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!!!

I PASSED!!!

Board scores were posted lastnight and I passed!!! WOOHOO!!!! Not only did I pass, but I got above national average. So happy!!!! I knew I would pass, but there was still this little bit of doubt. My mind was slightly preoccupied with baby stuff back in November and December. There was always the thought of what if I didn't study hard enough. So glad to have this weight lifted.

Please Join Us For Dinner

So in the two years we have been married now, we have not had a kitchen table. We eat all of our meals sitting on the couch at the coffee table. Which is totally fine for us, but not for having people over or a big meal. I have always treasured meal time. I love going out to eat with Eric. Not just for the awesome food that I can't make at home, but also for the time we get to have together sitting across from each other at a table. I'm so excited that we will be able to do this at home.

Now we purchased a table from Nebraska Furniture Mart last month, but they did not have it in stock. We had to go pick it up. Well the box was large, awkward and too heavy for Eric to carry in by himself. He would not let me help him carry it in due to my current pregnant state. So he had to take the items out of the box from my car and carry them in one by one. This was the end result.

Hopefully this weekend we can actually put it together. I can't wait to have our first dinner at our new kitchen table. Would you like to come join us for dinner?

15 Weeks

how far along? 15 weeks, Wednesday 2/8/2012

how are you measuring? 15 weeks 2 days (The ultrasound on 1/18 showed the baby was measuring 2 days ahead)

size of baby? Avocado, 4-5 in 3-5 oz

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

maternity clothes? I went shopping this last weekend with some friends, and I purchased my first maternity shirts. While I was there I kept thinking this shirts look HUGE! They were so long on my short torso. It's hard to believe that I will soon grow into them.

stretch marks? Nope. Still using Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter.
sleep? I slept pretty good this past week. I have been falling asleep at night on the couch around 9:30 while watching TV with Eric, and then he wakes me up when he goes to bed a little after 10. haha I haven't been getting up every night to use the restroom so that has been nice.
best moment this week? I have been running pretty regularly again. I feel so great after a quick run. I don't run nearly as long or as fast. I feel like I'm running so slow, but I don't want to overdue it.
movement? Nope nothing yet. I'm so anxious to feel something!
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: Being able to stay up late with Eric. I've still been going to bed early even though my energy has been great during the day.
what i'm looking forward to: To have a true baby bump!
how are you feeling? I have been feeling great except for some tailbone/butt pain. The medical term would be my SI joint. It has been killing me on my left side. At night any movement of my left leg just kills. Going from seated to standing is awful but once I stand up I'm fine. I didn't expect the back pain to start so soon. My lovely SIL told me it's because I don't have child bearing hips, that she fortunately never dealt with that. haha Love ya Alyssa!

Development this week: Today starts week 16 of development. This week muscles are getting stronger. The little one is looking more and more adorable with a face that has eyes, complete with eyebrows and eyelashes, and ears in the right spot. The eyes are making small side-to-side movements and can perceive some light, yet the eyelids are still sealed. The little one is also becoming sensitive to touch. In fact, they may even squirm if you poke my belly (so please don't touch my belly). (According to What to Expect When You're Expecting)

14 Weeks

how far along? 14 weeks, Wednesday 2/1/2012

how are you measuring? 14 weeks 2 days (The ultrasound on 1/18 showed the baby was measuring 2 days ahead)

size of baby? Navel Orange, 4 1/2 in 2.5 oz

heartbeat? 151 as of 1/18
total weight gain/loss? + 2 lbs

maternity clothes? I have been wearing my maternity dress pants all week. I do have a few pair of slacks that are a size larger from last year before I lost weight, so I can wear those. My jeans still fit fine.

stretch marks? Nope. Still using Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter.
sleep? I haven't slept all that great this week. I just can't get comfortable. It might be the end of my tummy sleeping. I'm still getting up once a night to use the restroom. Some nights it might even be twice.
best moment this week? To finally be out of the first trimester!!!!
movement? Nope nothing yet. At night when I lay down, I place my hand over my lower abdomen hoping to feel something.
food cravings? Still loving fruit.

gender predictions? Still going to say girl.

what i miss: Being able to stay up late with Eric. I've still been going to bed early even though my energy has been great during the day.
what i'm looking forward to: To have a true baby bump!
how are you feeling? I feel great! I am in total shock that I've felt this good. Still can't believe I'm really pregnant.

Development this week: Today starts week 15 of development. This week the baby is measuring 4/12 inches and weighs around 2 to 3 ounces. The ears are positioned properly on the sides of the head (they were once in the neck) and the eyes are moving from the side of the head to the front of the face. By now, the baby has the coordination, strength, and smarts to wiggle his or her fingers and toes and even suck on a thumb. He or she can also breathe or atleast make breathing movements, suck and swallow. All in preparation for the big debut and life outside the womb. Though it's unlikely to feel any movements, the baby is getting quite a workout: kicking, flexing and moving those arms and legs. (According to What to Expect When You're Expecting)