27 Weeks

Weeks: 27! I am now in my third trimester! 

Baby: Owen is most likely a little over 2 pounds. He's still developing rapidly, and can now open his eyes if he wants! If he were born today, he'd have a really good chance of surviving. :-)

Total weight gain: 17ish pounds...yikes!

Maternity clothes? I'm wearing maternity tops most of the time; they're usually more comfortable than my regular clothes!

Stretch marks? Not yet

Sleep: Sleeping great

Favorite moment of the week: Several friends and family members got Owen his first Christmas gifts! I loved that. On Thursday night, we had a surprise baby shower with my parents and sisters. It was so special--I'll be giving that one a post of its own later this week!

Miss anything? I miss feeling ok. Yep...we're back to that. 

Movement: He's definitely getting bigger because his movements are getting stronger and stronger. Sometimes I'll catch myself looking around to see if anyone is aware of what just went on inside my body, but obviously nobody ever knows. ha!

Cravings? I currently want shrimp and biscuits; that started yesterday. :) Other than that, I'm honestly back to not wanting to eat anything. 

Anything make you queasy or sick? Life

Gender: BOY! 

Labor signs: Nope

Symptoms: Everything. I'm back to eating Zofran for breakfast, except now I also have to take Zantac a couple times a day. I have had a pretty "classic" pregnancy, I think. I've been dreading the third trimester because I knew it could be a repeat (or worse) of the first trimester. I woke up feeling terrible in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve, and with a couple of exceptions, it's been downhill from there. I was hoping my third trimester would be a little more welcoming, but it's still better than the first because we don't have as long to go! 

Belly button in or out? Out-ish. 

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood: Good, but I've cried quite a bit this week. 1) I got really, really cracked up at Ryan on our way to somewhere, which turned into crying. 2) My expectations were not quite met one day this week and I cried and cried. 3) I tried really hard to hold back my tears during our precious baby shower with my family (it worked, but only because it all made me smile so much!). I did really have to try. 4) This was last night: we are basically out of groceries because we've been gone and busy, and for some reason I bawled and bawled, worried that maybe my sisters were out of food, too. I know. It makes no sense. haha! Ryan was sweet about it and said I'm motherly and protective, and then took me to Taco Bell after I texted him a video of me saying "yo quiero Taco Bell." Seriously, we're nuts. :)

Looking forward to: I'm looking forward to no longer having these symptoms. I know the only cure is childbirth, so I'm looking forward to that for multiple reasons! I have gestational diabetes testing next week, as well as my next appointment. I'm now seeing the doctor every three weeks instead of once a month, so that's exciting! 

Freak-out moment of the week: None! After my freak-out moment from week 26, I dreamt that I had a c-section (which I am terrified of), and I can't explain, but the details of the dream left me feeling such peace that I honestly don't feel freaked out or afraid anymore. I'm sure I'll have my moments, but since that dream, I've been able to look past the labor experience and focus on the reward of holding my son! Remember the last time I had a specific dream about my pregnancy? It was at 16 weeks when I dreamt that we found out we were having a boy! 

Thankful for: Medicine. I'm also thankful for our friends and family who are already showering Owen with so much love! 

26 Weeks

Weeks: 26

Baby: Owen should be around 2 pounds! His immune system is developing, and everything else is still being fine-tuned for his entrance into this world!

Total weight gain: 17ish pounds...yikes!

Maternity clothes? Some

Stretch marks? Not yet

Sleep: Sleeping great

Favorite moment of the week: Hearing Owen's heartbeat again at my appointment. It's crazy how much stronger and louder it gets each time! 

Miss anything? Same as last week: I struggle a lot when bending over to put on my shoes, etc. Already. So I guess I miss being able to move like a normal person.

Movement: Lots of movement. Sometimes it gives me a very brief feeling of motion sickness. ha. I love every second, though.

Cravings? All over the board. I sent Ryan to the store for Pork-and-Beans because I wanted that with our dinner. I don't know that we've ever purchased those before. Ha! I made a special trip to buy Reese's Trees. Still not anything very consistent, though.

Anything make you queasy or sick? Overeating and car trips. Christmas should be really fun.

Gender: BOY! 

Labor signs: Nope

Symptoms: I'm still feeling pretty great! I did have to make a run for it at a restaurant this weekend, but my symptoms are a billion times better than they were. Every time I blow my nose (which is quite a bit lately) there is lots of blood. Sorry... I just want to document these things! :) That's been happening for about a month. I've been having sinus issues and my doctor told me to go ahead and use my Nasonex at night. 

Belly button in or out? Out-ish. 

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood: Good

Looking forward to: The second week of January I have my gestational diabetes testing, as well as my next appointment. While I know the GD testing isn't typically a fun experience, it is a milestone that I am looking forward to crossing!

Freak-out moment of the week: I woke up crying around 2:00 a.m. Wednesday night/Thursday morning, panicking about labor. (I know, I know...make fun :)) Ryan consoled me and we went back to sleep. At my appointment that morning I asked my doctor if it was normal to be freaking out about that at this point, and she told me it would be abnormal if I weren't. She also told me that if I do have bad anxiety when it's go-time, I'll most likely find that the pain takes over and I won't feel anxious anymore. Grreeaaattt. 

Thankful for: A healthy baby, and that we have more weeks down (26) than we have to go (14)!! My app says there are 98 days til my due-date. I want to hold him so badly that he might be a few months old before anyone else gets a turn. ;)

25 Weeks

Weeks: 25

Baby: Our baby is supposed to be the size of a squash and 1.5 pounds. We're guessing he's at least 2 pounds given his size at our 21 week appointment. Ha. This is about the point where size and weight start varying quite a bit from baby to baby. He should be starting to grasp his hands and wiggle his fingers and toes! Nails are starting to form on his little fingers and toes, too. 

Total weight gain: I'll know an update on Thursday! 

Maternity clothes? Some

Stretch marks? Not yet

Sleep: Sleeping great. Loving sleep. I've been naturally waking up earlier lately, which is a good thing!

Favorite moment of the week:  Ryan and I just got back today from our trip to Chicago! We had the best time together. We made Owen a little bear at Build-A-Bear at the Navy Pier. I might have teared up while doing the routine they have you do to give your bear's heart its life. So precious! 

Up until this week, I'd still have people comment on how they couldn't tell I was pregnant. I would usually point to my bump and ask "what do you think this is??" This week I've apparently blown up (as evident by my photo) because everyone asks me right away when I'm due, what we're having, etc. Especially people in elevators. It really was a fun part of our trip for me. :-)

Miss anything? I struggle a lot when bending over to put on my shoes, etc. Already. So I guess I miss being able to move like a normal person.

Movement: Owen moves quite a bit, and I'm still loving it. Ryan has felt him more and more lately, and we can actually see him move if I'm really still!

Cravings? My pizza craving was satisfied this week, so now I'm good! No real cravings.

Anything make you queasy or sick? Overeating and car trips.

Gender: Sweet boy!

Labor signs: Nope

Symptoms: Other than not being able to move like a normal person, I've otherwise felt quite normal! It's been awesome.

Belly button in or out? Out-ish. 

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood: Good

Looking forward to: I'm looking forward to my appointment Thursday, and continuing to work on the nursery!

Freak-out moment of the week: Nothing really... an occasional moment of anxiety here and there about how this baby is going to get out of my body. No big deal. :)

Thankful for: My husband, always, and the trip we got to take together. I'm very thankful that my baby has been perfectly healthy this whole pregnancy. I never want to take that for granted.

24 Weeks

Weeks: 24

Baby: He is basically just a really tiny, functioning human at this point. He should have hair on top of his head now! It's not colored yet, but I'm secretly hoping it's a little red. ;) He's somewhere between the size of a cantaloupe and an eggplant. 

Total weight gain: Like 16 pounds or so. 

Maternity clothes? I'm wearing a mix of regular clothes and maternity clothes.

Stretch marks? Not yet

Sleep: Sleeping great. I try to limit my liquid intake at night so I only have to get up once to pee. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. 

Favorite moment of the week: Owen's bedding and baby monitor came in the mail, and we got our furniture! Ryan and I assembled the crib and dresser/changing table! I have the bedding in his crib, and I only go in there a few times a day to look around. ;) It's hard to tell what his bedding looks like here, but I'm sure there will be more pictures to come!

Miss anything? Does "restaurants in Little Rock and Fayetteville" count? Because I want ZaZa all day every day. In fact, I miiiight stare at this photo periodically. It's from May. Cue the tears.

Movement: He is a little acrobat in there! I love it.

Cravings? Pizza. Good pizza. 

Anything make you queasy or sick? Riding in a vehicle

Gender: He's a boy! 

Labor signs: Nope

Symptoms: Such a great week. I have felt completely normal for the most part!

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood: Pretty good! I did cry when I had to pay Ryan an absurd amount of rent during our Monopoly game last night... take that as you wish. 

Freak-out moment of the week: I've been freaking out about how my body might react to the whole labor process. I go through days where I am scared to death and could actually have a panic attack from it. I trust my doctor so much, and thinking about that is the only thing that has worked to calm me down lately. ha. 

Thankful for: I'm thankful that I've had such a great week as far as how I've felt. Also, Ryan and I leave for Chicago on Thursday and I am thankful that I will be eating Chicago pizza at least one or two times or possibly more. Yep. That's pretty much where I'm at these days. :-)

23 Weeks

Weeks: 23

Baby: My apps and books tell me what size my baby should be at this point, but we found out at our last appointment (21 weeks 2 days) that our baby is quite large. :-) HE has taste buds, his hearing is sharpening, and most of his internal organs are in place and functioning already!

Total weight gain: Like 16 pounds. 

Maternity clothes? I'm enjoying wearing some maternity tops, but I can still wear a lot of my regular clothes.

Stretch marks? Not yet

Sleep: Sleeping well. I suffer from self-diagnosed sleep anxiety, meaning that I absolutely freak out if I don't think I'll be able to get enough sleep. Probably because of that, but also because I had a hard time sleeping early on, I asked my doctor what I could do to help me sleep. She told me to get some Doxylamine (Unisom) and said it's safe to take every single night of my pregnancy if I want to. So I pretty much do. It's probably more a placebo effect than anything, but it seems to help me sleep through the night. 

Favorite moment of the week: I have purchased nursery furniture, bedding, and a rug, and I've bought a few clothing items for little Owen. Ryan and I began working on registering tonight, and it's all becoming oh-so-real! 

Miss anything? I kind of miss sleeping through the night without having to get up to pee. That's getting old.

Movement: His movements are getting stronger and more frequent! I absolutely love it. Ryan has felt him move a few times now over the past couple of weeks!

Cravings? Nothing really... sorry to disappoint. ;)

Anything make you queasy or sick? Nothing in particular

Gender prediction: He's all boy!!! 

Labor signs: Nope

Symptoms: This week has been much better than the past two, but I pretty much have every symptom at some point during each week. 

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood: Pretty good!

Freak-out moment of the week: Saying "only 17 more weeks til my due date" was a real eye-opener this week. We had a small freak-out moment, but for me it was all excitement. I want to snuggle my baby RIGHT NOW!

Thankful for: So much. Right now I'm so thankful for our friend Seth who trudged through Ikea by himself to find, purchase, load, and transport our dresser and crib from Dallas, which saved us $400 in shipping fees! 

On Having a Son {22 Weeks}

We are having a son. :) I literally cannot say that out loud or even think it in my mind without a silly grin taking over my entire face. The first few days of knowing, I'd actually laugh out loud to myself with this weird, giddy excitement that can only be explained by this deep, unpenetrable joy I feel when I think about him.

His name will be Owen. I have a quite a list of girl names I love, but years ago I told Ryan that if we were to have a baby boy some day, I'd like to name him Owen. It has one fault, and that is its recent popularity. But you know what? We don't already have a son named Owen, which means in our family, it is not a popular name. It's new. And cute. And manly. It's cute on babies and it's cute on old men, which is important to us because we aren't so much into modern names. I like old names. My tastes have changed in basically every other area of my life--including girl names--but it was impossible for us to come up with a boy name that I love as much as this one. We've joked that if we ever have another son, his name will be Owen II because of my distaste for almost every male name. ha!

Owen means "young warrior" or "young fighter." I like that. My husband's name means "little king," and I am already so in love with my family of 3...my "little king" and "young warrior." I'm going to be honest: every time I've ever seen or heard any mom talk about how in love she is with her children, I see nothing but giant red flags waving across my mind. It bothers me when I see moms place their kids before their husbands, and as a society we seem to struggle with idolizing our children. I have never been able to reconcile how it would be for me--how I would juggle and prioritize my love for my husband with my love for my children, but I'm starting to get it. All sides of it. Part of the problem is that it is rare that we see it done this way. Nonetheless, I've been very open about my thankfulness for the four years that Ryan and I have been married without children. It has allowed us to build a foundation together, to learn how to be together and how to love each other. I feel ready to add our baby boy to our family, and I have no fear of neglecting one for the other. Something about seeing my son's face at our ultrasound just ignited this crazy, intense love for him that I hadn't yet felt. Of course I've been excited about our baby since day one and thought I was already completely in love with him, but I was wrong. Those feelings pale in comparison to the feelings I have now. The best part: I am already experiencing what it is like to be completely, madly in love with two men at the same time. ;) I'm realizing it is two completely different types of love, though equal in intensity.

As soon as we discovered that we are having a boy, I exclaimed "AHHH Dr. Allison, how will I know what to do with a boy??!!" She laughed and reassured me by saying "the good news is he arrives as a little baby boy, and you just take it one day at a time from then on." She's right. I don't have to have it all figured out or know anything about raising a son. It is going to be so fun, and I want him to be in my arms rightthissecond.

My final thought: my husband is an incredible man. I truly admire him from the depths of my being, and it's no secret that I think he hung the moon. I'm definitely not his only admirer. I cannot tell you how many times I hear "I want ____ to marry a man like Ryan!" I hear it all the time, even from people who haven't met him but know about him from the things I tell them. We see his patients in public and they come toward us, shouting his name in excitement and immediately embracing him. Seriously? When was the last time you (and your kid, in this case) got excited about seeing your pharmacist in public and gave him a hug? Exactly. He's a special man. He's a perfect picture of quiet strength, as opposed to my mother-bear like tendencies. He's steady, gentle, and although he's always right about everything, he would never act like it or even tell you that because he's humble to a fault. He doesn't even try to correct people who have false ideas about him, his work, etc. He is the man who has to caution me not to think less of other men just because they aren't like him. I respect him with every ounce of my being. And this has taken me about 5 seconds to type because it's all true. It's easy for me to say. So my main thought immediately after finding out we are having a son?  Thank God my son will have a man like him for a dad. This world needs men like Ryan to have sons; sons need to have men like him for a dad. 

...closely followed by "and I'm still the queen of the castle! Heck yeah!" :-)

21 Weeks

Weeks: 21

Baby: Baby weighs about 12 ounces and resembles a fully developed human, but he/she could still fit in the palm of my hand. :-) The baby hiccups and practices breathing, and swallows amniotic fluid to practice eating. If baby is a girl, she already has a fully developed reproductive system, including 6-7 million eggs!

Total weight gain: I'm confident that I've gained, and I'll know for sure on Wednesday!

Maternity clothes? Nope. I've worn a couple of things because they're cute, but not necessary yet.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Sleeping well.

Favorite moment of the week:  Getting into the single digits on our find-out-the-gender countdown! Not pregnancy related, we got to spend a couple of days in Fayetteville catching up with several of our friends...which of course led to a meltdown on Sunday when we were back home. I can't blame pregnancy because that happens every time! Ha

Miss anything? Not particularly.

Movement: Yes! It isn't constant, and I worry a lot when I don't feel the baby, but I do feel the little babe quite a bit.

Cravings? Not really

Anything make you queasy or sick? Nothing in particular

Gender prediction: This is my last chance to predict on my blog before finding out for sure! I really have no idea, but I know that's boring, so I'll say this: I have thought boy for the majority of my pregnancy, and so has everyone else. But the past two weeks I have been saying girl, so that's my final guess. I honestly don't care either way!

Labor signs: None, but I have had lots of growing pains! 

Symptoms: I had a fairly normal week, so that's exciting! I do feel like my skin is about to rip open, which isn't exactly a comfortable feeling.

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood: Normal

Looking forward to: Ultrasound on Wednesday! :-)

Freak-out moment of the week: I freak out when I don't feel the baby move for a day or two at a time.

Thankful for: So thankful my appointment is in two days. Seriously, I'm about to go crazy without seeing my little baby! I'm thankful I have good friends who are pregnant at the same time I am and are a few weeks ahead of me; they've been such an encouragement to me this entire time!

20 Down, 20 to Go!

Weeks: 20!! Halfway! 

Baby: Baby is about 10 inches long--the size of a carrot or a banana. The baby's anatomy can be clearly seen at this point, and the little tot is moving around and making baby-like movements.

Total weight gain: Hopefully some by now. I'll know November 20th. 

Maternity clothes? Loving my Be-Band with my regular pants. Some of my shirts are getting too short to wear with my belly. Ha. I've worn a couple of maternity shirts that I probably won't be able to wear later in pregnancy.

Stretch marks? None

Sleep:  Sleeping great, and requiring less sleep than I was.

Favorite moment of the week: I've caught several women staring at my bump. I love it. Really my favorite moment might be when we were standing at church yesterday, I looked down and couldn't exactly see my feet. It's partially just the way I was standing, but it's impossible for me to look down at my bump and not smile. Impossible. 

Miss anything? Nope!

Movement: I had a couple of days of feeling nothing, but yesterday our little babe was definitely getting his/her exercise on!

Cravings? Subway and Reese's Pieces.

Anything make you queasy or sick? Nothing specific... I did throw up this week. Maybe I'll never get past that!

Gender prediction: Girl. No, boy. Girl. ??? (9 more days!)

Labor signs: Um, no.

Symptoms: Stretching pains, and everything else that randomly comes and goes.

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood: Good

Looking forward to: Ultrasound on the 20th! I've got my tabs open on Safari and am ready to purchase what is in my cart depending on the gender of our babe. ha! I've only purchased two items so far, and that was because I was at a craft show and knew I couldn't just get them later. I am proud of myself. Like, ridiculously so. 

Freak-out moment of the week: I don't think I had one. Sorry. :-)

Thankful for: So much. I'm thankful I'm pregnant and that my husband is obsessed with me being pregnant. I know some men love when their wives are pregnant and some don't. Can't blame them there, but I am thankful every single day that he lavishes me with compliments even when things are changing so much!

19 Weeks

I have a favorite moment from this week that deserves a little more spotlight than my little survey can give. :) Ryan and I were talking about our baby's personality, characteristics, mannerisms, etc. that we wonder about and wish for. I love day-dreaming about those things. It was a sweet conversation, and we determined we have different hopes for our child depending on which gender he/she is. Of course we hope our child is kind, polite, etc. That's not what we're talking about, so don't get yourself in a tizzy here.

 If this precious baby is a girl, I mostly pray that she is strong-willed and confident. I had a difficult time articulating my hopes and prayers for a son, but Ryan was a big help because he knows what boys go through better than I do! We mainly pray that he will have confidence, but also that he will be manly, yet gentle. In our families and the city in which we hope to live, it is going to be really easy for our little one to get swallowed up in others' expectations and desires for his/her life. I told Ryan my main prayer is that our child will be strong-willed enough to know he/she doesn't need to listen to anybody. He sweetly smiled, and I'm sure he was caught off guard because that doesn't sound anything like me at all. ;) I mean it, though. I really do. Besides loving Jesus, that is extremely important to me for our children. I will work really hard to teach him/her those things!

Weeks: 19

Baby: Baby is the size of a softball, weighs half a pound, can frown and smile, has unique fingerprints, and I'm d-y-i-n-g to hold him/her. I told Ryan I wish I could take the baby out of my body, love on him/her for a little bit, then put him/her back to grow some more. Ha

Total weight gain: I'm down a couple of pounds from my first appointment 11 weeks ago. See "symptoms" for more info. 

Maternity clothes? Nope. I've worn a couple of things because they're cute, but not necessary yet.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Sleeping well, and sleeping lots.

Favorite moment of the week:  Hearing baby's heartbeat at my appointment Wednesday! It was 147 bpm, and was a little difficult to hear over all the kicking and movement! I also really enjoyed going to Target with my mom to look at baby gear, and Babies-R-Us with Ryan!

Miss anything? I miss feeling like a normal, healthy human.

Movement: Yes! I know I'll feel it more strongly and frequently as time goes on, but for now it's a real treat. I can feel baby the most when I'm laying down, which has happened a lot lately. 

Cravings? Subway. All day everyday. 9 grain honey oat bread with ham and turkey, American cheese (extra cheese, please), lettuce, tomato, lots of mustard. Mmmmmm.

Anything make you queasy or sick? Riding in a vehicle, I think.

Gender prediction: This week I said girl, but normally I think boy. Our appointment is on Wednesday, November 20th, but you'll have to wait til the next week (pending my self-control). ;)

Labor signs: None, but I have had lots of growing pains! 

Symptoms: "Dear Lord, please keep me and baby alive" has been my literal prayer these past few days (really off and on for the 8 days or so). I have had a few days of feeling like I could pass out at any second, followed by pretty intense fatigue. It's happened when I've been starving, but it's also happened on a full stomach, which always throws me for a loop. I've had a couple of days where I've been able to do nothing but lay down and sleep, and I get really, really frustrated. After a series of a few dramatic events, I talked with my doctor today. I thought the problem might be an iron deficiency, but she thinks it's a combination of my blood pressure ("always on the low side," she said) and my "low weight." The fainting feeling is because of low blood pressure, and the fatigue is because of low weight.  I've been upset about the weight part because I don't feel like I can eat any more than I already do. She gave me some advice to follow to help with both problems. Basically I've been told twice in one week now to eat and drink more than I do. I'm trying! I've been miserable.

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood: Good

Looking forward to: 21 week ultrasound!

Freak-out moment of the week: I freaked out Saturday and almost went to the hospital because I thought I was dying. I know that sounds dramatic, but I honestly did! 

Thankful for: I'm thankful I haven't gotten "pizza face" (yet) like I always thought I would. I'm thankful for Ryan and my mom and their ability to magically calm me down.

18 Weeks

Rough picture day... this might be the best we got! :-)

Weeks: 18

Baby: Size of a pear, about 5.5 inches and 6-7 ounces! Baby is starting to hiccup, yawn, and move around!

Total weight gain: I’ll know after my appointment Wednesday!

Maternity clothes? Nope

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep:  I’ve been going to bed early and sleeping hard for 10-12 hours a night. I guess baby and I are growing!

Favorite moment of the week:  I felt baby kicks Saturday morning for a good hour or two! Best feeling in the world! I’ve felt them several times since then, but it’s not very consistent.

Miss anything? No. I’ve had a rough pregnancy as far as how I’ve felt, but really, I love being pregnant. It’s so special!

Movement: Yes!!

Cravings? Random things…nothing consistent. I’ve been wanting over-easy eggs, but I don’t think I’m supposed to eat those while pregnant. This week I’ve also been wanting (and indulging) sweets like crazy, and I’ve never been a sweets eater. It’s weird, and I want it to go away.

Anything make you queasy or sick? Nothing specific

Gender prediction: Either a boy or a girl. ;-)

Labor signs: Nope

Symptoms: New symptom alert: nosebleeds and acid reflux. Last night I had horrible reflux, unlike any I’ve ever experienced. It felt like hot lava flowing through my esophagus. I’ve also now reached the stage where if I don’t get enough calories, I have to spend my energy trying not to pass out! Woohoo.

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood: Pretty good

Looking forward to: Appointment Wednesday, and scheduling our 2^nd ultrasound for 21 weeks! I am more excited to just see our little babe on the ultrasound than I am to find out the gender. It’s hard having seen him/her only once so far. I can’t wait!

Freak-out moment of the week: None

Thankful for: I’m so, so thankful that I’ve been feeling better! I feel like I say this every week, but Ryan is so sweet to talk to the baby and encourage me throughout my pregnancy. I think he was genuinely disappointed when he realized that I could feel the baby’s movements, but he couldn't yet. Ha. He’s the best, and I’m thankful that my sweet little boy or girl will have a really great daddy, just like we both do.  :-)

17 weeks

Weeks: 17

Baby: Baby is the size of an apple (about 5 inches and 5-6 ounces)! The kidneys are producing urine, and the liver is producing bile. Cartilage is turning to bone. And the BEST part--the milestone that I have been waiting for--is that the baby can HEAR! Ok, so that's not the best part. This is really selfish, but my actual favorite part is that all research suggests that the baby can hear me and not you. :) He/she can hear my heartbeat and my voice, and I'm super proud about that!

Total weight gain: Update coming after October 30th. :) 

Maternity clothes? Not really, but I am using my Be-Band more.

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: I've had a couple of sleepless nights, but for the most part I sleep great. I try not to drink anything an hour or two before I go to bed so that I don't have to get up to pee. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. 

Favorite moment of the week: 1) I think Ryan and I have agreed on a girl name and a boy name. Definitely the girl name, and 95% sure the boy name.
2) I saw an elderly lady really looking at my bump at one of the craft shows I went to on Friday. She didn't say anything, but it was obvious that she noticed. :-)

Miss anything? Not really.

Movement: Some flutters here and there, but no kicks.

Cravings? Nothing consistent, but I've had a few random (not bizarre) cravings. I sent Ryan to the store twice this week--once for Dreamcicles and later for Velveeta and Rotel, which I never want again.

Anything make you queasy or sick? This was the first week that I've been really bothered by smells. Fudgey smells (nothing new) and sweet coffee drinks, like cappuccinos, are not smelling so great to me. 

Gender prediction: I don't know.

Labor signs: Nope

Symptoms: Symptoms were better this week. I felt nauseated and threw up only one time this week, which is serious progress! This is also the first week of pregnancy in which I have felt hungrier than normal.

Belly button in or out? In.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood: Normal

Freak-out moment of the week: I really can't think of one!

Thankful for: I'm thankful for our friends and family who have shown such genuine interest in and excitement for our baby! It mostly makes us more excited, too!

16 Weeks

Weeks: 16

Baby: Size of an avocado, between 4 and 5 inches in length, and 3.5-4 ounces in weight. 

Total weight gain: 1 pound at my last appointment... I'll know an update on Oct. 30. There is a discrepency between our scales, so I leave that part to them!

Maternity clothes? No, but I am using my BeBand on my higher-rise pants. 

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: Sleeping great, but this entire pregnancy I've had really vivid dreams that keep things quite interesting. This week, specifically, I had some really strange ones!

Favorite moment of the week: I have been uncomfortable with the thought of having a boy, which I mentioned in my last post. Tuesday night I had a dream that we were getting our 21 week ultrasound, and it was clear that our little babe was a boy! We gave him a name and worked on a super cute nursery. Ever since then, I've been very, very excited about the possibility of having a boy. I feel the same way about a girl, but now I'm dying to know if my dream holds any truth! It'll be a win-win either way. :)

Miss anything? Not really.

Movement: Nope, but I'm so ready!
Cravings? Nothing consistent except pink lemonade.

Anything make you queasy or sick? Maybe my vitamins? I've skipped out on them the past couple days and have felt much better. 

Gender prediction: I say boy, although at home I do constantly refer to our baby by our girl name. :-)

Labor signs: Nope

Symptoms: I had a couple of good days this week... ha. I've had random symptoms. Puking, headaches, nosebleeds, lethargy. 

Belly button in or out? Very in. It has caved into the deep abyss. 

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood: Normal

Freak-out moment of the week: Wednesday I was begging Ryan to agree on going to an ultrasound clinic to find out the gender sooner than 21 weeks. While I am trying to exercise patience, I've decided to rely on one of my stronger qualities: stubbornness. I am determined to wait til our 21 week appointment, and I will.

Thankful for: I'm still thankful I recorded our babe's heartbeat at our last appointment. I didn't have the best week, and listening to it did help keep things in perspective.

15 Weeks

I got about 8 inches chopped off my hair on Thursday! I feel like a free woman, rid of my blanket. Ha. Each day since, I have declared my excitement over it, so I know I made the right decision for myself!

Weeks: 15

Baby: Size of an orange... obviously the baby isn't as "fat" as an orange, but is the length (head to rump) of one! Baby should weigh about 2.5 ounces. Isn't it crazy that we all began that way?! He/she is more purposeful with movements, such as sucking his/her thumb!

Total weight gain: 1 pound

Maternity clothes? Nope

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: Sleeping great! If you are pregnant and don't have a body pillow, I highly recommend getting one.

Favorite moment of the week:  1) Hearing our baby's heartbeat again! I recorded it on my phone and have listened to it a "few" times since Wednesday. The heartbeat this time was 146 bpm; it was 173 last time at our 10 week appointment.
2) My mom gave me a lot of baby things that were mine--such as clothes, shoes, and blankets--that she has hung on to all these years! She also gave me a couple of photo albums full of pictures of me as a baby and young child. My favorite of these: pictures of her when she was pregnant with me, and pictures of her holding me in the hospital! So special. :-)
3) Ryan and I went for a walk the other day, and I noticed during it when I looked down that I could see my bump without using my hands!

Miss anything? Not really.

Movement: Nope, but I know I will freak out with happiness when it happens!
Cravings? I haven't really had any this week, but I'm figuring out that for some reason fatty, caloric foods leave me feeling a lot better than other foods. My body is burning a lot of energy just by growing my baby, and I'm thinking I may have been doing a poor job of replacing what is burned.

Anything make you queasy or sick? It seems to be getting better. I seem to have better days when I eat a few different things in the morning. Right now it's toast, green grapes, and cheese for breakfast!

Gender prediction: To build on what I said last week, I've actually panicked about the fact that we might have a boy. I grew up with only sisters, and the only babies I've babysat have been baby girls. So, to be honest, the boy part scares me and I just don't want to deal with it. :) There. I said it.

Labor signs: Nope

Symptoms: Getting better, although I might have said "this is my new normal" in response to feeling like death, and there might have been tears. Our appointment was the next day, and that is why I recorded our baby's heartbeat. Not only is it just a great idea :), but listening to it helps me keep things in perspective when I'm not feeling well. 

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood: Pretty consistent, with one exception. Ryan and I love to pick on each other. We always have. It's normally hilarious and I always win hold my own and beam with pride. But not 15 weeks pregnant me. Nope. Apparently I can't handle it. To make it worse, Ryan could quickly tell this was the case and would.not.stop. SO, in my defense, I was being intentionally provoked! I knew exactly what was going on, but I felt completely incapable of handling it. I didn't get seriously mad or cry or anything, but I kept begging him to stop before one of those things happened. I did, however, have sense enough to record a few quotes in my phone. At one point I told Ryan "I'm dynamite and you're fire!" I also went into the room by myself and said "I just need to take a break from you." He just laughed. I knew he understood when he was praying over our dinner that night and included the following statement: "...just help calm Megan's nerves and help me to not drive her nuts." Yep. And lastly, I said "you're about to be living with your parents for a few months because I can't handle you!"  It was all in good fun, and he definitely further provoked me on purpose.  Oh, and this was all in a span of just two days...really almost just one night. Things have gotten better, and I don't think I need to say which one of us wised up and made a behavior change. ;) Husbands of pregnant women, all involved parties are better off if you don't intentionally provoke her to anger or anxiety.

Freak-out moment of the week: I freaked out the night before our appointment about the longevity of pregnancy, questioning how women have more than one child. Ryan helped put things into perspective, so I'm back to taking it day by day, knowing what each day holds is extremely important to our baby's development.

Thankful for: I'm thankful for my doctor. I really like her!

14 Weeks

Why do I look further along than 14 weeks? Maybe I need to re-confirm with my doctor that there is only one baby in there. Ha! 

Weeks: 14

Baby: Size of a lemon… the baby’s facial gestures (such as squinting or grimacing) may be visible even on an ultrasound! Hair is starting to sprout on his or her head. The roof of his/her mouth is also forming!

Total weight gain: I’m still not sure. My appointment is Wednesday and I will know then!

Maternity clothes? Nope

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: Sleeping great. I haven’t felt like I needed a nap these past couple of weeks, which is major progress!

Favorite moment of the week:  1) I did prenatal Yoga last night and can’t wait to do it again! When we lived in Fayetteville, I loved going to the PiYo (Pilates + Yoga) class at my gym. I’ve been missing that and have been really nervous to start something new during pregnancy, but this seems to be safe and is modified for each trimester.

2) It’s not really pregnancy related, but I got to go to Conway and spend some quality time with one of my best friends, Lydia! I had such a great time with her! We lived together for 3 years in college, and yes, we’re still friends. :-)

Miss anything? My clothes are fitting funny. I’ve always wanted a bump, but the in-between stage hasn’t been too fun.

Movement: I've felt “phantom” movements a couple of times. I would swear they were real, but everything I've read suggests it's too early. So, I’m ready to feel the real deal and see how it compares!

Cravings? Still wanting lemonade a lot. I’m also loving Ched-R-Bites from Sonic. Oops. J

Anything make you queasy or sick? It’s getting better. I’m doing well as far as “aversions” go. There seems to be no specific trigger for getting queasy or sick. I know one thing: when God made Zofran, he was thinking of me. I’ve loved that drug through many seasons of my life so far. (That was possibly the weirdest statement ever… ha!)

Gender prediction: NO idea! I am more prepared for a girl, but a son would be so special, too. So, no clue and no preference.

Labor signs: Nope

Symptoms: This week, I’ve been able to experience a lot of relief from most of my symptoms!

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood: Unchanged from last week: my mood has been consistent, and I have yet to be emotional. I’ve found myself wondering if others are just dramatic, but I’m sure my time will come! ha

Looking forward to: Appointment Wednesday, specifically hearing the heartbeat again!

Freak-out moment of the week: I experienced this in weeks 4-7, and it has returned for week 14: I’m feeling pretty good and not having as many symptoms, so I get a little anxiety about whether everything is ok. This is definitely a season of trusting the Lord like never before.

Thankful for: My husband’s genuine interest in and excitement for our baby. It’s really sweet and special, and has helped me get through some not-so-exciting days!  I’m also thankful for a couple of sweet friends (who are also great mommas) who have already been so encouraging in preparing me for my labor experience. My motto: “I was created to do this!”

And because it's hilarious: