even did some crazy test where she threaded a strand of her hair through a needle and held it above her wrist. Apparently, the needle swung in a circle which meant she was having a girl. I usually don't believe in old wives tales, but I guess in this case it was true!


I wish I would have taken a picture of the adorable little hat I bought for her (I bought a boy gift too, just in case). It was purple with a big flower on it-so fun! 


My fellow CW's in Boulder. I just love these girls. We sat at the restaurant for 4 hours, and I seriously could have stayed longer. We had so much fun talking and catching up. 

I'm so happy for Rachel and Ben and I CAN NOT wait to meet little miss Cora Michelle in November!