16 Weeks... A little late!

I hit the 16 week mark on Monday, officially beginning my 17th week.

...And in just a few short days, I'll be 17 weeks and starting my 18th week!

 

This week has been busy with the Thanksgiving holiday, but it's been a great week. I'm feeling great, my energy is coming back, and time is flying right by.

 

How Far Along: 16 Weeks, 4 Days

 

 

Size of Baby: Weighs 5 oz. About the size of my palm :)

 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Still down 5 lbs since beginning of pregnancy.

 

Maternity Clothes: Wearing maternity shirts, some jeans, but most of my dress pants I'm making due by wearing the belly band.

 

Gender: We should be finding out in the next couple of weeks!

 

Movement: Some flutters here and there, but can't wait for a good, hard kick in the ribs. LOL!

 

What I miss: Sleeping on my belly and right side.They say it's best to sleep on your left side to promote good circulation... and of course, that's my least favorite position to sleep in.   

 

Cravings: Still on a major lemon kick (I would LOVE dark chocolate truffles with a tart, creamy lemon filling - if anyone knows where I can get some, please let me know!!!). Also been drinking a lot of milk. Because I'm starting to get a cold, I switched to Almond Milk in an effort to satisfy my craving without making my congestion worse. It's actually very good! I would also LOVE a big bowl of sourkraut right now.

 

Symptoms: I have more energy this week! House is getting cleaned more regularly, laundry is getting caught up (Mount NeedToWashMore is slowly decreasing in size), and I'm busily working through editing gobs and gobs of pictures for friends and family.

 

Best Moment This Week: Quite a few! Picture One: The Greencastle Christmas Tree was lit last weekend... I always look forward to driving through town to see it. Picture Two: Got my hair done and feel 10 times more beautiful and less frumpy. It's amazing how doing one little thing for yourself can lift your spirits. Picture Three: Another highlight this week was teaching my second grade friends about the pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving. On Monday, we sat in a circle and held hands, saying what we were thankful for. The best part was watching my kiddos' faces when I cut into my paper bag turkey (as seen on Martha Stewart) and they saw all the popcorn inside, realizing they were in for a feast of their own.

 

 

 

 

 

What I'm Looking Forward To: My next doctor's appointment is on Monday! Excited to meet another doctor and schedule our anatomy ultrasound.

 

My friend Megan snapped a picture of me at her house after doing my hair on Tuesday...

So instead of dragging out the tripod and taking my own picture, I'm using hers this week :)

 

16 Weeks, One Day Preggo:

 

 



15 Weeks!

Good grief, I feel like I just posted my 14 week post.

 

Seriously, I love that time is flying by because it means I'm one more week closer to holding my baby in my arms... but at the same time, I want to enjoy  this pregnancy as much as possible. Time can slow down just a little bit :)

 

How Far Along: 15 Weeks, 2 Days

 

Size of Baby: Baby is approx. 5 inches long - about the size of an avacado.

 

 

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  Still down 6 lbs since beginning of pregnancy.

 

 

Maternity Clothes: Bought some new winter coats, a couple of shirts, and a pair of pants. Read about those purchases {{here}}. My package arrived today - the coats fit great! The shirts fit well, also. However, the pants are wayyyyy too big through the thighs. I ordered my usual pant size... maternity sizes must run weird!

 

Gender: This week, I've had more "boy" thoughts. For some reason, I just have a feeling we are going to be seeing lots of blue over the next year!

 

Movement: I think I might be feeling a nudge here or there, but can't wait to know for sure what I'm feeling!

 

What I miss: Getting dressed in under 5 minutes. This morning I changed my clothes EIGHT times. EIGHT!!!!!!!!! I just couldn't find an outfit that I felt comfortable in. I feel like I look more pudgy than anything, but my regular clothes just aren't fitting anymore.

 

Cravings: Went grocery shopping the other night and had to laugh when I got home and saw a "theme." I'm all about the berries, apparently!

 

 

 

Symptoms: My biggest symptom is the lack of energy!!! I thought I was supposed to get a burst of energy this trimester... but I'm still struggling to stay awake past 8pm. In fact, I'm so tired and feeling so "frumpy" that I almost decided to skip this week's post. *Yawns*

 

Best Moment This Week: Spending some time with my bestie last night! Got to take some Christmas pics of her sweet little man, Lane. Can't wait to see them on her Christmas cards!

 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Going to see the newest Twilight movie with my neighbor on Friday night! Can't wait for some yummy movie theater popcorn and some Snow Caps. .. maybe a cherry ICEE. LOL - I might be slightly more excited about the snacks!

 

 

Here I am, 15 weeks fat pregnant!

 

 

 

And... Kitty wants to say hello :)

 

 

 



This Weekend I...

Linking up today to share with you the ramblings of my weekend.
It sure was a busy one!

This weekend I...

*Did some online shopping! With some pretty chilly days last week, I decided it was time to invest in a maternity coat for the winter. One of my favorite online stores for simple, classic style is Old Navy. Imagine my DELIGHT when I logged on and winter outerwear was 50% off! ...You know what that means. I bought two coats instead of one! ...As well as a few other goodies. So in love with the long tunic and legging look! Here's what I bought. Keep in mind the coats were half off, and then Old Navy had another promotion of 20% off your order. I saved big bucks :)

*Held a one-year photoshoot for my cousin's little boy, Graydon! Such a handsome little man with lots of sweet expressions. Can't wait for his first birthday party next weekend!

*Traveled to Berryville, VA to capture my second cousin's wedding at the historic Rosemont Manor. I'll have another post with pics from her day in a few days, but here's just a couple of my favorites.

...Stay tuned later in the week for my 15 week update!!!


14 Weeks

Sitting here on the 6th of November with a few things on my mind.

 

1. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to my best friend, Beth and her hubby George! Two years ago I helped her get ready for her big day and stood by her side as she became Mrs. Walling.

 

 

 

2. It's election day! I have the news on right now, hanging on every word. I did my part - I voted! - now we just wait to hear if our voice was heard.

 

 

3. Celebrating the fact that two long grueling days of parent-teacher conferences are O-V-E-R. Yay.

 

 

...and without further adieu, my weekly update!

 

How Far Along:  14 Weeks

 

Size of Baby: Baby is approx. 4 and a half inches long - about the size of a navel orange.

 

 

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  Gained back one pound this week! My appetite is definitely starting to make a comeback. Still down six pounds from beginning of pregnancy.

 

Maternity Clothes: Wore a few maternity shirts this week, just to have the extra room. Tried out the belly band this week and it worked like a charm. Granted, it feels incredibly AWKWARD to walk around with your pants unbuttoned & unzipped, but it's way more comfy than the rubber band trick.

 

Gender: Having more girl dreams this week, but when I think about our lives 2-3 years from now, I envision a little boy in our lives. Time will tell!

 

Movement: I know that it is SUPER early, but I thought I felt something the other night. Could've been gas though - ha!

 

What I miss: Eating at Subway. What I'd give for a turkey sub.... yum. Unfortunately, deli meat is not healthy for the baby, so I'm staying away.

 

Cravings: I have had an insane obsession with lemons since the beginning of this pregnancy. I pour tons of lemon juice in my water bottle, order lemonade every time we go out... loving those lemons! I also had a strong craving for a Mediterranean salad with extra feta cheese and grilled chicken. Yesterday, I made my dream come true... LOL :)

 

 

Symptoms: I've had very few moments of nausea this week - woohoo! My energy level still stinks... and with the time change, I'm feeling ready for bed at 7pm.

 

Best Moment This Week: Last Monday, Mom and I ventured out in the middle of Hurricane Sandy for my 13 week appointment. We braved the crazy winds and rain for the chance to hear the baby's heartbeat. The doctor found the heartbeat, and I asked for another ultrasound since Mom was along with me. The doctor said, "Sure!"

 

Here's the sweet profile of my baby on the screen in the office:

 

And here's the print out of that picture:

 

So in love that that sweet little baby!!!

 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Every night I look forward to putting on some comfy clothes, getting situated on the couch with my Doppler, and checking in with the baby. The heartbeat used to be to the right of my belly button. Now, it moves around every day so it's fun to hunt around for it until I find it. When I first bought my Doppler, I found the heartbeat really low on my belly. Now, the heartbeat is an inch or two away from my belly button. It's getting much louder, too. This week, the heartbeat has averaged 155-160 each night.

14 Week Bump Picture:

 

See ya next week!




The Pee-Stick Story

Not sure if all of the "TMI" details you're about to read are all that entertaining... but I wanted to write it down for my own sake of remembering.

 

Jason and I have known since we were dating that we wanted to have a family. While some couples start "trying" and conceive right away and have successful pregnancies, God had other plans for us. He placed us on "the road less traveled" and it's taken a lot of prayer to get to where we are. I tried really hard to "control" things by charting my temperature, keeping track of my cycle on a fertility monitor, etc. However, during the month of August I decided to put away all of the "tools" and just see what happened. I went away with my Mom, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law to the beach, and was so busy getting my classroom set up and squeezing in last minute summer excursions that I kept my mind completely off the calendar and my cycle.

 

School started in the third week of August, and I remember one Friday afternoon just sitting in my classroom and crying my eyes out because I felt so overwhelmed. The teacher across the hall, Cindy who is kinda like my "Work Mom", came to my aid and reassured me that everyone was feeling overwhelemed. Fast-forward to the following Monday morning, and Cindy comes across the hall, stopping in my doorway. She takes one look at me and says, "Believe me, everyone is feeling overwhelmed..... BUT. ...Is it possible that you might be pregnant?" I guess my mini-emotional breakdown tipped her off. I thought for a minute and said, "Well my period is supposed to come in two days... I guess it's possible..."

 

That night, I got home and made dinner. Jason was out working late. I cleaned up from dinner and was sitting on the couch, thinking about what Cindy said. In the back of my mind, I knew I had three or four pregnancy tests (aka Pee-Sticks) in my bathroom closet. I thought, ''Oh, what the heck. I'll just take one and see what happens..." assuming that it would probably be negative since I wasn't supposed to start for a few more days.

 

I grabbed one of the ClearBlue's and followed the directions. Then there's the 3 minute wait. Instead of straining my eyes to look for a line, I decided to read my Bible. My devotional reading for the day was from Psalms 116.

 

I love the Lord because he hears my voice
and my prayer for mercy.
² Because he bends down to listen,
I will pray as long as I have breath!

³ Death wrapped its ropes around me;

the terrors of the grave^[a] overtook me.

I saw only trouble and sorrow.

⁴ Then I called on the name of the Lord:

“Please, Lord, save me!”

⁵ How kind the Lord is! How good he is!
So merciful, this God of ours!
⁶ The Lord protects those of childlike faith;
I was facing death, and he saved me.
⁷ Let my soul be at rest again,
for the Lord has been good to me.
⁸ He has saved me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.

⁹ And so I walk in the Lord’s presence

as I live here on earth!

¹⁰ I believed in you, so I said,

“I am deeply troubled, Lord.”

¹¹ In my anxiety I cried out to you,

“These people are all liars!”

¹² What can I offer the Lord

for all he has done for me?

¹³ I will lift up the cup of salvation

and praise the Lord’s name for saving me.

¹⁴ I will keep my promises to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.

¹⁵ The Lord cares deeply

when his loved ones die.

¹⁶ O Lord, I am your servant;

yes, I am your servant, born into your household;

you have freed me from my chains.

¹⁷ I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the Lord.
¹⁸ I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people—
¹⁹ in the house of the Lord

in the heart of Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord!

 

 

 

...And then I glanced over and saw this:

 

 

And then came the tears.

Uncontrollable happy, scared, excited, blessed, nervous tears.

 

I shared the news with Jason that night, but given our previous experiences, he was very apprehensive to get excited. I called my doctor's office (at the time) the next morning, and after begging for bloodwork, they finally sent in the order. After a veryyyyyy loooooong Labor Day weekend of waiting, I received word that my pregnancy levels were MORE THAN DOUBLNG in the given time frame, and everything looked good in that respect.

 

We shared the news with our parents and families a few weeks later. Everyone is so excited and supportive - we are truly blessed to have such an amazing family.

 

 



Oh, Baby!

I'm so ready to shout it from the rooftops...

 

 

I have stayed away from the blogging world for a few weeks because it was impossible to post about my life when I was trying to keep the biggest secret ever! Jason and I are completely over the moon with excitement. This baby has been longed for, hoped for, prayed for... for a very, VERY long time.

 

I am officially finished my first trimester and I'm excited to start my weekly updates!

 

How Far Along:  13 Weeks

 

Size of Baby:  Baby is approx. 3 inches long - about the size of a peach.

 

 

 

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  I am down 7lbs from the beginning of my pregnancy. The nausea took away much of my appetite during the first trimester.

 

 

Maternity Clothes:  I'm in an awkward stage right now. My regular pants aren't very comfortable (even with the rubber-band trick), but maternity pants don't fit great either because I don't have much of a belly to hold them up. Needless to say, it takes me for-ev-er to get dressed in the morning because I am never happy with how I look/feel in my clothes. ...What an awesome problem to have, right?

 

Gender: We don't know yet, but we hope to find out in December. I have had dreams of both boy and girl, so we shall see!

 

Movement: Not feeling any movement yet... can't wait for the flutters :)

 

What I miss: Having energy! Being able to eat spicy foods.

 

Cravings: I crave fruit... plums, grapes, strawberries, peaches, clementines, lemons, just to name a few. The only food that does not sound appealing to me at all is fried chicken.

 

Symptoms: Through the first trimester, I would get sick and throw up every morning when I got out of the shower. It was like clockwork. Surprisingly, I would start to feel better once my stomach emptied out. Throughout the day, though, the nausea would come back at random times. I've felt lots of fatigue, needing to nap every day after school and go to bed by 8pm.

 

Best Moment This Week: I ordered a Sonoline B Fetal Doppler and it came in the mail this week. After about 30 minutes of searching, I found the baby's heartbeat. It was music to my ears! The baby's heartbeat ranges from 160-170 when I listen.

What I'm Looking Forward To: My next appointment on Monday! The doctor will listen for the baby's heartbeat with her Doppler, and if it takes too long for them to find it, I will have another ultrasound.

Here are some ultrasound pictures from previous appointments:

8 weeks 4 days

10 weeks 4 days

 

 

 

 xoxox till next week :)

 



Catch-Up & Girls' Night Out

Holy Moley, is it really the last full week of September already?!

 

This month has flown by. Seems like just yesterday I was sending out postcards to my brand-new students over the summer... and here we are now... almost one whole month into the new school year! This year has been a huge adjustment on several levels. With transitioning to the Common Core curriculum, learning the expectations of a new administration, and adjusting to a completely DIFFERENT group of children, I feel like I'm treading water... just tryin' to stay alive!

 

While these big changes are slightly challenging, they aren't necessarily bad changes at all. The new curriculum gives teachers so much more flexibility in our planning and let's us flex our creative muscles a little more. The new administration is really helping me to reflect on my teaching practices so that I can give my students the best teaching possible. My group of students is completely different from my group last year (gosh, I miss those kiddos!), but my new group is challenging me to grow more as a teacher as well because I'm trying new methods and teaching styles to suit the needs of this highly active group. So all in all, these are GREAT changes... just exhausting at the same time :)

 

 

A couple of weeks ago, my cousin Becky turned 30! Her sister, my cousin Steph, planned a surprise dinner at one of the classiest restaurants in town. Becky thought she was coming to have dinner with Steph... and when they were brought to the table, she found three of her closest friends there to celebrate as well. I love the expression on her face when she realized we were waiting for her!

 

 

We had an amazing girls' night out. Here are a few more pics from the evening:

 

"30 Sucks" - Idea from Pinterest 

 

The customized menu for Becky's birthday celebration!

 

The group :)



Me, Becky, and Steph

 

 

I promise more posts are on the way!!!

xoxox