Week Twenty-One

Written TODAY!

I’m finally caught up to the present, that took a bit longer than I expected but here we are.  Nineteen weeks and counting!  We took a trip this weekend to Mobile for my cousin Christina’s wedding.  The wedding was beautiful and Ike had a blast with my dad and all of his family.   He has been asking to talk to him every night and tells me regularly that he “needs to go on the airplane to go see pawpaw”.

Survey:

1. How big is baby this week? A pomegranate.  
2. Weight Gain?  Ten pounds.  
3. Do you feel that it is a boy or girl?  It’s a GIRL!
4. Are you wearing maternity clothes yet? Indeed.
5. Do your wedding rings still fit? Yep!
6. Weird cravings this week? More pho
7. What do you miss most? Wine 
8. Movement? Yep she rocks out to Ike and my dance parties!
9. Sleep? The toddler is still kicking me and the feet are now accompanied by a cranky face and a runny nose.
10. How are you feeling?  Mostly calm and normal this week.
11. Things I cried about this week.  Nothing comes to mind, it’s been a happy week.
12. Best Moment this week. Watching my little cousin get married.

 

Week Twenty

written October 21st, 2015

Onto the countdown!  Twenty weeks down, Twenty to go!

Survey:

1. How big is baby this week? A banana.  I hate the fruit this week, because a mango seems so much more substantial than a banana, but I guess this week the measurements shift from head to butt (crown to rump if you prefer) to head to foot, in which case a banana is a more accurate length comparison.  I would prefer to think that she is the size of a very large mango this week.  
2. Weight Gain? Nine pounds.  
3. Do you feel that it is a boy or girl?  It’s a GIRL!
4. Are you wearing maternity clothes yet? Indeed.
5. Do your wedding rings still fit? Yep!
6. Weird cravings this week? No
7. What do you miss most? Wine 
8. Movement? Plenty this kid loves music!
9. Sleep? There’s still a small toddler in my bed kicking me in the face.  Every night.
10. How are you feeling?  Happy to be counting down to the end when I can meet my baby girl.
11. Things I cried about this week.  When Costco didn’t have any bubbles and neither did Publix or Kroger.  We need bubbles in the house year around not just in the summer!
12. Best Moment this week. Seeing little lady TWICE this week on the ultrasounds.

When I was pregnant with Ike, I had three different ultrasounds between weeks 12 and 13 to try to get the measurement for the nuchal scan.  It never happened, he would never turn the right way or move his hand, or keep still enough.  Eventually the doctor explained to me that this test had an accuracy of about 75% for detecting chromosomal disease.  Who can make a decision base on 75% accuracy?  This math nerd can not, 25% is a considerable amount, 75% is a C- for pete’s sake!  I declined another attempt to measure, because a 25% margin of error is not going to determine the future of  my family.   But I digress. I didn’t concern myself with it very much after the test failed to be completed, again because 75%?!

Baby Girl had the blood test genetic screening accomplished, which told us incredibly early with 99% accuracy (that would be an A+ for those for whom grades matter greatly), that she was free of any genetic abnormalities.  It also confirmed her sex way super early so that was an added bonus.  She was perfectly healthy according to the blood.  But I was still very excited/anxious about the anatomy ultrasound this week.  I enjoyed the extra long viewing of her kicking, and sucking her fingers, and yawing (OMG!).  But, no unlike her brother, she became difficult and unwilling to display what was needed to ensure she was developing well.  Shocking.  The doctor ordered a second ultrasound to get a better view of her spine and heart.  Beyond a few minutes of anxiety that afternoon, mostly I was excited to have a second peek at her only a few days later.  The second ultrasound confirm everything looked good, and I got a second set of grainy ,black and white photos of my little princess.  Win and win for mommies with stubborn children!

Week Nineteen

Written October 13th, 2015

Almost halfway done! Almost.  I have the big midway ultrasound this week, so we will get to see another glimpse of baby girl.  I’m so excited.  She’s been moving and grooving around in there a lot the past few days.

Survey:

1. How big is baby this week? A Mango.  
2. Weight Gain?  About 10 pounds
3. Do you feel that it is a boy or girl?  It’s a GIRL!
4. Are you wearing maternity clothes yet? Indeed.
5. Do your wedding rings still fit? Yep!
6. Weird cravings this week? Not really
7. What do you miss most? Buttons and zippers… 
8. Movement? Plenty! This kid loves music!
9. Sleep? There’s a small toddler in my bed kicking me in the face.
10. How are you feeling?  Anxious for the ultrasound.
11. Things I cried about this week.  Pretty much everything Isaac said or did.
12. Best Moment this week. When someone came to cleanup my house!

Our Housewarming Party is taking place this weekend.  We paid someone to come and clean the house, I feel simultaneous relieved and concerned over saving my valuable time and spending my valuable money!  Nevertheless, I cannot wait to have all of our friends over to help us settle in to our new place!  Besides the big viewing party this week, I am so excited about the party.

 

Week Eighteen

Written October 7th, 2015

And another week down.  I can’t get over how fast this is going by.  I am happy to be bump buddies with another celebrity that I love, because obviously we are pregnant together and thereby automatically best friends.  Allison Holker.  DWTS is one of my favorite TV shows and I think Allison and her husband tWitch look like just the most fun parents ever!  And it’s also great to have someone other than Kim Kardashian to compare belly sizes to…

Survey:

1. How big is baby this week? A Sweet Potato or an Artichoke.  
2. Weight Gain?  About 10 pounds
3. Do you feel that it is a boy or girl?  It’s a GIRL!
4. Are you wearing maternity clothes yet? All day, every day.
5. Do your wedding rings still fit? Yep!
6. Weird cravings this week? Nah.
7. What do you miss most? My sanity. 
8. Movement? YES!
9. Sleep? Weird dreams.
10. How are you feeling?  Hungry, happy, sad, angry, teary, excited.
11. Things I cried about this week.  There was a hole in my sweater arm pit and I had to change my whole outfit that I had spend way too much time putting together full of things that still fit.
12. Best Moment this week. Mei Day Saturday.

 

 

Apple Picking

So we went to an Apple Orchard.  Ahem.  Several weeks ago.  See, I’ve been very busy chronically baby Nugg-ette’s growth and progress, but Ike’s still around being generally awesome.  So we went to the big family Apple Orchard in Ellijay, GA with cousin Mei and Ivanal.  It was a beautiful day for hanging out at an orchard.  This particular one had so many activities to do.

We took a tractor ride.

We rode on some tin garbage can cows through some mud around the corn maze.

Ike rode a pony.

Ike also petted some goats.

I did neither of these things, because ew, livestock.

There was also a huge inflatable pillow that Ike loved.  I also did not do that, because, so many kids and giant pregnant belly um no thanks.

We spent pretty much the whole day there and we did pretty much everything.

Everything, except pick apples.  Not a single one, not even on from the ground.  There were just too many other fun things to do.  So we stopped at a stand on the way home and purchase a peck of the most delicious locally grown apples.

Ike weighs about two and half pecks, fyi.

 

Week Seventeen

Written September 27th, 2015

Survey: 

1. How big is baby this week? An onion.  
2. Weight Gain?  12 pounds (I think it’s just water +/- 2lbs worth)
3. Do you feel that it is a boy or girl?  It’s a GIRL!
4. Are you wearing maternity clothes yet? Yes pants, yes shirts, yes on a 4 outfit rotation right now.  
5. Do your wedding rings still fit? Yep!
6. Weird cravings this week? Not really, food in general
7. What do you miss most?  Deli sandwiches and coke
8. Movement? Yes!
9. Sleep? Ok  
10. How are you feeling?  So excited to feel her in there doing acrobatics!
11. Things I cried about this week. A guide at Ike’s school posted a photo of bread that the children had made.  The loaf on the left is gluten-free and I thought it looked so sad next to the delicious flour bread.  It made me sad for the poor little loaf for several hours.

        12.  Best Moment this week. Going to the apple orchard with Ike and watching him have a blast with his dad doing all the activities.

I cracked open a pregnancy book this week, to remind myself of all the magnificent things my body is doing right now.  Summary? Baby Nuggette is starting to form bones, she can hear our voices now,  she has unique tiny fingerprints, oh and I should have only gained about 7 pounds to this point.  Yay for baby girl, boo for mommy…

Week Sixteen

Written September 22nd, 2015

This week my eating has been super funky.  In the morning I’m not terribly interested in anything, usually a piece of toast and a piece of fruit is all that I can handle.  Then at 9am I turn into a ravenous hippopotamus ready to eat my weight in something carby and covered in cheese.   So I do, and then I am full for the rest of the day…until about 10pm when I just need to have a bowl of cereal (or two) before I pass out for the night.  Isaac is not happy that I have been totally neglecting dinner, because I am not hungry and he and Ike have to fend for themselves.  Sorry, not sorry.

Survey: 

1. How big is baby this week? An avocado.  
2. Weight Gain?  10 pounds
3. Do you feel that it is a boy or girl?  It’s a GIRL!
4. Are you wearing maternity clothes yet? Yes pants, yes shirts, need longer camis asap.  
5. Do your wedding rings still fit? Yep!
6. Weird cravings this week? Pho, asian food strikes again!
7. What do you miss most?  Deli sandwiches
8. Movement? Maybe…could have been all the raw veggies in the pho though… 
9. Sleep? Ok.  
10. How are you feeling?  Pretty good.
11. Things I cried about this week. I was checking on Ike and Isaac was also and I didn’t see him in the room in the dark, then he scared the poop out of me, then I melted down.  I also had a dream about an intruder in our house (our old house) that night.. coincidence?
12. Best Moment this week. Ike slept til 9am on Saturday morning!

 

Week Fifteen

Written September 18th, 2016

Survey: 

1. How big is baby this week? A navel orange.  
2. Weight Gain?  10 pounds
3. Do you feel that it is a boy or girl?  It’s a GIRL!
4. Are you wearing maternity clothes yet? Yes pants definately, shirts mostly.  
5. Do your wedding rings still fit? Yep!
6. Weird cravings this week? Nope
7. What do you miss most?  Wine
8. Movement? Nothing yet!
9. Sleep? Better this week.
10. How are you feeling?  Pretty good.
11. Things I cried about this week.  I forgot to save a document that I had been working on all morning before going for a meeting at the other end of the building, and when I got back my computer had pushed an update and a restart and the doc was gone.
12. Best Moment this week. Going to Zooey’s first birthday party with Ike and watching him play with the other kids.

Second pregnancy trivialities strike again!  I thought that I was pretty well stocked for maternity clothes, since you know, I have been pregnant before… I finally committed to the maternity clothing tote this weekend and I unpacked all of my stuff and then folded and put away all the tight/buttoned/anything-lacking-elastic clothes that were in my closet.

Upon unpacking and going through my maternity clothes, I found that I chose to wear some hideous stuff.  Also, I was pregnant for mostly summer months.  By the time fall truly hit I was so big I basically lived in yoga pants.  I have hideous gauzy pastel tops, hideous chiffon lacy floral tops, a ton of ugly cotton tank top/empire waist shirts, lightweight pants that don’t stay up, and a pair of white capris that actually fit quite nicely although it’s mid September so…

Wah I have to go maternity shopping…AGAIN!  It would appear that I fell into a lot of “trendy” sort of items last time, that are not exactly versitile (or cute for that matter) and I would like to think that the exercise of throwing out half of my maternity wardrobe has taught me a lesson.  I am on the hunt for BASICS!  Basics that can be paired with the variety of open cardigan sweaters that I already own.

Maternity Staples:

Jeans. Preferably jeans that stay put, no hip-tastic elastic showing and no butt sagging either!

Long Tee’s.  For under cardigans, rouching is preferred to limit melon-ness of bulging belly.

Work Pants.

A basic, versitile dress.  Suitable for office wear or nice dinners and can be changed up using non-maternity/belly friends accessories (read. scarfs and shoes).

Extra comfy basic black flats.  I have a variety of black flats, but the only ones I consider comfortable and suitable for all day wear started talking to me (the soles did) earlier this month.  So even though I would probably be buying new flats anyway right now, these are being filed as a maternity purchase for budgetary reasons (and because I want to spend my allotted shopping money on something else…)

Week Fourteen

Written September 10th, 2015

Is that you second trimester? Are you here for real this time? Because you totally tricked me last week only to slap me back down to first trimester in second trimester pants.  I hope you are really here to stay this time…

Survey: 

1. How big is baby this week? A lemon.  
2. Weight Gain?  9 pounds
3. Do you feel that it is a boy or girl?  It’s a GIRL!
4. Are you wearing maternity clothes yet? Yes.  Some more forgiving non-maternity shirts still cover the elastic waisted pants.  
5. Do your wedding rings still fit? Yep!
6. Weird cravings this week? More Asian food, Vietnamese this week
7. What do you miss most?  Cold turkey on french bread
8. Movement? Nothing yet!
9. Sleep? I’m starting to have a hard time staying asleep and returning to sleep, my mind is wandering to all sorts of future things.
10. How are you feeling?  Okaaaay.
11. Things I cried about this week.  When Ivanal said she finished her math and I went to check it and she hadn’t, it was 9pm and I was definitely planning on being asleep by 9:05pm.
12. Best Moment this week. When I got an unscheduled peek at Nugette on a panicked visit to the OB.

Hmm, I thought I would be so much more chill about pregnancy this time around.  I mean I have been through this before, I am an old pro right? Nope.  Light cramps and the tiniest drop of blood and I was in the OB’s office TWICE this week.  Everything’s fine.  I need to drink more water and try to relax.  Ha.  Nugette is happily bouncing around in her safe and spacious (for now) play area.

Week Thirteen

Written August 31st, 2015.

Hello second trimester!  Or goodbye first trimester.  It depends on who you as and when; exactly where this 13th week should go.  Me?  I think it should just go away and let’s skip to the much less gray week 14.  My body?  My body seems to want it both ways….Second trimester pants? YES Second trimester energy and lack of general ickiness feelings? HAHA FORGET IT!

Survey: 

1. How big is baby this week? A sweet Georgia Peach.  
2. Weight Gain?  9 pounds
3. Do you feel that it is a boy or girl?  It’s a GIRL!
4. Are you wearing maternity clothes yet? Pants and a few tops, but I still have some regular stuff that fits also.
5. Do your wedding rings still fit? Yep!
6. Weird cravings this week? Nope all foods can kiss my baby girl’s teeny tiny feet. 
7. What do you miss most?  Feeling awake 
8. Movement? Nothing yet!
9. Sleep? More please?
10. How are you feeling?  Blech.
11. Things I cried about this week.  When the “Tell me something good” radio segment came on, every single story.
12. Best Moment this week. When the doctor told us about baby GIRL.

As my body continues to wrestle with whether we are in the first or second trimester, my mind is currently wrestling with how to tell some of my co-workers the news.  My mommy friends have all, for the most part, figured things out on their own.  But I work directly with an office of 6 males.  Six males, one a college student and one a grandparent.  I don’t know how to tell them.  Will this be good news?  Do they mostly want to know who will be stuck with my work load while I am gone?  Do they care at all? I would guess they don’t care much and I am probably fretting over nothing.  My conversation with my boss went something like this… stall stall stall. small talk for 25 minutes.  stand up to exit “oh hey by the way, I’m pregnant, okay gotta go byes“.  I think he took it very well, but I was halfway down the hall by the time he responded so…