0 week 22 - another belly pic. I think I am on a roll

Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Its been a very busy week this week. I will hopefully have ultrasound pics to upload as soon as Mark sends them to me on email. We made it through Christmas. I was thinking that would never happen. I was pretty worn out, but in the end, it was worth it. 5 Christmas celebrations in 4 days and lots of running doesn't make for a happy mama. Yesterday we hit the 22 week mark. The time is just flying by. I am feeling more movement, but most of its internal and not external. Just a few more weeks until Mark can feel it. I am excited to share it with him, but know it is going to be a little weird and painful at first. I think its all relative. Here is a recap of the week!
Christmas was on Saturday of last week - we had the my mom's family on the 23rd, my parents on the 24th, Mark's mom and my step mom's family on the 25th and then my dad's family on the 26th along with Aunt Kat's 21st birthday. All family activities were nice, but I sure was tired by the 26th. Mark and I spent the entire day on the 27th packing the house, getting all the clothes I dont fit into put away in storage and Mark finished cleaning like a mad man while I had to go back to work. He is so much better at getting rid of clutter than I am. New Years Resolution for sure... lets see if I can do it.
Kat's bday is a big one and since I couldnt drink and was very tired, I wasnt much of a big sister. I did take her to Fridays for a drink and some apps which she loved, but its still hard to believe that she is 21. Here are some pics from our outing.









I am sure she will hate that picture, but we all were beat. We did breakfast at Joe's Diner in the am (always yummy) and then went to Grandma's for dinner. Fun stuff. I am glad the week is over, and looking forward to the new year. 2011 is bringing all kids of excitement for Mark and I - so we will see how it goes! Excitement to come.
For now- here are a few pics from our week including a terrible belly shot... at least I took one.
Belly pic 22wks 1 day










Lazy cat in bed during the snow

Snow from our Bedroom window

Jack playing in the Christmas tree- his favorite

Snow on the ground right before Christmas

Jack in his Christmas Hat (and me looking dreaded)

0 20 week ultrasound -- well 21 weeks

Monday, December 20, 2010
Today was probably the best Christmas gift a girl can get. We had our 20 week anatomy scan even though we were not finding out the gender they still check all of the organs to be sure that everything is developing just fine. We took my mom with us which was super cool and we were simply amazed at everything we saw. I will upload video as soon as Mark pulls it off the phone. The ultrasound tech was AMAZING. She was playing beautiful Christmas music, was very relaxing and just made us feel like family. We were able to see its cute little face right away and we could see every organ, the brain, and lots of very cool things. The video will show all of the parts more, but the baby is measuring right on track, healthy and full of energy. We could see it move its hands and feet and even put its hands in its mouth. This is simply the best Christmas gift a girl can get. Being able to say I have a healthy baby is amazing. Most people ask me what I want for Christmas and I can truly say that I have everything I could ever want. I cannot want anything else in my life after today. I cannot wait to meet the little one and get to actually see all of these parts in person!

0 Week 20 - and a baby belly pic!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Mark is gone this week in London- doesnt make for a great week with snow, but it is kind of nice to get extra sleep. I do miss him quite a bit. I really wish we had more movement in the baby front, but only a few more days until our next ultrasound so I am pretty darn excited. I also took baby belly pics this week. Only two to compare right now- more to come when Mark returns.



Left side was taken 11/1/10 the right side was taken today 12/15/10. Not a huge change... but with better fitting clothes you can tell the difference. Its actually nice to feel somewhat pregnant now.







How far along: 20 weeks 1 day - size of banana or cantaloupe - is it me or are these items VERY different.













Total weight gain: Still about the same. We will see what the doc says on Monday- I should be between 1-3lbs from the last few weeks which puts me still a few lbs under where I started. I am sure that will end soon.

How big is baby?: we are measuring the size of an banana from Babycenter, this week on the Bump we are the size of a canteloupe.

Maternity clothes?: Mark bought me some much needed tops. They are treating me very nice. I still love leggins now that my legs are smaller.
Stretch marks?: none here. Still using Cocoa butter to keep them away.
Symptoms? not a lot- hard to feel pregnant without any symptoms.
Sleep?:better. I am limiting the amount of fluids I drink at night which seems to really help how well I sleep. With Mark gone it does make it difficult.
Best moment this week?: It will be Saturday when Mark gets back but if we are going back a week, meeting Icky Woods and him giving the belly a big rub!
Movement?: I think I feel fluttering, but its too inconsistent for now.
Food cravings?: I say nothing - Mark says chicken wings. I guess its more of a reason to eat them now.
Labor signs?:none
Belly button in or out?: still in - just growing,
Gender? its a surprise.
What I miss? dancing- we had Mark's Christmas party this past week and I miss dancing...
What I am looking forward to: Mark coming home, preparing for Christmas and seeing the baby in a few days.
Milestone: half way point!!!

0 And we have movement

Thursday, December 9, 2010
I posted the other day about week 19 and as we roll along I kept wondering when I was going to feel the baby move. The docs always say 16-20 weeks but some say it can take longer. When you havent heard or got to see the baby in almost 10 weeks you wonder what is going on in there. I realize its still early so I wasnt too worked up about it, but did plan to talk to the doc about it if I didnt feel anything soon. We have our ultrasound scheduled for the 20th of December so its coming up soon - not too much more time to wait.
As I was preparing for my workout yesterday I was running around the office like a mad woman trying to get everything finished for the day. Side note :man sometimes I wish I didnt feel so obligated to do these all the time because I was seriously tired- just feel too good after I finish them to stop. As I was finally settling down to relax, I noticed what felt like gas bubbles in my stomach. As I looked through the items I ate for the day, it just didnt make sense. As I sat still a little longer I realized it wasnt gas bubbles but actual movement. I thought i have felt some movement before, but we will write down 12/8/10 as the first official time I knew it was the baby moving. I cant wait for Mark to be able to feel it move. SO exciting.
I dont have much more to add now. I want to upload bump pictures, but Mark keeps hogging the camera- until I can snatch it away I will have to start taking my own pics in the bathroom mirror.

0 week 19 - and we keep rolling on

Tuesday, December 7, 2010
The weeks are flying by and I cannot believe how time is flying. We are getting closer to Christmas and we are getting excited at how much closer we are to meeting our little person. This week we are an heirloom tomato. As I look at it and realize how big it looks... kind of scary. I am finally showing on a regular basis and its getting more exciting. I cannot wait to fee the little one move. Here is my week update. (and to catch up from the crazy last two weeks).




How far along: 19 weeks - size of mango or heirloom tomato

Total weight gain: I think I finally gained a lb.  you will never hear me say that again.

How big is baby?: we are measuring the size of an heirloom tomato from Babycenter, this week on the Bump we are the size of a mango.

Maternity clothes?: oh how I love them. I still slip in some regular clothes, but I love maternity clothes.
Stretch marks?: none here.
Symptoms? besides the growing belly and the start of round ligament pain, it is going great.

Sleep?:still having crazy dreams. Trying to stay on my side is harder than I think.

Best moment this week?: I am hoping to have a great night sleep this week.

Movement?: I think I feel fluttering, but I cant tell yet.

Food cravings?: I say nothing - Mark says chicken wings. I guess its more of a reason to eat them now.

Labor signs?:none and hopefully none for a long time.

Belly button in or out?: still in - just growing,

Gender? its a surprise.

What I miss? sometimes I miss a glass of wine, other times my energy.

What I am looking forward to: seeing the baby again in two weeks,

Milestone: almost half way through.

0 Baby purchases thus far...

Sunday, November 14, 2010
So we didnt plan on purchasing much for the baby this early, but some things kind of fell in our lap. Our first purchase was a stroller. Our friends have the Quinny 3 Buzz stroller and after throwing that in my car I realized I actually really liked the way the stroller worked. Its easy to open and close, easy to pack and it seems as if we have plenty of options for the way it faces. The main problem was it was expensive. Well, after stopping to do some shopping we found one on sale with all the fixings WAY cheaper than we would have in the store. I love it and cant wait to use it. We purchased it in a dark Teal color but I couldnt find a photo online to match. Here is the stroller we purchased:











This thing is super easy to fold and unfold and I can wait to use it. We also were able to get the attachments with it including the bassinet. Here is the color of the one we purchased:










We had to quickly wrap it in a plastic bag because the two kittens think its a new bed for them. Oh the fight we are going to have when it comes down to opening the crib and the other fun cuddly items they will want to sleep in.  We ended up getting the rain covers, the conversion kit for the carseat, the stroller, the bassinet, bug nets and extra straps for less than we would have gotten the stroller. Take that for bargain shopping.

Our other recent purchases have included things for the baby bedroom. We aren't planning on getting a bedding set since most of the pieces they will not use. We plan to use the mobile, the sheets, the crib dust ruffle, and that is it. We were browsing Kenwood mall one Friday night and decided to stop in Pottery Barn kids. We walked in, found a crib we loved, and decided we would love to have it. We didn't make the purchase that day, but we did take a swatch home to match the wood with the items we already have. We were lucky enough to still have a baby dresser from when I was a child. It is still in excellent condition, just needs some new drawer pulls and we should be set. My dad volunteered to make the changing table (with a little coaxing from me) so we have a full bedroom set. Here is the crib we purchased:














We did manage to find some art pieces to start our decorating process as well. We found ABC letters and a map to frame and put in the babies room. We cant wait to see how it all looks together. Here are the art pieces:

















We cant wait to find a permanent place to live and get this stuff out of boxes. I am excited to see how it all comes together.
How far along: 15 weeks 5 days -
From Baby Center we are an apple :

From The Bump we are an orange:









Total weight gain: nothing has changed - I am still down about 6lbs from the starting point.

How big is baby?: see above

Maternity clothes?: depends on the mood- I purchased maternity jeans and one pair of pants and they are just much more comfortable than the others that I currently have. I can do the belly band to help, but I prefer maternity clothes. The shirts are still WAY too big, but the tanks are nice for the extra room.

Stretch marks?: nope -thank the Lord and plan to keep it that way - cocoa butter is my friend.

Symptoms? Morning sickness is gone, heartburn is present when I don't eat correctly but that is controllable. Other than that the second trimester is much better than the first.

Sleep? Great now - I bought the boppy full body pillow and its a dream!











Best moment this week?: Hearing the heartbeat again and knowing we get to see the little one before Christmas - best present I can get.

Movement?: I thought I felt something - but I could be imagining things- soon enough.

Food cravings?: well, not many cravings- i just eat when I can since I cant eat very much at one sitting.

Labor signs?:none

Belly button in or out?: still in

Gender? not finding out

What I miss? high heels - not the same as they used to be.

What I am looking forward to:the ultrasound in a few weeks.

Milestone: almost through 4 mos.

0 Lots of posts to make today!

We are almost to 16 weeks and its flying by. So much has been going on that I need to make a bunch of posts to catch up. I will have belly pics to post as soon as Mark sends them to me. He clears the memory cards on the camera before I can get to them. I have the 14 week photo, but that wont tell you much if you dont see the first few pictures and the photos from today. I will be sure to post those this week.
On the other front - we have gotten a ton accomplished over the past few weeks. We had another appointment and got to hear the heartbeat again - 158 and strong- its always VERY exciting when we get to hear or see the little one. The next ultrasound is scheduled the 13th of December but we will hopefully be moving it to the 10th so Mark can be there. He will be traveling to London that week and he doesn't want to miss it.
Lots of posts to make up for the lack - I will keep you all up to date!

0 Weekly update - week 12

Thursday, October 21, 2010
Just call me a slacker - I havent posted a single belly shot and I really am taking them. I was hugely bloated this weekend so it was kind of funny. I promise I will post pics soon. I might have to wrangle the camera away from Mark but that is alright.

How far along: 12weeks 2 days the size of a lime or a plum



Total weight gain: nothings changed from last week so I am still thinking about 3 or 4 down from start.

How big is baby?: we are measuring the size of a lime from Babycenter, this week on the Bump we are the size of a plum.

Maternity clothes?: the belly band is still my friend and I have some maternity pants that are calling my name for comfort I am going to have to buy clothes soon, I am just uncomfortable.

Stretch marks?: nope -thank the Lord

Symptoms? Morning sickness, pretty much gone still need to stay away from toothpaste.
sore breasts - still sore and growing. Running is rougher than before. Other than that, I am still doing great.

Sleep?:holy dreams Batman - I have had wild and terrible dreams all week. Halloween approaching isnt helping since there are scary commercials everywhere. I struggle and with a full moon, its rougher than normal.

Best moment this week?: Countdown to hear the heartbeat. 7 days to go.

Movement?: none that I can feel only a few more weeks

Food cravings?: seriously after a bout of heartburn one day, I crave the assorted berry tums. Ridiculous.

Labor signs?:none

Belly button in or out?: still in

Gender? not finding out

What I miss? starting to miss some of my clothes.

What I am looking forward to: feeling the baby move.

Milestone: Last week of the first tri

0 Weekly Update - week 11

Tuesday, October 12, 2010
How far along: 11weeks 0 days

Total weight gain: down 4 from last ob appointment

How big is baby?: we are measuring the size of a lime, although they might change my due date back one week (May 9th) and I will be still a prune.

Maternity clothes?: the belly band is still my friend and I have some maternity pants that are calling my name for comfort

Stretch marks?: nope - will continue to use Cocoa butter to help this

Symptoms? Morning sickness, going away - sore breasts - wowza they are getting big. Other than that, I am still doing great.

Sleep?: so far, okay. I have been having wild dreams and very active

Best moment this week?: Countdown to hear the heartbeat. 7 days to go.

Movement?: none that I can feel, and I finally got to see it bumping around in there on the ultrasound. Charlie still loves sitting on my belly.

Food cravings?: Halloween Oreos but that is all the time at Halloween

Labor signs?:none

Belly button in or out?: still in

Gender? not finding out

What I miss? a beer during the game and normal tastebuds


What I am looking forward to: getting through the first trimester!

Milestone: we got to see the baby - toes and fingers are there, as well as a head, legs, arms, heart

0 Well, that was scary!

We had a very interesting day today and one I dont want to repeat. I went to work early to prepare for Equipment Committee and finished the first segment and headed for a small break (its still 9:30am mind you...) oh the scare that I received. After a trip to the bathroom, I was freaked out by some cramping and blood. I knew it was time for me to call the doctor. After dialing the numbers three separate times because of the crazy thoughts that were going through my head. The lovely folks at GHA got me in quickly for an ultrasound and a checkup. Now I had to get out of my day long meeting.
I walk into a giant room of people, clearly frazzled, grabbed my stuff and had to tell my boss. Of course she had no idea I was even pregnant, so she got the news all at once. I was glad to get it off my chest, and was able to have someone help me calm down. She was a saint. She walked outside with me missing the meeting herself, and waited with me until Mark arrived. I was glad to have someone to talk to. Mark arrived a few minutes later and we were on our way to the doctor.
Mark was as scared as I was, but I was so glad to have him there. He even had a slight boo boo with the car and scraped the side of it he was in such a hurry. We arrived at the doc with no glitches and were able to calm down a bit. We were taken back about 20 minutes after we arrived (they were crazy busy which is not usual) and we started the ultrasound. By this point I had to go to the bathroom but knew they would need a urine sample as soon as I went upstairs.
We sat down and they started the ultrasound. We were holding our breath until we saw what we thought was a baby. We could see how small the little baby was and could easily see the hands and feet and the spine. We were anxious to hear a heartbeat when the tech finally gave us the news we wanted. We could hear the heartbeat for around 10 seconds while she measured the beats per minute (168 that was) and we were happy as a clam. She even let Mark video tape for a few minutes even though it wasnt allowed. We will try to upload it once I get it converted.
Next appointment is November 8th, so not too far away! We are actually ready to keep going with our baby planning and we are hoping all is well from this point forward.

0 Week 10 comes to an end...

Monday, October 11, 2010
Kind of interesting that yesterday was 10-10-10 and we are in our 10th week of pregnancy. Kind of crazy that we are already in our 10th week. As tomorrow reaches week 11, we prepare for all kinds of fun events. We finally get to see the little thing on Friday. Still crossing every finger, toe and hair that its only one baby. To go this long without that confirmation is scary, but I am excited to see the baby nonetheless. Its a busy week with both work and after work activities, so it should go fast. We had a long day yesterday with both the Bengals losing in the last few seconds of the game and the Reds losing their last playoff game to be swept by the Phillies. Kind of sad, but ready for fall.
Speaking of fall, its in the upper 80's here in Cincinnati for the last few days. CRAZY. I am so glad that this pregnancy wasn't in the summer. I would roast. I promise I will upload some pictures as soon as I get around to it. I have been super lazy (which is no excuse) when it comes to the camera. As the baby bump makes its way out, its only a matter of time before people start to question me (right now I just look like I ate too much).

Some favorites -
Nectarines are still a favorite- in season or not, I like them hard like apples so it doesnt matter.
Meat is still not very appealing. I am hoping this goes away soon.
I cannot get enough soup. I want soup for every meal. Poor Mark is going to have to deal with it.
I have a crazy bout of allergies so the super nose is clogged - THANKS. helps me eat better when smells dont bother me.
Sleep - I just want to nap most of the time.

0 Oh morning sickness- how I loathe thee

Tuesday, September 28, 2010
So I have been dealing with morning sickness and so far it hasnt been unbearable but I will tell you how much I hate it. I am sure everyone has good and bad days and today isnt one of the good days. I had to travel to North Carolina for work and I can tell you I wasnt excited. I know its important for me not to get hungry. I packed a few snacks, but I guess that didnt keep it away. I started off with a great first flight, but the second flight I had to sit next to the guy that had to deal with his runny nose by not blowing it but trying to hold it all in. It took everything I had not to throw up on him. I did my best to hum in my head to ignore him. I finally got away from him and got out of the airport.
Upon arrival at the hotel, I got a call from the vendor I am meeting for dinner. PF Changs was the closest place to eat and I thought that would be a great place to go. Baby does not like it at all. I barely made it back to the hotel without losing it, and I must have concerned the other guests, because hotel security came to check on me. I looked like a hot mess. I had busted a blood vessel in my eye from the sickness and I probably looked like I was on drugs. They were super kind and brought me water and some crackers to make me feel better (thank the Lord for Southern Hospitality). I can tell you I am looking forward to the next three weeks and hopefully getting this all taken care of.

For now, we look forward to Friday when we hear the heartbeat for the first time, and hopefully get some first pictures posted!

0 Weekly Checkin

Friday, September 24, 2010
So plenty of women keep track of how they are doing each week and I think this is the best way to do it. It seems like a common list that I can elaborate on each week. I am sure I will find other things to add as we go along, but for now this is it!

How far along: 8 weeks 4 days

Total weight gain: none thanks to morning sickness

How big is baby?: this week we are a raspberry

Maternity clothes?: thank God for the Belly Band. I am still too small for maternity pants or skirts, but I have tried them on and boy they seem comfortable. I need more support in the pants for a while.

Stretch marks?: nope

Symptoms? Morning sickness, yes - sore breasts - yes. Other than that, I am doing fine.

Sleep?: so far, okay. Full moon this week keeps everyone stirring. One or two trips to the bathroom a night is good for now.

Best moment this week?: Countdown to hear the heartbeat. 7 days to go.

Movement?: none that I can feel, although Charlie cat seems to love to sit on my belly when I get home for work. Mark swears that he can feel the baby or hear the heartbeat.

Food cravings?: none right now, although sushi sounds amazing tonight.

Labor signs?: thank the Lord - no

Belly button in or out?: still in and will be for a while

Gender? not finding out

What I miss? cheeses, wine, beer, normal eating habits. We will see how it goes as we go.


What I am looking forward to: hearing the heartbeat next week

Milestone: only 3 full weeks until first trimester is over.

0 Here comes the sickness

Thursday, September 23, 2010
I was asked about a million times "How are you feeling" and I almost hated answering fine. Part of me wanted to feel something so I knew I was still pregnant. Oh did I speak too soon. The first bout of morning sickness started as a result of brushing my teeth. Toothpaste is the enemy. I have actually had to alter my morning hygiene plan to using mouthwash as toothpaste and using mouthwash as a final rinse. Oh the things we do not to throw up. Another friendly note to self... dont let yourself get hungry. This is the enemy. It is well known now, if I am hungry, the food wont stay down. I count is as a way that the baby reminds me that its still in there. Crazy. We are excited to get through the next few weeks and hopefully get rid of the morning sickness. Here's to getting to the next trimester.

0 Were having a baby!

Well its confirmed - we are having a baby! The emotions are all over the place right now. So how we found out- kind of expecting, kind of not expecting. We had been testing, but nothing was coming out positive. I was getting ready to go to a birthday party for Erin and Greg's little boys when Mark just thought that we should test again. We were going to a party at a friends house, so the last thing we wanted to do was test at their house - so public bathroom was our only hope. Almost immediately the test line was present, even before the control line came up. CRAZY. We went to the party and were able to keep it quiet for a while, but of course Erin figured it out.
As excited as we were, we were still nerveous. A lot can happen and we had no idea where we were. A quick call to the doctor on a Monday, got us into the doctor right away. Doc Buckley was quick to confirm, give us loads of information and schedule my next few appointments. As exciting as it was, I was very nervous to actually confirm the pregnancy. Oct 1st is the first heartbeat date - so we are anxiously awaiting those days.

Telling the parents:
Marks mom was first due to schedules. We had lunch with her at Red Lobster in Beavercreek and gave her a picture frame with a due date on it. Even before that, she asked if we had something to tell her. I almost died. I thought she figured it out. Turns out she was having dreams that we were pregnant and she was right. She was so excited she announced it to everyone that was in the room. Hilarious. She cannot wait to be a grandmother, and we are pretty excited for her.

My parents were last. We were having lunch on Labor day and had purchased onesies for my mom, dad and Kat all with sayings like " I love Grandma, My Auntie is Awesome, and I love Grandpa." We had them open them all at once and they were shocked. So shocked in fact, that they didnt really say anything. My dad actually got up from the table and left. It was hard for him to hear, but he was really excited for us.

Grandma and Grandpa Klump were about a week later- I think they were VERY excited. Grandma was actually writing down the date so she didnt schedule anything close to the time of delivery. They are hoping for a boy (as are we) since they only have 5 great granddaughters and they are all living far away. I am excited to see how they are with a little one. I will admit I will cry.

We are very excited to tell everyone and cant wait for the confirmation appointment in just one week!