Updates!

I am almost done with my 25th week of pregnancy and time has been flying by. That may or may not have to do with the whirlwind cross-country move we just made. More on that later.


Aside from a little moving-related lethargy, I have been feeling really good. Week 24 marked viability. So basically if Baby Bell decided to make an early appearance, she would have a decent chance of surviving. As anxious as we are to meet her, we're encouraging the little love bug to stay in and cook for as long as possible.

Stats

How far along? 25 weeks

How big is baby? The size of an eggplant

Total weight gain/loss: I haven't stepped on a scale in a few weeks, but my guess would be around 12 or so pounds.

Maternity clothes? Yep! Regular tops are still fine, but I've been enjoying the comfort of maternity jeans and leggings.

Sleep: Sleeping really well.

Best moment this week: Feeling her move so much more than before and being able to see her move from the outside.

Movement: Oh yes!

Food cravings: Mexican food, sweet tea and sweet treats!

Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of Subway, any fast food and chinese food.

Have you started to show yet: Yep!

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? In but getting flatter. I finally took the piercing out last week.

Symptoms: Nothing new.

What I’m looking forward to: The holidays :)

What I miss: Sushi and possibly a glass of vino.

The weekly pictures have taken a temporary back seat for now. Here is one of the hubs and I at our really good friend's wedding. Which , by the way, was amazing!

Thankful

We had a very simple, but nice Thanksgiving. There is definitely a lot to be thankful for at any given time, but this year we have a few extra things that we are super thankful for. I am thankful for a healthy little girl and a problem free pregnancy so far.  Baby Bell has already changed so much in our lives. I am also thankful for my awesome hubby who has been amazing throughout this pregnancy, our families and sweet little Winston.

There really aren't many pregnancy related changes since my last post. I am craving sweets a lot, this could be dangerous. I keep fresh fruit on hand to help curb the cravings. I feel like I have been carrying so low, I think that is starting to change a little. I had a doctors appointment last Tuesday and everything looked great. 

 Here is a picture from Thanksgiving night, we forgot to take one yesterday, oh well.

 

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

21 & 22

 We actually start a new week in the pregnancy every Sunday, but I've been behind and haven't been posting the updates on the correct day. I'm hoping that will change starting soon. We have had a ton going on with life in general and I have barely gotten on the computer lately. On to the updates . . .

21 Weeks

22 Weeks

Winston was very interested in the prop this week. Silly guy!

Stats

How far along? 21-22 weeks!

How big is baby? The size of a banana and a papaya.

Total weight gain/loss: I have gained 6 pounds.

Maternity clothes? I can still fit in a good amount of my regular clothes, but I much prefer the way the maternity clothes look and feel.

Sleep: Still struggling to get more than 6-7 hours a night. Weekends are best because I can sleep in. I seem to get the best sleep from around 4am-10am, weird.

Best moment these weeks: Finding out that we're having a girl!! Also feeling so much movement. Tye can feel a lot as well, so that makes it even better.

Movement: Oh yes!

Food cravings: Nothing too crazy. I am more than ready for Thanksgiving dinner though :)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Have you started to show yet: Yep!

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? In, I think it may be time to take my piercing out though.

Symptoms: Some hip and back pain due to my body making room for the baby, bloody noses (gross) and lots of heartburn. 

What I’m looking forward to: The holidays and getting another week down in the books! Next week is a big one!

What I miss: Still missing sushi and regular sleep.

More on little Winston...He has really been a cuddle bug with me lately. He can usually be found snuggled up next to or right on my belly. I love it! He is very gentle around kids, so I have no worries on how he'll act with the baby. I just hope that Tye and I do a good job of making him feel important and loved. Yes, I realize most people roll their eyes and think "it's just a dog", but we refer to him as our firstborn and can't get enough of his sweet face!

Overall, I am feeling really good. I have been able to get more workouts in and seem to have a little more energy lately. I am definitely eating with no issues, thank God! I really never thought that would happen. We have had such a fun time shopping for all things girly. My sweet dad went out and bought his granddaughter her first SF Giants jersey and her very first Barbie!! He got her clothes as well, but I am most excited about the others. I never even thought to buy her a Barbie. Dads are the best! My Mom also bought her some adorable dresses (these purchases were made well before we knew the gender, haha!) and matching bows. Tye's family hasn't skipped a beat in the shopping department either. I honestly feel like finding out the sex has really made everyone feel closer to the baby.  It has just melted my heart to see how excited everyone is. She is so loved already, I can't imagine what it will be like once she is here with us all.

Sugar and spice...

and everything nice! We found out today that we are having a sweet little baby GIRL!!! My intuition was completely off as I was willing to put money on the fact that we would have a boy, ha! Tye, on the other hand, has been saying it's a girl from the beginning. We are both beyond excited and feeling extra lucky today to have a healthy baby in general, but to know that we'll be welcoming a daughter into our lives in March has put the icing on the cake.


I am especially very excited for Tye. There is something about a father/daughter relationship that can be so special and sweet. I was blessed with an amazing Dad and absolutely adore my relationship with him. I know that I can count on my Dad for anything and nothing will ever change the bond that we have. It makes me happy to know that my husband will have that with our daughter.


Ok, enough with the sappy stuff, I am about to release some preggy induced hormonal crying. It's time to head to bed and have sweet dreams of tutus, over sized bows and all things girly!


Thank you Lord for a healthy baby girl!

20 weeks...Half way there!

We are officially half way through this journey! I feel like the more recent weeks have flown by. I want to cherish each and every second of this pregnancy, but I also cannot wait until this sweet baby is here in our arms.

I keep hearing that pregnant women have crazy dreams. This is not the case for me. I've had two somewhat odd dreams. The first was that I was at my baby shower and the only foods being served were sushi and deli sandwiches. Two things that I cannot eat and have been craving, haha. The other dream was that my favorite burger place, In-N-Out, was going out of business. Apparently I am very concerned with food lately.

 I am still pretty tired most of the time, but my appetite is back and I've been loving being able to finally eat full meals. I had my first "stranger comment", a sales girl at Ulta complimented my belly and asked when I was due. I guess that means that I am finally rounding out and not looking like I'm sporting a beer belly, that makes me happy!

20 Week Stats!

How far along? 20weeks!

How big is baby? The size of a cantaloupe!

Total weight gain/loss: I have gained 4 pounds.

Maternity clothes? I am preferring the maternity jeans over regular ones. I am still able to wear most of my regular shirts and sweaters, I have a feeling this will change soon.

Sleep: I have been sleeping more comfortably now that I have the Boppy. I wake still wake up 3-4 times each night, and some nights it's nearly impossible for me to fall back asleep.

Best moment this week: Continuing to feel more and more movement.

Movement:Definitely! I am loving being able to feel him or her dance around. (even if it's at night while I am trying to sleep, haha)

Food cravings: I've been craving a lot of chocolate. This is odd because I'm not typically a chocolate kind of person.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not recently, thank God.

Have you started to show yet: Yep!

Gender prediction: I still feel like it's a boy. 3 days and we'll hopefully know.

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? In, I think it may be time to take my piercing out though.

Symptoms: Some hip and back pain due to my body making room for the baby. 

What I’m looking forward to: The appointment on Monday. Tye and I are so anxious!

 What I miss: Still missing sushi and regular sleep.

Milestones: Half way there!

Happy 11.11.11!!

It's been a while...

This post is long over due, but we've had a few busy weeks and one tired preggy that can hardly find energy to watch tv at night.


We've had a few milestones since my last update, the most exciting one has been feeling the baby move. The first official movement, according to me, was on October 23. I had been feeling something close to a twitch and a rolling feeling off and on for about a week or so, a few inches below my belly button. On that Sunday night after dinner, while laying on the couch, I felt something much stronger and more towards the right side. Then I put my hand in the area and felt something even stronger and on both sides. I told Tye to hurry and place his hand on my belly and a few seconds after, we both felt the baby move! It was a very surreal and awesome moment for us both. I loved being able to identify the feeling as the baby moving, and I love even more that Tye was able to share that moment with me. Ever since then, I have definitely been noticing the little love bug dancing around. Most of the movement feels like a somersault, I never experienced the flutters or popping sensation that so many women talk about. I feel the most movement at night while relaxing or while I am trying to fall asleep, ha! I don't mind it one bit though.


We had our big 20 week ultrasound aka anatomy scan on Oct 27. The baby looked healthy and we were able to see all of it's little fingers, toes, kidneys, the four chambers in his/her heart, and were told that everything looked just perfect and right on track. The baby weighed 9 ounces, I forgot to ask how long it was though. Unfortunately, we are still in the dark on the gender. The little one had it's legs crossed or it's hands in front of the "private area" the entire time. Leave it to our child to be extremely stubborn, haha. So, we'll be going back next week to have another look and hopefully get an answer. If not, I guess we'll have a huge surprise come March.

Aside from that, not much is new. I've been enjoying feeling the baby roll around each day. Last Monday the baby was kicking so hard that I could see my stomach moving. That was a shock but super neat.


 I have had a few issues with pain and cramping while my body is making room for the growth going on. Last week I had some excruciating hip and lower back pain due to everything stretching out. It was the worst thus far, makes me slightly scared for labor! Tye was sweet and bought me the boppy body pillow. I wasn't a fan the first two nights but am completely hooked now. It has really helped with keeping me comfortable and helping me sleep longer each night.


There is a noticeable change in the size of my belly. I think it is finally starting to take shape and look less like I need to work out. At times, I feel like my stomach wants to grow faster than my skin is allowing. I have been using plenty of lotions and body butter since the very beginning to help prevent any stretch marks and help with the crazy itching that's been going on.


Here are the week 18 & 19 pics.

                                             

                             Week 18, baby was the size of a sweet potato (I forgot to pick one up)

   Week 19, baby was the size of a mango and already helping Mommy and Daddy cheer on the 49ers!

17 weeks

This post is a few days over due, but better late than never. There aren't many changes going on. I feel as if my belly is getting a little more preggy looking, it's probably wishful thinking though. I'll get a picture up next week to compare.

One thing we've been discussing a lot lately has been names. I never ever imagined picking out a name would be so incredibly difficult. I had no problem whatsoever naming my barbies and baby dolls when I was younger, haha. Tye and I tend to agree on most names, the ones we don't agree on just get pushed off the list. So thankfully there haven't been any issues in that department. I am not sure why, but we have found it much easier to come up with girl names. I think we have a list of five that we would use in a heartbeat. Its the complete opposite for boy names, we have maybe two or three names that we think are ok, nothing that we are over the moon about though. So, I am sure this means we will have a boy since the naming decision will be harder on us. I know we'll find the perfect name eventually, I am just being my typical impatient self.

17 week stats



How far along? 17 weeks!

 How big is baby? The size of an onion!

 Total weight gain/loss: I believe that I am just a few pounds shy of my starting weight.

 Maternity clothes? I feel like most maternity clothes look silly on me, there isn't a big enough bump there to justify wearing them yet.

 Sleep: I don't sleep too well. I am trying to find a way to get comfortable so I can hopefully sleep a little longer.

 Best moment this week: Nothing too major this week.

 Movement: I don't think so. I have felt "something" a few times but it wasn't stong enough for me to be 100% sure that it was the baby.

 Food cravings: Pasta!

 Food aversions: Veggies still.

 Anything making you queasy or sick: This changes daily.

 Have you started to show yet: Yep. I still dont think it's obvious to many people. I think I look like I just need to hit the gym or give Jenny Craig a call.

 Gender prediction: I am still going with a boy, I think Tye is starting to feel this way as well. Most people are still guessing girl, we will know in one week :)

 Labor Signs: No

 Belly Button in or out? In

 Symptoms: Nothing new in the symptom department.

 What I’m looking forward to: Our next appointment, which is one week from today. We be able to see our little one and finally find out if it's a boy or girl!

 What I miss: I miss sleeping through the night. I think those days are far behind me now, haha.

Milestones: Another week down!

Sweet Sixteen

I cannot believe we are 4 months into this journey already! We only have 15 days until we find out whether this little one will be a cheerleader or a quarterback. Excuse the quality of our 16 week belly bump picture. We were on our way to a wedding and running slightly behind schedule, so Tye got a quick pic with his phone.

I don't think my bump is quite that prominent yet. My dress was helping give off a rounder apperance. The wedding we attended was fun. The bride and groom both looked wonderful and really put together a fun time. The food was delicious and dessert? Oh my word! Leave it to the preggy lady to rave about the dessert, right? We were served warm, sugared donuts with three equally amazing dipping sauces. Heavenly I tell you!

16 Week Stats

How far along? 16 weeks!

How big is baby? The size of an avocado! One of my most favorite foods :)
Total weight gain/loss: I think I have gained around 1 pound, which puts me at 7 pounds lost. I am happy as long as the number on the scale is going up. Never thought I'd be saying that, ha!
Maternity clothes? I can still fit in my "fat" jeans but the maternity jeans are much more comfortable. Most tops and dresses are getting to be a bit snug. I'm sure within a few weeks I'll be manily rockin' the maternity clothing.

Sleep: Still tired all of the time. Tye and I have both been sick and that's not helping.
Best moment this week: Seeing Tye's face light up when he realized that I am starting to show.

Movement: Not yet, I can't wait for this though!

Food cravings: Deli sandwiches :(

Food aversions: I am still not too fond of veggies. Specifically cooked veggies.

Anything making you queasy or sick: This changes daily.

Have you started to show yet: Yes, but I don't think it's obvious to people who don't know me.

Gender prediction: Oh geez. I don't even know anymore. I still feel like it's a boy but everyone around me is saying girl and I think it's making me change my mind. We'll know soon enough.

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? In

Symptoms: Lots of "cramping", the doctor says its my uterus stretching out and not to worry.

What I’m looking forward to: Finding out the sex.

What I miss: I'm not really missing anything lately.
Milestones: 4 months!!

Do you see what I see?

I believe I am starting to get the coveted belly bump! I feel the need to give partial credit to the meal I had right before this pic for the slight bump that you may or may not see. I look forward to the day when I have a real bump and not this new thicker version of myself :)

Week 14 Stats:

How far along? 14 weeks!
How big is baby? The size of a lemon (hense the lemon in my hand above)
Total weight gain/loss: Overall I've lost about 8 lbs. My doc is not too happy with this, so I am working hard on gaining a few.
Maternity clothes? No need for them yet, but that doesn't mean I haven't been shopping ;)
Sleep: Exhausted but struggling to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Best moment this week: Hearing the hearbeat at my appt, it was in the 150s.
Movement: Nope.
Food cravings: Mac and cheese, cereal, fruit and Butterfingers.

Food aversions: I still can't handle veggies, hopefully that will change soon.
Anything making you queasy or sick: This changes daily.
Have you started to show yet: I think my bloat is turning into a slight bump, but nothing obvious yet.

Gender prediction: I've thought boy all along, everyone else seems to think it's a girl. We have decided that we'll for sure be finding out the gender. Oct 27 can't come soon enough!

Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Symptoms: Heartburn, acid reflux, headaches and insomnia.
What I’m looking forward to: My energy and appetite making a return.
What I miss: Sushi, sleep and my energy.
Milestones: Just another week down.

We had a doctor appointment on Wednesday, unfortunately Tye had to work so he wasn't able to make it. That is ok though, it was just a basic appointment. I managed to be 45 minutes late, thanks to a slight scheduling mishap (for the record, it was not my fault). So, after straightening things out I was able to meet with the doctor and discuss a few issues I've been having as well as hear the little one's heartbeat. Everything is looking good, aside from my weight. I am having trouble gaining any and have managed to lose around 4 in 4 weeks (8 in total). So, she prescribed an anti-nausea medicine to help my appetite. After picking up the meds, I was reading over the common side effects and I realized that most of them were a little too uncommon (uncontrollable muscle spasms anyone? no thanks!)  and I wasn't comfortable taking the risks. I've been doing a lot of hoping and praying that my appetite will return and the nausea will dissipate on its own. I want more than anything to give this little baby all of the nutrients it needs!

The First Trimester

Since we weren't sharing our news with everyone until last week, I thought I'd give a (hopefully) quick recap of the past 13 weeks.



Weeks 4-6 were a cake walk. Aside from a little lethargy at the end of the day, I was confident that this pregnancy was going to be easy peasy. That all changed quickly! Thankfully, I have only gotten sick a handful of times, but the nausea has been present all day and night long, every single day! Unfortunatley the nausea basically has my appetite MIA. So it's been a struggle getting a full meal down, especially one that is healthy. It seems like all I have been craving are greasy foods and occasionally some fruit. I've also been exhausted. In the beginning I was able to sleep just fine, but lately it seems like I'm so tired that I cannot sleep. Maybe that is the baby's way of prepping me for sleepless nights that are in our near future. The only other persistent - and very odd - symptom I have is itchiness. My entire torso, front and back, feels like it needs to be constantly scrubbed with sandpaper for some relief. Cute, huh? I try to enjoy even the most uncomfortable moments because I know they're just signs of our little one growing, and the thought of that makes me beyond excited!

Week 13 Stats:

How far along? 13 weeks!

How big is baby? The size of a peach
Total weight gain/loss: I'm down around 4-5 lbs thanks to nausea.
Maternity clothes? No need for them yet, but that doesn't mean I haven't been shopping ;)
Sleep: Exhausted but struggling  to fall asleep and staying asleep.
Best moment this week: The Summer weather disappearing and Fall starting to show up.

Movement: Nope.

Food cravings:  Mexican, milk and flamming hot cheetos (not all together)

Food aversions: Veggies :( this makes me sad because I love vegetables!

Anything making you queasy or sick: This changes daily.

Have you started to show yet: I wouldn't call it showing, more like a small pooch/bloat.

Gender prediction: I've thought boy all along, everyone else seems to think it's a girl. We are still deciding on wether we'll be finding out the gender.
Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? In

Symptoms: Heartburn, acid reflux, headaches and insomnia.

What I’m looking forward to: My energy and appetite making a return.

What I miss: Sushi
Milestones: First trimester is completed!

New Beginnings!

Baby Bell is on the way! Tye and I are over the moon about this new chapter in our lives. Since we live across the country from almost all of our family and friends we decided that having a blog would be a great way for everyone to follow along on this journey!


Here is our little "blob" at our first appt, which happened to be our 2nd wedding anniversary. Such a special moment! I was right around 8 weeks.