Week 16: what have I got myself into?! haha

We are so excited to find out that we're having a GIRL!!! What have I got myself into?! haha. See the previous post for our gender reveal video :)

We went to the doctor's today to check on the blood spots and see if the Dr would clear me to fly. Thankfully they don't see any spotting, the Dr. removed me from "pelvic rest" and I'm clear to fly! Per the doctor all seems really well and growing perfectly. We'll be back in 4 weeks to do an extensive ultrasound to check all limbs, brain, spine and internal organs for proper development. Please keep your prayers and positive vibes coming our way. :)

The top view is the baby turned on her side, back of the head towards us. The black dot is the baby's stomach (nice and full). The second is hard to see but shows the angle the tech used to tell the baby is a girl!

I am now becoming more "motherly" mentally. I will do anything to protect my child and family. It's no longer just about me. I want to create an environment before the baby comes of love, kindness, loyalty, respect and peace.

I gained 1 lb in the last 2 weeks. Dr says I'm right on track.

How far along: 16 weeks 5 days (size of a turnip 5in, 5oz)

Symptoms: stomach has been itchy, feeling a lot of the stretching and pulling. Hungry often, some random nausea. All in all feeling so much better. Energy is coming back.

Aversions: Pretty much the same as last week except I'm starting to eat eggs again and trying to incorporate more fruits and veggies where ever possible.

Cravings: more sweets like chocolate chip cookies

Wedding Rings: on

Sleep: on my side. It's becoming more comfortable than sleeping on my back.

Excited for: Shopping for my little girl, feeling her move and registering for the baby shower.

Missing: my old jeans

Movement: none yet. Dr said it's more likely I'll feel movement around 20 weeks. Trying to be patient

Dr. said: Everything is looking great, no issues at this time. The stomach is full which means the baby is swallowing properly! Removed from pelvic rest, cleared to fly.

Exercise: haven't done much this week unfortunately. 

GENDER REVEAL!!! We're having a......

We're having a....

Week 15: finally a baby bump

Feeling a little better this week especially in the stress or concern department. Marco and I are planning a vacation to Costa Rica in January 2014 so his family can meet the little one and we can get some post-pregnancy relaxation in. It's weird thinking about traveling with a newborn and how different our lives will be by then. So many exciting moments to come!

This week I shopped for my first pair of maternity pants. It's interesting to me how fashionable moms-to-be are these days and yet the maternity section is so limited in most stores. We went to Kohls, Target and Old Navy before finding some jeans that will have to do for now. :/

The little baby bump poking through. So far I've gained about 3 lbs!

How far along: 15 weeks 4 days (size of an avocado) 4-5 inches, 3-5 oz

Symptoms: overly hungry. I'll eat lunch, then a snack and an entire bottle of water and be hungry again. haha When I go to work I do my best to pack healthy snacks. The stretching and pulling in the lower abdomen is consistant. My skin is dry. Still stuffed up and my back has started to hurt consistently.

Aversions: Same stuff as last week.

Cravings: Not needing milk as much but still enjoying it. Instead of 2 gallons in a week it's down to 1-1 1/2 a week. Good thing it's Fat Free! Bagels and cream cheese sound good all the time too! I also crave salads lately. Just normal house salads with ranch dressing.
 

Wedding Rings: On but my fingers are obviously bigger. They aren't cutting off circulation or anything though so I'll continue to wear them.
 

Sleep: toss and turn throughout the night. I have been pushing Marco closer and closer to the edge of the bed lately. haha Thankfully he's very understanding.

Excited for: Dr apt next week to clear me to fly. Hoping we might be able to tell the gender. The baby shower in July.
 

Missing: being able to make any movement without worrying about the affect it has on the baby

Movement: none yet. Looking out for it though as I'm told I should start to feel it between 16-20 weeks!
 

Exercise: Walking the dogs with Marco. Still on pelvic rest so I need to take it easy. :(

Week 14: finally my energy is coming back

Went to my Dr Apt to meet my new doctor as well as check on the baby. With the spotting that was occuring I was concerned to say the least. My ultrasound showed the growing baby with a heartbeat of 167 bpm and measuring 14 weeks 4 days. This puts me exactly on target from my original doctor's appointment. The current due date is back to 9/7/13. :)

My doctor confirmed everything is growing perfectly. The bleeding has to do with one of two things. Either the egg implanted on a blood vessel so the added pressure and weight as the fetus grows causes some old blood to appear. Or it's due to the attaching of the lining. Either way I just need to continue with pelvic rest but there's nothing I need to worry about. It's not affecting the baby at all!

His/Her little side profile is so beautiful. I think the little one will have his daddy's mouth.

I saw a friend's sister put these highlights on her blog and thought it was a great idea. Sorry for stealing your idea (if you ever read this).

How far along: 14 weeks 4 days

Symptoms: Still dry heaving (I know, lovely) a little but not as much as the 1st trimester. Sounds weird but it only seems to come on strong when I'm standing in a bathroom, private or public. It's really weird. Still tired but not as exhausted as I was previously. Sense of smell is very sensitive. Marco can't wear cologne or cook with too many spices right now. haha Got a bad headache the other night that I couldn't shake for a few hours. Been stuffed up too.

Aversions: Nothing makes me sick but there are several items that I have no interest eating. Eggs, avocados, fish, not eating as much fruit as I used to, spices, coffee, mushrooms, hawaiian food. :(

Cravings: MILK!! Sweedish fish

Wedding Rings: On but hard to get off

Sleep: I usually sleep on my back so it's been hard adjusting to sleeping on my side. It doesn't help that we're in a smaller bed then we're used to and the dogs take up a lot of room. Plus I get hot then cold then hot all throughout the night.

Excited for: I can't wait to feel the baby kick and move. Registering for the baby shower. Finding out the gender.

Missing: restful night sleep, my pre-pregnancy body, not having to rely on Marco for anything that requires being on your feet for a while.

Movement: None yet

Exercise: not much unfortunately due to being extremely exhausted and being on pelvic rest. I walk with Marco and the dogs a couple times a week at the moment.

How to begin...

Well I'm horrible at sticking with blogs but I hope my excitement will keep me disciplined. Plus this is a great way for my family to stay involved now that I'm no longer living in Cali. There will be lots of updates, pics and joy to share!

How to begin...

It's public knowledge now that my husband and I are expecting our first child. What most of you might not know is this is our second pregnancy. Without getting into all the gory details we suffered a miscarriage a few months back at about 6 weeks along. There was never a heartbeat detected and at 8 weeks the embryo was measuring 6 weeks which means it stopped growing. Later blood work would show that my hCG levels had dropped as well. A chromosomal abnormality is what the Dr. chalked it up to be. Basically, there was nothing we could have done or not done but the embryo simply didn't evolve how it should have. While it was a difficult situation our faith, understanding of how miscarriages happen and the numerous stories from other women I know who went through the same thing helped us through. The creation of a human being is truly a miracle and something to never take for granted.

Here we are now a few months later and I can only say that I truly believe the miscarriage was a huge learning experience. It humbled me, made me respect pregnancy more and made me appreciate every single difficult experience that we're going through now with the second pregnancy. I see through a different set of eyes than before and I do my very best to not take this experience for granted. I prayed for wisdom and that's what God provided. I am forever grateful and feel so blessed!

Weeks 3-14:
In a nutshell I found out I was pregnant on 12/28/12 when the doctor's office gave me a false negative result. Then a couple hours later received a voicemail from them stating it came up positive after I left the office. Marco and I ran out to CVS that night for a home test. We took one that same night and another the next morning. Both came up positive!

In the weeks to follow I underwent a lot of blood work, Dr apts and ultrasounds. Due to the previous miscarriage my doctor wanted to keep a close eye on me. While it's typically not necessary until someone has had 3 miscarriages consecutively she just wanted to ease my worries (and make some extra money I'm sure haha). Everything came back normal except my progesterone levels, as in PRO Gestation. These levels are very important in keeping an embryo/fetus growing properly. My levels were on the "low end of normal". I was required to take a supplement daily to increase progesterone (thank God it wasn't the shot in my butt) but the doctor stated this could have been a reason for the original miscarriage. I'm grateful they ran this test and it's always nice to know for future pregnancies as well. My ultrasounds also showed some spots of collective blood. While very small I was warned I might spot during those weeks. I was placed on pelvic rest (no lifting, stay off my feet as much as possible and no sex) until further notice.

Week 12 we moved from Cali to Colorado and I experienced another minor set back. Without going into detail I suddenly began to bleed. It quickly dissipated however left me scared and unsure of what was happening. The on call doctor at the time stated it sounded like I just did too much lifting and moving around with the move and needed to stop and just sit or lay down. I scheduled a Dr apt for the first week I was here.

More details in my next post but all is still well with the little one! <3

Your baby mama,
Kirstie

P.S. "Baby on Drums" is an inside thing we have with our friend Becky. However, when we saw the last ultrasound the baby was moving and flipping and throwing his/her little fists in the air. Baby on Drums stuck so now he/she is part of a never ending but never practicing/performing family band!