Monday, February 26, 2007

15 Weeks!

Today is 15 weeks and I'm still feeling pretty good! I have a couple of headaches off and on and have to make sure I get the appropriate amount of fiber or I'm in trouble (if you know what I mean :). It's funny because I said in my last post that my "tenderness" has gone away, but it seems to show up now and then throughout the day. Also my sleep is a little strange. I normally sleep on my side and flip throughout the night. I still do this, but it's weird because when I do flip, the side I was sleeping on is sore and tingly! I bought a mattress pad to help, and it seems to a little, but not completely. Not sure why this is, but hopefully it will not continue forever. Also, my lovely pregnancy acne is in full swing! That is DEFINETELY my favorite symptom....ahhh!!!

I decided to post 2 belly pics for 15 weeks-one with clothes, one without ;)


(Keep in mind that this is at 7pm after a full day of eating, so some of it may be bloating)

Here is what babycenter has to say:
"
How your baby's growing: At around 4 inches long, crown to rump, your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 ounces. He's busy inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, which will help develop the air sacs in his lungs. His legs are growing longer than his arms now, and he can move all his joints and limbs. That means his hands are more functional, too. Sweat glands are appearing, and although his eyelids are fused shut, he can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, he's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but his taste buds are beginning to form. And if you have an ultrasound, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or girl! (Don't be disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down the sex depends somewhat on how clear the picture is and the position of your baby during the ultrasound; he may be curled or turned in such a way as to keep you in suspense.)

How your life's changing:

You've probably gained about 5 pounds by now. If it's a little more or less, don't worry too much. Every woman gains weight at a different rate. While you're well into the swing of being pregnant, you may still be surprised by an unexpected symptom now and then. If your nose is stuffed up, for example, you can probably chalk it up to your pregnancy. That's because increased estrogen can cause swelling in the mucous membranes and possibly the production of more mucus. Your blood volume is increasing, too, which causes your blood vessels to expand, including those in your nose. (You may get occasional nosebleeds as a result.) And because pregnancy alters your immune system and makes you more susceptible to certain infections, it might just be that you have a cold or allergies. In any case, make sure you stay away from irritants, like cigarette smoke, aerosols, and alcohol. To soothe your nostrils, use a humidifier or vaporizer at night, and drink plenty of fluids. You can also try over-the-counter saline drops or a buffered saline nasal spray. (If you're truly miserable, ask your doctor or midwife if it's okay to take decongestant medication.)

Don't worry if you and your partner are feeling a little stressed out these days. Many pregnant couples worry about the baby's health and how they'll cope as new parents. But with minimal physical discomfort and renewed energy, this is also a wonderful trimester for most women, so try to enjoy it!"

Oh, we weren't able to go to my sister, Holly's bachelorett party due to the weather in Iowa. It's a good thing, too, because they had a pretty good ice storm with snow. We plan on throwing her a small one when family is in town after the rehearsal dinner, should be fun!!

Hmmm....well, thought I would post pics of our current children...aren't they cute:


Mocha (aka Moki mokes, little girl, kitten, or mocha choca latte)


Shadow (aka little boy, kitty, shadow badow) (sorry-he doesn't like pictures taken of him)

Thanks for reading!



Friday, February 23, 2007

Pregnancy Ticker and other news

Hello all. Well, not much to report, just another week at work and I'm glad it's Friday! Tomorrow my cousin Emily and I hope to make it up to Des Moines for my sister Holly's bachelorette Party, but the weather up there may prevent us from doing so. Hopefully the forecast in the morning will have changed a little. Holly & Chris's wedding is in 2 weeks, how exciting!!!

I found a pregnancy ticker that keeps track of the baby's week and what is going on. Thought I would put it in our blog for fun.

I've felt good this week, a couple days of headaches, but other than that, I feel quite normal! I was telling friends that it would be great if you could see your doctor every week to make sure things were okay to just ease your mind! If I wouldn't have seen the heartbeat and the baby, I wouldn't even know I'm pregnant right now! My tenderness has gone away, my energy is back up (I've never been FULL of energy, but it's back to normal ;), and I don't really look pregnant. Although people have told me I am glowing (which to me is just acne ;) and they can see a "little tummy". It's funny because in the morning especially, my tummy doesn't look much different but by evening (after eating I guess), it pooches out more. Oh well, I'm just looking forward to a little growth and to again see our baby and find out some more info...maybe even the sex!!

I'll post again on Monday, maybe with a 15 week picture, but also with baby info for the week!


Have a great weekend!

Monday, February 19, 2007

14 weeks!

Thank you for everyone's kind comments! Well, today is officially 14 weeks and I am so excited about being in my 2nd trimester!! I will admit I was a little timid and just overall on edge for the last 10-11 weeks, just because everything seems so fragile. Plus, only a select few people knew so I had to keep a secret, too! So, my mind feels better and not only that, but I am feeling a little belly grow...which is really great....what do you think?

14 weeks

At my last OBGYN appointment on 2/12/07, I had gained 4 pounds so far. I've felt really good so far and have only had fatigue (and a lot of it!!), some food aversions, tenderness (in certain areas of my body ;), and peeing a lot. But, that's starting to go away a little and I can tell my body feels more at ease with this whole baby thing!! I'll also post each week what my babycenter emails are telling me about the week:

"How your baby's growing: Head to bottom, your baby's 3 1/2 inches long — about the length of a lemon — and weighs about 1 1/2 ounces. Her body's growing faster than her head, which now sits upon a more well-defined neck. By the end of this week, her arms will have lengthened and will be in proportion to the rest of her body. (Her legs still have some growing to do, though.) She's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair all over her body (called lanugo). Her liver starts secreting bile this week, a sign that it's already functioning properly, and her spleen starts contributing to the production of red blood cells. She's also producing and discharging urine into the amniotic fluid, a normal process that she'll keep up until birth. You still can't feel your baby's movements, but her hands and feet (which are now half an inch long) are more flexible and active. Thanks to brain impulses, her little facial muscles are getting a workout as she squints, frowns, and grimaces. She can grasp now, too, and she may be able to suck her thumb.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing:

As early discomforts (nausea, fatigue, breast tenderness) begin to fade, you may start to regain some energy and feel more comfortable with how your body's changing. (Although the top of your uterus is only a bit above your pelvic bone, that growth may be enough to push your tummy out a bit.) Starting to show is an exciting pregnancy milestone and it will likely give you and your partner the visible evidence of a baby that you've been waiting for. Take some time to plan, daydream, and enjoy this amazing time. It's normal to worry a bit now and then, but you can also breathe a little sigh of relief knowing that with the start of this trimester your risk of miscarriage has dropped significantly. Now try to focus on taking care of yourself and your baby and having faith that you're well equipped for what's ahead."

Our next OBGYN appointment is on 3/15/07 when we will meet with the sonogram tech. I'll be 17 weeks going on 18 weeks and the tech will measure the baby to make sure we are on target, take a picture of our baby, and maybe, just maybe, we can find out the sex! Those of you asking, "do you want to find out the sex?" the answer is without a doubt, YES!!! I'm too much of a planner not to and I won't even start to put together the baby's room until we know. But, if he/she wants to be stubborn, I guess I'll have to use gender neutral design, which I guess I can live with :)

Thanks for reading!




Sunday, February 18, 2007

Welcome to our Blog!!

Hello friends and family!
We welcome you to our first attempt ever at blogging. This may be a little scary, so please be patient.... This blog will help us share news, pictures, and exciting announcements with everyone and will be fun to look back through months down the line.

Last night we hosted our housewarming party for our home we moved into last fall. Thank you to all our guests for the company and the gifts. We greatly appreciate it!! For those who could not attend, we have pictures to share...enjoy!


Here is our living room....first time using the fire place!!

Our kitchen!


Guest Room


The "blue" bathroom


Master Bedroom



Our "orange den" family room (set up for poker as you can see)

Eric's office/sports hall of fame


And last but not least.......the "mystery room"

No not really, but do our shirts give away what the room could be for???



Yes, you guessed it, our housewarming party was also an official announcement party of our upcoming arrival!! I am 14 weeks along as of tomorrow and our estimated due date is August 20, 2007. We are very excited and are happy to finally be able to share the news with everyone!! So, as you can guess, this blog will be a great way to keep everyone updated during the pregnancy, upcoming arrival, and growth of our little one. Thank you again to all those who were able to make it to our get together last night and keep visiting our blog for updates!!!