Finally the face...and belly...behind the blog! :) 

38 weeks + 4 days here! :) Saw some wildflowers in town by the old railroad tracks and had to take the opportunity to finally get a maternity photo!! :)

Pregnancy Week 23

This week went by so fast! It's no wonder why it is Tuesday and I'm finally getting around to writing last weeks blog. Sunday we went to Scott's sister's house for lunch. They live about an hour and a half away. We took a nice scenic route back (which tacked on an additional 30 mins). Oh well, it was nice. Anyways, I ordered a few things this week. That sweater from Target that I blogged about last week, two pairs of pants from Motherhood maternity. And my new prenatal vitamins from amazon. Today I received my pants, and I'm thrilled to say they are fabulous!

and

Here are the vitamins I ordered. I cant wait for them to get here!




 Anyways, On to this week's blog. :)

How far along? 23 weeks

Weight gain: +2 for the week, +5 for the pregnancy

Stretch marks: yes! They are definitely getting longer.

Maternity clothes: yes! new items on the way and beginning to fit into some that I already have.

Sleep: definitely have to get up a time or two more the pee throughout the night, and I am finally finding it harder to sleep on my back. I was concerned about this since I try to sleep on my side, but always end up on my back. My doula said not to worry too much about it. I will get uncomfortable when necessary. Other than that, sleep has been pretty good. My dreams are tapering off again, but I'm sure that will change soon.

Best moment: Realizing that Liam moves around like crazy when he hears his daddy talking. :) So cute!

Miss anything? Coffee!

Cravings: Food in general...haha, cucumbers too.

Anything make you queasy or sick? Not really

Gender: Boy

Movements: All the time, definitely in a pattern throughout the day, and especially when his daddy is around

Symptoms: tired, out of breath, sore lower back, peeing a lot, fetal movements :)

Mood: Fantastic!

Looking forward to: bringing my parents to see my midwife next week. Spring!!!

N.

Pregnancy Week 12

Today marks the end of my 12th week, and I feel like I actually have a little bump! I never would have known if it wasnt for a holiday dress up day at work. We were able to wear festive attire, and I tried on everything I could think of...Nothing fit very nice. I just felt fat. My normal clothes don't fit, and my maternity clothes are too big yet. I know most women go through this, but I guess I was just was surprised. Anyways, I settled on a red polo and green undershirt, and sure enough, my belly was more round than normal! :)

I had my midwife appointment on Wednesday. I had to turn in a 3day food diary and she basically told me I need to eat more! I laughed, first time I've ever thought about that!! She added that it should definitely be more protein and more veggies, but more food in general! Ha! We also heard little one's heart beat. It was just for a quick second, but it was most definitely there! I laughed because my friend Billie was crying, and then LO moved and we couldn't find it again. Oh well, that was definitely proof enough for me! Heart rate was at 130. Even more evidence that LO is a boy! :) My midwife also pulled out the Baby-Egg calendar. It was so neat to see the real size of my baby! Also the egg of your current week is the approx. size of your uterus! 



How far along? 12 weeks

Total weight gain: +2 pounds from PPweight

Maternity clothes: Just pants, but apparently I need to find something more... 

Stretch marks: nope

Sleep: pretty normal, only wake up once to pee, some random dreams, but mostly just normal

Best moment this week: Hearing baby's heartbeat!!!

Miss anything? coffee

Food cravings: nothing in particular

Anything make you queasy/sick? taking my vitamins. I've tried taking them at night, but then it keeps me up. I've added echinacea, zinc and vitamin C since I've been fighting a cold. And I always take them after I eat breakfast and before I leave for work...today was the closest I've come to throwing up my entire pregnancy.

Gender prediction: Boy!

Fetal movement: I thought maybe the other morning, but I doubt it.

Wedding ring: On

Symptoms: pretty light this week again. My breasts are sore again, but more so on the nipple and surrounding area than the sides.

Mood: Good

Looking forward to: moving in downstairs and finally decorating for the holidays!! Holiday baking! Wrapping gifts!



My next midwife appointment is Jan 2, and I'm trying to schedule a gender ultrasound the same day! Gosh I can't wait!!

Nikky

Pregnancy Week 11

We put up our Christmas Light outside of our house. Looks so nice! Old fashioned multicolored C9 lights! Now if only we could get inspected so we could start moving and decorating downstairs! This week I did get my fluff mail! And I love all the covers I bought. I can't wait to buy the prefolds and prep it all.

Took the intelligender test Sunday morning, swirled and waited...prediction was a BOY! :) Scott was happy, now we'll have to wait a few weeks til we can really find out. 

 


How far along? 11 Weeks

Total weight gain: the same--between 0-5lbs fluctuating.

Maternity Clothes: Just pants.

Stretch Marks: nope

Sleep: Getting better and better!

Best moment this week: getting my fluff mail!

Miss anything? coffee

Food cravings: Orange Juice! Peach and blueberry smoothies (made with oj, of course)

Anything make you queasy/sick? nothing in particular.

Gender prediction: if the Intelligender test was right, that would mean I have been right all along! :)

Wedding ring: On

Symptoms: pretty sparse, dizzy spells but I think it was from fighting off an illness.

Mood: Great!

Looking forward to: My midwife appointment next Wednesday when I'll hear the heartbeat! :)

Have a wonderfully festive day!!!
Nikky

Pregnancy Week 7

I'm not sure why I feel so excited to write this week's blog, maybe it's because I'm at 8 weeks + 1 day and each day I'm worrying less and less, or it could be the festive feeling I'm in. Anyways, I'm so excited today. I have off of work and have secretly started listening to Christmas Music! Shhhh! I cant believe I'm saying it, but it feels so good to do it! It put me in a cleaning and cooking mood this morning, which Scott can't complain much about... I'm currently listening to pandora radio and Johnny Mathis is singing "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" sigh, I love it! I think I'll have to make up my wish list soon! Anyways, onto week 7.

How far along? 7 weeks

Total weight gain: up 4lbs from my pp weight.--bloat?

Maternity clothes: bella band, and my trusty yoga capris

Stretch marks: nope

Sleep: getting weirder...I'm exhausted, but once I get into bed, I can't turn my brain off, once I do fall asleep, I dream all night long--I think this is why I'm tired all day long. People at work even say, "Wow, you look tired." gee thanks :) anyways, my dreams are just plain strange, I've never been much for dreaming, but now its a totally different story!

Best moment this week: my first midwife appointment! Everything went really well. The drive was long (1hr, 15mins) but nice to spend the time with Scott. I did blood work, and a urine test. Everything came back normal. My vitamin D was low, so I've been taking a supplement which will help with the pain in my joints. (they normally don't test for vit d, but when I mentioned how sometimes my body just hurts, she recommended this test b/c she had the same problem until she was tested and now takes a supplement. I really feel a difference thank goodness!)

Miss anything: Fitting into my jeans!! I feel so bloated all the time! Also, knowing what I want to eat and not changing my mind or getting nauseous over it!

Food Cravings: not much to be honest. Maybe soup.

Anything make you queasy? Pretty much anything and everything! Especially smells, and living with two men doesn't help the stink factor!

Gender prediction: boy

Wedding ring: On

Symptoms: Super smell sensitive! Nauseous over most things--I usually can distract myself with something else to let it pass. Weird and frequent dreams. Easily emotional.

Mood: Pretty good most of the time. Unless I just woke up. My patience to put up with people's crap is definitely thinner than normal.

Looking forward to: Thanksgiving! Just 2 weeks + 2 days away!! I've already started on my menu!

I would love to hear from some of you out there in Blogger land. Let me know what your blogs are so I can follow you too! Lots of Love and Festive Cheer!!
Nikky

Pregnancy week 6

Oh man! I'm so tired these days! I'm actually 7weeks + 3 days right now, but for some reason I thought I wanted to wait until my first midwife appointment before doing my week 6 blog. Does make much sense to me...oh well. In week 6 my symptoms lessened! My nausea is only immediately when I get up in the morning, and when I eat too much. My breasts are less swollen, and are far less painful! Hurray!!

Week 6

Total weight gain: -3 from last week, so 1 lb below my starting weight.

Maternity Clothes: still my trusty bellaband.

Stretch marks: nope

Sleep: decent, still getting up to use the bathroom 1-2 times a night, vivid dreams are beginning.

Best moment this week: when my boobs stopped hurting so much

Miss anything: alcohol. I didnt drink much before, but it was halloween  weekend, and it's hard not to go out for drinks all decked out in costume.

Food cravings: beef jerky, crab rangoons, mexican, pb bananna and honey on toasted gf bagel.

Anything make you queasy: smells!!! My nose is still in hyperdrive!

Gender Prediction: boy

Wedding ring: On

Symptoms: Hypersensitive nose, peeing all the time, periodically moody, tired.

Mood: pretty good, exhausted most days since I've been working again. I can be periodically moody, and quick to change my demeanor.

Looking forward to: telling you about my first midwife visit!

Pregnancy Week 5

This week was definitely eventful! Sunday we met our doula, Rachel. She is fantastic! Even Scott likes her! As we finished our meeting and we were walking away, first thing from Scott's mouth was "I like her!" I was awestruck. He doesn't ever, ever say that! So that is simply amazing!!
Then on Monday, Billie and I went to Appleton to meet my midwife! There are 2 midwives and 1 advanced student midwife in this practice. Andi and Anja are the midwives, and the student midwife is Julie. We met with Andi, and she is fantastic!! I love her whole aura if you will, she is calm and extremely knowledgeable. Sigh...I love my birth team! :) 

Anyways, I also started my new job this week. I can't say I'm really excited to see what this place has to offer, but I am excited for the health insurance and benefits that come with the job! 

Week 5 has been pretty uneventful as far as symptoms are concerned.

How far along: 5 weeks

Total weight gain: 2lbs

Maternity Clothes: just a bellaband with my jeans.

Stretch marks: no new ones

Sleep: once i fall asleep, its pretty good, then my normal 2am bathroom break, and strange dreams until my 5am bathroom break. Nap if i can around 3pm.

Best moment this week: meeting my birth team!!

Miss anything? my boobs not hurting... 

Food Cravings: crab rangoons!

Anything make you queasy/sick? smells

Gender Prediction: boy

Symptoms: I feel pretty great this week, a little nausea, but it is minimal. My nose is in hyperdrive, and my boobs are flippin huge and sore!!

Wedding ring: On, but tight most days--bloat? 

Mood: Happy to sarcastic most days, so nothing out of the ordinary. A little irritable--shorter fuse maybe.

Looking forward to: My first prenatal visit with my midwife in two weeks hopefully, and having our house finished--if the electrician ever gets here...

Pregnancy Week 4

Looking back on week 4...
This week felt pretty uneventful. My nausea subsided, and my boobs have grown (unfortunately) and are painful enough for me to wear a sports bra to bed--not an easy task for the 38DDD girls--, my mood was pretty good until later in the week where I became very irritable and cried over something I can't even remember. I still feel little twinges every now and again. My appetite seems to be either not hungry or ravenous. I am trying to eat smaller meals more often throughout the day. We'll see what happens when I start my new job. (They are finalizing my offer with the VP on Monday, so then hopefully I will be employed again by the end of next week!)

Baby is the size of a poppy seed!

New this week:
I've started a 30 min prenatal yoga routine that I complete in the early morning before I start my day.

How far along: 4 weeks

Total weight gain: 2 pounds

Maternity clothes: not yet

Stretch marks: no new ones

Sleep: good! Only waking to pee once during the night, and once early morning.

Best moment this week: getting my jack skellington cloth diaper!! <3 Fluff Mail!

Miss anything? Coffee and diet pepsi

Movement: none yet

Food Cravings: mexican!

Anything make you queasy/sick: eggs, many smells, anything tight on my pelvic region.

Gender Prediction: Boy

Symptoms: tender/swollen breasts!! nausea, dizzy, tired midday, little stretchy pangs in my uterus.

Wedding ring: On

Mood: irritable and emotional, especially later in the week


Looking forward to: Meeting a doula and midwife next week!

4+4, and my maternity clothing style

Today marks my 4weeks+4days pregnant. While this isn't a things to be jazzed about, I have a long haul ahead of me, and I'm excited and extremely grateful for every passing day! Anyways, my symptoms have gotten pretty light the past few days, and while I push any worrisome thoughts away, I focus on the fun things to come. Sunday I am meeting with a doula, and Monday I am visiting a midwife practice to interview and see the facilities. I am so jazzed! I have also been thinking about maternity clothing, which seems silly, I know. But when I start my new job, I will need black dress pants, and let me tell you, my last pair of black dress pants are at least a size too small from what I am currently, let alone pregnant. I know I wont get a noticeable bump for at least 16 weeks since I am overweight to begin with. My question is, do I buy dress pants in my current size or even a size up, and then eventually have to buy maternity pants anyways? The strongest argument is well, when you return to work you'll need them. Well, I do not plan on returning to work afterwards. I hopefully plan to start a small babysitting business by then so I can stay home with my little one. We'll see what life plans for our little family. :) Anyways, here are some fun maternity clothing options.*all photos/products found below are from www.oldnavy.com The outfit on the left hand side would be my work attire. Enjoy! ~Nikky