Week 37

Ok, so I've been a little slack this past 2 weeks. Look at how big my belly is this week! I've finally started being uncomfortable in the afternoons. I try to go to the pool in the evenings because it takes all the weight off my feet and back. My feet and hands hurt terribly all day. My hands feel like they have arthritis. The doctor said it was from the swelling and it was completely normal. I can no longer wear my wedding bands so I bought a cheap, silver band from the mall. I wonder how long I'll be swollen?
I'm going to the doctor weekly now. I've been checked twice and I haven't started dilating or thinning out yet. I secretly hope there will be some progress every time I go. I'd love for her to come early so I could have more time with her over the summer. She's due in three weeks and it feels like forever. I started packing my bag today. Thank goodness I asked everyone on FB what I should pack. I had so many responses and suggestions of things I didn't think about! Who would have thought of a lap top, boppy, magazines for the hubby and quarters for the vending machine!
The nursery if finished now. Sally covered the glider with the beautiful fabric that Tim picked out. It is so pretty and perfect! Thank you Sally!

Week 34

This was a low key week. I had a doctors appointment on Tuesday and I'm measuring with in the normal "34/35" week range. Next week I start going once a week and being checked vaginally. I guess that means we're getting closer. Yikes!
We had our beach maternity photos made. On Tuesday, we're finishing with some inside photos. I really want some black and white photos and we're going to try to do the white, silhouette photos. I am so happy with the pictures so far. I found Katie Mathews on facebook, of all places!
Poole sent me another fabulous box of clothes. Its taken me a couple of days, but I've finally begun to wash them. We really need to put another rack in the closet so I can sort all the clothes that are hanging. That's on the "to do" list. Well, we only have 5 more weeks "to do" whats left. I haven't packed my bag yet. I guess I'll work on that with in the next 2 weeks.

We picked out the final fabric for the glider. Sally and I narrowed it down to two: a neutral color with pink, green, blue polka dots with stripes and a pink, flower, twall pattern. We let Tim make the final decision and he chose the twall! We were so surprised. We thought for sure he'd choose the "less girlie" one. Sally is almost finished covering it. I can't wait to take a picture of it so everyone can see how pretty it is!
I'm so tired of having heartburn. I go through a bottle of tums every 1 1/2-2 weeks. In fact, I need to get another bottle today!

week 33

This has been a wonderful week. I had another ultra sound at Wilmington Fetal Maternal. Porter is 5.1 pounds now. She's in the "normal" range now instead of being big like she was a month ago. On Friday, I had my 3D ultra sound. It was amazing! She kept her arm in front of her face so it was hard to see her mouth. We tried for 45 minutes to get her to move it but she wasn't cooperating. Finally, on Saturday I had my family and friends shower. I am so grateful to have so many wonderful people who love me. I had friends and family come in from Fayetteville and Raleigh as well as Wilmington. I just want everyone to know how grateful and appreciative I am for their love and support. It was a beautiful shower and I just want to thank my teacher friends from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate all of you so much!
We are 6 weeks away from delivery..if she goes full term. School ends this week and I don't have any summer plans. I'm having a little bit of cramping but nothing that I think is a contraction. I am now going to the doctor every 2 weeks. This week I'm going to have her start checking me. I'm ready to deliver!

Sally finished the window treatments, crib ruffle and blanket. It all turned out so beautiful. Check out the starfish we hung on the curtains. Hillarie got me a beautiful piece of artwork with Porters initials as well as a crab mirror. They are both perfect for the nursery!! Thank you and love you Hillarie!!

week 32

Porter has hiccups at least once a day now. Its so cute! I had a doctors appointment on Thursday. She is head down now and was kicking out to the left side of my belly. By Sunday, she had moved further down and now I don't feel her kicking anywhere. I just feel her bottom and backside through my belly. I guess she's preparing to come out. Yikes!
I had 2 showers this week. My small group threw me a surprise shower Tuesday night and Ogden gave me a shower on Thursday. I have been so blessed by friends who have given me so much. I literally have 46 onsies..and more to come I'm sure! I even had to turn away some "freebies" from a colleague who just had her second daughter. It would be selfish if I accepted any more stuff...especially since Poole is sending me another box from Florida!
This is an exciting week for us. On Thursday, I have another ultra sound at Wilmington Fetal Maternal to check Porter's kidney. Friday, we have our 3D ultra sound at Wombs Window (I strategically saved money for it over the past few months since it is extra $$!). Not only do we get 3D photos, we also get a 10 minute video. I hope she cooperates so we can see her sweet little face. Saturday is another big day since I have my "family and friends" shower. So, its a busy week at the Nichol's house!

week 31

(Pic coming soon! My husband isn't home yet to take it)

The baby room is 99% finished. Helen bought me the most beautiful mermaid picture. Thank you Helen! I hung it between the changing table (aka wine rack) and glider. I'm not sure about the frames I hung beside it so I'll need a second opinion when all of you girl s see it!
Porter continued to have a lot of hiccups all week. I'm not sure what brings them on. She gets them at all times of the day and night. My book says its typical for babies in the womb to get hiccups from practicing their swallowing. That's just incredible to me.
Our birthing classes are over now. I feel like I knew most of the information the nurse was giving us. The most important thing I learned was about the different stages of labor. If I can make it to 7cm, then hopefully I won't have further to go before I push her out. I might be able to do it without an epidural. I can choose statol instead to ease the pain. It only lasts an hour, unlike the epidural. I really don't want to be numb from the waist down. I visualize my birthing experience being like an endurance race. In a distance race, you have to tell yourself to keep going, when all you want to do is stop. You have to keep racing through the pain, no matter what. I know it will be the most painful experience of my life but woman deliver naturally every day. Our bodies were made to give birth. Pray for me!

Week 30

I'm definitely feeling large and heavy this week (can you tell by the look on my face in the picture?). I have a pain in my left tailbone too. I'm sorry for complaining right off the bat! I have 10 more weeks to go and then I get to start shedding all this weight. I certainly hope its as easy as people are telling me....
Porter had hiccups 3 times this week. At first, I wasn't sure but they feel like light pulses. I could tell where her body is so I placed my hand around her. Her little body pulses every 1-2 seconds and it surely isn't a kick or punch. Tim was able to feel it too!
I had my first shower this week. My friends at Blair were so generous and thoughtful. I got so many gifts, books, clothes, sleepers, diapers, etc... I could have Porter right now and she'd have everything she needed. Thank you to all of my school friends who helped me feel so loved. You are appreciated!
The baby room is almost done. The mattress and night stand have both been bought. I found the nightstand at a little antique store downtown. Thanks goodness it was in my price range. Its white with clear pulls. I'm going to order starfish pulls to replace them. I'll post a pic after its finished. Sally is in Michigan making the crib ruffle, comforter, window treatments and throw pillow. She'll be back in town after labor day and hopefully she'll have time to cover the rocker/glider. By the way, I chose the fabric with little pink whales! Its so cute!

week 29

Surprise! I have my blog done on time!

We started birthing classes on Thursday. They run every week for the month of May. We learned about all the stages of labor as well as some breathing techniques. In fact, she turned off the lights and played soft music while we practiced. Tim and I got the giggles so bad I thought she would throw us out any minute! We couldn't stop laughing! It just felt so silly sitting there and both of us practicing our breathing. I learned that drinking raspberry tea can help lessen your contractions...whatever that means. I also learned that the hospital has birthing tubs and the husband can get in with you as long as he has a bathing suit. There's only 4 birthing balls so she recommended we bring our own. We got a bunch of handouts that showed laboring positions as well as a list of our "rights" and what to bring to the hospital.
For my birthday, Tim got me the blue crab I've been wanting from Crabby Chic. I've had my eye on it for a couple of years but just never budgeted money for it. I'm super excited to see it hang over Porter's book shelf. I have to keep it up high so she doesn't get a hold of it and break a leg off!
I have a doctors appointment and my first "school baby shower" this week. How exciting!

week 28

I had my glucose screening to check for gestational diabetes this week. Early Wednesday morning I had to drink 10 ounces of something orange that tasted like sugary orangeade. Twenty minutes later I felt a little nauseous but it soon passed. I haven't heard anything from the doctors so I'm assuming my blood work came back normal.
Thursday, we had another level 2 ultrasound to check Porter's kidneys. Four week ago, urine had collected in her left kidney and they wanted to make sure it was draining properly. The kidney measurements came back with in normal ranges so everything is fine. However, she measured to be 3 pounds and 6 oz....she was only a little over a pound 4 weeks ago! She's only supposed to be 2 1/2 pounds. She has gained 1/2 pound each week over the past month...she's a big girl! I can honestly say I felt HUGE last week and I was really hungry (more than usual). The doctor said she probably just went through a growth spurt and shouldn't continue to gain weight at that rate. I hope so!
The stroller and car seat came on Wednesday and I made Tim put it together that evening. I didn't realize how bulky those strollers are! Its like pushing a mini truck! Now I have this stroller and my jogger stroller (thanks to Lisa). Porter can't ride in the jogger until after 8 weeks. That should be about the time I can run again. I sure do miss running....I can't wait to start shedding all these extra pounds!

Week 27

Not much has changed this week. Have I mentioned yet how much I toss and turn at night? Since I can't sleep on my stomach, I have to alternate laying on my left and right side. I think I wake up at least a dozen times to roll over to the next side. If I lay on the left side too long, my shoulder and hip starts to hurt. If I lay on the right side too long, my ribs start aching. I can't win! I usually wake up tired the next morning and ready for an afternoon nap around 4:00..then the cycle starts all over. I'm not complaining though! I wouldn't change it for the world.
My dad and Sally bought my stroller and car seat combo. I am super excited about that! I registered for the Graco Travel System Flip It-Strata. It should be here some time by the end of the week. Thank you Dad and Sally!! I can't wait to put it together.
I picked out the fabric for the glider. Originally, I decided on a blue fabric with sand dollars. Sally told me I needed a thicker fabric if I wanted it to last for many years. So, I went to Mills Fabric Outlet for upholstery fabric and have narrowed it down to 2....off white with pink whales or off white with blue/green seahorses and star fish...its so hard to decided! I should know by the end of the week.
I love watching my stomach roll and jump. I can feel her move on both sides of my stomach at the same time! She's getting big at 2 1/2 pounds. I have two and a half more months to go and I wonder how much more my skin can stretch. I'm proud to say that I don't have any stretch marks or varicose veins yet!

Week 26

I finally got my picture up. Look how much bigger I've gotten this week (and this pic was taken in the morning!)

I'm officially 6 months!

I did have something new happen this week. I've started feeling her "rolling" around. I still feel kicks and punches but along with rolling and sliding. Its is by far the most amazing and bizarre feeling! Also, I mash on my stomach and feel big lumps which may be her back or butt. I find myself mashing on her all the time. Once, I felt a HUGE lump (leg, foot?) and it moved when I pushed on it! I can see my belly move too, which is crazy. I absolutely love having her in my belly. I don't understand (yet) woman who complain about being pregnant. Not only do I love it, it has been everything I imagined. I love making choices and living my life because of her. I don't think I ever want her to come out! My weight has leveled off and I'm up 32 pounds. I haven't gained much in the past few weeks. I still have 3 months to go and I'm guessing I'll be a 45pounder.

I received my 2 boxes of baby clothes from Poole in the mail this week. I've spent the weekend sorting and washing them. I could easily estimate the whole lot to be over 100 outfits (plus jackets, blankets, shoes, a wipe warmer, crib toy and about 5 cute bathing suits)! A lot of the dresses look just like something I'd wear! I posted a picture of all the clothes so you could a sense of how many outfits there were. Thank you Poole, you're the greatest!!

Week 25

So, we got the crib, book case and dresser all put together. I'm going to wait until we have the room complete before I post any pictures. Its really turning out to be beautiful. Helen found a beautiful mermaid picture that I'm going to put on a long wall between the rocker and wine-table-turned-into-a- cabinet piece that Tim had in his old beach house. It will compliment the other art perfectly. This picture will have red hair and the one we have has blond hair. It will be perfect! I used a gift card I had at Crabby Chic to buy 2 shabby chic picture frames. One is blue and the other is green. I found a third, white shabby chic frame at The Pavillion. I still have my eye on a blue paper mache crab at Crabby Chic to go over the book case. He's absolutely beautiful!
I had some great finds this weekend at a yard sale. I found 4 little shadow boxes with plastic flowers in them. Each was one color of pink, blue, yellow and green. I pulled the boxes apart, took out the flowers and glued in a seashell. I also found a lamp shade at the same yard sale. I'm going to hot glue bead trim around the bottom. I also found 4 wooden puzzles ( I LOVE wooden puzzles by the way) and a shopping cart carrier the baby sits in. I'd say that was $10 bucks very well spent! I finished registering at Target on Saturday. They didn't have any newborn/3-6 month gowns or sleep sacks, so mom and I went and checked out Once Upon a Child. We found sleep sacks, gowns and pajamas with feet. I also bought a cute, pink and green flamingo outfit. Each piece was between $3.50-$4.50. I can't believe all the wonderful consignment clothes you can find for babies at Once Upon a Child. Why pay full price when they will grow out of them in a couple of months? I know we'll buy new stuff along the way too but it makes sense to save money when we can. I still have a ton of clothes coming up from Poole in Florida and April. I won't need to buy anything else for a LONG time!

Week 23 and 24

Well, I'm 3 weeks away from entering into my third trimester. I have to say, this pregnancy is now flying by. We've finished painting Porter's room and it looks beautiful. This week I ordered the crib and dresser from Babies R Us. Other than a few more pictures, all we have left to buy is the nightstand and mattress. I've gotten the fabric samples for the glider. I'll have it narrowed down by the next posting. Porter had another Level 2 ultra sound this week. She is 1 pound and 9 nine ounces which is in the 67% percentile. She has a little bit of urine that has collected in her kidneys. The doctor wants me to come back in 4 weeks to make sure its draining properly. Other than that, everything looks great!
I've started getting heartburn this week. About an hour after I eat, my chest and throat start burning. I've eaten tums almost every night. I'm also not sleeping well at all. Just within the last 2 weeks I've finally been unable to lay on my stomach. This is a problem since I am a stomach sleeper. Not only do I use the bathroom every couple of hours, I pop awake randomly during the night. This past week I've noticed that my stomach is heavy when I lay on my back. I'm getting uncomfortable sitting and somehow I always roll over on my back during my sleep...which also wakes me up. So, I guess I'm entering into the stage where everything is starting to get uncomfortable. I know it will only get worse!
I'm up 28 pounds as of Tuesday...so I'm sure its 30 now by Saturday! The stool that I sit on to put on my make up broke completely. A few months ago, Tim had already broken one side of it. All the sudden, as I was putting on my eyeliner today, the whole thing snapped and I rolled out of the closet! I yelped and then laughed hysterically! Too bad no one was here to see it..it was REALLY funny!
I enjoyed my trip to Fl to see Poole and Tybee. She gave me a TON of clothes for Porter. I was able to bring some of them home in my suitcase but she has to mail the other 2 boxes. I can't believe how many outfits she gave me. I'll be sure to take a picture of all of it before I put it away. Thank you Poole!

Week 22

My husband said something really funny this week. Over dinner one night he turned to me and said, " So what do you plan on doing all day while you're home with the baby?" I slowly looked up at him with a very puzzled look on my face..."Every mother in America would pop you for saying that!", I responded. In a very serious tone, he replied "I just thought it would be a good time for you to do some projects around the house like paint the furniture in the guest room." I just had to laugh hysterically. I explained that his mother and I just recently had the conversation about how being a stay-at-home mother is not like playing house! I get the feeling that this is a huge misconception among men...paint the furniture..yeah right!!
I bought a bikini to wear for the remainder of the pregnancy. I decided the few I was trying to squeeze into just weren't that comfortable. I chose a black Mossimo bikini from Target. I figured black was slenderizing:) The bottoms are an XL...perfect for my XL tush! I laid out today and got a nice little burn. You can see how red my belly is. I'm sure Porter enjoyed being in the sun as much as I did. My friend's husband husband isn't happy about her laying out all summer. He found something on the Internet that linked learning disabilities to mommies who laid in the sun. I hope that isn't true because my only plan this summer is to read on the beach!

Week 21

Tim finally felt the baby kick! It happened twice this week. I was so excited for him. I think he thought it was a little strange. He still can't wrap his mind around the fact that a human is inside of me! We got the primer finished on the baby room. Next week, hopefully, we'll finish painting the color and begin setting up the furniture. Speaking of furniture, I found a awesome deal on a glider/rocker. I went to MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) consignment sale on Saturday and found it for $50. They are regularly $170ish. All I have to do is change the fabric. The previous owner reupholstered it and it looks crappy up close. If Sally is reading this, maybe she knows someone who can do it:) I'm not sure what fabric to choose for the chair. I could use the same pink/polka dotted fabric we're using for the crib set and window treatments...or choose a more gender neutral fabric in case baby #2 is a boy. Oh, I bought Porter her first hair bow. I also bought a hair bow holder that hangs on the wall. Of course, both are pink!

Week 20

Well, I'm at the half way point now! Not too much happened this week. I had my check up appointment and got to listen to her heartbeat. That's always my favorite next to the ultrasound. I've gained roughly 22 pounds. I don't think that's too bad and the nurse wasn't concerned. The weather is turning nicer this week so I intend to walk the loop after work. I walked today in 64 degree weather and it was wonderful. I had a couple of "firsts" this week. On Tuesday, while shopping in Dragonfly's (my new favorite store after Crabby Chic!), I had a full bladder and Porter started kicking it. That was a very strange feeling. I went from "full bladder" to "intense need to pee" and that cycle continued to repeat itself until I made it to bathroom. I also think I felt a "squirm" or "roll" a couple of days this week but its still hard to tell. Unlike her kicking, there's no mistaking that! I started priming the baby room today. I was by myself while Tim was moving a boat. I almost got finished with one wall and something made me look at the paint can. I was shocked to see it say..."and contains a chemical that causes birth defects". I threw my roller down and walked outside. No more priming for me. A twinge of guilt came over me for not considering reading the can first. I'm sure I didn't inhale too many fumes since I wasn't in there very long. I guess someone else will have to finish painting!

Week 19

I started a new prescription prenatal vitamin. I didn't realize that I had the option to ask for them until Poole insisted I call my doctor immediately. Evidently, unlike over the counter vitamins, they contain DHA for brain development. No one told me! So, the first night I took one around 5:00pm. With in one hour I turned green and lost my dinner. I've discovered that I'm safe if I take it right before I lay my head down for the night. Once, I forgot and woke up around 3:00am. I decided to take one but by 5:00am I was heaving in the bathroom. So, needless to say, they are REALLY strong. Speaking of 3:00am "wake ups", I am up at least 2 times a night to pee. A few nights this week I couldn't go back to sleep so I just laid awake for an hour. That certainly isn't fun when I have to get up at 5:30am. This was the first week that I felt pressure on my bladder which constantly made me feel like I had to pee. In fact, all day Sunday, all of my insides just simply felt weird. I didn't feel her kick all night or day, which is unusual. I figured she was facing towards the inside of my belly with her back towards my belly button. All day, my insides felt crampy and strange. I guess she was kicking all of my organs!
We cleared out my office and master bedroom. The extra furniture is in the garage and the desk is in our bedroom. The orange room is now taped off and ready to be primed. We bought all the paint at Lowe's today and had intended to start. However, after rearranging and moving furniture, we didn't feel like we had time to get 2 good coats on the wall. So, its now taped off and ready to be primed next Sunday.
I went to JoAnns Fabrics and chose 7 samples of pink fabrics. Sally is making our crib set and window treatments. We narrowed it down to 2 fabrics..one is light pink with white polka dots and the other is hot pink with a swirly pattern. I'm really leaning towards the polka dotted one but we'll see after the room is painted. I put the fabrics in the picture and hopefully you can see them. In the background, you can see the orange room taped off and ready to be painted. The mermaid lamp is in the picture but its hard to see. I'm going to change the shade to which ever fabric we choose for the room. So, that's about it. Oh, I found a photographer who does prego pics and newborn pics! She has a double package deal and her pics are beautiful . I can't wait to show all of you!

Week 18

Not too much happened this week. I think I grew a little. I had some cramping earlier in the week which is attributed to the ligaments around the uterus being stretched. I felt her kicking and/or punching again this week. Its the same "thumping" as last week. First I felt it on the right side and then she moved to my lower abdomen. Its still too faint for Tim to feel. Hopefully he will in the next few weeks.
We've cleaned out my office now and are ready to paint. Next weekend we'll tape the baseboards and paint the primer. We're going to take our time and stretch it out over a few Sundays. There really is no hurry except we're excited to get the nursery all set up. I've chosen a pale yellow called "Belgian Waffle". It looks very "beach cottage". It goes with the mermaid artwork perfectly. I also found a mermaid lamp, a beautiful sea blue picture frame and some starfish at The Pavilion and a white book shelf at a furniture outlet off Market Street. I'm slowly piecing together the decor each time we get paid so it doesn't end up costing a fortune all at once. I've found the furniture I want from Babies R Us. I've found a crib, dresser/changing table combo, dresser and glider but we're going to wait a little longer before we order them. We have to take baby steps because it can be very expensive!
I'm posting a picture of the first bathing suit that Porter will wear. It also has a matching hat. The picture doesn't do it justice because it is the tiniest article of clothing I've ever seen! It only goes up to 13 pounds and she may only get 1 wear out of it (depending on what she weighs). That's ok, I only need to get 1 picture and I'll be happy:)

Week 17

This week was by far the scariest and most joyful week of my pregnancy. It started Monday when my nurse practitioner called to tell me I screened positive for being at risk for Downs Syndrome. She wanted me to schedule a genetic ultrasound and genetic counseling with Wilmington Fetal Maternal. I got off the phone and immediately called Lewis and Poole. I was on the verge of panicking and needed them to be my reality. Both of them were encouraging and sure that it was a false positive. I felt much better, until I got home. When I saw Tim, I just burst into tears. I felt like all of my joy had been sucked out. He was so wonderful to me. He was very positive and sure that everything was ok. We both believe in God and His will. He gave us this child and no matter how it turned out, we would love it. I prayed alot over the next few days. Not prayers for a healthy baby but prayers of strength. I emailed my friends and asked them to pray for my family also. Everyone was so supportive and they told me stories of other women who tested positive. No one had ever told me this! I really felt like I was the only woman in the world this had happened to.
I was able to get the appointment for Friday. Originally, they weren't going to be able to get me in for 2 weeks. I don't think I would have made it that long. It just sent me into a tail spin of "what if's". At the ultra sound, they measured different parts of the baby. They looked at the bladder, kidney, spine, brain, femur, arm, heart, etc. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. After, we met with the genetic counselor and she told us more in detail about the testing. Basically, they draw your blood at week 11 and week 16. They measure the levels of 5 hormones. They should be below 1.0. Two of mine came back around 1.6. They took a statistical formula that combined this and my age. The result screened me positive for Downs but negative for spina bifida and trisomy 18. The genetic ultrasound measured parts of the baby to see if the size looked like a normal baby or more like a Downs baby. I am happy to say that they do not think I am at risk! The baby looks healthy and normal. There's only a .05% chance that my baby has Downs. I'll take those odds! I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Prayer is so powerful!
So, the sonographer told us we were having a girl! We were just so excited! Tim now feels like its real. We've named her Porter Celeste. Celeste is my middle name and I saw the name Porter on facebook. I fell in love with it. We are decorating her nursery with mermaids. For Valentine's Day, we decided to buy a piece of art work and a little rug for her nursery. Both are beautiful mermaids!
I haven't gained any weight this week. I'm eating more fruits and veggies..just like the doctor ordered.
I started feeling some movement this week. The only way I can describe it is like a "thumping" or "spasm". Its definitely not gas, like I originally thought. Her little fists or feet are lightly bumping me and I love it. I have to be really still to feel it. Tim won't be able to feel it for another 2-3 weeks. I can't wait until he feels her kicking!!
Oh, and it snowed this week. I'm attaching a picture of our pregnant-snow-beach-bunny. My father law requested in and I just had to make one!

****I am laughing in my photo because my husband said, "Lift your chin so everyone doesn't see your rolls!"

Week 16

I finally feel completely normal again. I'm not nauseous or overly tired. I'm still eating like a horse but other than that, I feel great. The baby is now a size of an avocado. Toenails and fingernails have formed too. On Thursday, I had 2 doctor appointments. First, I gave blood at Wilmington Fetal Maternal. This test was part my first trimester screening. Next, I went to my regular OBGYN. I was hoping for an ultrasound but had to settle for the listening to the heart beat on the doppler. It was strong and loud. I couldn't stop smiling:) Its such a sweet sound to hear. I'm up 19 pounds now....my nurse told me I need to start eating more fruits and vegetables! I've gained 7 pounds in 1 month. Evidently, that's a little much. Oh well, I've craved carbs for so long now. The weeks I was sick, 9-14, I had to eat whatever I could keep down....pop-tarts, pizza, swiss cake rolls, oatmeal cream pies. Nope, no veggies or fruits. I didn't want them! I'm happy to say that now I can stomach salad, strawberries, pineapple, corn, etc. I'm going to make more of an effort to eat better, especially since I'm not exercising. Oh, We scheduled our next ultrasound for March 1st. This will be when we find out the sex. Yay!

Week 15

This week has been the best so far. I finally felt normal. The sickness has stopped and my energy has returned. I went to bed by 9:30-10:00 instead of 7:00. I ate normally all week without that feeling of indecisiveness and constant hunger. I think I've reached that milestone when you get into the second trimester. It feels great.
I still don't feel any movement with the baby. I'm hoping it will happen with in the next few weeks. I've felt a little cramping and some strange pains. I'm getting blood drawn on Thursday and hopefully they'll schedule my next ultra sound. Then we can find out the sex of the baby!
The most exciting thing that happened this week was finding a ton of maternity clothes on craigslist. I found a young mother of two who wore the same size as me. All of the clothes were from Motherhood and in great condition. All she wanted was $50 for the entire tub. When I got home I counted 20 shirts, 3 pair of pants, 1 skirt, 1 pair of shorts, 1 pajama set, 1 robe, 1 shirt/pant set. I loved almost everything. 4 of the shirts aren't my style so I'll either give them away or sell them consignment. I cleaned out all the clothes I can't wear anymore. Just for fun, I tried on my jeans and couldn't pull them up past my thighs! I don't mind though. I'm completely at peace with my weight gain....I still didn't exercise this week. Oh well. Maybe I'll blame the weather..it has been really cold!

Week 14

This week reminded me of week 9 when I first started feeling sick. I was sick almost everyday. Also, I just couldn't stop eating. Not only was I hungry all of the time, I couldn't figure out what I wanted to eat. The evenings were tough again this week. So much for starting my 2nd trimester feeling better! I don't have any strange cravings. I did eat some weird things though. Its so hard for me to figure out what I want for dinner. Nothing is appetizing to me. One day I ate a can of refried beans with sour cream. Another day I ate an entire, large can of baked beans. I paid for that one, if you know what I mean:) Twice this week I ate salt and vinegar potato chips and lot of pickles (another prego cliche!). I guess I've craved salty foods this week. I'm still sleeping a lot and not really exercising. I ran/walked the loop last weekend and it was tiring. My chiropractor advised me not to run at all due to the extra weight I'm carrying. My knee is still healing and its just not good for it. So, I did nothing! Speaking of weight, according to my scales I'm up 14 pounds now. My regular pants are really getting tight. I think I only have a few more weeks in my work pants and I'll have to buy some. Tim started clearing out the garage today and throwing things away. We can finally walk in it! (I'm sure dad doesn't want to hear that:) Next weekend I'm going to start sorting through my "teacher" stuff that sitting on 3 shelves. Or, I hope I do!
Oh, and I went to the movies with Kristi and Kara. Kristi was able to use the "pregnancy" card two times. She got me a ticket when the movie was sold out and she got us 3 good seats in the theatre by telling people to move over because her pregnant friend needed a seat. I love it!

Week 13

Last Sunday, I started off this week feeling sick again. I only got sick 2 times this week and of course it was in the evening. I'm still having some cramping but overall it was a good week. I'm bummed I don't have another ultra sound for 4 more weeks. Seeing the baby is the best part of this! I ordered my first pair of maternity jeans from Old Navy. I love the way they fit (any girl who loves jeans knows how exciting it is to get a new pair). The maternity roll top panel is a little bit to0 big on my waist now so I have to roll it down. I went to a high end maternity/baby boutique in the Forum called Peanut Butter and Jelly/Belly. I tried on a pair of Citizens for Humanity maternity jeans and it was like stepping in to heaven. The material was soft and fit perfect on my ever growing tush. However, they were $176.00. I just can't justify spending that kind of money on a pair of jeans I'll only wear for 6 months. I'm certain that Tim would be very disappointed if I bought them as well. So, I ordered the Old Navy jeans and they are just perfect too. We're starting to plan out how to begin making the baby's room. Theres so much to do before we can even paint. We have to move a bunch of furniture out of my office and bedroom, into the garage. First the garage needs to be cleaned out and that's going to be a huge task! I've been looking on craigslist for cribs too and I haven't found the perfect one yet. We still have plenty of time for that anyway. I'm excited about going into the 14th week. I think I like the even weeks better than the odd weeks....weird, I know!

Week 12

I returned to work this week and was expecting it to be exhausting. I actually felt great this week and was only sick a couple of times at night. Both times I let myself get too hungry because it was late and I didn't feel like eating. I should know by now not to get to that point but sometimes I'm just ready for bed and I don't feel like eating another bowl of cereal. Another change I noticed this week was an increase in cramping. The book I'm reading told me the baby grows 30 times its size between week 11 and 13. This is probably why I'm cramping so much. Isn't that incredible? Its now about 2 inches long and the fingerprints have developed. The intestines have descended down the umbilical chord and are settling in abdomen. I also felt like I "popped" out this week. I have a tiny baby bump under my clothes now and I love it! My face is also rounding out. I had a doctor appointment on Thursday at Cape Fear OBGYN. The nurse practitioner examined me and said everything looked great. We heard the heartbeat on the doppler too. I never get tired of hear that! As of this week, I have officially put on 11 pounds. This is the last week of the first trimester and I am right on schedule with my weight gain. Last week I said I was going to try and work out 3 days...well, that just didn't happen. I'm just so tired after work and not motivated. Not to mention, its been 40 degrees all week! Who wants to change and go back out in that kind of cold weather? Not me! Our next ultra sound is in 4 weeks and I think they will try to tell us the sex of the baby. I can't wait!!

Week 11

I have felt so much better this week. I only got sick once in the morning on Monday. I exercised more this week than any other week too. I've been out of school for Christmas vacation so its been easy to take cat naps and rest when I've needed too. I'm anticipating an exhausting week when I return to school on January 4th. I'm going to try my hardest to go to the gym atleast 3 days this week. On Thursday, December 31st, we had another ultra sound. This was a screening for nuchal translucency. They told me it was a regular screening for all patients at 11 weeks. Basically, the screening is for birth defects such as down syndrome. First the nurse tried to find the baby using the ultra sound on my stomach. She couldn't find it and decided to try the wand. When she walked out of the room and I started to cry. Panic and fear overwhelmed me thinking that something was wrong. I don't feel anything this early in the pregnancy so sometimes its hard to believe something is growing inside of me. Tim reassured me that everything was fine as the nurse walked back in. Then I saw the baby on the screen. Now he/she has a full body, two arms and two legs but is only 4cm long. He/she was jumping and bouncing all around but I can't feel anything! It was amazing. All the sudden, the baby turned and looked at us and waved. So now we know that at least one hand has five fingers! (see the top ultras sound pic) I asked the nurse if she could tell the baby's sex. She said she had a really good guess but not to go out and buy all the baby colors just yet. She told us what she thought and we were thrilled!! I'm going to wait to post the true sex until we find out for sure.
Maybe I feel so much better this week because I ate McDonald's and Taco Bell! I never eat fast food during the week but it was just so good! I bought my first pint of ice cream too....I know that's so cliche but there is some truth to how good it tastes when you're prego:)