Happy Halloween!

So while I'm 1 day early on my 18 week post, I'm a few weeks behind with my weekly writings.  Just like everyone else, life just got the best of us, and we found ourselves extremely busy.  For Baby T's 16 week, we left late that night and headed to Kansas City for my cousin Dani's wedding.  The trip was wonderful for so many reasons (including seeing Dani and Mario get married, being surrounded by family and tons of love, enjoying a few days away from the stress of work and school and so much more), but it was also a great trip because I got to go maternity shopping with my mom!  We were good and only bought a few staple items, but I got to experience that first trip with her.  Phil and I came back to Brookings on Sunday afternoon and it was life back to normal.

Last week, we had our 17 week appointment and everything checked out great!  Baby's heart sounds wonderful yet again and was rocking out at 149.  Phil's still holding strong with Baby T being a girl and while I was going strong with that vote, I have started to sway towards team boy.  Our next ultrasound is November 16, but we will wait to reveal the gender until after Thanksgiving.  My parents will be here for the holiday, so we will tell my parents and Phil's parents first and then reveal to everyone else.  We have started doing some of the old wive's tales just for fun, but I want to do them a few days before the ultrasound and see if anything changes (not that I'm expecting it will, but who knows?!?)  And since we didn't travel enough the previous weekend, we made a quick trip to Rochester to see Aunt Mag and pick up a few items for our house.

I am still in awe of how amazing this experience is.  We have received love from so many people and I continue to be thankful for this blessing.  A few weeks ago, we got our first package in the mail from some friends with some adorable gifts for mommy, daddy and baby.  Then we got baby's first books from another friend and then a teacher at SDSU asked if we wanted a few of the items she had (and three bags later, we have some of those items!) and just so much more love and support!  The moms on the swim club are awesome with their advice and stories and support.  It's a magical time and I am so happy to be able to experience it with so many people!

While there are so many highs, there have definitely been a few lows.  During our trip to Kansas, when it was time to say goodbye to everyone, I realized that I won't see my brother until after that baby is born (as he works over Thanksgiving, and I will coach during Christmas break).  So, hormonal tears started flowing.  Last week, I was stressed with school... yep, waterworks again.  This week, Monday could not have been any worse.  I had very little sleep due to a late night board meeting on Monday night, then there was a lot of stress with work, and to top it off, my car decided not to start :(  A few emotional phone calls and extreme crying, and then it was time to get on with the day.  Tuesday was a little better, but it was still cloudy with stress and car troubles. Today was looking to be a better day, and while the car is still a headache (it's been to the shop twice), seeing the adorable kids come trick or treat made my night.  Phil and I dressed up as Thing 1 and Thing 2 (with Thing 3 of course)! I joke that if my life were childhood stories this week, Monday would have been 'Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day' (self-explainable). Tuesday would have been 'Cloudy with the Chance of Meatballs,' as there were a few storms, but at the end of the day, I did have to laugh at a few items. Then today would be 'Where the Wild Things Are,' since of course it was Halloween, but also because while I want to run away sometimes and get away from what I think is horrible, I always come back to the realization that I am meant to be where I am.  And there will always be hot supper (i.e. comfort) waiting for me when I return.


Through all of the difficult times though, it really makes me stop and think of what I do have.  I think I get so caught up in wanting what other people have, or wanting a stress-free work place and thinking I deserve the easy route.  Then I realize that it's these moments that make it all worth it.  Without stress, I wouldn't know how strong I am.  Through the emotional breakdowns, I realize that I have a loving family and friends there to pick me up. And of course, at the end of the day, there's always going to be chocolate (especially since this preggo lady definitely plans on hitting up the grocery store tomorrow morning for cheap candy)!

In terms of pregnancy items, there's not a lot to report.  While I think I did feel the baby move for the first time, I'm not sure.  So, here's to hoping that baby continues to move more and that I can truly be sure that I felt movement.  Cravings are not extreme, but I'm continuing to enjoy cheese of any kind (from string cheese to that fake cheese that you get at concessions stands with your pretzel).  I also enjoy cheeseburgers, Nestle crunch candy, bananas and fruit snacks this week.  Baby T is about 5.5 inches long (sweet potato) and weighs almost 7 ounces (hair brush or 80 M&M candies). Here's to continued growth, cute baby bump and happy days ahead!

Easy as 10-11-12... or 1-2-3

This whole pregnancy thing is as easy as 1,2,3... I mean, last week I wrote that I could still fit into the majority of my clothes and then poof, I now have 3 pairs of pants that still fit.  I tell everyone I'm feeling great and then the next day, I'm so tired and can't function without a nap.  One day, I'm eating normally and then the next, I'm starving and can't get enough ____.  So, whoever said that pregnancy is complicated has it all wrong-- all you have to do is say that one thing is happening and then the next day, the opposite will happen!
I'm a type of person that likes to know where others are with things.  I compare myself and my progress to others in similar situations.  Every pregnancy book says that every pregnancy is different.  That answer doesn't suit me.  I want to know that others are freaking out when they read that the 'typical' 15 week pregnant woman is to have gained 5 pounds and then look at the scale and realize that number passed a few weeks ago. I used to believe that every pregnant woman craved pickles, and yet I haven't gone through a jar yet.  I haven't sent my husband on a 2am run to the grocery store to get me a seedless watermelon or corn on the cob (or some other item that's really not in season)... am I normal? In a world with so many pregnant women, I all of a sudden feel like an individual.  I guess things aren't as easy as 1,2,3.  But, I will continue to take each week as it comes and continue to progress with the pregnangy and watch Baby T grow.  So, here's to 10-11-12 and hitting the 15 week mark!

Baby T is now 4 inches long and is about the size of a navel orange.  S/he weighs 2.5 ounces, which is a little more than the weight of a large egg.  I will probably be 'that woman' in Wal-Mart standing in the aisle, holding an egg and staring at it wondering if my little egg will be nice to me and be a lovely size of 7 or 8 pounds at delivery, or if it will have the big genes in our families and weigh closer to 9 or 10 pounds.  Holy crud.  I have 25 weeks (or so) to prepare myself.  So, don't be surprised if you're in the Brookings Wal-Mart in March and you see me holding a watermelon and crying.

Hmphs, Grmphs and Giggles

And so it begins... the pregnacy symptoms have taken over.  At first it started with the sickness in weeks 6-8.  Then it was the insomnia that started in week 9.  And so it continued with the constant hunger and eating, frequent trips to the bathroom, and the aches and pains that come along with growing a human.  I've always considered myself to be an emotional person... I vent up anger to the point of crying, I laugh until my side aches, I sing at the top of my lungs in my car after a frustrating experience and I smile until my cheeks hurt.  But, I have now experienced it all.  In fact, so have my loving husband and caring mom.  In the past two or three weeks, there have been many conversations that have started out with me crying and then two seconds later I'm laughing, then crying then wondering what got me so emotional.  There were other times that an email from a co-worker made me believe that the world was out to get me.  It just continues to amaze me that this 3 or 4 inch little being is calling the shots.  Guess I better get used to it, since s/he will continue to call the shots for the next 18 years (and beyond)!

While it has been an emotional ride, it has also been a trip down 'physical change' way.  I was a giddy little school girl when I got to buy a bigger size bra (seriously, that's been my only wish since I was 16).  I enjoy rubbing my growing belly (and very much look forward to the day that I can put my ice cream bowl on top of my belly)!  However, this is also the week that I shed a little tear as I had to buy a larger size of underwear (it's all about comfort these days).  I thought just my front side would grow, but little did I know that my 'reverse baby bump' (as Phil calls it) would start to grow this early.  I am not wearing maternity pants yet, but I know that day is quickly approaching.  It's not that I'm procrastinating on buying them (the majority of women that I know constantly state how comfy they are), but I just want to believe that I'll continue to be able to wear the pants that I finally could fit in to (as I had finally lost a few pounds while training for Nationals this summer).  Oh, just for the love of a baby :) 

The worry still continues and I know it will until I see the baby for the first time.  I remember being able to breathe a little easier after we saw the baby the first time, and then a little more weight was lifted after we passed the 12 week mark. But, after having a miscarriage, I think the fear is always in the back of your mind.  I am anxious to feel the baby move for the first time, and have that reminder that things are okay.  But then I'm sure I'll worry that the baby isn't moving enough, or is moving too much, or that the chlorine that I breathe every day at practice is hurting the respiratory development or that the cold winter weather is freezing the baby (since my jacket probably won't zip... another item to add to the shopping list).  Then I remember that this little miracle is just that... a miracle (seriously, I have another heartbeat, another set of kidneys, another liver among all other things growing in me right now).  And I will continue to love and care for her/him.  And take care of myself so that I can rest easier in knowing that Baby T is taken care of.  So, until that day that we get to meet each other in person, Phil and I will continue to pray, rub my belly and send love through it, talk to Baby T and remind each other how thankful we are.

This is the week that we hit 14 weeks! We are truly out of the first trimester and steaming forward into the second one. This week's sign states '14 weeks on 10/4/12. Size is 3.5 inches (about the size of a lemon) and weight is 1.5 ounces (about the size of a pencil).'  Food for this week: the continued love for peanut butter and banana toast, fruit snacks and yougurt with cheerios.  While I did have my first weird combo (sundried tomato and basil wheat thins with cottage cheese), I can't blame it on the preggo hormones, as that is something I used to eat in college.  But, I'm anxiously awaiting the day that I can send Phil on a crazy 2am mission to WalMart :)

The low of the week is that I'm still dealing with this stupid sinus infection.  I have had this for 35 days now and I'm not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  The high doesn't deal directly with me, but I have to be a bragging sister. My brother found out that he will be traveling to Amiens in Frace to referee the World Under 20 hockey tournament in December!  I am so excited for him and it is just a huge accomplishment!  So, if anyone wants to donate a few hundred (maybe thousands) of dollars, I would really love to go to France to see him ref (and of course travel France for a few days)! 

Nearing the end of the first trimester

The past few weeks were full of medical appointments and continuing to rejoice in the fact that we will soon be a family of three.  Unfortunately, I have been having a horrible time with allergies (it's been so dry here, like a lot of other places, so with harvest time and lack of rain, my allergies are not liking this environment).  It's been pretty annoying since early September, but about 2 weeks ago, I started having severe sinus pressure and was having an upset stomach on and off.  Thankfully, I only had to deal with morning sickness when I was 7-8 weeks pregnant and we were on vacation in D.C. (I attribute the sickness to all of the traveling we did-- my stomach did not agree with the metro rides, taxis, airplanes and car rides), so it was a big time bummer to have an upset stomach again.  I saw a doctor and was prescribed a Z-pack and hope of relief.  After a week, nothing changed, so back I went and got a prescription for Omnicef.  It's a little complicated being allergic to amoxicillin and sulfa and then to be pregnant on top of things, so my choices in medications are limited.  While I do feel a little better now, I'm still not 100%. 
But, I completely forgot about feeling cruddy when we went to our 12-week appointment last Tuesday.  I don't think we will ever get sick of hearing our baby's heart beat!  We had our first appointment with the doctor and then headed to get labs and an ultrasound for genetic testing.  For those of you who know me, getting stuck with needles is not my idea of a good time, so to have a lot of vials drawn (in addition to getting a flu shot!) was a big thing for me.  Bless Phil for keeping me occupied and keeping my mind off of those horrible needles.

 The first set of pictures is from our first doctor's appointment at 8 weeks showing the little baby bear.  Then the second round of pictures is from this past week's appointment at 12 weeks (it looks like a true baby now).



Everything continues to look great with the baby!  During the doctor's appointment, she listened for the heart beat and we heard it going strong with a 168 HR.  A little bit later, we saw Baby T at the ultrasound and s/he continued to have a strong heart beat with 173.  It was so stinking adorable to see him/her moving around... we have a busy baby!  It looked like Baby T had the hiccups and was just discovering that s/he had legs and arms, as the limbs would move at sporatic times.  We walked out of the appointment with more pictures for the baby book and more joy in our hearts!

On 9/27, I hit 13 weeks.  My clothes are definitely fitting a little more snuggly, so I know the first maternity shopping experience will happen in the next few weeks :)  The 13-week photo states that we are '13 weeks on 9/27/12.  Size is 3 inches (about the size of a peach) and weight is 0.8 ounces (about the size of 4 quarters).'  Cravings/wants/things I truly enjoy (since Phil states that a craving is something that I have to have at this very moment and I haven't experienced that just yet) this week have been cheeseburgers, Welch's fruit snacks (yes, that specific brand) and Goldfish snacks.
Happy first week of October!

And I'm back

If you followed my previous blog, sorry, it's been over 2 years since I updated things.  Obviously life wasn't that exciting for us :)
In a nutshell, in early 2011, we moved from Texas and settled into life in Brookings, South Dakota.  Phil is the airport manager in Brookings and I am the head coach of the Brookings Swim Club as well as a graduate student at South Dakota State University.  We bought our first house in Aurora, SD in January and life has been rolling every since!  Especially since we found out we are expecting our first child in April!
While we are closer to some family, we are still away from others.  This will hopefully be a chance to keep all family members and friends updated in this most amazing and wonderful journey.
As the song goes 'let's start at the very beginning...'
Phil and I have been trying to have a baby for awhile.  A few months after we moved to South Dakota, the process of starting to have a baby began.  I had heard that it takes a few months, so the wait game began.  And continued.  In December, we were elated to find out we were pregnant (it was the best Christmas present)!  We shared the news with immediate family members and started picturing our new life with an addition to our family.  Sadly, at almost 9 weeks, I had a miscarriage.  We were devastated and I think the only thing that kept us going was that we were closing on our first home that week.  We are so blessed to have such a supportive family, friends and employers that helped get us through that time.  It's one of those things that people don't talk a lot about, but once you find another person who has been through it, you begin to find other people who have been through that experience.  I used to be embarrassed and ashamed to talk about the miscarriage, but now I realize that's part of the journey. And I know other people's stories helped me, so maybe mine will help someone.
So, the wish and wait game started all over again.  I used to get upset when I read something on facebook that someone was expecting or frustrated when I heard someone say, 'we've been trying to get pregnant for three whole months,' or a short period of time.  But, God has a plan, so it was just a time for us to reflect on the fact that God's in control and I needed to put my trust in Him.  Every month had high hopes and then great disappointment when there was only one line.  Then, a day before I left for the state swim meet, a faint line appeared.  Phil and I didn't want to get too optimistic, so we kept hold of that glimmer of hope.  Three days later, I got back from state and tried again.  And again, there was a faint line, but it was there!  And yes, I am one of those girls that took three tests just to make sure :)  There was a lot of emotions, but we were really excited!  We told our parents and then tried to stay optimistic as the days got closer to the ultrasound.  For the first appointment, we both walked into the ultrasound room and held our breath. It was the most amazing and wonderful thing to see our precious baby.  We both got teary-eyed when we heard the beautiful rhythm of a heart beat.  Walking out of that appointment, we had joy in our heart and more love for this little human life than anything I can describe.

Our first picture is from the 12-week mark.  I didn't want to copy what everyone else is doing with the chalkboard, so we tried to do a print out, which wasn't too successful.  It states '12 weeks on 9/20/12. Size of baby: 2 inches (about the size of a plum).  Weight of baby: 0.5 ounces (about the weight of an empty soda can).'  Someone mentioned that I should document what I was craving each week, and I think that week was oatmeal cream pies, peanut butter and honey toast and apples with peanut butter (so nothing out of the ordinary).
Each week is a new wonderful adventure and I'll keep everyone up to date with our exciting and fantastic journey!