It's A....

Beautifully, wonderfully made healthy baby.

We had a wonderful ultrasound at 19 weeks this morning.  Baby was measuring ahead a little!  I think we just had a growth spurt on Sunday and Monday-I could feel it!  Everything looked great, NO MORE placenta previa (praise Jesus), and baby was moving everywhere.  Little active one we have, but that is no surprise to a momma who is always getting kicked!

So, so thankful for our child.  Cannot wait to snuggle this little one!

Boy or Girl?

You know how it goes- you get pregnant and somehow that means everyone is given permission to tell you what you will and will not need, how you should deal with this and that, and, of course, what they think the gender of the baby will be.

I thought it would be fun to run through some old Wives' Tales to see what they claim we are having.

Sleep Position
Pay attention to which way you lay down in bed tonight. If you prefer sleeping on your left side, you’ll have a boy. Right side? You're pregnant with a girl. Left side-Boy

Upset Stomach
Little girls aren’t always sweet. Extreme nausea means you are having a daughter. I would go with boy again.  I don't think this fair for FTM.  You have nothing to compare it to!  I didn't/don't have debilitating nausea compared to other people I know.  I was/am so happy and thankful to be pregnant that I never minded being sick.  I had to take some sick days because of it and I came home from school and laid on the couch all night, but that was my normal.

Soft or Dry Hands
If your hands are dry during pregnancy, you are having a boy; soft—expect a girl. They were dry my first trimester because I was dehydrated all the time.  I drink a gallon of water every day now, so.. they were pretty soft.  Inconclusive.

Food Cravings
Your favorite pregnancy foods may tell you what sex the baby is. If you’re craving citrus while pregnant, you’re having a girl. I crave fruit, but not citrus.  Boy.

Adult Acne
If altering hormones makes your skin break out, expect a girl. Clear skin!  But then again, I have never had hormonal acne.  Ever.  Still, boy.

Graceful or Clumsy Pregnancy
If you feel as though you’re gliding through they day, you’ll have a girl. Stumbling? It’s a boy. No problems yet.  Girl.

Face Weight Gain
If your face gets fuller, it means you’re having a girl. I don't know that my face is any different.  inconclusive.

Sugar and Spice Food Cravings
Craving salt during pregnancy? Potato chips, pretzels, and popcorn means a boy is on the way. Need a little something sweet? Ice cream, chocolate, and candy means you’re having a girl.  Salt!  Boy.  But I always crave salt!

Mood Changes
If you’re experiencing pregnant mood swings, expect a baby girl to arrive soon. Nothing out of the ordinary.  Boy.

High or Low Pregnant Belly
If you’re carrying the baby low on your stomach, expect a boy. If it’s high, you’re having a girl. I can feel baby kicking pretty low.  I guess, boy.

Baby Weight
If you’re carrying the baby in front, it’s a boy. Is the baby weight spaced all around your middle? It’s a girl. Boy.

Pendulum Test
Dangle a chain with a charm over your palm. It swings back and forth: boy. In a circle: girl. Girl.

Model Your Hands
“Show me your hands.” If you would hold your hands palms up, it’s a girl. Down? You’re having a boy. Um, okay.  Girl I guess.

Toddler Advice
Get baby advice from a nephew or from a friend’s little boy. If a toddler boy shows interest in your belly, you’ll have a girl. If he ignores you, it’s a boy. We have zero access to toddler boys because everyone in our life has had a girl.  Inconclusive.

Eat Garlic
Guess the baby’s sex by eating garlic. If the smell seeps out of your pores, it’s a boy. If there’s no scent, it’s a little girl. That is disgusting.  Girl I guess!

Key to Pregnancy
If you pick up a key by the round end, you’re having a boy. If you pick it up by the long end? A girl. I will put up the end closest to me.  On a key chain, I guess the long end.  Girl?

Even and Odd Numbers
If your age and year of conception are both even or odd, it’s girl. One even and one odd means a boy. Boy.  Year born-1987, age-26

Baby’s Heartbeat
If the baby’s heart beats more than 150 times per minute, you’re pregnant with a girl. Less than 150, it’s a boy. Well, that's inconclusive too.  It has been 150, it has been 160, it has been 145.  Inconclusive.

Stress Test
A child tends to be of the same sex as the parent who is less stressed at the time of conception.  BOY!

Dream Meanings
If you dream about having a girl while pregnant, you will wind up having a boy and vice versa. Girl.

Breast Size
If your right breast is larger than the left while pregnant, you are having a girl. If the left is larger, it’s a baby boy.  Boy!

According to this, it's a boy!  Not sure about that.  Tomorrow we find out!

19 Weeks!

Guess what.  Nothing has changed since last week, except that I might be fatter (and eating nectarines like they are skittles) and we find out the gender tomorrow... so, I am not doing a long post this week.  Our world has been a little busy lately- Mother's day, a baby shower, my husband graduated with his MBA, it's the last week of school, we leave for vacation this week, bahhh!  A little nuts.  Enjoy the belly shot.  Gender coming at the end of the week!

18 Weeks

How far along: 18 Weeks!  Howdidthathappen!?

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 8.  My butt looks huge in this picture.. not wearing that skirt ever again!

Maternity clothes: I am growing out of clothes from my normal wardrobe that have been working.  Yikes.  I have quite a few basics that fit fine, so I am going to try and add some accessories to mix it up without having to buy new... see how long that works.

Emotions:  Same as always.  I did cry during the ridiculous flash mob on Grey's last week.  If you saw that, you know how totally lame it was and even lamer that it made me cry.  Someone is going to die, I swear.

Stretch marks: Nope.

Sleep: I said before that I am a back sleeper.  I always sleep on my back with my head turned to one side.  Even if I don't go to sleep that way, I wake up that way... with numb hands!  It is the most bizarre thing ever.  I suppose baby really is pushing on whatever-nerve and making my hands numb, so trying to lay on my sides more.  I had a dream the other night (they are still weird!) that we conceived twins 1 days after we conceived this baby, so I had triplets inside of me with different gestational ages (as if 1 day makes a difference at 40 weeks).  They wanted to deliver my singleton and then my twins the next day... and I remember the one thing I told the nurses was "No.  I can't have triplets.  I don't have enough cloth diapers!!".  Um, wow.  I remember begin terrified of pushing and terrified I would have to birth twins the day after giving birth to one.. with a seriously sore hooha.  Then I woke upthankGod.

Best moment this week: BABY IS KICKING!!  It's the best feeling ever.  I felt it last Wednesday for the first time and it is so, so sweet to feel it.  It's still so hard to believe it's a baby in there.  Daniel got to feel it last night for the first time!  Baby was kicking so hard.  We were laying in bed, because that is when I can feel it most, and he has his hand on my tummy.  Baby kicked and he jerked and yelled "WAS THAT IT?!?"  Sure was =)

*Update* I went to the doctor for a checkup (at 18?  I know, long story) and she said we can feel more movement earlier than most because my placenta isn't where normal placentas are- and since it it previa, it's out of the way and we can feel kicks.  Silver lining?  Sure, but that thing can move away and stop being previa at any point as far as I'm concerned!

Movement: Lots!

Food cravings: Same ole turkey sandwiches.  So delicious.

Gender: Next week!  It's killing me!

Labor signs: Nada.

Belly button - in or out? In.  

What I miss: Not much.. I've given in and had a little pop every once in a while.  I am on pelvic rest because of placenta previa right now, so I miss being able to lift more than 5-10lbs..like bringing laundry up and down stairs.  It's the little things.

What I am looking forward to:  Gender, next week!  Daniel said last night that "SHE" was kicking really hard... we will see about that!  Cannot wait.  Also looking forward to doing more with the nursery once I have time this summer.

Baby Kicks

At 17 weeks to the day, I felt you kick, sweet little bebe of mine!

Your Daddy-you will love him-was so excited when I told him.  It made Momma cry!

You aren't big enough for him to feel it from the outside yet.  We'll just keep it between us for a little while longer. 

Carrying you everywhere I go and feeling you kick is the best feeling in the world.  I know, we sleep a lot, but I will take you some fun places this summer, I promise.  And we will tell you all about it when you grow up. 

Keep safe, love of mine!

17 Weeks!

How far along: 17 Weeks!  Time is flying.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 7.5.  Not too shabby.

Maternity clothes: Hecks ya.  Actually, I was thinking this morning as I got dressed that the best thing I ever did (okay, maternity clothing wise) was to buy things before I got pregnant (except maternity jeans.  Don't do that.  I swear it is true what they say- you don't know what kind of belly panel you will like until you have a belly.  I hate ANYTHING tight over my belly, so my jeans have a 1-inch elastic).  Over the last (almost) 2 years I have rarely bought a piece of clothing that couldn't work for maternity.  I don't really wear short shirts or tight fitting clothing as it is, so that means lots of lightweight, oversized sweaters with leggings and cotton tops.  I bought the dress in my bump picture on clearance for $10 at Old Navy several months before I got pregnant and it totally works!  Love it.  So much cuter than "maternity" (and cheaper, might I add).

Emotions:  Not bad.  A little needy, a little sensitive, but all in all I don't think I've fit the psycho-pregnant-chick profile just yet.

Stretch marks: Nope.

Sleep: Welp, I now have to get up twice to potty during the night- at least.  The other day (not asleep) I went to the bathroom and, no joke, 5 minutes later had to go SO BAD AGAIN!  My restless leg issues have really gotten bad- I feel like my leg and ankle nerves are on fire!  My dreams have been pretty weird- I dreamt last night that we bought our own ultrasound machine (which was really a doppler.. cool) and we could see in color and 3D- it was a boy, and it had the head of a 17 year old, glasses, and it was a rainbow colored worm.

Best moment this week: I wouldn't call it the best, but I thought it was funny.  Sunday morning we got ready for church, like normal, and I ate an egg sandwich for breakfast, like normal (seriously, I eat one every single morning of my life right now).  We got in the car and I told Daniel while we were still in the neighborhood that I felt like I was going to puke.  We pull out of the neighborhood and I hurl... everywhere.  We had to turn around and go home.  My husband was screaming the whole time "OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH IT SMELLS SO BAD ARE YOU OKAY OH MY GOSH".  I couldn't help but laugh. Even when I don't feel top notch, I am loving every minute of pregnancy-and I honestly mean that.  Thankful for every minute of the pukes.

Movement: Ya know, I could have sworn I felt it the other morning. I woke up too early on Saturday and was lying in bed trying to go back to sleep.  I was very still and I could have sworn I felt it.  Felt like gas, but then I didn't need to do anything if you catch my drift.  It happened again last night when I was in bed.  Can't wait for it to be more obvious!

Food cravings: Not much, love fruit.  Just love food in general!

Gender: 2 weeks away!

Labor signs: Nada.

Belly button - in or out? In.  Very in.  As in I-can't-imagine-it-being-out in.

What I miss: I still miss pop.  I don't even drink and I saw a beer commercial and thought "oh my gosh that looks so refreshing".  I think it's the carbonation and ice cold thing I miss.  I don't even care how awful it looks, I am going to be downing a big gulp of Coke while I breastfeed that baby in the hospital the first time... okay, second time.  Just once, okay?  I broke down last night and made Daniel get me a kiddie sized fountain Coke from QT on his way home from work.  It was glorious and the heartburn was okay.  Totally worth it.

What I am looking forward to: Getting the nursery together, which looks like this right now:

Not cool.  Needs major work.  We have our chair coming this week and have found great Craigslist finds.  Have been stopping at Goodwill every week to collect tchotchkes (Tchotchke [noun] is a small bauble or miscellaneous item) to accessorize.  Last week we got some serious fluff mail and our stash is up to 20 dipes!  And, I have a shower next week.  Super excited.  Can't wait for school to be out, summer to be here, and time to nest big time!

16 Weeks

How far along: 16 Weeks, 2 days

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 6 lbs!  It is weird gaining weight when you have struggled with weight your whole life, but I think I'm doing okay for now.

Maternity clothes: Yup and Yup!  I can still do a lot of my pre-preg tops because I have always been a tunic-or-flowy-shirt-or-oversizedsweater-with-leggings kind of gal.  Trying not to spend a lot on maternity clothes.  I would rather shop for bebe!

Emotions:  A little sensitive.  I cry every time I imagine introducing the baby to our family or imagine my husband snuggling.  Cannot wait.

Stretch marks: None.  When do they start showing up?  I keep hearing stretch marks are hereditary.  If that's the case, I am one blessed girl because, quite frankly, I have a totally hot mom.  She's got the marks in normal places and I already have them- tatas mostly.  None on her tummy!!  Still bathing in my cocoa butter every morning!

Sleep: Off and on.  I have been pretty tired lately.. probably because of a growth spurt.  My back is killing me!  I am a back sleeper.  I know eventually that needs to stop, but baby just isn't big enough to make me give that up yet.  I have started putting a flattened pillow under my back and it helps.

Best moment this week: Getting belly rubs and finally "bumping".  I think I still just look chubby (let's be honest, when have I not), but it's so nice to look pregnant to strangers... I may or may not rub my belly to make it more obvious. =)

Movement: Lots of round ligament stretching.  I was cramping last weekend (which is why I didn't do a 15 week update) and went to the ER Sunday morning (which is when we always take bump pictures).  They found out I have partial placenta previa which should fix itself, but I had a very small bleed that wasn't active and was resolving itself, making me cramp.  That went away, but I had to see my OB the following Tuesday and I was telling her how I felt sore in my abs and hips and back- and that my uterus felt "tender" (I'm not complaining-I don't care how much it hurts!  But, when you lose a baby and have never had a full term pregnancy, you don't know what it normal and what is not!).  She looked at me and smiled and said, "You are pregnant!"  I am that girl.  Thinking I am dying and my baby is freaking out when-yep-I am just growing another human being inside this bod.  Fun moment!

Food cravings: ohmagosh.  Turkey sandwiches.  I finally caved and told my husband "YOU CAN'T STOP ME FROM THIS SANDWICH" and gorged on some pringles and pickles with it.  Yum.  And, watermelon... like two each week.  Yikes.

Gender: May 22nd is the day!  Can't wait.

Labor signs: Nada.

Belly button - in or out? In.  Surrounded by a growing bump!

What I miss: Coca Cola.  Anything but water=instant heartburn before it's even into my tummy.

What I am looking forward to: Boy or girl.. and lots of shopping.  We have started the nursery and moved our guest bed into the new guest room that used to be an office.  Pack 'N Play is up, Crib is in place, and chair is being delivered May 10.  Need to start sewing!