13 weeks!

Yay! Out of the first trimester!

How Far Along: 13 weeks

Size of baby: peach (3")

Sleep: pretty decent

Total Weight Gain: +5.2

Symptoms: still nauseous in the evenings, round ligament pain

Movement: I think so. I've felt some little flutters that definitely don't feel like gas.

Maternity Clothes: Yes, all maternity all the time. It's ridiculous how big I am compared to my pregnancy with Zooey - and I've gained less weight!

Go-to eats: frosted mini wheats, avocado, Ritz crackers

Best moment of the week: end of first trimester!

Gender: ? Ryan thinks girl; I'm still not sure what to think.

Ramblings (advice, wishes, thoughts, feelings): We're telling Ryan's parents tonight, so soon we'll be public! I'm excited about that.
I super miss my mom this week. I've cried a lot over how she's not here for this baby, but I have also rejoiced that Sarah and I have grown closer and been able to share pregnancy together.

What I’m looking forward to: movement and finding out the gender

Milestones: Baby has fingerprints, vocal chords are developing, his/her head is becoming more proportionate to the body, and if it's a girl, she already has 2 million eggs in her ovaries!

12 Weeks

How Far Along: 12 weeks

Size of baby: key lime

Sleep: SO much better. I zonk out about 9:30 most nights and wake up right when Zooey does, about 7:30, waking up only to pee. :)

Total Weight Gain: +6.3 (but this was after breakfast this week - normally I weigh same time, before breakfast). :) Excuses??

Symptoms: morning sickness in the evenings, fatigue

Movement: Too soon to feel

Maternity Clothes: Yup. I packed up all my winter clothes and decided to just go with it fom here on out.

Go-to eats: lemonade, Frosted Mini Wheats

Best moment of the week: I heard the heartbeat last Friday! It was beating strong at 165. Praise God!

I'm also excited that I seem to be getting some of my energy back and haven't needed to nap as much and the morning sickness seems to be dying down a little bit.

Gender: ? Ryan's guess is girl. I'm really unsure..."Chinese Gender Chart" says "girl" :) It's all for fun until the big U/S

What I wish people knew:

What I’m looking forward to: Morning sickness being completely gone (although praise God, it's easing up!), 2nd trimester, movement! Gender ultrasound!

Milestones: Baby's reflexes are devloping: s/he'll start opening and closing fingers, sucking with mouth, curling toes. :)

12 weeks, Baby #2

12 weeks, Zooey...notice the difference?!

11 weeks

How Far Along: 11 weeks

Size of baby: Fig

Sleep: Really good, because I'm exhausted.

Total Weight Gain: +3.9

Symptoms: SO TIRED, morning sickness in the evenings, round ligament pain

Movement: Baby is moving, but I can't notice it.

Maternity Clothes: Some pants and belly bands

Go-to eats: juice & seltzer water, blueberry waffles with peanut butter & honey

Best moment of the week: I think the morning sickness is starting to subside a bit!

Gender: ? no clue

What I wish people knew: That I'm pregnant. :)

What I’m looking forward to: Movement, being out of the first tri, morning sickness going away

Milestones: Baby is now almost fully formed!

I've been a little anxious this week. My next appointment is tomorrow morning at 10:00; I am hoping to hear the baby's heartbeat. I didn't really think I was that nervous, but I keep having dreams about it and that the doctor can't find it. Just trying to "Be anxious about nothing but in everything, by prayer & petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Carrying this baby is a blessing, and that is something to be thankful for!

10 weeks

How Far Along: 10 weeks

Size of baby: kumquat

Sleep: Good, thanks to the Unisom the doctor said to take for the morning sickness

Total Weight Gain: +3.9

Symptoms: belly's getting bigger sooner this time than with Zooey; morning sickness (worst in evenings, just like with Zooey); headaches; some round ligament pain; exhaustion

Movement: Although baby is stretching, doing somersaults and rolls, it's still too soon to feel it.

Maternity Clothes: pants & belly bands

Go-to eats: lemonade

Best moment of the week: I don't know why, but 10 weeks feels like an accomplishment of some sort. Perhaps because most of baby's critical development is complete.

Gender: Who knows but God :)

What I wish people knew: That I'm sorry if I seem so disconnected or seem like a bad friend. I just get so tired sometimes I can't focus. I wish I could tell my sweet Zooey a definite time I'd be feeling better and that she could understand that it breaks my heart when I can't play with her like I used to when I feel so sick. Thankfully, she's a very sweet girl who says, "It's ok Mommy. Feel better."

What I’m looking forward to: The end of morning sickness, the second trimester, movement, hearing the heartbeat on the doppler (hopefully before or at my next appointment on 3/1)

Milestones: The most critical portion of Baby's development is complete.

I am finding it harder to bond early with this baby than I did with Zooey. I am still praying for the baby and want him/her to develop well and am at times very excited for him/her to join our family, it's just harder to bond. I don't know why? Maybe because the morning sickness is so much worse than it was with my first pregnancy, maybe it's because Zooey keeps me so busy, I don't know. I'm praying that God helps me bond with the baby and grows him/her to be strong, healthy and smart. I have a feeling that once I first feel those movements, the bond will grow.

Zooey has started putting her Little People in her shirt and saying there's a baby in her tummy but they're too small to come out. :) I think she gets more than we even think she does. She's so cute! The other day, she was praying, "Thank You God, Mommy, Daddy. Thank You God baby mommy's tummy." She pats my belly and says, "It's ok, baby," and "No throw up, feel better Mommy." I think she's going to be a great, loving big sister. She's very nourturing and empathetic.

9 weeks

How Far Along: 9 weeks

Size of baby: grape

Sleep: off and on, but mostly ok

Total Weight Gain: 3 lbs

Symptoms: nausea, exhaustion, migraines

Movement: Baby is moving, but too early to feel

Maternity Clothes: Bella band and some pants

Go-to eats: This week I felt pretty barfy but at the same time was craving Cheetos, then little Zooey also suggested a Slurpee. SO UNHEALTHY I KNOW - but you know what? They totally made my nausea go away. Also, lemonade

Best moment of the week: Having a compassionate nurse call me back with an action plan for my migraines that was more than Tylenol and caffeine.

Gender: What's weird: I "think" it's a girl, but I call it a boy.

What I wish people knew: That I'm not just getting fat, there's a baby inside me lol

What I’m looking forward to: Getting out of the first tri and movement.

Milestones: Baby's external sex organs are formed but too early to see, baby's brain is now developing rapidly, baby looks more "human"

Week 8

This has been a rough week morning sickness-wise. I feel much sicker than I did with Zooey and even asked my doctor for something to take. She suggested Unisom & Vitamin B6 at night, but I have had some really rough days where I think I may call back and ask for some Zofran for the evenings. I think part of what makes it worse is that I'm running around more, whereas with Zooey I sat down most of the day. However, I am grateful I have these symptoms to remind me God is knitting together a little baby inside.

A friend told me this week that with her second baby she started wearing maternity clothes at 11 weeks, compared to 16 weeks with her first. I am at that stage where I feel uncomfortably bloated and have started to wear my BellaBand, completely skipping the rubberband trick (except for one day).

How Far Along: 8 weeks

Size of baby: raspberry

Sleep: off and on, I wake up feeling sick even with the Unisom

Total Weight Gain:

Symptoms: SUPER nausea, SUPER exhausted

Movement: too early

Maternity Clothes: After battling the uncomfortable bloat and bigger belly than last time, I broke down and started wearing some maternity pants and my belly band.

Go-to eats: Everything sounds disgusting, so I just eat what sound "ok" in the moment.

Best moment of the week: getting another week further

Gender: I think girl.

What I wish people knew: That I'm not fat, I'm pregnant. :)

What I’m looking forward to: Getting out of this first trimester and getting some energy back.

Milestones: Baby has webbed fingers & toes, eyelids to practically cover his/her eyes, primitive neural pathways forming in the brain.

7 weeks

I had my first prenatal visit today. Turns out I was off by 1 day. I'm 7 weeks today (my weekly count will be on Thursdays, not Fridays), and I'm due September 19.

How Far Along: 7 weeks

Size of baby: a little bigger than the tip of a pencil eraser

Sleep: it's OK...I've been waking up sick in the night

Total Weight Gain: .5 lbs

Symptoms: nausea, tired

Movement: too early

Maternity Clothes: too early

Go-to eats: rice cakes, graham crackers, ginger ale

Best moment of the week: I got an ultrasound!! I had my first prenatal visit, and since I was due for my annual she did an ultrasound. I didn't get an early one with Zooey, so I was super excited. It was definitely a little gift from God. I got to see the heartbeat - it was 194. It was so cool to see that little flickering heartbeat. It definitely made it more real to me.

Gender: I really think girl. Even more so after seeing such a high heart rate...although that's an old wive's tale. :)

What I wish people knew: I kind of want to shout it from the rooftops that I'm pregnant, but we're still waiting to tell the whole world until I'm 13 weeks, although family and many friends already know.

What I’m looking forward to: Nausea to be gone. Movement!

Milestones: Baby's arms, lets, hands and feet are taking shape, and his/her brain is forming at a rapid pace.

6 Weeks

How Far Along: 6 weeks

Size of baby: Sesame seed.

Sleep: I have a cold, so not great. Morning sickness started this week and woke me up around 4am a couple nights, too

Total Weight Gain:

Symptoms: exhaustion, nausea, growing pains, moody

Movement: too early

Maternity Clothes: not yet

Go-to eats: OJ, graham crackers, trail mix

Best moment of the week: When I got Zooey up from her nap, and she said, "I love you, baby," and she kissed my stomach. Also, as much as I hate it, I'm also glad the nausea is increasing; "they" say that's a good sign.

Gender: ?

What I wish people knew: That if I'm moody, it's because I'm exhausted and my stomach is upset because I'm pregnant.

What I’m looking forward to: Getting some cute new maternity clothes, the second trimester.

Milestones: Baby's heart started beating (most likely) and a primitive placenta is starting to do it's job.

5 Weeks

Things are progressing, I guess, because I haven't noticed any problems. My first doctor's appointment is January 31. Each pregnant is different, obviously. The biggest difference is that I have Zooey this time. I find myself worrying about how she will adjust. I am also excited to see how she will interact with the baby. She is such a loving, caring and empathetic child that I'm sure she will fall in love with him/her. I am also more preoccupied, which for me and my brain, is a good thing. I obsess a little less.

Zooey was super sick this past week, poor baby, with a fever for three days and a cough. I got to enjoy lots of snuggle time with her (although I wish it wasn't cuz she felt so sick). I kind of wondered how I'll get to do that with two kids, but I'm sure it'll all work itself out.

Tonight at dinner, while we were waiting for our food, Zooey was coloring on my phone. I drew a picture of me, Ryan and her. She said, "baby Mommy's tummy" and drew a circle over my tummy on the stick figure. We haven't told her yet, but she's a smart kid, so I'm sure she's overheard us talking. It was very sweet. Then she tried to pull my shirt up in the restaurant (not so cute lol).

How Far Along: 5 weeks

Size of baby: depends on the app. Baby Center says sesame seed

Sleep: much better this week. In fact, I'm so exhausted that I've been taking naps and logging at least eight hours at night.

Total Weight Gain: 0

Symptoms: mild nausea in the morning and late afternoon, exhaustion, crampiness, headaches, bloated, increased sensitivity to smells

Movement: too early

Maternity Clothes: too early, although I did check out some cute stuff on Old Navy that I'll be ordering when the time comes

Go-to eats: kalmatta olives & hummus earlier in the week, orange juice, lemonade

Best moment of the week: getting the positive on the digital and not starting my period!

Gender: ? I'm sure I'll go back & forth. Ryan thinks girl, and I do, too, for now

What I wish people knew: I guess this is the same as last week, that I'm very nervous and I appreciate the prayers that are being lifted up.

What I’m looking forward to: Getting bloodwork back to show my HCG count is normal.

Milestones: Baby's heart is developing this week, and will start beating sometime in week 6-7, although we won't get to hear it until sometime around 10 weeks.

Positive!

I think there's another blog post on here somewhere with the same title. Yesterday morning, after several days of just "feeling" pregnant, I woke up and took a test. It was faint, but it was there, a little blue line to confirm what I already knew deep in my heart: I'm pregnant. I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I had some mild cramping and my boobs hurt. Well, those things haven't gone away. Add to that, exhaustion, having hot flashes, and in the last two days, feeling faint and getting nauseous in the evenings, and I just knew. It's still super early, but I'm still excited and of course I'm nervous. I'm only 13 days post-ovulation (so 4 weeks pregnant tomorrow). I was surprised that the early test worked, but a friend of mine told me the hormones are higher the second time around, so I figured what the heck? My prayer is of course for 100% growth and development and also for Ryan and Zooey to adjust well, for discernment and perfect guidance for the birth plan (my OB already told me that she wants me to have a C-section the next time I have children).

So, here's my beginning stats:

How Far Along: 3 weeks 6 days

Size of baby: poppyseed

Sleep: Not so great - last night I was up from 3:00-4:45.

Total Weight Gain: 0, and I'm pretty happy with my starting point. My goal this pregnancy is to try to stay within the guidelines for the first trimester and not eat as much fast food just to eat to feel better. I also have a goal to exercise more and run, with my doc's permission, which is something I really missed doing with Zooey. I have been running really consistently for the last three years, so I don't think it should be a problem like last time.

Symptoms: sore breasts, cramping, lightheadedness, exhaustion, nausea, hot flashes and it seems like my sense of smell is increasing, too

Movement: no

Maternity Clothes: no

Go-to eats: hummus, grapefruit, and Cheerios (just like last time)

Best moment of the week: seeing that little blue line

Gender: I honestly don't have a feeling either way; however, ever since I had Zooey, I've always called my future child a girl, just because that's what I already had.

What I wish people knew: Hmm. That I'm scared and obsess that it couldn't possibly be as easy and quick as it was with Zooey and surely something bad will happen. Maybe I don't want people to know that, LOL.

What I’m looking forward to: To get another positive and make it past the date of my expected period and to have my bloodwork done to really confirm everything.

Milestones: Baby implanted sometime this last week, hence the HCG turning that little line blue.

 

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.

It's been awhile, so an update

I was thinking this morning about how good God is. When I went off birth control, I prayed daily that He would allow me to, if it was His will, get pregnant right away, protect me from horrible cramps if I didn’t (I used to throw up from the pain), and protect me from hormonal migraines. Of course I prayed, and still pray, that if it’s His will, He will protect me from miscarriage. As I have expressed before, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that His plan is best – both for me and for Baby. I was just thinking how sweet it was of Him to allow me the gift of carrying one of His children this far and for Him to let it happen so quickly, especially when my heart breaks for the women who must wait. A woman at work recently went in for polyp surgery; they were going to try to just remove the polyps from her uterus, but when they got in there, they had to give her a complete hysterectomy. She and her husband had been trying to get pregnant for ten years. I pray that the Lord would comfort her. I think of a sweet friend of mine who has lost two precious babies, and I grieve with her in her losses and her struggle to get pregnant. Her walk with God has deepened immensely, and her faith radiates from her. I realize that I do not deserve this gift – just the opportunity – that we’ve been given, and this week I have been truly, deeply thankful for it.

I am still nervous with three weeks to go until the end of the first trimester. However, I am trying very hard not to approach life with the mindset of “waiting for the other shoe to drop.” We get to hear the heartbeat in just 5 days – next Wednesday, and I keep praying God will show us a strong heartbeat on that monitor. Updates to come…

Overwhelmed & Not Doing Anything

I am really struggling with feeling overwhelmed with all I have going on right now. I am working full-time, preparing my own Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) lesons & preparing weekly to teach my awesome group of 5th & 6th graders, taking two online courses through CNM and still cooking, caring for my husband & grandma and our home, trying to find time to walk daily like the doctor recommends and do weekly chores. Last term, this was no problem, and because Ryan & I weren't planning or even talking about getting pregant until I was already signed up for two classes, I thought I would tough it out and see how it went once I became pregnant. I am amazed at how tired I am! It is frustrating, but it is understandable. One book I read said something to the effect that my pregnant body is doing as much work as a marathoner's body is doing just sitting there being pregnant. Having done several triathlons, I can relate to how tired these races make me - and the exhaustion I feel from being pregnant is comparative. I could literally take an hour nap everyday - just like I do after a race. It is because of this, and because of some more spotting today and the nurse telling me it could also be my body's way of telling me I'm doing too much or am too stressed, that I am going to drop my hard class. It pains me and is a tough decision for me; however, I prayed about it and really feel that it is the right thing to do. I feel like I'm "just giving up" or quitting or like a failure, but like Ryan said, I can always take it again later on. I truly commend those pregnant girls who can do both school and work! I think if I worked part-time or maybe if I was at school only or work only full-time it would be a different story, but right now it just seems way too much. My priorities are my home life (especially "growing this little baby"), BSF and work. I want to be able to say I did everything in my control to give this baby a healthy chance at life, and eating well and lowering whatever stress I can are ways I can do that. My other class is very easy and only takes me about two hours a week - if that - so I am going to stay enrolled in it.

The spotting is VERY scary. Ryan was trying to calm me down (one of his big duties in our marriage :) ), and I feel like the best way to explain it is how I explained it to him. Before I got pregnant, I knew spotting was normal and common among many women in the first trimester. Before I got pregnant, I would've reassured someone who was going through it with my limited knowledge. Now that I am pregnant, let me just say, even thought logically I know it is normal and believe my doctor and the nurse telling me this, as well as the countless books and articles I've read, it is still incredibly scary. It doesn't matter that there's not very much. What matters is that there is blood and there should be none. I told Ryan that it's something he will probably never fully understand, because he is a man and will never experience it, and he agreed to that and to be supportive (not that he wasn't before). The nurse told me it can be some implantation bleeding and that some women experience that their full pregnancy. She told me some other reasons but that those wouldn't yet be seen on the ultrasound (they're not necessarily bad), and she again gave me the precautions of when to go to an ER. She was very reassuring, and I feel better and like I am overreacting.

The one thing I am thankful for about the WHOLE pregnancy experience (spotting included) is that it's the biggest thing I've ever done, and my relationship with the Lord has grown a lot in the last weeks. My first instinct is to go to Him, not anyone else. I try to do that anyway, but there is just such a deep sense of Him being in control that that truly is the only place I can go. No one else can comfort me or give me peace. No one else knows exactly what I'm feeling inside. No one but Him, and the best thing is that He knows it even better than I do. And just like He knows what's best for me, He knows what's best for the baby, too.

Waiting for HCG Results

It's funny to me that our faith can seem so huge one minute or day, like mine did on Monday, then dissipate as we try to control our own lives through different ways. My way is worry. I got my second vial of blood drawn today, after much lunchtime drama and having to go back after work - URG! - and having the tech stick me so hard I tensed up. (Side note: I really need to learn to suck it up, because if things go well, I'm going to be pushing a human out of me in 8 months). On the boards today, I was reading a couple posts and noticed a couple of women said they had "chemical pregnancies." Well, stupid me (I never learn to stay away from Google) looked up "how common are chemical pregnancies?" only to find out that these are the 50-70% of miscarriages that happen before a woman knows she's pregnant or finds out then starts her period a little late. GREEEAAT. Because I needed to give myself something ELSE to worry about. All I can do is pray. That's all I can do, because I cannot control this baby's life any more than I can control my own.

I'm calling tomorrow morning to get my lab results and praying God has increased my hormones just as they should be.

5 weeks

I signed up for an online community at www.thebump.com. It's a neat place to be able to chat on the message boards with other women who are in their first trimesters, and it helps ease some of the first-time mommy worries a little bit. :) It is also comforting to know that many other women think about the same things I think about. I signed on today, and my message was "Welcome Amber! You are now 5 weeks pregant." My baby is now the size of an appleseed, and his/her heart is forming. Ryan doesn't get how they count the weeks before you are already pregnant. He keeps correcting me and saying "three weeks" - it's cute. Although I am trying to be cautious in my optimism, it is hard not to be excited when this is something I have wanted all my life. I have been feeling a little nauseous only when I eat too much and sometimes first thing in the morning. I've been getting super hungry a lot quicker than I used to - I feel like I need to eat every 2.5 hours rather than every 3-4 hours. I've also been very bloated. So much so that I had to unbutton my jeans yesterday before I went to the grocery store and still felt uncomfortable.

Ryan & I decided to tell our families after our first doctor's visit on February 9th, if all goes well. We are going up to Colorado the weekend of the 13th and would like to be able to tell his family in person. Who knows when we will go up again... The more I think about telling them before the first trimester is up the more I think I really want my family's love and support. Even if this one doesn't "stick" I would want them to be a part of that, too.

Well, one of my other symptoms - exhaustion - is kicking in, and I do believe it's time to hit the sack.