21 weeks

How Far Along: 21weeks, 1 day -- I'm a day late on my up date.

Size of baby: They now lump the baby into months. Month 5 - Baby

is the size of a papaya, 10.5-12 inches long and weighs 13-21 oz. Again, I think the

baby is weighing more than this.

Apparently I need to watch what I say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and my own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when --I should just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

Maternity Clothes: I'm definitely not zipping up my pants/jeans anymore. The belly band is becoming a life saver. Now that I'm a little bigger, it stays in place. And I heart dresses. I want to wear them all the time! I need to get a good pair of maternity jeans. I may have to spend some $$ on them.

Weight Gain: 6lbs still.

Belly: Coming soon.

Stretch Marks: None so far.

Sleep: I take what I can get.

Best Moment of the Week: I was talking to my brother earlier this week and in mid sentence I got my first real kick - it was hard. And it stopped me mid sentence. It was very cool.

Movement: I feel her move everyday now. Not all the time - so I guess the sleeping 12-14 hours a day is right. I was very aware of it yesterday because I fell on ice yesterday morning and was really sore and MW told me to stay off my feet, so I laid around all day. I was making sure that I felt her move around b/c I was nervous of course. But I'm sure she didn't feel anything other than a little shake.

Symptoms: I'm getting a little tired again, but that might be from the lack of sleep I'm getting.

Food cravings: No more consistent cravings.

Gender: A little, precious lady.

What I Miss: Nothing really. Although I went out for a friend's bday and I did miss enjoying a glass of wine with them.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Having C feel the baby. And getting a bigger belly.

Weekly Wisdom: This is going to be weather related ... um, don't go outside in the ice if you're pregnant. Plain and simple.

Milestones: 3 weeks until the viability mark. Wow!

Emotions: I am definitely getting a temper and letting it show. I snap at Chuck a lot. I apologize right afterwards, but really, if he wasn't such a man, then maybe I wouldn't get so pissed. (just kidding - he is the best.) ;

You like me, you really like me.

I want to thank Alyssa from Crossing my Fingers, But Not My Legs for my very first blog award. You are so sweet and have been such a great supporter of mine!! Feel free to email whenever you have any questions!!! xo

The rules for accepting this award are:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you the award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Award 15 other bloggers.

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.


7 Things About Myself

1. I'm a Cancer (old school, not the new horoscope garbage) Traits: Emotional and loving, intuitive and imaginative, cautious, protective and sympathetic ... all me. Apparently the bad come with the good: changeable and moody, overemotional and touchy ... these are all very true since I've been pregnant.

2. I absolutely, positively LOVEEEEE pickles. Chips, cut dills, gherkins ... hmmm, now I want them!

3. I was born with very dark brown hair which turned platinum blonde when I was 1 and then turned light brown when I was a teenager. I have been FOREVER trying regain my blondness. Sometimes I want to bring in my kindergarden picture to show the stylist. I don't think it's ever going to look the same, but it's not for the lack of trying.

4. My BFF and I have been friends for almost 20 years. We met in 8th grade French class. Since then, we have grown up together, lived together, been each other's maids of honor, our husbands are really good friends now, C and I are her youngest' godparents. She is so much more than a friend or a sister. She is my soul mate.

5. I'm addicted to shoes and handbags. I have struggled with my weight for the vast majority of my adult life, so I spend all my money on the things that won't grow or shrink - my feet and my shoulder/hand. I honestly lost count on my shoes at 75. Eek!

6. I used to play soccer. I played from the time I was 5 until I was 17 and then I coached for a few years after I graduated high school. I was a goalie - I loved getting dirty and hurt. I was such a tomboy.

7. I'm an artist ... professionally I'm a graphic designer, but I paint, draw, do photography. I wish I had more time to paint and do photography, but my life is full of designing on my mac. Sometimes I have to stop and thank god that I get to do what I do everyday.

10 blogs I love: (I'm doing 10 - I don't follow that many ... sorry.)

1. Seriously? This lady is awesome. She is more of a friend than some of my IRL friends. One day I SWEAR - you hear this Michelle - we will meet! xo

2. Pollination Chronicles

3. A Journey to Our Baby

4. Artificially Fertile Myrtle

5. Room for More

6. Maybe If You Just Relax

7. From If to When

8. The Privileged Infertile

9. For the Love of Shoes ... And Baby Too

10. We got hitched. Bought the house. Now What?

Thank you to all these lovely ladies. I fully enjoy reading about their journeys and look forward to the future for all of them.

20 weeks!!!!

How Far Along: 20 weeks!!! YAY!!!

Size of baby: 6.5 in, 10.6 oz - the size of a small cantaloupe. But from head to foot, she is 10 in - the size of a banana ... I like that one better.
I'm using what I found online for a basis, but MW told me that last week Baby G is measuring at 11 oz already. She said between 19 and 22 weeks, they like the baby to be between 10 oz and 1.5lbs.

Her body is well covered in vernix (the white cheese-like coating which protects her skin from the amniotic fluid), giving her skin that baby-soft feel after she’s born and bathed.

She is practicing swallowing every day, and has a good amount of meconium stored up in her bowels. Meconium is a black gooey substance that will make up your baby’s first bowel movement when she’s born.

Maternity Clothes: I'm definitely not zipping up my pants/jeans anymore. The belly band is becoming a life saver. Now that I'm a little bigger, it stays in place. And I heart dresses. I want to wear them all the time!

Weight Gain: I'm holding pretty steady at a 6 lb gain. When I went to the MW last week, I lost two lbs since 3 weeks before and she said "how did you do that around the holidays?" I actually think I gained around the holidays and then had it drop off. I'm back up one lb since then. We'll see how this all pans out.

Belly:

Stretch Marks: None so far. But my belly is getting itchy. I heard - NO SCRATCHING! That's hard not to do.

Sleep: Sleep ... it's a battle with me these days. I wake up several times during the night. I'm trying to still sleep on stomach, but I think that will be short lived.

Best Moment of the Week: Besides finding out that we have a little lady growing in there (YAY!!!) Monday night was a great night. I hadn't felt the baby move since Friday afternoon. So I was laying in bed and I was rubbing my belly and felt a little hard part, so I poked it ... and she poked me back. I did it again right away and she poked back again!!! It was so awesome. It was like my first connection with her. I told her I wouldn't do it again because I'm sure it's annoying to have your house poked at.

Movement: I am definitely feeling the baby. It is a cross between tiny gas bubbles and someone lightly tapping me with their fingertips - from the inside. I wish it was more consistent. But I'll be patient. I know she will be squirming around soon enough.

Symptoms: Swollen lady bits causing minor itching. MW told me to get Dermoplast - a spray lidocaine. It was definitely helped. And she told me that this spray will become my best friend if I happen to tear and get stitches while giving birth.

Food cravings: No more consistent cravings.

Gender: A little, precious lady. I announced the gender on FB by just posting "VAGINA." I got a few funny responses before people caught on. LOL.

What I Miss: Nothing much. This week is a good week. Although aside from the pregnancy, I miss my C. He is traveling for work. :(

What I'm Looking Forward To: Feeling the baby move more and more. And having C feel the baby too.

Weekly Wisdom: Apparently it's normal to have little red dots appear on your skin. I have them on my belly and on my calves. I read that they do go away after pregnancy.

Milestones: 20 weeks! What is a bigger milestone than that - other than actually giving birth.

Emotions: My breaking point is very short these days. I am constantly aggravated by people and don't want to deal with anyone. My attention span is gone - I don't want to work anymore. I sit in front of my computer, ignoring the pile of work I have, the emails that come in and the phone that rings. I count the hours until I can leave and that is NOT like me. I like my job. I like what I do. I just don't want to do anything ... except shop for baby stuff. (I haven't actually bought anything - just "window" shopping)

19w1d - P or Va-g?

So today was the big day. It was midnight and I couldn't fall asleep last night, then when I woke up at 3 am to pee, I couldn't get back to sleep until almost 4:30. Next thing I know my phone rings at 7:30 - it was BFF and she was so excited for us. So C and I laid in bed for a bit, watching the Today Show and before we knew it, it was 8:15 and our appt was at 9!! Holy crap.

After a glass of OJ - heard that OJ makes the baby stay awake - we were on our way. The ultrasound was amazing. She first asks us if we are going to find out and I assure her - um, yea! Then we got to see the baby - arms, legs, belly, heart, head, brain, etc. It was so amazing to see the little one moving around. It looks so much bigger than last time! The tech tried several times to get a good profile pic of the little one, but it kept its hands in front of the face the whole time! So no go. Shy one, I guess.

So then she tells C to get the camera ready - we brought our Flip camera to document the "reveal". She moves the wand down to the legs and says that the baby is very cooperative and that we have a little .........................................

GIRL!!!!

We couldn't believe it! Both C and I swore it was a boy. I teared up a bit - pregnancy hormones - and looked at C and said "A little girl!!???" It was a really wonderful moment. So here are some pic of my little lady ...

Here is her foot and leg.

Here are her hands up by her face in an "I surrender" pose!

Although she is still looking slightly away.

Here is her right arm covering the left side of her face - just

like an adult sleeping with their eyes in their elbow nook.

And here is the face and hands. STILL turing away.

So she is either shy or thought it was too early in the morning to take photos. haha. But either way ... we are having a little girl!!!

On a side note: It was funny though - it looked like C's face aged 5 years. I asked him if he was stressed now and he said yes. He is going to be such a protective dad.

19 weeks

How Far Along: 19 weeks - almost half way there!

Size of baby: 6 in, 8.5 oz - the size of a mango.

Baby's sensory development is exploding! The brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that it may be able to hear my voice now, so I shouldn't be shy about reading aloud, talking to it, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes.

Maternity Clothes: After the freakish event of the vanishing belly, in which I was able to wear my regular pants and jeans for a few days, I'm back to wearing maternity pants. I'm most comfortable in maternity pants and jeans, but since I only have two pair for work and two for "casual wear", I am still wearing my regular pants/jeans with the bella band. I may order more pants - at least work pants - tonight. I'm still wearing my regular shirts and have a feeling I'll be able to wear them for a while.

Weight Gain: I'm fluctuating. One week ago I was 6-7 lbs up, then a few days later, I was 2 lbs down and up a total of 4 lbs. This morning, I'm back up to 7 lbs total. But as per thebabycorner dot com, I'm still right on track. (Since I was considered "overweight" to begin with it's tracking me to gain only 20-25 lbs. That would be nice!)

Belly:
Stretch Marks: None so far.

Sleep: I finally gave in and now sleep how ever I'm comfortable. Believe it or not I'm still sleeping on my stomach sometimes. We have a tempurpedic topper on our bed, so I think it cushions me and my belly. I still sleep on the left side though.

Best Moment of the Week: It will be tomorrow! But I guess the question is what is the best moment of the previous week (week 18) ... that would be feeling the baby move more.

Movement: I am definitely feeling the baby. It is a cross between tiny gas bubbles and someone lightly tapping me with their fingertips - from the inside. I'm excited to feel it more and more.

Symptoms: Indigestion has started. I have on more than one occasion thrown up in my mouth. (TMI) Not pleasant.

Food cravings: No more consistent cravings.

Gender: Less than 24 hours! Words cannot express how excited I am!

What I Miss: Fitting into my regular clothes. It's a struggle these days on what to wear. I want to live in dresses so nothing is touching my belly.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Finding out the gender and being able to say hello to my son/daughter rather than my "it". YAY!

Weekly Wisdom: Leg cramps! Yup - they happen in the middle of the night. This piggy backs my "wisdom" from last week. Drink tons of water!

Milestones: Feeling the baby move.

Emotions: I had a major freak out over the weekend. I yelled at C, cried and fought and actually throw a ton of items out of a cabinet because something wouldn't fit. (Don't worry, I didn't throw them at C.) It's comical now when I think of it, but man, was I pissed.

18w1d - The Tale of the Vanishing Belly

Yesterday morning I jumped on the scale because it was my 18th week and I wanted to record my weight, I was up a total of 6.5 lbs from the beginning. I was able to get into regular work pants - with just the help of a rubberband. But I noticed as the day went on and each time I went to the bathroom, I would actually be able to button my pants, but didn't because I thought it would be uncomfortable.

When I came home last night, C surprised me with a "date night" and we went and saw Black Swan (this could be a totally different post ... that movie was CRAZY!) and we indulged in the butteriest of popcorn - so delish. I did feel the baby move during the movie ... it was at the very end. I felt like the baby was thinking the same thing as me - "That movie was intense!" and let me know that by tumbling around in my belly. When we got home and I got undressed, I caught a glance of myself in the mirror and realized I looked exactly the same as I did before I got pregnant. Ok - maybe not exactly the same, but I definitely lost some of my belly. C even commented - unprovoked - that I looked smaller. I heard about the "vanishing belly" before and thought, well it will be back in the morning.

I woke up this morning and I look flatter than last night. I hopped on the scale and I'm down over 2 lbs, bringing my total weight gain to only 4 lbs. Now hey - I'm not one to complain about losing weight, but I don't think this is the time it should be happening. I had to use my doppler this morning to make sure the baby is still in there and hasn't migrated to my ass or something. (because that thing is still big!) Sure enough baby is in there.

Now I've heard of women who start to slim down during pregnancy and actually look better after pregnancy than before. (C'c cousin is def one of those women. So I know this "myth" to be true) C joked with me that I could be one of these women and that maybe I'll look like a supermodel by the end of my pregnancy. Hmmm. It's a bit of a stretch and I don't at all think that will happen. I'm sure the belly and the weight will be back tomorrow, but wouldn't that be nice.

So here is a picture of what I anticipate looking like in 4 months ... I'm hot!

18 weeks

How Far Along: 18 weeks

Size of baby: 5.6 in, 6.7 oz - the size of a Sweet Potato.

The baby has become amazingly mobile, passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that I'll be able to feel those movements soon ... I hope REALLY soon!

Maternity Clothes: Half and half. I will tell you one thing. Wearing maternity clothes makes you look more pregnant than when wearing regular clothes. Two days ago I wore a maternity dress I got from M.otherhood and I had someone, who didn't know I was pregnant, say "You're expecting." It took me by surprise. Yesterday I was in maternity pants for work. Today I'm in my regular pants with a rubber band holding them closed. It varies on the day. No maternity shirts. I think I'll be able to get by with just wearing my regular shirts for awhile.

Weight Gain: I'm up around a total of 6-7 lbs. As per babycorner dot com, I'm right on track for my week. (they have a really cool pregnancy weight calculator)

Belly: coming soon.

Stretch Marks: None so far.

Sleep: Sleeping sucks right now. I'm up all hours of the night. I will eventually find a comfortable position.

Best Moment of the Week: Realizing that it's 2011 and that I will have a baby this year! And that I will be off of work for the whole summer. Baby of course is number one, but off from work is a VERY close second! :)

Movement: I just don't know. Sometimes I think I feel it, sometimes I have no idea. I just can't wait to feel it swirl and twirl all around.

Symptoms: Headaches are still here. Very thirsty too.

Food cravings: No more consistent cravings.

Gender: 8 more days!!!! I can't wait! I have to say though I think it's a boy. I just have this feeling. I will be shocked if it's a girl. But of course, either way I'll be happy. I just want to know.

What I Miss: Fitting into my regular clothes. It's a struggle these days on what to wear. I want to live in dresses so nothing is touching my belly.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Finding out the gender and being able to say hello to my son/daughter rather than my "it".

Weekly Wisdom: Drink tons and tons of water. I started to get round ligament pains last weekend and they were so bad I thought something was wrong, but they were only that bad because I was "dehydrated." Now I am making sure I drink over 80oz of water a day and I haven't had any since then.

Milestones: Being outed that I'm pregnant by my belly. I couldn't believe that someone noticed that I was pregnant and not just fat.

Emotions: I'm good these days. A little hissy fits here and there, but otherwise I'm good. I think the holidays and being sick really took a lot out of me and made me a crazy person for a bit, but I'm good now. Feeling happy. Excited for the future. It's about time!

MegaMillions

C and I aren't big lottery people. Sure I've scratched a few scratch offs and bought a few lottery tickets, but for the most part, we aren't that big into it. Well of course since last night's was $330 million I figured, what the hell. We both put in $10 each and got a bunch of tickets. We only chose one line of numbers and the rest were automated. We went to bed last night and I didn't think twice about it. When I woke up this morning, I jumped in the shower. While in there, I remembered about the MegaMillions and spent the time in there daydreaming about what I would do with the money.

And then it raised all these questions - Would I still work? Would we move? Who would we give money to? Do I buy my parents a new house? How much do I give to my nonprofit? And it got my mind onto this beautiful rollercoaster, going through the scenarios like they could actually happen. I imagined that C and I moved somewhere nice and warm. Buy a REAL house. On a big piece of property. I would quit my job for now - and focus on the baby. I would get to spend all the time I wanted home with baby. C would too. We would travel and give $ to our friends to travel. Bail our parents out of debt and set up retirement funds for them. I thought of all the worries and stresses from work and duties and how it would feel for them to be relieved. C and I do well in our careers, but it would be great to NEVER worry about money. I thought about how we could be nothing but happy, living the life people dream of.

I couldn't get out of the shower fast enough to see if we were changing our lives today. As I raced out of the bathroom and downstairs I thought of how I would wake up C by screaming and jumping on the bed "We Won! We Won!" I see the tickets on the coffee table and boot up my mac.book. I see the numbers and quickly start to scan our pickin's. The line we chose was a no go, but I have 19 more to look at. Sadly, as each line I passed, I start to realize that the dreams I had only a few moments ago aren't going to come true .... until I get to line 16 ... there it is ...
the powerball number. 42. We have it ... what does it mean? Anything? Well wouldn't you know it, we were winners this morning. We won $2. Granted it isn't enough for me to quit my job and move into a larger home, but at least I got to play make believe for a few minutes this morning and hey we at least recouped 10% of our money. Better than nothing I guess.