Tuesday, June 30, 2009

16 weeks = an avocado!!



Wow, an avocado - Gummy Bear's getting bigger!!! Not much has happened in the past week, except for the awesome ultrasound that I wrote about already. I do still need to get some of the photos scanned.

Last week I went to Creation for the first time. My work, Bethany Christian Services, had a booth so I went for work. I had an amazing time but it was hard being away from Gavin and Steven. I got to see a lot of amazing Christian musicians - Casting Crowns, Third Day, Chris Tomlin, Lincoln Brewster, Barlowgirl, Hawk Nelson and several more. I didn't get to actually see every concert but while working at the Bethany booth we could hear the concerts so it worked out! I also got to hear some great speakers - Joyce Meyer, Greg Laurie and Ron Luce. Each message seemed to really touch me personally.. but I won't get into all that! We had a great time camping - it was my first time ever sleeping in a tent - but the port-a-pottys were pretty yucky!!

Moving on to my 16 week quiz:

How far along:
16 weeks 1 day
Weight gain/loss:
at this point I'm up about 6 or 7 pounds
Maternity clothes:
I wore my first "complete" maternity outfit today to work, it was very comfortable!!
Stretch marks:
I am noticing more on my belly, I'm fearful they're going to be super big in December - time to start with the coco butter =)
Sleep:
I have still been completely exhausted, and sleeping soundly!
Best moment of the week:
definitely my unexpected free ultrasound, it was truly amazing to see baby Gummy Bear moving all around =) =)

Movement:
not yet, but I am paying more attention because I should be able to feel movement in the next couple of weeks
Food cravings:
this morning I wanted a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit from McDonalds, which was really weird because I have been completely turned off by eggs lately. (I did buy one, and it was delicious.)
Gender:
boy - I am about 95% convinced it's a boy - Mommy's little monster =)
Labor signs:
nope.
Belly button in or out:
still in.
What I miss:
still sleeping on my belly, energy, running and a nice cold bud light.
What I'm looking forward to:
my doctor appointment tomorrow morning and hopefully scheduling our big ultrasound!!!!
Weekly wisdom:
water really is good for you - it may taste like crap - but drink it anyway. Milestones: Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well.

Okay, time to go finish up some laundry.. don't forget to vote on the gender poll!! Love & blessings,


Wednesday, June 24, 2009

I saw Gummy Bear today =)

Oh today was such a blessing =) I had a meeting with a client at a pregnancy center today and the director of this center and I have a very very close relationship. After a very long meeting with this client (who was such a strong and mature girl!!) the director, asked if I'd like a quick scan. Um, let me think... OF COURSE I want to see my little Gummy Bear!!! =)

So I jumped up onto the table and the ultrasound tech started her magic! Her first comment was, "Oh it looks like there's something between the legs there... wait, that's just the cord." I then told her that I really didn't want to know the gender because it wouldn't be fair to my hubby. She then began scanning Gummy Bear and everything looks wonderful. He/she was waving and kicking like crazy. At one point he/she had both arms crossed, it was so adorable =) She took some head measurements and everything is right on target.

After a few minutes I asked the tech if she could definitely tell the gender. She began looking and said that she didn't "really see anything between the legs, so it could be a girl, but it's a little too early for me to tell." So I don't know the gender - and I'm okay with that at this point. I really want to find out for sure with Steven holding my hand and Gav there next to us with his Big Brother shirt on =)

The tech printed about 10-15 awesome photos - I will try to scan some of them soon! I'm off to Creation until Sunday afternoon. It should be a very awesome trip filled with lots of music, worship, sun and fun!!

Love & blessings,

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

week 15 - Gummy Bear's an orange!





So we missed the lemon last week but that's okay! Our beach trip was a lot of fun, cold, but definitely fun and relaxing. It's hard to believe I'm already 15 weeks pregnant - hello 2nd trimester!! I don't know exactly when the start of the 2nd tri. is - some say 13 weeks, some say 14 weeks, some say 14 weeks 4 days - but I can safely say now, at 15 weeks 1 day and I definitely in the 2nd trimester!! I don't feel very pregnant though - I do have a little belly - but I don't have really any other symptoms other than being very sleepy and having cravings. I cannot wait until I can feel Gummy Bear move so I know he/she is okay in there.

Here's the quiz for week #15 - I won't bother doing one for week #14 but I will post the belly photos from last week!


How far along:
15 weeks 1 day
Total weight gain/loss:
still +5 based on the doctor's scale (which is shocking considering all the junk food I ate at the beach!)
Maternity clothes:
yes, sometimes - today I have on normal pants but a safety pin is serving as my button =)
Stretch marks:
still no new ones
Sleep:
oh my dreams have been insane the past couple of weeks - I am not having a lot of trouble sleeping, but I sure could use more!
Best moment of this week:
going to the beach with my boys, watching Gav play with his daddy - Steven is so good with him!!
Movement:
none yet - hopefully very soon - it sure would be nice to have some reassurance that Gummy Bear is doing well.
Food cravings:
not any crazy ones lately, although I've found that I am really starting to dislike the taste of water, which is not good..
Gender: oh I want to know so badly!!! I will say Gummy Bear is a boy - but I'd like to know what you think - PLEASE vote on my gender poll - it's on the right side of the blog!!!
Labor signs:
no no no!
Belly button in or out:
still an innie - I think I am going to change my belly button ring to my pregnancy extender ring soon
What I miss:
definitely sleeping on my belly; and for some reason lately I really want to try a Smirnoff Grape drink - it sounds really really good!!
What I'm looking forward to:
our next doctor appointment on July 1st and hopefully being able to schedule our big ultrasound!!!
Weekly wisdom:
safety pins do make good buttons when you can't quite get your pants to close =)
Milestones: Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces, about the size of an apple. She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. - wow!! I love baby.center!!!

14 weeks belly photos below

15 weeks belly photos below

*Another reminder - don't forget about the gender poll on the side of the blog - and don't forget to stay updated on Gavin's blog, he's such a handsome, smart little fella =)

Love & blessings,


Sunday, June 14, 2009

Ocean City, Maryland!

Tomorrow my boys and I are headed to OCMD for the week! I won't be posting at all this week but I certainly won't forget to take my belly photos. Posts will contine when we're back from vacation. We are almost all packed and I cannot wait to hit the road in the morning. I pray for good weather and a cooperative 2 year old =)

Love & blessings,

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

13 weeks - beware long post!

Gummy Bear is a peach this week =) SO cool!!!

Oh man where do I begin - the past week has been a complete blur. I will update on some non-related pregnancy issues that have been going on. For almost the past 2 months I've been having serious pain in my left knee. I finally decided to see a doctor about it on Monday and he felt that physical therapy would be helpful since neither of us felt x-rays or an MRI would be a good option. So I sucked it up and went to physical therapy yesterday. Chris, the therapist, said that I injured my meniscus and then he had me do a ton of exercises. He let me know, as if I didn't already know, that my lower body is pretty weak and he thinks it would really help my knee if I can work on strengthening my hips and thighs. Oh boy that sounds lovely, huh!?! I have exercised I need to do twice per day and I am supposed to ice the front and back of my knee for 15 minutes 3 times a day. I am going to do my best to follow these guidelines and attend my therapy sessions each week but man I am already sore from these exercises! When Chris was satisfied with my exercises he had me lay with a ton of ice on my knee - I think my leg was frozen for the rest of the day!!

So, after all that is done it's back to work for a Domestic Infant Adoption Info. mtg. When I walk in the door our administrative assistant asks if I've talked to my mom, she proceeds with this statement, "your mom called and she said that your dad's in the hospital but it's not an emergency." What?? Not an emergency?? Oh my mom is just so silly, those phrases don't go together well! So long story short - my dad has more blockage in his arteries so they put 2 more stents in. He was admitted on Tuesday and will hopefully be released tomorrow but who knows! I wish I understood more of what was going on with him and his heart but I just don't quite get it all. It does make me realize though that I really need to start eating better and exercising more. I definitely don't come from the best genes!!

Okay, on to Gummy Bear stuff - I've felt fairly good this week but cravings have been terrible!! What Gummy Bear wants Gummy Bear gets!!

How far along: 13 weeks 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: I'm up about 5 pounds
Maternity clothes: I've purchased some but really haven't worn any yet. I just bought a pair of nice maternity black dress pants for work at Tar.get - originally $30 on sale for $8 - oh yea!!!
Stretch marks: no new ones.
Sleep: I've been sleeping fairly well - except for some crazy dreams - last night in my dream a grizzly bear attacked me and ate my arm - so insane!!
Best moment of this week: watching my belly grow and going to our first Barnstormers baseball game of this season!
Movement: not yet.. I'm patiently waiting to feel those lovely kicks =)
Food cravings: oh my goodness I will be completely honest I have been craving McDonalds french fries, yikes! I've also been craving soda - 2 NOT GOOD cravings!!
Gender: I'm back to thinking girl.. hopefully we will find out in 6-7 more weeks!
Labor signs: no!
Belly button in or out: still in - will be for a while - hopefully!!
What I miss: sleeping on my bellyand being less hormonal and moody; I do NOT miss seeing negative pregnancy tests every month!
What I'm looking forward to: our beach trip on Monday and then Creation the following week - all while watching Grummy Bear expand my belly!!
Weekly wisdom: each pregnancy for each woman is very very different - be open to hearing other people's experiences and take all the unsolicited advice politely!
Milestones: Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce. (thanks babycenter!!)
The above photos were taken yesterday - Tuesday - and these photos were taken tonight - Wednesday. It's so funny how 24 hours and a different outfit can make my belly look much different - Gummy Bear is growing =)
Something silly I will share with you - I bought a bag of chips today to have with lunch - I saw them in Wawa and it took me back to 7th and 8th grade! I felt very ripped off though after opening this bag.. here's why!
Yes, I did take these photos in my car beacuse I couldn't wait to get back to the office to eat the chips - all 10 that were in the bag!

And now the last thing - my belly book. I saw this book at Borders when I was about 30 weeks pregnant with Gav and thought it was adorable but of course it was too late to start a belly book beacuse I hadn't taken any belly photos at that point. It was only a few days after I found out about Gummy Bear that I went out and bought the Belly Book! This is why I take a photo of myself every week. It is such an adorable book and will be so special for me to share with Gummy Bear one day!
Love & blessings,


Wednesday, June 3, 2009

heart beat found!

Our doctor appointment today was nice and simple. The doctor found Gummy Bear's heartbeat fairly easily, although I had a hard time hearing it through my heartbeat. He moved to the right side of my belly and was able to focus in on just Gummy Bear's heartbeat which was just a lovely sound! Steven and Gav were there and got to hear it too. I would like to tape the heartbeat at my next appointment. I didn't do it this time because my appointment was with a doctor I had never met before and I wasn't sure how he'd feel about me pulling out my camera to video the heartbeat. My next appointment is at 16 weeks, on July 1st at 7:45 a.m. This appointment is with a midwife I am very comfortable with so hopefully I'll be able to record the heartbeat and post the video on here, wouldn't that be cool?!?!

Okay, time to get back to work, just wanted to let everyone know that Gummy Bear is swimming away in there and his/her heart sounds perfect =)

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

12 weeks = a plum!



Gummy Bear has grown a lot over the past week - he/she is now the size of a plum!! I noticed that my ticker is now under 200 days - oh yea! Not a whole lot has changed this past week other than my belly a little. We are getting ready to head to the beach on June 14th and I am beyond excited. Gav LOVES the ocean and it will hopefully be a very relaxing vacation! I went to Babies.R.Us tonight to return a mirror Steven had bought for his car and took a nice walk around the store. I still haven't bought any baby stuff, except for the adorable onesie posted a few weeks ago and an adorable West Virginia University cap (which I need to take a photo of). By this time in my pregnancy with Gavin we had a ton of stuff, mostly clothes, simply because I couldn't help myself, everything was just so adorable. Everything is still super adorable but I am doing much better with controling myself! I have been thinking about nursery/bedding ideas - Gav's nursery was Winnie the Pooh and I just really want something different. These are the bedding collections I've been checking out. I am completely head over heals in LOVE with the girl bedding but haven't really decided on the boy bedding, both are very cute! I am leaning more towards the fish bedding but the only down side is I can't find it in a store so we'd have to order it on-line.. I'd just like to see it in person before purchasing it, but it really is adorable =)

Once we know Gummy Bear's gender and select the bedding we will work on the nursery plan - paint, furniture, etc. Oh I can't wait!!! Now on to the fun yet redundant weekly pregnancy quiz:
How far along: 12 weeks 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: +3 pounds on our scale, maybe more on the OBGYNs scale Maternity clothes: I just bought some new spring/summer clothes - some are maternity! Stretch Marks: not yet.
Sleep:
I can't complain about sleep, although I can't ever seem to get enough!
Best moment of this week: my birthday on Sunday!! This is a photo of my gift from Steven =)
my hubby noticing my belly is growing; buying some cute maternity clothes!
Movement:
none yet.
Food cravings:
haha, you'll never guess - I've been craving Blow Pops - I bought a bag at the grocery store and have been limiting myself to 2 per day!
Gender: I should just delete this one because I keep going back and forth; I'll say boy again this week!
Labor signs: nope.
Belly button in or out: still in, probably will be for a while.
What I miss:
sleeping on my belly; not worrying about what medicine I can take; alcohol. What I'm looking forward to: our DR visit tomorrow @ 10 a.m.!!!
Weekly wisdom: document things during your pregnancy and take belly photos - I really wish I would have done a blog or a belly book when I was pregnant with Gavin.
Milestones:
The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder. --SO amazing!!!

Continue to vote on my poll - thanks for the votes so far! Also, don't forget to keep up on Gavin's blog; there is a link to his blog on the right side of this one just under my poll. His blog title is Go Go Gavin!

Belly photos from week 12 - the first two are in my new maternity outfit - I think my belly looks bigger in this outfit than it does in my standard weekly pj outfit! The shirt is still a little big but I am sure I'll grow into it ;) (I do also know it's pretty sad I take a photo of myself in the mirror each week but there is a purpose. I promise to post about my belly book soon!)
Love & blessings,