Oh, my little peach!

How far along? 13 weeks

Due Date: August 2nd

Total weight gain/loss: -2 pounds

Maternity clothes? Just 1 pair of maternity jeans.  I'm still getting by with my regular shirts at this point.

Stretch Marks? Nope and I'm hoping to avoid these.

Sleep: My sleep is so restless lately.  I get up to pee 3-5 times per night and then wake up to change positions every 1-2 hours.  UGH!

Best moment this week: It's the LAST week of my first trimester!!!  YAAAY!

Movement: Still too early for this.

Food cravings: Chips and guacamole from Chipotle or Santa Fe and hummus.

Food aversions: Still chicken!

  

Gender: We won't know for about 5 more weeks.

Labor Signs: None, and let's keep it that way for a long while.

Belly Button in or out? Still in, of course.

What I miss: My energy!

What I am looking forward to:  The beginning of my 2nd trimester next week and also my next doctor's appointment on that same day.

Milestones:  Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce.

Better late than never (12 weeks)

How far along? 12 weeks 3 days

Due Date: August 2nd

Total weight gain/loss: -1 pound

Maternity clothes? Just bought my first maternity clothes this week.  Picked up a GREAT pair of Gap maternity jeans 40% off and they are my heaven.  I had a few gift cards to Motherhood, as well, so I bought some shirts and a dress too even though I really don't need those yet.

Stretch Marks? Nope and I'm hoping to avoid these.

Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty good minus the 3-5 bathroom trips and really vivid dreams at night.  I was asleep last night at 6:30 pm and slept til 8:30 am.  YIKES!

Best moment this week: My nausea is almost completely GONE!

Movement: Still too early for this yet.

Food cravings: Food in general now that I'm not as nauseated.

Food aversions: Still chicken, although I was able to eat some in some stir-fry my mom made the other night and I had no problems.

  

Gender: We won't know for about 6 more weeks.

Labor Signs: None, and let's keep it that way for a long while.

Belly Button in or out? Still in, of course.

What I miss: Feeling like I have a bunch of energy on my days off to get lots of things done.

What I am looking forward to: My 2nd trimester....it's right around the corner!!!!!

  

Milestones: The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.  Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

Sweet Slumber

Yesterday my Leachco Back and Belly pillow came in the mail from Amazon.  I was super stoked since it arrived about 6 pm, and of course I had already been thinking about bedtime since I resisted a late afternoon nap that was calling my name.  I tore into the box and pulled my new sleeping companion out. 

She was beautiful and I couldn't wait to climb into bed and hopefully get a restful night of sleep.  I took a relaxing bath and crawled into bed.  I snuggled into the middle of this Big Bertha and.....

The angels sang from Heaven.  It was pure bliss, comfort at it's best, my answer to the pillow adjusting problem I've been struggling with for weeks.  I can turn from side to side and not move pillows around, which adds so much sleep time to my night.  I fell asleep in a few minutes and didn't wake up for 4 hours (only because I had to pee) and I was in the exact same position.  That is unheard of lately!  This pillow is especially magical while lying on your back, and for later in pregnancy when I need to stay off my back, the "legs" make perfect wedges.  Check out this link to see all the different ways to use this magical pillow. 

Now for the logistics.  Matt was concerned about how large it was.  It does appear mammoth, but when we put it in the bed, it actually takes up less room than my body pillow and the other 2 pillows I was using.  Although I don't think many hubbys would like this in anything smaller than a king size bed...it might be a tight squeeze.  Although if you can convince him to snuggle up to the other side, then it may be doable in a queen.  Also, it comes with a cover, but after further inspection once this arrived at my house, it doesn't have a zipper so it looks like it would be difficult to reapply after washing.  My solution?  I put a king size pillow case over each "leg" and draped another king size pillow case over where my head would lay.  It worked out rather well.  It's not glamorous, but neither is a pregnant girl who hasn't slept well.  I give this bad boy two thumbs up and would recommend it to anyone, not just girls with buns in their ovens, who needs more support while sleeping.  It would be great for those with back pain (my sciatic pain is so much better this morning) or hip pain.  It's not a cheap pillow at $59.99 (shipping is free), but I will gladly pay 60 bucks for peaceful sleep over the next several months.

10 weeks

How far along? 10 weeks

Due Date: August 2, 2011

Total weight gain/loss: +4 pounds thanks to the holidays.  I had been up 5 pounds, but thankfully I'm starting to get rid of some of that now.

Maternity clothes? Not yet, although I did break down the other day and order 1 pair of maternity jeans from Old Navy.  I'm waiting for those to come in the mail.  Everything still fits fine and I can still button my jeans, they're just not comfortable across my tummy anymore.

Stretch Marks? Not yet, and hopefully they stay away!

Sleep: I'm more exhausted than I've ever been in my life!  A month ago I was sleeping really well, but now I wake up a million times a night to pee, readjust pillows, switch sides, etc.  I ordered a Leachco Back and Body pillow from amazon.com this week and I'm hoping it helps with all my readjusting during the night.  I can still sleep 10-12 hours at night, take a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon and be ready for bed at 9 pm again.

Best moment this week: Last Thursday, Matt and I got to hear the heartbeat of our baby for the first time with a doppler.  We also had another ultrasound and it was amazing to see how much our little one had changed in 2 1/2 weeks.  Our baby now actually looks like a little baby and even waved his/her arm up like he/she was saying "hi mom and dad" during our ultrasound!  It was pretty awesome!

Movement: It's definitely too early for this, but I found out at my ultrasound on Thursday that it looks like I have an anterior placenta (meaning the placenta is on the front of my uterus).  Generally, people with an anterior placenta feel less fetal movement because the placenta cushions some of the sensation.  This made me a little sad because now I think it will be even longer until I feel our little one move around in there.

Food cravings: It varies a lot from day to day.  Some days I only want one thing and then a few days later that same food will make me super nauseous to even think about it.

Food aversions: CHICKEN!!!  Well, meat in general, but especially chicken.

  

Gender: unknown

Labor Signs: none

Belly Button in or out? Innie.  I have a pretty deep belly button, so I doubt it will ever pop out.

What I miss: Feeling "normal."  I miss having energy to do things and the almost every day nausea is not a fun time either.

What I am looking forward to: Entering my 2nd trimester in 4 weeks!

  

Milestones: Today our baby is officially a FETUS!  He/she is swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm.  Vital organs - including the kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver are in place and starting to function.  Tiny nails are forming on the fingers and toes and peach-fuzz hair is beginning to grow on the skin.  Our baby's limbs can bend now and the outline of the spine is clearly visible.  From crown to rump (not including the legs) our little baby is about 1 1/4 inches long.  Grow baby grow!

Coming August 2, 2011

Matt and I finally announced to our families that we are expecting Baby #1.  It was quite the Christmas surprise for everyone.  All of our families were overjoyed...Matt's mom was even brought to tears when we shared the news.  My Grandma Games was thrilled with the news, but there was an added bonus for her.  My grandpa had just passed away when we shared the news with her, and I happen to be due on his birthday.  I know my grandpa is smiling in Heaven knowing this little baby is on his/her way and is watching over us.

So far, this pregnancy has been interesting, to say the least.  My biggest challenges have been extreme exhaustion and nausea.  I've never been so tired in all my life!  I could easily sleep 10-12 hours at night, take a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon and still be ready for bed by 9 pm.  I can't wait to get my energy back!  Also, nausea has been kicking my butt!  Luckily I've only thrown up twice, but the nausea is almost worse.  Oddly enough, I usually feel fine in the mornings, but by afternoon I start to feel queasy and by evening I can't stand the thought of food usually.  I also have odd cravings that change almost daily.  I was on a huge mashed potatoes and gravy kick for a few days and now the thought of that makes me want to hurl.  Hopefully the next 4 weeks go by quickly and I start feeling more like myself soon!