17 Weeks

How far along? 17 weeks & 6 days

Weight gain? Ending 2013 with a weight gain of 13 pregnancy pounds

Baby is the size of - an onion

Maternity clothes? When your own papaw asks you if the doctor has the due date right because you look like you should be farther along than you really are...yep, it's safe to say, maternity clothes are being worn.  LOL  Gotta love my papaw!

Stretch marks? Still in the clear when it come to stretch marks!

Sleep?  Sleep?  What is that? 

Miss anything? Only the previous mentioned misses

Cravings? Nothing new on the list of cravings.

Anything make you queasy or sick? The smell of deviled eggs.  I completely lost my appetite the other day after opening the fridge and catching a wiff of his deviled eggs.  They were even stored in a container and I could still smell them.  It will forever remain a mystery to me how anyone can eat those things!  YUCK!

Symptoms?  Headaches....shocking I know, but they seemed to have taken a turn for the worse this past week.  I'm blaming it on the stress of moving.

Belly button - in or out? In and wonky

Wedding rings - on or off? ON!

Any movement? Mr Pibb had this kid kicking the other day!

Happy or moody? Happy :) and absolutely exhausted

Looking forward to - Closing day on our new home!  Also next Wednesday... Boy or Girl?!?! 

Interesting week 17 fact - Your baby is about as wide as your palm, about six inches tall, and weighs about four ounces—about as much as a bar of soap.  Your baby is now covered with a downy layer of lanugo, which swirls in fingerprint-like formation over its whole body.

Our 1st Christmas in the same country TOGETHER

Word of advice, NEVER plan to close on a house around Christmas or New Years!  The holiday season is busy enough without all that added stress and I feel that our first Christmas season physically together was dimmed to all of the stress with the bank and knowing we had to move.  We are excited for the move no doubt, but it's been overwhelming to say the least.  Closing day on the townhouse is Thursday and we close on the new house Friday.  What a relief it will be to say, "it's finally done." 

We had several friends & family show up this past Saturday to help us load everything up.  I can't believe how we much stuff we had in such a tiny space!  I'm very grateful for all those that helped us, I don't know how we would've done it without them.  It's bittersweet selling the townhouse, it was the first home I purchased.  We are living with my parents until the house closes.  Most would complain about that fact, even if it is very short term, but not us.  We enjoy each other's company so it's not bad. 

16 Weeks

How far along? 16 weeks

Weight gain? I haven't checked since the last doctors appoint, which was a 10lb gain.  Not bad for the first trimester I don't think!

Baby is the size of - an avocado

Maternity clothes? This week I went from having over a handful of pre-pregnancy jeans that fit to having only two.  None of the others will button.

Stretch marks? Still in the clear when it come to stretch marks!

Sleep?  Thanks to my pregnancy pillow, I'm finding it more and more easy to sleep at night.  I LOVE IT!!!  Now if only I could get my dog to understand it's mine, not his!  He always manages to wedge himself in between me and the pillow!

Miss anything? Being able to go to my closet and pick out anything I want to wear.

Cravings?  Nothing new on the list of cravings.  Still eating my weight in Cuties daily.

Anything make you queasy or sick? Just those darned headaches. Go away!

Symptoms?  Headaches still; I don't think these are ever going to go away.  I've never been one to be drug down by headaches so I'm not liking this one bit! I've been having some pain in my pelvic area as well, I'm pretty sure that's due to the fact that I have a desk job and I'm sitting most of the day.  My hands are tied when it comes to that, there's not much I can do.

Belly button - in or out? IN! Although, from this point on, were just going to refer to it as looking wonky.

Wedding rings - on or off? ON!

Any movement?  No notable movements to report this week.  I can't wait till I start to feel the baby on a daily basis!

Happy or moody? Happy :) for the most part with a side of stress. This is our last week in the house.  Next weekend we will be packing up all of our things and going to live with my parents for at least a week until our new home closes.

Looking forward to - Christmas!  I can't believe that it's this coming week!  It's been such a stressful time the past few weeks, I think we've been so wrapped up with it all that we've forgot to stop and really enjoy the Christmas season this year.  Kinda makes me sad.

Interesting week 16 fact - The baby is growing hair, lashes and eyebrows.  The baby is also able to hear us now thanks to the tiny forming ear bones.  And taste buds are forming.

Dad-to-be loved the Preggo pillow too

So this past week, I feel like I've got some things rolling as far as the baby goes.  We picked up a baby crib, glider rocker and ottoman last weekend while we were in Winston-Salem visiting with family.  We are so grateful for their kind hearts and that they passed on their girls' baby furniture to us!

We booked a birth photographer.  It wasn't a very hard decision to make.  I want those first pictures of when our baby enters the world and obviously, I won't be able to take them.  And personally, I think a family member would be too emotionally attached to the situation to get all of those pictures that I long for due to them being wrapped up in the moment as well.  I emailed several area photographers and we ended up booking with my first choice.  I have no doubt that the pictures are going to come out amazing and we'll treasure them beyond words.  And if you are wondering, NO, the photographer will not be getting the doctor's view of the birth.  I don't want to see that and I'm sure no one else would either!  I've been working on an idea board on Pinterest to share with the photographer, even though I'm almost certain that we are on the same page as to the pictures that we are wanting.  Here's a link if you are interested in looking at what we have in mind Birth(day) Photography

As far as a gender revel, we are still up in the air about that one.  I know that it would be really exciting for everyone in our family to get together and find out what our little one will be but at the same time, it couldn't come as a worse time for us.  We close on our house the Friday before we find out on Wednesday (Jan. 8) so we know things are going to be super hectic till we get everything organized.  We are still juggling with the idea of it in our minds, but we're not sure that we will do a big reveal or not.  However, if we do have one, we already know the theme and how it will be done.

Here's a peak at our soon to be home and yard! We will have a yard!!!

15 Weeks

How far along? 15 1/2 weeks

Weight gain? 10 lbs at the last visit to the doctor last week

Baby is the size of - an apple

Maternity clothes? I'm finding them increasingly more and more comfortable

Stretch marks? Still in the clear when it come to stretch marks!  I've read reports and most say that if you got them in your early years you are likely to have them during pregnancy. I still have several noticeable stretch marks from puberty, praying I don't add anymore!  

Sleep?  Toss and turn, toss and turn.  Lord only knows how many times I wake up at night.

Miss anything? I must admit that it would be nice to have a glass of wine while kicked back on the couch with all the Christmas lights on and a movie on TV, but I'll survive.

Cravings? This past week there was one day that I HAD TO HAVE a Bojangles cajun chicken biscuit & seasoned fried, but then again, that is a craving prego or not from time to time!   There was another day that during lunch the only thing that sounded appealing to me was an apple covered in peanut butter and Pampered Chef caramel sprinkle mix! Yum!

Anything make you queasy or sick? Just those darned headaches. Go away!

Symptoms?  I mentioned the headaches again to the doctor at our appointment last week and she seems to think that they are tension headaches and there's really not much that can be done for them.  Ugh.  I seriously feel like I've been punched in the right side of the head!

Belly button - in or out? IN! Although, from this point on, were just going to refer to it as looking wonky.

Wedding rings - on or off? ON! They get tight from time to time, but I'm not taking them off (for now)

Any movement?  I felt the baby once this past week, how exciting!  Usually by the time I slow down enough to feel the baby, I fall asleep seconds later!

Happy or moody? Happy :) for the most part with a side of stress. Bank of America knows how to get my blood boiling when it comes to the house loan, but I turned over that stress to John so I can start focusing on baby things and less stressful issues.  Thank God for my husband, I never would've thought he'd be the calm one of the two of us!

Looking forward to - Christmas!  This is the first year that John & I will be spending Christmas together!  We've always had to Skype on Christmas as we opened gifts from one another since he was in Afghanistan.  I'm thankful for the distance that we had when our relationship first started since it forced us to learn how to communicate with each other but I'm so thankful to have him home now! 

Interesting week 15 fact - At 15 weeks, the skin is still thin and transparent, but the baby has developed a thin layer of hair to help protect the body. This layer of hair is called lanugo, and it is present on every part of your baby's body, even finger nails! 

14 Weeks

How far along? 14 weeks

Weight gain?  7lb gain and holding (for now)

Baby is the size of a Lemon

Maternity clothes?   I'm finding them increasingly more and more comfortable

Stretch marks? Still in the clear when it come to stretch marks!  However, a bit of cellulite is showing up…Boo!  I've been using my Mary Kay Extra Emollient Cream at night and Vasoline Aloe Gel the rest of the time.

Sleep?  This past week, I went to bed way early two nights in a row and slept completely through the night!  I felt amazing after those nights!  The other nights, now that's a different story!

Miss anything?  Other than the previous mentioned, nothing new to add.

Cravings?  I'm still stuck on Cuties.  Mozzarella sticks and salsa was also a must have this week.  The other day John came home and I was eating a pickle and drinking a glass of milk.  Minutes afterward I was like, "Did I seriously just drink a glass of milk and eat a pickle at the same time….ewww!"  Hello weird food combos!

Anything make you queasy or sick?  Just those darned headaches.  Go away!

Symptoms?  Headaches, please go away, I'm begging.  Acne, UGH; I've always had a problem with it but this week it's flared up something fierce! Between the headaches, sleepiness, weight gain and acne it's really hard to feel pretty a lot of days.

Belly button - in or out? IN!  Although, it's starting to look a little wonky.

Wedding rings - on or off?  ON!  They get tight from time to time, but I'm not taking them off (for now)

Happy or moody?  Happy :) for the most part with a side of stress.  Bank of America knows how to get my blood boiling when it comes to the house loan!

Looking forward to - January 8th!  We find out if we are having a boy or girl! We also have another appointment on Monday just for a check up and to hear the baby's heartbeat again.  I'm excited since John will be able to come this time!

Advice I think I'll pass on - One of the workers at our OB office told me that if I didn't feel like eating, it was okay.  Test had been done on babies born to women while in concentration camps and they did just fine.  She then followed up with the fact that I may not fair so well if I don't eat because they baby will take everything possible from me but who in the world tells this to a pregnant person?!  Ummmm…I think I had to pick my jaw up off the conference room table I was sitting at before I left that day!  WORST advice hands down I think that I will hear throughout this pregnancy!  EAT, GAIN WEIGHT, BE HEALTHY FOR YOU & BABY!


This week I had a birthday, I celebrated the 3rd anniversary of my 29th birthday. What a difference a couple years can make in how we celebrated.  This year, I worked on my birthday and afterwards met my husband for dinner at Ichiban and a movie.  Ichiban is always a great place to grab hibachi and sushi.  Before you flip out, NO, I did not eat raw sushi!  I did have a "Bonsai" Roll, which is made of avocado, cream cheese and crab wrapped in cucumber.  YUM!  It's my absolute favorite roll and I'm thrilled that I can eat it while pregnant! After dinner, we went to see the animated movie Frozen.  It was a cute movie but I was rather disappointed that most of the funny parts were in the commercials.  It was a great night though, I always enjoy getting out and spending time with my husband! 

  

We did get together at my parents house to celebrate with the family the day after, since it was a Friday and everyone could be there.  Me & the baby enjoyed a cookie cake and an ice cream cake, YUM!