21 weeks

How have I been feeling?... Good but slowly declining. My right hip is bothering more than it was and my back is just not right. Good thing I go to the Chiropractor, it's a life saver and boy do I wish Daddy A was one himself.

What am I looking forward to.... New Years....THE YEAR our baby will be born! That is CRAZY to me, getting the nursery started, finishing some things around the house, registering, my baby showers, etc.
 

Any weight gain yet? Yes, I gained another pound EVEN with all I ate over Xmas, only 1 pound. YAY me! So, I guess that makes me up 8.5 pounds. I think that's under what I should be but I SWEAR, I am eating enough. I just eat pretty healthy.
 

How big is baby?... Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot or the size of a banana depending on what website you look at. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now.

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

Sleep?... Not great but ok. I have another pregnancy pillow that I'm borrowing from someone and it's been great so far. I feel little PGA kick the most around bed time and I love it. I just hope he doesn't get into the habit of staying up while I'd like to sleep and kicking away and me OR I hope that it's not a sign that he's not going to sleep after he's born.

Health... Still good thanks to my Vitamin D's, Omega 3's and Calcium pills. Oh and my Prenatals, I'm sure they help as well.

Cravings... This week, APPLES. As we were driving to Cali last week, in the rain, around 7 or 8 pm I said to Daddy A, "I want a nice, juicy, crisp apple." You know what he said to me? "We have some chips in the back seat." I didn't WANT chips, I wanted an apple, damn it! lol Well, needless to say, I didn't get an apple until the next day and it was aaaamazing and I ate some everyday since then. I can't get enough of those or clemintines. YUMMMMM!!

Food Aversions... Still nothing. YAY!

New sensation....  I've had some tingling in my nipples and I'm starting to see some white stuff on only my right nipple. Weird? I'd say so. I'm guessing I will have tons of supply from that boob. lol

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before but I'm feeling little Preston kicking ALL the time now. I felt him kicking around week 18, I think, it was Dec. 8th. It felt like 4 little taps to the left of my belly button and then the next day I felt 2 more. I wasn't feeling them all the time but NOW I AM!!! It's amazing. He's more active at night right before bed. I love it.

Next appointment... January 11th to do another ultrasound. Yep, we're excited!

I am finally feeling and looking pregnant. I feel little PGA kick atleast once a day and I love it. I can't wait for when Daddy A can feel the little guy. We've picked out bedding, the crib and dresser/changer. We haven't bought any of them yet as I don't want to jump the gun YET. I'm not sure how long I can wait as we need a place to store all the precious clothes people have been giving us.

I signed us up for Hypnobirthing, which starts February 1st for 3 hours each session, which we have 4 of. I'm VERY excited about this and once we start going, don't you worry, I will update and fill you in on what it's all about!

Here is my 21 week 1 day picture because my camera didn't have the memory card in it on Monday when we took the picture. lol

20 weeks = HALF WAY BABY!!!

Let me start off by saying WHOA...20 weeks already? That's half way, where has the time gone? I can't believe it and now I feel like I'm kicking my butt into gear with things I need to get done before the big arrival. Yes, I know 20 weeks is still far away but the first 20 flew by so I'm sure the next 20 will as wel.

How have I been feeling?... Great...no morning sickness. It's been gone since week 15. YAY!

What am I looking forward to.... having 6.5 days off from work starting Wednesday around 10:30am! I cannot WAIT!!!
 

Any weight gain yet? I FINALLY weighed myself this morning and I've only gained 7.5ish pounds. YAY! That's great news to me!

 

How big is baby?...

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)
He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

Sleep?... Still good but could be better. I'm tossing and turning a lot. I know have a body pillow and a small pregnancy pillow that lies under my belly and between my legs. They are both great but not easy to move when I flip sides.

Health... Great even with all these sick people surrounding me at work. Thank you healthy immune system!

Cravings... Surprisingly, I really haven't had many cravings. This week, I can't think of anything.

Food Aversions... Still nothing. YAY!

New sensation....  My boobs are seriously OUT.OF.CONTROOOOOOOOOOL!!! I caved today and bought to bras. Now, I started at a 34C and I am now a 38D! WHAT?!?! I am terrified what these puppies are going to look like once my milk comes in. OY!

Next appointment... January 11th to do another ultrasound. They couldn't get a great view of the 4 heart chambers so we get to see our little boy again... YAAAY! We're excited!

Here is my 20 week picture. I cannot believe the difference. I look HUGE in this picture but in regular clothes (not tight clothes), I really don't look this big, I swear!!  If I am this big now, I'm scared what I'm going to look like in 15 weeks. LOL

Finding the safest for baby

Wow, you would think registering for baby stuff would be easy. Well, let me tell you that it is not. 

Every parent wants the best for their child, right? I like to think EVERY parent does. Well, these (us) parents do!!!! We want the safest stuff for our little boy and future children. I’d also like to get gender neutral things so we can use them for future baby (s) and safe some money that way. There’s no need for a boy stroller and a girl stroller (if we have a girl) since when we have 2, we’ll probably want a double stroller anyways.

So, here I am researching and researching strollers. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I wanted to get the Expedition jogger stroller because it was adorable and looked easy to maneuver. I’ve read mixed reviews on it and decided to go with the Chico Cortina Travel System. It has THE safest reviews for the car seat, which is very very important since that’s when we’re all most vulnerable, I think. You can’t trust others around you so I want to do all that I can to help prevent any tragedies. 

Check, got the car seat and stroller set. Already picked out the crib and changing table/dresser that will be used as both. One he is not using the changing pad anymore, it will become a dresser. No need for an actual changing table, in my mind. I’ve heard it’s pointless and most of the time you end up changing him or her on the floor or bed or where ever you may be. 

Bottles are another story…………….

I don’t want plastic and I will be breastfeeding so I also need one that will not screw that up. I want to pump and store some milk so that Daddy A can feed our little boy too! This research has been going on and will continue to go on until I find the perfect ones. 

Mattresses are also another story………

I want an organic mattress to help reduce the changes of SIDS. I’ve read that the chemicals in regular mattresses can be a link to SIDS and I want to avoid SIDS with as many measures as I can. Also, there shouldn’t be coils in the mattresses either so this isn’t quite an easy choice that will require some time on my part.
OY.....it's all a little overwhelming, I'm not going to lie.

Finding out the sex.....

Yesterday was the BIG day. The day we had been waiting for since the day we found out we were going to have a baby. 

Our appointment wasn’t until 3:50pm (AZ MST) so the day DRAGGED on while I was at work. I couldn’t concentrate nor could I believe I was going to find out the sex of OUR baby. The baby growing inside of my belly, which let me tell you, is STILL a very surreal feeling for me.

Our little pup, Dexter, had an allergic reaction to a vaccine he got on Monday so I had stayed home with him in the AM and then Daddy A went home to be with him once I went to work. So, we were pretty occupied with that on Monday which made the day go by fast and kind of took our minds off the anxiety of finding out the sex. (Dexter is good now) 

 Daddy A was home before I was yesterday so I picked him up right after work and we headed over to our appointment. We just kept saying how we couldn’t believe we were going to find out WHO was in my belly…. Preston or possibly Emily. It just blew our minds. 

I was already VERY anxious/excited/nervous since we hadn’t seen our peanut since I was 8 weeks along. We just wanted to see a healthy little baby in there and we did plus got to know the sex. What a great day. But, when I get nervous or excited, I have to pee. They told me to drink 32oz’s of water an hour before my ultrasound. Let.me.tell.you…..I had to pee SOO bad, I thought if I had sneezed, I would have peed my pants, no joke. 

So, we waited….and waited….and waited some more, which felt like an eternity. Finally the ultrasound tech comes out and says “Stacy?” I don’t think I could have jumped out of my seat any faster than I did. 

I immediately laid down and pulled my shirt up and pants to my hips, she put the jelly on me (it was warm this time. woohooo) and asked if we wanted to know the sex. My response, “Uh, YES, pleeeeeeease!!!!”.

She started the ultrasound…there’s his head immediately and then down she goes and she went over the genital area very quickly and I saw 2 lines, which were butt bones and said “is it a girl?” She said “I thought you were going to say the other one.” She went back over it and I said “nope, that’s def. not a girl.” HAHA And it wasn’t….it’s a BOY!!!!! 

Daddy A and I both cried. I touched Chris on the shoulder and said “Aww, are you so happy babe?” He was speechless and we cried some more. Not only to know the gender but also to see how different our little boy looked from the last time we had seen him was just so amazing. He looked right at us with his eyes open, kicked me a few times and opened his fists so we could see his fingers. What a precious baby boy we have. 

I am SO in love with him already and I cannot WAIT to see/meet him. What a miraculous day it will be. I can see us right now in the hospital when they put him on my chest and both Daddy A and I are crying tears of joy! I can’t even imagine the joy and love that will come over us that day.

We cannot WAIT for May 2011 to meet out precious little Preston! What a very loved little boy he is already.

Here he is....

19 weeks

How have I been feeling?... Really good. Still pretty tired a lot but I guess that comes with the territory. I mean, growing a human isn't easy. Neither is owning a new home.

What am I looking forward to.... Tomorrow...the day we hopefully find out the sex of this little one. We are SO excited and can't believe it's finally here. Seems like yesterday I found out I was pregnant, telling my friends it would be FOREVER before we knew the sex of Baby A. Well, the time has come....I sure hope work goes by fast tomorrow.
 

Any weight gain yet? I still haven't weighed myself. I'm not doing it on purpose, I like to do it in the AM before I eat or anything and I've just forgotten. They will do it tomorrow at my appointment and I'm a little nervous about it.

How big is baby?... The size of a mango. 6 inches and 8.5 oz's. Wow! Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature. (Lets hope that doesn't happen)

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.
Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting.

Sleep?... Slowly getting hard to sleep good. I'm not supposed to sleep on my back or right side because my placenta can cut off the blood flow to me or something. haha I LOVE sleeping on my back and right side so this is becoming more difficult. Also, it starts to hurt if I lie on my back for too long.

Emotions... Ummm. I'm still getting irritated easily. lol

Health... Great even with all these sick people surrounding me at work. Thank you healthy immune system!

Cravings...This week....I can't think of anything. I really haven't had the crazy cravings most pregnant women talk about.

Food Aversions... Still nothing.

New sensation.... I didn't know holding your pee in while sneezing could be so difficult. Oh yeah, it is when pregnant. Sometimes I have to hold myself like a 5 year old. Geez louise! Also, I found a new freckle on my aereola...what the heck is that all about??? And my boobs are not the size of Asia...no joke. They are massive and it's time for me to get maternity/nursing bra's but I just haven't taken the plunge yet.

Next appointment... TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then Wednesday we have our group meeting again for the 2nd time. I'm excited to share the sex of our baby with the group! 

We are slowly finishing our Christmas shopping and getting ready for our drive to Northern California. I HATE the drive but it's better for us since we have our pup and it's much cheaper than flying. I cannot WAIT to have 6.5 days off of work. Sounds sooooo lovely.

I also can't wait to know the sex so we can start buying things and get the nursery started. YAY! Let the good times roll.

And here are my 19 week pictures. Please don't mind my tiredness, I had just taken a nap.

18 weeks

How have I been feeling?... Good but still exhausted....I know, story of my life lately. OY...and once Baby A comes, I will just continue the exhaustion, I know that.

What am I looking forward to.... Find out the sex in 1 week and 1 day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel like it's SO far away still but yet so close I can taste it. I swear the torture seems worse the closer I get. I have had 2 dreams so far that Baby A was a girl until last night.....Baby A was a boy last night. It's driving me nuts...for a while I thought it was a boy because I wanted a girl so badly but now I don't know. I don't care either way, honestly, both are great but holy camolie, I just WANT.TO. KNOW!!! Baby A better cooperate on the big find-out-the-sex day.
 

Any weight gain yet? Again, haven't weighed myself but I am SURE there has been weight gain. I mean, look at my belly.

How big is baby?... 5-5.5 inches long. AWWWWWWWWWWWW!!! Still so tiny yet getting bigger. Good job Baby A! Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.
Sleep?... Great, thank God. I've never had sleep issues and I'm SO thankful I still don't. I'm hoping that will continue through the rest of the pregnancy.

Emotions... Irritated....still

Health... Nothing new to report...things are great.

Cravings...WATER!!! I have been SO thirsty lately that it almost makes me want to cry. I drink water all day, that's all I drink so WHY oh WHY am I so thirsty??
Food Aversions... Nothing....YAY!

New sensation.... Nothing that I can think of. My boobs are OUT OF CONTROL and I think in 1 week, they will no longer fit in my current bra's so off to Motherhood Maternity I go. Luckily, they aren't expensive like I thought and they will last through once I have the baby and I'm nursing (hopefully). That's what the girl at the store said, at least.

Next appointment... December 14th TO FIND OUT THE SEX. Yes, we are VERY excited for this! We can't wait to know if we have a he or a she growing inside of me. Also, we haven't seen Baby A since I was 8 weeks along, that was 10 weeks ago. So, this time, he or she will actually LOOM like a baby. I will cry, I know it as I'm sure Daddy A will too. We feel so incredibly blessed to have a part of each of us growing into 1 precious little person! :-)
2 weeks until I am half way through this pregnancy. That BLOWS my mind. I feel like we just found out and that was over 3 months ago. Wow, this really is flying by. I've been feeling great and actually going out and doing things that I wasn't doing during the 1st trimester. I'm so happy to be myself again.

We got our Christmas tree Friday night and I'm sooooo happy to have it. I bought a stocking holder for Baby A but no stocking because THAT will depend on if Baby A is a boy or a girl! Christmas' are going to be SO much more fun now with a baby around. You have no idea the things I have in my mind that I want to do with him or her. Polar Express up North is one of the top things I can't wait to take our little one to.
Here are my pictures.........
The first 2 are from Saturday when I felt HUGE in this outfit but I loved it. The 2 in blue were taken tonight! ENJOY!