Week 15

Well week 15 brought some serious leg pain.  It started in my knees and hurt all the way down into my ankles.  It is a very deep, aching pain.  Scotty brought me the ice packs and I put those on my knees for a while but that only stifled the pain a little.  I then broke down and took some Tylenol and that helped a lot.  The doctor said that joint pain is normal throughout pregnancy but I figured that it would come later when I had started to put on weight and and my belly was weighing me down. 

Speaking of weight I still have not gained yet.  I am taking this as a good thing.  I have started working out doing my very low-impact pregnancy DVDs and I am really enjoying it.  I do not feel so lazy and I know that it is good for baby and I.  Plus just that little bit of exercise helps me to sleep better which is always a plus. 

Scotty informed me that my belly is starting to get hard.  I think that this also is a good thing so it doesn't look as bloated and jiggly when I am walking around.  I am looking forward to when I look pregnant and not this in-between thing that I am right now.  For people who know that I am pregnant they notice that baby is growing but random people on the street probably think that I am just overweight. 

I have decided that I would like to take a trip, just Scotty and I before the baby comes.  A "Babymoon"  they call it.  Whatever - I call it a vacation.  I am in the works on figuring out where and when we can go but I am looking forward to it already!  I have known that things are going to be very different in our relationship after the baby gets here but it is really starting to sink in now.  So I want to take the time to really focus on Scotty and I and be thankful for the time that we have had together to be just us.  But I'm sure that on the babymoon we will be focusing on how excited we are to become us three!!

Scotty enjoys talking to the baby.  He likes to talk to it when he comes home from work and before I go to bed.  I told him that next week the baby will finally be able to actually hear him.  He was very excited about that.  We are picking out a song to play it everyday so that when baby is born it will recognize the song and sooth it.  Hopefully.  I also told him that he can start reading to the baby as well.  We are working on creating a very smart, intelligent human being and there is no better time than the present!

I have pregnancy journals that I write in weekly as well as do this, but after a week is up I can't remember everything that has happened that week or weeks start to blend together.  Pregnancy brain at its best - which is a real problem if you don't believe it.  I feel so foggy-brained all the time.  I forget things, I do things like trying to change the toilet paper in the bathroom and instead of walking out with the empty roll I come out with the full roll.  I put things in the fridge that aren't supposed to be there or look for things in the fridge, like a clean plate.  Ugh.  So frustrating.  So anyway, I am trying to write things down more frequently so that I can remember them. 

So before I forget - here are pictures from this week!

Week 14

Well week 14 was pretty uneventful.  I'm so OK with that.  I noticed that I was more emotional but Scotty complemented me last night on how happy I was that I just don't start crying.  Well, we have a long way to go Mister.  I noticed that there were times when we were just driving in the car and I would feel the need to cry.  I didn't, but I felt like it.  Scotty also made me laugh and I was laughing so hard that I had tears running down my face but then I felt the need to make them sad tears.  So bizarre that I can switch emotions just like that!   

I am still adjusting to all the changes that my body is going through.  I feel like it will never go back to normal - probably won't.  My skin is out of control.  My mom has bought me all these different kinds of skin regiments to try and help but nothing is working.  She wants me to cut out dairy and that is so very hard.  I have given up milk (which is my favorite dairy product) but I'm still working on everything else.  I think my skin is not going to get better until this baby is out and my hormones normalize again.  Oh well, one of the many sacrifices I will make for my sweet baby.  And Scotty never says anything about it - even if he is thinking "geeze look at her face," he kisses me anyway. 

I also expected that my lower belly would stick out rather quickly but I did not expect this spare tire that is being created around my upper mid section.  What the heck is that?  A co-worker said that all my organs and stuff are starting to shift around to make room for my growing uterus and that is creating the fat ring.  I hope she is right.  I was googling 14/15 week bellies to see if others looked like mine and they did so that was comforting. 

Still having all kinds of pulling sensations in my belly when I stand too quickly.  I do not expect those to go away any time soon.  When I stand too long my sides start to pull as well.  Earlier this week, I was sitting and I stood too quickly and I had a new pain.  It was under my right rib and it was sharp.  It hurt for about 3 minutes, which the others go away pretty fast after you rub them for a minute.  I walked around and tried to stretch it out and that made it hurt worse.  But then it finally went away.  Not sure what that was all about.

Body changes.  Yeah.  My clothes don't fit.  Which blows my mind because I haven't put any weight on yet (on the scale at least).  I can still wear some of my pre-pregnancy work pants.  But I needed some shorts this weekend (Sorry for you VA people who had snow or whatever.  It was 80 and sunny here).  So I was in a hurry and I found some jean shorts and a tee shirt and I threw them on.  Surprisingly the shorts buttoned, very unwillingly.  I put on the shirt as I was coming down the stairs and it was like putting on a child's shirt.  I told Scotty I felt like I was busting out of the top of it and my shorts were tight everywhere.  He gets mad when I wear tight pants, he is afraid I'm squishing the baby.  But we were in a hurry and it had to do.  So I get the shirt on and I pull the stomach area out to stretch it over my belly and you hear the seam just rip.  Scotty just looked at me and started dying laughing!  He said I had to go shopping this weekend.  I told him I did not think it was funny that none of my clothes fit anymore, but he did not agree.  Well he was right about one thing - I need to shop.  We have some formal events coming up and I have nothing that will fit over my belly or my chest. 

My belly is starting to itch as well.  I know that means the skin is stretching out.  I have been putting lotion on it everyday to hopefully help with stretch marks.  I pray it works.

We went to the St. Patrick's Day party in 5 Points this past weekend.  5 Points is the bar area in Columbia.  I was a good sport and I offered be the DD for Scotty and 2 of our other friends.  We got there around 11:30 a.m. and left around 3 p.m.  Scotty made sure that I stayed hydrated and that I had a place to sit at all times.  He was a good sport too and said that we could leave whenever I wanted.  So after that we went home and I slept for 2 hours.  Being out in the sun, and the standing and the walking just wore me out.  It is a much different atmosphere when you are sober and everyone else around you, like thousands of other people, are drinking.  It's mentally exhausting as well.    

I got a call from the doctor's office this week.  I did not like seeing their number come up on my phone when I didn't call them first.  I was thinking, "Oh crap, my blood work came back and something is wrong."  But no worries.  They needed to move my next appointment and I got it moved up from the 3rd of April to the 1st.  Yay! 

Well here are the belly pictures from this week and the "inside" baby picture from my phone.  Until next week....

 

Baby is 3.5 inches long this week.
Baby's head is the size of a gumball.

 

Technology is Amazing

So I have this app on my phone that shows the baby's growth per week and gives me little tidbits about what is going on.  I took screen shots on my phone and I am going to post the pictures on here per week as I write.  But I thought I would put the pictures up that I have received so far.  It pretty cool to see what baby looks like in my belly.  I will post the baby's size as well.

Enjoy!

Size of an Apple Seed

Size of a Pea

Less and 1/2 an inch or the size of a Blueberry

Size of a Jelly Bean

Size of a grape and weighs a fraction of an ounce.  Head is as big as the body. An ounce is about the weight of a paper clip, just for reference.

Size of an olive (1 1/12 inches) weighing a quarter of an ounce and is now a fetus not at an embryo any longer.

Size of a fig - whatever size that is

Size of a key lime, weighs 1/2 ounce

Baby is 3 inches long.

Week 13: Surprise Visit from Mom

This past weekend my my mom found a really cheap ticket online and was able to fly down Friday night and leave Monday morning.  It was great - we got to finish up some things around the house that we didn't get to the last time she was here.  We added some shelves in the garage and got some of the heavy boxes that were just sitting around, driving me nuts, out of the house.  We still have some pictures that need to be hung that Scotty and I need to work on.  Mom and Scotty hung the heavier pictures and put some heavy stuff in the attic that I couldn't help with.  Mom says that I work her to death when she is here and Scotty is now complaining that his back hurts.  Guess I am a bossy boss but I think they are just being wimpy : )  Just kidding - I am very thankful for all the work that they did.  Next on my list of things to do is get a china cabinet and dining room table for the formal dining room before the gender reveal party.
 
Speaking of the gender reveal, I have picked out invitations and I hope to get those ordered this week.  Scotty and I have decided that we will cut a cake that will have pink or blue inside at the party but Scotty and I are going to find out before everyone else.  My mom had mentioned the idea of taking the envelope with the gender (right after leaving the Dr.) in it to a store and picking out a pink and a blue onesie and asking the clerk to wrap the correct onesie with the envelope and to keep the other onesie in the back so we don't see it!  Then we will open the package at dinner or at home together to find out what our baby boo is.

Mom and I went to a couple of baby stores and it is overwhelming!  There is so much stuff out there! But I am so excited to start picking things out!  I feel like the end of April is so far away but it really isn't.  When you start to count your life in weeks it seems like it goes by a lot faster.

Well I am 14 weeks tomorrow.  This past week brought some nausea back.  It now happens at night after I eat rather than all day when I'm hungry.  I am dizzy and lightheaded often and get tired easily - but that's not new.  This week baby is getting fingerprints and vocal cords.  And if it is a little baby girl (which I still think it is) then she already has 2 million eggs in her little ovaries. How crazy is that!!!  I absolutely love reading about how my body and the baby's body is changing.  It is so awesome.  Growing a baby is an amazing thing.  How blessed we are as women to get to experience this.  I know that labor is going to be awful but men should be really jealous of us. 

My belly is growing by the day it seems like.  Some of my outfits showcase it more than others but I am getting comments and belly rubs at work so I am glad that others are seeing it and not just me.  So I will leave you with the weekly pictures and you can decide for yourself if you think it has grown.





The Belly



Sign for the Week

 





Mom and I



The Hubby



My View of the Growing Belly, and Henry our boy cat

12 Weeks

Well 12 weeks is almost over now.  The biggest thing that I have noticed this week is lightheadedness (if that is a word).  The doctor told me that can be common because of hormones, as always, and because I have more blood volume now.  More blood = lower blood pressure.  I get very tired and winded from walking up stairs and I feel very lightheaded and nauseous if I have my arms above my head for too long.  Another symptom of pregnancy that I didn't know was a symptom is this annoying runny nose that I cannot get rid of.  Once again I have hormones to thank for that.  My joints have been bothering me as well.  Geeze- talk about body changes.  Men have no idea. 

My tiredness and nausea visited this week.  I thought I was over that.  But I have been napping when I can and I rested a lot this week after the big move in hopes that would help.  I also have been having some pain in my butt - and I'm not talking about Scotty - hehe just kidding : )  I have a deep pain down in my butt around where my tailbone is.  It is a deep, achy feeling.  I read that it could be the sciatic nerve but I also read that I probably would have a lot more pain if it was that.  That baby must have been doing a lot of growing this week because my belly has been very sore this week as well.  I have to move a lot slower than I am used to especially when I turn over when I'm sleeping.  It hurts but it comforts me to know that my body is stretching to make room for my growing fetus.    

Some really awesome body changes are happening for Baby this week.  This week its reflexes are developing.  It can hiccup, suck, open and close its little fists, and its synapses in its brain are forming.  For those who don't know what synapses are, they are the signals that your brain sends to different parts of the body telling it what do to, among other things.  

This week I am hoping to schedule a tour of a church daycare facility that comes highly recommended in the area.  It is very close to our new house which is great.  I know that we have a while before Baby gets here but I heard there is a 9 month waiting list at this place so we need to get on the list ASAP.  Daycare is not something I am looking forward too at all - price wise or leaving my sweet baby.  Maybe, just maybe, Scotty and I will be able to afford for me to stay home for a while.  Say a prayer for us.  

Well, I'll leave you with week 12 belly pictures.  Thanks for reading!

  

11 Weeks and Overwhelmed

Well 11 weeks came and went.  I am feeling much better.  My nausea is better and so is my fatigue.  I still am getting bouts of nausea when I get really hungry but my appetite is improving.  Now that I am feeling better I am really going to try and watch what I eat.  I feel so much better when I eat well and I know that it is good for the baby.  My go-to healthy meals are chicken breast and veggies.  Well those are the items that I ate when I first started getting sick and I still am having trouble getting them down.  When I think about cutting into a big ole chicken breast it makes me feel sick!  I had some cooked veggies as well (peppers, onions) and they were like eating slugs or something!  I wonder if I will ever be able to eat those items again without feeling sick.  I really hope so because they are a staple in my house! 

Now that I am feeling better I also am trying to get back into exercising.  My mom bought me some great pregnancy DVDs that breakdown workouts by trimester.  I keep telling myself that I know it is good for the baby for me to be in good shape and I have read so much about how exercising during pregnancy helps with labor and delivery and I will take all the help I can get with that. 

Now for all the good stuff:

Moving.

This week was an exciting week in our lives.  Scotty and I moved out of our old house and we are now fully moved into the new house.  I have never moved an entire house before and it was, as I said, overwhelming.  My mom came down on Wednesday and we started packing stuff up.  We had about 10 boxes in the living room and I though we were never going to finish.  The next day I had to work but mom cleaned the new house for 5 hours!  She was so helpful with everything this week.  Scotty and I can't thank her enough.  We then moved over some boxes little by little that day as well as Friday and Saturday.  Then Sunday was the big move.  A co-worker of mine and her husband came to help as well as 2 interns from the weight room at the stadium came to help.  The interns (Ben and Dan) were awesome.  I mean awesome.  They did stuff without me asking or complaining and when I say stuff I mean lift and move a refrigerator, washer and dryer, couch, and much more.  They saved our butts that day.  I don't know what we would have done without them.  And as for a repayment for all their hard work...Ben's truck broke down at the new house and they had to sit and wait for 2 hours on Triple A on their day off. Best gift ever right?  Then on Monday I had my 12 week appointment (well technically I was 11 weeks and 6 days) and after that Mom and I headed back to the house to start the unpacking process.  Lets just say Mom and I killed it!  We got almost everything unpacked and in its spot!  She was saying yesterday that we should have taken before and after pictures.  The transformation was amazing. We made that pile of boxes into a functioning home.  Scotty's mom and nephew also came over and helped on Monday to unpack things and lift the heavy items.  Overall it was a team effort and we got it done! Needless to say, next time we move, we are hiring movers.

12 Week Appointment

Like I said we had our 12 week appointment on Monday.  Scotty headed out before my mom and I did to meet his mom and we all headed over to the appointment.  When Mom and I got to the doctor's office and Scotty and his mom weren't there I wondered how we beat them.  I called and Scotty said they had gotten lost.  Great.  I figured that the ultrasound would be first and I didn't want them to miss that.  But they ended up getting there right as we had gotten started so they didn't miss much. 

This ultrasound was so cool!  They did the ultrasound on my belly this time since I am further along and we watched it on the TV screen again.  A growing fetus changes so much in 4 weeks time!  We could see the round head and big belly and the little flickering heart.  It was amazing.  I told myself I wouldn't cry this time but then my mom cried and I did too.  She started to cry when this little baby started jumping around in my belly!  It looked liked it had the hiccups or something and it was bouncing around on its little butt! I couldn't believe it!  I was screaming in the room - the ultrasound lady probably thought I was crazy.  It was moving its little arm over its head and straightening its legs out.  We could see its little fist and fingers. The tech needed the baby to turn so that she could get a different picture so she was poking my belly with the wand thing and the baby started to turn over and we could see its face.  It was amazing to say the least.  It was such a relief to see that the baby was growing and to be able hear and see that little heartbeat.  We got to listen to it again and the tech said the heartbeat was loud and strong.  The heart rate was 150 this time and both the tech and the PA-C said that was great.  They both said baby was measuring right on schedule at 11 weeks 6 days.  Yay!  The tech and the PA-C also explained they were measuring the fatty area on the back of the baby's neck.  I guess with some genetic diseases that area is thicker than normal but they said that Baby's looks good and normal.  Praise the Lord for that. 

After the ultrasound we all headed in to see the Physician's Assistant (PA-C) and she asked Scotty and I a million genetic questions as well as questions about breastfeeding, circumcision, and other need to know questions.  I answered many of the questions and I was thankful that my mom was there to help me with all the family history questions.  Scotty is adopted and we do not know any of his family history so we asked if he needed any special blood testing and the doctor and the PA-C said that wasn't necessary.  The PA-C also asked us if we wanted the genetic blood test screening done that they do at 12 weeks.  Scotty and I had talked about that before and decided that we did not want any sort of genetic testing done unless the doctor sees something and believes that it would be in our best interest.  Scotty and I know that whatever the test would say wouldn't matter to us anyway because we wouldn't do anything different - so why get all worked up for the next 6 months.  Who needs that added stress? - not this Mama, I have enough.  Speaking of stress, I then had to go and have my 5 viles of blood drawn.  Couldn't they do that first and get it over with?  Geeze.  Well y'all should be so proud of me.  I did so good!!  No tears, no passing out no nothing!! I'm growing up right along with this baby!  Woo!  I know that it is only going to get easier.  I had a great nurse and they let me lay down and Scotty held my hand.  Around vile 4 or 5 I knew I was reaching my breaking point but then it was over and I got to sit with my feet propped up and enjoy some ginger ale and crackers.    : )  We then headed to check out and I got the breakdown of how much an OBGYN costs to deliver a baby. Yikes.  Good thing Scotty and I have been saving for this or we would be up the creek - or have to sell the baby to pay for the doctor.  Just kidding : )   I'm not excited to see how much the hospital is going to cost.  We made our 16 week appointment and that is just for a belly measure and to listen to the heartbeat with a Doppler, no ultrasound next time : ( no blood taking either  : )  They did tell Scotty and I that they could give us a "sneak peek" at the gender next time but Scotty and I agreed we are going to wait until the 20 week ultrasound to find out.  And just so y'all know I will not be sharing that on here until AFTER our gender reveal party so I hope the suspense isn't too much for y'all. 

So today I am 12 weeks and 1 day.  We made it!!!  I can't believe that this time next week I will be in my second trimester!  Wow! So for now I will leave you with LOTS of pictures.  Until next time...

                                                                  Baby's Face

                                                                           Baby's Arm

                                                 Baby Lounging With its Feet Propped Up

                                                           Baby and the Heartrate

                                                                      Baby's Legs

 

 

                                                                   Baby Close Up

                                                My Belly Poking Out - Ignore the Moving Stuff

 

 

 And Finally - This week is our 4th wedding anniversary! 

Happy Anniversary to my sweet husband and Baby Daddy!

Week 10 Belly Pictures

As promised, here are the week 10 belly pictures:

Well not much has changed since my last 10 week post.  I have had worse headaches this week and my stomach muscles are much more tender.  Things like laughing and sneezing hurt and my pants are getting MUCH tighter.  I am thinking I am going to have to go shopping soon.  My mom sent me a lot of great maternity clothes already but a lot of them are for work and I am having the most trouble with my jeans. 

We started moving stuff into the new house this past weekend.  It is very exciting and every little bit is helpful.  When I look at my house and think about all the stuff that has to be packed I just feel so overwhelmed.  But I know that my mom will come down here and get things done.  I just can't believe how fast February has gone by!  I am in Myrtle Beach until Tuesday for training and then my mom comes on Wednesday and we will be packing and moving through next Monday.  Monday (the 25th) happens to be my 12 week appointment, as I had mentioned before.  I am so excited!  Can't wait to see how much baby has changed since we saw it the last time! And lastly Thursday of next week (the 28th) is Scotty's and my (Correct English?  Sorry to those grammar people) 4th wedding anniversary!!  I can't believe how fast time has flown by!

Here is something that my sweet, sweet husband of almost 4 years wrote for me this week.  He told me that he was watching a show that talked about how important it is to tell the people in your life how much you love them and that got him to thinking about how he wanted to tell me. He gave me permission to share what he had to say.

"What I love about Jennifer:  I don't only see her as my wife, but as my inspiration to be the best that I can be, my missing piece of the puzzle that will make my life complete, the oven that will give life to our beautiful baby, my thoughts and dreams involve her 24/7, and best of all she's my soulmate!  I love her with everything I have, 100% of myself.  I am grateful I am lucky enough to spend the rest of my life with her and call Jennifer Fairfax Spurrier my wife."

Yeah.  He's mine.  I hope that other women out there are lucky enough to hearsomething like this one day.  It really sticks with you.  On the days that he is getting on my nerves for just breathing I can think about this and just how lucky I am to have him.  I love you, babe!

Until next week - thanks for reading y'all!