It seems like this week my belly has decided to make an appearance! I am starting to look more rounded like I have a pregnant belly versus looking like I've been packing on the pounds! Following are a couple of pictures to compare. The first one is me at 6 weeks, and the second is me at 17 weeks (taken today): It's hard to believe that I'm already 4 months along! I am anxious to meet our new addition...but then it's also scary to think that this time is going to fly by. There is SO much that we have to do to prepare! But, then again, are you ever prepared for a baby? I remember when we brought our second puppy Belle home. Since Belle is considered MY dog, I was the one who got to get up with her in the middle of the night when she cried and whined. I'd like to think that Belle has gotten me somewhat prepared for what to expect...but we were able to put her outside when she got to be too annoying. Can't do that with baby, can we? Ha! Here are some recent pictures of Belle & Kersee, our four-legged family members:
Belle - she's not so much a baby anymore! We had a 50 degree sunny day a few weeks ago, so we gave the dogs a large bone to enjoy in the sunshine on our deck. We have evidence that SOMEBODY was digging in the yard after the snow melted recently...can you guess who it was?
Hello All!
Yesterday I had another monthly appointment. We were only there for about 15 minutes, but it appears that all is still well! We heard the heartbeat again, and it's beating along at a steady 158-160 bpm. My blood pressure is good, and I've only gained 6 lbs so far (though it seems like 16 at least!), so things seem to be moving along well! We also got answers to some questions we had, including whether or not it is safe for me to help paint the baby's room. My doctor's initial response was yes, it's okay as long as the room is well-ventilated. Steve breathed a sigh of relief, and made a comment about me bugging him about having to do all the paint work. Well...then my doctor changed his tune and said (with a sly grin) that on second thought, I probably shouldn't do any painting at all. It's good to know that he's on my side! Since the appointment went by so quick, Steve & I stopped off at McDonald's to enjoy some pancakes before he dropped me off at the office. :-)
Our next appointment will be in one month. We are scheduled for an ultrasound on 3/19. If baby cooperates, we will be able to find out if we need to start buying onesies in pink or blue. Can't wait for that! We then meet with our doctor again on 3/20 for another routine visit.
As I mentioned in the last posting, I'm still feeling great! I had a bit of dizziness and migraine-like headaches earlier in the week, but my doctor reassures me that this is normal; my body's way of telling me to take it easy.
It has been baby central in our lives lately! Not only because of our own baby-to-be, but it seems like there are babies all around us:
- Within the past 3 months, two of my co-workers welcomed new additions to their families ( first babies for both).
- Within the past week, one of Steve's co-workers welcomed his first baby girl, and my mom's friend Kathy became a Grandma for the first time to a healthy baby boy!
- My high school friend Tara is expecting her second baby, a girl, any day now in New York!!
- Further down the line...I know of at least 4 other Iowa Central employees who are expecting around the same time as me, and Steve's cousin Shelly will welcome her first baby just a few weeks before me!
What a BABY BOOM!
Well...that's about it for this time around. I'll try to come up with some pictures to share for week 17. Until then...take care!
I just realized today that I skipped putting up a post during week 15...I guess that's probably because nothing too exciting has been going on. It could also be because we've been having very nice weather (for Iowa) lately, so I'm spending more time outdoors with the dogs when I get the opportunity.
I've been feeling really good! Other than feeling fat instead of pregnant, all has been well! I'm not quite into maternity clothes yet...but I'm very close. Fortunately, I think I'll be able to wear many of my tops for a while. Pants are another story! I moved the buttons over on a couple pairs of my favorite pants, which has worked for a while. There aren't many stores that sell maternity clothes around here, so my plan is to go to OldNavy.com to order some maternity pants this week.
I don't have any new cravings so far. However, I did get my share of sweets over the weekend! Steve made me a caramel cake with chocolate frosting for my birthday on Friday, and then my friend Darci dropped off some fun cookies on Valentine's day. I've also been promising Steve that I'd make him some caramel corn since I didn't make any at Christmas, so I did that yesterday. I know that I need to watch my sugar intake...but it was a hard task over the weekend! It's time to get back on track! This week I will start heading back to the gym, which is something I've been missing! I hope to be able to work in 3 days/week on the treadmill/elliptical, and then 2 days of yoga at home. I've been told that if I keep up the exercise routine that labor & losing weight after will come easier for me. Sounds good to me!
One of the things Steve and I have been working on at home is trying to figure out what to do with the baby room. We think we have the bedding picked out, so now we have to figure out how we're going to paint the room. Once we make a final decision, I'll post pictures on the blog! My goal is to get the painting completed during Spring Break, when I have time off from work. After that is done, we'll be able to buy the baby furniture...which will make it even more real!
This Thursday is our next appointment. I don't think it will be anything new - but we will get to hear the heartbeat again, which is always exciting and emotional! I'm not scheduled for an ultrasound - that will come in March. We should be able to tell the sex of the baby then...which is what everyone seems to be waiting for! :-)
Overall, it's still surreal to me that there is a baby growing inside! I do look forward to finding out what we are having...but I think I'm more excited to feel the first flutter or kick. I think that will make it all seem more real to me.
I don't have any new baby news to report. All is still going well. Tuesday will be the start of my week 14, which means I am officially starting my 2nd trimester. I can definitely tell that I am getting my energy back. I actually stayed up until 10:45 last night! (versus my typical 9:30 bedtime these past few months)
On Saturday, Steve and I traveled to Des Moines to do some looking around Babies R Us. It was mind boggling, seeing all of the different items there are in that store! Who knew there were enough different types of pacifiers to take up one entire side of an aisle! Ha! We did find some things we like, including a crib and changing table. We didn't buy anything yet since we haven't even started clearing out the baby's room. I think that will be a Spring Break project next month if anyone would like to come help us paint! It was fun trying out the different strollers - but also very confusing! It seems like every brand is completely different, with different buttons, levers and gizmos that keep baby strapped in tight! After giving the different brands a try, (and after Steve nearly broke one right in front of the saleslady) we found that our favorite is made by a company called Chicco. All in all, it was a fun day, and we were able to start a list of things that we like, along with things we'll know to avoid, for when we start to get ready for baby.
I don't have any baby pictures to share...so I thought I'd share some pictures from the Jackson Christmas...Here's a picture of me and my niece Ashlyn (taken by my niece Courtney). Can you believe this is the same almost-three-year-old flower girl from our wedding 11 1/2 years ago?It's amazing to look at our family picture every year and see how much all the kids have grown (especially the 2 boys in the back...I don't know what they are standing on, but their uncle Darren is no match for them on his tip-toes in this picture! Ha!) It is exciting to add a few new faces to our family photo this year too! Jim's wife Jodi, and her two daughters Rachel and Emma joined us this year. We're all so happy to have them as part of our family!
