Week 16 update

How far along? 16 weeks, 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: +4 lbs. from last update/+6 lbs overall (Keep in mind I was sick, people! And lost 10 lbs. in 2 days!)
Maternity clothes: some pants and dresses; doing normal shirts for now in a bigger size
Stretch marks? nope.
Sleep: CRAZY dreams! ie: me swimming to work and being chased by a hippo down the street
Best moment this week: Feeling the baby move the first time
Movement: Yes, for a couple seconds to a minute each day
Food cravings: Blue coconut cream slushes from Sonic, cheese enchiladas, salads, green chile
Gender: still leaning towards boy
Labor signs: none.
Belly button in or out? In
What I miss: A long run and a cold beer afterwards.
What I am looking forward to: The big ultrasound and finding out what Baby E. is!!
Weekly Wisdom: Be confident in my own opinions and experiences, don’t stress out about what others think and relax – think about the joy this baby is!
Milestones: First felt movement :)

Walking is NOT the same as running!

Feeling a little bummed today. The weather here is so beautiful – it was in the low 80’s yesterday! I think back over the last two years at this time and the bike rides I was planning for the weekend or the runs I would go out for in the evenings, and it leaves me a little sad. I see people running past my office on their lunch breaks, and it makes me want to throw on a running skirt and hit the pavement…only I can’t, because my doctor doesn’t want me to. Then, because I’m stubborn and passive aggressive or whatever, I don’t even walk when I get home because it’s not the same! I have been super lazy. As I think about labor and how they say if you stay fit during your pregnancy, it loosens your joints for an easier delivery, I feel motivated. Then I get home and want to lay on the couch. That’s why I think I may join the gym again. I can stop by on the way home and swim, walk and ride the stationary bike, maybe workout on the elliptical. If not, I’m determined to get my butt off the couch and walk when I get home each night. I know your life is never the same after you have a baby, but I am fully determined to get back in shape after the baby’s born. I am blessed to have a husband who I’m sure will watch our little one as I get out on some runs and rides in the future. Anyone who knows me knows how impatient I am, and this is something I’ll just have to be patient and wait for. I’m sure when my feet do hit the pavement again sometime late fall/early winter, it will be all the more worth it for having waited in eager anticipation. And how exciting it is to think that when it warms up I can even take the baby out in a little jogging stroller, too! J I’m trying my hardest to get Jenni pumped up for our first post-baby tri, when I can put a little shirt on the baby like we’ve seen at so many races (SO CUTE!!) “Swim Mom, Bike Mom, Run Mom, GO MOM!” She seems to think it would be more fun to hold the little tyke and cheer me on, but no way – Olympic distance here we come!! :)

First Little Flutters

I forgot to post a week 15 update (pregnancy brain!). I think I’m just going to post on Wednesday, since that marks Week 16.

I felt the baby move on Saturday! We were standing in line at the grocery store, and I felt a fluttering type sensation in my abdomen. At first I didn’t know what it was, and I actually asked Ryan if the floor was shaking. It wasn’t (duh). But the sensation continued the whole time we were in line; it was so cool! It felt like if you were to lightly drum your fingers on your arm, only it was on the inside. Wow! I told Ryan I thought the baby was moving, but he didn’t really believe me at first. We both kind of shrugged it off as something that wouldn’t happen for another couple weeks, “maybe I just had gas” type moment. Yesterday I was talking to my mom and another lady at work, though, and they both said that’s exactly what it was. I also told another friend here, and before I could even describe the “finger drumming fluttering” sensation, that’s exactly how she described it! I even felt it again this morning right when I woke up. It’s just so amazing and such a blessing to be carrying a baby.

One of the reasons I think this is just so cool – especially at 15.5 weeks is because I actually prayed two quick little prayers on Friday morning in the shower: that I wouldn’t have to wait until 19 or 20 weeks to feel the baby move and that Ryan & I would be able to find some of the things we need that we’re not registering for and save money on them. We got on Craig’s list on Friday night and saw two such items, a brand new, wrapped breast pump and a brand new, in-the-box stroller. We e-mailed on both of them and were able to purchase a pump normally costing $280 for $160 and a stroller normally costing $150 for $50! God is just SO good!! He truly cares about the intimate details of our lives. It’s so cool to do this blog to journal for myself, because I think it’s so easy to overlook or even forget some of these little things He does for me. And I know it’s not just me – I sit in our leader’s circle on Saturday mornings and listen to the ladies share answers to prayer requests that were given and even little ones throughout the week. I am constantly amazed at the grace and unconditional love of the Lord.

May 20th

The ultrasound is scheduled for May 20th at 2:00. YAAAAAAAYYYY!! We're pretty excited. :) I will be posting my weekly update tomorrow, but I didn't want to forget to post this - it's my big news of the week.

And the big ultrasound is...

...unfortunately, not scheduled. My doctor's schedule is not out for May yet, but the receptionist said she's hoping it will be out by the end of the week. Today the baby tried to yet again hide from her when she tried to find his/her heart beat. The baby snuggled way down as far as s/he could - behind my pubic bone - silly little thing! The doctor must've been able to hear some noises recognizable to her, though, because she kept following the baby around saying that it sounded like the baby here and there and it was wiggling around a lot.

I'm going for my lab work tomorrow. She said that it can take up to a month to receive normal results, so she'll probably go over them at my next appointment. If the tests show an abnormality, they will call sooner. At that point, they would send me for an early ultrasound to make sure everything's ok. She said she actually got a false positive for Down's Syndrom when she got tested with her first, but the baby was ok. She encouraged me not to freak out if something like that does happen, which I will really try not to do since I've read that can be common. That's about all the news for today! I appreciate your prayers for healthy test results.

A lady last night at BSF & a lady at work today asked me if I was pregnant. Ryan thinks it would be funny if I said "No." You know, just to get a rise out of them. The lady at work said I really "popped," because she didn't even know I was pregnant last week. At least I'm starting to look pregnant and not just bloated. :) I was at my parents for Easter, and they were joking that maybe I was going to pop out some twins, since I'm so big. Ryan didn't find that quite as humerous as everyone else did...I think he's nervous about seeing me pop out one and raising it.

It is crazy to think that tomorrow I will be 15 weeks pregnant. It seems like just yesterday I saw that little EPT "pregnant." I am only 175 days to go until my EDD. When I think about how fast the last six months have flown by, I am sure that the next six months will go by just as fast. I want to relish in being pregnant, the experience and blessing that it is.

Last night I had the sweetest dream that I had a little girl. She wasn't a baby; she was about 4 or 5 in the dream, and I picked her up from my parent's house. When we got home, I tucked her into bed and read her a story, and she said "I love you, Mommy." I was so thankful for this dream, because for the last week or so I've had some weird dreams, not all of them pleasant. I can't wait until I can hold my baby in my arms and bring him/her home. I know it's hard work. I know it will be a challenge. I also know what a gift it will be.

I'm praying for my doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon. While the appointment itself should be pretty uneventful, I will go get my labwork for the multiple marker screening. I am praying that there will not even be a hint of a positive result for Down's or any other complication. I am excited to hear the heartbeat, as the doctor's doppler is a bit stronger than mine and always picks up the little kicks that mine doesn't at home. The baby is now about the size of an orange, about 4 inches in length and about 2.5 oz. S/he is doing acrobatics inside, and the legs are now longer than the arms. S/he is becoming more human-like.

He IS Risen!

"1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." - Matthew 28:1-9

When Jesus was on the cross, it was a choice. He was not forced to do it, but He chose to do it. He endured the pain and the beatings, because He looked down through history and saw your face. He stretched His arms out on that cross and was nailed to it, so He could wrap those same arms around you today in an embrace of love. This is so amazing to me, that Jesus chose to endure His crucifixion, because even though it was hard, He knew the Father's plan was best. And the coolest part is that He conquered death and the slavery of sin, so that we can be in relationship with God. He IS risen, He DOES reign at God's right hand, and He IS coming back!

May you and yours be blessed this Easter.

Week 14 Update

How far along? 14 weeks, 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: +3 lbs
Maternity clothes: some - pants, bella bands, work dresses
Stretch marks? nope
Sleep: still having wild dreams, but still sleeping
Best moment this week: popping a little bit more and hearing the heartbeat this morning on our doppler
Movement: can't feel it yet
Food cravings: Sonic cream slushes, red meat, coffee (decaf), Sunchips
Gender: Leaning towards a boy again. Some lady at the hair salon pulled down my lower eyelids, looked at the red line and saw it was squiggly, which she says makes it a boy. But I don't really buy into that stuff... Ryan still thinks it is a girl.
Labor signs: nope
Belly button in or out? Still in
What I miss: A nice glass of red wine with my steak
What I am looking forward to: finding out the gender and seeing the ultrasound
Weekly Wisdom: Hmmm...probably not to stress out that Ryan doesn't have a permanent job right now, because God knew this would happen and planned my prenancy. He knows it will all work out!
Milestones: popping a little bit more and people telling me I look "pregnant".

My violent dental hygienist

I had a cleaning today, and boy, what fun that was! Normally I am one of those odd people who actually like to go get my teeth cleaned, and I don’t really mind the dentist too much. In pregnancy, one’s hormones can cause the gums to become very sensitive. My dental hygienist even noticed and commented on how my gums were a little sensitive and bleeding, yet for some unknown reason, she decided to violently floss my teeth at the end of my cleaning. The dentist came in and used a little floss – gently – after that. I swear, I have never had anyone floss my teeth so rough in my life. I was a little cranky after that appointment, mostly because my mouth is still sore. Yeah, and another thing: what’s the deal with them trying to make small talk while that have their hands and instruments all up in your mouth? How about no. How about you do your job and quit the small talk, because I can’t answer your questions right now. OK I’m done now.

On a happier note, I feel that the morning sickness is really going away - yay! Sure, it's being replaced by heartburn, but at least I can eat and don't feel like vomiting up my dinner every night. :) I am constantly amazed, all jokes and complaints aside, at how amazing it is to be carrying one of God's children. All I can think is "Wow!" and "Thank you, Lord!" I am really looking forward to feeling the baby move in about a month. That's gotta' just be out of this world!

Today my sweet husband got his weekly e-mail update on the pregnancy and decided to watch some birthing videos. He's never seen one. Ever - not in health class not on Discovery channel; these videos were his first. He described seeing them as "traumatizing" and "surprising." He was describing to me (before he showed me the videos) how the head comes out, then the baby just kind of quickly "shoots" out. I asked him what he expected, and he didn't really know but said he is glad he watched the videos. He said he probably would've freaked out if he didn't and is still not sure he's ready for it. Sweet Ryan. I just kind of had to laugh. Now, some may be thinking, "Well, Amber, you're the one who has to push it out! And he thinks he'll be traumatized?" I have a feeling he will most definitely be empathetic, because he has passed some kidney stones, which those in the medical field say are pretty comparable to childbirth. I'm just glad he's a bit more prepared than he was this morning. :)

Funny Story (written 4/6 - forgot to post)

Couple new things going on regarding the pregnancy: 1) my brain feels mushy as if the baby is sucking any active brain cells out and severely decreasing my ability to remember and concentrate, 2) I’ve become even more hyper-emotional and 3) I’m hungry pretty much all the time. A bonus: the morning sickness is starting to go away – YAY!

As I’ve posted before, I am studying the Life of Moses at BSF this year. It is pretty obvious that near the end of our study, which is quickly approaching, Moses will die. I am sure that most people know that, including myself. Yesterday I was reading the Bible and doing my lesson when I came across this section of Scripture:

“ 12 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go up this mountain in the Abarim range and see the land I have given the Israelites. 13 After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, 14 for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes." (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.)” – Numbers 27:12-14

As soon as I started reading “you too will be gathered to your people,” I started bawling. Not just a couple tears, no – I actually shook a little bit from the tears and had to blow my nose. Then, I read the question on my lesson, “If you only had a week to live, how would you spend your time?” Well, that just sent me into another tearfest, at which point, Ryan walks in. He kind of gives me this “look.” “Moses is going to die!” I say through tears, to which Ryan replies, “OK…” and laughs at me. Anyways, about an hour later I was giggling about my overemotional reaction to this fact of which I logically knew was bound to happen. I just thought I’d share about my hyper-emotional state, because really – what fun is life if you can’t laugh at yourself a little?

Through the first trimester!

I look at my ticker at the top, which says I am 13 weeks, 5 days preganant. It gives the dates for T1, T2 and T3. I guess sometimes my pregnancy still feels surreal to me, because to me those "T's" stand for "transition" in triathlon lingo. I got kind of a cute idea from one of the blogs I follow, and I thought it might be fun to start kind of a basic list of things that are happening regarding the pregnancy. I have to say, I am very relieved to be past my first trimester! For anyone who has gone through it, it's especially nerve-wracking. Last week I was especially paranoid when I got so ill, because I was so worried I was going to get dehydrated. On Thursday, I realized I had to go to the doctor for more personal "fun" reason, so I began to pray that if I asked, she would let me hear the baby's heartbeat again - especially since I had been unsuccessful at my attempts with our home doppler. I almost started crying at how much God cares about the intimate details of our lives, because as soon as I was done telling her what was going on, she pulled out the doppler - without me asking - and had me lay back, so we could hear the heartbeat. God is just so cool to do little things like that for us! Our other milestone this week was announcing to the people in our lives who didn't know that we were expecting. That's been exciting. I gotta' say that it's also been a little "freeing" not having to try to suck in my belly at work anymore to prevent the stares I've been getting the last few weeks. :) Most of my belly at this point is still probably bloat, but because I'm small, I can tell where the top of my uterus is. Some of this bump is me starting to show. Here is my 13 week "belly" picture:

How far along: 13 weeks 5 days

Total weight gain/loss: +1 lb. (the only good thing about losing 10 lbs. when I was sick is that now I'm where I should be gain wise)

Maternity clothes?: some pants & bella band

Stretch marks: nope

Sleep: still doing well

Best moment this week: Hearing the heartbeat on the doppler at the doctor's office on Monday.

Movement: Can't feel it yet, but heard some kicks on the doppler :)

Food Cravings: Cheerios, cherry Twizzlers, fresh fruit

Gender: really thought it was a boy up to this point, currently no leanings...

Labor signs: none.

Belly button in or out: In. And if it pops out, I will be disgusted.

What I miss: Running hard in this beautiful weather.

What I'm looking forward to: Feeling the baby move, and in 2 appointments the ultrasound and finding out the sex!

Weekly wisdom: From my friend Jennifer, not to stress about weight gain but to be as healthy as I can and know my body will gain what it needs to gain to keep the baby healthy.

Milestones: Telling our little world.