26 Week Appointment

Finally just got home! I had my glucose test today and quite frankly, I had been dreading it after all the horror stories I'd heard about it making some women pass out or throw up. The fact that I have been really nauseous this past week and was nauseous this morning did not help.  As you have probably read more times than you've wanted to, I pretty much only drink water, so I was not keen on having to down this drink in under 5 minutes. It tasted like flat soda with a really tangy and strange after taste. It would have been a lot better if I could have had a glass of water immediately after drinking this, but you are not allowed to eat or drink anything for an hour after downing it. I was actually surprised and rather glad that they did my whole check up and everything while we were waiting the hour, which made it go by so much faster!
My midwife is a bit concerned about my lack of weight gain. When I first got pregnant, I weighed 153 on my home scale. I went all the way down to 140 in a matter of weeks and gaining weight back has been a two steps forward, one step back process. I weighed in at 149 at the appointment today, which is only half a pound up from what I weighed a month ago at my last appointment. So I was instructed to increase my calorie intake and to eat between meals. I was literally ordered to go and drink a milkshake after my appointment! (How often does your doc ask for you to do that? ;D) 
I was prescribed more zofran to help with the nausea and was instructed to get in touch with them right away if I can't keep food down for 24 hours straight. I probably should have called last week, but I'm glad it got better on its own! I'm so glad I have something to take to help the nausea, because some days, I can not eat without it. 
We got a kick out of Vincent, who was totally hamming it up while my midwife tried to find the heartbeat. He kept kicking the doppler off me! Little stinker! His heartbeat was 144 today. It cracks me up that I was thinking he might be a girl, based off the fact that the heartbeat had been in the 160s before I found out the gender, then it dropped down to the 140s! 
Since they weren't able to get a very good view of Vince's spine during my anatomy scan, they are going to schedule me for another ultrasound in about a month. (Awesome!!) They just want to make 100% certain that everything is developing okay. I am actually really excited to get a second ultrasound and I know Mike will be too. But as far as measurements go, he is growing right on schedule and doing great!
Another thing my midwife mentioned; since a family member of mine had a bad reaction to anesthesia, she encourages me to not get an epidural. I really don't want to get one anyway unless absolutely necessary, but that is just one more motivational factor to try my best to get through labor without it. (Please cross your fingers for me!)  
After the check up, I had my blood drawn and got both my Rh shot and my flu shot. >.< You'd think that with a face full of holes and a tattoo that I wouldn't give a hoot about getting poked, but I really hate it. I don't care who you are - shots are no fun, period! 
Well, I drank my milkshake, went to the grocery store and now, I'm about ready to take a nap! :)

25 Weeks Pregnant

I'll add my chalkboard picture on Friday once Mike can take it! :)

How far along? 25 Weeks - Vincent is the size of a rutabaga

Total weight gain/measurements: I've been gaining about a pound a week for the last few weeks! I have hit 150 now, so I'm just three pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight. :)

Maternity clothes: Same as last week. 

Stretch marks? Not yet

Sleep: Sleep has been horrible this week. I've been having constant round ligament pain, so it makes it difficult to get comfortable and actually fall asleep.  

Best moment this week: Hearing Vince roundhouse kick the fetal monitor. xD 

Miss anything?: Mike!! He left Monday for training in Tulsa and will be back Friday. I hate it when we're apart!

Movement: Lots of movement this week! And some of the kicking has turned into sliding, now that he is getting bigger. It's so strange to feel him roll over - it makes me feel like I'm on a roller coaster!

Food cravings: Nothing this week.

Anything making you queasy or sick? I have not been feeling very good this week. Last night I was throwing up and was finally just able to down a piece of buttered toast. I really can't wait until March. I want to meet my son and be done with the morning sickness. I never would have thought I'd still be dealing with it this late in pregnancy! 

Gender: Boy :)

Labor signs: No - I think I still may be getting Braxton Hicks on and off though. 

Symptoms: Strong round ligament pain. On Friday, I woke up to a very sharp, stabbing pain in the lower right area of my abdomen. It was so incredibly painful. It went away a few hours later. The next day, it came back so strong, I was about ready to head to the ER. I then went to empty my bladder and it just went away! Had it again all day Sunday and into Monday. I called the midwifery on Monday morning, and since they only had one midwife on call that day and she was at the hospital, they sent me to urgent care. Urgent care sent me to the ER and the ER sent me to labor and delivery. (!!!) I really was just hoping they'd check to see if I had another UTI or something and send me home. I felt so embarrassed sitting up there in labor and delivery at 25 weeks with cramps. Turns out between Vince's strong movement and me probably sleeping wrong the night before the pain started, my ligament was strained. So it's nothing major. I was glad they sent me on my way after that. Good grief.
So my symptoms this week have been ligament pain, tailbone pain, braxton hicks and morning sickness. 

Belly button in or out? Halfway out when I'm standing haha

Happy or moody most of the time: I've been a bit moody this week since there has been a lot going on, but very happy about Mike's job and that Vincent is growing and doing well!  

Looking forward to: Mike coming home on Friday! :D I'd be looking forward to my next appointment a week from today, but honestly, I'm dreading it a bit, since I'll be doing my 1 hour glucose test and getting my Rh shot! 

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18 Weeks Pregnant

Good grief what a week this has been. I've been sick with a nasty cold and also ended up in the ER, which is why there was no chalkboard picture last week. Sorry about that! :/ 

How far along? 18 Weeks

Total weight gain/measurements: I had gone all the way up to 146! I was so excited, then stepped on the scale Monday and was all the way down to 141. This was after my visit to the E.R. I am still 141 today - my appetite has been pretty low and I know being sick with the cold didn't help. We will see what my midwife says tomorrow.

Maternity clothes: I found yesterday that I still fit in my jeans! For now! lol - But I have to wear them so low under my belly that I actually have to wear a belt to keep them from sliding down! So I will be getting some maternity jeans soon, now that it is getting a little cooler. 

Stretch marks? None yet!

Sleep: To my surprise, the only thing that is good right now is my sleep! Mike and I have been going to bed at the same time, fairly early and are both up by 7. I do get up at night several times to use the restroom, but I haven't had any trouble falling back to sleep. I also haven't been needing to get up at night for a snack anymore. Even though I want to most of the time, I haven't been taking naps during the day lately, just because I don't want to mess up my sleep schedule!

Best moment this week: Seeing baby on the ultrasound machine! I was doing so terribly and was very, very afraid that the baby was not okay. A gigantic boulder dropped off my shoulders when I saw that strong heartbeat! 

Miss anything? A normal sized bladder!

Food cravings: Ritz crackers. Not really a craving, but more a food that actually stays down! Everything I crave right now would not sit well in my stomach at all.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Same as before - smells and the need to cough. 

Gender: Unknown 

Labor signs: Nope!

Symptoms: As you read before, I went to the ER this week. I had been having stomach pain since around 4 o'clock that afternoon and it got progressively worse throughout the night, until it was almost unbearable. Mike and I headed to the ER around midnight and were there till 4 AM. I was put on an IV drip for fluids, since I had been vomiting and was given a small dose of morphine for the pain. The baby is 100% healthy and well! Thank God - words cannot express how thankful I was when I saw that little heart beat. I ended up being diagnosed with gastritis, which is an irritation of the stomach lining. I am guessing this could be from the frequent vomiting. Also, I was diagnosed with another UTI, which I am now on antibiotics for for the next week. I've still got the morning sickness, but am beginning to wonder if it is related to the gastritis or UTI. We will have to see once both clear up!

Belly button in or out? Still in

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy that baby bean is okay! I do get very weepy and emotional but for the most party I am pretty happy.

Looking forward to: My appointment tomorrow! Hope we finally make the appointment for my gender ultrasound! 

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17 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 17 Weeks :)

Total weight gain/measurements: I gained one more pound according to today's weight! I now weigh 145. So all together, I lost 13 and have regained 5 pounds back :)

Maternity clothes: Nothing new at the moment

Stretch marks? Nope!

Sleep: I was able to fix my sleep schedule! Yay! However I do wake up every night for around an hour or so, because I need to get a little something in my stomach. I'll usually eat a yogurt, sit on the couch and read to let it settle, then go back to bed. 

Best moment this week: I swear, I felt the baby actually kick yesterday. Either it was a kick, or I was having a random twitch about an inch under my belly button, just a little bit to the right. I felt it exactly four times in a row and nothing since then! Even if it was a twitch, it was really exciting! Mike put his ear up to my belly, right around where I felt the kick and he felt little nudges against his ear and could hear the movement! I wish I had a stethoscope so I could hear too!

Miss anything? I miss feeling physically well! Between the morning sickness and other nasty symptoms, I can't wait until I start to feel better!

Food cravings: This past week I really had strong cravings for Cinnamon Toast Crunch, which is strange, because so far I haven't had any sweet cravings at all! Also chicken broth, since I've come down with a cold. I really like the hot drink and the flavor! I have a cup steaming on my bedside table right now. :)

Anything making you queasy or sick? Still bad smells, but it is all pregnancy related. I must just be really sensitive or something because my morning sickness is still not gone. If I cough really hard, it makes me gag and often times I will vomit. (Bless my friend Elena's heart; this happened yesterday while we were on Skype and she waited for me to come back from the bathroom!) So it's really just very pregnancy related and nothing besides that is causing me to get sick.  

Gender: Unknown 

Labor signs: Nope!

Symptoms: Besides the morning sickness, not many symptoms! I've been getting a bit headachy, but I know that has to do with the cold I caught from Mike a few days ago. I barely had any leg cramps this week, which is nice! Hoping things are beginning to look up symptom-wise!

Belly button in or out? Still in

Happy or moody most of the time: Optimistic and happy with the occasional meltdown! But those are allowed, right??

Looking forward to: Kicking this cold! Just one more week and one day till my next appointment :D squeee!

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16 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 16 weeks today!

Total weight gain/measurements: I have now for sure gained a pound! I haven't gone back down to my previous weight - hoping I can keep gaining! :)

Maternity clothes: Haven't gotten anything new - I am still able to make my stretchy pants work well for now.

Stretch marks? Nope!

Sleep: Sleep has gotten a little bit better. I am currently working on fixing my internal clock so that I am not up all night! Hope it will work! 

Best moment this week: Going to the post office today to deliver a pair of shoes that I FINALLY got painted! The morning sickness kept me from my art table and it was wonderful to get back at it and cross one more thing off my to do list! :)

Miss anything? I sort of miss smoking. Not cigarettes - I don't miss the taste, the smell...yuck! Just the feeling of taking a drag off a cigarette. It's a bit strange. But I am so glad I have stopped. At this point I really don't know what made smoking so appealing to me!

Food cravings: I've honestly been craving a bowl of loaded bacon and potato soup from IHOP for over a month now and the craving will not stop coming back. I feel like if I don't fulfill it, it will never go away! lol

Anything making you queasy or sick? Still smells! Today I sat with all my scented candles burning and it really made the house smell nice! I will try and do it more often and I think it will help. I've noticed also that if I go more than three hours without eating a little something, I start to feel really bad. Then I get nauseated to the point that I don't feel like I can eat...it's a vicious cycle. 

Gender: Unknown 

Labor signs: Nope!

Symptoms: As you can see on my cheek, bad acne this week! Haha xD I forgot to clone them out before I posted the picture! Oh well! Also still morning sickness, stuffy nose and a new one...leg cramps. They have been especially bad at night, so I try to stretch the best I can before bed to minimize the pain. 

Belly button in or out? Still in

Happy or moody most of the time: I've found myself fairly happy in the last week - I find that if I'm not feeling well and I allow myself a five minute sobbing meltdown that it helps me feel better!

Looking forward to: Still October!

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15 Weeks Pregnant

Aaaah! We FINALLY have our internet back and I am so stoked to update my blog! :) Don't mind my exhausted face haha!

How far along? 15 Weeks and 4 days :)

Total weight gain/measurements: I actually made it up one pound yesterday! Aaaaand after dinner today I weighed again and it was back down :/ But my midwife isn't concerned, so I'm not too worried. She said as long as I am eating, everything is fine.

Maternity clothes: One of my favorite pairs of shorts has just gotten very tight. :( So I am switching to stretchier pants. I've been liking to wear my work out capris, since they are super stretchy! And they are black, so they go with all of my tops. They almost look like cut off leggings.

Stretch marks? Nope!

Sleep: It has been easier to get rest, but my sleep schedule is still pretty messed up. When I am hurting at night or feeling sick, it's really difficult to sleep, even when I'm tired. And I really want to avoid taking Benadryl unless I really need to.

Best moment this week: Hearing baby's heartbeat on the doppler and the little "kick" we heard!

Miss anything? Coffee. I know I could still drink it here and there, but I my stomach will not tolerate it, at least at the moment. It's not even really the taste as much as the whole "zen" of drinking that morning cup of coffee. I've had tea a few times, but it's not quite the same.

Movement: I swear there is popcorn popping in my uterus. Haha :D

Food cravings: Hmm...I am still quite fond of cheesy bacon macaroni noodles. They are definitely not the most healthy thing, but half the time, it's all I can stomach! I've also been craving burritos lately; bean more so than beef.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Doing the dishes!! I need to figure out how to clean out our drain. Our washing machine also didn't drain the water during one of the cycles and it made the washer smell really bad. When I opened up the closet, I lost my breakfast because the smell was so revolting. It was so bad that it made the vinegar I had to use (yuck) to get rid of the smell not smell so horrible!. So really still just my damn nose. :/ 

Gender: Unknown 

Labor signs: Nope!

Symptoms: I was doing GREAT with the nausea for a few days, and seriously thought it was the end. Nope. I've gotten sick three times this week and as I've mentioned before, it takes a LOT for me to throw up. So the morning sickness is still very strong. I am happy to announce that my allergies have been loads better though!

Belly button in or out? In...for now!

Happy or moody most of the time: I've felt very drained and tired lately, so it's very easy for me to lose my patience, especially with the dogs, as hard as I try to keep calm! lol Other than that fairly happy. :)

Looking forward to: OCTOBER! I have my next appointment at the beginning of October and at the end, we will find out the sex of the baby! :D Squeee!

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14 Weeks!

How far along? 14 weeks today! 

Total weight gain/measurements: When I weighed in the day I got my positive test, I was 153. I went down to 140 and am now at 143. So unless you count the weight I gained back, I haven't gained any so far. I can't seem to get up higher than 143 even after eating a meal! Hopefully once this morning sickness subsides, I can start eating larger amounts more regularly.

Maternity clothes: I have a few maternity tops I have really taken a liking to! They are so stretchy and long and comfortable. I haven't been able to wear a lot of my t-shirts, because my belly sticks out the bottom! Other than that I don't need anything quite yet, since my shorts are very stretchy and a big big to begin with and all I wear at home are shorts and yoga pants. :)

Stretch marks? Not yet! When I first found out I was pregnant, I got the Palmer's Stretch Mark Cream, but the smell ended up being too strong for my nose to handle. I ordered Bio Oil off of Amazon and have been putting it on after every shower! It is not as strong smelling and I think will end up doing a better job in the end. I haven't been putting it on more than once a day though, since the oil does take a little while to sink in and I am never in the mood to do it more often than that. 

Sleep: Lately I have been having a very hard time sleeping. I am exhausted, but I can't get comfortable or seem to sleep more than three hours straight without feeling restless. I think this is partially because I have had to give up sleeping on my stomach and I am having some trouble with shortness of breath. I picked up some benadryl, so hopefully that will help clear up my breathing issues, the stuffy nose and help me sleep a little better!

Best moment this week: Noticing my belly begin to "pop"! :D

Miss anything? Coffee. I know I could still drink it here and there, but I my stomach will not tolerate it, at least at the moment. It's not even really the taste as much as the whole "zen" of drinking that morning cup of coffee. I've had tea a few times, but it's not quite the same.

Movement: I could have sworn I've felt little squirmies, but only when laying on my back right after or before a meal. But then again, I am only 13 weeks, so there is still much more to come!

Food cravings: I don't really crave one thing in particular, but when I do crave anything, it's almost always salty. Sweet things leave such a weird aftertaste and I find myself not enjoying sweets as much anymore. Also for some reason I am really craving a glass of red Hawaiian Punch right now!

Anything making you queasy or sick? Smells. If there is anything I would LOVE to give up right now, it would be my sense of smell. Anything from barbecue to that mysterious earthy smell our bathroom has, it makes me gag. I start to cough, then gag, then in some cases throw up. Totally uncool. I also don't do too well around the gas stove unless I have the vent on. Especially when cooking hamburger meat! 

Gender: Unknown 

Labour signs: Nope!

Symptoms: My nausea has improved and I haven't been vomiting as frequently. Yaay! I hope it keeps getting better from here on out! I also feel tired a lot of the time. It helps if I take a nap during the day. I've also noticed my allergies have REALLY been acting up. My nose gets clogged and yesterday in particular, I spent the whole day blowing my nose. My breathing has also been acting up - I experience shortness of breath often, especially in the mornings. No acne at the moment, but that tends to change from one day to the next so I am going to go knock on wood now! ;D

Belly button in or out? In

Happy or moody most of the time: It really varies. The smallest things can set me off in any direction! I try to keep optimistic and positive most of the time for the sake of Mike and myself. :D teehehe

Looking forward to: My next midwife appointment, which is TOMORROW! Yaaay! The month long wait will finally come to an end! :D 

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Weeks 5-10

Since I am starting this blog late, I will give you a (somewhat) shorter version of the past five weeks! (Weeks are listed according to the week I was in during following events.)


Week 6: 
Mike and I chose to see a midwife for several reasons. One of which being that we'd like to go as naturally as possible and have more options in the end. Another was one that was thrown at me a bit last minute. After a friend had told me about the midwives here in our area and we were driving to go and make an appointment with them, we ended up at the OBGYN office just a few addresses down. I didn't think about this when I went in to make the appointment. The woman at the front desk treated me like a chart. She had to ask twice for my name and told me that it would be about 60 days until they could see me, meaning my first appointment would be at approximately 14 weeks. Um...no?! She asked me which doctor I'd like to see and I said I'd actually like to see a midwife. She told me that I am in the wrong building. I had no trouble saying: "See ya!" and leaving immediately. 
When I arrived at the midwifery, I felt right at home. The entire wall was COVERED in pictures of families with their newborns. The woman at the front desk asked me once for my name, then continued to address me as such. She was so friendly and even asked how I'm feeling. She made me an appointment for three weeks from that day. Sounds more like it! 

Week 6:
Needless to say, at this point I can barely keep any food down at all. Nothing sounds good, even my favorite foods in the world! Vomiting has become part of my daily routine, although I am convinced it is something you can never get used to, no matter how many times it happens. I don't want to go into extreme detail, but I am literally afraid of throwing up. I feel like I am throwing up my soul. I always feel like I am going to see my shoes towards the end. It's freaking horrible. I will honestly say that I would prefer to fall down a flight of stairs and break my arm than even so much as feel nauseated. The only thing I find comfort in, is the fact that the morning sickness is a SYMPTOM and means that the baby is healthy and doing well! And for that, I will throw up all day. 

Week 7: 
Still struggling with extreme nausea and fatigue. I have lost 13 pounds to date because of lack of appetite and being so sick. Just one more week until my first appointment! 

Week 8:
The appointment went so well! It was really only a question and answer session though. My midwife told me that they would do a full body exam and listen to the heartbeat at my next appointment, which would be at 10 weeks. Regardless, I was so excited and happy with my decision to see a midwife! She could not have been more friendly and comforting - it was such a relief! 

Week 9: 
This week, Mike and my mother in law are tore out the carpet in our house and replaced it with laminate flooring. With all of our cats and the absolutely revolting state of the carpet (not to mention the fact that every little smell makes me puke my guts out), it was time. I could not be more grateful for all of their help - I went to help out on a few days but was rather limited in my physical state. The nausea is still really bad and my appetite is limited to bananas and, for some reason, tortilla chips. I can barely eat meat at all. And at this point, I'd GLADLY give up my sense of smell! 

Week 10:
Moved back in at home and now get to enjoy BEAUTIFUL new floors! I am so incredibly excited! And getting rid of the nasty carpet helped the smells SO much. So very grateful right now! Still sick and tired. Beginning to get sick and tired of being sick and tired quite honestly!

Here is a collage of my belly from weeks 5 to 10! We started at week 5 and will go all the way through till the end.