Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Where do we start?!

For those who checked in yesterday, just waiting to read our weekly update...I apologize for making you wait. But, have I got some news to share! :)

First, an update from yesterday - we've hit Week 19! And, this week - we're back to our favorite food group...

MANGO!!

Looking back at my Week 18 update, very little has changed. I'm feeling her move around even more now - and I love every minute of it. Still, they aren't too strong - but, I'm pretty sure she's kicking with an attitude.

What could possibly make this week even better? Our 19/20-Week ultrasound was this morning! :) Eric asked me this morning if I was more nervous today than I was at our 13-Week ultrasound - and I really wasn't. (He kept mentioning that he was.) After our last ultrasound I have done nothing but refer to Baby as "she" or "her"...therefore, I was trying to prepare myself for the "It's a boy" conversation. I kept thinking about who would tell Baby's Nana that all the pink things would need to be exchanged for blue...it wasn't going to be me.

19 weeks, 1 day

Together with the theme of this pregnancy...Baby didn't fail! :) And, she is definitely a SHE!


Her heart was racing at 145 bpm and she seems pretty squished. She's hanging out mostly on my left side (which I now know is the reason I just can't get comfortable sleeping on that side).

She was quite the lady at first - not really opening her legs for the tech to take a good peak. After some pushing around, while measuring and checking out other parts, she finally "opened" up. It was crazy to see how much she has changed - still my favorite part is watching her little heart just beat away. She looks healthy and happy in her current home - and is measuring right on schedule...19 weeks, 3 days. As of today, she weighs a whopping 12 oz.!

We received her quad screen results back - and everything looks great, which made me extremely happy. Of course, with great news does come a bit of unsettling news - but thankfully NOT towards Baby. I have to keep repeating to myself that the baby is doing fantastic and measuring right where she should.

Today we learned that I have a low-lying placenta, which is causing two things. First, it's causing the baby's umbilical cord to currently cover my cervix. Of course, this is a problem when it comes to delivering Baby. They've also found that I have a marginal placenta previa and found a slight bleed on the ultrasound. This took me by complete surprise as I have not had any spotting or bleeding whatsoever. The promising news is that the previa can fix itself - shifting the opposite direction. Here's to hoping that comes true!

I called my Mom immediately after leaving the appointment and walked her through everything the doctor mentioned. With the history of the women on both sides of my family - she wasn't surprised one bit. So much of what I've gone through regarding my entire "girl system" seems to match Mom or one of her sisters. At least I know I've got some great women for advice and support!

I'm officially on pelvic rest until our next appointment - in 4 weeks. At that appointment we'll get the opportunity to see Baby again...and most likely, another after that. I have no problem getting more opportunities to see her before her grand entrance!

As I mentioned earlier, I'm very balanced knowing that Baby is doing great. I'll gladly take a worry for myself over worrying about her. I still love Tuesdays - but I'm in love with this Wednesday for sure!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thankful

I woke up this morning feeling an incredible warmth of thankfulness. As I write this post, I can feel the flickerings of our little one inside my tummy...she is why we are truly thankful this Thanksgiving. We went through such a journey to be here now, that this feeling is overwhelming. We are thankful God has given us the amazing opportunity to become parents. We didn't always understand and agree with His decision to take us down the curvy road, but could not feel more blessed knowing where His road has led us.

This is a Thanksgiving we will look back on and remember, the amazing grace He has given us as we planned for our first child. We are so thankful for the love and support we have been given from the very beginning.

To our Baby, Mommy and Daddy are so thankful for you. We wake up every morning excited that we're one day closer to meeting you. You are the ultimate gift that God has given us. You have already made your Mommy and Daddy better people, and for that we thank you.

To our families, we are thankful for you. Really, we're more than just thankful - but it seems so fitting. You prayed for us, and with us, when we least expected it. There were times when, by speaking nothing at all, you said everything. You have been our support, and will continue to be Baby's support as she grows. How we became this fortunate, we'll be forever grateful - and know that you will be everything and more to our child. Your love and support has never gone unnoticed.

But, most importantly to me, to my very best friend, I am thankful for you. Eric, I am thankful God guided me to you and has given us the strength, courage, power and love to build our lives together. You mean the absolute world to me. You make me belly-laugh, you listen, you always have the answer when I'm lost. You are Home to me. I am so thankful to watch you accomplish your dreams, sacrificing the things you have, and giving you the opportunity to be a father. I love you!

...and for this, I am thankful.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

18 Weeks


Check that out! It's unreal to see how close we are to the "half-way" point.

Today marks the beginning of Week 18. And, in perfect Thanksgiving fashion - our little baby is now the size of a...

SWEET POTATO!!
(Just like her Mom, always fitting for the occassion!)

The biggest challenge I have set for myself this week is not sleeping on my back. The last few nights I've done extremely well - from the times I've woken up...but, now as Baby (and my belly!) starts to really grow, it's incredibly important to keep the good progress up.

Looking at the "what you might be feeling" section - one thing is for sure...leg cramps. I woke up the other night practically in tears from the pain. So far, the best remedy I've found is to stretch like crazy, move around and drink nothing but water. (The last part I leave out in the middle of the night, knowing I already pee enough!)

So far, no swollen feet or hands - but I'm sure that's on its way! And, no "real" backpain...again, yet. Of course, that hasn't stopped me from requesting a nice foot or back massage from my Baby's Daddy! :)

The BEST part of about Week 18 - feeling Baby kick! It comes and goes - and usually happens when I'm the most comfortable...go figure. But, I can't complain - right now they're super cute and painless.

This is sure to be an exciting weekend - as Baby's Great Mamaw and Papaw have arrived from Louisville! (More family will be arriving on Thursday!) We have so much to be thankful for this year, it's triggers my pregnancy hormones on-the-spot...

As I grab a tissue, I just have to say...I absolutely love Tuesdays!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Winning Choice

Consider tonight a huge milestone...thanks to Baby's amazing grandparents, we have officially purchased Baby's crib! It's just a matter of a short 8-10 week wait until it arrives. After going back and forth, I was finally able to make up my mind yesterday afternoon. We had it narrowed down between two choices:

1. Bonavita Peyton Lifestyle Crib
2. europa Baby Palisades Lifestyle Crib

Both cribs came in a shade of white (which is a must to match the dresser), but the biggest difference between the two is the headboard. The Peyton crib has a straight-line headboard, and is raised much higher than the Palisades curved headboard.

Walking out of the stores, I was sold on one over the other. It wasn't until Sunday when my mind completely switched. Looking at the material for Baby's bedding, paint color swatches and the brochures from all of the beds we liked the most, I knew which one I really, really wanted.

And, the winner is:

Bonavita Lifestyle Crib - Peyton Collection

Good choice, huh?! I really loved the "girly" effect the Palisades crib had, but I kept thinking about putting Baby's name above her crib and not liking how the curves may throw my idea off. Also, I specifically like how much bigger the Peyton crib is over the Palisades. It stands taller and the headboard is much larger - which will look better against the wall. Overall, I'm extremely happy with our choice!

Why purchase it so early?! Nothing better than taking advantage of coupons! :) Currently Babies R Us is running a 20% off "everything" coupon, and buybuyBaby just happens to honor all of BRU's sales. Cha-ching! Also, my anxiety nightmares are kicked in thinking about back-orders and not having the crib by the time Baby arrives. (I know, it's a bit much...)

I love everything about planning for Baby - and tonight holds the prize...so far! :)

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Double-Bubble!

While reading this week's update - you just might need a piece of Double-Bubble for the taste in your mouth. Why, you ask? Here's your answer...



At Week 17, Baby is the size of an onion! Not quite the most glamorous food choice, but we'll take it.

Quick Reflections from this week - as the UK game is on...and well, Mommy has priorities! :)

Movement: I felt her kick!! Monday, while at work - jamming away to Macie's favorite Katie Perry song ("Fireworks") - I felt three flicks in my stomach. They weren't hard - and I haven't felt them since - but I also haven't been as calm as I was on Monday. (By calm, I mean sitting down-ish.) I immediately sent Eric a text message, and his response back: "Are you sure it wasn't gas??"...Ladies - back up, he's charming AND taken.

Cravings/Aversions: Truly anything with fruit - really anything sweet and nothing salty. Something else I've found, not to be a craving, but more found to be rather tasty: MILK. For you this might not be such a "craving" - but for me, this is huge. I was never a milk-drinker pre-Baby. I enjoy it in the morning with my cereal, but now I can pour myself a glass (not too big) and enjoy a nice treat.

As for aversions - salt. Which, really isn't a bad thing - but I used to be a big pretzel/chip fan. Not so much anymore. As a weird aversion...I'm over wearing underwear at night! (What? Was that TMI?!) For some reason when I'm laying in bed I can not get comfortable for the life of me - so, off they go. (Please note, I do wear pants/shorts to bed over my bare bum.) I feel much better commando!

I am feeling: Still fantastic! :) I've been at such balance lately - feeling complete with what's happening to my body and our family. THAT has to be the most amazing part of this pregnancy - getting the opportunity to prepare for something so important. I'll take feeling like this over anything, any day!

What I miss most: Truly, it's still the Sierra Turkey sandwich. It's not that my mouth is watering for it - but I can't really say there's anything I "miss" more. I will enjoy the moment when I get to chomp down on that little slice of heaven towards the end of April.

Best moment of the past week: Date night with Eric! Because of Eric's work and school schedule, we haven't quite found a weekend where it's been just the two of us. Friday night we took a trip to Babies R Us, browsed around at items we like for our registry (you know me - I like to compare, research and make the ultimate decision!) then went for dinner...just the two of us. We have only a few more months of just "you and me" and we're taking full advantage!

What I'm looking forward to this week: Purchasing Baby's crib! :) We've made the final decision and can't wait to have it in our home, in her room. At that point, it will definitely feel real. :)

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Cleaning up!

This weekend I took one of many suggestions and opted to tackle cleaning out Baby's closet. We never got around to decorating the room - why?, when we knew we'd eventually have to change it again! But - for the last year and a half we have stored all of our totes in the closet, including all of our holiday decoration totes.

While Mom touched up the paint in our bathroom and Eric hung (half of) the Christmas lights outside - I got off my lazy bottom and began pulling everything out. I ended up combining a few boxes - not to mention created a Goodwill pile. Moved a few boxes that have personal items from Baby's closet to our bedroom closet (which is the size of a mini-bedroom!). I pulled everything out - put only the things we have for Baby in the closet...and THIS was the result:



Looks good, doesn't it?! (If you're questioning - yes, those are Disney Princess dolls...no, those were not bought for Baby, they were given to me from Santa.)

Now...where did the rest go - you ask?! Here...


This would be our closet in the office. The office closet wasn't as congested - but was full of "I'm not sure where to put this stuff, so put it here..." items from when we moved in. Those, too, were tossed - and room was made to store the nephew toys and our Christmas tree!

I think I did good, if I do say so myself!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Sweet 16

Today marks Week 16 - and to celebrate Baby's new size and shape...Eric and I enjoyed our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. Say hello, to our little fruit...

AVOCADO!

(For those who are wondering - yes, I verified (via Google) whether the avocado is a fruit or vegetable. I also had back-up brain cells. Baby's super-smart Daddy clarified that one of the common separations between fruits and vegetables would be seeds...and, my friends, an avocado has a seed.)

According to our week's development, she's roughly 4.6 inches long - and doubling in size. We specifically discussed tonight - we have to watch what we say...she can hear our voices now! One of Baby's benefits - getting to hear her Mommy belt out Adele ballads while driving home from work...

Part of the Week-by-Week developments includes "pregnancy symptoms" - and this week, I think they give a great update of where we are:

 

So far, still only flutters - not feeling complete movements. Definitely feeling the back aches - which comes from the smashing at bedtime between both dogs, or feeling uncomfortable sitting down. Haven't quite fallen off the "Constitution notebook" - which I clarified with Dr. Bell at our last appointment...just means Baby and I are on the same "path"!

Forgetfulness seems to carry with me often - pre-baby and now - so, this wasn't a surprise. I don't really have a reason to complain. Speaking of not complaining, I also can't complain about the faster growing hair and nail growth. Of course, this just means I visit Nicole for root touch-ups and US Nails for more manicures. 

Not having any itchy or dry eyes - but, still get the blurry vision from time-to-time. Glowing skin...eh...that's questionable. On one side - sure...on the other, I still look like a 15-year old going through puberty.

And, no - I won't be discussing my lady lumps with you this evening. Instead, I'll enjoy the countdown until we see her face again...3 weeks from tomorrow! :)

Monday, November 7, 2011

New York! New York!

Talk about an exhausting - but EXCITING!! - vacation...

Over the weekend, Baby and I traveled (along with Baby's Nana and Uncle Ryan) to visit Baby's Papaw in Baltimore. We spent the afternoon visiting his job site - which, Uncle Ryan and I enjoyed driving the golf cart through the aisles of shelving. (Let it be known, I've been to several of Dad's job-sites...and, still - I'm not quite sure what he does! Probably because he speaks a different language when "talking construction".)

Thursday night, Dad took us to G&M Crabcakes for dinner...ah-maz-ingly, tasty food! There's one thing to note - this baby has been treated with some extra yummy dishes lately. Thursday night we all tanked out pretty early - knowing we had a 6:58am train to catch Friday morning.

Speaking of that 6:58am train - it didn't quite live up to my vision of the Polar Express, but it was extremely comfortable. The four of us were split up at first - realizing everyone catches one of the first trains out of the city...but, about an hour into the 3-hour ride, we were all together. Ryan was briefing Dad on how to use Facebook and Mom and I were discussing plans for Baby's nursery.

While on the train - we started in Baltimore, stopped in Philadelphia and New Jersey - before our final stop in New York City! We arrived at Penn Station - walked out of the building and were right on 8th Avenue & 31st Street. My first thought was, "How unreal!" - the people, cars, buildings - walking to our hotel it definitely felt like we weren't in Kansas anymore, Toto...

We arrived at our hotel - left our bags and started walking towards our first stop - The Empire State Building.


Go figure - we, of all families, just happen to walk down THE road of Jack Demsey's restaurant. You know - THE place where you go to watch UK games on TV in New York City...how perfect was this?! Hanging outside the restaurant was a giant UK flag - just calling our names.

We opted to walk into The Empire State Building before eating lunch - and took advantage of these views:


It truly had the best views of the entire city! I loved how we went to this stop first - being able to see everything we were GOING to see up close. After touring the building - and buying Eric a souvenir - we were off for lunch with the rest of the Irish-speaking Wildcat fans.

After lunch, Mom and I headed to Mood's Fabric Store - the store from Bravo's Project Runway. Mom had hoped that we'd find the perfect fabric for Baby's bedding - but, really, it was rather a disappointment. I wanted more of a "print" - and they had a lot of the same patterns, just in different colors. At least we could say we walked through NYC's Fashion District - which was neat. We then decided to tackle our favorite store...


8-floors of heaven! :) The best part - they're fully decorated inside for Christmas - and have already started the display outside for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. As we were heading up to the bedding department - I "might" have glanced at the Jessica Simpson collection AREA...made the teeny-bopper inside of me squeal.

The boys were already back at the hotel when we finished at Macy's (which, make it known we bought not one thing...), so we headed back that way for a late-afternoon nap before dinner and Times Square.

Times Square - Day (before dinner)

Times Square - Night (after dinner)

I think we can all agree - the best parts of Times Square HAD to be the Toys R Us and Disney Store! :)

Saturday morning we actually got to sleep-in...8am, ya'll! We ate breakfast at the hotel, then put on our walking shoes headed to Pier 84 to catch our NY Water Taxi for our trip down the Hudson River, our hop-off at the 9/11 Memorial, and hop-on to see Wall Street (from the water), the Brooklyn Bridge and Lady Liberty.

My amazing Google Maps app on my phone was a life-saver all weekend - except when it told us that the distance between our hotel and Pier 84 was only a short 1.2 miles - 22 minute walk. This was nothing in our minds - and Ryan and I were making fun of how early we left the hotel...we were on "Mom Time". As painful as it is for me to say this...she was right. Thank the Good Lord we left early, because that 1.2 mile walk turned into close to a 3-4 mile walk! We finally arrived at the Pier and we were able to catch the earlier water taxi headed towards the first stop.

Walking down West Street towards the Memorial area was surreal. To look up and see the amount of buildings that surrounded the Twin Towers, and imagining what they saw on 9/11 seemed unimaginable. The new One World Trade Center is beautiful - lifting itself into the sky, showing what will be its strength at 1,776 feet high.


To say the 9/11 Memorial was the best part of NYC seems a bit off - knowing how devastating of an area it was on that September day. But, it was so overwhelming with emotions - to think what was standing there is no longer. It is a beautiful memorial - hands down, the best I've ever seen. The design and area of remembrance is graceful - giving you goosebumps as you see and read the 3,000 names. I lost complete control of my emotions reading "and her unborn child" - thinking about myself, the child I'm carrying and the family I have - what if that were me?

North Tower Memorial

South Tower Memorial

9/11 Memorial Museum

One World Trade Center

We headed back to the Water Taxi - and continued our trip down the Hudson River. To think, we were floating right where Sully landed The Miracle on the Hudson was crazy - there's room, but not a lot - especially comparing the size of our boat to the size of an airplane. We cruised by Wall Street, stopped at the Brooklyn Bridge and finally stood and stared at The Statue of Liberty. I have to admit - I always envisioned Lady Liberty being much larger. Compared to the surrounding buildings and memorials - she's the size of a Barbie!

Wall Street

Brooklyn Bridge

Statue of Liberty

After our water taxi ride was over - we hopped off and contemplated taking a taxi back to the hotel. Whatever walking-beast that was inside of us said "Heck, no!" - because we opted to two-step it back instead. After we arrived back at the hotel, I was officially over feeling like a ping-pong ball, walking through the streets. We took a rest, caught the first quarter of the UK football game on TV (which turned into a win!), gathered our belongings, headed for New York style pizza and back to Penn Station. Our train back to Baltimore arrived at 7:01pm - which felt more like 11:01pm from how exhausted we were.

We flew back home to Indy on Sunday afternoon - and saying good-bye to Dad was extremely hard for me. I hope he wasn't joking when he said he just might be coming home early!

I'm so happy we got this opportunity to take this trip as a family! We definitely missed Eric, when we kept saying "Eric would have..." or "Eric wouldn't have..." - but as our last trip pre-Baby, it was great!

To think - Baby was in a car, on a plane, train and boat...touched Indiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York - all over just one weekend! She's quite the world traveler already!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Quince...

For those who might not have scored the passing grade on their Spanish test...<cough> Kelly <cough>...that translates to 15.

We're at Week 15 - and it keeps getting better and better! Not only does today mark the start of a new week, but it also marks the first day of November. NO-VEM-BER. It's unreal to think we'll be celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas with our family in no time.

Drum-roll please...our Fruit-of-the-Week is...

NAVAL ORANGE!!

Of course, this week we learn that she's growing like crazy and booking it around in her temporary home (which we've known for a few weeks!).

Quick "Reflections" for Week 15:

I am feeling: Anxious and excited - to visit my Dad later this week, and truly realizing I've got a baby in my tummy.

Total Weight +/-: Since my first appointment at 6 weeks - I've gained 5lbs. I knew it was a gain, and honestly I thought it was more. (I feel like it's more!!) I'll take 5 in the pounds category, Alex!

Movement: Still not feeling any kicks - but I could have sworn she had the toots last week...something "funny" was happening!

What I miss most: I'm over my Panera Bread deli-sandwiches...and not really missing anything. Of course, if someone where to mention something I "might" miss - I would probably agree.

What I'm excited about: Extremely excited for our family trip to Baltimore and NYC! Dad has traveled for as long as I can remember, but never like this - never for this long - and I miss him like crazy. I'm also excited that ideas for the nursery are coming together...but, THAT's an entire post of its own. Silly Blog Readers, you didn't think I'd actually share it now, did you ?!

Cravings: It's not a food craving, but it's something I just can't seem to let go...sleeping on my back. I'm working extremely hard at this - but when I'm asleep and roll over on my back - there's not much I can do until my Ryan Reynolds dream is over. I did take up the recommendation from Dr. Bell and have placed a small pillow between my legs - it's definitely made sleeping on my left side much easier.

Now, you must excuse me...Glee's new episode starts shortly, and I have to convince Eric to change the channel.