Tuesday, August 31, 2010

4 months down

I'm 16 weeks and 1 day today, and feeling great. Most of my bad symptoms are gone and I occasionally make it through a whole night without getting up to pee! I'm starting to really enjoy being pregnant although sometimes I forget that I am! It's funny too - I guess I'm not showing that much (even though I think I am!) - but people at work have known that I'm pregnant for a while and they keep asking me, "are you sure? You don't look pregnant!" I told them to give me a month or so.

So yeah, I might not look super preggo yet, but believe me I'm struggling to get dressed in the morning with only 3 pairs of pants that fit! Anyway, I'm super happy to be at 16 weeks. Counting down the days to the ultrasound - 17 more days and I'll know if this little baby is a little dude or a little princess. Cannot wait!!

Weekly update:

How Far Along: 16 weeks
Total Weight Gain: About 5 lbs
Maternity Clothes: Mostly pre-pregnancy stuff, but some maternity jeans and I do love my belly band!
Sleep: Still great. 8-9 hours a night!
Best Moment(s) this week: Getting some great deals at yard sales and going to the zoo this past weekend.
Gender: Ultrasound is scheduled for Sept. 17
Movement: Don't think so yet.
Food Craving: Mac and cheese and chocolate milk!
Symptoms: Occasional headaches and weird stretching/pulling in my belly.
What I miss: Nothing!
What I am looking forward to: A three day weekend!

If I take a belly pic this week, I'll add it to this post. I'm in my pj's now, or I'd take one! Oh and shout out to my friends Mindy and Derek who are also having a baby early next year!! So excited to have friends to share this journey with (even though they are faaar away in South Carolina)! Congrats guys!

Monday, August 30, 2010

Nursery Design: Aqua and Green

As I think more about the nursery design and fabrics, I'm leaning more toward unisex bedding with accents for whatever sex the baby is. So, for example, aqua and green either way, with pink accents for a girl or orange for a boy. This way, just in case the gender ultrasound is wrong, I won't have to re-do or re-buy bedding - just a few small accessories. I'm solid on aqua for the wall color and my mom bought me a pale green blanket that I love the color of. I'm thinking those might be my main colors and let the gender scan determine the accents only.

I probably won't decide on or buy art, smaller accessories and toys until later anyway, so I thought this might be a good strategy to go ahead and work on the bedding sooner rather than later. I know I only have 2 1/2 more weeks til the gender scan, but I'm nervous that the baby isn't going to show us the goods or they won't be able to give us a 100% answer either way.

As I was looking at bedding options and accessories on Etsy.com, I decided to throw together a couple things in Photoshop to show how the same bedding could work for either a boy or a girl just with different accents, art, etc. I'm excited for either option, really! I think creating these gives me a really good visual that the aqua and green palette could work for a girl or boy and the accent color won't be too much.

You can see I kept the same aqua and green bedding in the center and just changed the art, crib sheet color, toys and other accents. Make sure you click on the images to enlarge in a new window to see the details.





So... (especially grandparents-to-be that may be reading this) what do you think?

Edited to add where items are from:

Everything in the inspiration boards is from Etsy.

The Sunshine print and alphabet print are from Sugar Fresh.

The other prints are from Trendy Peas.

The Knotted Nest has a lot of the fabric banners.

Julie Kope makes the stuffed Scottie dogs:

I'm not sure where that bedding came from, but TipToe Studio is a good place on Etsy.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Belly Photos, Finally!

I hardly ever take pictures and when I do they stay on the camera forever. My belly has really popped the last few days so I decided I better take some pics and get the old ones off the camera.

July 17 - 9 weeks, 5 days


Today, Aug 25 - 15 weeks, 2 days


I think baby had a growth spurt!!

Monday, August 23, 2010

15 weeks down, 25 weeks to go!

Today was my 15 week checkup and everything looks great. I've gained 1 pound since the last appointment 4 weeks ago. Baby's heartbeat was loud and clear and in the 150s. I got a prescription for migraines if I need it, and I scheduled my ultrasound! Neil and I will finally get to see our baby and find out the sex on Friday Sept 17!!! I am so excited to have a date for the ultrasound! And its set for two days before my birthday! I'm so happy I was able to schedule it for then. What a great birthday present.

When I walked in to the OB's office this morning for my 8:55am appointment, I told them my last name and the girl behind the desk said, "You're late for your ultrasound!" I was so confused... I said, I don't think I have an ultrasound today.. I'm 15 weeks and I only get one between 18-20 weeks. She realized that there were two Millers that morning and it wasn't me! I told her if she wanted me to get an ultrasound, I would! Ha! But now I really have one coming up. It'll be here before I know it. The weeks are literally flying by!



How Far Along: 15 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 4 lbs total!
Maternity Clothes: I've been buying some, but don't need them yet. My Bella Band is awesome!
Sleep: Sleeping great. Even when our A/C went out this past weekend.
Best Moment(s) this week: A successful event at work on Friday, eating at Red Lobster and shopping with my mom at the outlet mall.
Gender: Will know September 17.
Movement: I might have felt something the other day. But I don't know what it feels like!
Food Craving: I've been starting to want iced coffee, so I've gotten a couple decafs lately.
Symptoms: Bad symptoms are pretty much gone. Some weird belly feelings - poking, twinges and stretches. Still getting up to pee every night at least once.
What I miss: Nothing really! I actually like being pregnant!
What I am looking forward to: Teaching my first class on Thursday and enjoying the awesome weather this week!

Also, I think I've decided on some baby gear - at least some of the big items. We're thinking of the Chico Cortina travel system:


A Graco Pack n Play with changing table and newborn sleeper:


And the Graco Lauren Crib and Changing Table in white:


I also have bought the pattern for the baby bedding I plan to make. Fabric will come later, but here is the pattern. There are lots of pieces but I just plan to make the bumpers, sheet and crib skirt.



Yay for decisions. Also, I think its finally setting in for Neil that this baby is coming relatively soon. We were in Babies R Us with his parents this weekend, and I heard him say to them, "Well, we still have 7 months to go!" I had to remind him, that I am in my 4th month of this pregnancy, and we have 5 months to go, not 7!!! No wonder he is so nonchalant about everything! Glad I got him straightened out. Now maybe it'll be easier to convince him to make decisions and buy some stuff!

This Weekend's Outlet Mall Haul

My mom and I met at the outlet mall yesterday and got a few items for me and baby at Motherhood Maternity and Carter's outlet stores. I had a blast trying things on and looking for baby stuff with my mom. What a fun experience! Here's what we got:

A great skirt for work or conferences:


Denim shirtdress to dress up or down:


A comfy top that will work for now (wearing today) or fall:


I love everything! Thanks again, mom! It was fun trying on stuff, especially with the fake strap-on belly they had in the dressing room. All the items I go should work for the rest of the pregnancy, I hope.

I stopped by Target on the way to work today (after my 15-week checkup!!) and bought a Nude Bella Band to extend the life of my normal jeans and pants. Works great! I also bought a pair of maternity jeans that were on sale for $16. They are bootcut and a lighter wash. I think they will be good for more casual stuff for fall and winter.

Oh, let's not forget the baby! We got him/her some cute stuff at the Carter's outlet. This place is dangerous, let me tell you. Everything is adorable! Here is what mom and I bought:

Ducky fleece sleeper and zoo animals sleep bag (both 3 months):



Soft green blanket:


and baby socks!


I had a great time shopping and buying even though I had to stick to greens and yellows. I love those colors too, so it's alright! I got my ultrasound scheduled this morning - so September 17, I will know if I can buy blue or pink!

Oh, and some of THESE came in the mail this weekend:


And thanks to Neil, a few Parenting magazines from Half Price Books and Amazon, we got 180 diapers for $2.50!! I know a lot of these are in my future. Might as well stock up now.

I will post my 15 week update soon.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

14 Weeks and I really need to take a belly photo

Well, here I am at 14 weeks and 2 days. 25 weeks and 5 days to go, if the baby arrives on its Valentine's Day due date. It seems far away but I know it will be here before I know it and before I'm probably truly ready! September and October will be a whirlwind at work - I am booked or overbooked almost every day with meetings, events, and classes. It will be November by the time I realize it and I'll be super preggo and ready for the holidays! Fall semesters always fly by and I know this will be no exception. I'm really happy and excited though. Sometimes I get caught up in everything and forget how truly lucky I am to be having a relatively easy (and easily-conceived) pregnancy with supportive friends, awesome family and amazing husband. I'm amazingly lucky and blessed!

I'm feeling great this week. I have more energy and no ailments of any kind except the occasional stretching and poking in the belly. Baby's stretching out and getting comfortable in there! I used my fetal doppler last night again and Neil actually got to hear the baby's heartbeat! Usually I can't catch it long enough to pass the earbuds over to him in time. But he heard it (for the first time since our 11 week appointment) and was able to count out the heart rate and everything. It was in the 150s which is a little lower than its typical 160+ but still well in normal range of 120-160. I think Neil is starting to get more excited now too. For awhile he seemed a little overwhelmed with the idea, but I think he is more happy/excited than anxious now.

I'll share my highlights for week 14, and I really hope to share a belly photos soon. There is actually a little something to see now!

How Far Along:
14 weeks
Total Weight Gain: Weight is staying steady, none lost or gained this week.
Maternity Clothes: Occasionally maternity jeans - but I'm a little too small to keep them up all day! They are so comfy though!
Sleep: Normal. 7-9 hours a night.
Best Moment this week: Spending time with good friends on Saturday!
Gender: 4 weeks and counting...
Movement: Nothing yet!
Food Craving: Nothing too crazy. Mac and cheese sounded REALLY good the other day!
Symptoms: Feeling great today and most of this week.
What I miss: Not much at the moment!
What I am looking forward to: The weekend! Hoping to get a lot of stuff done (cleaning, organizing) and the in-laws are visiting and that means baby gear shopping!

I've been thinking a lot about big baby purchases, so stay tuned for a post about what I'm thinking about buying for baby!

Friday, August 13, 2010

That day has finally come...

Today is the first day I wore maternity jeans!

I bought a couple pairs last night at Old Navy, and decided to try them out today. My regular jeans still button and fit okay, but I've noticed at the end of the day I have a lot of stomach pain! I think I'll be much more comfortable with the stretchy pants. Here are the two pairs I got at Old Navy.

Skinny jeans


Relaxed fit crops


So far, they are much more comfy, but I look much more pregnant in them! Oh well, I am pregnant so I might as well look it!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Welcome to the 2nd trimester!

I'm 13 weeks this week, officially in the 2nd trimester. Apparently, this trimester is when most women feel the best during their pregnancies. So far, although I have been feeling better I don't think I'm completely "cured" of my pregnancy symptoms yet. Half my weekend was spent fighting a major migraine mostly without medication but with cold packs and crappy Tylenol which does nothing for pain. I finally took Ibuprofen when I just couldn't stand it any longer! But I have had more energy this week and have felt well enough to cook dinner a couple of nights and to do some cleaning and laundry. Not as much as I should be doing, but more than I've done in the last few weeks/months.

The baby is about 3 inches long and the size of a lemon this week. I'm starting to feel like I'm growing as well! My pants are getting a bit tighter and my clothes are fitting a bit differently. Without clothes on, there is definitely a visible bump forming! It's exciting but weird all at the same time. I've had a few months now to get adjusted to this pregnancy thing, but it still doesn't seem real sometimes.

This past weekend I made the first baby purchases of my pregnancy! I got some great deals at some yard sales (thanks to Elizabeth and her keen eye and baby expertise)! I got a baby backpack carrier ($4), two Baby Bjorn soft carriers ($1), the book "What to Expect in the First Year" ($1), and a 0-3 month Cincinnati Reds onesie and an 18 month Cincinnati Bengals onesie! Yay! My baby has clothes! The next things I might look for clothes-wise are bib overalls and white or neutral long sleeved onesies.

I've also been doing some research on carseats, strollers, travel systems, pack n plays, cribs, gliders, blah, blah, blah. I tend to over-think and over-plan, but since these are very important decisions, I'm letting myself do it. I also will have less and less time to do this in the coming weeks and months when the semester starts. Neil and I made our second trip to Babies R Us and looked at a bunch of baby stuff and it helped me a lot to get his input. I think we are getting closer to purchasing some things and starting our registry.

I'm going to do a post later about baby items and furniture I'm thinking about getting. For now, I'll just give my Pregnancy Highlights for week 13!


How Far Along: 13 weeks
Total Weight Gain: Haven't weighed myself this week yet!
Maternity Clothes: None. But I have some maternity tops now! My mom bought me a couple cute tanks in pink and black and a white tshirt. Pretty soon I'll be wearing them, I'm sure!
Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty well! Can't complain.
Best Moment this week: Feeling a bit better and finally buying stuff for baby.
Gender: Will know next month! Can't wait.
Movement: None yet.
Food Craving: Nothing in particular. I've started to eat a little healthier and better lately! Yay salads!
Symptoms: Migraines. Slight nausea sometimes. Emotional!
What I miss: Margaritas.
What I am looking forward to: A party on Saturday with some of my favorite people!

Well, I've realized that I really need to start taking and posting belly photos now that there is actually something to see and now that I'm in the second trimester. I'll see if I can get one taken tonight and get it posted!

Friday, August 6, 2010

Girl or Boy ?

It could be as soon as 6 weeks until we find out the gender! This all depends if I can convince the OB receptionist to schedule my appointment on the day I'm hoping for. My birthday is September 19, a Sunday. If I keep my appointments exactly 4 weeks apart, my ultrasound will be Monday, September 20, the day after my birthday. Ideally, I'd love to find out the Thursday or Friday before my birthday weekend! I'd love to know as soon as possible and it'd be great to share the news with friends at my birthday celebration.

However, Neil and I have been talking about going home and doing a gender reveal party with our families. The problem with this is that I'd have to wait longer to find out or I'd have to keep the gender a secret from my family for a week or so before we can get there for the reveal. Also, my hometown does not have a TJ Maxx or an Old Navy or a Kohls that my mom and I can shop at immediately after I tell her the sex of the baby!

So, I'm not sure. I guess I will see what happens with scheduling the ultrasound and let that decide it.

Regardless in 6 weeks or so, I should hopefully see my little one via ultrasound and know if its a boy or a girl. Right now I have no idea. I'm still leaning boy because Neil is so convinced it cannot be a girl! But really, I don't know. I can imagine us with a boy more than a girl, but I'm not really sure why. Part of me wants a boy because boys are so sweet with their mamas and I'd love the opportunity to raise a sweet, gentle, sensitive boy! Another perk to having a boy is a pretty selfish and stupid reason. You see, I'm pretty pampered by my husband. He kind of treats me like a princess, and I must admit, I like that status in the household. If we have a boy, I'd still (kind of) feel like the pampered one! Ha! I'm so mature.

On the other hand, I'd love to have a baby girl. Baby girl clothes are adorable. I love big bows and flower headbands and cute baby shoes and pink and baby dolls and the whole bit. I'd love to have a girl because I'm a pretty big girly girl myself. And thinking ahead to the future, it'd be awesome to raise a daughter. I know it won't be easy, cause heaven knows I didn't make it easy on my mother. Sorry for years 11-17, mom! Part of me just thinks since I'm a girl I might know how to raise one!

In all honesty, I don't have a preference. I am going to be thrilled to see our hopefully healthy baby swimming around on that ultrasound, penis or no penis. The waiting is killing me because I just want to know! I want to know and move on with all the decisions that are in front of me that pretty much rely on the gender. Completing the registry, baby bedding and decor, names (this naming thing is HARD!), buying clothes, etc. Let's just hope the baby cooperates and shows us "the goods" at the appointment.

But, the biggest reason for knowing the sex is one simple thing. I don't want to call this poor baby "it" any longer. I want to pick a name, start using it and begin incorporating this little life into our family.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Things Loved in July

1. Smoothies



I've been drinking a lot of smoothies, and I can't get enough! I make them at home and the cafe at my work has them. I think it is a pregnancy craving but the fact that it has been over 95 degrees here the last couple days means it's not really a wacky pregnancy craving.

2. Saltines



I often eat saltine crackers right before bed to combat morning sickness (which I mostly get at nighttime). I love the mini ones! FYI: they have high fructose corn syrup in them. Bummer.

3. How I Met Your Mother and Prison Break





I've watched all of Season 3 and almost all of Season 4 of How I Met Your Mother this past month. I LOVE that show but have missed a lot of the episodes, so it's been fun to watch the series all the way through. Neil and I just finished Season 1 of Prison Break, which is amazing! We watched episode 1 of Season 2 last night, and this show just keeps getting better. I wonder if we can finish the series (4 seasons total) before baby comes?

4. Angelsounds Fetal Heart Monitor



I bought an Angelsounds Fetal Heart Monitor at 8 weeks (Amazon, $25) I didn't actually pick up a heartbeat until Tuesday at 12 weeks 2 days! It's still been fun to play around with. I counted the beats per minute and it was right around 160 which is what it was at my OB appointment last week. I tried it again the next day and couldn't find it that time, so I am going to try to use it only a couple of times a week since I don't think it will be easy to find it every time this early. (UPDATE! Heard it again last night and found it within seconds. Love that sound!) It's a little static-y and not that loud, but I'd recommend it for people wanting a cheap doppler to try out.

That's what I loved in July!

Monday, August 2, 2010

My sweet little peach: 12 weeks

My little one is the size of a peach this week! How exciting. He or she is still pretty small but is growing and developing a lot! His/her vocal cords are forming, his/her pretty little eyes are moving from the sides of the head to the front where they belong, and baby is producing urine and probably peeing inside me right now! Thanks a lot baby!


I'm feeling much better: more energy, more hours/days without much nausea, and just a generally more relaxed spirit. The first few months I was pretty much a nervous wreck, so it's nice to sit back and kind of enjoy this experience a little bit!

This past weekend was really nice. My parents came in for a visit, and my mom helped me get a start on the baby room. I'm really just in cleaning/sorting mode right now, but there is a lot of that to do. After they left, Neil started on the big basement finishing project and I repainted a dresser for the baby's room. I'm building quite a huge list of things to do around the house! I think I'll be happy to have a list to refer to when Neil is busy in the basement and I'm feeling like a lazy bum on the couch.

I'm heading to the pool today after work, it's in the 90s and I gotta get in some pool time before the semester starts and I get super busy.

Here are some highlights for 12 weeks:

How Far Along: 12 weeks today.
Total Weight Gain: 3-4 lbs
Maternity Clothes: None, but I am starting to show a bit more.
Sleep: I'm not taking as many naps during the day and can stay up a little later. Still sleeping over 8 hours a night though! Better do it while I can!
Best Moment this week: Hanging out with my parents, Saturday Zumba class, making it through a very busy work week
Gender: Unknown until mid-September. Still thinking boy.
Movement: None yet.
Food Craving: Smoothies, cinnamon raisin English muffins.
Symptoms: Nausea (but its getting better), sore tailbone, headaches (could be unrelated), mood swings
What I miss: Being able to move furniture without pain! So annoying.
What I am looking forward to: Another relaxing yet productive weekend ahead!

Everything seems to be going just fine. I can't believe it's already August and I'm 12 weeks along. It seems like just yesterday when I was barely 5 weeks and totally scared! Now I'm just kind of scared. ;)