23 Weeks!!

How far along? 23 weeks! Yeah!! One more week until I hit my goal, I'm so happy. (Which is 24 weeks, and my next goal is 30 weeks, then 34 weeks, then 37 weeks.)

Total weight gain/loss: I will find out for sure at my appointment on Friday.

Sleep: Pretty good. It's hard laying on my left side all the time because my legs start to get sore. But it's best for baby, so it's okay with me! All it takes for the soreness to go away is for me to roll over to the other side.

Food cravings: Fruit! Cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, yum!

Best moment this week: Spending some quality time with my baby girl on Saturday. It was great! I've really started to try to interact with her more, and it seems like it keeps the worries/anxieties at bay.

Movement: Definitely! Her kicks are getting higher and higher in my belly. I want to get it on video soon, you can see the movement so clearly.

Labor Signs: NO! I don't even want to think about this until 37 weeks... (this answer is going to remain the same until 37 weeks, lol!)

Gender: A princess!

Stretchies: Still none, I've been slathering on body oil and creams to the point that my shirts stick to my belly.

Belly Button in or out? The top of my belly button has started to poke out a bit, I'm sure it'll all pop out soon.

What I miss: Not a thing! Matter of fact, I was able to button two pairs of my regular jeans over the weekend! It was awesome, I tried them on again today and they still fit, I guess my belly has move up just enough for me to zip and button them. Feels great!

What I am looking forward to: Getting her room ready, my baby shower, and hitting 24 weeks!

Symptoms: Nothing major to report this week.

Milestones: Per my "What To Expect When You're Expecting" book, I've entered my 6th month!!

Weekly wisdom: Interact with you baby during pregnancy, it helps make things feel more real.

Emotions: A lot better. I made it through the emotional storm I was in, and now my focus is on getting ready to meet my baby girl.

22 weeks 4 days

Just a quick post of some pictures that I took today. Bunny and I had a great day. We read, watched TV, ate a whole pack of cinnamon graham crackers, and went shopping! I started to crochet a blanket for her, hopefully it'll be done in time. We went to JoAnn's so I could pick up some more yarn. Oh, we also went to the movies. My husband and I love going to matinee showings, it was so much cheaper and we even upgraded to premium seating and still saved money. Woo-hoo for budgets! LOL!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Family Bonding

There is nothing better than quiet afternoons spent laying in bed with my hands on my belly, bonding with my baby girl. Talking to her, singing to her, feeling her kick and tumble... It brings tears to my eyes.

Thank goodness for tomorrow, I plan on having a lazy Saturday. I may take a trek to the bookstore and purchase a few children's books so I can lounge on the couch and read stories to my sweetie pie.

After a careful scrutiny of my feelings and emotions, I came to the realization that this pregnancy still is not 100% real to me. And by that I mean, it seems too good to be true at times. Life isn't meant to be lived waiting for the other shoe to drop, it's meant to be LIVED. And that's what I plan to do. Starting with embracing my belly, and the little person that resides inside. She IS real, she IS alive, and she IS my daughter. Planning and preparing for her arrival won't jinx that.

The author of one of the blogs that I follow recently gave birth to a healthy baby boy. She spent her ENTIRE pregnancy living in fear that something was wrong. From the moment she found out she was pregnant, she feared for the worst. And it became obvious that she was not enjoying this special time. It really opened up my eyes. This should be a moment that is both enjoyed and celebrated. A new life is underway. And I'm so grateful.

I pat, rub, and caress my belly everyday. I want her to know that I'm here, that I care, and that she's safe.

Worry, worry, worry...

It all started on April 17, 2010. The day that my First Response pregnancy test came back positive. That day will go down in history, and is often played like a movie in my head. There was no way that my mind thought that pregnancy test would be positive, but there it was, with the faintest of a second line telling me that there was indeed something growing in my belly.

What a wonderful day!

Since that day, everything worries me. When my doctor requested to monitor my beta levels, the worry came. "What if they don't double? What if they're too low? What if it was a chemical pregnancy?" All of those thoughts ran through my head. When my beta levels didn't quite double and my doctor called in an early ultrasound for me, the worry set in again. But low and behold, everything was fine.

Remember the minor freak out that commenced before my 11 week appointment? Every muscle in my body was tense because the worry of wondering whether or not the heartbeat would be detected was freaking me out. But low and behold, everything was fine.

And then the Doppler was purchased. My mind was put to ease as that little "lub-lub-lub" sound was so easily heard. All of that worrying, and my baby was still safe and sound.

Fast forward to the AFP testing (which tests for Down Syndrome and Spina Bifida)... more worries, more freak outs, negative results, all was fine. And it was confirmed that Bunny was okay during the 18 week Fetal Anomaly Survey.

My heart is so involved in this pregnancy, that at times worry can't be evaded. I love Bunny more than I could have ever imagined. My nights are spent dreaming about her, my days are spent enjoying her move around in my belly and getting things ready for her. The thought of something happening to her makes me feel like my heart was ripped out of my chest. Which brings on my most recent worry: Prematurity.

The internet can be both a gift and a curse. I know too much about prematurity and micro-preemies, NICU's, nasal cannula's, feeding tubes, heart defects, eyesight problems, etc. In the days that I was researching everything (after a friend of mine gave birth to her daughter at just 23 weeks, and yes she did survive and is 7 years old today), I felt empowered. I knew what to expect. But now I feel overwhelmed with fear at times. It creeps into my mind and heart like a thief in the night. One minute I'm fine, daydreaming about kissing a full term chubby cheeked baby, and the next I'm freaking out and concerned that I'm going to go into early labor.

The reason behind this post is just to get all of my feelings and concerns out, and remind myself that a worry over a certain issue does not mean that the issue will become a reality. And I honestly think it's a part of motherhood. I'm concerned about my baby's well being, and I try to think that it's a good sign. Her needs already supersede my own. I'm changing. I'm becoming a Mom, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.

All I know is that I pray for my sweet baby girl every single day. I want her to be safe, and healthy, and to know that she is loved. After all, she is my dream come true.

22 Weeks!!!!!

How far along? 22 weeks!! Only two more weeks until I get to cross off another milestone! (Which is 24 weeks, and my next goal is 30 weeks, then 34 weeks, then 37 weeks.)

Total weight gain/loss: Still up. People still can't believe that I'm nearly 6 months pregnant though...

Sleep: A little better, still having wacky dreams, but I guess it's just a part of pregnancy.

Food cravings: Oddly enough, coffee. I'm not a coffee drinker at all, but it's been sounding SOOO tasty! I haven't indulged this craving yet though.

Best moment this week: The look on my husbands face when he saw my belly move. And planning my baby shower. I can't wait!

Movement: TONS! This week she was REALLY active, her kicks are getting harder.

Labor Signs: NO! I don't even want to think about this until 37 weeks... (this answer is going to remain the same until 37 weeks, lol!)

Gender: She's a princess! Truly, half of my closet space is gone already because of her. :-)

Stretchies: Not yet... please stay away!!

Belly Button in or out? Still flat, all the pregnancy books say it may pop soon.

What I miss: Being able to eat without getting indigestion. But it's not too bad.

What I am looking forward to: Hitting my next goal, 24 weeks. Only 2 weeks away!!

Symptoms: Indigestion, hunger, weepy, tired, and easily irritable.

Milestones: Just making it another week, I'm so thankful for each week that passes.

Weekly wisdom: It is not a good idea to eat a whole bag of candy before bedtime, the baby gets a sugar rush and will keep you up all night.

Emotions: Still weepy. Happy things make me cry, sad things make me cry, I just turned into a huge cry baby. But it's so worth it!

Belly pic to come!

My husband

My husband has been amazing throughout this whole pregnancy. He is so supportive, and understanding, and he deals with my hormones. :-) I feel so fortunate to have him in my life, and so glad that we are having our first child together.

When we first went out and bought baby books, I bought them thinking that I'd be the only one reading them, I was so wrong! Lately I've had horrible indigestion, and I mean HORRIBLE! One night after laying in bed and complaining, my husband said to me, "I know you're in pain, but it's completely normal, I read in the book that it starts to act up right about now." How cute is that? (Well, maybe it's just cute to me.) The fact that he's interested in what changes I'm going through really warms my heart. And the fact that he doesn't look at me like I'm crazy after I wake him up in the middle of the night angry with him because he cheated on me in my dream, shows me just how patient he can be. LOL!

All in all, I couldn't have picked a better man. He's amazing, and I'm so glad he's mine!

My, how you've grown!

Today at work I realized that I'm wearing the same dress that I wore earlier in my pregnancy. I decided to take photos to see if I could notice a difference....

Here's a look at me and Bunny at 15 weeks 1 day pregnant:

And this is me today, at 21 weeks 2 days. What a difference 6 weeks makes!!!
And again...



WOW! I really look pregnant! LOL! It looks like "my girls" are getting bigger too! I've been feeling pretty good, it's still so hard for me to believe that I'm over halfway through this pregnancy. I'm curious to see what I will look like 6 weeks from now....

The Attack of the Pregnancy Hormones!!!!

Guess who had their first major pregnancy meltdown last night??????










Still guessing? Okay, I'll tell ya......

IT WAS ME!!! LOL!

It seemed as though all was well during the first part of my pregnancy, my moods were good, I felt good, everything was good. But lately there's been a change, and boy oh boy do I feel bad for my husband.

This will probably seem silly to everyone, but my freak out was caused by my weight gain (which is barely existent). All of a sudden, out of nowhere, I got this overwhelming feeling that I was going to be as big as a house at the end of my pregnancy and that my husband wouldn't like me anymore. I started bawling, I mean, BAWLING!! My contact fell out, my nose was running, face was flushed, it was a mess. Then I got the hiccups. At first my husband was laughing, because he thought I was joking, but when I turned to face him he saw that tears flowing and I wasn't laughing with him. He looked absolutely shocked. Not only did my breakdown come out of no where, but it was also completely unwarranted. I'm not even back at my pre-pregnancy weight yet. But the hormones were doing the thinking, not me. LOL!

I'm sure that was just the first of many more to come...

21 Weeks!!!!

How far along? 21 weeks! One week closer to my goal! (Which is 24 weeks, and my next goal is 30 weeks, then 34 weeks, then 37 weeks.)

Total weight gain/loss: I think I'm still up a pound. I need to make a Dr. appt so I can get an actual count.

Sleep: Not so good. I'm having a hard time staying on my sides and my poor husband freaks out when he wakes up and finds me sleeping on my back (can you tell he's reading the pregnancy books?). Also, my dreams are getting out of control, I actually woke up in tears last night. And they always involve something happening to my husband, freaks me out!

Food cravings: Sweets. I knew this day would come, I'm trying not to indulge too much, I don't want to gain weight rapidly.

Best moment this week: Watching my belly move while I was at the bank. I was sitting down and Bunny was just kicking away. It was awesome!

Movement: More often than not, she's a mover and a shaker!

Labor Signs: NO! I don't even want to think about this until 37 weeks... (this answer is going to remain the same until 37 weeks, lol!)

Gender: Still on team PINK!!

Stretchies: None related to pregnancy. I debated about adding this one, but I think I'd like to be able to look back and see when my pregnancy stretch marks appear.

Belly Button in or out? It's completely flat now. Poor thing, it's being stretched to the max!

What I miss: Nothing this week. It's been a great week!

What I am looking forward to: Hitting my next goal, 24 weeks. Only 3 weeks away!!

Symptoms: Heartburn, fatigue, increased appetite, round ligament pain. I've also noticed that Bunny likes to curl up on one side, and boy it hurts. I try to coax her out of the spot by rubbing gently, sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't...

Milestones: Getting closer to 24 weeks. And getting a real bump, I love it!

Weekly wisdom: Go for a walk, it really does help with aches and pains. I'm trying to take one every night after dinner, and it's a great workout.

Emotions: Good for the most part. I get really emotional thinking about Bunny sometimes. Especially now that her little clothes are hanging up, I just want her to get here safely.

Well HELLLOOOO hunger!

I think 20 weeks brought on my insatiable appetite. It seems like I'm always starving. I even woke up in the middle of the night to snack, which NEVER happened before! LOL! And, I'm starting to feel "pregnant". Bunny kicks are harder than ever, to the point that my stomach was actually sore from her thrashing about. And my back is starting to hurt more, sleep is harder, clothes fit differently, etc. But guess what.... I LOVE IT!!

My husband and I were out of town this weekend, we went to Toledo, Ohio. While we were there, I decided to take some belly pics. Enjoy!



My husband actually took a pic with me this week! How awesome is that? He's laughing because I was telling him how hungry I was, even though we had just ate. Needless to say, we went back out for more food. LOL!

Please excuse the goofy grin on my face, my husband was dancing around in the background.

I definitely have a baby bump!!

I still can't fathom that my belly is going to get even bigger! At times it feels so huge, I can't wait to see what I look like at 9 months!

I'll be 21 weeks tomorrow! Only 3 more weeks until VIABILITY!!! WOO-HOO! I can't wait for that day. I hope everyone is doing well!

Have a great Monday! :-)