Next Time We See You....

You will be in our arms!! Last week we had our last ultrasound (30 1/2 weeks). We've come to find out she doesn't like being bothered with when it comes to ultrasounds because this is the second one where she hasn't cooperated too well during the exam! She was a wiggle worm the whole entire day up until the ultrasound, maybe she was tired!   

Mommy was right! I had a feeling she had moved positions to head down and she did. Her head is in the pelvic region and her spine is up against my belly. So that explains the heavy as a rock feeling I get. Hopefully she stays in this position closer to birth! Since her head and organs were facing my back it made it nearly impossible for the ultrasound tech to capture any images. This is the best we got, but that's okay. We know she's healthy! 

Her Stats:

-She is 3 lbs and a couple ounces

-She is definitely still a girl!

-From her chubby cheeks here we can tell she's gained some baby fat compared to her last ultrasound. 

-She is a petite thing like her mama, she is in the 30th percentile for size/weight at her stage:) 

-The ultrasound tech said several times she can see a lot of hair on her head!!We saw it too. It just looked like a white fuzzy patch on her head. It's funny to us because we both have thin hair. 

As time gets closer, I have a bitter sweet feeling. More sweet though because I will be able to see her and hold her and have her in our home! Bitter because I will miss carrying her 24/7 and protecting her in my belly. I love feeling her every little movement especially first thing in the morning when I start my day and getting to know her patterns. I feel like I know her little soul already. I know it will be 100 times better when she is here with us though. I feel so blessed to have this experience of pregnancy and motherhood and so lucky to be chosen to carry, bare, and raise this precious little angel who is already such a blessing to us! 

7 months

29 weeks

Nearing the end of my 7th month, I did experience some slight changes from the last few months! I've still had a very smooth ride I will say.
Maternity Clothes: still the same. A couple maternity tops and a next size up in regular tops.
Food Cravings: None
Weight Gain: about 16 lbs. Yikes! I don't feel very different though just with a belly in front of me!
Sleep: pretty good. I've gotten used to sleeping on my sides. I wake up early, I can no longer sleep in. I think my body is already preparing for mommy mode!
Aches/Pains: New onset of horrible sciatic nerve pain (especially if I've been sitting or laying for a while) typically on my right side (where I find that she's favored). New onset of heartburn as well-not fun!
Belly button: Not an innie or an outtie..it's pretty even with my belly so I'm sure it will pop out shortly.
Baby: 
-I'm feeling her move A LOT more often now, which is the greatest feeling. It's funny to watch my whole belly jiggle when she's really trying to get cozy in her living quarters.
-I usually feel her have the hiccups at least once a day. Something tells me she's turned because I used to feel her hiccups higher up now I feel them a lot lower. Her first hiccups (that I felt) were on Thanksgiving!
-Sometimes I think she nudges my pelvic bone because it feels like a sharp shooting pain (different than growing pains) when she's moving.
-In the morning she's pretty light, but shortly after lunch time she feels so heavy. It feels like her head/back/or butt is positioned right in the middle of my belly which makes it so heavy as if it's weighing itself down and it's hard as a rock.It's somewhat uncomfortable.
-I have experienced some occasional Braxton Hicks contractions.
-I've had to go to the bathroom A LOT more frequency since she's had a growth spurt. It's like she's sitting on my bladder!

Bump Pics

26 weeks, 28 weeks, 30 weeks

Fun Day !

We had so much fun registering for her and our baby needs!

6 months!

I'm about 3 1/2 weeks late on this post, but hey I've been busy nesting! I can't believe 6 months have gone by.
6 weeks happenings:
Food Cravings: None
Weight Gain: 9-11 lbs.(I can't remember which one)
Maternity Clothes: a couple maternity tops for comfort otherwise my regular size or next size up. I caved in and bought maternity jeans the other day. Usually I still wear my own jeans and do the rubber band method around the button.
Sleep: It's hard to get used to sleeping on my sides only and sleeping on my stomach isn't comfortable (plus I feel like I'm smashing her)
Baby Movement: I'm feeling her more and more as weeks progress. This last week I have noticed her routine. She moves a lot when daddy is getting ready for work in the early morning and also in the evening after dinner time. The best is actually seeing her poke my belly out with some movements.
Belly Button: sloowwwly starting to become an outty.


By some people's reactions I'm starting to think I'm really small for 6 months, but the Dr. doesnt seem to be concerned. She said she's measuring a few days small, but still in the normal range. I guess everyone carries different. I just want her to cook bake 'til done (Cupcakes don't cook, they bake!) We are getting more and more anxious for her arrival and can't wait to see her!

More Bump Pics....

Bump Progression

Letters to Cupcake... & Looking Back

Flashback to July 2nd, this is a little letter I wrote in my phone to Baby as soon as I found out!!

Monday July 2, 2012 7:25 pm
Hi Cupcake,
I just found out today (1 1/2) hours ago that I am pregnant! I was (to save myself from sadness) expecting a negative urine test at the Dr.'s office. When she came in and told me it's positive and about 7weeks 5 days along, the first thing I thought of was you and what you looked like in my womb. This is such a happy surprise. I knew my body has been acting different the last week. Your daddy and I just got back from celebrating 4 years together at Cave Creek Resort this last weekend. It was hard to enjoy because all I wanted to do was sleep, then we were going to take the boat to the lake on our way home and the boat was acting up (I was kind of glad because I just wanted to sleep), we headed home and I slept ALL afternoon. Now I know why:) I haven't been hungry, sensitive to smell, extremely tired, dizzy, scatter brained. I will go through any torture of gagging, throwing up, feeling sick just to feed you and make sure you are getting everything you need. It hasn't sunk in completely but I feel like God just stretched my heart quite a bit today w/ extra room for lots love for you. I cried of excitement and utter shock when she told me "well in fact it is positive". She said me and your daddy get to see you in two weeks and possibly get to hear your little heartbeat! I can't wait....until then.
Love and excitement,
Your happy mama

(Corey wasn't w/ me since I was originally going for a routine yearly check up anyway so i was going to tell him when i got home. He wasn't there when I got home and I couldnt wait until then, so I had to tell him over the phone!)

(Sorry for the 'too much info' photo, but this picture means a lot to me). I may have been skeptical, but I wasn't sure if this was a 'faint positive' or a negative because one line was a lot darker. I needed others' sets of eyes (and google) for their opinions! This was Monday AM, looking back I took the same test on Thursday and (I'm pretty sure) the results were the same but I ignored it because I thought it had to be a BRIGHT +.  Come to find out any +  IS a +!!

Cupcake was already 7 weeks tiny and we didn't even know it:)

Craig's List Beauty

I was browsing Craig's List and I came upon this treasure! It was listed under kitchen tables, but as soon as I saw it lights turned on in my head. It was an antique record player cabinet. I envisioned this to use as a changing table! We went to look at it and it was cuter in person. Brought it home, headed to the craft store, and cleaned it up a little. After a little TLC I love love love this antique, shabby, vintage dainty piece of furniture that we will use as her changing table. It is a very faint pink, so faint it pretty much looks beige to me. It's versatile so we can use it for anything after. Here are the before and after touches..

                                               

Halfway There!

Friday 9/28 marked 20 weeks! Aka 5 months! I can't believe I'm halfway there. This is experience is so surreal, but I know it will be even better when she is here! Let's see, not much has changed since the last couple months except I now officially have a consistent belly. Finally! I say consistent because when I thought I had one, I would wake up in the morning and it would be gone haha! It's only noticeable in tight clothes and if you didn't know me you would never know I was pregnant (thats what people are telling me at least). I'm glad she finally made her appearance in our eyes though!
20 week happenings:
-So far I have gained about 4-5 lbs.
-No food aversions, just some chicken. Depends what it looks like!
-I usually eat about every half hour or else I start to get really bad hunger pangs and start to feel sick. It's like starving x 10! I even wake up around 4 or 5 am with a very hungry feeling so I have to keep a little snack bedside:) (I warned Corey if he hears a Nutri-Grain wrapper in the middle of the night it's not a mouse haha!)
-We 95% sure have a name picked out for Baby Cupcake
-Not really any food cravings, but I do eat a lot of pumpkin stuff and lemon on everything. I've always eaten that stuff though!
-No sickness thank God. Lots of energy! I feel like I'm already nesting. I have been a MAJOR clean FREAK around the house. Cleaning and organizing are on the daily lately!
-I'm still waiting for that pregnancy "glow" that everyone talks about. People may say otherwise, but I feel like since day one I've been really pale, blotchy, and get breakouts! They say if it's a girl she steals your "beauty". My instincts told me from the get go that she was a girl:)
Baby:
-When I look at her at work via ultrasound she has gotten so big that I can no longer get her whole body in one image like some pictures I have posted. I usually just get a head, foot, thigh, lower leg, arm..It's really cute though! I'm glad I get to see and hear her heart pumping away. She's so precious!
-Appx 6-7". I've read the size of a banana or a mango.
-Her own uterus & ovaries are completely developed!
-She has a protective coating (vernix) to prevent her from being water logged and also accidentally scratching herself with her fingernails.
-She can hear loud & familiar noises outside the womb, but also noises inside such as my heartbeat, digestion, etc
-She's been moving a lot while I've been writing this-She knows I'm talking about her:)
                      

             

Love Taps

Last week, at 19 weeks, I felt her! I can't say it was the first time because I've felt those little "taps" (spasm feeling), but I wasn't able to pin point it as being her for sure. When I kept noticing it consistently, while laying down, and especially about a half hour after eating I knew it was her! If my hands are resting on my lower belly I can actually feel the "thump" on my hands. It's a crazy feeling, but so sweet!

Sugar & Spice and All Things Nice!

We had the ultrasound tech take our picture

Look very close and you will see PINK on that onsie! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!!!! We are so excited. Our baby girl is healthy, growing, and has us glowing:) She performed well this time and she showed off her private parts right away....The tech said "see those three lines?!" I just knew it. She even showed us a 3d image of her face and her face looks so dainty and girly! She was kind of hiding behind the umbilical cord, her arm and her hand though. I drank orange juice just before and it didn't kick in at first she was very still and then towards the end of the appointment she started to move a lot and turn all over the place. It was kind of funny to see the o.j. kick in! We are so excited and oh all of the little girly things I have going on inside of my head for this little one-she doesn't know what's coming!!

It's hard to see, but the tech put 3 arrows pointing at the three girly lines

You are so pretty Cupcake!

                                                                                                    

                                               

Seriously?!

I was supposed to post last Thursday after our Dr.'s appointment with the exciting news of a boy or a girl. Let's just say we left the appointment pretty sad. The tech did the anatomy scan starting at the head/brain and moved down. Note the baby was active the whole time (which is a good thing for this exam). Everything looked great and healthy. I was 17 weeks and 6 days and the baby was measuring a little small at 17 weeks 3/4 days-which is okay the Dr. said. Anyways, by the time the tech moved down to the genitals the baby was done showing off for us. It was sitting on its bottom 'Indian style' and not moving...stubborn you think?! The tech only tried for 20 seconds literally to see the genitals and since she couldn't she just gave up and said that was it! I wanted to cry! We anticipated this day for a very long time and nothing! I offered to change positions and maybe the baby would move, but she said no not today and that basically the appointment was up (it was only 20 minutes). I was so frustrated that she just gave up instead of trying...no compassion for her patients. Being an ultrasound tech myself, you don't give up if something is technically difficult, YOU TRY, REPOSITION, etc.. That's what we came there for.
      Needless to say we go back AGAIN tomorrow:) If we were able to wait months, what were a few more days?! I've heard many cases where patients have to come back several times if the baby doesn't cooperate to find out the gender, but in our case the baby was active for the first 15 minutes so she could have checked in the beginning. So we felt like she kind of cheated us by really not trying. I will drink oj before the appointment too to make sure we have a very hyper baby Cupcake! Thank God everything looked normal and healthy. We even got to see a few close up 3d/4d images of his/her cute little self and a DVD of the entire exam. "I can't believe you have THIS inside of you!" were the tech's first words to me as she put the probe to my belly. I am still hardly showing at all! It is crazy to think about if you think of it in these terms- 5 1/2" long fetus in a uterus supposedly the size of a cantaloupe right now and 4 1/2 months pregnant! Where's the bump?!
      So just like I said last time.....until tomorrow! I will post as soon as I get home!

What will it be...?

Onsies my mom mailed us!

We are so excited for tomorrow! We finally get to find out what Baby Cupcake is! Just for the fun of it I jotted down some "old wives tales" about gender prediction to see where we stand. I know they are definitely not scientifically proven, but I thought it would be fun! 

1. Chinese gender chart: Girl

2. Lots of morning sickness (girl), or not to sick (boy)?: Girl

3. Do you crave sweet foods (girl) or salty (boy)?: At first it was sweet, now its Both!

4. Is your skin clear (boy) or do you have breakouts (girl)?: Occasional pop ups every now and then-Girl

5. Is the baby's heartbeat above 140 (girl) or below (boy)?: Girl

6. Have you been more clumsy (boy) or graceful (girl)?: Boy

7. Age of conception and the year of conception-If both are even or both are odd (girl). If one is even and one is odd (boy): Boy

8. Carrying high (girl), carrying low (boy)?: Just finally popped so I can't really tell, but I would say low...? Boy

9. My "motherly intuition": At first I had no clue, but lately I really think it's a Girl

10. "Father's Intuition": He has no clue, but kind of thinks it's a Girl too!

Taylor thinks Boy

Allie thinks Girl

Landen thinks Boy but hopes for Girl

We shall see! Until Tomorrow........

16 Weeks and Running Out of Room!

Here is a video I took at work at officially 4 months/16 weeks. It looks like the baby is running out of head to toe space so that only tells me I'm going to start growing a belly any day while Baby Cupcake starts growing rapidly! 

Baby :

-appx. 4.5" long and 3 oz (about the size of an avocado)

-is forming individual fingerprint swirls and creases

-is growing toenails

-can likely hear noises, especially loud ones

-can perceive some light, even though the eyelids are still sealed

AMAZING!!

Our Pear...

On Friday we hit 15 weeks! Also my 30th birthday! It's going to be the best year ever! 15 week happenings:

-Around 13.5 -14 weeks (finally!) my sickness, fatigue, and sleepiness left me! I have a lot more energy and am open to eating more things.I feel good! With the exception, of my birthday morning, I had a little episode of morning sickness-i took it as a birthday gift from the baby haha!
-Still have a hard time looking at/eating meat though, especially CHICKEN
-I have been able to wake up, feeling good and started going back to the gym before work in the mornings..hitting it very lightly though.
-Starting last week I have been having lower cramps, ligament pains....somethings going to start expanding soon:) Growing pains!
-I dont have quite an obvious pooch yet, but I've noticed something little (I will start to post belly pics when it becomes evident).
-No specific food cravings yet, but when I'm hungry I'm really hungry. I do eat tons of fruit..Coincidentally, a lot of pears this week.
-At this poing, I may have gained a pound or two. At the last appt, I actually lost weight due to the morning sickness, but the Dr. said thats normal and okay.
-VERY tender & GROWING breasts...our baby will not be going hungry thats for sure! Sometimes I have to sleep in a sports bra to apply pressure because they are that sensitive. Ouch!

Baking so Perfectly!

I think this is the most precious picture of our 13 and a half week baby! This is a 3-D image we had done at an ultrasound appointment. The baby was clearly napping and looks SO cozy and warm in it's little home...head tucked in, arms cozy comfy, and little legs crossed. I love staring at this picture because it makes me happy looking at its delicate little features. It truly looks like the baby is cuddling me, inside me:) It's so surreal knowing this precious gift of ours is inside of me!
The ultrasound tech told us at the appointment that "you guys have a cute baby here". I'm sure she tells every patient that, but I choose to believe every word :)
4 more weeks until the next appointment at which we get to find out the gender of the baby!! 
Keep bakin' baby!!

Just Peachy..

Today marks 13 weeks and Cupcake has grown into the size of a peach:) Approximately 3" long. This actual picture was a couple days younger than 13 weeks though. I love looking at his/her little profile. One of the major developments this week is the vocal cords (but of course those won't be heard until birth!)

Second trimester!

      Today marks 13 weeks and the beginning of the 2nd trimester! I can't believe it's only been 5 1/2 weeks since we've found out about this precious baby! It feels like eternity! I'm hoping my morning sickness finally goes away! Actually it's not "morning" sickness for me, it's an every other day but all day "blah, yucky" kind of feeling. I've read a lot that the second trimester is supposed to be the easiest when it comes to feeling good, energetic and actually being able to eat. Stuff thats not easy for me right now.
      Since I am an ultrasound tech, although I do not specialize in OB, I have the equipment at work to look at my baby. The ultrasound appointments w/ the Dr.'s office are way too few and far in between! I can't go that long without seeing him/her so I put the probe to my belly and went for my search until I found what I was looking for! It's amazing how much it has grown since the first 9.5 week ultrasound. In this video I had just eaten lunch and it was spicy food. I think it made cupcake quite active! I have a lot of "active" videos but this is probably one of my faves!

Cupcake Style

Are these not the most perfect shoes?! I will take one in every size please. If it's a boy cupcake, we may have to pass.....just maybe. If it's a girl cupcake, don't doubt these will be my first purchase as soon as I come home from the Dr.'s office! **Disclaimer: I'm not baby shopping already, I saw these on another blog. Promise! Genius VANS!

My Perch..

Let me just start off by saying I'm glad I'm journalizing (?) this whole experience. I feel like this pregnancy has sucked any alertness, intelligence, memory, and coordination from me. I feel like I have no brain left! When I say coordination I mean I have been nothing but clumsy (ask my poor bruised eye and how the fridge got in its way!) I'm very scatter brained. I'm making myself sound bad haha but they say its 'baby brain' and I am proof! Lord knows if I will remember these tiny details after cupcake is here, so I am very glad I am blogging this entire experience regularly to look back on!

Anyhow, this is a picture of me at home on my bed. This is my perch when I'm tired/fatigued/nauseous-which is still about 75% of the time one symptom or another. Notice my saltines and 4 choices of beverages. Bottled water, fridge water, sprite because the water wasnt tasting good at all, and orange juice to help cure that metallic taste I sometimes get in my mouth. I would have to say its the worst taste in your mouth. It tastes like I have a huge chunk of change in my mouth and the only thing to cure it is to keep citrus type stuff down- agh!) I havent felt completely good yet. If i dont have all of the symptoms hitting me at once I have a combination of one or two at once. I'm starting to see them ease away which is nice. I'm starting to figure it out to a T,  when I start to feel sick or wake up completely starving I snack on something and it helps a lot! My gag reflex still decides to creep up on me whenever it wants at ANY time of the day! Theres no predicting that one. Corey has been so patient and understanding with everything. He's been doing the grocery shopping because I cant even stomach the smell or be surrounded end to end with food! I'll be excited when I can get back to the gym and go with confidence knowing that I won't get sick mid way.

Haha it sounds like I've been miserable! Honestly I couldnt be happier! I'm just embracing this whole experience because I know how blessed I am to be carrying this precious baby cupcake inside of me. Knowing I am its sole caterer and "delivery woman" and it depends on EVERYTHING I do just puts a smile on my face and makes all of this so worthwhile! I often find myself waking up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep just thinking about him/her and so excited. It calls for a very tired day...but I'm perfectly okay with that:)
.

Gettin Fruity...

At our ultrasound the baby was measuring at  9 weeks and a few days, approximately the size of a grape! I just got an alert from my phone app yesterday that since we are 10 weeks and 1 day, marking the beginning of the "fetal period", he/she is approximately the size of a prune or kumquat. Here are the comparisons....I'm so obsessed with him/her already that I just like to know every second of progression:) :) It is amazing how something so little can already have all of its internal organs!

 

My Grape

I was going to wait to post this picture, but I can't wait! At our first ultrasound appointment the other day we got to see Baby Cupcake. I will most likely go through that whole experience in another post. Here is his/her first photograph at 9 weeks 5 days as of 7/18/2012 measuring approximately the size of a grape:) Today we are officially 10 weeks!

The Oven Is On.....

Surprise!!!! Corey and I are expecting a little one. We are both so incredibly happy, thrilled, and feel so blessed. Our little one, whom I lovingly refer to as 'Cupcake' will be done baking in February 2013.I will get into the details in the next post, but I had to spread the word since I can no longer hold this excitement in. Our first ultrasound was today and I will be posting about that as well. Since family and friends are spread throughout, I thought this would be the best way for us to journal this experience for ourselves and to have everyone join in on this exciting journey with us! I have much more to come, but until then this tired (and still.....dealing w/ morning a.k.a.all day sickness mama needs to get rest).