Overview Weeks Fourteen, Fifteen, and Sixteen

WEEK 14: This week my belly popped out a lot! I had cramps for a day, like the ones I had in the beginning of my pregnancy. Last time I had cramps, I asked my doctor if it was normal and she told me cramps are a good thing. That means the uterus is stretching and getting bigger for the growing baby.  So, I figured the cramps this time around are from a growing uterus and baby. The next day after my cramps I had the biggest appetite ever. I can't even list everything I ate that day. Sweet, salty, carbs, you name it, I probably ate it. The next day after my buffet, I popped out. The baby had a growth spurt! Well after the growth spurt, Tommy and I went to the mall to buy more maternity pants. That one pair in my dresser isn't going to be enough. We went to H&M, but their selection was eh. We went to Motherhood Maternity and they had a great sale. I purchased two pairs of stretchy nylon work pants. One maroon pair and one olive green pair. I also bought two pairs of maternity leggings. One black pair and one olive green pair. I also bought maternity underwear, I won't go into color detail about them.

The baby: is the size of a lemon! The baby's face can start to make expressions like squint or frown. Some babies even start growing hair this week! I wish I could just watch my baby whenever I wanted and see the baby swim around, flex, kick, squint, frown, everything! 

Mommy's Health: Besides my belly growing, nothing has really changed. No major cravings, little headaches here and there, and sleepy some days. I cut down on the cheese, causing my digestive system to be a LITTLE bit more regular. But, still uncomfortable.

Overview Weeks Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen

 
I'm getting so close to my second trimester I can almost taste it!
 

WEEK 11: No doctor’s appointment until next week. My belly pouch is getting a little bit bigger, and I feel adorable. Tommy is convinced the baby is a girl and I’m almost positive it’s a boy. We will be happy with either, of course, but it is fun to argue with him!

The baby: is the size of a lime! This week the baby is officially called a fetus. The baby will start doubling in size every week. The baby's ears are moving to the side of the head.

 

Mommy's Health: My food obsession is baked potato (preferably from Wendy's) Ugh and I hate fast food restaurants. I haven't eaten fast food in years. When I complain about eating fast food to my family and friends they ask, “Where do you go and what do you eat?” I tell them Wendy’s baked potatoes and they look at me weird for a second and say, “That’s not fast food, burgers and fries are fast foods.” Since I only eat chicken, a burger is out of the question. Eating baked potatoes isn’t as bad as eating fried foods. It’s just the whole gross atmosphere of the “restaurant” that makes me feel blah about eating food from there. Tommy goes into Wendy’s or picks up a baked potato for me so I don’t have to go inside and smell the grease. That’s all I’ve eaten for dinner for this past week. I feel like I’m never going to get over this craving. At least it’s only $1.50 every night and not some $20 meal every night.
 
I’m still tired, but I don’t need a three hour afternoon nap anymore. I just go to bed around 8:00. The bigger this baby gets the slower my digestion gets. Luckily, I have Tommy to rub my back every night. That helps my stomach feel better, a lot better.

 

WEEK 12: Sunday, October 20, 2013 was Tommy’s 30^th birthday party. It was great to see all of our family and friends to celebrate his birthday. Everyone was excited to see a little belly on me and it was fun catching everyone up on our pregnancy news.
 
Tommy and I had to take off of work on Monday, October 21 2013 because we had two doctor’s appointments. The first appointment was our 1^st trimester sonogram (level 1) at 2:00p.m. We saw the baby on the big screen during our sonogram, I cried. He or she is sooo cute!! The technician took screen shots of both arms and legs, fingers, toes, and the head. This baby is unbelievably active. He or she would curl up into a ball then stretch out in the blink of an eye. Constantly moving! It was amazing to watch. The technician measured the back of the neck for any signs of Down syndrome. The back of the neck measured 1.5; if the measurement is 2.5 or greater the baby could have Down syndrome, heart problems, or other complications. The baby is great and healthy! The measurements are all in sync with how many weeks pregnant I am. The technician printed out pictures for us to take home. After the sonogram we had to go across the hall to talk to the lady about upcoming blood work. Her name is Barbara and she wrote me a script for the Harmony Test. The Harmony Test can give a more accurate result for Downs than measuring the back of the neck. We also had the option to get the baby’s DNA taken out of my blood to determine if the baby is a boy or girl. We obviously had to get the DNA test so we can have our gender reveal party! Barbara also gave me a date for Spina Bifida blood work that has to be done between weeks 14-16. We had a great appointment and it’s so miraculous to see my baby move around in my belly.

This is a face to face shot. the two black spots are the baby's brain

So big!

Sucking the thumb...I can't take the cuteness!!!

 
Our second doctor’s appointment was my regular OB at 4:15p.m. I met the other doctor who will be going through this pregnancy with me. She is very nice and just as knowledgeable as my other doctor. Doctor #2 already had the sonogram results from earlier today. She confirmed everything looked good and asked if we had any questions. We did not have any questions so the doctor told us we were going to hear the heartbeat for the first time. She took the heartbeat device and rolled it on my belly where my baby is. She found the heartbeat but because the baby kept moving around she couldn’t get a 30 second listening of the heartbeat. She had to follow the energetic baby around my uterus. When we finally got the baby to calm down long enough to hear the heartbeat, she measured the heartbeat at 152 BPM. It was a beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. Tommy and I were in awe. SO PRECIOUS. After the doctor’s appointment we went to Wendy’s and bought me a baked potato, duh.  
 
The next day, Tuesday, October 22 2013, I woke up at 5:15 to wait outside in the freezing cold for Labcorp to open. Tommy and I were the first ones there. If we did not go early I would have to wait in line and be late for work. The results for the Harmony Test take 2-3 weeks so I had to get the blood work done ASAP or the doctor would not know the sex before the gender reveal party (which is the whole point of having the party). That was an eventful week!
 

The baby: is the size of a plum! This week the baby’s face is becoming more defined. The eyes have moved towards the front of the face and the chin and nose are more shaped. The baby’s fingernails are now well formed. I can’t wait to kiss every one of those fingers.
 

Mommy's Health: My food obsession is still baked potato…every single night.
 
I’m starting to be less of a grandma and having more energy. My bedtime is now 9:00 instead of 8:00. GO ME! My digestive system is even slower now, and I get pains because I have to go to the bathroom (#2). Going to the bathroom is not as easy as it used to be. The backrubs do help, but I can’t wait to be regular again.
 
WEEK 13: Well Thursday was Halloween! My class had a party and they were very well behaved. After school, I went over to my mom’s house, ate dinner, and went trick-or-treating with my mom, sister, and some family friends. (I did not go to the doors for candy!) But my sister did and managed to get me some candy by telling homeowners her pregnant sister was standing over by our mom. It was too funny. Not like we needed any candy, my mom basically bought every bag of candy from Target. We had a lot of fun and I was a skeleton…Baby and all!

 

The baby: is the size of a peach/small onion! This week the baby is able move and flex his or her arms and legs. Too bad I can’t feel it yet. My baby is so advanced, he or she has been flexing and kicking since last week! Tommy and I are just dying to know if the baby is a girl or a boy!!

Mommy's Health: I don’t really have any cravings this week. I’m eating more chicken now and trying to force down eggs because the baby and I now need 70g of protein (Boy, that’s a lot!) The baby and I also need more calcium too. Perfect timing because I love frozen yogurt again!! I’m eating tons of cheese, frozen yogurt, and Greek yogurt.
 
I’ve had the most energy this week since I got pregnant. I go to bed at 10:00 p.m. now and feel fully rested when I get up for work. What a relief! I’m still having digestive problems; my doctor said it could be the amount of cheese I’m eating. Plus, the digestive system slows down naturally to absorb most of the nutrients out of the food for the baby. Guess I’ll take down the cheese intake for a little bit!
 
The next time I blog it will be about my gender reveal party happening on November 10^th, 2013!!!! YAY!!!