Pregnancy Week 21 Update

Happy Memorial Day!  This weekend disappeared before I knew it, but it was a good one!  We celebrated a wedding with family friends, celebrated my golden birthday, and enjoyed time with friends and family.  This weekend also marked the end of the 21st week of this pregnancy.

After finding out we were having a girl, I ordered the quilt I first took a liking to when we found out we were expecting.  It arrived on Tuesday, and I couldn't wait to pick out paint colors once it arrived.  We settled on our nursery colors, and thanks to Memorial Day sales at Home Depot, the paint for the nursery has been purchased.

 

 The colors for the main part of the room. 

 The accent wall in the closet. 

I'm excited to get to work on the nursery, but we still have some demo work to do first.  This coming week, we are having the attic insulated better.  Hopefully, that will help with some of our temperature regulation issues we have on the top floor.  Andrew also has to work on tearing out the rest of the closet.  Once the closet is done being cleaned out, we will go through and patch everything up and prepare the room to paint.  Other than the quilt, I haven't purchased anything for the nursery. 

During the early part of the week, little miss was pretty quiet.  However, over this past weekend, she has been quite active.  I mostly notice her moving around at night.  Last night, Andrew was actually able to feel slight movements.  No big kicking going on yet, but I can certainly tell she is on the move!  Along with the increased movement this week, my bump seems to be quickly expanding.  

 This pregnancy seems to be moving right along now!  We still have quite a long list of projects for the summer, and I know the summer is going to be here and gone before we know it.  This week, I'm looking forward to our meeting with our doula.  I'm also going to do some shopping for a new pair of shoes and a few pairs of pants.  I started off week 21 with swelling feet and ankles.  A few days this past week, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get my shoes on.  I didn't think the swelling was supposed to start until the third trimester. 

Weeks 19 and 20

Sorry for the later post this week, life has been a bit crazy.  I'm happy to report that our first baby, Buddy, is doing much better this week.  We have had several good days with him and he seems to have some of his normal spark back.  I'm not sure if it was the cocktail of meds he has been on for several weeks, the acupuncture, or good old time that has helped the most.  I'm sure if was a combination of all three.  While we aren't in the clear completely, we take his improvements this week as a good sign.  I'm glad he wasn't ready to give up on us just as we weren't ready to give up on him!

Week 19 was rather uneventful.  I spent most of the week trying to distract myself from thinking about the gender of the little one happily growing away inside me.  Again, I'm noticing more discomfort with normal activities.  Standing for longer periods of time causes some back pain and ankle swelling.  Both thing I know are only going to increase as I go along.  On Friday, I went with a good friend of mine who is due any day now with her baby girl to get a pedicure!  We took one last belly photo before her baby makes her debut into the world.  I'm so excited for our little ones to grow up together!

Monday morning finally came around; time for us to find out if this bean is a boy or a girl.  We honestly had no guesses.  Last week, I had a dream about it being a boy, but I wasn't counting on that for anything.  I wasn't being pulled one way or the other.  I surprised myself with how calm I was going into the ultrasound.  I have an anxious stomach for things like this, but I think I realized getting worked up wasn't going to change the outcome.  Of course, isn't that true with most things?  They didn't make it easy on us in the ultrasound.  I thought we would get straight down to it and find out the gender as soon as we got in the room.  Nope!  I didn't realize they were going to measure EVERYTHING.  I'm happy to report everything looked good.  Baby has all 10 fingers and all 10 toes.  The heart looks excellent, and we even got to see the heart pumping and blood flowing through.  What an amazing thing to see this beautiful thing happily growing away. 

Finally, the moment came for us to find out what this bean is.  We are happy to announce we are having a baby GIRL!  For the second time during an ultrasound, I cried.  It wasn't because I wanted a girl more than a boy, it was more that this tiny creation now has an identity rather than being called it. 

Baby girl was actually measuring about 20 weeks and 5 days on Monday, but I'm not going to put too much stock in that.  She will come when it is time and not a minute sooner.  In the meantime, I'm enjoying feeling her move around quite a bit more these days.  It was awesome to feel her move while watching on the ultrasound! 

Since finding out on Monday, I have picked up a few cute clothing items I found on end of season sales.  My favorite?  This adorable Christmas dress.  It's crazy to think we will have a new family member joining us for Christmas this year. 

On our agenda now?  Working on the nursery.  Andrew took the doors off the closet last weekend, and we have taken the existing storage out to prepare for painting in the coming months.  Never a dull moment in our house when it comes to home improvement projects! 

18 Weeks

Things with the growing baby are moving along nicely .  Week 18 was fairly uneventful from a pregnancy standpoint.  Life in general last week was crazy!  These last few weeks I seem to have found the appetite I lost during my first trimester.  My go to snacks these days are bananas, apples and grapes.  I realized today I should probably be including a few veggies as well; something to work on.  During my first trimester, my sweet tooth disappeared.  I thought it was a blessing in disguise that I wasn't craving sweets and might be able to keep the weight off easier.  That was short lived, my sweet tooth is back with a vengeance these days.

This past week I have also been feeling a lot more movement out of baby.  A few weeks ago, I felt some light flutters every now and then.  Last week, I started feeling full movements.  I can tell baby is active during certain times; especially right after I eat a meal.  Feeling the baby move is such a strange feeling.  I have tried explaining it to Andrew, but I'm sure if just sounds crazy to him.

This last week was not an easy week. We continue to battle with Buddy's neck pain.  He has now had five acupuncture treatments.  He has done excellent with the last two, even falling asleep during treatment.

This week, we are trying him on a higher dose of gabapentin and hope that it might kick him over the current hump.  He has some good moments here and there, mostly in the evenings.  We still feel terrible for him because it is obvious he is in pain.  He has been a trooper through all of this, and we hope he can hang in there a little bit longer and keeping fighting. 

This week, I have been thinking more about the nursery as we get closer to finding out the gender.  We have thrown around some different ideas for the nursery, but we are waiting to find out the gender before we commit to anything. Before we start in on the nursery, we want to get the closet organized.  Right now, the closet is our upstairs overflow.  We need to rethink some storage situations.

This last weekend, I was able to celebrate Mother's Day with my mom by going to the greenhouse to pick out our flowers for flower pots this year.  It's something we do every year, and I'm looking forward to having an extra helper with us next year!  Andrew and I also made the rounds across the state last week to help some family members celebrate their college graduations.

To round out the week, I finally made the decision to leave my part time job at Kirkland's; my last day will be June 1st.  With the summer quickly approaching, I decided it was time.  We have a long list of projects we would like to get done before the baby comes in October, and I know how fast this summer will fly by.  I will miss the people I work with at Kirkland's, and have had such a good time working there.

Finally, to start off week 19, I decided to indulge my sweet tooth!

 

Week 17 Update

Monday marked the beginning of week eighteen of this pregnancy, so week seventeen is in the books.  We had our midwife appointment last Friday.  We got to hear the heartbeat again, and make sure everything was measuring on schedule.  We opted not to do the additional testing that was offered for spina bifida, etc.  We will check everything again at week 20 when we also find out the gender.  In only two short weeks we will find out if we are having a boy or a girl.  Neither of us have any hunches as to what it is.  I haven't had any crazy dreams, and haven't tried out any of the old wives' tales I have seen floating around on Pinterest.

This picture isn't from week 17, it is actually from today.  But, I feel like I'm starting to show a little more now.  I am feeling a few more pulls with certain movements and sleeping continues to be fun!  This week we took a four hour road trip and by the end of the four hours, I was ready to be out of the car; not a fan of sitting that long.  We didn't buy anything else exciting for the baby this last week, although the dresser did arrive last Monday!  We still need to unpack it and make sure it wasn't damaged during shipping.  Apparently, I'm banking on this baby arriving on time or even past our due date.  I heard early last week one of our favorite comedians, Lewis Black was going to be in town on September 23rd.  We both love Lewis Black, and couldn't pass up the opportunity to see him while he was in town (we have skipped concerts/shows in the past thinking we would catch them the next time they were in town and then they don't actually return).  So, with less than two weeks to my due date, we will be spending the evening laughing away with Lewis Black as part of our 5th anniversary celebration!    

I enjoyed going to our appointment on Friday, but the week was clouded with worry about our poor old man, Buddy.  He is having some neck issues right now.  Unfortunately, beagles are prone to invertebral disc disease.  He is on a pretty big cocktail of muscle relaxers, steroids, pain meds, and meds for nerve pain.  We have started him with a couple rounds of acupuncture after our vet recommended it to us as a treatment option, and he has another one scheduled tomorrow.  Some days he seems to be doing better, and some days not so much.  It's so hard to watch our poor old  guy in pain, but I still believe he can get better.  We aren't willing to throw in our chips on him yet. 

This week, I have been thinking more about the nursery and how we will decorate.  We have thrown some ideas around, but we are waiting to make the final decision until we find out the gender.  For some reason, I have also been thinking a lot about the holidays this week, and am looking forward to having a new member of our family to celebrate with!

Pregnancy Update: Week 16

Week sixteen of pregnancy is in the books.  We rounded the corner into week seventeen today.  Last week we bought the crib and dresser for the nursery.  We wont decide on decor until we find out the gender in a few weeks.  The exciting thing about week sixteen was feeling small baby flutters.  Last week wasn't the first week I felt them, but they are growing stronger.  Right now, I feel like I have more of a beer gut than a baby bump, so the flutters remind me there is a baby in there.      

This week, I'm looking forward to our next midwife appointment on Friday and hearing our little ones heartbeat again.  I'm also looking forward to using my new Back N'Belly pillow.  I have been having hip pain the last few weeks at night; after I'm on one side for too long, my hip starts to burn.  Hopefully, this pillow will do the trick; it has great reviews online!  I'm not quite sure there is going to be room for this pillow plus two people and two dogs in the bed. 

Aside from the pains while sleeping, I have been feeling pretty good.  I haven't experienced total exhaustion up to this point.  The majority of my food aversions have subsided, but occasionally a food smell will throw me for a loop.  I haven't had a ton of food cravings, and am back to being able to eat most of my usual foods.  I haven't had any crazy cravings.  Occasionally a dill pickle will  sound delicious, but I loved pickles before I was pregnant, so I can't say that's too out of the ordinary for me!  I made the switch to decaf coffee last week.  It isn't the same, but I honestly feel lucky I didn't get headaches from cutting out my morning coffee cold turkey.  Of all the foods on the do not eat list right now, I'm missing lunch meat the most.  Jimmy Johns sounds delicious, and I crave it more now that I can't have it.  I'm still eating fish, but sticking to salmon and making sure to stay under 12 oz. each week.  

This week, my goal is to get back to the gym.  I haven't worked out since I was five weeks along.  I take the occasional walk with the dogs, but I haven't hit the gym since February.  I honestly miss the gym and liked having the stress relief each week.  Let's hope my card still scans after three months!

And Baby Makes Five

The beans have been spilled, Andrew and I are growing our family by two tiny feet this fall.  We are due shortly after our 5th wedding anniversary, on October 3rd.

Photo credit to Sarah Strege

We just entered week 16, and I'm feeling pretty good!  The end of the first trimester was a sigh of relief.  Morning sickness is no joke, and I feel grateful mine eased up right around week twelve.  Andrew thought a teenager moved into our house because all I ate for several weeks were Totinos pizzas, SpaghettiO's, and Kraft macaroni and cheese.  Those were the only things that sounded remotely appetizing for several weeks.  Sadly, one of my favorites, coffee, hasn't been on my menu since February.  I did just have my first cup of decaf coffee this weekend and it was delicious!  

 

We had our first midwife appointment in early March, and were eager to confirm things were going well.  We were cautiously optimistic going into the first appointment, and the sound of our little ones heartbeat was the best thing!  We even got our first pictures of baby at our appointment! 

I didn't take my first baby bump photo until week 10; there wasn't much to show or report other than I felt like putting normal clothes on.  I have been extremely grateful these last few months to work from home.  It has made taking lunch time naps and feeling crummy a little easier to live with.  It also allowed me to wear yoga pants every day.   

 During week twelve we had our second ultrasound, and I was amazed at how much baby had grown!  Other than the ultrasound and the changes I know were taking place, you wouldn't really know I was pregnant. 

Weeks fourteen, fifteen and sixteen were about the same.  Although, I'm starting to have a little more of a bump now. 

 14 weeks

week 15 while on vacation

Week 16 has been pretty exciting.  We got to share our big news with our circles beyond family.  I have also started feeling some small flutters from baby.  I can't wait for our next midwife appointment next week.  It's always reassuring to hear the heartbeat and make sure everything is going smoothly.  In just over one month, we will find out if we are having a boy or a girl!     

Vacation 2016

We just returned from a week long vacation in Orlando, Florida.  It was our longest vacation together to date, and the longest we have been away from Buddy and Maya.  Two weeks before we left, Maya had another one of her stomach episodes, so we were nervous about leaving.  However, she did great while we were gone.  Luckily, we were able to keep the dogs at the house and have someone come in and stay with them.  This was part of the vacation we intended to take last fall until we decided in the spring to renovate the master bathroom.  We were glad we made the trip, but we learned a lot about our vacation preferences. 

Our first two days were spent at Universal Studios.  We were excited to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  The very first thing we realized, is we obviously picked a bad time of year to go.  There was a "Graduation Bash" while we were down there, so on Friday night the park closed at 6:00 PM to allow for a ton of high school kids to have park access from 7:00 PM to 2:00 AM.  During the times when we were at the park, it was full of large school groups.  We also didn't go on any of the rides within the Harry Potter areas or the entire park for that matter because the wait times were over 45 minutes for each ride.  We aren't big ride people, so we didn't purchase the express passes, which would have helped with the wait times for ride lines.  We did navigate our way to Ollivanders to purchase a wand.  We debated spending the money, but realized we would kick ourselves when we got home if we didn't do it.  We did ride the Hogwarts Express between the two parks.  Luckily, we caught it at a time when the wait was only 15 minutes.  We discovered the wait times were a lot shorter if you were going from the Islands of Adventure side to the other side rather than the other way around.  

In total, we spent two days at Universal/Islands of Adventure.  That was the right amount of time for us.  If the rides were important to us, we would have purchased the express pass, which would have given us shorter wait times.  We also purchased two days of the dining plan.  We did the full dining plan, not the quick service dining plan.  We found it to be a good deal.  Everywhere we wanted to eat was included on the dining plan, and all meal options were included.  I worried when we purchased it that there were going to be a lot of exclusions, but we didn't encounter that issue.

We opted to stay in a hotel across from Universal.  Ultimately, we were looking for somewhere that had free breakfast, free wifi and free transportation to Universal Studios.  In hindsight, we would have stayed at one of the resorts at Universal.  We spent a fair amount of time waiting for the free shuttle between the park and the hotel.  If you were staying on property, there was a water boat transporting you between the hotels and the park frequently.  Also, there weren't a ton of food options near our hotel for the days we weren't at Universal.  On one of our off days, we caught the IRide to a nearby outlet mall.  On Sunday, we rested up before heading down to Universal to catch Blue Man Group.  That was one of my favorite parts of the trip!

On our final day, we headed to Sea World, which was our favorite day of the whole trip.  One full day was enough time for us at Sea World.  Rather than waiting on the free shuttle, we paid $2 per person one way for the IRide.  Again, we purchased the dining plan for the day we were there.  However, there were several more restrictions on where and what you could eat with this dining plan.

 The dolphin show was by far our favorite at Sea World!

Tuesday was our travel home day, and we were glad to be back!  At the end of the trip, we decided it would be a while before we took a trip like that again.  Perhaps, the trip would have been enhanced if we had rented a car during our time there.  However, we typically try to get by without renting a car so we don't have to deal with parking, etc.  All in all, it was a good vacation, but not one that we will be looking to repeat in the near future.  Our next vacation will likely be back on the east coast where we have never been disappointed with our trips!   

Packed and ready to head home!