Gummy Bear is the size of a lime this week - that's incredible! I can't believe that in just two weeks he/she has grown from the size of an olive to the size of a lime, yipee! There has not been much going on this week. I was on "vacation" until today and I seriously spent most of my time off being lazy and hanging out with my boys, which was very nice! (Can you believe with 9 days off I only went to Babies.R.Us one time?!) Our next doctor visit is next Wednesday at 10 a.m. Hopefully the midwife will find the heartbeat with the doppler this time.
Keep voting on my poll - I will start a gender poll soon!
Here's my quiz for week #11 - How far along: 11 weeks 1 days Total weight gain/loss:still + 3 lbs Maternity clothes: I am in an awful phase - my summer clothes from last year are too small and my maternity clothes from Gavin are too big - I need new smaller maternity clothes but I don't want to spend the $$.. grrr! Stretch marks: still no new ones yet. Sleep: sleep hasn't been too bad - I've had some crazy dreams lately but none about the baby yet. Best moment of this week: being able to relax and take a nap during the day when Gav was at school; enjoying a family-filled fun holiday weekend! Movement: not yet, I seriously can't wait to feel that first flutter!! Food cravings: still pickles; vanilla ice cream cone with lots of rainbow sprinkles (preferably from Belle's Delites in Parkesburg!) Gender: this week I am going with boy! Labor signs:no and I hope it stays that way for a looooong time! Belly button in or out: still an innie. What I miss: sleeping on my belly; taking Emetrol when I feel sick; wrestling and rough-housing with Gavin. What I'm looking forward to: our doctor visit next week; our vacation to Ocean City, Maryland in 3 weeks!!! Weekly wisdom: vocalize your appreciation to your husband/significant other when they do simple sweet things. (Love you Steven!!!) Milestone: She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.
I know there hasn't been much difference in my belly size but I am doing a belly book so I need photos from each week. I will try to post some photos of my belly book soon!
So everyone I talk to thinks it's just great to have a baby during the holiday season, why you ask, because when people ask what we want for Christmas we can just direct them to the registry! So here's where the question comes in - is it tacky/inappropriate to create a registry for baby #2?? I hadn't really thought much about it and I don't think it's a big deal but obviously I've never had a second child so I don't know what's okay to ask for and what's not.
We still have a lot of stuff from when Gavin was a baby but there will be stuff we will need with Gummy Bear: diapers, wipes, pacifiers, a double stroller, maybe some new bottles that are BPA free, and of course if we have a baby girl we will need new clothes, new bibs and girly stuff! I do want to do a different nursery theme with Gummy Bear. Gavin's nursery was Winnie the Pooh and I am just really tired of looking at Winnie the Pooh!
So check out the poll on the side of the blog and tell me what you think - Yes, a registry for baby #2 is completely fine or No, you shouldn't create a registry for baby #2! Thanks =)
Yesterday was super terrifying when our midwife couldn't find the heartbeat.. we had our ultrasound today - and we got to see our beautiful Gummy Bear and his/her heart beating away!! The past 24 hours were very tough, but my faith got me through. My hubby says he "knew" everything was okay, but you can never know "for sure" until the proof is there, ya know?! Oh it was such a lovely sight and sound - his/her heart was beating away at around 161 bpm!! She shared that my uterus is still tilted pretty far back so that was most likely why the doppler wouldn't pick up the heartbeat. The tech also check out my cyst and said that it does not look like it has gotten any bigger, yipee! All in all it was a great visit and we got 2 super cute photos of our Gummy Bear.. isn't he/she lovely?!! In other news, according to the info the ultrasound tech had my due date is December 14, 2009. This whole due date thing is not a big deal to me, what's 2 days, ya know.. but just to stay consistent I am sticking to December 14, 2009. ( I also like that date because it seems closer, obviously, and it's not as close to Christmas as the 16th, silly I know!)
Now, on to the "normal" weekly update stuff.. 10 weeks.. double digits!!! the 10 week pregnancy quiz: How far along: 10 weeks 2 days Total weight gain/loss: + 3 lbs Maternity clothes: none yet. Stretch marks: no new ones. Sleep: I have been sleeping fairly well lately. Best moment of this week: seeing our healthy Gummy Bear today!! Movement: not yet, can't wait for that! Food cravings: I finally got to eat my corn on the cob, oh it was so good!!! I am still on the pickle craze too! Gender: I am still thinking girl... Labor signs: no way! Belly button in or out: innie. What I miss: feeling in shape and "thin" What I'm looking forward to: watching my belly grow, our next doctor visit in 2 weeks, seeing if these new prenatal vitamins will help regulate my crazy mood! Weekly wisdom: prayer is powerful. Milestone: He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.. thanks Baby.Center! Love & blessings,
Scary news first, we went today for a DR visit and my midwife couldn't find Gummy Bear's heartbeat. She tried for a good 5 minutes to find the heartbeat with no luck. She even tried to find another doppler but they were all being fixed. She then tried to get us in for an ultrasound but one of their techs called out today so there were no openings. We go back tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. for an ultrasound. I do have a retroverted uterus, which means my uterus tilts back towards the spine instead of being straight up and down. This position could mean that Gummy Bear is just a little too far back yet to hear the heart with a doppler. Oh my I hope that's what it is.. On a less scary note all my blood work thus far has been fine, no STDs or any of that crazy stuff! My midwife also gave me new prenatal vitamins to try. I shared with her that I've been having serious trouble controlling my mood - one minute I am super happy and laughing - the next minute I am snapping and super super grumpy - I feel awful for my husband. I told her today that if my moods don't get better I may be divorced and friend-less by the end of this pregnancy. (totally kidding, but that's how crazy my moods are!) Of course hormones are all a mess and all over the place but I was not like this when I was pregnant with Gavin. I really pray these new prenatal vitamins will help!
Finally, my due date is different than what I thought. At my last appointment I was made to believe it was December 14, 2009. Today my midwife told me she has the due date as December 16, 2009. 2 days, not a big deal right.. well it is somewhat of a big deal considering all my calendars and tickers have December 14, 2009 as the BIG day! I guess it could be worse. I will be sure to update the tickers and post belly photos tomorrow after the ultrasound. And hopefully I will have a beautiful new photo of our Gummy Bear to post too!
For those that pray, our Gummy Bear could use some if you don't mind!
I have always loved pickles, ever since I can remember my family has picked on me about always eating all the pickles at holiday meals, even before the meal really begins. But lately my love for pickles has gone to an all new level - I'm obsessed. I seriously wanted to eat some for breakfast this morning.. I was able to just stick to grapes but those yummy green things were seriously calling my name!! My favorite at this time are the Vlasic Baby Dill pickles (see my crappy photo of my most recent empty jar, so sad)
I did a goo.gle search on Vlasic pickles and found this funny image.. I could just tell them I don't want a smaller one, that size will work just fine for me =) Okay, moving on to some "not so useless" information! I was finally able to get some photos of the Easter eggs we gave out to family to share our pregnancy news. Don't ask how, but somehow I managed to forget to take photos of them before handing them out, so last night while at my parents house I stole my mom's egg and snapped away! I thought this was a super cute way to share our fun news, but some of our family were a little confused by the note. After everyone caught on it was fun to see their smiles!! Well we are almost 25% of the way there.. when I say/type it that way it seems like we're fairly far along but when you think that we still have 30 weeks to go.. oh my!!Okay, time to relax and not eat pickles! Love & blessings,
Our last week in the single digits - wahoo!!! I said that to my hubby today and he said, "what, in weight gain?!" Not funny sweetheart! It's been a somewhat uneventful week, although Mother's Day was enjoyable except for loosing my dinner and having silly ovary pains, oh pregnancy is wonderful =) (I am being sincere when I say that!)
Steven spoke with my midwife yesterday who said what I have is a complex cyst. It's about 3.7 centimeters, which is about the size of a lime. She said that it's not the smallest she's seen but it's not the largest and they don't tend to get very concerned until they reach 7 to 8 centimeters. She explained that unless my pain becomes very persistent and unbearable they will wait and check the cyst again around 20 weeks to see if it has changed at all. She explained that if it becomes too large it may need to be surgically removed, oh I really hope that doesn't have to happen! I am thankful that she called and told him all of this, I feel better knowing a little more than I did before. It doesn't scare me too much but it is really annoying because the pain just comes out of nowhere and it makes me look funny when I reach for and start to run my side. Oh well, you take the beauty with the pain I guess!
Here is my 9 week pregnancy quiz - oh so fun!
How far along: 9 weeks 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: still + 2 pounds
Maternity clothes: none yet, I did wear my tummy sleeve on Saturday and I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
Stretch marks: no new ones Sleep: sleep is good, I need as much as I can get!!
Best moment of this week: finding out more information about the cyst; getting to tell the rest of my co-workers!!
Movement: none yet, oh I can't wait to feel those little legs kicking me!!
Food cravings: I stilly really really want some corn on the cob; I've also been craving lots of salty foods, bad I know! mmmmm.. french fries...
Gender: I am dead set on girl - but I think it's because I'd really love to have a girl - so maybe from now on I should say boy!
Labor signs: oh my no! Belly button in or out: still an innie What I miss: sleeping on my belly; not feeling full all the time; being able to work out and sweat as hard as I can and as much as I want; having energy; having an alcoholic beverage whenever I want!
What I'm looking forward to: heaing Gummy Bear's heartbeat next Wednesday; watching my belly continue to grow! Weekly wisdom: try not to let the pregnancy consume your every thought - you still need to relax and enjoy life (I have struggled with this from time to time!) Milestones: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct.(thanks babycenter!)
This is such a fun journey for us and it's so nice to be able to share it like this with family and friends!! Love & blessings,
I actually bought this adorable onezie the morning after I got my first BFP (big fat positive!). I found it at Wal.Mart and it was only $3.00 so I could not resist! It says "worth the wait!" Gav and I were at the store and I saw a bag of gummy bears by the register and I had an idea - why don't I take a photo of my Gummy Bear with a gummy bear - so here ya go! Gavin showed the ultrasound photos to some of his teachers at school this morning and they were all very happy for us! When I went this afternoon to pick him up I had two other teachers congratulate me and explain that the news had traveled fast around the school!
Nothing else to share - I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend - and of course Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful mommies out there!!! (Especially my awesome mommy - she is the greatest and I just love her muchermostestmuchermoremore!!)
Today is National Day of Prayer - and this post is a little late considering it's almost 8:45 p.m. I do have a couple prayer requests for anyone who's interested! Obviously I'd love prayer for Gummy Bear, that he/she continues to grow and develop and the pregnancy continues to go smoothly!
I also have a prayer request regarding work - an adoptive family that I have worked with for the placement of their son Noah just learned that little Noah has a very rare form of brain cancer. There have only been about 100 documented cases of this cancer. He had a large brain tumor that was removed but he is still very sick. The family is hoping to begin treatment and are considering taking him to Boston for proton radiation. Noah shares the same birthday as Gavin, only Gavin is one year older than Noah. Please pray for Noah, for his adoptive family and that I will be able to reach his birthparents to inform them of the news.
We have made it to 8 weeks and I can finally blog about this fun adventure! We had our first prenatal appointment today - nothing too thrilling - but we did get to schedule an ultrasound for this afternoon. I have been having a lot of pain concentrated on my left side and my midwife was concerned it may be another cyst on my left ovary. My bloodwork was scheduled for 3 p.m. this afternoon and our first ultrasound was at 3:15 p.m. I had to go back to work for a few hours in between our appointment and our ultrasound - boy it was hard to focus!
The lab work went well - 6 vials of blood total - the lady told me I had "a juicer" - in reference to my arm.. I don't know if that's good or bad! The ultrasound was incredible. We got to see Gummy Bear on the big screen and see the heart fluttering away. The heart beat was 150 bpm, which is perfect! She did some measuring of the baby and he/she is at 7 weeks 5 days, which is not enough for them to change my due date, which is December 14, 2009 - that date puts me at 8 weeks 1 day.
I told the tech about my left side pain and as soon as she moved to that ovary she said, "oh yea, there's why, you have a large cyst on your left ovary." She spent a lot of time measuring the cyst and we learned that it's 3 1/2 centimeters. She shared the news with our midwife who will contact me once she has spoken with the radiologist about the images. Shelley, our midwife will call to talk with us about what steps to take next. I asked the tech what is usually done and she couldn't really give me a definitive answer, which I suspected, so at this point I just have to wait to hear from my midwife to learn what we need to do about the cyst. Surprisingly I am not too concerned about it, and I am thankful now to know what has been causing my discomfort, but I do pray that it does not have any negative affects on Gummy Bear!
Enjoy this funny photo of all my pregnancy tests - this does not include the six digital tests I took. I figured I spent $ on the tests, I might as well use them all!
This is a shirt I made for Gavin - I bought the shirt and graphic at AC. Moore and ironed my little heart out! I can't wait for him to wear it =)
I will finish off today's post with my oh-so-fun pregnancy quiz!!Please don't mind all the belly photos - I don't have many from my pregnancy with Gavin so I am trying to make sure I capture each week, if possible!
How far along: 8 weeks and 1 day Total weight gain/loss: no change. Maternity clothes: I do have a belly band that I haven't worn yet - that's about it. I am still in my normal clothes but I am certainly starting to feel a difference. Stretch Marks: no thank you - only the ones that stuck around from Gavin. Sleep: I need as much as I can get - otherwise I am falling asleep at my desk in the middle of the day, not good! Best moment this week: oh this is easy - seeing our Gummy Bear for the first time, learning that the heart beat is perfect and FINALLY getting to tell everyone!! Movement: not yet Food cravings:I still really really want some good corn on the cob! Gender: Ourmidwife told us today that a man's family history of gender does not have anything to do with predicting a baby's gender - therefore it is possible for us to have a girl. At this point, that's my hunch, but maybe that's because I'd love to have a girl. Labor signs: nope. Belly button in or out: in What I miss: sweet tea and sleeping on my belly. What I'm looking forward to: talking to my midwife about this cyst on my left ovary; going in to hear Gummy Bear's heart beat with the doppler in 2 weeks! Weekly wisdom: some things are definitely worth the wait! Milestones: Gummy Bear's fingers and toes are poking out from his/her body and his/her eyelids practically cover the eyes.
Oh it feel so nice to finally type those words!! Although some people, mainly family, have known about Gummy Bear I haven't been able to tell my virtual world! I took the first test on April 6, 2009 and of course many more tests followed! I told Steven on April 7, 2009. I picked Gav up from school, put his I'm the Big Brother shirt on and zipped up his coat. When we got home from school that day Gav was a little grumpy and didn't want to take his coat off. Steven knelt down to help him, read the shirt, looked up at me and said, "are you pregnant?" I shook my head yes - then he said, "are you serious?" I again shook my head - he immediately stood up and gave me the BIGGEST hug ever!! Here is a picture of the second test we took - the line on the first test was so faint it can't be seen unless it's right in front of your face. That's the beauty of digital tests, so easy to read! I've been reading a lot of blogs online and found this very cute pregnancy quiz. I have done one for the past four weeks put obviously haven't posted them. Here are the quizzes along with a belly shot from each of those weeks!
April 7, 2009
How far along: exactly 4 weeks today!
Total weight gain/loss: starting weight = 138 lbs.
I really did just post that – oh well, I’m okay with it – it’s only 2 pounds more than I weighed in 5th grade and it’s the same starting weight when I was pregnant with Gav!
Maternity clothes: nope – certainly excited about comfy pants!
Stretch marks: no – hopefully that will stay the same =)
Sleep: I couldn’t sleep last night because I was so excited and could not get comfortable.
Best moment this week: positive test on April 6, 2009 and telling my husband =)
Movement: nope
Food cravings: not yet!
Gender: no idea, no hunch yet.
Labor Signs: oh no no no!
Belly Button in or out: in
What I miss: sleeping comfortably on my belly.
What I am looking forward to: telling our family, our first doctor visit on May 7, 2009, hearing the baby’s heart bet, watching my belly grow, going through Gav’s old baby stuff.. oh this list is endless!
Weekly Wisdom: “If you want to hear God laugh tell him your plans.” It’s funny – myplan was to get pregnant in July or August so we would have an April or May baby – I never thought it would take until April to get our positive test – and now we’re due in December.. certainly not a spring baby =)
Milestones: at this point I’d say the sperm meeting the egg =) April 14, 2009
How far along: 5 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I honestly don’t know.. I’m afraid to get on the scale!
Maternity clothes: not yet.. I am definitely growing quickly though
Stretch marks: nope
Sleep: here and there.. I am super exhausted throughout the day.
Best moment this week: getting to reschedule my first doctor appointment for 2 days sooner!!! Telling our families over Easter weekend =)
Movement: hopefully in another 13 weeks or so!
Food cravings: none yet, I’m sure there will be some good ones to come.
Gender: thinking pink, but blue will do =)
Labor Signs: no thank you!
Belly Button in or out: in
What I miss: sleeping on my belly and drinking sweet tea.
What I am looking forward to: telling more family this weekend, our first DR visit, hearing Gummy Bear’s heartbeat,buying maternity clothes
Weekly Wisdom: get plenty of rest, be nice to your husband, exercise helps you feel better.
Milestones: the baby’s heart starts to beat this week!!!!!
April 21, 2009
How far along: 6 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: + 2 lbs as of this morning
Maternity clothes: no, but I did get some of my old maternity clothes out and tried them on!
Stretch marks: nope, just the one I still have from my pregnancy with Gav.
Sleep: it’s been much easier to sleep, but I really miss sleeping on my belly.
Best moment this week: going through my old maternity clothes and remembering special moments during my pregnancy with Gavin; knowing that Gummy Bear’s heart is beating now!!
Movement: not yet.. can’t wait for that first flutter!
Food cravings: none yet.
Gender: I’d love a girl but I have a feeling (just based on Steven’s family) the baby will be a boy!
Labor Signs: no way!
Belly Button in or out: innie
What I miss: being able to eat and not feel wicked full and uncomfortable.
What I am looking forward to: still the same as before – our first doctor appointment, hearing Gummy Bear’s heartbeat for the first time, watching my belly get bigger, telling the rest of my friends and family who don’t know!
Weekly Wisdom: eat small meals more often instead of fewer large meals, don’t get out of bed too fast, get as much done as you can when you are feeling good and rest when you’re feeling not so good.
Milestones: during this week the baby will really begin to develop into a more “human” looking baby!!
April 28, 2009
How far along: 7 weeks =)
Total weight gain/loss: still + 2 lbs
Maternity clothes: I bought a belly band from Motherhood Maternity – I am in a weird stage with my clothes so that has helped a lot.
Stretch marks: none yet.
Sleep: yes please, as much as possible.. I have been utterly exhausted!
Best moment this week: watching my belly grow a little and being one week closer to our first prenatal appointment!
Movement: nope, hopefully in about 12 weeks!
Food cravings: I honestly cannot wait for some good corn on the cob!!!
Gender: I’ve been going back and forth so I really have no idea!
Labor Signs: no no no!
Belly Button in or out: in
What I miss: sleeping on my belly, running, wine =)
What I am looking forward to: I’m just going to repeat the ones from last week – our first doctor appointment on May 5th, hearing Gummy Bear’s heartbeat for the first time, watching my belly get bigger, telling the rest of my friends and family who don’t know yet!
Weekly Wisdom: moderate exercise really makes one feel better =)
Milestones: Gummy Bear will grow significantly this week!!!
