It's official!

After anxiously waiting for the 20 week ultrasound, we found out last Thursday that we are having a......



GIRL!!!!!

We are super duper excited and we can't wait to meet our little angel....  Avalyn Morgan will be here around April 30th....  We chose this name for many reasons, all of which hold some sort of symbolism in our hearts....

See, if we had a boy J always said he wanted to name him "Eagle"....that wasn't going to work for me-EVER.  So, as a way to compromise, I started researching names that meant eagle, without actually having to say it....  that's where Ava comes in.  Apparently, Ava means eagle in Greek mythology.  The "Lyn" part of her name comes from J's mom, Linda. It's obvious why we chose this.  Morgan was my dad's middle name, and I wanted to remember him.  So there it is.....but I think we'll just call her simply Ava. Love it :)

These past few days have been hell!!!  After the big reveal on Thursday, I said to everyone how easy this pregnancy has been and I couldn't wait to see how easy giving birth was going to be.  Then, God played a funny trick on me. After a quick trip to the ER on Saturday morning, it turned out that I had a kidney stone!  Well, wouldn't you know it, pregnant women can't be treated for kidney stones.  They have to pass on their own!!!  Let me just say, if I can survive that kind of pain, childbirth really will be a breeze. I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on my worst enemy.  Thank God it finally passed last night!  It was about the size of a 1k diamond ring!!!  OUCH.

On a positive note, we think we've bought ourselves a home...I don't want to jinx it just yet.  After several counter offers between ourselves and the sellers, we've come to an agreement.  I'm not getting to excited yet, though.  J is meeting with the inspector today, so once we pass that, then I'll jump for joy and start packing.  I really hope everything turns out ok, because I was really struggling with not being able to experience the whole nesting aspect of decorating Ava's nursery.  With us being in the rental we're in now, I wasn't allowing myself to get excited over baby decor....now I think (hope) that we get to experience that!

I'll know more this afternoon about the inspection and hopefully will be able to return here with great news.!

19 WEEKS!!!

Well, we are almost 1/2 way there!  I can't believe how fast time has gone by.  It seems like it was yesterday when I saw those 2 pink lines on my HPT.  I was at work on Monday, August 22nd, and took a test in the hall bathroom.  The second line came up immediately.  I texted my friend Ally to come in there ASAP, because I needed another set of eyes- I just knew I was dreaming!  She saw it & I started shaking uncontrollably.  I was so scared, excited, and in complete awe. Honestly, my first thought was "Linda has everything to do with this...Thank you God!"  In all that J & I had been through over the past month, getting pregnant was the very last thing that I thought would happen.  I was so convinced that I wouldn't conceive until everything settled down, so I had pretty much been getting drunk every night for four days in a row (from Thursday night- Sunday)  No, I'm not a lush, but we had several family & friends that had get-togethers, so the wine was free-flowing. I can't resist good wine!  :)  These past few months seem like such a blur to both J & I. As time goes on, our excitement and anticipation grow stronger.  And my belly keeps getting bigger!

We found out last weekend that two of our girlfriends are also preggers!  I'm so excited that I'm not the only one in our circle of friends!!  One of the girls is 4 weeks behind me, and she's married to J's best friend.  The timing couldn't be better!  We'll get to be on maternity leave together and our kids will be close.  The other couple is due in August, I believe.  They haven't officially told us (secrets are hard to keep among all of us), so we've been practicing our surprised faces ;)  I think they're waiting until they get out of their 1st trimester to tell us, which is understandable. After getting this great news, it just confirms our having to wait so long for our baby was all just part of God's plan!  I'm grateful for how this is all playing out & I don't think it should be any other way.

We have 6 days to wait until we find out the sex!!! J & I can hardly stand the wait....Whatever it ends up being, I'll be excited & I know J will be too.  Even though he REALLY wants a boy, since he is the last male in our family with our last name.  He got really emotional about it the other night...It was hard to not laugh, but aren't I the one who should be emotional?  It's sweet to see him so excited and happy about all of this...I love that man.

We keep forgetting to take pictures of my belly...I'll probably regret that later.  I'm to the point that I can't see my toes anymore, so that should give you some perspective on my growth.  I love it, but I am kind of missing my waistline. It will return, I'm sure though!  I'm anxiously waiting for some definite action from this baby.  I want to feel some kicks, punches and rolls.  I want J to be able to feel it too.  Hopefully, it will happen in the next couple of weeks!  If there's one thing this baby is teaching me, it's patience. Believe me, I've definitely needed it! 

I will post again next week after we find out......  eeeek!

Blog Award

Thanks Courtney at Our Pathway to Parenthood for this nomination! 

Now, the rules of the award:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award!

2. List 7 things people may not know about you.

3. Pass the award to 15 other bloggers and notify them as well.

 

Seven things about me:

1- I love music...all of it anywhere from Etta James to Def Leopard to Alan Jackson to Outkast. It's all good to me and puts my mind at ease. Music was always on in my house growing up, so I was introduced to all sorts of different styles.  I really regret not learning to play an instrument...I did ask for a drum set from Santa when I was younger, but he never came through for me. Damn, Santa.

 

2- I love to dance!  My mom put me in dance lessons at the age of two and I haven't stopped since. It's in me, it's a part of me, and I hope that my kid inherits that love from me! I used to say that I wanted to be a back-up dancer for Britney Spears...would have been cool!

 

3- When I dream at night, the dreams almost always involve water. Whether it's an ocean, a river, or a pool, there's water.  It's the weirdest thing.  I wonder what it symbolizes?

 

4-I think I'm sort of psychic.  I get premonitions about people...for example, when I was younger I had this extremely bad feeling about an ex-boyfriend's (who I hadn't spoken to in 6 months) grandmother (to the point that I was feeling nauseous), so I called him & told him how I was feeling. He said that he was actually at the hospital with her and she wasn't going to make it through the night. Stuff like that happens a lot with me.... 

 

5- I'm in love with NYC!  If it wasn't so cold there, I'd go all the time.  That's where J & I got engaged, so I have a special fondness for it.  There's nothing like it & I love the energy there.  And the FOOD!  Everything in NYC tastes like heaven to me. We are thinking of going back for our 5th anniversary....the baby will be a year old by then, so I think we could leave him/her for a weekend at that point! 

 

6- I'm excited to teach myself how to sew with a sewing machine!  I have a ton of creative energy that I've been suppressing for the past 2 years (I'm finishing my Bachelor's Degree in a few weeks, so I've been busy with that- YAY me!), so I'm really looking forward to making stuff.  I want to make purses, clothes for the baby, curtains, etc... 

 

7- I'm a worry wart.  I can't help it.  Sometimes I think I need medication to calm me down....I've been told several times by strangers that I'm an anxious person.  It drives J nuts.  I can't help it!  I'm always thinking about the what-ifs and the potential consequences that could happen.  I hope that changes when the baby comes!

 

Blogs I nominate (I regularly follow these):

 

1) http://littleloomanlog.blogspot.com/

2) http://mrssneakers.blogspot.com/

3) http://whenohwhenwillitbe.blogspot.com/

4) http://kandjstaats.blogspot.com/

5) http://erincantblog.blogspot.com/

 

18 weeks!

How far along are you? 18 weeks today (according to my pregnancy ticker). I’m almost ½ way there!

How big is Baby? About the size of a sweet potato (5.5 inches long). That’s what my “What to Expect” app says, anyway

Weight Gain? About 10 lbs, total. Dr. C says that’s a perfect range, so that’s good!

 Gender? We find out in 2 weeks!  The Chinese Gender test says girl…we’ll see!

Maternity Clothes? Definitely

Stretch Marks? None.  My skin is starting to feel tight, though.  I keep forgetting to buy some cocoa butter…maybe this weekend.

Sleep? Just OK…I keep waking up on my back & I get nervous, since I’m not supposed to. Apparently it could hurt the baby?  I need to find a way to stop rolling over….the body pillow isn’t really helping to prevent that.  Hmmmm

Symptoms? None!  Just a big ol’ belly J

Movement? I think I felt some movement & J felt it, too.  I don’t know for sure, though. Could’ve been gas

Food Cravings? Ice cream!  I don’t normally eat ice cream like that, but I’m loving my milkshakes!

Labor Signs? Of course not

Belly Button in or out? Still in, but flatter everyday, it seems

What I miss? My clothes fitting

What I am looking forward to? The gender scan in 2 weeks…my mom, stepdad, & J’s dad will all be in the room for Baby N’s big reveal!  Will it be an Inny or an Outty?  It will definitely be an unforgettable moment for all of us!

Best moment of the week? We’ve decided to buy a home!!  I want to try to buy one before the baby comes, but if that doesn’t happen, that’s OK. We haven’t actually started looking yet, but we’ve been pre-approved, so we’re getting the ball rolling.  It’s so exciting & we are so happy for this much wanted step in our lives!  Plus that means that we can actually decorate a nursery for the baby J

16 week survey thingy (a few days late)

How far along are you? 16 weeks, 3 days today (according to my pregnancy ticker). I’m officially near the end of my 4^th month! (apparently pregnancy is actually 10 months)

How big is Baby? About the size of a turnip (5 inches long, 5 oz). That’s what my “What to Expect” app says, anyway

Weight Gain? About 6 lbs, total, I guess

 Gender? We find out in 24 days!

Maternity Clothes? Definitely

Stretch Marks? None.  My skin is starting to feel tight, though. 

Sleep? Pretty good!  I got a new body pillow.  It’s a “Back N Belly” maternity pillow & it’s HEAVENLY.  I feel like I’m in a cocoon when I lay in it. J wants to use it after I have the baby for himself!

Symptoms? None this week.... I keep forgetting I'm pregnant.  Not really, but if I didn't know that I was, I'd probably be treating myself to a few beers or glasses of wine.  

Movement? I *think* I feel stuff going on in there, but it’s nothing definite.

Food Cravings? Nothing really this week.  My appetite is not as big as it was and when I do eat, I feel REALLY full for hours afterwards. I think I’m going to have to eat small meals throughout the day from here on out.

Labor Signs? Of course not

Belly Button in or out? Still in, but flatter everyday, it seems

What I miss? My clothes fitting

What I am looking forward to? Thanksgiving this week.  I am so very thankful for our blessing…..And I can’t wait to try the peanut butter pie and cheesecake I’m going to make!

Best moment of the week?  I got a call for a potential job offer!  I’ve been trying to get on with this company for a long time.  Unfortunately, I’ll have to get back in touch with them AFTER the baby comes… She seemed interested in me, though.  We’ll just have to wait to see what happens then!

my 15 week pic

Getting bigger! 

*ignore Lady's tail* 

Toilet paper and bed hogs

So, this morning, I woke up for my usual 3am pee session. There's nothing worse than having to wake from a dead sleep to do this.  I envy babies so much for this very reason.  They can just go whenever they feel the urge and continue to dream the night away. Can there be anything better than that?  Anyway, so I'm 1/2 peeing and 1/2 sleeping on the toilet and went to grab the toilet paper.  There was only one little square left on the roll!!!  I immediately knew who the culprit was & his name starts with "J".  So, I had to get up, waddle over to the cabinet to get another roll with pee dripping every which way, cursing J the whole way. Who wants to deal with that at 3am?  NOT ME.

So I go back to the bed after cleaning myself up and realize that J is all over my side of the bed. We have a king, but somehow, I'm sleeping on two feet of space, while he had about 4 feet behind him. So, I kindly ask him to scoot back a little. He said "I'm on my side!"  I'm like really?  "cuz you and your cuddle pillow and morning breath are all in my business! Move over!"  Then he called me a bed hog & I called him one back  (we're so mature!) I also reminded him how its common courtesy to replace the toilet paper if you're the last one to use it all.  He gave me some lame excuse to why he didn't and couldn't understand what the big deal was. I said "of course you don't get it, you have a d**k!  All you have to do is shake it!" 

So there you have it....we actually argued about toilet paper and who's a bigger bed hog.  At 3am.  Marriage is bliss! 

On to more important things.....  I'm 15 weeks today!  We keep forgetting to take a weekly picture, but I'll do it this afternoon when I get home & try to post it.  This past week has been pretty good....nothing really significant has happened, so I guess I'm blessed to have zero drama to complain about....(other than the above mentioned craziness)

Here's my survey for this week...Enjoy!

How far along are you? 15 weeks today (according to my pregnancy ticker)

How big is Baby? About the size of a naval orange. That’s what my “What to Expect” app says, anyway

Weight Gain? About 6 lbs. I’m up one pound from last week, which is good.  I’m supposed to gain about one pound per week from here on out. So, I’m thinking, in total I’ll gain 30lbs.

 Gender? Won’t know for a while (I’m really thinking boy, though)

Maternity Clothes? Same as last week

Stretch Marks? None

Sleep? Just OK.  I’ve been having some crazy dreams!  I dreamed the other night that we had 15 kittens in our house. Everywhere I turned there was another kitten hiding under something. Strange.

Symptoms? None this week.  Still tired, but I might as well get used to that. I’m going to be tired for the next 18 years, at least!

Movement? I think I feel stuff going on in there, but it’s nothing definite.

Food Cravings? Nothing really this week.  My appetite is not as big as it was.  I’m still really thirsty, though.

Labor Signs? Of course not

Belly Button in or out? Still in!

What I miss? My clothes fitting

What I am looking forward to? My next Dr. visit on Dec 1st.  I think they’re going to check for Spina Bifida at that visit, which means they’ll likely do an ultrasound.  I’ll have to tell Dr. C to keep the monitor turned away, because I’m afraid I might see the sex.  I don’t want to find out then because we’re finding out as a family (grandparents and all) on December 15^th!  I don’t want to ruin the surprise!

Best moment of the week? We saw some friends for the first time since we announced our pregnancy and they could tell immediately that I’m showing J  I’m really proud of this bump!

This week's survey says:

How far along are you? 14 weeks today (according to my pregnancy ticker). But the baby's measuring about 14 weeks, 4 days.  My due date has been moved to April 30th, but I know it will change again.

How big is Baby? About the size of a naval orange. That’s what my “What to Expect” app says, anyway

Weight Gain? About 5 lbs. Trying to keep it under 5 lbs for the 1^st trimester!

 Gender? We find out on December 15th!  All the grandparents are coming, too.  We want them to be involved in this baby as much as possible.

Maternity Clothes? Getting there!  I definitely have a bump...I'm actually kind of huge for only being 14 weeks.  I look more like I'm around 20 weeks or so. I don't mind, because my weight is staying the same. 

Stretch Marks? None

Sleep? Still great!

Symptoms? I'm really tired lately.  And emotional, too, but I'm trying real hard to keep that in check

Movement? I thought I felt something the other night...felt like bubbles, but it could have been gas. 

Food Cravings? I really am craving mac-n-cheese.  The homemade kind with the almost burnt crusty top.  Mmmmm.  So good!

Labor Signs? Of course not

Belly Button in or out? Still in, but getting flatter.

What I miss? My clothes fitting and girls nights out.  I'm not really comfortable going to a bar with a baby bump.  Something seems wrong about that.

What I am looking forward to? Finding out the sex!  Once we do that, we can start registering for things we want, like clothes, crib bedding, and other fun stuff.

Best moment of the week? I'm in my second trimester now!!!  only 25 weeks to go!  That's only 6 months....I'm so excited :) 

13/14 weeks- i don't know anymore

They've changed my due date from 5/4/12 to 4/30/12.  I know that's only 5 days difference, but now I'm not sure if I'm actually in my 2nd trimester yet, or if I have a couple more days to go. Regardless, baby will be here somewhere in that time frame.  EEEEK!

It's been getting more and more real for us & I'm FINALLY getting over my fear of miscarrying. We actually bought the baby's carrier and stroller on Sunday.  It's a Snap-N-Go & the carrier just locks into place.  It's MUCH lighter than a traditional travel system that we were originally looking at. We'll get a normal (but light!) stroller when the baby's around 9 months or so. We were also planning on not getting a crib, but a pack-n-play for the baby to sleep in, but I think we've changed our minds.  Since we rent our home, I'm not really wanting to do a nursery, because I  don't want to get attached.  When we buy a house, we'll definitely decorate the room. Besides, I'd prefer to have the baby in our room for the first 6 months. I think it's important to have the baby close by.

Anyway, we went to the Dr. C's (our wonderful OB) office yesterday (I wanted J to meet her), and we got an ultrasound.  Let me just say, our baby is already full of personality.  I can't wait to meet him/her!  As soon as she put the thingy (that's the ultrasound thing that goes on my stomach), baby N was staring straight at us, with it's hands up by it's head.  We could see little fingers and it was jumping all around.  I swear it looks like it's smiling from ear to ear......
Here's a pic:


It's so amazing that it used to look like a little blob.  Now it has a face, and bones, and a rib cage!  What a beautiful thing....

11 weeks!

This past week has been pretty good.  I haven't had any real complaints...I did puke on Wednesday, though!  That was kind of exciting!   I'm almost out of this first trimester :)  YAY! It hit me the other day that we only have 6 months until this baby gets here.  6 MONTHS!!   I feel like we have so much to do & I'm getting a little bit overwhelmed.  I know it will all work out, but time flies by SO fast.

This coming Wednesday, we get to have another ultrasound.  I can't wait for that!  I also have ordered a fetal doppler that should have been here by now, but apparently, 2-3 day expedited shipping that costs $20, really means 10 days.  I would have saved my $20 and waited 14 days for it to arrive.  That's the only thing I hate about ordering things online. Oh well.  It will get here when it wants to, I guess. 

How far along are you? 11 weeks today (according to my pregnancy ticker)

How big is Baby? About the size of a lime. That’s what my “What to Expect” app says, anyway

Weight Gain? About 5 lbs. Trying to keep it under 5 lbs for the 1^st trimester!

 Gender? Won’t know for a while (I’m really thinking boy, though)

Maternity Clothes? Same as last week

Stretch Marks? None

Sleep? Still great!

Symptoms? I’ve had some headaches here & there and I vomited a couple of days ago (finally!).

Movement? Probably, but I can’t feel it yet

Food Cravings? Milk!  I’ve always loved milk, but I really love it lately. I was up at 1am the other day chugging milk. It was SO tasty! I REALLY want a spicy Italian sub from Jimmy John’s, but since I’m not supposed to have deli meat, I have to wait L

Labor Signs? Of course not

Belly Button in or out? Still in!

What I miss? My clothes fitting

What I am looking forward to? My next ultrasound on Oct. 19^th.  We’ll get to hear the heartbeat & J will be there with me. For this appointment, they will also be checking for Down’s Syndrome & a few other genetic things…hopefully everything is good!

Best moment of the week? Making it to the 11 week mark.  Also, J told me my growing belly is sexy.  I kind of think he’s just trying to make me feel better about how I’m feeling, but I’ll take it!  He’s so sweet when he wants to be!

10 weeks.....

This week has been great so far!  I'm really looking forward to the weekend, because I want to do a little fall cleaning. I don't know if its because I'm pregnant or not, but I'm really having the urge to "nest" and get organized. We moved into our house a little over a year ago & I feel like my closets need some love. I feel like our crap was just sort of crammed into them and it's been making me crazy for the past few weeks.  This is the first weekend that we've had no obligations, so I'm taking full advantage of it!

Lately I've been doing a lot of thinking about what the future holds for J & myself once the baby comes. Some ladies I work with were urging us to take a "babymoon".  I love the idea of doing that, but (yes there's a but) there are many reasons why we shouldn't do this.  A) it costs money to travel & right now all of our extra cash is going toward the "baby fund".  B) If we go anywhere I'd prefer Italy & that's definitely out of the question. The next choice would be the beach, but Christmas is right around the corner, so we'll need to save for that and I'm NOT putting my fat ass in a bikini right now. C) the majority of this pregnancy is in the winter months and by the time it does get warm, I won't be able to travel-I probably won't feel like it either. So, I think we may take a little family trip (our first!) after the baby is here and before I come back to work.  It'll be nice and warm (June-ish) and it will be perfect beach weather. NO it's probably not going to be very romantic, but it'll be our family. Sounds perfect to me!

Also, I've been thinking about the kind of mother I want to be. If we have a boy, I don't want to raise a wuss. I want him to be a MAN and be OK with getting a little dirt here, or a scrape there. Of course I'll love him more than life itself, but I want to try my best not to baby him. I want him to know how to stand on his own two feet. And how to do laundry. For a girl, I really want her to be strong, confident and smart. I want her to know that she's capable of anything in life she wants and she doesn't need a man to make her dreams come true. Not that I want her to be a feminist, but I don't want her to be needy either. For either, I want to teach them morals and values and that it's not OK to lie. EVER. I just want them to be good people who know how to love and show compassion for others. It's overwhelming knowing that J & I will be the ones molding this little person into something great. 

I've been feeling really great so far!  Here's this weeks survey thingy:

How far along are you? 10 weeks today (according to my pregnancy ticker)

How big is Baby? About the size of a prune (1.5 in long)?  That’s what my “What to Expect” app says, anyway

Weight Gain? About 5 lbs. Trying to keep it under 5 lbs for the 1^st trimester!

 Gender? Won’t know for a while (I’m really thinking boy, though)

Maternity Clothes? Same as last week

Stretch Marks? None

Sleep? Still great!

Symptoms? Just a little constipated.  Great.

Movement? Probably, but I can’t feel it yet

Food Cravings? Milk!  I’ve always loved milk, but I really love it lately

Labor Signs? Of course not

Belly Button in or out? Still in!

What I miss? WINE L , and my clothes fitting

What I am looking forward to? My next ultrasound on Oct. 19^th.  We’ll get to hear the heartbeat & J will be there with me. For this appointment, they will also be checking for Down’s Syndrome & a few other genetic things…hopefully everything is good!

Best moment of the week? Making it to the 10 week mark. I will feel SO much better about everything once I’m out of the 1^st trimester.  I’m worrying about everything, when I know there’s probably nothing to worry about.  My fear right now is that the baby’s heart might have stopped beating after I got my flu shot last week.  I’m assuming, though, that if that were to happen, I would have already started spotting or cramping. I have neither of those, so it must mean that all is good!

9 weeks!

It's still getting bigger!  I have a feeling that I'm going to be a HUGE pregnat lady.  My co-worker is five months and I'm the same size as her :(  She keeps telling me my belly will shrink before it gets big, but I don't believe her.

How far along are you? 9 weeks today (according to my pregnancy ticker)

How big is Baby? About the size of a green olive?  That’s what my “What to Expect” app says, anyway

Weight Gain? About 4 lbs. Trying to keep it under 5 lbs for the 1^st trimester!

 Gender? Won’t know for a while

Maternity Clothes? Same as last week

Stretch Marks? None

Sleep? Still great! I'm getting really fatigued in the afternoons, though

Symptoms? Same as last week. I've noticed that I'm a little snippy with my co-workers (only the annoying ones, though!)

Movement? Probably, but I can’t feel it yet

Food Cravings? None this week

Labor Signs? Of course not

Belly Button in or out? Still in!

What I miss? WINE L , and my clothes fitting *I must confess that I tasted my friend's beer last night at dinner- it was DIVINE!*

What I am looking forward to? My next ultrasound which is on Oct. 19^th.  We’ll get to hear the heartbeat & J will be there with me. For this appointment, they will also be checking for Down’s Syndrome & a few other genetic things…hopefully everything is good!

Best moment of the week? Making it to the 9 week mark, of course!

I'm really looking forward to this weekend!  The weather is supposed to be perfect and we don't have any set plans.  I'm trying to coordinate with my SIL to get our neices and have them spend the night with us (they're 7 year old twins).  They are so much fun to have around.  I was thinking we may go to a corn maze up in North GA, but it all depends on what day we pick them up. I also want to go see The Help with J.  I just finished the book last night (LOVED IT!), so I'm really excited to see the movie now. We'll just have to see how the weekend unfolds.  That's all I've got for now.... 

31 weeks to go!

8 weeks!

I can't believe that I've made it to 8 weeks already!  Time is flying by & things are starting to feel more real to me. In about 7 more months, my dream will have come true. I'll be a MOM. My entire life, I've always known that I was meant to have a child, but when we began having such a hard time getting pregnant, I really started to question my purpose for this life.  I began to hate myself, hate my life, and hate my potential future. I had this hole in my heart that I just knew would never be completely filled. But then, miraculously, God answered our prayers. Unfortunately, he took someone very special from us, but he also gave us something that is so precious. We are forever thankful to him for our blessing.

I found this little survey that some other bloggers are using to help track their pregnancies, so I thought I'd use it-mostly for myself, so I can look back on it and my weekly changes... here we go!

How far along are you? 8 weeks today (according to my ovulation date)

How big is Baby? About the size of a raspberry, I think

Weight Gain? About 2-3 lbs. I'm trying to keep it 5 lbs or less for the 1^st trimester!

 Gender? Won’t know for a while (hoping for a boy)

Maternity Clothes? I have a belly band & my mom got me a couple of jeans but I haven’t had to wear them yet. Luckily, I get to wear scrubs to work, so I'm super comfy most of the time

Stretch Marks? None (yet)

Sleep? Great! Except when I get up for my usual pees, which is around 2x per night

Symptoms? Boobies (mostly nips) hurt, super bloated, some nausea but its not a daily thing.

Movement? Probably, but I can’t feel it yet.  I can feel gas moving, does that count?

Food Cravings? I was craving steamed pot stickers for a few days, but I got over it. Nothing else really.

Labor Signs? Of course not.

Belly Button in or out? Still in! I hope it pops out!  *I have a weird mole in there that I'm dying to get removed*

What I miss? WINE L , and my clothes fitting, feeling attractive.

What I am looking forward to? My 1^st appointment with my new OB. I’m hoping she’ll give me another ultrasound!  I’ve missed my weekly check-ins on Baby N, since Dr. K released me.

Best moment of the week? Making it to the 8 week mark.  Each week that passes feels like a victory!  Only 5 more to go until I’m in the 2^nd trimester.

So far, I feel really lucky that this pregnancy has been so easy for me!  I know it's still early & I may get more symptoms, but I'm great with how things are going for now. These past couple of months have flown by!  I'm trying to make every effort I can to enjoy every moment of this pregnancy.  Who knows if/when I'll ever have this chance again!

7 weeks, 3 days

It doesn't appear to me that the bloating is going to go away...it's getting worse!  This is really my only constant symptom, so far.  I had some fatigue & a little nausea, but that's it!

J & I went for an ultrasound last week & we got to see the heartbeat!  It was truly amazing to see life happening right in front of our eyes. It looked like a a little tiny light flickering around in there. So cool.

Dr. K released me, so I won't be getting anymore weekly ultrasounds. I get to meet my new OB next Monday, so hopefully I like her!  Her office is 3 floors below mine at work, so that's really convenient for me. Convenience will definitely trump anything else, especially the further along I get.

There's nothing else that's really worth mentioning at the moment.  I'm just taking one day at a time & praying that I make it through the first trimester

32 weeks, 4 days to go!

5 weeks!

Still bloated!

We had dinner with the family last night to celebrate my father-in-law's 62nd birthday.  We decided to tell him our big news by giving him a Braves bib & a Falcon's bib (his two favorite teams). He was slightly confused at first and said "why do I need these?"  All I could do was point to my belly and smile.Then he said "OH!  I thought you were looking a little chubby!"  Thanks, Pop. Just what I needed to hear....

My symptoms this week have been:
Chubbiness (apparently)
emotional
gassy
tired
bloated

I really don't feel pregnant yet. I want to, but maybe I never really will.  Unfortunately, the above symptoms are pretty normal for me.....

I get to go for my next ultrasound on Wednesday. Hopefully we'll get to see the hearbeat!

1st ultrasound :)

Baby N (that's what we're going to call him or her) is in the right place!!  Yep, the little sac is floating in my uterus, right where it's supposed to.  I was so happy to see that!!!  I was still really nervous that it would be ectopic, even though there's been no bleeding or cramping.  I'm so very relieved and NOW I can start getting super excited :) 

Now...what am I going to do about all this GAS?!?!  Holy moly, I feel like my ass could start a fire somewhere. 

That's it for now!

Week 4 details

Here's my belly (I'm really bloated!):

My symptoms so far..... 

HUNGER!

Sore boobies at night

I feel like I do when I'm getting a cold

My skin is really dry (I prefer this over my usual greasiness)

My symptoms are still worse in the evening.

My beta on friday was 176, which is more than double what it was on Wednesday (it was 71), so that's great news!  I think I may be getting an ultrasound as early as this Wednesday because my RE knows my history with the ectopic and they want to rule it out. I hope I get to see something!  It's OK if I don't because I know it's still REALLY early.

4 weeks down, 36 weeks to go!

It's official!

Yeah, so.....

I"M PREGNANT!!!!!!  

Here's my levels so far:
8/22/11- beta-18; progesterone-18
8/24/11- beta-71; progesterone-29

I'm officially 4 weeks today

So far so good!  I have to go back on Saturday morning for my 3rd beta & progesterone test & I'll have the results the same day...

I'm still in shock and it seems like my symptoms don't really appear until the evenings (so far). I'm praying that it sticks & it doesn't end up being ectopic.  I'm kind of having the same pain on my left side that I had with 2 years ago with that pregnancy.. I won't know anything until I go for my first ultrasound in a couple of weeks...  I really could not handle another loss, especially after J & I feel like this baby is a blessing from God and, in a funny way, a gift from his mom...We think that maybe she put in a good word for us!

I'm just taking each day that I'm pregnant as a blessing and take it one day at a time.... 

I'm so excited and I'm already in love with him/her....  This is what I've been praying for for the past 2.5 years & now our dreams are coming true. It's amazing and God is so good!

Welll

EEEEKKKK!!!!  I'm still in shock!!!  I just got back from Dr. K's office for my beta & progesterone check...nervous and excited and scared.....  On friday at my 7dpo check, my progesterone was only 10, so I'll probably end up with supplements.....   I can't believe it!!!! 

Miracles really do happen....

praying

So the last few weeks have been really difficult for J & I.  I knew it would happen. After I lost my dad, I was numb for about 6 months, so I kind of know what he's dealing with. The difference is that J's not numb...he's pissed. At the world. He & I got into a huge fight this past weekend & I'm pretty sure if I'd kept my mouth shut, it wouldn't have happened. What did I learn from that night?  I need to back off & give him his space. I know he's dealing with all sorts of emotions & I'd like to say that I know exactly what he's feeling, but I don't.  Yes, I've lost a parent. One that I love very much, but there is no way in hell I could handle losing my mom. She's on a whole different level than what my dad would have ever been. Not that his life wasn't significant, but there's nothing like the bond between a mother and her child.

I'm struggling with how to handle him at this point. I feel like I'm on eggshells sometimes.  At times I want to leave and come back when he's better....but I know I can't or shouldn't leave him. Ever. And the truth is, he'll never be the same person. 

That's the secret of marriage, I guess....growing and changing together.  Hopefully never growing apart. It's the hardest thing in the world to me right now.

I'm praying to God everyday that he finds peace with this somehow, someway. 

Sadness

J's mom left this earth on Sunday, July 31 in her home.  She hasn't been well for a few weeks (diabetes, kidney failure, infections) and has been hospitalized for almost 3 weeks. She was able to come home on Tuesday, the 26th and we thought she was going to be getting better. She woke up Sunday morning, got dressed, and was getting ready to enjoy breakfast with her husband. By the time her eggs were ready, she was gone. She went peacefully and in the comfort of her home, which is how she would have wanted it to be.

There are no words that I could say to J, my sister-in-law, or my father-in-law. She was an amazing woman who loved her family more than she loved herself. I wish that I could take this pain away from all of us.  This has been the hardest thing J will ever have to experience. The first thing he said when he found out was "she'll never get to meet her grandchild".  Heartbreaking.

She will be missed by all of us.

Just sayin....

 Ha ha...I loved this....I have a fear of birds, so my friend thought of me when she saw this.  Fitting :)

Once again

I'm on CD1 :(

I'm going to start a fertility cleanse once AF leaves.  It's a 30 day cleanse that's supposed to eliminate toxins from my liver, uterus, etc...  We'll see how it goes. If I'm not preggo in the next 2 cycles, I'm going back on clomid. WHY IS THIS SO HARD?

There's nothing wrong with me or J. I don't get it. At all.

So much for the good news I've been hoping for.

Good news would be great

Well, the past week or so has been an emotional roller coaster for our family.  My mother-in-law was taken to the emergency room on July 8th. It all started on Tuesday of that week when she went to get her upper teeth pulled to prepare for her dentures. She only had 6 or 8 pulled and was going to get the remaining ones pulled at a later date. Well, when someone is diabetic, it's crucial that they eat and stay hydrated. She didn't do either for 3 days in a row after her surgery!  Naturally, she was getting worse by the day, so my father-in-law decided to taker her to an urgent care facility on Friday afternoon. Well, they took one look at her and called an ambulance. When the EMT's arrived, they couldn't find her blood pressure (it was so low!) and her blood sugar was around 490-something. She was on the verge of death!

J & I made our way to the ER, and they decided to admit her into ICU. She was there for 1 week due to kidney failure. We really thought she wouldn't make it.  J has been so nervous and worried this whole week. She's now in a regular patient room, but it looks like she'll be there for another couple of weeks, doing hemodialysis. They are also doing a biopsy today to rule out cancer, since she's a breast cancer survivor.  That's the main thing J is concerned about. I've been saying a ton of prayers for her and for the rest of the family...

So, we've been coping with that, my friends, that I mentioned before, are going through the Big D, my half brother & half sister's mother has breast cancer & needs surgery, & my co-worker's sister also has breast cancer. AND I broke my arm last Wednesday. Can it seriously get any worse?

J & I took a bike ride at a local park so that he could get some fresh air & keep his mind off his mom. Well, it was so much fun until I ran into his back tire with my front one. I took a fall right onto my left arm (the one I write with, of course) and screamed like a little girl. OMG I have never felt that kind of pain!  I've never broken a bone before, so now I know it really does hurt!  We walked our bikes back to his truck & he drove me to an urgent care, since I didn't want to wait for 8 hours in an ER for an X-Ray. Luckily, I work for an orthopedist, so I was able to bring the X-Rays in to have one of the Dr.'s take a look. Yep, I have a tiny hairline fracture on my radial head (that's right by the bend of my elbow)  There's not really anything they can do for it, so I just have to wait for it to heal over time. Thank GOD for painkillers! 

Needless to say, after the last couple of weeks, I'm so very ready to hear something positive.  Maybe it will be me who brings the positive news?  As in "I'm pregnant!" or something equally cheerful. That really would be the cherry on top.  We'll know in a few days if I can scream that out loud :)