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!