9/11

In Memory!

21 Weeks

How far along? 21 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 6 lb
Maternity clothes? Wearing a maternity shirt in this picture.
Stretch marks? No-Thank goodness.
Sleep: I have had the weirdest dreams this last week.  I have also had some back pain, which is making it harder to sleep.
Best moment this week: I had a lot of good moments this week.  We went to a Razorback Football game! My brother has been in town and he got to see my ever growing belly.  He thought it was odd on me.  Gabby made me laugh due to baby movement.  I learned our baby also likes Nine Inch Nails.  If we want to get him/her going play some of that and he/she starts moving.  The fireworks and crowd noise at the football game also made the baby move a lot.
Miss Anything? Nothing this week.
Movement: Lots of movement.  Can’t wait to get Michael to feel the baby more.
Food cravings: Nothing unusual this week.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I had no problems this week.
Have you started to show yet: Yes, and it is getting harder to hide the bump.
Gender: This week I had thoughts of cute little Razorback girlie attire.
Labor Signs: No.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.  Good week.  It was a 4 day work week, and baby and I got to spend some quality time with Uncle Eric.
Looking forward to: Hitting less than 100 days until the due date.
We received our baby bedding this week! It has been fun for Michael and I to try and find something neutral for our little one’s room.  We kept coming back to the one we got and finally took the plunge and purchased it.  Here are a few pictures of the bed and bedding.  The room is no where near being decorated, but it is definitely in the works.
Noticed the little bear on the left.  It has our baby’s heartbeat inside.  My Mom and I made it at Build-A-Bear a few weeks back!

20 Weeks

How far along? 20 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 6 lb
Maternity clothes? Sometimes, in the picture I am wearing all my normal clothes, but I have started to wear a few maternity shirts.  They definitely make me feel more pregnant than fat.
Stretch marks? No-Thank goodness.
Sleep: This has been a good week for sleep.  Maybe I am just so exhausted I have slept better or maybe I am finally learning how to sleep on my side.
Best moment this week: Ultrasound appointment!  My Mom and I also went to Build-A-Bear with a recording of the baby’s heartbeat from the 4D ultrasound and made a teddy bear for him/her. 
Miss Anything? Being able to fit into my Razorback gameday attire.
Movement: Lots of movement.  It is usually the same time everyday and in the same place.  Hopefully this is a sign of a routine!
Food cravings: Nothing unusual this week.
Anything making you queasy or sick: When I overdo it, I feel a little queasy.
Have you started to show yet: Yes, and other people are also starting to notice.
Gender: Still thinking/hoping it is a boy, but have had a few feelings of girl this week.
Labor Signs: No.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.  This was a great week and long weekend.  The Razorbacks won their game, and being there just made my whole week better.
Looking forward to: I don’t have anything this week I am looking forward to, unless you count the fact that I only have to work 4 days!

Here are some of my 20 week anatomy ultrasound pictures.  I have to say that even over the last two weeks the baby looks a little plumper.  He/She also really enjoyed running away from the ultrasound tech.  She did not agree that it was cute. 

Pregnancy Belly

I have had a few people ask about my belly.  Most of these have come from people who didn’t know me prior to pregnancy or who read this blog.  People tell me constantly that I don’t look pregnant.  I also love saying how many weeks along I am and watching people’s shocked looks.  I have to say a few things about this as clarification for people wondering if they are big enough or small enough for the same amount of weeks. 

Mornings make my belly look smaller than evenings.  If I have been standing all day it definitely sticks out further.  I should do a series of pictures throughout the day.  Certain shirts make it look bigger or smaller.  I am pretty self-conscious of the belly.  I have been the same size since high school.  I exercised and worked really hard to have a muscular stomach.  I wear shirts that are looser and of course that means it isn’t very noticeable.  I take my weekly bump shots in the morning.  It is just easier for me.  

I am not big on showing it off (yet).  People are already touching it.  This is weird to me.  I want to put my hand on their stomach.  My husband tells me I need to get over this.  So, I started rubbing his stomach and asked him if that was weird to him.  He tried not to laugh, because he agreed it was a little weird.  My own mother hasn’t even touched it because she knows.  My Dad on the other hand has touched it and he likes to add how he knows I hate it, but he says he isn’t used to seeing a belly on me so he has to touch it.  He usually is laughing while he does it.  I am sure my face says it all.

I am 5 foot 6 inches tall.  I think it is important for women to know this.  I think height definitely effects the belly.  My Mom is shorter than me by several inches.  In fact, I am the tallest girl in my family by several inches.  My Mom tells me all the time that when you are shorter there is only one direction that baby can go and that is out.  I have seen other people’s bump pictures and I think wow her bump looks like a pregnant belly.  I am definitely feeling like mine is getting closer, but it could also look like a beer gut too.  Everyone shows at different times and to different extremes.  Since, I spent the first trimester sick I think that effects the way my bump looks.  I lost several pounds before I was able to start gaining.  

I hope this helps all the ladies out there questioning there bumps.  I still question mine from time to time.  I don’t think I look very pregnant.  I will share a funny story:  My husband has a tendency to say whatever comes to his mind.  The other day I was wearing a t-shirt and shorts.  My husband proceeded to tell me how I look like a man with a beer gut…and laughs.  At first I was like what the heck are you talking about you mean person, then he proceeded to tell me why he said it.  My t-shirt didn’t touch my shorts (anymore).  It stood out from my belly, just like a man with a beer gut.  Thanks husband I appreciated that.  I did laugh.  He wasn’t trying to be mean, he just was stating the best he could what he saw.  It was his way of letting me know I am showing.  Got to love the man’s prospective.   

Razorback Football 3 Days!!!

You can feel the excitement which has been building over the last few months here in my town.  Football season is getting ready to start.  Who is excited? ME!!!!! I can’t wait to see how our team performs.  This weekend isn’t the big game to showcase if we could go all the way this year or not, but it is still the first game and it is going to be exciting to see just how our seniors perform. 

I have already planned my outfit for this weekend’s game.  That’s what ladies of the south do…plan our outfits at least a month in advance if not sooner.  It is a little harder this year, since I am pregnant.  Now it may rain, so I have a few different options.  A rainy day option and a sunny day option.  We will see! 

My husband sent me this video today and I have to share, it got me more ready for Saturday.  Our boys will do great and they will show the doubter what players and leadership at a school can do for a football program!

Week 19

How far along? 19 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 4 lb
Maternity clothes? Officially wearing maternity clothes for work.
Stretch marks? No-Thank goodness.
Sleep: Most night are good.  I have the occasional night that I can’t sleep, like last night.
Best moment this week: Going shopping for maternity clothes! I am no longer scared!
Miss Anything? A great glass of red wine on a work trip, especially when eating a steak.
Movement: The movement is getting stronger to me.  If napping it can wake me up.
Food cravings: I ate steak several meals last week.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing this week.
Have you started to show yet: Yes, and I am getting a little more comfortable with it.
Gender: Almost halfway to finding out.
Labor Signs: No.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.  I had a great week and since I was traveling all week for work I am going to say it is very positive..
Looking forward to: Our 20 week diagnostic ultrasound.  I say diagnostic, because most people call it the gender ultrasound.  Since, we are not finding out what we are having it is more of a see the baby’s heart and bones.

I have to thank my friend, Rachel, for going maternity clothes shopping.  Without her there I probably would have walked in and out of the store with no new clothes.  I instead had fun and got a lot of new clothes.  I am VERY excited to start wearing them.  I am ready for the weather to cool off so I can wear leggings, boots, and comfortable shirts.  If you are pregnant, I highly recommend taking a friend who was recently in maternity clothes.  They have the best advice.

Week 18

How far along? 18 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 1 lb according to my doctor’s visit last week.
Maternity clothes? Not yet and I am a little worried about finding cute stuff.
Stretch marks? No-Thank goodness.
Sleep: It has been a good week for sleep.  I still get up several times a night to go to the bathroom, but sleep has been harder.
Best moment this week: Getting a 3D/4D ultrasound of our little monkey.
Miss Anything? Buttoning my cute jeans.  My shorts still fit fine, but my jeans are a little uncomfortable buttoned.
Movement: This has been the best week for movement.  Michael and Gabby felt the baby move this week.  Gabby first, was laying on my stomach and the baby kicked (or something) and Gabby looked up at me like what was that.  Michael and I laughed.  Then this weekend, at the lake, I was up at 5:00AM and kept feeling a strong kick.  I woke Michael up and said you have to be able to feel this.  He did!! It was great knowing that now we can share more of this experience. 
Food cravings: I just want sweets this week and soda.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing this week.
Have you started to show yet: Yes, and I don’t know how I feel about it.
Gender: Our tech for the ultrasound completed avoided that area, so guess 5 more months.
Labor Signs: No.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.  I have had a great week. 
Looking forward to: Feeling the baby move more and more.  Each day seems like it gets a little stronger.

It has been the best week.  The doctor said everything sounded good.  The baby’s heartbeat was 167 at that appointment and 146 at the ultrasound.  Seeing our baby getting bigger is one of the best moments.  He/She was moving a ton during the ultrasound.  Our little monkey also was sucking his/her thumb.  I was a thumb sucker, so this just made me laugh.  We also noticed it was also looking for his/her left thumb.  Maybe it will be left handed like its Mom.  We also got a DVD of the baby and it is great.  My mom made a copy of the DVD and when we were at the lake this weekend they asked everyone if they wanted to watch it.  Got to love their excitement.

Love that you can see the spine…SO cool!