25 Weeks! (Finally a blog update!)

**Disclaimer, this is a long post. I was trying to catch up after having not blogged in SO LONG. Thank you for your patience with me, we've been super busy with holidays, travel, moving, starting back at work, getting over being sick and the last thing on my priority list has been the blog.**

This week is brought to you by apologies, new shoes, new bra, and cereal, lots and lots of cereal.

Weeks Pregnant: 25 weeks 6 days (6 and 1/4 months preggo)
Weight: 165.8
Total Weight Gain: 7.8 pounds (I was 158)
Waist: (at the belly button) 41", that's 7.5 inches so far!!!
Bust: 41", that's 5.5 inches so far!!! I've even had to buy several new bras as this change has occured. Jude is going to be one happy and fed baby!
Butt/Hip: 45.5", that's up 2 inches... not too bad considering I'm still able to wear the same maternity jeans I bought in the very beginning.
Average number of times up to pee per night: 2, although during the day it seems like I'm in the restroom every half hour.
Size of the baby bean: Baby Jude is now around 13 inches (the size of a large eggplant).
Weight: 1.5-2 pounds (I'm guessing he's bigger since his 18 week ultrasound had him 2 weeks ahead in terms of weight... he was already .9 oz then)
What baby has been up to: Our little guy has been very busy this week! He's now starting to gain baby fat all over his body and it's predicted he will double in weight this week. Jude's circulatory system is under serious development this week and capillaries are forming on the skin to give it a cute pinkish color.  His little lungs are starting to develop and although these take a while to become fully formed, if he were born this early he would have a better chance of fighting since this development has already begun. The statistics say babies born around 25 weeks have a 75% survival rate. We obviously want him to cook much much longer, but I find comfort knowing we're getting closer. He has already started practicing breathing, although he is still in water he is practicing this reflex for once he's out of his temporary housing. What's really cute about this new development is that he sometimes gets the hiccups. And it is the CUTEST thing ever! I can feel the difference between hie sweet little hiccups and kicks, it is several little flutters in a fast rhythmic pattern... much faster than our hiccups. Over Christmas my SIL Kim was asking if I had felt them yet and described what to look for, it was only a week or so later that I felt my first little batch of hiccups. Baby Jude is covered all over in goo called vernix, which I just found out is there to protect his skin from the amniotic fluid. I didn't realize this, but with out the vernix his skin would look all pruney (think about your toes and fingers after a long bath or long time in the swimming pool). That's just crazy cool!! Another neat fact, his little testicles have started to descend into his little scrotum already! That'a boy! At this stage he can hear us talking to him. I try to talk to him all day and tell him I love him and how excited I am to see him. My books say that male voices penetrate better through the walls than female voices do, so daddy (Jeff) spends lots of time talking to Jude as well. Every morning when we wake up he says good morning to Jude and rubs my belly and when he gets home from work at the end of the day he always greets the two of us. It's really super cute!

Other pregnancy related stuff
Emotional: As I'm sure my poor, sweet husband will tell you, this week has been brought on my a few tears. I have been super sensitive lately and although I physically feel great, I am starting to "feel" huge! I know that my body is changing to accommodate this little miracle growing inside, but I can't help but feel a little less attractive these days. Jeff's been great about trying to make me feel better and even surprised me with flowers and cookie dough the other night (the way to my heart these days is through freshly baked cookies). I've started setting up our registry and picking out little things for his room has really made it set in that there is soon going to be another member of our family. The realization that not only am I pregnant, but I'm soon going to be a mom is overwhelming me with joy and excitement. I just can't wait to meet him!
Physical: This trimester has been fantastic! Herald the 2nd trimester! I have a tons of energy and excitment about this baby lately. Although it is getting much harder to bend over and put my shoes on or pick something up off the ground, I don't feel uncomfortable. Jeff took a picture of me the other day because the way I was sitting really made him laugh. I was bent forward texting someone on my phone and had both my elbows resting on my knees.... but in order for my elbows to reach my knees I have to separate my legs so my belly can hang between them. He thought I just looked sooo funny. I didn't even realize I was sitting like that until he showed me the picture. I look like I'm sitting in a dugout or something like that.
     I've had some major physical changes to my body the past several weeks, including a much larger tummy, rounder face, and huge growth in my chest. I know that my body is preparing to feed my son, but my goodness do they need to grow so big so quickly!!!?!??! I have already gone up 3 cup sizes and just 3 weeks ago bought a maternity bra on sale because my regular ones were so uncomfortable. Today, 3 weeks later, I've already outgrown it & gone up two more sizes!!!!!! Good thing it was on sale! I keep joking that by the time my milk arrives I'm going to need a forklift to carry this bad boys around! Yikes!!! My feet have also started to change. They haven't really looked swollen, but they have grown wider. None of my old go to slip on shoes for work fit me anymore. I had to go buy a new pair of slip on shoes during my lunch break yesterday because my feet felt so cramped inside my shoes. It's not all weird physical changes though, the best physical change by far has been experiencing Jude's little kicks and movements. It is so fun to lay in bed at night and feel my son kick. He's woken me up between 2-4 in the morning several times during the week with those strong kicks of his. Although I love my sleep, I love feeling him kick even more. Jude tends to kick the most in the morning when I first sit down to check my emails at work. It can be very distracting because I want to just close my eyes and focus on him during those moments instead of reply to my work emails. :)
What I want to devour: Hmmm.... does everything count? Mostly I'm loving meat these days. Sausage, Turkey, Chicken, you name it and I'll probably start salivating. Along with my meat cravings, I've also gotten my sweet tooth back. I crave warm cookies, fruity cereal, grape jolly ranchers, chewy sweet tarts, and the other night Jeff and I ran out to the store at 11:00 to pick up the ingredients to make chocolate dipped strawberries (and boy were they good!!!).
What makes me gag: Nothing!!! YIPPIE!!! I'm telling you, the second trimester is a breeze!
Activity: Now that we are all moved into our new house I haven't been taking Bear on his daily walks around the apartment complex, I walked him around the neighborhood once after work and he was so hyper and excited to smell all of his new surroundings that we just turned back around to go home. It would be easier to walk if Jeff were with us. I have been doing a ton of walking around work with subbing and moving/rearranging the stacks of books. I need to make more effort to be active, I know it will help me come delivery time, it's just very hard to get tennis shoes on and tie them myself.
Boy? or Girl?: BOY!! A little sweet boy!
Name: Jude Michael Gilbert. We picked Jude because "Hey Jude" is both my and Jeff's favorite song and the meaning of the name is "to give praises". Michael is Jeff's dad's name and we decided to name our first born son after him. Michael means "one who is like God" and in my opinion if Jude is anything like his grandpa  he is sure to live up to that meaning.

The new bra that I've already outgrown!! 

A really funny kicking incident at work while I was checking my emails.

My new shelf comes in handy while enjoying my Caffeine Free Diet Dr. Pepper's. 

It's a...

Curious to know if our baby is a boy or a girl????

Click HERE to see the video we made of us finding out the gender.

17 weeks!

This week is brought to you by sleepless nights, a clean house, and Bronchitis :( .

Weeks Pregnant: 17 weeks 6 days (I'm sorry I'm posting this so late... I've been a very sick momma) I am actually posting this on the say I turned 18 weeks, I was waiting on the Daddy's Thoughts section, but in just two days we'll be posting the 18 week post & the gender announcement so I just needed to post this already!

Weight: 156.5

Total Weight Gain: I'm up a few pounds since last week but still under my starting weight of 158. This still has me a little worried that I'm not getting enough food for the baby. My goal is to have a healthy weight gain throughout the pregnancy, but I also want to make sure I'm eating the appropriate amount of food so that baby getting everything he/she needs to grow. We have an appointment on Monday so I'll be sure to ask my doctor about this.

Waist: (at the belly button) 38.5", up 5 inches total

Bust: 40", up 4.5 inches so far

Butt/Hip: 44.5", up 1 inch so far

Average number of times up to pee per night: 2 times per night, but it's getting harder for me to get up in the middle of the night. Once I'm finally comfortable the last thing I want to do is get out of bed. I'm trying to convince Jeff to trade me sides of the bed so I can sleep on the side closer to the bathroom door. That way I can just roll out of bed and walk into the bathroom.

Size of the baby bean: 5.5 inches, the size of a sweet potato, yummy.

Weight: 5 oz

What baby has been up to: Baby's startle reflex is now developed which means baby will jump at the sound of a loud noise (I'll bet my coughs scary the poor little thing). Baby is starting to develop fat deposits which will help him/her regulate its temperature after birth. It is so cute to think about this development since I think there is nothing cuter than little baby rolls. I hope this baby has some nice healthy little chub on them. Baby now has his/her own set of tiny little fingerprints unique to itself. So so so cute!

Other pregnancy related stuff

Emotional: This week has been a difficult one for me since I've been SO SO SO SO sick. I have also noticed that I have been more sensitive and emotional than ever. All of my family is going separate ways for Christmas (some to New York, Illinois, and Jeff & I will be in Missouri with his family). My sweet sister is not able to get a ton of time off work and needs the extra money so she will be spending Christmas here with her new boyfriend (aww) and my aunt & the nuns at the convent. When we were talking about the fact that she would be "alone without family on Christmas" I got very emotional and started crying. I know she won't be "alone" it just made me sad. I've also had a few upsetting events (arguments with an older woman I work with that led to tears, a disappointing conversation with a certain family member that led to tears, the fact that it's now December and we still have no set place to move at the end of the month that leads to tears and anxiety). But I know each of these situations that led to tears this week are just part of everyday life and something that I can take in stride and move forward.

Physical: As baby continues to grow, so does my stomach. Lately I've been experiencing these lovely little round ligament pains that I've been hearing about for several months now. It seriously feels like my stomach is being torn apart and I realize this is just the stretching of the ligaments that surround my stomach and it is something I will get used to, but man o man do they hurt! Anytime I change positions while sleeping or go from sitting to standing I feel a slight pull. I did experience my first pre-natal massage this week and the masseuse taught me some great stretches that I can do at home to help with the sciatic nerve pain I've been getting in my back. Exciting news... our netflix has pregnancy yoga videos that I can stream and watch and do at home. My sister mentioned that she wants to start doing yoga and although she's not preggers she is going to come over a few times a week to do these yoga videos with me. I've had a little bit of a cold for about 2 weeks now and this week it led to the loss of my voice and a terrible cough. After several sleepless nights we took a night time field trip to urgent care and found I was diagnosed with Bronchitis. I do work at a high school full of coughing and sneezing students so it's no surprise that I was going to eventually catch something during this pregnancy. The doctor prescribed Augmentin (spelling?) and Teslan Pearls for the cough. The Augmentin is proven safe in pregnancy and so far I think it's helping. The Teslan Pearls are a level C which means that they are not proven safe for pregnancy but they don't know enough about them to know that that aren't armful. I decided it wasn't worth the risk. We bought a humidifier instead. Each night I go to bed with Vick's Vapor rub on my chest, a stripe under my nose, and lather up both feet before putting on socks. All of which help me sleep for at least a good 4 hours or so until a coughing fit wakes me up. I sleep completely sitting up but once I get into a deep sleep I am sometimes awoken when I fall into the bed. Oh well, its only for a time being for this too shall pass.

What I want to devour: As it has been for the past several weeks all I want to eat all the time is Chicken! MMM..... I love me some chicken! I've also really taken a liking to Gushers, the fruit snack packs that I loved as a kid have been calling out to me once again. I've always known better than to go grocery shopping while hungry, but I must now add to that, never go grocery shopping while hungry AND pregnant. It wasn't on the list but I left with 4 boxes of cereal, apples, oranges, grapes, a case of diet rite (my favorite decaffeinated soda alternative), Gushers, Vanilla yogurt, peach fruit cups, and Orange juice... on top of the other items already on my list. This baby really likes fruity things, which is totally fine with me!

What makes me gag: Bear has this new trick... he farts! Up to this point, Bear has not had this splendid talent, but this past week it has really become apparent. YUCK! His toots stink soo badly that I am almost certain he's had an accident. Jeff and I laugh about it because we will both smell it, blame the other and then look to Bear who has this big open grin on his puppy dog face! That for sure makes me gag! Other than puppy farts, nothing else makes me gag.

Activity: I FINALLY cleaned my house! This was at the earlier part of the week before the Bronchitis took its full take over of my body. I got this burst of energy and decided it was time to clean the house in preparation for Christmas decorations. We put up our very first Christmas tree (thanks to a nice donation from someone that works with Jeff) and enjoy watching Christmas movies at night with all the lights out except for the glow of the tree. It's very romantic.

Boy? or Girl?: This is the question that's really been on our minds a lot the past several weeks. Is this cute little baby growing inside of me a Boy or a Girl?!?! We have our ultrasound tomorrow, December 2nd and we originally had planned to have the ultrasound tech write the answer on a paper and put it in a sealed envelope that we would then open on Christmas morning, but I have to be honest... Christmas is just TOO far away! I am not a patient person and I've been waiting ever so anxiously to buy little baby clothes and I just can't take it any longer!!! I want to know! I want to start calling this baby by name!!! We've decided to still have the tech write the gender on a card and seal it in an envelope and we have a really fun idea that we are going to do with the results and then find out just the two of us tomorrow evening. We wanted it to be an intimate moment between the two of us. We've also planned a wonderful dinner with our parents on Sunday night & I've come up with a really fun way that I want to tell our parents about the gender of their grand baby (for my family this is their first which makes it even more special).

I've always dreamed of telling my parents in a really unique and special way and I'm super excited to have that opportunity. My wish was to tell all my parents at the same time, but unfortunately I can't seem to get them all in the same room at the same time. So Sunday night we will have Jeff's parents, my mom, sister, and brother over for dinner at our apartment. My Dad and Step-Mom have decided not to come to this "intimate setting" so unfortunatley they will miss out on the unique announcement I had orignially planned specially for them. Oh well. We're also planning to call Jeff's sister on speaker phone or Skype so she doesn't miss out on the excitement since she lives all the way in Oklahoma! After our parents have found out, then we will share it with the rest of the general public. So keep an eye and an ear out for the announcement Sunday evening or Monday morning!!!!!! Cast your vote in the comments section or on Instagram or Facebook and let us know if you think baby is a Boy or a Girl.

Names: We will be annoucing this with the gender annoucement! Before we even got engaged we had our names picked out. We have several we both like and agree on, but we definitely KNOW the first boy and girl name we want to use. However, we aren't going to share it with you just yet... Once we know the sex of the baby we will announce the name. You only have to wait until December. :) We've known people to keep it a secret until the baby arrives, but we want to be able to refer to the baby by name & specialize the nursery, baby blankets, and such with his or her name.

Baby is now the size of the sweet potato. Here I am standing at the grocery store holding a little potato the size of our baby! It may sound silly to some, but I just had this urge to hold a sweet potato. If there weren't other people around me at the grocery store than I might have been tempted to cradle it in my arms like my baby. It just makes it seem more real when you can hold something the size of your child after weeks of yearning to hold your own baby. Does that make sense?

16 weeks

This week is brought to you by water cravings, baby flutters, and a prolonged stuffy nose & sore throat.

Weeks Pregnant: 16 weeks 3 days
Weight: Total Weight Gain: 153.5, I am still down from my original starting weight of 158.
Waist: (at the belly button) 38", up 4.5 inches
Bust: 39.5", up 5 inches
Butt/Hip: 44"
Average number of times up to pee per night: 2 times per night but that's only out of sheer lazyiness. I could probably go more often if I didn't force myself to hold it until morning so I could get just a few more hours of sleep.
Size of the baby bean: 5 inches, the size of a turnip!
Weight: 4 oz
What baby has been up to: Baby's reflexive movements are increasingly developed and the baby caan now grasp things with its hands. A funny fact, baby adds to the amniotic fluid by peeing about every 40-45 minutes, about the same time I am rushing to the bathroom. :) Baby might also be able to start to hear sounds at this stage. My books say that if I sing a song now in the shower each morning, it is likely that the baby will recognize the song after he/she is born. So cute!!
Other pregnancy related stuff
Emotional: This week has been a little more rough for me. I am SUPER sensitive! The lady that I work with made me cry at work! I cried watching a TV show about birth, I cried when I heard a sweet song on the radio. Bascially I cry really easily and get offended really easily. Be warned. ;-) Poor Jeff has had to watch what he says so as not to make me cry over something silly. On the bright, I have been feeling little baby "flutters" and those completely melt my heart!! I have dreams almost every night where I am holding the baby and kissing it. I know it sounds silly, but I get a little bit of jealousy when Jeff kisses my tummy because I so wish I could kiss the baby. I know that's just really odd.
What I want to devour: Chicken and Grapes! YUMMY! I want chicken at least once a day and grapes all the time! I also really really crazy COLD freezing cold water. Oh, and diet coke! I am so over Sprite and Lemonade at restaurants or in public. No places have caffeine free diet coke. I'm not a fan of Rootbeer either so I'm basically stuck with water most of the time.
What makes me gag: Nothing!!! Thankfully, nothing in particular makes me want to gag.
Activity: Although I have energy, I have taken several naps this past week! As for activity, I'm still taking Bear on his weekly walks and enjoying walking around the school campus that I work at. I try to park far away from places so I have longer to walk. I am planning to try to ride my bike some more this week with Jeff at night when he's off work.
Boy? or Girl?: Last night I had a dream that baby was a boy. I have all kinds of strange dreams but in this dream baby was a normal healthy baby boy & I just couldn't get enough kisses. I just kept holding him and kissing his sweet little face. Ironically, this morning Jeff said he too had a dream that baby was a boy. Only a few weeks left until we know for sure!!
Names: Before we even got engaged we had our names picked out. We have several we both like and agree on, but we definitely KNOW the first boy and girl name we want to use. However, we aren't going to share it with you just yet... Once we know the sex of the baby we will announce the name. You only have to wait until December. :) We've known people to keep it a secret until the baby arrives, but we want to be able to refer to the baby by name & specialize the nursery, baby blankets, and such with his or her name.

Daddy's Thoughts:
Boy?....  Girl?....  Not sure, but I did have a dream that I was hanging out with a son...  I think about it a LOT.  Sometimes I think about the moment when we will actually find out, and wonder how I'm going to react.  I just REALLY want to know!  I'm very patient by nature, but I catch myself sometimes checking the calendar, or just gaging the amount of time left until we find out.

Who knows at this point, but I'm really excited...

I'm also really excited that Brianna and I are going to Missouri to see my extended family this Christmas.  It's meaningful in a couple different ways:  First, my mother's side of the family hasn't had the opportunity to meet Brianna yet, and secondly, I want them to meet her before Baby is here, so they both get their own individual introductions.  I think Brianna is going to look really cute all bundled up in winter clothes and pregnant.  Is that weird or endearing?  :)  I've seen her wearing the big sweaters and scarves in the snow, and she just looks so adorable, I just imagine adding a baby belly to the mix, and I like it...

Truth be told, I'm getting a little overwhelmed with all the logistical and financial stuff we have to make decisions on right now.  We've got to work out our insurance plans now that we're married, AND having a baby, plus we have to move into a new place, which means FINDING a new place.  I've been on the phone, emailing, and searching all over the internet for the right place for us.  We've looked at a few places that came close, but still haven't really felt confident about any of them yet.  I know we'll end up in a great home, and that once we get everything situated and decorated, it's really going to feel like home.  Until then, we're keeping our search up for a place that meets all the things on our 'wish list'.

For now, our wish is still just to have things continue to go as well as they have been, and we definitely appreciate all prayers for that!

Photo:

New darker hair, it feels so good to have pretty hair again!

Jeff decorating our very first Christmas Tree together! 

Dressed up for a Date Night, standing in front of my mom's tree.

Standing in front of my mom's tree. Notice the cute red tricycle she bought for the baby. Yes, we know baby can't use it for a few years but mom couldn't help herself.

Watching TV and feeling little baby kicks...

Check out that belly!!! 

Thanksgiving baby bump standing in front of our tree! 

Baby Kicks... A video and story

Check out this sweet little video clip from our ultrasound CD of the baby stretching out his/her legs. So stinkin' cute!

If you look at where the little white arrow is pointing you can see the baby stretching out his/her legs. 


Also, speaking of baby kicks, on the evening of November 6th I was laying in bed tossing and turning to the sound of my super tired hubby snoring. He only snores when he is getting sick but after 4 attempts to get him to stop I thought up a new approach. Maybe, if I just lay really still and take deep breaths and focus on relaxing, I will just fall asleep, in spite of the snoring.
Well as I was trying this, I felt the baby move for the first time!!! It felt like a very gentle little tickle or stroke inside, on the bottom left side of my belly, just above my ovary. I can only think to compare it to a gentle finger tickle on the inside of the palm of your hand. My eyes popped open and I just thought "oh my gosh! I think I just felt the baby!!" I put my hands on my tummy a little tighter and just waited, after a few seconds I felt it again. EEEEK! It was just the greatest!! I shook Jeff awake to tell him the exciting news!!!

Since that day I have felt a few "flutters" here and there every few weeks. Today I was actually woken up to the feeling of little baby kicks and I have felt them several times during the day at work. I can't wait until the kicks are strong enough that Jeff can feel them simply by placing his hand on my tummy!

15 weeks!

I just realized we never got around to posting this... I was waiting for the "Daddy's thoughts section" and now I'm already in week 16 so here is last week's post.

This week is brought to you by a runny nose, sore throat, cough and little baby flutters. 

Weeks Pregnant: 15 weeks 3 days (Due date is still set at May 4th)
Weight: 155 on the button
Total Weight Gain: Still down from my starting weight at 158... I feel like I should be gaining by now... I will be sure to ask my doctor about this when I see her on Dec. 5th
Waist: (at the belly button) 37.5 inches, down an inch from last week... but my tummy is definitely looking more round and pregnant than just bloated.
Bust: 40 inches, up another half an inch, starting to feel like I just might tip over!!! 
Butt/Hip: 45 inches, pleased to say my extra walking this week has kept these bad boys from getting bigger. 
Average number of times up to pee per night: like a bazillion. Or at least 2!! 
Size of the baby bean: 4.5 inches, the size of a naval orange 
Weight: 3 ounces. Oh my goodness, this little one is sure growing!!! 
What baby has been up to: This week baby has been working hard practicing breathing, sucking and swallowing in preparation for life outside my womb. Baby is also doing gymnastics, kicking, curling toes, moving arms and legs. Baby's legs are now longer than his/her arms! Baby is also now covered in Lanugo, the fine hair that forms on many areas of its skin, but this will most likely disappear before baby makes his/her debut. Baby's eyebrows and hair patterns are also forming! And the cutest part of all... baby's muscle control is better developed and baby can now smile and frown! Baby can also be caught sucking his/her thumb! EEEP, that's just too cute! 
Other pregnancy related stuff
Emotional: This week has been a funny one for me. I have cried a few times about the silliest thing, like not getting the condo we were hoping for, to listening to a sweet song by a Christian band Shane and Shane. I cried telling someone I really liked my job. I teared up when Bear willingly snuggled me the other day. Also this week, my poor sweet husband has had to deal with some major mood swings. I will be totally fine and then just snap at him for no apparent reason other than I'm just annoyed. Poor, poor, sweet, patient, Jeff!
Physical: This week started off great with bursts of energy and excitement! I was feeling great about substituting the last half of the week and I even got to run two really exciting Chemistry lab experiments. Then on Saturday, everything changed. I woke up with a terrible sore throat and severally chapped lips that were basically sewn shut! As the day continued on I added a runny nose and dry cough! I tried warm steam showers, vapor rub, Tylenol to keep away the fever, orange juice, emergenc-e's, tons of water, and long naps. It only continued to get worse until today when I spoke with my Doctor and she said I could take sudafed! One dose of that & my world was all better! I just giggled while reading my weekly notes in What to Expect When You're Expecting. It says, "This week the mucous membranes of your nose may also start to swell from all the pregnancy hormones circulating in your body, which also increases the blood flow there." Well I think that pretty much explains it! In other news, I have been experiencing ligament stretching pains in my lower abdomen, and they get worse when I cough or change positions while sleeping. I'm told this is just my uterus stretching and causing the surrounding ligaments to stretch in a way my body never has before. Ooooh but the plus side to this week... I FELT THE BABY MOVE for the first time! It was like a light little flutter or a tickle inside. Just very subtle and soft. Today after several glasses of Orange Juice I felt a few more flutters. I will post another blog post about this in more detail, because it's just so special that is deserves its own post!  
What I want to devour: Anything sweet AND anything salty. Also, CHICKEN! YUMMY YUMMY CHICKEN! I've had it almost every day this week! I'm also really loving grapes, cheese and vanilla yogurt! Ooh and ice cold water, I can't get enough of freezing ice cold water! 
What makes me gag: Heart burn. Bleh! Yuck! It's the worst it's been the entire pregnancy. TUMS take the edge off but for the most part, I think I'm going to have to start sleeping at an incline. 
Activity: Walking. All.The.Time. I walk a ton at work and go up and down stairs all day. Going down stairs hurts a little in my lower abdomen where those stretching pains are, but other than that I love waking. I am still walking Bear every day after work for at least 20 minutes. 
Boy? or Girl?: I've said boy from the start but now I'm thinking girl. I don't know, I'm never very good at guessing genders anyways. Jeff still thinks BOY. Our ultrasound is scheduled for Friday, December 2nd, but we have a really unique and fun way that we are going to find out. We'll tell you more about that later... We won't officially know until around Christmas. 
Names: Before we even got engaged we had our names picked out. We have several we both like and agree on, but we definitely KNOW the first boy and girl name we want to use. However, we aren't going to share it with you just yet... Once we know the sex of the baby we will announce the name. You only have to wait until December. :) We've known people to keep it a secret until the baby arrives, but we want to be able to refer to the baby by name & specialize the nursery, baby blankets, and such with his or her name. 


Daddy's Thoughts: 

My super cute and adorable husband.

Taken at exactly 15 weeks while at work. 

Watching TV and hoping for more baby flutters.

All dressed up for the Xavier Holiday Auction.

14 Weeks

This week is brought to you by bursts of energy, a sweet tooth, and longer, stronger finger nails. 

Weeks Pregnant: 14 weeks 5 days (I know, I know, I'm very behind on my postings!) At our doctor's appointment on Monday the doctor set back our due date from May 1st to May 4th. She said since the ultrasound tech guesstimated the due date during the the same week as my EDD of May 1st, we will just keep it at May 1st.
Weight: 155.4 pounds 
Total Weight Gain: up 2 pounds from last week, but still down from my starting weight at 158.
Waist: (at the belly button) 38.5 (up 5 inches so far, yikes that's so exciting!)
Bust: 39.5 (up 4 inches so far, I thought these weren't supposed to change until the milk came!!)
Butt/Hip: 45 (up 1.5 inches)
Average number of times up to pee per night: 2, but average times during the day is about every 20 minutes!!!
Size of the baby bean: about 4 inches, the size of an apple.
Weight: 2 oz
What baby has been up to: Baby's ears have moved from his/her neck to the side of the head. Baby's taste buds are now present so baby can taste my food!!! I'm sure baby really enjoyed the Indian Fry Bread I had at the State Fair this weekend. hehe
Other pregnancy related stuff
Emotional: This week I have felt my best! I joke that I have a new lease on life. I've been in such a happy mood and feeling really excited about being in the 2nd trimester. I did have a few incidences where I teared up thinking/talking about baby, just being sentimental I think. For the most part I'm just super happy and enjoying the pregnancy. 
Physical: NO MORE NAUSEA!!!! Yippie!!! I have the burst of energy everyone is talking about!! I have to remind myself to rest after work because my body doesn't feel tired, but I know not to over do it. The past few weeks I've been going to work earlier and keeping busy after work and not rushing home to nap. The only problem is my body isn't telling me to take a break so by the time my head hits the bed around 9:30, I'm beat. I'm getting more uncomfortable while I sleep, I find myself tossing and turning several times throughout the night and don't get more than a straight hour without having to reposition. I'll take any tips on how to get comfortable rest. I have a giant body pillow and that seems to help. A pregnancy perk, y hair and nails have REALLY grown thanks to the prenatal vitamins!! I am loving these little perks as well as the so called "pregnancy glow" my skin has. 
What I want to devour: Anything sweet!! Oh, and guess what!? I actually ate chicken four times this week!!! It no longer makes me gag, as long as I didn't cook it or see it raw I'm not grossed out by it. I also really like cheese and grapes this week. 
What makes me gag: Surprisingly, nothing. Smells still gross me out, but not any foods in particular. 
Activity: Thanks to my sudden burst of energy, I've been able to take Bear on a nice long walk every day after work & I even went on 2 bike rides this past week with Jeff!! 
Boy? or Girl?: Our ultrasound is scheduled for Friday, December 2nd, but we have a really unique and fun way that we are going to find out. We'll tell you more about that later... We won't officially know until Christmas, but I am starting to think it's possible baby might be a girl. I have my sweet tooth back and baby's heart beat was 167 during our first ultrasound and 158 at this week's appointment... There's only a few weeks left until we know for sure! :) 
Names: Before we even got engaged we had our names picked out. We have several we both like and agree on, but we definitely KNOW the first boy and girl name we want to use. However, we aren't going to share it with you just yet... Once we know the sex of the baby we will announce the name. You only have to wait until December. :) We've known people to keep it a secret until the baby arrives, but we want to be able to refer to the baby by name & specialize the nursery, baby blankets, and such with his or her name. 



Daddy's Thoughts:  Ode to joy in response to the sudden energy and happiness that my wife has found once again... It's even more fun to get to be our silly fun selves again during this time.  Not that it has been a drag at all, but being able to be funny and funky again is, well, fun and funky.  And familiar.


I've got to say (famous last words) that this has not been so horrific of an experience as pregnancy movies would lead me to believe.  I mean, nothing has gone flying through the air, the room hasn't grown menacingly dark, my wife hasn't sprouted horns, I haven't had to run out in the middle of the night searching for watermelon ice cream and Ramen noodles, and I can only count one major freakout we had to manage (which coincided with the only bout morning sickness).  Gotta hand it to my cute wife, she's doing fantastic at handling everything and not getting panicked, which is saying something considering the strangeness that comes along with the first 14 weeks and 5 days.  But we're moving right along, and I'm lately just really enjoying all the changes and upgrades we get to make at this point.  Here's to the future!

Practicing holding the baby! 

Baby's first onesie, of course Jeff is a fan of it! 

Taken at work a few days ago. 

Belly bump close up! 

FINALLY got our ultrasound CD to work, I can't save the images or videos to my computer, so these were taken with my iPhone of my computer screen. Look at those long legs!!!

When I asked my mom's 2 year old godson Robert what my baby was doing in my belly he responded "praying, for God" This ultrasound picture shows that Robert's theory might be right on. This picture is taken from above the baby's head and shows the baby is holding his/her hands together in front of his/her body! SOOOO cute! 

Thanks to my prenatal vitamins, my nails and hair have REALLY grown! 

See, longer hair!!!