15 Weeks!

We have made it to 15 weeks!!!

Here's how I'm feeling this week:

Jelly Bean is now the size of an Avocado approximately 4-5 inches in length and 3-5 ounces.

Nausea:
I have felt more nauseous this week and it happens more right after dinner and it lasts for a good while after I eat. I am also getting nauseous when I lay on my side at bedtime.

Fatigue:
It is the same during the week but the weekend is where it is catching up to me. Last Saturday I took my parents to the airport and then went to a police wife conference out in The Colony and by the time I got home around 5:30 my head was pounding from a migraine, I was getting nauseous, and I just felt like crud. I ended up sleeping from the time I got home until 9:30am the following morning. My body is showing me that it needs my weekends to catch up on the rest it's not getting during the week. I have also noticed I do good at the beginning of the week but by Thurs/Friday I can barely keep my eyes open after lunch.

Bathroom Runs:
About the same. Down to just one bathroom run at night which is nice since it means more sleep for me!

Cravings:
The Same

Sleeping:
I am having no problem going to sleep but having a lot of back issues this week. I can't seem to get comfortable in any position in bed. Since I'm getting nauseous when I try to lay on my side; I am having to lay on my back but that ends up hurting my back more so really there is no win here.

Weight:
I have gained about 6 pounds so far.

Dizziness:
The Same

Back Pain:
This week I have really noticed back pain all over my back: shoulder pain (from what I assume I'm getting during sleep), lower back pain and tail bone pain. Anytime I transition from a seated position to a standing position I get a sharp sharp pain in my tail bone. So I feel like an old lady getting out of my office chair and the car. The lower back pain I am sure is because of the gain in my stomach area since this is where I have gained all my weight. I remember when I went to a birthing class with my best friend Sarah they had mentioned using a tennis ball which I have done over these past few years and it really does work. So all week I have been using the tennis ball to work out the pain in my shoulders. I called the doctor about the tail bone pain and lower back pain and they said I should try Tylenol, sitting on a pillow, and a heating pad. If the pain doesn't get better than I need to come in for an evaluation and may need Physical Therapy during the pregnancy. Which caused me to of course contact my good friend who is a PT for her advice. I did find a pillow in our storage room at work that I am sitting on now in my office and it is helping. I also have a heating pad (rice sock) now at work and one at home that I am using for my lower back and shoulder pain. From what the doctor said, this kind of pain is normal but typically not until later in pregnancy, however, since I had lower back pain before pregnancy (from back in HS days) this pain can happen sooner which it obviously is.


This Friday I had my first scare which made me so emotional. I had gone to the grocery store for Dog food and other items and had no problem getting the 33 pound bag of dog food into my cart so I figured I would be fine. They did offer, as they always do, to help me to my car but I figured I could do it, plus I knew it was raining and I didn't want the poor guy to get wet. When I was transferring the bag to my trunk I felt a pull/tear feeling in my lower stomach which immediately scared me. I finished loading my car and hit the road. Of course, I couldn't stop thinking about it so I texted my girlfriend Micheal who immediately called me and calmed my fears. So I was doing better until I got home and started telling Dave which then brought me to tears again. He so lovingly wrapped me in his arms, trying to calm me and reassure me that everything was fine and he would get the dog food from now on. I think part of this breakdown was due to my exhaustion that I was already feeling. Luckily I have had no spotting and all seems fine but I know this was my bodies way of telling me enough is enough and I need to be careful.

Overall all is well!!! We are so excited and made our first big purchase this week. We bought our new Stroller Set. The color I have been wanting has been out of stock for the past several months and reviews say it goes fast when it does come back in stock, so when I got the email it was back in stock, on sale, with $3 shipping; I had to jump on it! Looking forward to getting it at the beginning of October.

We also got the results of my bloodwork that they did several weeks ago when we met with our OBGYN. Everything was fine and looks good but I am not immune to the Fifth Disease which is spread through kiddos. Since I work with kids and am in and out of about 15 schools I got worried. On Oct 11 I am meeting with the doctor to go over all the details and see if she will comply with my request. There is no vacine to prevent from getting it, they would have to do bloodwork to see if I test positive for it or not and then monitor Jelly Bean pretty closely if I do test positive. It's very rare that I would get it but my body typically does all the rare, 1 in a million things so I want to be safe and smart with how I handle this. I am hoping the doctor will allow me to come in monthly for bloodwork just to monitor it since my work situation is unique and there may never be a way for me to know if I have been exposed to the disease.

14 Weeks!

We have made it to 14 weeks!! Only 26 weeks left! 

Here's how I'm feeling this week:

Jelly Bean is now the size of a Navel Orange, approximately 4.5 inches in length and 2-3 ounces. 

Nausea:
Feeling it more at night, after I eat big meals. I know I could eat smaller meals but with my work schedule I am lucky to get lunch when I do and I eat breakfast in the car usually. I do try to snack often but the stomach ache and nausea hits at night. Smells have also really gotten to me this week. 

Fatigue:
The same

Bathroom Runs:
The Same

Cravings: 
Sweets primarily still and mostly unhealthy things which I know is bad. When I think of a salad or chicken my stomach turns. I'm trying to eat fruits and have a glass of V8 Splash juice every day in order to get my vegetables and fruit. 

Sleeping:
Sleeping better! Finally gave up on fighting my body about trying not to sleep on my stomach. I am normally finding myself waking up on my stomach even if I go to sleep on my side or back. So I'm done fighting it, when my body gets uncomfortable on my stomach my body should naturally just stop having me roll onto my stomach. 

Weight:
I haven't really weighed myself this week. I always forget in the morning. But I can say that all my weight gain is in my stomach area only for now, luckily! 

Brushing Teeth:
No more getting sick!! 

Emotional Breakdown:
None!

Dizziness:
Still getting dizzy often. 

I am truly enjoying the pregnancy. Every day I am reminded how lucky and fortunate I am, what a gift this child is. I was reading the other day how it is normal for woman who experience infertility and/or miscarriage to be much more on guard during their pregnancies and not 100% worry free until that baby is born. This is how I have been feeling, worried and scared that at any moment I could loose my precious Jelly Bean but I find comfort in prayer. I know there is a plan for David, Jelly Bean and I but that worry is always there. So reading that calmed me to know that it was normal and natural and fine to feel this way. Which is why every day that I wake up still pregnant is another blessed day!  

We have started looking at items for registry. We found our furniture, stroller, and all main items that we like. Colors are still up in the air as are names. All of this will be figured out in more detail once we find out the gender in little over a month. 

13 weeks!

Once again I am behind on this post. On Friday we hit the 13 week mark. This week has been a great one. We had our first OBGYN appointment on Friday and got to see Jelly Bean for the 3rd time. It's been 4 weeks since we saw him/her last so we were excited. Luckily a close girlfriend of mine had told me about drinking LOTS of water within the hour before my appointment; which was great advice. Dave was fortunately able to come with me. For some reason I was scared initially, I'm honestly not sure why but I was worried that maybe it was all a dream, that baby would be gone. But within seconds they found Jelly Bean and boy was he/she on the move. You would have thought I had drank sprite instead of water because Jelly Bean was doing flips, kicks, punches all over the place. He/She had us and the sonogram lady cracking up. The lady did state that that was a great sign because babies are suppose to be that active at that age. Heartbeat is still in the high 150 range but the little turkey wouldn't stay still at first to get a good reading. The sonogram Lady was also able to pretty much rule out Down Syndrome because she found the nose bone and Spina Bifida since the baby was moving all over the place and kicking so much. So that was fabulous news!!!  We will do blood work still at week 16 to test for both these disorders, mainly because our doctor said she still wanted to test for it and that's when insurance would cover it. We could have done it during this visit but I didn't feel we needed to rush it especially since the sonogram lady had already pointed all this information out to us and because the results are not changing any decisions. Then Jelly Bean really had us laughing because the little turkey was being a stinker. As soon as the sonogram lady wanted/needed to remeasure the sac, Jelly Bean decided it was nap time. Guess where he decided to nap.....yup right on top of the sac and boy did he/she look comfortable. It was hilarious. The lady and Dave both were trying to poke and jiggle the baby so much that he/she would move but he/she was having nothing to do with it and just laid there with hands fisted by his/her face. The lady said our baby was already stubborn and showing personality which of course Dave remarked "I wonder where he/she gets that from??" ha ha do you mean me? well good! I'm fine with that, means he/she won't take crap from anyone and will be headstrong, independent person like their momma. Couldn't be prouder! ;) We are measuring right on track and actually a day ahead according to my doctor. So now we do not go back until Week 16 just for bloodwork and then our next sonogram will be at week 20; where we will find out the sex of Jelly Bean. Super excited!!! 

Here is how I was feeling this past week:

Jelly Bean is the size of a Lemon at 3 inches in length and is now 1.5 ounces.

Nausea: 
Getting Better but still present. Still in the evening time and more so right after I eat dinner. 

Fatigue:
Getting Better but still present. Not needing a nap as soon as I get home anymore but still going to sleep around 9pm. I'm carrying  water ball constantly work and drinking tons after stairs. 

Bathroom Runs:
The Same.

Cravings:
Still the same. I really like pickles this week too! Still avoiding chicken unless it's fried. I have noticed I get full a lot faster now than I was a just a week ago. I am also not needing to snack as often.  

Sleeping:
Not having pain this week luckily! Sleeping much better this week too, which is a nice improvement.

Weight:
I have noticed that I have gained approximately 5 pounds so far. I'm not sure if that's good or bad but my doctor didn't even mention it today so I am assuming no mention is good news. 

Brushing Teeth:
Finally able to brush my teeth without getting sick every time. Still getting sick at times but not on a daily basis anymore. Thank goodness. 

Emotional Breakdowns:
None This week! ha ha good news for all! 

Dizziness:
Starting to notice any quick movements do cause me to get dizzy. I tend to have to pause so that I can let the dizzy spell pass and then am fine. I've read this is normal. 

Still praying the Lord watch over my sweet Jelly Bean and protect him/her for these next 27 weeks. 

I will try to remember to take and post a picture soon. Kinda of forgot to do that this week. 

The Big 30

Last Thursday I turned the Big 30!! I remember a year ago when I started thinking "what to do? what to do?",  the first thing that came to mind was wild party!!! I thought going to a winery and doing a wine tasting, reserving a space at a night club....something different. Well obviously plans had to change when we found out we were expecting, which I was 100% fine with. So instead I decided on a girls night at Painting With a Twist in Arlington, TX; which I had never done before and it sounded fun. Then Saturday we would do a dinner at our local BBQ restaurant: Big Barn BBQ.

Friday night we went to Painting With A Twist with 10 of my girlfriends and had a blast. We painted a Fleur-De-Lis just because it was pretty and the colors went well in my house. Plus it looked easy. It was a different experience for sure but was so much fun. Would have been more fun with some wine and I probably wouldn't have cared as much of it looking perfect, because I didn't really talk to anyone while painting because I was so focused. Ha Ha. :) Everyone's paintings came out great and we had a lot of laughs.

Saturday night we went to Big Barn BBQ where it seemed that all of North Richland Hills was hanging out because holy moly was it crowded!!! I have NEVER seen it that crowded! Luckily we got there early enough that we got enough tables for the party but it filled in very fast. I'm pretty sure there were 5 different birthday parties that night. It was a great time with our families and close friends and we had perfect weather to sit on the patio and listen to some great live music. 

12 Weeks!

Due to the busy weekend I am a little behind on this post but as of Friday (the day after my birthday) we are officially 12 WEEKS!!!!! We are now officially out of the first trimester!! WOOHOOO! Praise God!!! I couldn't think of a better birthday gift. 

How I'm Feeling This Week:

Jelly Bean is as big as a large Peach about 3 inches long. 

Nausea:

Not as often but still there. Normally been hitting in the afternoon at work or once I am home closer to bed time. 

Fatigue:

9pm is now my bed time. I am exhausted daily by noon, since I see most of my kids in the morning. I'm struggling this past week with having the energy to cook, do laundry, ect once I get home because I just want to relax and sleep. I high-five every full time working woman out there that has had to work full time and go through pregnancy exhaustion because every day I wonder, "Can I do this for the rest of the school year?", I find myself wanting to put my head on my desk and snooze every afternoon. I don't feel productive in the afternoon. I am hoping this gets better now that we are moving into the second trimester. I've also found stairs are no longer my friend, I wear out and need water after just one flight a the high school, which could be why I am so tired this week since been working on schedules so going up and down stairs like crazy right now, but stairs never phased me before, I could ascend and descend them over and over again without wearing out. 

Bathroom Runs:

The same 1am and 4am routine. 

Cravings:

Sweets still top the charts for sure. I'm finding I pretty much can eat everything but chicken right now. I was able to tolerate fried chicken the other day but that was about it. 

Dizziness:

This is new this week. I have noticed I am getting light headed more if I get up to quickly or make a sudden movement. 

Sleeping Pain:

Another new this week is the pain that has come back at sleep time. More in my shoulders and neck and more on my left which I think is because I am trying to sleep on my left side more. I've also found I get this pain on both sides (left and right) when I sleep on my back. Going to try to use my pregnancy pillow again. 

Weight:

In all honesty I have not weighed myself this week but have continued to notice my scrub pants and PJ pants are getting more snug.

Brushing Teeth:

Still having the same issue of getting sick when I rinse. 

First Emotional Breakdown:

Well this week I had my first emotional pregnancy breakdown. Thank the Lord it was on Dave's day off! I am pretty sure it was a combination of exhaustion, frustration, stress, ect that built up. So when I got sick brushing my teeth that was the last straw and I came out to our bedroom just in tears and trying to tell Dave, who jumped out of bed to my side, what was wrong but of course I was not making any sense. He was so sweet to just hold me and calm me down, then tucked me into bed.

This week was amazing with my 30th birthday and the end of the first trimester worries. Still praying the Lord watches over Jelly Bean.