Seeing the baby move

I looked down as the baby was kicking me this afternoon and i could actually see my belly move with the big kicks!  Talk about a big distraction!

Don't laugh at pregnant women.

This morning Jason kissed the baby good morning and noticed my belly button and didn't know what it was, or rather it took him a minute to figure out what it was.  Despite me hitting him with a pillow f few times he persisted until at last I thought he had gotten over his humor.  Unfortunately he decided instead of trying to stop laughing he would crack a joke about my belly button about how he thought it was a mole that had been removed until he figured it out - starting the laughing all over again.  After hitting him with the pillow again i gave up and got in the shower.  What a way to start the day...

:(

Week #23

This week the baby is a 

Grapefruit! At about 10.5 to 11.8 inches and about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces, baby's not just getting bigger, (s)he's getting even cuter.  At 23 weeks, baby’s really getting ready for her big debut, listening in on what’s going on in the outside world.  The kids were excited to learn that the baby can hear them!

Total weight gain/loss:

Stretch marks: Not unless they are hiding under my belly...

Sleep: Still need a lot but getting better as time goes on.

Best moment this week: Aunt Sarah coming into town even though the baby was being stubborn and stopped kicking every time I put her hand on my belly.

Movement: Getting more regular though it is hard to feel when I am active on the weekends.  Also because the placenta is in the front the kicks I feel are all low or on the sides which is interesting.

Food cravings: Chocolate chip cookies, though I still have not had them.

Symptoms: Hip pain and swollen ankles.

Gender: I'm teetering between boy and girl, I still think the baby is a girl but since it was so big at the last ultrasound maybe it is a boy.  And Jason thinks it is a boy and he didn't look away at the ultrasound so maybe he saw something...

Labor Signs: None!

Belly Button in or out: Flat, already.

What I miss: I miss playing with the kids with out thinking - am i going to get kicked in the stomach.  or can i get through that with out getting stuck....  I miss exercising with abandon.

What I am looking forward to: Having a lower level of anxiety.  I feel like I am focused on all of the wrong things. And am trying to focus on the here and now instead of what was or what may occur.

Weekly Wisdom:  Live in the moment.

Milestones: No big milestones this week.

Feelings: Depressed, Anxious but determined and excited.

Week #22

This week the baby is a 

Papaya.  The baby has more developed eyes and lips (s)he is looking more like a newborn! (S)he sleeps 12-14 hours per day leaving plenty of time to get those kicks in!  The baby is starting to invade my space making me short of breath at times and my belly is really starting to grow!
Total weight gain/loss:

Stretch marks: Not that I have noticed but I am getting bigger faster so I'm sure I will see them soon.

Sleep: Need a ton of sleep but am not sleeping well due to the pain in the hip area.

Best moment this week: Having the kids feel the baby move however I'm not so sure they have really felt it as they didn't get excited until after I asked if they felt that ;)

Movement: More and more every day, it is very reassuring.

Food cravings: Sweets, chocolate chip cookies though I have avoided them so far. Still doing eggs in the morning and now eating lots of Yogurt though the later is less a craving and more necessity with all the antibiotics that I was on.

Symptoms: Still with the pain.  I am trying to exercise more and move around a bit more in hopes that it will help.  No luck so far but i am still hopeful.

Gender:  Jason thinks baby is a boy I think she is a girl.  I am so excited that baby will be surprised.

Belly Button in or out: Flat. 

What I miss: Pain free sleeping.

What I am looking forward to: Pain free sleeping as spotty as it will be.

Weekly Wisdom: Get up and move as much as you can. 

Milestones: Having the kids feel the baby move.

Feelings: Emotionally volatile this week.  very sad and anxious,  I would like to get more stuff done around the house.

More kids

Tonight at dinner Evelyn asked how soon after the baby was born could she ask the stars for two babies at a time.  I told her that mommy was not going to have any more babies after this one and could not understand why.  How do you tell a six year old how emotionally taxing not to mention, expensive and difficult it is to raise babies.  William brought up the twins which had me emotional to begin with.

Though earlier today I was having a hard time realizing that this week be my last baby.  This has been a hard pregnancy emotionally and physically I know I can't do it again and yet out makes me sad to think about it. I actually broke down and cried tonight.

My first toucher

Today I had that mile stone that we all dread once we start showing -  someone touched my belly.  It wasn't too bad but still not part of the pregnancy I enjoy.  At least the baby didn't kick her - I would have been mad if she felt the baby move before Evelyn and William!  If you didn't touch me before the pregnancy, or are not family, please don't touch me now!

Paranoia

I woke up this morning at roughly 5 am paranoid that I hadn't felt the baby moving yesterday or much last night.  During the day I had just figured that it was due to the fact that the kids and I were running around a ton and since the baby's kicks are not too terribly strong yet (and with the placenta being in front I only feel the low kicks anyway). I usually only feel them while I am sitting down.

This morning I was thinking that I should have felt them last night before I went to sleep and was poking my belly to see if I could get a response.  I even thought about getting out the Doppler however with Jason leaving for a week out of town I decided that I didn't need to make myself sick with worry if I couldn't find the heartbeat. (S)he did end up kicking me so I got back to sleep a little bit and am feeling a little better now.

Your young, really really young.

Tonight at dinner Evelyn was asking me when people stop growing.  I told her around 20.  She asked me if I was still growing because I looked young. "No really you look really really young, how old are you?!" So I told her how old I am and she told me that that is young.  " Really you are like a kid.  I think you should still be growing."  Then she wanted to know how old day was...

"Really that's really close.  You look like your a kid, day looks like an adult.  I think it's because he's so tall and your so short.  So he looks like an adult and you look like a kid.  Really I think you are going to grow more because you are so short.  Oh I know your big belly - does your big belly count?"

Slight Change in Plans :(

We were planning on going to strong to see spider man however due to Williams cough and such as well as my recent diagnosis of bronchitis et all, we took him to the doctor.  He had strep...  I didn't see that one coming.

Thankfully I had not told the kids of this surprise so that they were not too disappointed not to go. And we had a great day despite Williams illness as he was not acting very sick anyway.

Announcing the baby

Today was a big day at our house. I was finally well enough to get back to work although I was pretty tired today. Also, I have a ultrasound and doctors appointment yay. 

We got to see the baby lots during the ultrasound because there was a student there who wanted to learn how to do the Ultrasound so after the ultrasound tech was done it was the students turn to try I certainly wasn't going to turn down some extra time to watch the baby turn around in there. The baby's heartbeat was great we could see everything we needed to see and it looks like the baby is doing very well. The heartbeat is strong the baby seems very healthy which was very encouraging news to me. Watching the baby move around couldn't feel most of it which made me wonder if I really have been feeling the baby and the placenta was on the outside of the uterus which typically makes the baby harder to feel when they move. But during the doctors appointment she checked me out and everything was perfect. Exactly the way it should be and she got out the heartbeat monitor. I was telling her that I thought that I already was feeling the baby moving same as she was listening to the heart beat, the baby must have not liked the probe because (s)he kicked it.  The doc said that she had no doubt that I was feeling the baby move because she just felt the baby move to. That made me feel a little bit better and more confident.

Once I got back to work I started to tell my coworkers that I was pregnant not too surprisingly most of them kinda figured it out do to my size.  it is kind of hard to hide it lately but its still nice to tell everybody. I only gained 3 pounds since last appointment so that's a little better a good healthy amount for the baby. I am excited to tell more people tomorrow and I need to figure out how I'm going to announce it on Facebook I really do like the t-shirt idea I just don't know how I would do it this time. and I do want to do it soon.

The morning sickness begins.

Today I had my first episode of morning sickness.  As I leaned over the toilet getting sick my darling daughter asked me to please stop making that noise. Thankfully (for both of us) it did not last long.

Daddy asked William and Evelyn how we could tell if mommy had babies in her belly (It drove me nuts that he kept using the plural as I only have one baby in me and the kids are already excited to have twin siblings as they have asked the stars for twins... and it made me a bit sad too)

William (without hesitation): "We need to put a hole in her belly"
Dad: "We need to put a hole in her belly?"
William: "Yes, Sorry mom.  But we will fix you up when we are done."

Evelyn was a little more practical and told us that we should go to the doctor.

Jason then went into a long talk about measuring hormones in the urine and the ultrasound machine.  It was a bit much but he said if they dreamed of bats that maybe they could tell us if there was a baby in there.  And I said that maybe they will leave us a picture so we will be leaving out the Ultrasound tonight and they will know tomorrow.

Staying home

Usually I have a hard time deciding to stay home from work. Today however, there was no question: I had to stay home. I felt awful my head hurts among everything else.  I went to the doctor and despite being on antibiotics already I have developed a right ear infection, sinusitis and a mild case of bronchitis.  Now I get to finish up the antibiotics I was on and start a stronger dose of a different antibiotic. I am feeling a little bit better but no energy so be off work tomorrow as well. Let's hope this is the last illness with the pregnancy and that this new course of antibiotics doesn't cause another infection. I'm going to stay home tomorrow as well that way I can be back closer to 100%. Thankfully I was able to figure everything out with a little bit of help from my boss let's hope I'm feeling better on Wednesday.

Happy (Sick) Easter

Today was a good morning although Evelyn was excited to look for eggs at 3:15 am.  Daddy ended up cuddling with her for a bit before coming to bed. in the morning William came to get us first and found a few eggs in his room. We then sent him to check and see if Evelyn was awake so that she could look for eggs too!

We went downstairs and the kids looked for their eggs downstairs and had a blast after egg hunting I felt worse than I had before and went upstairs to lay down. Thankfully Jason took care of the kids will I stayed in bed with my cold and headache.

Mom and dad picked up Evelyn and William to take them to the JCC to play for a little while and Jason join them for dinner and nickels. I hope they had a lot of fun as I stayed home in bed I really hope I feel better tomorrow. I am happy that I'm feeling the baby move more I didn't feel him or her too much this morning but this afternoon he or she seems to have decided to have a dance party in my belly it can't wait til the kids can feel it too.

When Evelyn and William came home Evelyn came straight upstairs and asked me how I was doing and if I needed anything. I told her that I needed some apple cider so she went and asked daddy if I could have some. then William came into the room and asked me how I was doing and I told him that I was doing better and then I was getting some juice. William said that that was good and asked me if I needed anything else food or anything. I told him that Daddy had left a mushroom in the oven for me so that I was able to eat while they were away. then William told me that that was good, he said that they had gone to Grandma and Grandpa's house and they had dinner and they had some more food for me if I needed it so I could have some more. then as he was leaving he told me that he was glad I was doing better he hoped the baby was okay and that the baby wouldn't die. I told him that the baby was okay that made him happy he followed up with I hope the baby doesn't die but if he does I hope there's another. thankfully I've been feeling the baby move today so I'm not too worried just a little worried. And a little sad that my son has to worry about the baby too.

I hope everyone has a very wonderful Easter.

I should have known

I should have known what was coming on Friday night is it went to William and to bed I was snuggled in my bed reading to him. I told him to get into his bed and that I would take him in a minute. for William did not get in as I fell asleep shortly after he left the room. that should have been my first clue that I was getting sick. unfortunately I didn't figure it out until 2 a.m. when I woke up with a sore throat. I'm hoping this will be short lived.

Evelyn got to go to play date with her friend Molly today and she was very excited to see. despite my sore throat I couldn't cancel and disappoint the two of them, I just hope I don't get anyone in their family sick. The kids had a great time playing together and I was able to tell Molly's mom that I was pregnant she was very excited for me. We always say it but we need to get together more often. They can't wait to meet the baby :)

Week 20!

We have reached the half way point!  this week the baby is a

Baby weighs about 10.2 ounces and measures about 6.5 inches.  The baby now has working tastbuds and is drinking lots of amniotic fluid.

Total weight gain/loss: I guess I should weigh myself..

Maternity clothes: Yes definitly

Stretch marks: not that i have seen

Sleep: between the hip pain and this cold i am not sleeping well.  I hope that changes

Best moment this week: I have told two friends about the pregnancy It is nice to have their excitement :)

Movement: More and more every day I am now feeling the baby move once or twice a day which has really helped me with my grief.

Food cravings: Still with the eggs.  I am finally really able to eat salads again though that's not really a craving.  I wan t Ice Cream right now but that may be my sore throat,

Symptoms: The pain in my hip is horrible.  Still with my infection - another round of antibiotics and then a different cream for prophylaxis.

Gender: Unknown, I want it to be a surprise.  I'm kind of thinking girl though = i'm going to have to start a poll!

Labor Signs: None

Belly Button in or out: Flatter and flatter.

What I miss: Easter with my family :(

What I am looking forward to: kicking this cold's butt!  Being sick while pregnant sucks.  yesterday it was my throat, today my whole body including my head hurts,  I finally took acetaminophen so i could rest.  Thank goodness for humidifiers.  After a full day in bed today I hope i am ok tomorrow.

Weekly Wisdom: If you are sick stay in bed. 

Milestones:We have reached the half way point!  also there is an ultrasound this week.

Feelings: Ill this cold is awful.