26 Weeks and the beginning of December

Here I am at 26 weeks, 3 days.  

I think I am starting to look pretty big!  I had gained 22 pounds around this time, I think.  I am in the normal range, but at the high end.  I sorta wish it was a bit less, but I know I've been eating tons of sweets, so it's my own fault!  Oh well!  It's the holidays, and as long as my doctor isn't worried, neither am I.  I didn't mention in my last post that the baby is really starting to move a lot now.  Some days I swear it is trying to climb out my belly button.  I am not really uncomfortable yet, but it is definitely weird!  It swims all over, kicks my bladder, my ribs, and everything in between.  It's fun to feel, especially now that I can sort of pick up its patterns.  It is very active at bedtime, of course.  Steve cracks up at how much it gets moving sometimes!  And for some reason, when I take baths, it goes nuts too.  It's fun to lay there, relax, and just watch my belly move all over the place.

December 9th marked the beginning of my third trimester.  Apparently the baby is now the size of a head of cauliflower.  Weird analogy to me, but whatever.  The baby is about 2 lbs, and is 15 inches long.  Craziness!  And it seems that that week all hell broke lose.  I sneezed and lost control of my bladder (it was only like 2 drops, but ew!  I was praying that part would skip me!), my back was killing me, I began to waddle, my hips began to ache at night from sleeping on my side and I just feel generally huge all of a sudden.  But even still, I don't have much to complain about.

Steve's birthday was December 11th, so that was a fun weekend.  We went to Gino's with the fam on Friday night for some yummy Italian food and good wine.  Then Saturday we woke up and I made Steve pancakes and we went to the gym (which I am now obsessed with).  Then he worked on some computer stuff while I baked about 50 cupcakes and straightened the house up.  We had some friends over on Saturday night to watch the UFC fight and then played poker after.  It was a good night.  Then Sunday I shopped while Steve hung around the house.  Then we went to SIP, which is a wine tasting place on Kanan on the way to the beach.  Cool atmosphere, good music, and we got food from my fave, Blue Table.  It was a really nice weekend, and I think Steve had a nice birthday.  He hates getting older, but I keep reminding him that this is going to be a great year for him!

24 Weeks and the rest of November

November 18th marked 24 weeks pregnant.  I am not doing my usual update, because I am too behind and it would take way too long to catch up on where the baby is at developmentally.  I will do a real update for my 28 week post.  But here I am at 24 weeks, 1 day pregnant.  I think that it was at this point that I started to feel pretty tired again.

About 5 minutes after taking this picture, I left for the airport, to go visit Vanessa for the weekend.  I took Friday off, so I flew up Friday morning and stayed until Sunday afternoon.  As soon as Vanessa picked me up, she handed me a folded up shiny paper, that I have become all too familiar with.  It was an ultrasound!  Turns out, she is pregnant too!  She was waiting to tell me until I came up there.  She always does this, and it makes me crazy.  I found out she was pregnant at my bachelorette party, about a week after she found out.  And I found out she was engaged about a full MONTH after Patrick proposed, because she mailed me a bridesmaid book to surprise me, and it kept getting lost.  Anyway, it was a great surprise, but I can't believe she didn't tell me sooner.  She is due June 18th I think, so only about 3 months after me!  

We spent the weekend eating and shopping.  Mostly me eating, since she is miserably nauseous.  She helped me with my registry, which was great, since I don't really know what we will need.  I also had a great time hanging with Emma.  She followed me everywhere I went.  She wanted to play with me, have me read to her, sit with me.  She even waited outside the bathroom door, every time I went, to make sure I wouldn't leave.  It was pretty cute.  I got some Christmas shopping done, and did some relaxing.  It was really nice.

The next week was Thanksgiving.  We had it at our house again, with my parents and brother, Steve's parents, my cousin Lin, and our friends, Jeff and Nisha.  I had a meltdown and luckily my mom and Tina helped me and forgave me when I was a be-otch to them.  Dinner was fantastic as usual, and everyone was a huge help.  I had made a lot of things the day before, so that really helped too.  Although, by the end of the night, my feet and back were killing me, and I was done.  That was when my backaches started, which lasted a couple of weeks.  Here's our yummy turkey...

The rest of the weekend was spent with Steve putting up the outside Christmas lights, me shopping for decorations and presents, and finally, decorating the house.  We didn't get the tree up till Sunday night because we were too tired.  Steve had a genius idea this year....we got a dog gate thingie to keep the cats from killing the tree and presents.  And it works!  The tree is still in one piece, and I haven't had a single meltdown over them ruining it!  You can kinda see it here.

On a baby note...I had my glucose tolerance test the week of Thanksgiving, and I passed.  Which means that I don't have and probably won't get gestational diabetes.  The test really wasn't all that bad.  Then the next week I had another check up with my OB, and she says that I am doing great.  It's funny cuz at the beginning, every appt was so exciting.  And now, it's like a routine.  Check in, pee in a cup, get weighed, see dr, she finds the heartbeat on the Doppler, asks if I have any questions, and then tells me whatever is "next" on the agenda, as far as tests/milestones go.  It takes about 15 min.  So funny.  I still love going and hearing that I am doing well, but it's almost mundane at this point.  I think it'll get fun again soon since we are nearing the end!

Vegas baby!

We took our annual trip to Vegas this year, but this time with a big group of friends, and in November instead of December.  We left on Thursday, and came home on Sunday.  It was SO nice to be off work for four whole days!  We stayed at the MGM.  The rooms were really nice, and the hotel is huge!  It took me four days to figure out where I was going because the casino was just a big maze.  Most of the weekend Steve and I lost money, and we didn't do a whole lot of gambling.  But on the last day, on my last $20, on my last pull of a slot, I got a spin on the Wheel of Fortune machine and won $125.  So I quit and ended up only losing about $100 for the whole weekend.  Steve also won on that machine, and so we ended up ok overall.

The first night we walked the strip and explored a bit.  It was really cold, and basically everyone was just interested in drinking, of course.  We ate at Margaritaville, which was fun.  The second night we went to the Hofbrauhaus.  It was really interesting.  Loud, fun, very entertaining.  As you can see from the pics below, the boys had a great time!  Steve and I ventured off to Red Rock Resort and Casino on Saturday, and now I want to go stay there next summer.  It was super nice.  Awesome pool, movie theater, bowling alley and very clean casino.  So maybe next summer we can go with our parents and baby.  Or by ourselves for a quick getaway.  We'll see.

It was a fun getaway, and we probably won't get another one before this baby arrives!

22 weeks

I forgot to mention in my last post that I am feeling the baby move all the time now!  Steve has felt it a few times, and he is always so surprised by how strong it's kicks/punches are.  It's really fun to feel the baby move around, except when it karate chops my ovaries or my bladder.


We went to the doctor today.  I am measuring perfect, my weight is right on track, and everything seems great!  Next milestone is my glucose tolerance test in 2 weeks.  I better pass!

Here I am at 22 weeks.  I am looking tired because I had just finished a crying fit.  Hormones got the best of me a few days this week!

How pregnant am I?:  22 weeks, 4 days

Weight gain so far:  16 whopping pounds.  Yikes!

Belly Button:  Definitely getting flatter, but not an "outtie" yet

Clothing options:  Maternity, maternity, maternity

Boobs:  Had to go buy bigger bras, AGAIN.  Uf.

Now about the real star of the show:  Last week our baby was the size of a banana, and this week it has grown to a papaya.  It's getting pretty cramped in my uterus now.  The baby pretty much fills all the empty space, and now they will grow together.  Not a whole lot of room already in there though!  Baby Nichols has taste buds, and I read somewhere that I should be eating lots of different foods, so the baby hopefully won't be too picky after it begins eating solid food.  The baby also sleep about 12-14 hours a day!  It weighs more than a pound now, and that will double over the next 4 weeks.  It has eyebrows and eyelashes, and is growing hair on its head.  The crazy thing is, the hair is bright white, since there is no pigment yet.  

Pregnancy "symptoms":   Well, I feel the baby kick a lot now.  Particularly when I lay down to go to sleep at night.  And after I eat.  It definitely likes food!  Also, I am having heartburn, but it hasn't been horrible yet.  I just chew my tums, and try not to lay on the couch after dinner.  I have to make sure I am sitting up!

Cravings:  Sweets still

What I've bought so far:  We haven't bought anything new, but we did pick up the crib that Steve's cousins gave us.  And Mona gave us a swing and a bouncer chair.  We have lots of stuff for this baby already!  And we also picked out paint colors a few weekends ago, although Steve probably won't paint for a few more weeks.

Best moment this week:  Feeling baby kick me all the time.

What I miss:  Nothing really this week.  I am content!

What I am excited for this week:  Vegas Baby!  We leave on Thursday, so only two more work days this week!

21 weeks

Here I am at 21 weeks.

I am definitely getting bigger, but not too huge yet!  This is a comfortable time for me.  No big complaints, and I definitely got some energy back.  I've been cleaning again, working on odds and ends around the house, baking, etc.  It's nice to have some energy back!  During this week, I went to my cousin's 40th birthday party, which was a really good time.  Then the next Saturday, I went to see Lady Antebellum at the Nokia theater with Amanda.  They were awesome and we had a great time!  So I had two late Saturday nights in a row, but I wasn't nearly as tired as I thought I would be.  Before I was pregnant, staying up that late ruined me for a few days.  But maybe that was because a lot of wine usually accompanied those late nights?  Who knows.  But I was grateful to not be completely spent the next day.

We didn't do anything for Halloween this year.  I am sure next year will be much more eventful!  Steve has said that he is in charge of the baby's costume, so lord knows what he will come up with!

20 week anatomy scan

Yesterday and today we had doctor appts.  Yesterday was with my OB.  We didn't get a new ultrasound, but she did listen to the heartbeat on the Doppler.  She asked if I could feel the baby yet, and I told her I think I am feeling it, but not sure.  She said that the baby was all over the place and she was having to chase it around to find the heartbeat!  I did feel it move last Friday.  I was sitting on the couch talking to Steve, and I felt 2 swift kicks...to my bladder.  Figures.  Then on Saturday I was laying in bed watching TV, and I felt a twitch, kind of like when you get a muscle twitch.  I put my hand on my belly and felt it again, but haven't felt anything like that since.  I know it's moving around though, because I feel weird rumblings that I never felt before!  Anyway, my OB said everything looks great, and my Downs test and Trisomy test results came back with great results, so it seems that we dodged all of the genetic disease bullets so far!

Then today we had our anatomy scan with the perinatologist.  My mom and Steve's mom came with us, since we thought it'd be neat for them to see the baby moving around.  We got to see all the major organs, and then the dr took measurements of EVERYTHING.  Arm bones, leg bones, position of the feet, organ size, blood flow, fluid going in and out and lots of measurements of the head and heart.  It was really really neat!  Of course, since it was stormy today, we lost power in the middle of the scan.  So even though the machine had a backup power source, the DVD recording that we were supposed to get got cut short.  We have to go back and pick up the DVD since when we left the power was still out.  But the good news is, the baby is measuring exactly on track, and everything looks perfect.  There wasn't one measurement that was abnormal.  We made sure to stay away from the girl/boy parts since we don't want to know the sex.  But the tech said everything there looked ok too!

Apparently we get one more in depth scan in 8 more weeks, so again, that will be fun!  I am officially 20 weeks in 2 days, which means half way!

Here are some pics from the scan today...

Baby looks like he or she is blowing bubbles! You can see head, abdomen, and legs/feet!

Perfect little feet!

19 weeks

How pregnant am I?:  19 weeks

Weight gain so far:  I think I was at 10.5

Belly Button:  No change from a couple of weeks ago

Clothing options:  Maternity all the way, with the exception of a few of my old longer tees and sweaters, and flowy shirts.

Boobs:  No change

Now about the real star of the show:  Baby Nichols is a large mango!  And weighs about 1/2lb!  It's getting so big, I can't wait to see it at our scan next week!  It's arms and legs are in proportion, and bone is forming from the previous cartilage.  Which means the baby is really moving now!  Our baby is also now covered in vernix, the white stuff that you see on babies when they are born.  It's a waxy covering to keep it from getting too pruny in its 9 month bath!

Pregnancy "symptoms":   Nothing to report, so again, that's good!  I feel like I am getting the hang of this!

Cravings:  Still sweets, don't expect that to change!

What I've bought so far:  Nothing new this week

Best moment this week:  Realizing that it is harder to move around and get up from the couch/bed, which means baby is growing!!

What I miss:  Wine, although I have had a few sips here and there.

What I am excited for this week:  Well, since I still haven't felt the baby move, I am looking forward to that!  And to our anatomy scan next week!

18 weeks

I haven't been great about keeping up with this...time just goes by so fast!  Here I am at 18 weeks...

How pregnant am I?:  18 weeks (when this pic was taken)

Weight gain so far:  I think I was up to about 8 or 9 pounds by then.

Belly Button:  No change from a couple of weeks ago

Clothing options:  Pretty much wearing all maternity clothes.  I went shopping and got a bunch of clothes.  Steve almost had a heart attack, but I was out growing everything.  So now I have some cute new options!

Boobs:  No change.

Now about the real star of the show:  Baby Nichols went from an avocado, to an onion (week 17) to a sweet potato.  Last week the baby started putting on baby fat, and also was able to hear.  It's also practicing sucking, swallowing and urinating.  Baby is also developing fingerprints.  This week, the nervous system is developing, and it is becoming really active - kicking, punching, hiccuping.

Pregnancy "symptoms":   Nothing really, which I can't complain about!

Cravings:  Still sweets! 

What I've bought so far:  All the bedding and other items for the nursery that go with it.

Best moment this week:  Feeling good!

What I miss:  Sleeping thru the night without having to get up to use the bathroom.

What I am excited for this week:  To feel the baby move, hopefully it will be this week!  (since it wasn't last!)

16 weeks!

My last post showed the bedding/theme that I want for our nursery, and I have found quite a few of the items on ebay.  I also found a woman who has almost every piece, and she is putting together a group of items for me to buy.  So I should have everything soon!  I received the clock and the mobile the other day, and the cute little lambs on the mobile made me tear up.  Lol.

Today I cleaned out the rest of the nursery, so now we can start figuring out paint colors and furniture.  I think we will probably clean the carpet in there too.  Steve just has to move a few items out, but everything else is done!  I started a few weeks ago and ran out of energy, so I was very happy to get it done today.

We had a doctor appt on Friday, the 24th, and everything still looks great.  The second my dr placed the doppler on my belly, we heard the heartbeat.  Not like last time when she couldn't find it on that at all.  Then she did an ultrasound to check the length of my cervix, and she said it is perfect, so we don't have to worry about me having a cerclage!  Yay!  We got a few pictures, and one really freaks me out!  Looks like an alien baby!

Baby's head on left, with hand waving hello in the middle

Alien baby.  Head on left again, and that's an eye socket and mouth!

I am getting a real belly now.  16 weeks exactly here.

How pregnant am I?:  16 weeks, 3 days

Weight gain so far:  Well, as of Thursday, when I was 16 weeks, I had still only gained 4 lbs.  Then Friday I was +6 lbs.  Then Saturday I was +7lbs.  I stopped weighing myself after that.  Maybe I will again at 17 weeks, we'll see!

Belly Button:  No change from a couple of weeks ago

Clothing options:  Wearing more and more maternity pants.  It's just more comfortable.  I am having problems with shirts though, because my old ones are too short, but the maternity shirts are way too long.  I might just go back to Nordstroms and buy some regular shirts that are in the longer styles to get me thru the next couple months.

Boobs:  Not sore anymore, and they don't seem so huge.  Guess I've gotten used to them.

Now about the real star of the show:  Baby Nichols went from an orange to an avocado to a turnip.  He or she is growing toenails and is now pumping 25 quarts of blood each day.  Baby is also gaining body fat, soon to be cute chubby hamhock legs like mommy's were.  The coolest thing, is that baby can now hear, so Steve has been talking to it a lot.  Supposedly I should feel it move soon too!  Baby can also detect light, but it's eyelids are still sealed shut.  And it is probably sucking its thumb.

Pregnancy "symptoms":   Nothing really this week.  Last week, I had some GI bug or something, and was having horrible pain/bloating all week long.  Then after about 6 days it disappeared.  My OB doesn't think it had to do with the baby.  I probably just ate something that irritated my intestines.  That was the worst thing so far.  This last week I felt pretty good.  I even got in 2 days of 1 hr walks, which I really need to do more often!

Cravings:  Sweets, which I am now going to cut back on.

What I've bought so far:  More maternity clothes, an UdderCover (only had to pay shipping, got it for free!) and the mobile, clock, a photo frame and window valances, all from the nursery collection that we will have.

Best moment this week:  Having Steve kiss my belly and talk to baby every day.

What I miss:  Still wine.  And being able to sleep on my belly or back.  I always end up on my side and it makes my hips and legs ache.

What I am excited for this week:  To feel the baby move, hopefully it will be this week!

Nursery

I have been trying to find a gender neutral nursery theme that I love for a few months now.  And I just finally found it.  And it is a discontinued line.  But I found ALL of the pieces on Ebay, so I have some work to do.  Steve is going to have a heart attack when he sees how much it will all cost, but I HAVE to have it.  And he even likes it, which is a miracle.  Here it is.

It's called Starlight and it is so cute.  It's blue and green and yellow, and moons and stars and lambs.  I LOVE it!  I have to have it!!

14 Weeks

So I am going to start doing something a little bit different.  I am sorta copying a friend's blog (Karis I hope you don't mind!) because I really enjoy reading her updates.  It'll also help me chronicle this pregnancy better, because I am already forgetting things from the beginning, and that was only like 8 weeks ago!  So by the end, I am sure I'll forget plenty (that is why women go thru this multiple times, right?  Because they forget?! Actually, this is a breeze, I'm not complaining.)

How pregnant am I?:  14 weeks

Weight gain so far:  4.5 lbs.  yeseterday I had only gained 3.5, but as of this morning, another pound appeared.  I am right on track, and quite proud of myself, considering my food choices and lack of exercise. :)

Belly Button:  Believe it or not, I took my piercing out a few weeks ago, because my belly button is already shallower than it was.  It definitely looks different!

Clothing options:  I can still wear almost all of my clothes, especially with the help of the Bella Bands (genius).  But I did receive some clothes from a couple of friends, and I also went out and bought a few things this past weekend.  I wore a cool pair of Old Navy maternity jeans to work yesterday, and they are a bit big (again, love those Bella Bands, they even hold up too-big pants!) but they were soooo cute and comfy.  They will be my new favorite pants in no time.  I also definitely have some shirts/sweaters that I can no longer wear because they are too short in the front.  I could be HUGE by the end of this pregnancy!

Boobs:  Still huge and sore and the subject of many conversations around here.  But luckily, no stretch marks or anything yet!

Now about the real star of the show:  This week Baby Nichols will be growing from the size of a lemon to a navel orange.  Hard to believe it is already that big!  But at least that begins to explain my growing tummy.  Apparently he or she is also getting more graceful in its movements, rather than being jumpy and jerky.  I can't feel anything yet though.  Baby Nichols can also squint, frown, grimace, pee, and suck its thumb!  It's also stretching out and straightening up.  And it's body is starting to catch up to its head (last week, the head was half the entire length of the body!).  Finally, baby is growing hair all over its body (not just on its head), which it will eventually lose, but for now it is keeping it warm since it has very little body fat.  

Pregnancy "symptoms":   I am actually feeling pretty good all day, normal even.  But then I crash hard around 9pm, like I ran a marathon all day or something.  I sleep ok, but I end up on my side a lot, which isn't all that comfortable.  But I really can't complain because I am still getting a lot of sleep!  And dare I say it, but I haven't had much of a back ache for a few days now (knock on wood), and that was my biggest complaint last week.  Let's hope that lasts, because back aches suck, especially at work!  Steve would probably say another symptom is me having "pregnancy brain," which he makes fun of me for all the time.  It's getting better, but I still do dumb things everyday that can't be explained by anything else.  Oh, and I also have what I think is round ligament pain, every time I stand up too fast.  Other than that, no labor signs, nothing else of note.

Cravings:  Still want lots of fruit, and baked goods (I actually baked a cake this week, something I never do!)

What I've bought so far:  Maternity clothes, and that's it.  I tried to buy something cute for the baby this past weekend when I was out with my mom, but finding neutral clothing is near impossible!

Best moment this week:  Having a three day weekend, and finally clearing out the "nursery" and combining the guest room with the office.  Now we just have to decide how we want to decorate the nursery so we can begin painting!

What I miss:  Wine.  But I'll live.  And sleeping thru the night (meaning, not getting up to pee 5 times a night)

What I am excited for this week:  No big events planned, but I am looking forward to another weekend with my hubby!

Next up, second trimester!

September 2^nd, 2010 (13w – First day of second trimester!)

Apparently I am not blogging enough.  I can’t believe it’s been 6 weeks.  Today I am officially starting my second trimester.  I am 13 weeks, and the baby is as big as a peach.  Or as long as a shrimp.  Depends on which website I go to.  Either way, baby is getting big!  All major systems are in place, and now it’s just a matter of growing them.  Baby Nichols has fingers, toes, all its organs, and actually looks like a baby now, instead of an alien-like being.  I am thinking of copying my friend Karis’ blog, because she does a weekly update of all symptoms and growth and all that, and it is really neat.

Since I last wrote, we have had 2 more appts with my OB.  Everything has been right on track, and we have gotten to see the baby both times.  At my last appt, we were only going to get to hear the heartbeat, but she couldn’t find one with the Doppler alone, so we ended up getting an ultrasound.  I think baby was just hiding out.  Here's a pic from that visit.

11 weeks, 6 days.  Baby's head is half the length of the body at this point.  And the "floating"  dot in the center is a hand waving hello.

Then last Friday we had our nuchal translucency scan with a perinatologist.  Basically it’s an appt with a specialist, they do bloodwork, and an in depth ultrasound, and check for Downs and a few other birth defects.  Everything came back perfect, so we are in the clear most likely!  We got to see baby much closer up at this one.  Saw fingers, toes, its brain, facial features.  It was really neat.  And baby was jumping around and kinda hiccupping, which was fun.  I can’t wait to start feeling movement!

Next up is an appt with my OB in 3 more weeks, to check the length of my cervix.  I might need a cerclage, but hopefully not!  We’ll see, but I am hoping for the best.  Then at 20 weeks, we have another appt with the perinatologist for a big ultrasound in which the dr checks out all the organs.  Since we are not finding out the sex of Baby Nichols, we’ll have to warn everyone to tell us to look away when they check out those parts!  Even though I am completely convinced it’s a girl.  If they pull a boy out, I might freak out, cuz I just know it’s a girl.  (wow will I eat my words if I am wrong!)  Steve is holding out for a boy though.  He is terrified of a teenage girl and figures if we at least have a boy first, she’ll have another male to keep her in line.  (Haha)

I am posting a new pic from today.  I am busting out of my pants, even though I’ve only gained 3-4 lbs.  I am mostly just bloated, but my pants don’t fit anymore!  I am headed out shopping this weekend cuz I am so uncomfortable at work. 

13 weeks, end of first trimester

I also went to the gym for the first time in months.  I have to keep that up!  It felt great to have some energy and actually want to work out.  I am not being obsessive about what I eat and what I weigh, but I’d like to not gain a ton of weight!  So I have to keep active for as long as I can.

We also are going to finally work on the nursery a bit this weekend.  We were going to last weekend, but instead we took off for Palm Springs for a quick getaway to our favorite resort.  I read an entire book, lay by the pool, and just relaxed.  But this weekend we need to combine the guest room and office, and make room for baby!  We don’t have any furniture yet, but we need to get things cleared out so we can see what we are working with.  I am looking forward to fixing it up and figuring out a theme!

10 weeks

Here's a pic of me at 10 weeks.  Don't really have a belly yet, but my pants are definitely getting tight!

8 weeks, 6 days

We went to the doc again on August 4th, which I will talk about more in my next update post, but here is a pic from that visit.  I was measuring a couple of days further along, but everything looks great!  The baby's head is on the right, and the little thing sticking up on the left is a foot!

First doctor appt

July 26^th, 2010 (7w4d)

I am officially 7 weeks and 4 days pregnant.  We went to my OB on July 13^th, and went over the basics.  Our health histories, what I can and cannot eat/drink, and what I can and cannot do in regular everyday life.  I don’t really have any restrictions physically at this point, which is great.  She asked me if I was feeling sick yet and I said no and she told me I was lucky.  Then we found out why.  On that visit, I was measuring at 5 weeks, 5 days.  Not as far along as I thought, but I kind of expected that.  So I was about a week and a half off.  Our due date is March 10^th.  We got to see baby that day, and even see its heartbeat!  She did an ultrasound and measured and said I was right on track for when I actually got a positive pregnancy test.  She gave me some info and lots of lab forms, and that was it.  We go back on August 4^th, and by then I will be almost 9 weeks, and we should get to see something much more interesting!

I went and had genetic tests and standard blood work done that week, and I haven’t heard from the office, so that means that most likely everything is just fine.  I’ll find out for sure at my next appt.

So in the weeks since, I’ve definitely had some changes.  Three days after my appt, I started feeling not so great at work.  Just run down and a bit nauseous.  Then Steve and I went camping and that was not so fun.  It was 100 degrees, and I felt icky and we ended up coming home half a day early because we were all so hot and miserable.  Then that whole next week I didn’t feel well at all.  I never threw up, but I felt nauseous 24/7.  Eating was difficult, and work was annoying cuz I really just wanted to be home in bed.  Then this past weekend, I felt so awful that I hardly got out of bed.  Those were the two worst days.  Steve and I ventured out to Babies R Us and Jamba Juice on Sunday, and I could hardly walk – I was so tired and nauseous it hurt to move.  So I came home and went back to bed.  Then this morning I got up and ready for work, and at about 1pm, I realized that I hadn’t been nauseous all day!  So let’s hope it stays that way!  I feel like my old self tonight, and I even went out and got us sushi and it was yummy again.  (I had it a few weeks back and I didn’t even like it.)

Other changes are that my boobs finally started growing and are now heavy and huge (even more so than usual) and hurt.  I have also been feeling a bit crampy and have had minor back aches.  I also have some strange stretching feelings in my lower abdomen.  I guess my uterus and round ligament are growing already.  Its crazy to feel it, and I can’t imagine what it’s gonna feel like with a 2, 3, 4, 5lb baby in there.  And I am also hungry all the time.  But I am used to that with the thyroid stuff I’ve been thru over the years.  I still want fruit all the time, and I don’t want meat, or even fish that is cooked too much and resembles meat.  Hopefully now that I am not nauseous, I can get back to eating a bit better.  I have already given in to cravings for rootbeer floats, which I never used to do.

So overall, today is a much better day, and I just hope it stays that way, but that nothing is wrong.  I am a happy camper tonight, and I can’t wait to go to our appt in 9 days!!

5 weeks, 5 days.  The circle is the yolk sac, the baby is the top part between the "+" signs (looks like a diamond on a ring)

Baby on Board

July 1, 2010

Today is the start of the fifth day that I have known I am pregnant!  And tomorrow marks 7 weeks! I think.  I’ll know for sure after I go see my OB in 2 weeks.

Let’s back up.  Last week, I started wondering if I might actually be pregnant.  I was making breakfast one morning, and suddenly I didn’t want to eat.  Weird.  Then, at lunchtime, I didn’t want to eat either.  I wasn’t nauseous or anything, it’s just that suddenly nothing sounded good.  And we all know how strange that is.  I love to eat.  All the time.  Ha-ha.  I have been on 4-5 week cycles, and last week was 4.5 weeks.  So maybe I was late, maybe I wasn’t.  On Wednesday, June 23^rd, I took a pregnancy test, and it was negative.  That night, I noticed that my gums were sore.  Another odd thing.  And I was so bloated it was ridiculous.  And now all I wanted to eat was fruit 24/7.  I ate so much fruit last week it’s not even funny.  But all I could do was wait and see.  Then on Friday, I took another test, and it was negative.  This was the make it or break it day.  All day long, nothing.  Then that night, I could have sworn that I started my period, but I didn’t.  So by the time I woke up Saturday, I was a day late, and that has never happened!  So I was pretty sure that I had a baby on board!  But I made myself wait it out another full day just in case, since I really didn’t want to see another negative test. 

Welcome to June 27^th, the day we found out that we are going to have a baby!  I woke up at 6am, took a test, and for the first time in my life, saw a “+” instead of a “-“.  Let me tell you what a weird feeling that is!  When you spend half your life trying to NOT get pregnant, it is surreal to see that positive and be happy about it!  So I ran back to bed, shoved my face right up to Steve’s and when he opened his eyes, all I could do was nod my head; I couldn’t even get the words out.  He was so happy and just kept saying “really?  Wow!”  Funny thing is, we got out of bed, and looked at all 3 tests from that week, and on second glance, the second one, from Friday was actually a positive, but so faintly, that I didn’t even notice!

Bottom = Wednesday, not pregnant.
Middle = Friday, pregnant, but thought it was a negative!
Top = Sunday, pregnant!!

Also, apparently the end of June is a really magical time for us.  We got engaged on June 29^th, married on June 28^th, and found out we’re having a baby on June 27^th.  What will happen next year on June 26^th?  Another baby?  Haha, just kidding!

So Monday morning I called my endocrinologist and my OB, and I already had to take a blood test and I get the results tomorrow.  The biggest concern is keeping my thyroid levels in check so our little sweet pea (that’s the size this week) gets enough.  So far, so good.  We’ll see what my thyroid doc has to say tomorrow.  Then, in less than 2 weeks, we see my OB, and hopefully, we’ll get to see the little guy/girl and hear its heartbeat!  I am trying to make it to that appointment before we tell our parents.  I don’t want to get their hopes up too much just in case.  And I am trying to prepare myself in case something is wrong, but not think the worst and be negative.  I am just trying to be realistic.  At least we know we can get pregnant, and that is half of it!  Now we just have to stay pregnant!

This week has dragged on forever.  It’s like time slowed down.  I want it to be July 13^th already!  I am a little tired this week, but the biggest symptom is waking up at 2, 3, 4am having to go to the bathroom.  You’d think I drank a gallon of water before I went to bed!  But that is just about it so far.  I can definitely smell things better, which is good and bad (lovely bakery smell in the grocery store yesterday vs. sour milk smell of my favorite treat, Lotus frozen yogurt).  I feel like I am eating all the time, although I am not really nauseous yet.  I’ve had little 5-minute episodes, but then they pass.

So for now, I will eat, drink water, and go to the bathroom and pray that our little sweet pea is strong and resilient and will stay put!  I can’t wait to tell the world about Baby Nichols!  Oh, and by the way, the vote right now is to not find out the sex of the baby.  It’s gonna be a long 34 weeks!

Baby Nichols posts

I am finally doing some updating!  I began blogging in a Word doc about my pregnancy when we first found out, so I am going to update the blog with those posts.  And I plan on being much better about updating now that we are in the middle of such an important part of our lives!

The Big 3-0

So this year was the big 3-0. All of my friends kept asking me if I was freaking out about getting old. I never did. I guess because I don't feel 30. And maybe because I have always been the youngest of my friends and family. I just don't really get what the big deal is.

Anyway, Steve surprised me this year. My birthday was on a Friday, so after work, Steve told me to pack a bag, and kidnapped me. We drove towards Orange County, and about an hour into our trip I guessed our destination. Disneyland! Thanks to Steve's cousin Kim, we had free (!) tickets to Disneyland, and even got the park hopper tix. So we stayed at the Ayres hotel in the OC Friday night, then got up bright and early Saturday morning and headed to Disneyland. We had so much fun. (Can you tell I was excited?)

The park wasn't too crowded, and Steve had never been to California Adventure. We went on Tower of Terror, CA Soarin', the rollercoaster, and walked around a bit. There isn't a ton to do without kids there, so it was great to have the free ticket and just stay for a little bit. Then we headed to Disneyland and all the good rides except the Haunted Mansion were open. Lunch at ESPN Zone with wings and Patron shots (and a princess crown) made for a great afternoon back in the park.

We had a really good time, and ran around like teenagers all day. Probably (and hopefully) the last time we'll be there on our own, without kiddos!

Then the next day, we went to lunch at Latigo Kid. I thought this would be like 10-12 family members, and it turned out that there were 40 family members and friends there! Another fun surprise for me. Thanks to everyone who came, it was a really special day!