23 Week Update

Date: April 19, 2013

Next Doctor’s Appointment: May 15, 2013

 Baby’s size:  Baby is the size of a grapefruit!

How far along:  23 weeks!  Only 17 weeks until we meet our little sugar!

Total weight gain: +10 pounds.  Current weight: 120

Sleep:  I sleep well and her kicks never wake me up.  I wake up to pee 2 or 3 times a night and just to switch from one side to another. 

Maternity Clothes:  No new maternity clothes.  I am still able to wear my skinny jeans and all of my pre pregnancy shorts! *yay*

 Food cravings: Still loving fruit (PINEAPPLE with lemon juice) and slimfast protein shakes.

 Food aversions: none

Symptoms I have: Just growing pains and fatigue. Feeling great and loving pregnancy.

 Movement: This week was the first week I actually felt her kicking me while I was active.  I was shopping for groceries and it startled me when I felt her kicking me.  She usually waits until I’m sitting down.  She is getting bigger and stronger every day.  I am so blessed.

Belly Button: My belly button is starting to become an outie.  I love it.

Gender: girl

 Best moment of the week:  My best moments of the week have been completing my school work lately.  I never thought Managerial Accounting and International Business would be as challenging as they are for me! Thankfully, I have Mr. Finance guru Kiley to help me with my accounting.  I’m proud to still be achieving A’s on my assignments.  So far, so good! 

What I miss:  I will always miss Colorado & my family and friends there.

What I’m looking forward to: Going back to Colorado! Kiley has an interview in CO next week, so we will be going back for a couple of days.  I can’t wait! My sister and I (and hopefully mom, too) will be taking a day trip to Boulder for a girly day! I will definitely be snapping a lot of photos.

 Additional Details: Little girl's kicks tickle me sometimes! It is hilarious! It has happened three or four times as I lay down for bed.  I doesn't last long, but it makes me laugh.  This little sugar is a jokester just like her dad.

22 Week Update

Date: April 12, 2013

Next Doctor’s Appointment:  April 17, 2013

 Baby’s size:  Baby is the size of a papaya and weighs one whole pound! She is expected to gain another pound within the next four weeks!

 

How far along:  We are 22 weeks along! Only two weeks from viability.  Viability is known as premature birth survival and is said to be at 24 weeks of gestation.  In many hospitals, 24 weeks is the cutoff point for when doctors will use intensive medical intervention to attempt to save the life of a baby born prematurely.  Obviously, odds of survival increase as the pregnancy progresses.  After being (incorrectly) told at 5 weeks that I was miscarrying this baby (and having several very close friends and family experience such a tragic loss as miscarriage), I will be very excited to make it to 24 weeks pregnant.  I feel so blessed to have made it this far.  I love being pregnant and carrying a miracle of life inside me.  I love basing each decision I make off of the sweet innocent baby girl that I carry with me everywhere I go. 

Total weight gain: +9 pounds.  Current weight: 119

Sleep:  Sleep has been a little bit of an issue this week.  I noticed that a couple of nights, I couldn’t seem to get comfortable.  There are only two sleep positions for me now: Right side or left side.  I think the lack of options is what hinders me.  I now use three pillows for comfort at night (two of them, king size). 

Maternity Clothes:  I don’t think I will need many maternity items.  My belly is still growing, but my pants and shorts all fit well.  I am so happy it is warming up outside.  Summer is my favorite time of year! 

 Food cravings: Still loving fruit and slimfast shakes. 

 Food aversions: none

Symptoms I have: No new symptoms.  Feeling great and loving pregnancy. I did have an episode this week where I completely blacked out for a little bit.  I will be talking to the doctor about that during my appointment this week.  I am well hydrated and I do my best to take it easy with the physical activity, so as to keep my blood pressure steady.  I think it has something to do with my anemia.

 Movement: Some days, she is more active than others. I usually only feel her movement a few times a day for a few minutes. I love the active days!

Belly Button: starting to poke out a little

Gender: girl <3

 Best moment of the week:  The best moment this week was going back to Bossier/Shreveport to visit Kiley’s family.  I haven’t seen them in a few months, so it was really nice to catch up with everyone. 

What I miss:  I miss Colorado & my family and friends there.

What I’m looking forward to: Going back to Colorado! Kiley has an interview in CO later this month, so we will be going back for a short couple of days.  I am excited!

 Additional Details: I had to go in to the doctor’s office last week to run some lab work.  They just drew my blood to check up on me.  I found out that I am still anemic and I still have to take my iron supplements every day, but my levels are doing much better (yay!).  I am doing everything I can to make sure this baby comes into the world as nourished and healthy as possible. On a side note, everyone keeps asking if we have chosen a name.  The answer is no.  We haven’t decided. We want to find something that’s feminine, has a nice meaning behind it and is unique.

21 Week Update

Date: April 5, 2013

Next Doctor’s Appointment:  April 17, 2013

 Baby’s size:  Our wiggly monkey is the size of a banana!

 

How far along:  We are 21 weeks along!

Total weight gain: +8 pounds.  Current weight: 118

Sleep:  I am still sleeping very well and I noticed that my body wants to sleep for more than 8 hours lately.  I assume the baby is going through some major growth spurts in there! I have finally reached a point where I can’t lay on my back for too long or I get very uncomfortable.  I lay on my sides at night. I kind of miss sleeping on my belly. 

Maternity Clothes:  Mostly my regular clothes.  People in public are starting to notice my bump, so that’s kind of cool. 

 Food cravings: FRUIT.  I really want to go to a peach orchard and pick peaches… or go pick strawberries somewhere.  That sounds like such a fun time to me. I also love slimfast shakes in the morning.
  

 Food aversions: none

Symptoms I have: Nothing new.  I am feeling great and really loving pregnancy. I feel so blessed.  I love feeling our little girl move, spin, dance and kick!

 Movement: She loves to wiggle and I love to feel her wiggle.

Belly Button: A weird looking innie… flattening out.

Gender: precious little girl

 Best moment of the week:  The best moment of the week has been overcoming my first week of this school term.  It has been a major challenge so far (much more difficult than my last couple of terms).  Being able to move past this first week has been a huge relief… Only 8 more classes until I get my degree in November. 

What I miss:  I miss Colorado.

What I’m looking forward to: Going back to Colorado!

 Additional Details: I love my sweet baby girl and her amazing daddy.

20 Week Update

Date: March 28, 2013

Here is a video update on a baby's progress at 5 months, 1 week!

 

Next Doctor’s Appointment:  April 17, 2013

 Baby’s size:  Baby is the size of a Melon!

 

How far along:  We are 20 weeks along!

Total weight gain: +8 pounds.  Current weight: 118

Sleep:  Sleeping well!

Maternity Clothes:  Dresses are my thing, especially with this growing bump! Maxi dresses are cute.  I also like the form fitted, knee length ones.  I can still button all of my pre pregnancy jeans, but it’s just more comfortable to wear the belly band with some of them.

 Food cravings: I want some more of my mama’s green chili… and I still can't get enough fresh fruit!

 Food aversions: none

Symptoms I have: This has been an easy week as far as symptoms.  Mostly just growing pains and body aches, but nothing new! I’m not sure if I ever mentioned this, but riding around in Kiley’s Mini Cooper drops my stomach sometimes (ever since I got pregnant).  He doesn’t drive crazy, so I’m not sure what that is from (the extra fluid, maybe?).  Anyway, I realized on my trip to CO that taking off in an airplane gives me the same feeling I get when I go down the first drop on a rollercoaster! Major stomach drop! It was a lot of fun haha

 Movement: Her kicks are getting stronger and I can feel them from the outside really well.  They’re super unpredictable so nobody but Kiley has felt them from the outside yet.  Kiley has felt a little bit of movement before but Easter Sunday (March 31, 2013) was the first time he felt her really moving in there.  I will treasure those moments.  When I was in CO, I sang John Mayer to her and she kicked me. She likes him.

Belly Button: A weird looking innie… flattening out.

Gender: Girl, girl, girl

 Best moment of the week:  Celebrating the first year with Kiley. We met on March 24, 2012! Every day since meeting him has become the best day of my life.  I love him with my whole heart.  Here are some of my favorite photos of us from the year:

This week, we also celebrated the wedding of one of my best friends, Carolyn, to her new hubby Aaron! The day was so perfect and so much fun!!!  I was so happy to have been chosen as one of her bridesmaids. Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Bidwell!!! (photos of the wedding to come!)

What I miss:  Colorado and my family.

What I’m looking forward to: Going back to Colorado!

 Additional Details: I recently received some photos from a few photo shoots I’ve done recently. I thought it would be fun to share them with you!

 This first series is by Devin Willow (Styling by Mirabai Wagner) and I was only 2 weeks pregnant in these photos! This was right before we found out!

This series is by Clint Earhart (Makeup and hair by Lindsay Ambrosio).  I was eight weeks pregnant in this series. 

This series is by Maria Hibbs and was when I was about 11 weeks pregnant, I believe.