28 Weeks

I'm nearing the end of my 28th week!  I feel like the 2nd trimester just flew by.  And now it won't be long before we meet Audrey.  :)  She weighs as much as a Chinese cabbage.  What the heck is a Chinese cabbage?  I don't know... but they say it weighs 2.25 pounds.  And she is about 15 inches from head to heel.

This week, I've felt pretty good.  The doctor confirmed that the tingling I feel under my left ribcage after I eat is acid reflux.  She said that is right where the esophagus meets the stomach.  Ever since I've felt the tingling, I haven't had bad heartburn.  I will take the tingling over the heartburn burning in my throat anyday!

I got my test results back from my glucose (and other things) test.  My sugar level was in the normal range.  I scored 128, and they have patients come back and do the 3-hour test if the sugar level is 130 or above.  Whew - close call!  But they did tell me that I am low iron, so now I take an over-the-counter iron supplement twice a day.  I sent Carl an article about iron deficiency during pregnancy (apparently it's really common) and the article said that if you're low-iron you may experience low energy and feeling run-down.  He emailed me back:  "So, do you think you're iron-deficient normally (before pregnancy)."  Haha!  Probably the funniest quote from Carl this week.  (By the way, I really do think I'm iron-deficient normally... Carl may call it "narcoleptic", but now I can call it iron-deficient.)

Last weekend, we were in Iowa for a friend's wedding (Ted Bliefnick).  I got to see a lot of people from Decatur/Forsyth that I haven't seen in a long time.  It was a really fun wedding!  You would have thought that I would have taken some pictures, and at least gotten a picture with Carl, me, Sam, Lindsey, and Josh Swift.  But let's just say that it's not my top priority to carry my camera with me at all times.  I'm not too ecstatic about taking pics lately.  :)  I took only 1 pic, and it was a self-portrait of me and Carl.  

It was a nerve-racking trip, though, to Iowa.... we drove the 5-ish hours to get to Cedar Falls, Iowa, we parked the car (my Camry) at the hotel, checked in, and went upstairs to change and get ready for the Wedding Ceremony.  After only about 45-50 mins, we came back down to the car, and it was dead!  Couldn't believe it.  We hitched a ride with these really nice people from Bloomington who were friends with Ted from Millikin.  And then we caught a ride back to the reception/hotel with Allan, Kathy, and Lindsey Hans.  Allan and Kathy Hans were kind enough to let us borrow their car Sunday morning so Carl and I could run to Walmart.  We bought a new battery and hoped and prayed that after Carl replaced the battery (in the hotel parking lot, no less), that the car would be good as new.  We knew that if it were something other than the battery, we would be spending an extra night in Iowa to get the car fixed on Monday.  Thank goodness the car started and was good to go after Carl replaced the battery.  He's so darned handy, isn't he?  :)  We only had 1 hiccup on the drive home... we stopped at an Arby's drive-thru in Iowa City for some lunch and the car stalled in the drive-thru.  I was so scared that we were going to be stranded... and in Hawkeye territory.  That's enough to frighten even Carl.  :)  I restarted the car and Carl looked at me and said, "Hurry up and order."  So I did just that and we just prayed that the car would make it home.  Alas, we got home safe and sound and the car has started okay ever since.  I'm so thankful, and I'm definitely going to have the car thoroughly checked out when I get my oil change next.

Tomorrow (Friday), my Mom is staying the night with us.  It's always fun when she comes and visits!  And this time, she's bringing curtains for the nursery.  :)  She has been working so hard on them, and I can't wait to see them.

27 Weeks

This past weekend was a really fun weekend!  My Mom came up to stay with us on Friday and Saturday night.

Friday night: We ate dinner at Portillos (and of course we got our favorite Portillos Chopped Salads - yum!) and then purchased Audrey's crib bedding and the inspiration for all the nursery decorations.  Isn't the bedding beautiful?!  I've had my eye on this bedding even before we knew we were having a girl.  I really love all the different colors in it.  And, believe it or not, it looks even better in person.

Then we stopped by JoAnn Fabrics to pick out fabric for curtains my Mom is going to make for the nursery.  We pulled a few different fabrics and brought samples home to decide what we wanted.  I'm really excited about the fabrics we chose.  I called and talked to Mom yesterday and she has already started on the curtains.  Can't wait to see them!
Saturday: We started off with breakfast (of course!), then onto JoAnn Fabrics to purchase the fabric and then on to Buy Buy Baby to purchase the crib and dresser (a very generous gift from Grandma and Grandpa Patton).  Thankfully, big Carl (Grandpa Larson) was in town and he was nice enough to help us transport the furniture from Buy Buy Baby to our house.  Unfortunately, both the dresser and the crib did not all fit in his truck so he had to take 2 trips.  What troopers!  And Mom and I had it rough... we waited in the gliders, "testing" them out, until they returned for the 2nd load.  I fell in love with one of the upholstered gliders, and am now set on upholstered vs. standard wood frame glider.  It really was a long day, and Mom and I both were exhausted by the end!  We ended the night watching the first few episodes of Friday Night Lights Season 1 on DVD.
Sunday: Mom left right after breakfast and Carl and I (mainly Carl) put together the crib.  Now we just have to move out the full mattress and bedding that our guests have used.  It's air mattresses from now on for our guests.  Here are the pics of the furniture.  I'm in love with it!

 Chief really likes the crib, too :)

How far along:  27 weeks and 3 days
Size of baby:  She is the size of a head of cauliflower.  She weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches in length.
Total weight gain:  22 pounds
Maternity clothes:  On Saturday, Mom went with me to Destination Maternity in Orland Park to shop for some maternity clothes.  Destination Maternity has both A Pea in the Pod and Motherhood Maternity brand clothes.  This was the 2nd time I had been in the store, and just like the 1st time I stayed in the back shopping the Motherhood Maternity brand.  A Pea in the Pod is much too expensive for me!  I found 3 dresses I like and 2 shirts.  And I purchased some maternity Spanx.  I love them!  They have a panel for the belly, so they're tight everywhere except my "baby bump".  I'm excited about my purchases!
Gender:  Still a girl!  This answer shouldn't change for the remaining 13 weeks.  :)
Movement:  She's still moving a lot.  When Mom and I were relaxing in the gliders at Buy Buy Baby, she must have been doing a flip or something because we could both see the left side of my belly moving like crazy.  I love feeling her, and she is an active little girl!
Sleep:  I've been sleeping really well lately.  I never thought I'd say it, but I'm officially used to sleeping on my side and find it pretty comfortable.  Don't get me wrong, I will probably switch back to sleeping on my stomach after pregnancy, but for now I am content on my side.
What I miss:  I really don't have any complaints this week.
Symptoms:  I didn't have heartburn all weekend or Monday and Tuesday of this week, but today I've had heartburn all day.  And it's weird, after I eat I get a tingling sensation right underneath my left rib cage.  Maybe this is indigestion or something related to heartburn too?  Friday night was the first time I ever felt it.

26 Weeks

So here I am 26 weeks along...

I realized I hadn't taken a pic since week 20, so I was due.  I just got back from yoga and asked Carl to take this pic as soon as I walked in the door... my only request was that he didn't get my face.  :)  

This past week, I've been really self-conscious.  A guy at work last week told me I "looked HUGE".  Thanks.  I blame it on the dress I was wearing.  We just laughed about it... he's definitely not the most tactful person, so it was almost expected.  Right after he said it, he back-tracked and said that I didn't look pregnant from my calves down.  Seriously he said that.  Thanks, dude.  At least I didn't have cankles that day, so that's good.  And then another coworker chimed in saying I've still got a long way to go and she didn't know where I was going to put the rest of the weight I had left to gain.  How can I not be self-conscious after that, right?  People just say the darnedest things to pregnant people!  I think I've gained 4 pounds over the past 2 weeks, so I really do need to start watching it so I don't "over-indulge".  I've really been trying to eat low-sodium and healthy, getting my fruits and vegetables.  I guess that's all I can control, right?  But, don't get me wrong, I allow myself to "cheat" quite often... much more often than before pregnancy.  You saw the blog post about the dessert table at the Engagement Party, right?  

I also missed 2 weeks of yoga, so I just wasn't feeling as strong and healthy.  I came back on Saturday morning and really noticed a difference in my overall mobility.  And tonight, I was back at my regular Tuesday-night class at the Community Wellness Center, and had some difficulty during the breathing exercises, forward folds, and balance poses.  I just modify a bit and do as much as I can.  I still get a really good workout, so I feel good about that.  Carl and I have been walking Chief as much as we can.  My favorite thing is to wake up early on a weekend and go for a long walk before it gets hot out.  It's been really hot lately.  In fact, this week is supposed to be in the 100's.  But so far I've been able to keep my swelling down and stay in the A/C as much as I can.   

Here is my "real" update:

How Far Along: 26 weeks and 2 days

Size of Baby:  She is almost 2 pounds now!  She's really growing and putting on baby fat.  She is now about 14 inches from head to heel, the size of an English hothouse cucumber.   

Total Weight Gain:  21.3 pounds

Maternity Clothes:  Almost all the clothes I wear are maternity clothes.  However, it's really strange that in my pic above, I'm not wearing any maternity clothes.  It's a regular tank top and t-shirt and regular yoga pants that I've had for about 8 years.  I find that I can't wear many regular shirts anymore just because they're not long enough.  And I'm thinking about retiring the dress I was wearing that instigated the "you're HUGE" comment. 

Gender:  GIRL!  And we are 100% sure about this now after having the 3D ultrasound this past weekend.

Movement:  I've noticed that she is really active on the weekends, and then she takes some time to rest on Monday and I don't feel her as much.  By today, Tuesday, she's really active again.  The ultrasound tech this weekend informed me that I have an anterior placenta, which means that I don't feel as much as if I didn't.  That seems crazy to me because I really do feel her a lot... and sometimes it's hard kicks!  I think that she's had hiccups often this week.  I'll feel a "bump" from the inside very regularly for a couple minutes at a time, as opposed to an irregular hard kick.  

Sleep:  Carl's been waking up really early for work (today, he was out the door by 5am!), and I woke up early yesterday to take Chief for a walk with him before he left for work.  This morning was just too early...I slept in instead.  But I hope to make that a regular thing where Carl and I walk Chief together before work.  We'll see.  I'm definitely becoming more of a morning person.  This past weekend, we were able to get a lot of sleep, which was awesome!  I even took a 2 hour nap on Saturday afternoon.  There's nothing better!

What I miss:  Having a "figure" and feeling cute.  Don't get me wrong, I think it is incredible what the human body is capable of.  I am in awe of all the changes that are happening to my body.  But I really am motivated to work really hard after Audrey is born to get in shape and feel fit and healthy.

Cravings:  I still love my fruit!  I have a home-made fruit and yogurt parfait for breakfast on the weekdays.  Yummo!  I've also been craving ice cream again, but instead of having ice cream every night I picked up some Frosted Flakes and I have a bowl of cereal.  That usually suffices.  I love Frosted Flakes!  And sadly, there's probably the same amount of sugar as in a bowl of ice cream.  It feels healthier though.  

Symptoms:  Heartburn heartburn heartburn!  It's worse on the weekdays for some reason.  Usually starts mid-morning, subsides a little when I eat lunch, then really gets bad in the afternoon.  I think I've gotten a bit used to it, though...as much as you can get used to heartburn.  I feel it most right in my throat... it's such a strong burn that it almost feels "cool" at some times.  I feel like I need to burp or thorow-up at some times just to relieve it.  Also, I've felt my belly get tight a little bit over the past week.  I don't know if this is Braxton Hicks?  It will get tight in my lower belly only, then at another time, it will get tight in my upper belly on just one side.  It's not regular and not intense, which is good.  I haven't been alarmed.  I probably will mention it to the doc next time I visit in 2 weeks.

That recaps my week 25 and gives a little insight as to how I'm feeling at week 26.  I'm excited that this weekend my Mom is coming up to visit.  We are going shopping for nursery furniture!  We are going to purchase the crib, dresser, and bedding this weekend.  We're also going to look for fabric for curtains so my Mom can start sewing.  My Mom is so talented and it's so nice that she is going to help with the nursery decor!  Hopefully we'll have a successful weekend!  I think we will. 

Week 24 Update

How far along:  Well, today I'm 25 weeks, but this is going to be my recap of last week, Week 24.
Size of baby:  Last week, she was the length of an ear of corn... about 13 inches.  She's pretty long now, and in the weeks ahead she will fill out and build some baby fat.
Total Weight Gain:  I had my 24-week checkup on Tuesday, 7/5, and I have gained a total of 17 pounds.  I'm averaging about 1 lb per week.
Maternity Clothes:  Yes!
Gender:  GIRL!
Movement:  She's really been moving a lot this week.  I feel her a lot when I'm driving in the car, in the afternoon, and at night.  Usually I have to be sitting down or laying down and I really feel her.  Up until this week, Carl has been the only person to feel her kick.  But on Friday night, Ashley and my Mom got to feel her kicked.  She kicked Ashley's hand pretty hard.  It was pretty exciting!  Yesterday after dinner, Ashley had her hand on my stomach and would tap my stomach and 5 seconds later Audrey would kick.  This happened a few times right in a row.  Audrey was playing a game with us.  :)  My Dad tried to feel her this morning, but I think she was tired from all the excitement from the luau yesterday.  Next time!  Cynda also felt her kick and so did Katie Korte.  Puh-retty crazy!
Sleep:  I've been waking up early in the morning, even on the weekends.  And this past week, I had quite a bit to do to get the house ready for the party, so I was up kinda late at night.  We were up late last night and of course I wake up about 6:00am, but I was at least able to sleep on and off until about 9am... until it was time to clean up.  But we were exhausted today, so Carl and I took a couple hour nap.  Naps are so underrated!
What I miss:  Lately, I've been craving sushi, but I'll have to wait to have that for awhile.  And yesterday at the party, I was craving some mango vodka.  But of course, I've been a good girl and just drank water and juice.
Cravings:  I've noticed that I've had more of a sweet tooth than a salt-tooth, as I normally had before pregnancy.
Symptoms:  It was really hot again this week.  The doctor reminded me to be very careful with the heat - I've just been avoiding it.  Even for the party yesterday, I didn't hang out outside until after 7pm.  I just don't want to be all swollen and dehydrated!  Tuesday night, I had a really bad headache.  Usually, I think I'm just dehydrated when I have a bad headache, but I drank even more water than normal on Tuesday.  Weird.  I skipped yoga and just laid on the couch hoping it would get better.  When I woke up on Wednesday, I still had the headache, but it went away Wednesday morning after I got to work.  Also, I had my doctor give me a breast exam.  I feel like not only have they gotten bigger, the "composition" of them have changed.  And I thought I felt something weird over the past couple weeks. But she reassured me that my breasts are healthy.  That set my mind at ease!
Best Moment This Week:  It's always really fun going to the doctor these days.  My weight was good, my blood pressure was 110/70 which was good, and my pee-test was good.  It is always great to hear that I'm healthy and the baby's healthy.  She even said that my uterus is measuring exactly where it should be.  Everything is going very smoothly!  And I look forward to the doctor's appointments because I got to hear Audrey's heartbeat again.  She found her heartbeat right away!  At my 20-week appointment, it took her a good 20-30 seconds to find the heartbeat, but Audrey was really showing herself this week.  She didn't tell me exactly how fast the heartbeat was, but it sounded good and strong and that's all I care about.  Also, it was a lot of fun to have my family and friends around this weekend for the party.  That was a big highlight of this week, too!

Weeks 22 & 23

This post is a recap of last week, Week 22, plus an update on how I'm feeling in Week 23.  It's a combo!

How far along:  23 weeks and 4 days
Size of baby:  At 23 weeks, the baby is the size of a large mango (last week was a spaghetti squash!). She is a little over 11 inches now and weighs over 1 pound!
Total Weight Gain/Loss:  I think I'm up 16 pounds from pre-pregnancy.  I just keep on growing!  :)
Maternity Clothes:  I bought some new clothes from Target - a wrap dress, 2 black tank tops (just can't get enough!), and some undies.  I tried on the wrap dress this morning, and LOVE LOVE LOVE it.  I plan on wearing it to work and to a wedding we have at the end of July.  Love it!  It's really flattering and it's a nice fabric... and it was only $30.  Hooray!  I really am liking tighter clothes lately, as opposed to the big tented clothes.  I just look humongous in big loose clothes because of my large chest and belly.  The clothes that show off my figure a little more make me look a little smaller.
Gender:  She's a girl!  Our little Audrey :)
Movement:  It's been a monumental 2 weeks as far as movement.  I really started feeling her move on Father's Day, which was the start of my 22nd week.  And I told Carl that day that it would be soon that he should start feeling her kick because she really started kicking!  And sure enough, Carl got to feel her kick for the first time that very next night.  We were sitting on the couch watching TV and I thought I felt her.  I told him to put his hand on my belly and all of a sudden a big kick.  My eyes grew wide and I gasped, and when I looked over at Carl his eyes were huge too!  Really cool stuff!  And she's really been moving a lot ever since. I feel her everyday, sometimes during the day and a lot at night.  I feel like we went from 0-100 in no time at all.  Still in week 20 I was saying, "I think I'm feeling her move."  My doctor said one day there would be no mistaking it, and she was right!  I love feeling her kick and move all around!
Sleep:  I've been really tired this past week.  I don't know what it is, but just really tired.  Wanting to lay around all day and night and not wanting to get out of bed in the morning.  Last night, for instance, I went to bed around 9:30pm and didn't get up this morning until 6:35am.  Needless to say, I've been sleeping really well!
What I miss:  Nothing in particular
Cravings:  Today it was fried food and vegetables.  I even had 2 salads today!  And I've really been craving fruit for a long time now.  I love fresh fruit, but I am addicted to dried fruit right now.  I really love prunes... which is a good thing and sometimes a bad thing too.  :)  I have yogurt raisins for a snack in the afternoon, and I munch on dried apples or dried apricots when I need something small.  Either Audrey is really going to like fruit, or she's not going to like it at all!
Symptoms:  I've really had bad heart burn this week.  Today has been the worst!  Also, last week I really was suffering from swollen ankles and legs.  I bought a stool to elevate my feet when I'm at work and I think that's really been helping.  My ankles haven't been swollen at all this week!  Last week on Wednesday right before lunch, I started to get this sharp pain at the very top of my belly.  It started off small then really started to hurt.  I was at work and I had a call about 45 mins after it started.  I told myself that I would call the doctor if the pain hadn't subsided when I was off that phone call.  Good news is that it went away!  I was scared for awhile, but it must have just been bad gas or indigestion or something.  Thank goodness!  The pain lasted a little over an hour.  I felt the baby kicking afterward, so that set my mind at ease.
Best Moment This Week:  Has to be feeling the baby kicking.  That is awesome!  I can't even get enough of that.  Also, Carl's been working really hard on the house.  The downstairs floors are done and almost all the trim is back up.  That was a big milestone!  We love the floors!  Also we have gotten rid of all the extra furniture in the house that we wanted to get rid of.  Carl's friend from work, Joe, came over last night and took the bedroom furniture that used to be in our Master Bedroom and was just taking up space in the guest bedroom/nursery.  We had already sold the other bedroom set and gave away our old mattress.  Now the room is empty except for a mattress and it's ready for us to start filling it with furniture and baby stuff.  Exciting!  We are going to register this weekend and maybe we'll pick up a few things for the baby now.  :)

It's a GIRL!

We had our "Level 2 Ultrasound" on Wednesday at 21 weeks.  Probably the most exciting news of all was that the baby looks healthy.  The ultrasound tech said that the Doctors will of course analyze the measurements and pictures, but from her perspective the baby looks really good.  And then the next most exciting news... we're having a baby girl!  I had a feeling all along this pregnancy that she was a girl, and sure enough my mother's instincts were right...  Carl and I are both really excited!  It makes it more real now knowing that she's a girl and being able to call her "she" and "her".  I was thinking way into the future this week and got excited thinking about our baby girl's wedding one day and her having children.  I know it's a long ways off, but it makes me smile.  I can't wait to see if she'll grow up to be a girly-girl or a tom-boy... if she'll be tall or short... if she'll be interested in sports or music or both... it's going to be really incredible raising our little girl.  I love her and I'm proud of her already.  Ha!  :)

So right after we found out that we are having a girl, I called my immediate family.  I called my Mom first, and she screamed when I told her.  She's really excited to start buying stuff for her granddaughter.  In fact, talking to her today on the phone, she said she has some gifts for the baby that she's bringing up tomorrow when she and Dad come to visit and stay with us.  Then I called my Dad and told him... he had "Grandpa instincts" and knew it was going to be a girl.  Mom said Wednesday morning, the day we found out, he told my Mom that he just knew it was going to be a girl.  When I called my Dad, he was at work and he passed the phone to Linda Hopkins who was very congratulatory and excited for us.  It was good to talk to Linda!  Then I texted Amber and Ashley and called them to talk to them a little later in the evening.  Among the people I texted to share the news was my cousin, Keely, who is going to host a shower for me in Decatur.  I need to make a decision on a shower theme so she can start planning and get out invitations in about a month.  The shower in Decatur will be on August 27th (Saturday), so it's coming up!  As I was looking at themes, I think I've decided that I want to have a lot of pink at the shower.  Who knew??  This whole time so far, I always thought I liked neutrals most and would just want neutrals for most of the decor for everything, but now that we know we're having a girl, I really want to girl it up!  I think the nursery will still be mostly neutral with pops of girl colors/touches... but all pink for the shower.  My Mom and I are going to talk more about the shower this weekend.  Exciting!  I guess we have to register now...

This past week was Week 21, and I have been feeling pretty good.  When I was at the Doctor's office, I asked a nurse about my swollen ankles.  She said it was nothing to be too concerned about.  I just have to lower my sodium intake and up my water intake.  And I need to keep my feet elevated whenever I can.  That's not going to be easy at work, but hopefully I can sit in the recliner at home and take it easy.  Really, they were only swollen last week when it was 95, 96, & 97 degrees outside on 3 consecutive days.  And they're swollen today too, and it was about 82 degrees outside today.  I think I may see a pattern with my ankles swelling when I wear this 1 particular pair of flats.  They're really cute and I love wearing them, but my both times I've worn them lately, my feet have swollen.  Hmmm...  I'm just trying to drink a lot of water at work and here at home.  I'm drinking a glass while I write this blog actually.  I've also been trying to eat a lot of fiber hoping that helps me just not retain water or anything else.  ;)  I'm really feeling pregnant these days with a hard pregnant belly, and that's fun.

I've really been feeling her kick this week.  She's been moving all around, and now I can feel that it's her and not just gas or indigestion.  It's so cool feeling her moving.  Still a little unreal, but very cool!  I can't wait for Carl to be able to feel her kicking from outside my belly.  I know he can't wait either!  Right now, I feel her kicking (a little stronger than fluttering) on my right side, and now up high just under my ribcage, and then lower in my abdomen.  She's all over right now!

Well, we have a fun weekend ahead of us.  As I mentioned, my parents are coming up to visit tomorrow (Saturday) and stay with us.  Mom and I are going shopping and talking/planning some things we are working on (Luau Engagement Party for Katie Korte & Frank Baio; Baby Shower details & guest list; Baby Nursery).  Then we are going to Amber's softball game tomorrow night, so that should be a lot of fun!  The Bandits are playing the USSSA Pride.  They have an almost-all-Olympic lineup and it will be really cool to see all these women playing against each other.  I bet it will be packed, and that's really cool that all these little girls in the area can grow up watching strong women compete against each other at such a high level.  Just think, I can tell our baby girl that she was at these games with me watching her Aunt Amber play professional softball.  Amber told me this week that she won't charge me for lessons for Baby Girl Larson.  :)  And then Sunday is Father's Day.  We will probably hang out with my parents in the morning before they had back home, and then we are going over to Carl's parents house for lunch.  The weekends always go by way too fast.

I think that's about it for Week 21.  It was an exciting week!  

Here are 3 of the 12 (yes, 12!) ultrasound pics we got to keep:

Look at her little feet on the left.  Aren't they so darn cute?  They can tell now if she has 10 fingers and 10 toes.  Pretty incredible!  

She has a cute profile already!

I hesitate to post this one and Baby Girl Larson may kill me one day for sharing this "spread-eagle" ultrasound pic, but I just had to.  As you can tell, we got a pretty clear shot and definitely know she is a girl!

Week 19 & 20

Well I'm officially over half-way through my pregnancy!  This post is my recap of last week, week 19, as well as an update on how I'm feeling in week 20.

How far along:  20 weeks and 2 days
Size of baby:  As of Sunday, the baby was as long as a banana and still growing!  Length is 6 1/2 inches from head to bottom and 10 inches from head to heel.  Can you believe it?!  My belly really is showing that the baby is getting bigger!
Total Weight Gain/Loss:  I just had my 20-week checkup at the doctor last night and I am 12.7 lbs up from my first doctor's appointment at week 6, and 14.2 lbs up from pre-pregnancy.  I feel like I REALLY look pregnant now.  Just very full and round and I have a big belly.  I'm already about 1/2 way to the max weight I should gain, and I feel like I'm really going to start gaining fast now.  Oh man!
Maternity Clothes:  I have of course still been wearing my borrowed maternity clothes, and I went shopping for my own maternity clothes last night!  It was the first time I had been in a dressing room since I've had this changing body.  It was really weird.  I found some stuff I liked, and am probably most excited about the 2 pairs of yoga/exercise pants.  I told Carl that I will probably be living in these pants during my maternity leave.  :)  I ended up getting a few shirts, 2 pairs of yoga/exercise pants, 2 cami's, and some undies.  I was excited to have some new stuff.  I really am in search of a great black wrap dress that I can wear to work.  I've found a couple, but they're much more expensive than I want to spend.  Eesh.  I feel like I should be wearing black everyday to "slim" me down, but I really love the summer wardrobe colors this year!
Gender:  I really have no clue.  We find out a week from tomorrow!  I can't believe it's almost here.  :)
Movement:  I've been feeling more "twitches" this week, all throughout the day and sometimes at night.  It's pretty cool.  It's not the biggest, most noticeable movements, but it's something and that's really amazing.
Sleep:  We've been trying to sleep with the windows open and the fan going as much as we can.  It's so comfortable!  But unfortunately it's been REALLY hot (like 96 degrees today!), so we haven't done it as much as we would like.  I used to not like having the fan on while we slept, but I really would prefer that it be on now. Overall, I've been sleeping really well.  Not as much as I would like... but that's not due to the baby.
What I miss:  I've really wanted Diet Coke/Pepsi this week.  I've been occasionally drinking a regular Coke, but I just want to chug a big glass of Diet Coke.  Yum!
Cravings:  I guess I would say ice cream.  But I really haven't had too many cravings where I've had to have something.  Last week we had Chinese when I really didn't feel like it a couple weeks before.  It keeps changing and changing.
Symptoms:  Today, I had heartburn again.  :(  I get it only occasionally, and usually right before dinner.  I've been thinking, "Well, maybe I just need to eat something."  Hence the weight gain explained above.  :)  And I feel like my ankles are swollen today.  Today, I feel like I'm 38 weeks pregnant.  I have a long way to go yet. Oh brother. I'm trying to walk as much as I can and I'm still doing yoga 2-3 times a week.  Just trying to stay active and eat pretty healthy.  Overall, I feel very good and healthy.
Best Moment This Week:  We finally got the floors installed in the first floor this weekend!  Hooray!  Carl and his friend Nick completing laying the tile in the kitchen, bathroom, and foyer on Saturday.  Then they laid the hardwood on Sunday.  What a long weekend for them!  It looks really really really good!  Now Carl just needs to grout the tile, which he is going to do this weekend.  Hooray!  Hooray!  Can you tell I'm excited to have that done?!  And also my Dad and Ashley came up and stayed this weekend for Amber's opening home game for the Chicago Bandits. They were patient with our house renovations and we had a great time!  I even got to meet one of the women who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.  Here is a pic of us:

Her name is Terry Uselmann (maiden name McKinley).  She said not to look up her stats, but I had to at least Google her.  Ha!  She was funny and really full of life!  My sisters and I really loved the movie A League of Their Own.  We watched it over and over and over again as kids (along with Mighty Ducks and Top Gun).  We were all softball players... what do you expect?  It was really neat to hear Terry's experience in the league.  She joined when she was 21 years old in 1949 and played for the Muskegon Lassies.  She talked about being "called up", like there was a minor league as well.  And she said that it felt like all they did was travel on the bus and play, travel and play.  It was neat to meet her!  
Best Husband Quote of the Week:  Carl's been really stressed out about our house being a disaster and all torn apart.  He likes things in order, and he's been losing sleep about getting the floors and all the DIY house projects done.  It will be over soon, and it will all be worth it!  Then we can just lay around and relax, right?

20-Week Baby Bump

That's more than a "bump".  I've really got a pregnant baby belly now!  

Week 18

Today I'm 19 weeks along!  This post is my 18-week recap...

How far along:  19 weeks today
Size of baby:  At 18 weeks, baby is the length of a bell pepper and weighs 7 ounches.  This past week, the baby gained 1.5 ounces and today is the size of a large heirloom tomato.
Total Weight Gain/Loss:  It's getting harder for me to tell how much weight I've gained... mainly because I haven't wanted to step on the scale!  :)  I think I gained 1 pound over this past week and am about 11 pounds up from pre-pregnancy.
Maternity Clothes:  I'm only wearing maternity pants these days.  I'm wearing some maternity tops, and some pre-pregnancy tops... just depends on how the tops fit and if they're "flattering" now or not with my growing belly.  And I'm wearing dresses as much as possible at work.  They're cute and they're so comfy, especially since I sit down most of the day.  I've had my eye on some maternity clothes online, but I can't bring myself to buy them.  I am in a totally frugal mood lately and I can't shake it.  Have I mentioned how lucky I am that my cousin has given me all of her clothes?  I really am wearing almost all of her clothes all of the time!
Gender:  I had a dream last night that we found out the sex of the baby and it was a boy.  Who the heck knows?!  We will find out 2 weeks from this Wednesday.
Movement:  I feel the baby periodically.  Just little movements in my lower abdomen.  At least I think it's the baby.  It's exciting!  But still bizarre to grasp the fact that there is a human being making those movements.  It's taken me awhile to grasp this whole concept, hasn't it?  :)
Sleep:  I've been tired again this week and falling asleep early at night.  I've been sleeping really good, though! And I'm definitely getting up less during the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, so that's good.  I'm getting more uninterrupted sleep.  Get it now while I can, right?
What I miss:  I haven't really missed anything this week, or at least haven't focused on missing anything due to pregnancy.
Cravings:  Nothing really stands out this week... I didn't want Cinnamon rolls yesterday morning.  See how quickly the cravings change?  I guess I would say this week it's coffee all "doctored up" with cream and splenda.  I have about a 1/4 of a cup in the mornings at work a few days.
Symptoms:  This week, I started getting heart burn in the late afternoon.  But overall this week, I've felt pretty good!  It's been really rainy here this past week (really, this whole spring).  This weekend is Memorial Day Weekend, and it stormed all day today!  I had a bad headache earlier today and was feeling pretty sick right when I got out of the shower.  So I laid down and finished the 4th book in the Harry Potter series.  It it nice to relax when it's storming out.  I think it may be sinuses or allergies because I've sneezed a couple times.  Hopefully I stay healthy!  I'll just keep taking my vitamins.
Best Moment This Week:   Friday afternoon when I walked out of the office with a 3-day weekend ahead of me!  Don't get me wrong, I like work and I like my job, but it's so nice to have a long weekend!
Best Husband Quote of the Week:  Probably has to be something about the size of my boobs.  They really are big (even friends at work have commented!), and Carl has made some funny comments lately.  My best friend is pregnant, too... she's 8 weeks behind me and she said someone told her that the boobs are just temporary so don't get too used to them.  Thank goodness!  These things can go away!  I have a feeling it's going to get worse before it gets better, though.  I'll stick through it...

Week 17

So as of today, I'm 18 weeks along!   Here is my 17-Week recap...

At the end of this week, I feel really good.  We're getting a lot done around the house so I'm feeling like it will all come together soon!  We have hardwood flooring (for living room and dining area) being delivered this week and we are buying ceramic tile (for the kitchen and 1/2 bath downstairs) today.  Hopefully next weekend we can get it all done!  :)  Carl's friend, Frank, works as a Project Manager at a flooring company and he installs hardwood and tile on the side, so he is going to help Carl install it all.  We also have tile for the upstairs bathrooms... "while we're at it," Carl says.  :)  It will all look really nice once it's done, and I'm just thankful that we finally made a decision on what we wanted/needed and purchased it all!

Also, I'm really starting to focus on what we need for the nursery.  That room, as of Thurs night, is empty!  We sold the beautiful furniture we had in there (dresser, armoire, and bed frame) to a nice family who is going to use the furniture for their daughter's room.  Right after they moved out all the furniture, I walked in the room, turned to Carl, and said, "Holy cow.. we're having a baby!"  At that moment it became real that the next set of furniture to go in there will include a crib and dressers for a nursery.  It will no longer be our "Guest Bedroom" after October.  Here are some ideas that I have for the nursery furniture...

Early on, I thought about doing neutral fabrics, but I think I'll wait until after June 15th to find out what we're having to make a decision on that.  There are the cutest ideas on so many blogs out there.  It's getting exciting!   

We're also trying to get creative with storage solutions.  We're realizing that we relied quite heavily on the space that the guest bedroom closet and drawers provided.  And now that we've emptied those, we have to make some room elsewhere to store all of our stuff!  This is going to be a work in progress.  We're looking at different solutions for under-the-bed storage to store sheets and clothes, and we're trying to find a solution for all our shoes.  We used to have a cabinet that held all our shoes, but that broke and now we keep our shoes in a bin in the foyer coat closet.  It's not the best solution and we need a better one ASAP.  

Is this what they call "nesting"??  If so, Carl and I both have it!  :)

How far along:  Today I'm 18 weeks

Size of baby:  At 17 weeks (so 1 week ago today), the baby is the size of a turnip.  Today he/she is the size of a bell pepper!

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  I'm pretty confident I'm still gaining weight.  :)  I haven't been good about weighing myself this week so I'm not exactly sure how much I've gained since last week.  I think I'm about 10 lbs up from pre-pregnancy.

Maternity Clothes:  I'm pretty much only wearing maternity pants now.  This weekend, I've been wearing a pair of jean capri's that were among all the clothes my cousin is letting me borrow.  They are so cute!  Every day I find more and more cute maternity clothes that my cousin had.  Thank goodness we're the same size!  I am so grateful that I can borrow her clothes and not have to spend gobs of money on all new stuff!

Gender:  I still have a feeling we're having a baby girl.  Who knows, though!  Only 3 1/2 more weeks until we find out!

Movement:  I think I started feeling the baby this week!  The first time I felt it was during yoga on Tuesday night.  We were in supported bridge pose for a couple minutes, and I swear I felt some movement in my lower abdomen.  Puh-retty cool!  I tried to replicate it for Carl when I got home, but I didn't feel it again.  Then I think I felt the baby again the next night.  Some people say it feels like fluttering... I guess it did feel like that, but it wasn't a light fluttering.  It was more noticeable than that... like a couple little one-two punches.  Who knows, maybe it wasn't the baby.  Maybe it was digestion or gas, but I must say this is the first time I have felt movement like this and not had to "pass gas".  (Ha! TMI?)

Sleep:  I've been sleeping really good lately!  I'm in a routine where I go to bed early and wake up early, even on weekends.  But that's given me a chance to read early in the mornings before we get up for breakfast and to start the day.  I'm trying to get through my Harry Potter books so I can read books on my new Kindle(!!!!).  I won the Kindle at a fundraiser for my in-laws' church.  It was the night Carl threw out his back, so we didn't even go.  But I won the raffle for the Kindle.  Couldn't believe it!  I've downloaded some free books so far, but I haven't purchased any books yet - I'm so cheap!  :)  I think I'm going to read Pride & Prejudice after I'm finished with the Harry Potter series.  I enjoy reading, but I'm not to "literary" so we'll see if I can get into the story.  I can see this Kindle being GREAT for exercising on the elliptical or the treadmill.  No more lugging around big books!  

What I miss:  Summer Shandy.  Now that it's nice outside, it's great weather for hanging out outside and having a beer.  Carl went out and bought his summer staple, Summer Shandy, on Friday.  I asked for just a sip to taste thinking I wouldn't like it after all this time of not drinking beer. Well, I did like it.  It was soooo good!  I forgot how good and refreshing it is on a gorgeous summer day/night.  Oh man!  I'm going to have to hold out until next summer.  But I guess it will be worth it in the end.  ;)

Cravings:  Yesterday morning, it was cinnamon rolls and Caramel Macchiato (decaf, of course!).  I really having been wanting sweet food in the mornings for breakfast.  Usually Carl will make his famous Swedish Pancakes and that's fantastic, but for some reason this weekend, I just felt like a store-bought cinnamon roll.  And I must say it was really good!  :)  One more thing of note about food this week:  Usually I'm a big fan of Chinese food.  Carl suggested it for dinner on Friday night and I turned it down.  He couldn't believe it!  It's really strange how my tastes have been changing.  We'll see if that one lasts or if it's just a temporary thing.

Symptoms:  Again, this week, I've been feeling good!  No complaints!  :)

Best Moment This Week:  Having the realization that, "Holy cow!  We really are having a baby."  It's exciting now that I can picture what it might look like in the nursery now that the room is empty.  And it's exciting seeing all the work that we need to do this summer, and seeing that we really can get it all done.  Oh, and this week people at work really started commenting on my pregnant belly.  You can really start to tell now and that's fun!  

Best Husband Quote of the Week:  Carl's kept me laughing as usual.  Today, we laughed at a comment he made when we were on our walk with Chief this morning.  He said, "Do you think we should register for a yogging stroller?"  Yes, yogging like in this Anchorman clip.  "We're trying this new fad called jogging.  I believe it's jogging or yogging.  It might be a soft j, I'm not sure."  Love that movie!

Week 17 Picture

I know I said last week I was averaging 1 pic a month and I wasn't going to take a picture every week, but I just had to this week.  I feel like I've grown a lot in the past couple weeks so I took this pic and texted it to some friends and my Mom and sisters.  It was taken when I was 17 weeks and 5 days. Yup, I'm growing and so is Baby Larson!   

Week 16

I'm nearing the end of my 16th week, so this week's post will reflect on how I've felt and what's happened during Week 16. 

This past week, the weather has showed us it's almost summer in Chicagoland... well, somewhat. We had above 90-degree temperatures a couple of the days. But it was cooler before that and has gotten cooler (60ish) since. Because of the fluctuations, there were some tornado scares and some hail and thunderstorms. Crazy weather, but we have been safe!

Last weekend, Carl threw out his back moving some tiles at Menards. He was laid up until Wednesday. I've never seen him in so much pain. And his only saving grace was muscle relaxers from Immediate Care on Sunday. We couldn't even get him up from the floor, let alone into the car and to Immediate Care on Saturday night! So we didn't get too much accomplished last weekend around the house. This weekend, Carl is feeling much better, so the work has resumed around the house. He's painting the last of the doors. I've been planting grass seed out back where Chief has killed the grass over the winter. And we're heading out to look at hardwood flooring. We've got a lot to do and an impending deadline. :)

This past week, I had my 16-week check up at the Doctor. I got to hear the baby's heartbeat again. This time, it was in the 150s. Still very strong! Everything is looking good! And my Doctor told me that the chance for Down Syndrome is 1 in 3000. Typically, for a woman my age it's 1 in 600, so the chances are really good that we're having a very healthy baby. Carl and I are lucky to have come from good genes.

How Far Along: 16 weeks and 6 days
Size of baby: Baby Larson was the size of an avocado as of last week on Sunday. (Tomorrow, size of a turnip at 17 weeks)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: When I went to the Doctor on Monday, I was 4 pounds up from week 12... so I think that puts me at 7.2lbs up from my first doctor's appointment, and 9 lbs up from pre-pregnancy weight.
Maternity Clothes: Yes please! Haha. I can still wear some of my jeans and a pair of jean shorts, but I've been wearing almost all maternity clothes. My cousin's clothes have been my saving grace! This past week, I've discovered her maternity jeans, a shirt, and one of her dresses. I think I'm going to really love dresses for work this summer and Fall! I did go to Target last week and buy a couple tank tops and a couple shirts. Before pregnancy, I would have to wear shirts that show that I had a waist (since I'm top-heavy), and now a lot of those shirts are way too tight around my waist so I have to wear a jacket over top. I'm really showing now, so I'm pretty much strictly maternity clothes.
Gender: So for quite some time now, I've been thinking we're having a girl. But this past week, I've thought we're having a boy. I just have no clue! We find out the gender in 4 1/2 weeks!
Movement: The Doctor asked if I was feeling movement yet. I told her sometimes I feel things, but I think it's just gas. She said I'll know when I feel the baby. A lot of women start feeling the baby around this time, but she said definitely within the next 2 weeks I will feel the baby. I can't wait!
Sleep: This past week, I didn't sleep too well. But that has nothing to do with the baby. I am getting up less in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, so that's good. But I've been really busy and stressed out at work, so I've been dreaming about work constantly and waking up in the middle of the night thinking about work. One night this past week, I couldn't fall back asleep so I got up and went to the computer to work for about an hour before trying to go back to sleep again at 5am. No use... I was just really tired that day. I can see my schedule lightening up over the next few weeks, so that's good. But this past month has really kicked my butt!
What I miss: Lying on my stomach and back. I have even modified my Savasana pose (corpse pose) in yoga so I'm not lying flat on my back. And last night, I woke up and rolled over on my back. Carl called me out on it, though, and I assured him it was "just for a minute". Ha! He made sure I switched to my side to fall back asleep.
Cravings: I haven't been craving sweets much after dinner... well, one night this past week, we did get Blizzards, but overall I want ice cream or dessert a lot less than pre-pregnancy. But in the morning for breakfast, I want sweet pastries... cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, pancakes and syrup.
Symptoms: I've been feeling really good! No complaints.
Best moment this week: I always love going to the Doctor and hearing the baby, so that is at the top of my list this week. Also, Katie and Frank and the rest of the Baio's gave me a special treat on Mother's Day as a "mother-to-be" present. Katie and I got to get manicures at Mario Tricoci on Sunday. And they brought over food for brunch. They had egg/hashbrown casseroles and fruit. And of course I made a coffee cake. :)
Best husband quote of the week: This has to be at Menards last Saturday. Carl was loading up the boxes of tile that we were going to purchase. I had walked away to the cleaning products aisle, and all of a sudden Carl comes up to me and says, "We have to come back. I hurt my back." And of course, I'm all about efficiencies (and the tile was only on sale until the next day!), so I insisted on loading the rest of the tile into the cart and then unloading it all into the car. "We're already here, and I'm capable," I said to him. I really paid attention to my form, so I came out okay! So after I load up the car, Carl says, "There is nothing more emasculating than having to watch your pregnant wife load tile while I just stand watching." We laughed about it. I felt really bad for him! I know it wasn't a pleasant experience for Carl, but it is probably one of his funniest quotes of the week.

Week 16 picture

I've really started showing over just the last 2 weeks! 

I just realized that I'm averaging 1 pic per month. Maybe when I get to the 3rd trimester, I'll start taking weekly pictures when you can really see a big difference week-to-week.

Week 15

So a lot has happened around the world this past week...
Friday, April 29th was The Royal Wedding.  Prince William of Wales married a commoner, Kate Middleton.  I was in a hotel in Hartford, CT, and watched while I got ready for work.  Kate Middleton was beautiful!  She was so elegant and so composed and simply stunning.  Yes, fairy tales really do happen.
And then on Sunday, May 1st, America won a big battle in the war against terrorism.  We killed Osama bin Laden who was hiding out for the past 10 years.  Carl was amazed at the rumors/stories we've heard about how it went down.  He kept saying, "It's like a real-life Jack Bauer mission."
Both events had news coverage round the clock.  It was a big week in world history, for sure! 


And meanwhile... little baby Larson is still growing...


How Far Along: 15 weeks and 4 days
Size of baby:  baby is the size of a apple; about 4 inches long and 2.5 ounces in weight

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  I'm about where I was last week...still about 7 pounds up from pre-pregnancy.

Maternity Clothes: So I learned how to wear my maternity work pants.  I wear them with my belly band so they stay up.  They're nice pants and super comfortable!  I feel like this week I really started showing.  A couple people have called me out a work saying they can tell.  It's true, my belly is a firm pooch now.

Gender:  This week I've gone back and forth.  My overall feeling is that it's a girl, but I'm not so sure.  I really would be happy with either a healthy little baby, boy or girl.  Carl says he thinks it's a boy because we have more than 1 boy name picked out so we have options.  Ha!

Movement:  Every once in awhile I feel a little something, but I attribute it to gas or digestion.  Who knows... I probably won't know until the baby kicks me in the ribs.  

Sleep:  I've been sleeping pretty well lately.  All last week I was in a hotel bed, and I feel like that kinda messed with my hips a little.  The outsides of my legs/hips/butt were sore and I can only attribute that to sleeping on my side in a bed I'm not used to.  It was good to come home and sleep in my own bed.  And I feel like I'm getting up to go to the bathroom less during the middle of the night.  Believe me, it's still 2 times a night... but that's down from what it was.  I feel like I've been pretty tired in the evening, but then I wake up well and feeling pretty good in the morning.  I'm still pretty stressed at work, but it hasn't affected my sleep or my dreams in the past week so that's good!

What I miss:   Lying on my stomach.  I miss it :(

Cravings:   I've really been craving fruit this past week.  And I've been eating salads, although I wouldn't say I've been craving vegetables.  I have 2 pieces of fruit each day... I can't get enough!

Symptoms:  For several days straight, I have had a bad eye twitch.  I don't know if that's stress-related or it was lack of sleep.  But it subsided today to where I've barely noticed it.  That was driving me nuts!  Really, I've been feeling really good!   

Best moment this week:  This week, I'm feeling more connected with the little baby and love that my pooch is getting bigger.  It felt like just fat before, but now it really feels real.  I still don't believe what's happening inside me most of the time, but overall I'm feeling more connected and it's feeling more real.  And that's awesome.

Best husband quote of the week:  I watched one of the birthing videos on babycenter.com over the weekend.  I don't know why.  It was pretty terrible to think about how that is going to come out of that.  Carl and I were joking afterward... I was saying "I can't believe I just watched that" and he said "I really can't believe you watched that, Abby".  He was being funny.  He makes me laugh!

Week 12

How Far Along: 12 weeks and 3 days

Size of baby:  baby is the size of a lime ; a little over 2 inches

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  Since my first Doctor's appointment, I've gained 3.2 lbs.  But I'm up about 5 pounds total from my pre-pregnancy weight. 

Maternity Clothes: Probably pretty soon... but not yet.  My jeans and casual clothes are fine, but my work pants are another story!  I can't button either of my pairs of nice black pants, so I have to use the belly band.  I'll probably have to get a pair of maternity work pants here pretty soon... but other than that, everything else fits okay.

Gender:  We will find out the gender in our "level 2 ultrasound" on June 15th.  Today, the heartbeat was still high at 167 bpm... is this a sign of gender?  Who knows!

Movement:  Nope, not yet

Sleep:  Can't complain!  I feel like I've been sleeping a lot lately.

What I miss:   I don't really think I've missed anything this week.  

Cravings:   I'm a meat and potatoes girl lately!  And anything carbohydrates.  We've been cooking mashed potatoes with a lot lately... but healthy with skim milk and spray butter.  Yummo!  We had porkchops with golden mushroom soup in the Crockpot yesterday for dinner.  Served those with some mashed potatoes.  Holy cow.  :)  And since the weather's been nice this past week, Carl's been cooking on the grill.  We've had steak with A1 sauce... and mashed potatoes.  See a trend?  And burgers and chips when Katie and Frank were over after the Bridal Expo on Sunday.  

Symptoms:  I've been pretty off-and-on this past week.  I skipped yoga last week because I was nauseous and had a headache.  I've been getting headaches pretty frequently.  And one morning last week I actually threw up while I was getting ready for work.  Then I just thought I was going to get sick yesterday morning at work, but I didn't.  Hooray!  I was feeling pretty great until the past couple weeks... but I really think this might be caused by the new time I take my prenatal vitamins.  I had always taken them at night with dinner, but now I take them in the morning since I can make that more of my routine and I am less likely to forget to take them.

Best Moment this week:  We not only got to hear the baby's heartbeat at the doctor's office on Monday night via the Doppler, but we got to see the baby again today at our 12-week ultrasound appointment!  The baby has changed so much from that little tiny peanut in the 8-week ultrasound.  Now, you can really see the shape of the baby... head, legs, feet, belly.  Love it!!!    

 And here's a close-up... kinda...

Best husband quote of the week:  I was reading the 12-week baby update from babycenter.com to Carl on Sunday, and I read that the baby's ears have moved to the side of his/her head and he/she will start to respond to sounds/movements already.  Carl said, "Well that baby probably was moving a lot during the [Cut Copy] concert on Friday night!"  It was pretty loud and we were dancing pretty good.  What a fun concert!!!

Week 12 picture

Note:  This will probably be the ONLY time you see my bare stomach.  Just wanted to show my little "bump".  Although I think my stomach looked like that pre-pregnancy too.  ;)

Week 11

How Far Along: 11 weeks (today!)

Size of baby:  baby is the size of a fig ; a little over 1 and 1/2 inches

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  That's hard to tell right now... we just got back from a "family style" meal at Maggiano's with my family.  We had A LOT to eat.  :)  But from weighing myself this morning, I think I'm up 2 pounds total.  I feel like my weight fluctuates quite a bit, so it's hard to tell.  I go to the doctor for my 12-week check-up next week, so I'll have more of an exact figure then. 

Maternity Clothes:  My cousin, Keely, is letting me borrow all of her maternity clothes!  She saw my parents when they were at my Aunt's and Uncle's this weekend.  So my parents got the clothes and brought them up to me this weekend when they were in town for Amber's softball games.  I've only been through part of the box of clothes, but so far I can tell there are some really cute things in there!  We'll see when the time will come for me to wear them.  I'm still pretty comfortable in my pre-pegnancy clothes... in fact, I'm wearing my stretchy skinny jeans today.  :)

Gender:  Not yet!

Movement:  Nope, not yet

Sleep:  Sleep has been pretty good!  I always have been a pretty good sleeper.. and still I'm sleeping really well so far.  I get up to go to the bathroom between 3-4 times per night, but I've been falling back asleep right away.  I feel like I do have a lot more energy at night now and I'm not falling asleep so early, so that's good too!

What I miss:  Lunch meat.  It's so easy to grab a sub sandwich for lunch.  There was one night this past week that I really just wanted a sandwich from Jimmy John's, so we had it.  Everything is okay in moderation, right?  Except for alcohol and raw food... I will completely eliminate those! 

Cravings:   So I gave in to french fries this past week.  :-/  I really was feeling under the weather on Thursday night and thought french fries and milkshake right before bed might help.  So Carl was a great husband and made a late night trip to McD's.  It must have worked because I woke up the next morning and felt perfect!

Symptoms:  I've really been lucky and have been feeling great!  There was one exception this week, though... Thursday I woke up not feeling well.  Had something small to eat for breakfast at home before leaving for work (where I usually eat my 2nd breakfast).  That helped a little, but not as much as it normally does.  And then I got a headache that really would not go away all day.  I kept chugging water hoping I was just dehydrated, but I don't think that was it.  Maybe it was sinuses?  Either way, I mainly laid on the couch that night hoping to feel better soon.  So, as I explain in Cravings, Carl made a late night run for fries and milkshake.  That made me feel better.  It always does.  :)

Best Moment this week:  We were dog-sitting one of my good friends' dogs this week.  Chief and "Jordan" really had a good time this week.  Jordan just went home and Chief's been moping around downstairs.  I know that has nothing to do with the baby, but it was a big part of our week.  Jordan was a lot of fun to have at the house!  And I guess I would say this whole pregnancy and baby thing are feeling more real. We've been discussing some plans and finally have some plans in place... financial, home projects that need to happen before the baby comes, etc.  We still have a lot to do, but at least we've got a start! 

Best husband quote of the week:  Me: "We need to discuss names."  Carl: "Good news is we have until October!"  We really are going to be deciding the name of our baby in the hospital.  It's so hard... how do you choose something so important??

Week 11 Picture  
I didn't have my picture taken this week.  Maybe next week for Week 12.

Week 10

I was 10 weeks along on Sunday, so I'm just a couple days behind.  I know I skipped week 9, but really my 10-week and 8-week posts are only about a week and a half apart, so I decided to skip over non-eventful week 9 and post week 10 early in the week.

How Far Along: 10 weeks

Size of baby:  kumquat (I had to include the link because I had no clue what a kumquat was or looked like); a little over 1 inch

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  I'm about the same as I was a couple weeks ago in my post, maybe even a .5 lb less.  I've really only gained 0.5-1 pound so far.  I'm eating quite often (especially breakfast!) and not as healthy as ideal, but overall pretty good.  I think I really did gain some vacation weight that kind of evened out when I got back into my normal lifestyle and eating habits.  

Maternity Clothes:  I bought a BeBand that goes over my pants last night.  I wore it over a pair of my work pants today, and it was really comfortable!  I'm going to wear this for as long as I can!  My cousin, Keely, is generous enough to lend me her maternity clothes.  So I'll start wearing those when I need to.  And I went to shop for new bras last night.. what a nightmare!  I don't think I can do the "cheaper" bras.  I think I'm going to have to go to Victoria's or Von Maur and get some help.  All the ones at JCP looked and fit terrible!  They either pushed me way up in my throat, or were poking into me really bad, or just didn't fit well. Wish me luck...

Gender:  Don't know yet

Movement:  Not yet

Sleep:  I love our new mattress!  It's really comfortable, and I've been sleeping really well.  I do wake up a couple times early in the morning to go to the bathroom, but I can fall right back to sleep.  Still sleeping with the pillow between my knees.. may be investing in a body pillow sometime in the future.  We're not going to have any more room for Chief in bed, which might not be a bad thing!

What I miss:  It wouldn't make me sound like an alcoholic if I said vodka, would it?  :)  One of Carl's work friends got married on Saturday and we went to the wedding.  It was beautiful.. and open bar.  I usually am the one who drives anyway, so I usually take it pretty easy.  But it was weird not being able to have 1 drink!  I totally would have gotten the VTL (vodka, tonic, w/ lime).  And someone at our table asked if I had the signature martini, which she said was pretty good.  I said, "no I haven't tried it; I'm not drinking tonight"... and we just left it at that.  I do feel healthier drinking water a lot. For awhile now, I've really tried to cut out alcohol to eliminate unnecessary calories.  But again it was just really weird not being able to have champagne for the toasts or just 1 cocktail.  It will be worth it.  :)  .  

Cravings:   I'm not as picky as of late, which is good!  I'm just trying to get all my fruits and veggies in, which I think I'm doing a pretty good job of.  But still I just want fast food and grease and french fries!  I still haven't given in to the french fries yet... 

Symptoms:  Feeling great this week!

Best Moment this week:  I just told everyone at work our good news today, which was a lot of fun!  For me and for my father-in-law.  It's his last week at this job in my department before he moves on to a new company, so it's cooling getting to share the news that he's going to be a Grandpa.

Best husband quote of the week:  We've had a couple of "are we ready for this" and "are we really going to do this" conversations this week... and all have ended in "well, I guess we don't have a choice!"  It's kind of funny.  I'm really lucky to have Carl and that we are going through this journey together.  He's level-headed and keeps his cool and is very reassuring that everything is going to be great.  And it will!  :)

Week 10 Picture

Here is a pic of me before the wedding.  It was pretty cold out today... lower 30's, but the sun was shining.  I wanted to wear my black tights and black heels.  Then I realized Chief had eaten all my good black high heels... so these Forever 21 boots would have to do.  

Can you tell I'm pregnant??? Not with those tights on!  :)