Fruit of the week comes early....

This weekend will be a very busy one for us, so I thought I would do my end of the week update now so I don't forget it! The baby is now the size of an avocado! Yay! That seems like it's so big to me! The bones are now formed in the baby's ears, so the baby can now hear things in the womb. That is exciting! I need to start reading to the baby very soon! I want this child to be so smart! The baby is also getting more hair this week (eyebrows, eyelashes, etc.). An ultrasound can pick up the baby's gender this week...but, we still have a few more weeks to wait for that. I would rather wait to make sure everything is clearly visible for us! I have been VERY stuffy this week. The nasal congestion is a part of pregnancy I had NO idea I would experience. Every morning I have a headache because I am so congested! Other than that, I have continued to feel good. My legs and feet are still hurting at times. I need to find some comfortable flats that I can wear to work....I am wearing flip flops today. Very unprofessional, I know...but when you're pregnant you do what you gotta do. My legs and feet get bright red if I have been standing on them for a while. Salads still make me sick feeling...I can only take so much of them. We had chicken ceasar salad for dinner last night...and I could not finish it. :-( My natural tendency is to eat junk all the time while I am pregnant...I don't necessarily eat a lot, but what I want to eat is not good for me! So, every day is a constant struggle to keep myself in check and make sure I am eating healthy things that the baby needs. This weekend is the big college graduation....Jayson, my mom, and my sister will all graduate. We will have a big party Saturday night. Jayson's mom, dad, and sister will come in this afternoon from Massachusetts. I am sure we will have lots of fun while they are here...and eat too much, too! We are all going out to Maggiano's after graduation on Saturday. Maggiano's is a nice italian restaurant downtown. You can eat family style, and it is all you can eat! mmmm. I bought a new maternity outfit for graduation--it has LEGGINGS! LOL. I have never worn leggings in my life, but I thought this outfit was really cute. It's so out of my comfort zone--I'm not trendy or anything like that. I can't wait to wear it though. Well, that is all for now. 16 weeks here we come!

Everything is lookin' good!

I went to the doctor today, so I thought I'd share everything that went on at this visit. This was my first pregnancy visit without Jayson being there with me. I wanted to get in earlier during the week, and all they had available was morning appointments. The doctor's office was REALLY busy today. Two of the doctors were sick last week, so they have been trying to cram everyone in. After waiting a while I was finally called back. I have only gained a pound since my last visit, which is a great thing! Especially since I have been eating like a cow at some meals. Last night my food was so good that I was yelling out to everyone how good it is. HAHA. Anyway, my blood pressure was good, too. YAY! It was 120/75. I am pleased with that. So was my nurse and my doctor. I had to sit and wait on my doctor FOREVER. He had two patients there today that had just had their big ultrasound...so he was definitely busy. He finally came in and measured my stomach (I forgot to ask him what it was) and then let me hear the heartbeat. He talked to me the whole time and held the monitor so I could see the heart rate. It ranged from about 151 to 156. He said he would write down 155. That is slower than last time, which is normal from what I have read. It's more in boy range now...haha. It was weird, every time I would say something to my doctor the heart rate would speed up a bit. Exciting! He took me in his office for the usual "chat time" and told me everything looked good...that I look really good for 15 weeks. He entered all my stats into the computer and said "Hmm...what if we did your ultrasound in 3 weeks instead of 4?" I was so excited! He told me at that appointment you can also choose to have the optional AFP blood test done. It checks for birth defects. He told me that he and his wife did not have it done for any of their kids...and that most of the things it checks for would show up on the ultrasound. I asked him when I would start to feel the baby move--I am getting antsy! He said it could be another 4-6 weeks. He said it is completely normal to not feel anything yet. I went next door to schedule my ultrasound. The receptionist said they had seen a streak of boys this morning....I told her I hope that continues! My ultrasound is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20th at 8:00 A.M. I can't wait! I am ready to shop and decorate a nursery! It's a relief to know that things are looking good. I can't believe I will be 16 weeks on Friday! Time flies by!

Orange you glad you read my blog?

Well, we made it to week 15! It's hard to believe--time is flying by. The baby is now the size of a navel orange. The baby is about 4 inches long and weighs over 2 ounces! Growing faster and faster every week! This week the baby's arms are getting longer and more evenly proportioned. All four limbs now have proportional joints--so the baby should start moving and grooving pretty soon. I am ready to feel the baby move! It still may be a little early for me to feel that, though. This is a big time for the baby's nails and bones to grow. Mama needs more calcium! I stopped and got a chocolate milk on the way to work...plus I have been trying to take Tums more regularly. I have white spots under my fingernails. I had always thought it was from a calcium deficiency, but according to stuff I've read online that may not be the case. I dunno. I always worry that I'm not getting enough of certain nutrients while I am pregnant. My nose is still really stuffy--it has been since I got pregnant. I also get short of breath really easy. I read that is because things are getting cramped already in my torso. My belly is definitely getting bigger. People at work actually commented on my belly today...that was very exciting to me! I am back to sleeping with the body pillow. I gave it up for a while because it ended up on the floor every morning. But, now it is a necessity for me. My legs and knees have started to hurt some--that's new for this week. Sometimes at night I have to put a pillow under my knees. Other than those few things, I am feeling really good. I like the second trimester so far! My favorite time of the day to eat is at lunch. I like having a big lunch. I'm never that hungry at breakfast, and I could care less about dinner. My craving for hot dogs is pretty much gone now. Wednesday my office went to a local community college to pass out hot dogs and tell them about our program. After serving over 500 hot dogs and eating two, I no longer crave them! I may be craving bacon now. Lots of it. It is starting to get HOT in Tennessee. Today the high is supposed to be 86. I am going to be pregnant and huge during the hottest, most humid months of the year. CAN'T WAIT! I will probably be wearing lots of flip flops this summer...at all times. I go the doctor on Tuesday morning for him to check my blood pressure and let me hear the heartbeat again. This will be the first time I go without Jayson. Hopefully nothing out of the ordinary will happen. I'm ready to hear the heartbeat again! My blood pressure has been great according to the cuff we have at home. With my appointment being in the morning, I should be nice and relaxed when the nurse takes my BP. After this appointment comes the big one.......when we find out the gender of the baby! I am so ready to find out so I can start shopping! Well, today is a busy day at work and I better get moving. My hubby is coming to help us with the heavy lifting for this weekend's events. Isn't he the greatest? Happy Spring/Summer!

When life hands you a lemon...

The fruit of the week is....a lemon! The baby finally weighs over an ounce and is growing more and more every day! This week the baby is busy practicing its sucking, wiggling, and breathing skills. A thick coating of hair has covered the baby's body to keep it warm. Good timing, now that it is FINALLY warming up in Tennessee. That was the longest winter ever. The baby should be moving around now...although I can't feel it yet. At least, I don't think I can. Sometimes I think I can feel it, but I could just be making it up...wishful thinking! I have been more aware this week of where the baby is, though. The first part of this week I could tell it was hanging out on my left side...that side just felt more heavy and I could tell when I stood up that something was there. As the week has gone on, I think the baby has moved more to the middle of my tummy. I am really rounding more in the middle of my stomach. The "pooch" that was there is now evening out into a nice round belly. I will take pics either tonight or tomorrow. I have felt pretty good overall this week. I have had a few headaches and I've noticed that my balance is off. The fatigue is still there, although it's not as bad as it was during the first trimester. Still, I find myself dozing off while we're watching TV at about 9 every night. One new thing I've noticed is the fact that I now have hair ALL over my stomach. GROSS! I have never been a very hairy person, but I feel like every day now I have more hair on my stomach. It is gross. And I have had to shave my legs so much that I have razor burn all over them....and under my arms as well. EW! I wonder if this means it is a boy. I have also been craving hot dogs. I have had 3 total hot dogs this week. It is the weirdest thing. I have never been a huge hot dog fan...but boy do I love them now. I like them almost burnt. My appetite has definitely improved even more. I love eating now! WOOHOO! According to my scale at home, I have gained about 2 more pounds. The doctor could say differently though. Yesterday afternoon I was able to practice my mama skills. A co-worker of mine brought in his 2 month old (Henley Jane) and I told him to just park her right at my desk while he was in meetings. So, we hung out for most of the afternoon. She slept most of the time. I couldn't take it any more so I got her out of her carrier and held her for a while. Man, babies are heavy. And this one wasn't even that big! My arms got a work out...and they are sore today! I need to get used to that, though. Hopefully we will have a nice, relaxing weekend ahead of us! Well, this has been a pretty uneventful week, so this post will be short and boring! Just wanted to let you all know what the fruit of the week was.

Everything is just peachy...or is it?!

Well, as of yesterday I am 13 weeks. Time is flying by! I am glad to be in the second trimester now, although I have noticed that I have thrown up more in the past few weeks than i ever did in the first trimester. I threw up again Thursday night....but we will get to that later. This week's fruit is the peach. We're getting bigger and bigger! The baby is about 3 inches long now and is getting close to weighing a whole ounce! The baby's teeth and vocal cords are forming this week, and its body is reaching "normal" proportions (the head is not so big!). The intestines are now moving from the umbilical cord to the tummy.

This past week has been pretty good. I have noticed that I get dizzy occasionally, and I have had a few headaches as well. Monday night when I got home from work I had a belly! That was pretty exciting. My appetite really hasn't been that huge. I pretty much just eat my meals and maybe a snack or two during the day at work. I don't snack much at all when I am home. I was really nervous all week about my doctor's appointment. We watched "Marley and Me" last weekend. Good movie, but not what a 12 weeks pregnant woman needed to see! The couple in the movie goes for an ultrasound and the baby has no heartbeat. GREAT. Plus, I saw all this stuff on TLC and Discovery Health this week about babies with no heartbeat. And, I have come to realize that sometimes people just don't say the right things they need to say to a pregnant woman. This week I was told "Well, if something happens it happens and you'll move on." YEAH RIGHT. When you want a baby so bad, you dont' just "Move on and forget about it." I was also told horror stories about "people I knew who lost their baby at 14 weeks." Not what I needed to hear. I now know what to say to pregnant women and what not to say.

Well, Thursday (the day of our appointment) came. I was a nervous wreck all morning long. Had the worst traffic on the way to work (sat on the interstate for an hour and a half) and I was stressed about leaving work early and who was going to cover the front desk. So, by the time I got to the doctor I was a bundle of nerves. We were taken back pretty fast this time. I was told that I have gained NO weight since my last appointment (go me!!!). The nurse also told me that my blood type is O+...which my doctor says is perfect for pregnant women. Jay is O-....so he says we are a good match. My blood pressure was really high when the nurse took it: 140/105. eek! The nurse said she would probably take it at the end, once my doctor saw me. My doctor came in and I expressed my frustrations regarding how long I had to wait to find out I had an infection. He still acted like this was completely normal, and that I would be fine. He also told me he could see how worked up I was, and that probably explained my high BP. He then allowed us to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time. I freaked out when he couldn't find it at first. I thought my worst fears were coming true! But, after locating my blood flow on the right side, he moved to the left side and found the baby! I think that is where the baby is hanging out right now. I look bigger on my left side than I do on my right. Anyway, the baby's heart rate was a whopping 170. Very fast. Our kid will probably be as ADD as Jay and I both are. It was very clear and strong...so I went from fear to excitement all at once. Very relieved. He told me he'd like to see me in 4 weeks, and then 3 weeks after that we can find out the gender. BOO. 7 weeks is so far away! He sent the nurse back in to check on my BP. It was still high--135/100. She had me lay on my left side for a while and relax. The third time she took it it was 130/100. Still too high. The doctor came back in and said he wasn't too worried about it right now...he knew how worked up I had been all day. He recommended that I check it regularly and relax. He wants to see me back in 3 weeks instead of 4 to check on it. But, we will still need to wait 4 weeks after that for our ultrasound.

That evening, I had throw up #2. We bought one of those cheap heartbeat things at Target that "allows you to hear your baby's heartbeat at home." We know it's a piece of junk, but it is our first pregnancy, so we should be allowed to blow money on things like that! Anyway, Jay was getting me all hooked up to try it out and I had to throw the thing off and run to the bathroom. I think I grossed Jay out a little bit. HAHA. Nothing like hearing your sexy wife puke her guts out over and over again. I immediately felt better after that.

Friday was a dramatic day. Terrible tornados came through our town. We were very fortunate to not have any damage to our new home....and we are all safe and sound. Jay and I were in Lifeway when it happened. I had just picked out a devotional book for pregnant ladies. It is really cool. It goes week by week and lists what is going on with the baby's development. It lists things you can pray for for the baby and gives a Bible verse. It is made for worrying pregnant ladies, and that seems to be me lately! Anyway, they rushed us all back to the stock room, where they handed out free candy while we waited out the storm. We were there for about an hour. I stayed very calm...I am working on trying not to get so stressed out about things. It is not good for my BP or for the baby! When we finally left, we got to see some of the damage first hand. It is really scary. Some houses are just completely gone...others are missing roofs or large portions of their home. Our church is still without power.

We planted a maple tree in our backyard this morning. That will be cool to be able to tell our child...that we planted that tree a few months before they were born! I have started a video blog on youtube. I love watching other pregnancy vlogs on here, so I thought I would start one myself. Part one of my first video was too big and would not load onto the site. Hopefully I am on the right track now, though. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/Mamaeaton09

That's all for now! I will post more belly pics later. Happy Easter!!!!

I am starting to have a belly!!

Plum tuckered out!

I'm a bit confused about this week's fruit. Last week was a lime. When we went to the grocery store last week I compared a lime and a plum....and the lime is definitely bigger! Maybe the baby is just a really large plum right now! As you can see, the baby is over 2 inches now. Still doesn't weigh an ounce, but it's getting there! This week the baby has the reflex to lift its head a slight bit, and can also practice breathing. All of the organs are developed, so now the baby can really start growing! As I am beginning the second trimester, I realize that I have been feeling much better overall this week. Over the past few days my appetite has come back in full force, and I think I have had a little bit more energy, although Jay would probably disagree! The one "new" thing I have encountered is back pain and an overall sore feeling. I realized the cause of this around midnight last night. I am a stomach sleeper. I always have been. Well, sleeping on my stomach now causes me to arch my back and is very uncomfortable. Sleeping on my side is also very uncomfortable. So, that explains the soreness I am feeling today. I need to go look for a body pillow or something to help me out at night. Maybe this means I am getting ready to show! Some women are already showing at this point, but others aren't even close. I can feel a difference in my tummy. Especially when I try to sleep on my stomach. I am still not a fan of chocolate, and my need for salty things has increased even more! My next doctor's appointment is a week from yesterday--Thursday, April 9th. We will hear the heartbeat then. I am excited! I hope that it is nice and strong. I pray also that this infection is gone. I worry that it is still there! Hopefully at our May appointment we will find out the gender of the baby! Surely he won't make me wait till June! That would stink! We had some really bad storms here yesterday. A tornado touched down just right down the road from where I work! They evacuated everyone here to the "safe rooms." It poured all night long, too. I love the rain, but I do not like driving home in it at 7:30! I am ready for a nice weekend. Jay and I haven't seen each other much this week, with revival and me working late. Next weekend will be a long one, thanks to Good Friday! Hopefully I can catch up on some rest then. Well, I will close for now. Only 196 days to go!