What's Been Cookin So Far

15 weeks 3 days

Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now outmeasure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements.





How far along? 15th week
Total weight gain/loss: +1lb on the evil doctor scale on Monday, 6lb total.
Stretch marks? It was sworn to me by a friend that Burts Bees Belly Balm will prevent anything, so I went and bought it. Too bad it feels like you're rubbing Crisco all over yourself!
Sleep: Another sworn recommendation has been the contraption below for a good night's rest. I think Troy would be scared to get in the bed with it haha.

Best moment this week: Hearing the baby's heartbeat on Monday at the doctor. It suddenly just makes it all real. A nice and healthy 140bpm! Next appt is 11/30 where we get to have our 2nd ultrasound...SO EXCITED!!! Also got my H1N1 vaccine to ease some nerves about that whole ordeal. Troy constantly being in hospitals and on airplanes is not good for a pregnant woman's immune system!
Movement: None yet, but I am anxiously awaiting. I keep thinking that bubbles in there are him/her, but then a noise exits my body and I am quickly reminded that I was sadly mistaken ::insert angel face here::
Gender: Everyone I see thinks it's a boy. Troy usually smiles to this :) Lulu and I are still sticking strong to girl so far.
Labor Signs: This week seems to be the labor of exercising. Troy and I went for a walk along the beach today (soaking up this warm weather in every way we can this last month!) and I was huffing just walking up a slight hill on the path to get there. Scary.
Food Cravings: Chicken salad w/ green apples in it was all I ate for lunch, a snack, and dinner on Monday haha. I went to the store just to get a huge tub of pineapple on Wednesday. Mmm now I want more.
What I miss: Drinking beer while watching football. I know this is a very un-motherly thing to say, but it's true. We went to a gathering to watch the LSU vs. Alabama game yesterday and for the first time during all of this I wanted to sip on a beer. Especially after Lee had to come into the game just to lose it for us!!! I guess my instinct to gag when the thought of alcohol pops up has passed.
What I am looking forward to: Our "Happy Hour Finale" party this Friday with all of our Bama friends to say our sad goodbyes :(
Weekly Wisdom: To not get jealous when other pregnant women are 5 months and still in their pre-pregnancy jeans. Skinny bitches. I have learned to accept that these girls are like lottery-lucky and I am in the norm with being in maternity jeans.
Milestones: I like milk again!!!
Baby Brain Moment of the Week: Hadn't realized with everything going on, that we move to Boston in 3 WEEKS...HOLY CRAP!!!
Weekly Belly Pic: Somethins a brewin! I think I'm exagerating it though with always taking these pics after a filling dinner! This whole self-pic on the cell phone in the bathroom isnt working anymore either, next week I'm making Troy do it :)



13 weeks 5 days

Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy. (Much more convenient.)





How far along? 13th week
Total weight gain/loss: 5lb so far, we'll see what the evil doctor scale says next week.
Stretch marks? Hell-to-the-no!!! Religiously rubbing the body butter all over to ward these little demons away.
Sleep: This has been a hard challenge lately. I am a stomach sleeper and have been since I was 10. In a decision to not suffocate junior, I switched to the 2nd preference, my back. Oh but guess what, pregnant women aren't supposed to sleep on their back either! So now my shoulders are in pain trying to get used to sleeping on my sides every night. A new mattress is on the Christmas list this year! I don't think Santa can take care of the midnight and 4am bladder empties I have to make every night as well though. I'm pretty sure I am now doing this all with my eyes closed by now though!
Best moment this week: Buying maternity pants!!! Why the hell do women not wear these every day?!?!? They are heaven-sent and helping me cope with this expanding waist way better than trying to pull off my old jeans, fully undone, with a long shirt trying to hide the fact that they do not fit.
Movement: Only the movement of old pants out, maternity pants in! haha
Gender: Gut instinct says girl. But after seeing the wasted, less-than-dressed, booty-shaking, boob-jobbed 18 year old girls tailgating at the LSU game this week with grown men hanging all over them- Troy & I are now praying for a boy.
Labor Signs: Just the labor of staying up past 8pm! I feel like a senior citizen eating dinner by 5 and going to bed after the evening news.
Food Cravings: I can say I am NOT craving steak. I don't think I can eat it ever again since the smell just sends me running. Troy is heartbroken.
What I miss: Energy.
What I am looking forward to: 14 week appt to hear that beautiful heartbeat!
Weekly Wisdom: Do not ask a pregnant woman "were you guys trying?" It is the most awkward question to admit "Yeah we were failing for forever but it finally happened and I'm still scared shitless" or "Woops, it wasn't planned and we're scared shitless". Troy & I don't even know our answer, so just remember that we all know how a baby is made and we'll just leave it at that.
Baby Brain Moment of the Week: I had to ask Troy if Minnesota was a city or state, and then I could not identify it on a map. Just sad.
Weekly Belly Pic:





11 weeks

After a confirming visit to the doctor to hear the heartbeat on the Doppler, this is the week we shocked the socks off all of you and shared our news to the world. It was the hardest secret to keep for the 7 weeks that we knew!!!! There was even a night of having to use "fake wine" at a friend's house- that would be a twist cap bottle of white wine, emptied out, and filled with white grape juice. Tricky little thing, arent I? ;)


8 weeks 4 days

We had our first ultrasound to confirm the progress of the pregnancy and it was AMAZING. All of a sudden this little peanut looking creature was up on the screen with this little head and limbs sticking out from it. Holy crap that's inside of me!!! was the first response. She put the heartbeat noise on and Troy's face wa priceless, after I'm pretty sure it took him some time to figure out what the heck he was looking at. Here's what we saw!




4 weeks 3 days

After a week long of soar girls and a certain missing friend, I knew I had to take a test. It all went down a little something like this on an early Sunday morning, August 23. I couldn't sleep well on my stomach, go figure, and got a pregnancy test. After causing some commotion in the bathroom, Troy groggly asked "What are you doing in there?" To which I replied "Um, finding out we're pregnant." It was a morning filled with unanswerable questions and smiles looking towards the future. Let the adventure begin!