18 Weeks

how far along? 18 weeks, Wednesday 2/29/2012

how are you measuring? 18 weeks 2 days (The ultrasound on 1/18 showed the baby was measuring 2 days ahead)

size of baby? Large Mango, 6 in 8 oz

heartbeat? 153 (as of 2/17/12)
total weight gain/loss? + 6 lbs (as of 2/17/12)

maternity clothes? I am still wearing normal shirts. I wear the maternity pants to work just because they are so comfortable. My jeans are starting to get a little uncomfortable while sitting down. EEEK!!! It might be time to get some maternity jeans.

stretch marks? Nope. Still using Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter.
sleep? I've been sleeping much better now that my cold is over. I haven't been getting up to use the restroom at all which has been nice.
best moment this week? This was a fun week for us as we celebrated our 2 year anniversary with a Kansas City staycation. We had a great weekend! We talked about how this is our last anniversary just the two of us. It's been easy to leave Yeah-Yeah at the apartment over night while we go stay at a hotel, but next year we definitely won't be able to do that. It's so crazy how our world will soon be flipped upside down in 5 short months!
movement? The movement is starting to get more frequent and a little stronger. I have been feeling movement every day and even sometimes during the day. It's so fun! Eric has tried to feel it but it's still not strong enough to feel from the outside.
food cravings? Salty things right now. hmmm

gender predictions? Still going to say girl.

what i miss: My clothes fitting me nicely. I still feel like I'm in that awkward stage of has she gained weight or is she pregnant. I don't feel like I have a true baby bump right now, so if I wear a tighter shirt it makes me look thick :(
what i'm looking forward to: For Eric to feel the little one move. He is so anxious and excited to feel movement. He is going to make such a great father. Seeing the excitement he shows when talking about this little one just brings such joy to me. I just want him to experience feeling the baby move :)
how are you feeling? I really have been feeling pretty good this week. I've been having quite a bit of "heaviness" in my lower abdomen this week. I can definitely tell things are growing and getting larger.

Development this week: Today starts week 19 of development. This week the little one is 6 inches long and a full half pound, about the size of a large mango. Vernix caseosa-a greasy white protective substance-now covers the baby's sensitive skin to protect it from the surrounding amniotic fluid. Without this protection, the little one would look very wrinkled at birth. The coating will shed as delivery approaches. (According to What to Expect When You're Expecting)

What's Cookin' in the Kitchen?

Sunday: Grilling chicken breasts, hot dogs, stuffed jalapeno peppers, zucchini and mushrooms
(We really took advantage of the 60 degree weather this afternoon)

Monday: Dinner with some friends

Tuesday: Shredded Beef Tacos

Wednesday: Left Overs (church class)

Thursday: Shredded beef nachos or taco salad

Friday: Eric's parents will be in town

Saturday: Dinner with Eric's parents

2 Year Anniversary

This weekend we celebrated our second anniversary. I can't believe two years have come and gone. These two years have been so much fun and excitement for us both. This was our last anniversary just the two of us. :)

I booked a hotel for us down at the plaza and we went to a fancy steak restaurant for dinner. It was a wonderful night for us. I am so thankful for the man God created just for me. I'm looking forward to many more anniversaries.

17 Weeks

how far along? 17 weeks, Wednesday 2/22/2012

how are you measuring? 17 weeks 2 days (The ultrasound on 1/18 showed the baby was measuring 2 days ahead)

size of baby? Sweet Potato, 5 1/2 in 5 oz

heartbeat? 153 (as of 2/17/12)
total weight gain/loss? + 6 lbs (as of 2/17/12)

maternity clothes? I am still wearing normal shirts. I wear the maternity pants to work just because they are so comfortable. My jeans still fit, so I haven't purchased maternity jeans yet.

stretch marks? Nope. Still using Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter.
sleep? I've had a cold this week (I know...AGAIN!) Because of the cold, I have not been sleeping well. I can't breath through my nose, so I wake up a lot. I then start coughing from all of the drainage.
best moment this week? We had a doctor's appointment on Friday. We both look forward to the appointments. Even if they are just quick listen to the heart beat. Monday was our 2 year anniversary. We will be celebrating this weekend. :)
movement? I have been feeling some sort of movement at least once a day. It usually occurs in the evenings, once I sit down on the couch to relax. I have to be focusing on it to feel it.
food cravings? Um well considering Eric made a HUGE batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies for our anniversary on Monday, right now it's cookies.

gender predictions? Still going to say girl.

what i miss: Not getting sick every 6 weeks. What I was sick at 4 weeks, 10 weeks and then again 16 weeks.
what i'm looking forward to: I can't believe how close we are to half way there. Wow that's just in 3 weeks. Crazy!!! We can't wait for our anatomy scan in 3 weeks. We might not get to look too much since we are still not wanting to know the gender. I'm still waiting for that obvious belly bump as well.
how are you feeling? Miserable this week thanks to cold #3. I'm finally starting to feel pregnant though. Eric always asks if I feel different and it's always been no until this week. This week I started to feel a "heavy" feeling in my lower abdomen. It's crazy to think there's a baby growing inside of me. :) I did have some round ligament pain earlier today on the right side. It was kind of a weird sensation. It didn't feel like cramps at all. Just a "pulling" pain on the right side. I mean gosh, my uterus is the size of a cantaloupe now. No wonder the ligaments are getting pulled.

Development this week: Today starts week 18 of development. At 5 1/2 inches long and 5 ounces, the baby is filling out and getting large enough to feel those twists, rolls, kicks and punches. The baby is mastering the yawn and hiccups. The little one is now truly one of a kind with unique fingerprints. (According to What to Expect When You're Expecting)

What's Cookin' in the Kitchen?

Sunday: Roast, Potatoes, and Carrots

Monday: Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto Pasta

Tuesday: Buffalo Wild Wings Wing Night

Wednesday: Left Overs (Class at Church)

Thursday: Dinner with a friend for me, Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef Tacos for Eric

Friday: Left Overs

Saturday: Anniversary Dinner

16 Weeks

how far along? 16 weeks, Wednesday 2/15/2012

how are you measuring? 16 weeks 2 days (The ultrasound on 1/18 showed the baby was measuring 2 days ahead)

size of baby? Turnip, 5 in 5 oz

heartbeat? 151 as of 1/18
total weight gain/loss? + 4 lbs

maternity clothes? I am still wearing normal shirts. I wear the maternity pants to work just because they are so comfortable. My jeans still fit, so I haven't purchased maternity jeans yet.

stretch marks? Nope. Still using Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter.
sleep? I've been sleeping pretty good this week. I don't think I even got up to use the restroom in the middle of the night this week.
best moment this week? Ipassed my boards!!!!! WOOHOO!!! I also felt the baby move yesterday which was so exciting!
movement? On our way to church tonight, I felt a slight tickling. It almost felt as if it was a butterfly and the wings were tickling. It lasted for a good 5-10 seconds. It was so exciting. I felt it a total of 3 times.
food cravings? I've started having a sweet tooth. Anything that's chewy and sweet, starbursts! I'm also still eating lots of fruit.

gender predictions? Still going to say girl.

what i miss: So I worked so hard this summer and fall to lose close to 20 lbs. Right now I feel like I just look fat BLAH! I feel like all my hard work is gone, but I know it's all for the baby. I'm just ready to look pregnant and not fat.
what i'm looking forward to: We have a doctor's appointment on Friday. So excited to hear the little one's heartbeat again. It will just make me melt.
how are you feeling? So my "butt" pain seemed to have eased up this week thank goodness. I have been feeling great this week. This is the happiest time in my life and I am enjoying every minute of it.

Development this week: Today starts week 17 of development. The baby is about the size of my palm. Body fat is beginning to form, but your little one is still quite skinny, with skin that is practically translucent. One skill the baby is sharpening is sucking and swallowing to get read for the breast or bottle. The heart rate is regulated by the brain and clocks in at 140-150 beats per minute. (According to What to Expect When You're Expecting)

What's Cookin' in the Kitchen?

Sunday: Stuffed Bell Peppers and Salad

Monday: Chicken Enchilada Casserole (having some friends over for dinner)

Tuesday: Roast with potatoes and carrots, chocolate fondue and fruit

Wednesday: Left Overs (Membership Class at Church)

Thursday: Date Night

Friday: Taco Salad

Saturday: Breakfast Date
Groupon for Lunch
Heath's 40th Birthday Party!!!