9 Weeks

how far along? 9 weeks, Wednesday 12/28/2011

how are you measuring? ????

size of baby? Prune

heartbeat? ???????
total weight gain/loss? ?I'll find out at my appointment next week.

maternity clothes? Been having a little bloat some evenings but nothing too bad.
stretch marks? Nope. I have started slathering my stomach with Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter.
sleep? So I've been getting up every night to use the restroom. I usually try to hold it which keeps me awake in bed for a little while before I do get up. I've still been restless, but I feel like when I am asleep it's great sleep.
best moment this week? Celebrating Christmas with Eric. We had a pretty low key Christmas day: church, nap, basketball, and a movie. Can't believe this was our last Christmas just the two of us. Next year we will have a little one who will be almost 5 months. Crazy!
movement? Nope nothing yet
food cravings? I just can't get enough Clementines. So yummy! Nothing sounds good to me at all and I haven't really had much of an appetite lately.

gender predictions? Still going to say girl.

what i miss: My energy. Come 3pm I'm beat. I've been taking a 30 minute catnap to keep me going.
what i'm looking forward to: Getting my step 2 boards over. I take the big test January 11th, so I have now become a hermit for the next 3 weeks.
how are you feeling? I've been feeling pretty good considering I'm pregnant. I've had some queaziness in the evening a few times this week but nothing horrible. I still haven't thrown up so that's good! I've been feeling kind of weak though but not much appetite. I feel like I'm having to force myself to eat something.

Development this week: Today starts week 10 of development. The little one is nearly 1 1/2 inches long, growing by leaps and bounds. Bones and cartilage are forming and small indentations on the legs are developing into knees and ankles. The elbows are already working. Tiny buds of baby teeth are forming under the gums. The stomach is producing digestive juices, the kidneys are producing larger quantities of urine and if a boy, the testes are producing testosterone. (According to What to Expect When You're Expecting)

(I will probably start the baby bump pictures next week.)

My New "Home" For The Week

So this week is going to be somewhat crazy and out of the ordinary. As I'm putting in many hours studying for my Step 2 Board Exam this week, I will also be house sitting for a lady that works at KCUMB. I decided sure why not, it'll give me a quiet place without any distractions to study for a week. They have 3 dogs and a cat, so I'll be taking care of the animals and holding down the fort. Not too difficult.

However, when I left the house this afternoon to head to my new "home" for the week it was quite difficult. I'm sure the pregnancy hormones played a role in things, but it broke my heart leaving my husband and dog. I might have even shed a tear or two. Now don't worry, I will get to see them in the evenings this week. I'll spend all day studying here, go home to enjoy dinner and some time with the hubs, then head back to the house for the night. It's just weird "living" in someone's house for a week. Hopefully it'll be a productive week of studying without any distractions such as cleaning and laundry.

Merry Christmas To Me

So my car wouldn't start last night. I was able to get it jumped today to bring to the dealership. There was a lot of corrosion on the terminals, so I am having to buy a new battery. There was also something wrong with the Idler Pulley on the engine. Not sure what that is but they said if I don't replace it it'll lock up the engine. Boo! Merry Christmas to me! Sitting at the dealership right now. :(

8 Weeks

how far along? 8 weeks, Wednesday 12/21/2011

how are you measuring? ????

size of baby? medium green olive

heartbeat? ???????
total weight gain/loss? 0

maternity clothes? Nope normal clothes although I have noticed I've been bloated
stretch marks? Nope. I have started slathering my stomach with Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter.
sleep? Still not sleeping that great. I'm just restless. I try to go to bed early. It seems I'm not having a problem falling asleep; I'm just waking up multiple times through out the night.
best moment this week? Sharing the exciting news with our family this last week. Click Here to read all about it.
movement? Nope nothing yet
food cravings? No cravings but when it comes time to decide what I'm going to cook for dinner NOTHING sounds good. Vegetables don't sound good at all. I guess fruit and carbs sound good.

gender predictions? Still going to say girl. I read somewhere that said if you have that pregnancy glow then it's a boy and if your beauty is sucked out of you then it's a girl. I definitely feel like my beauty has been sucked out of me lately.

what i miss: Sleep. I just want to wake up in the morning and feel rested. Insomnia and day time fatigue don't go well together. Being hungry and actually wanting to eat. I'm not so much dealing with morning sickness all the time, I just don't have much of an appetite.
what i'm looking forward to: Getting my step 2 boards over. I take the big test January 11th, so I have now become a hermit for the next 3 weeks.
how are you feeling? So I had my first experience with "morning sickness" this past weekend. I just felt awful and miserable, but thankfully it only lasted about an hour. I was able to fall asleep in the middle of it all and woke up feeling fine. Super exhausted. I have such a hard time getting out of bed in the morning.

Development this week: Today starts week 9 of development. The little one is now considered a fetus and has grown to approximately 1 inch in length, about the size of a medium green olive. The head is developing and taking on more baby-like proportions. This week tiny muscles are starting to form allowing the fetus to move his or her arms and legs, though it will be atleast another month until you'll be able to feel those little punches and kicks. The glorious sound of your baby's heartbeat might be audible via a doppler device at the doctors. (According to What to Expect When You're Expecting)

Christmas in Texas

Eric and I drove to Dallas this weekend for Christmas with the family. It was easier for us to head out this weekend instead of Christmas weekend with Eric's work schedule and my busy board studying schedule. Which I am taking a short break from right now.

We had some exciting news to share with our family. If you haven't figured it by the previous posts or haven't read the previous posts then we have some exciting news to share with you as well. I'm Pregnant! The little one is due to arrive August 1, 2012. This was a huge surprise to everyone as no one was expecting this for at least another year or two.

Here is how we shared the news:

Eric's Parents: Eric's dad always hides money in the true for us to find, so we decided why not make them find something their gift in the tree. We hung a baby ornament on the tree and told them their present was hidden in the tree. Donna was the one that found it and her face was priceless when she saw it. She cried for about 30 minutes solid and then off and on all evening. Melvin didn't say too much. We asked him what he was thinking and he said just trying to think of all the toys I need to buy the baby. He is hoping for a grandson. :)

Rick & Alyssa: They are my brother and sister-in-law. I made a black long-sleeve shirt that said "Knocked Up." We went over there to spend the day with them and our nephews. We were there for probably five minutes. I wasn't paying much attention to Rick & Alyssa and was interacting with the boys. I had to use the restroom and when I walked back in Alyssa saw my shirt. She quickly jumped up from the couch shouting, "Are you pregnant?" while laughing. She gave me this huge hug and was so excited. Rick didn't say too much.

Brittnea's Parents: They knew we had spent the whole day with the boys so casually over dinner I said, "So Mom I heard you're going to be a grandma again." Expecting her to think of Rick and Alyssa. She just looked at me and said, "YOU?" I nodded and smiled. She squealed so loud and was crying. She immediately jumped up and gave me a hug and Eric a hug. My dad didn't say too much. (Notice a trend that the boys don't say too much.)

We have kept this secret for 4 weeks, and we are so glad to have it out in the open. It was so fun seeing the expression on everyone's faces.

Santa Came Early...

but gave strict instructions.

"Do not open until August 1, 2012."

7 Weeks

how far along? 7 weeks, Wednesday 12/14/2011

how are you measuring? ????

size of baby? Raspberry

heartbeat? ???????
total weight gain/loss? 0

maternity clothes? Nope normal clothes :)
stretch marks? Nope. I have started slathering my stomach with Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter.
sleep? I'm really not sleeping all that well. There have been a few nights this week I've had to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, but it hasn't become an every night thing. I feel like I just toss and turn all night.
best moment this week? We saw our little peanut using one of the hand held ultrasound machines. We even saw a flicker of a heart beat.
movement? Nope nothing yet
food cravings? Pickles, French fries, and PB&J (not all together of course) I wouldn't really call them a craving it's just when I eat them they taste awesome!

gender predictions? Still going to say girl.

what i miss: Sleep. I just want to wake up in the morning and feel rested. Insomnia and day time fatigue don't go well together. I have gone running a couple times this week which have felt awesome!
what i'm looking forward to: We are driving to Texas on Friday, and I can't wait to share our exciting news.
how are you feeling? Still no throwing up. YAY! Felt really good today and yesterday. Had a couple queasy feelings but nothing unbearable. I haven't had any more cramping either which has been nice. The doctor told me I could take vitamin B6 and Unisom for the morning sickness. The unisom is actually used as an over the counter for sleep but it also affects nausea. I took one last night and felt like I slept awesome. I might take that some nights if I'm having problems falling asleep. I've also had some slight bloating in the evenings. The other night I seriously thought I looked about 4-5 months pregnant. I was kind of freaking out a bit. Then in the morning I was fine haha.

Development this week: Today starts week 8 of development. This week baby is measuring about half an inch in length and about the size of a large raspberry. Looking less reptilian and more human as the lips, nose, eyelids, legs, and back continue to take shape. The baby's heart is beating at 150 beats per minute. The baby is making spontaneous movements, twitches of the trunk and limb buds too tiny to feel. (According to What to Expect When You're Expecting)

Boards Round # 2

So I will begin my board preparation soon enough. Well I've been doing practice questions and reviewing content for the past 6 weeks. It's just that I will begin my hardcore board preparation NOW. AGH!

I take my second set of boards January 11th, so if I don't do much blogging between now and then please forgive me. I don't have to take them until the end of the summer, but I figure why not utilize the Christmas break I get. I will be spending my Christmas break studying from 8:00 am- 5:00 pm followed by a break to work out and eat dinner, and then back to it from 7:00pm-10:00pm to do questions. No Christmas break for me.

Sorry if I become a hermit and am not very social during the next month. Please say a prayer for me if you think about it.

What's Cookin in the Kitchen

Sunday: Hot Dogs & Sweet Potato Fries (Sunday is Football, so why not have football food)

Monday: Chicken & Rice Soup

Tuesday: Turkey Burgers

Wednesday: Christmas Dinner for the Fellows

Thursday: Left Overs

Friday: Pizza (Yum!)

Saturday: Frito Chili Pie

6 Weeks

how far along? 6 weeks, Wednesday 12/7/2011
how are you measuring? ????
size of baby? Blueberry
heartbeat? ???????
total weight gain/loss? 0
maternity clothes? Nope normal clothes :)
stretch marks? No. My Burts Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter came in, so I will start slathering that on my belly in hopes to no stretch marks.
sleep? Not sleeping all that great. I don't have a problem falling asleep but I'm waking up a lot and just toss and turning. It's kind of frustrating. I'm starting to feel the exhaustion though. I went to bed Tuesday night at 7:45. WOW it was nice :)
best moment this week? I have my first appointment this week, Friday December 9th.
movement? Nope nothing yet
food cravings? Nothing
gender predictions? Still going to say girl.
what i miss: My energy. I haven't been working out every day like I was before just because I have no energy. I've run a few times since being pregnant but not like I would like. I do feel great after my run, so I'm hoping I can keep running.
what i'm looking forward to: We are driving to Texas on Friday, and I cannot wait to tell our family.
how are you feeling? I've had a few episodes of queasiness but nothing too bad. It just kind of comes and goes. No throwing up though so that's nice. I'm pretty exhausted though and wish I could just curl up on the couch or in bed. haha

Development this week: Today starts week 7 of development. As of now, the baby is 10,000 times bigger now than at conception-about the size of a blueberry. A lot of that growth is concentrated on the head. The brain cells are being generated at a rate of 10 cells per minute. The mouth and tongue are forming this week and so are his or her arm and leg buds, which are beginning to sprout into paddle-like appendages and divide into hand, arm and shoulder segments-and leg, knee, and foot segments. Also the kidneys begin their important work of waste management. (According to What to Expect When You're Expecting)

What's Cookin' in the Kitchen?

Sunday: Chili

Monday: Fajitas

Tuesday: Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Wednesday: Mozzarella Chicken Pasta Bake

Thursday: Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Friday: Chicken & Rice Soup

Saturday: Lunch left overs
Dinner Date Night