16 weeks

 

Mom is 16 weeks and Baby is about the size of an avocado...a Florida or California one, though? Florida avocados are much bigger, but not nearly as good.  Even though Mom's from California, I bet the baby is Floridian.  Regardless, Baby is growing! He/she is a few inches long & weighs in at a few ounces, but is really going to do some growing in the next few weeks, doubling in size!  By the time Baby reveals its gender on November 30th at the 20-week ultrasound, Mom should be bigger too AND will most likely be sensing Baby's movements.  To let you in on a secret, I think Mom is trying to have really good posture in these pics and it's kind of hiding the little bump that she does have.  Check out the picture below; this is the result of chili for lunch, pizza for dinner and a lot of Halloween chocolate.  See the difference?! I have no idea which belly to believe...it's changing all the time!

Happy Halloween!

HubbyK got me this awesome shirt since he witnessed me pining over it for weeks, even crafting ways I could make it myself (haha).  I've always wanted to be pregnant at Halloween so that I could do something fun with my tummy, like paint it like a beach ball & dress in beach gear.  But alas, there is no real tummy yet and so this shirt was a great option to still incorporate Baby.  My students loved it!  I wish we had gotten a picture of me with HubbyK in his work scrubs.  We would have made the perfect pair, the X-rayer and the X-rayee!  We spent the evening handing out candy to the kiddoes.  These last two trick-or-treaters were from our final batch, who arrived via a tractor pull. So cool!  StevieDog got a lot of attention, especially from these dear little ones.  The girl kept stroking Stevie's nose and the little boy held out his hand nice & flat to receive kisses.  They ran down the driveway and I heard her say, "Mommy! I got puppy kisses!" Ah, be still my pregnant, emotional heart.  Earlier in the night, Cousin Sadie (and Uncle Bran-Bran) were visiting and so we got the dogs dolled up. My favorite is the lion mane, which belongs to Sadie. These dogs are such good sports & are going to make awesome baby buddies!!

15 weeks

Mom is 15 weeks! She's still not showing, but definitely has more of a belly after a big meal or by the time bedtime rolls around.  Baby is about the size of an orange - a few inches long & weighing in at a couple ounces.  He/she is supposedly starting to sense light & sound. Mom talks a lot, all day long so I am sure Baby is listening to her; I guess Daddy better start crouching down and saying some of his own hellos!  I don't ever make a peep, not a growl or a bark, so I'll have to find my own ways to bond with Baby.  Cuddles? 

It's Official

Yesterday I told the administration & my students that I'm pregnant. I was so nervous that I was sick to my stomach & couldn't even eat breakfast. But of course it went well & everyone was super excited! My kids had a lot of sweet - and funny comments & questions. Some of my favorites: How are babies made? (Lol) How did you find out? Can we take a vote if it's a girl or boy? Promise to send us pictures of the baby! I already knew because my friend texted me last period! Will you still be at our graduation?...bring your baby. Now maybe you won't talk so much about your dog.

Dear Mom

Dear Mom/Noni Joani,
Thank you so much for coming all the way to Florida to be with me at our 14-week appointment. Up until this weekend, I'd been too afraid to embrace pregnancy. Leave it to a mom/grandma to change all that. I appreciate your gifts, from the little monkey outfit & teddy bear from my own childhood to the new blouse & dress. Most of all I am thankful for your company & support as I sifted through hundreds of maternity clothes...and sharing ice cream while we watched TV.
I know my patience sucks & I'm sorry for that. At 33, I'm a stubborn 'ol lady already stuck in my ways. It's hard for me to answer questions & accept suggestions when I already have my own ideas - or when I'm just not there yet. The thing is, I know everything you say & do comes from the best possible place, a mom's heart. One day soon I'll understand and you can say, "See I told you so!" xoxo

Happy birthday, girl!

Friday was Stevie Wonder Dog's 3rd birthday. We wanted to celebrate our traditional way with a visit to the hot dog shop. However, she insisted it was her 21st birthday (dog years & all) so we let her celebrate her way! (Don't worry, it's just water!)

lub dub lub dub

We had our 14-week check-up yesterday and all was well with Baby.  It took the nurse practitioner a couple minutes to find Baby's heartbeat with the doppler (that thing seems so old-fashioned, by the way) and I was getting nervous.  I just stared at Kris while the nurse probed around and he said I was starting to tear up. I was seriously concentrating so hard, trying to will that little "guy" to do something so she could find "him."  She joked that it probably was a boy because he was being difficult & disobedient.  Finally (it felt like an hour), Baby stirred and we got to hear a nice strong "lub dub lub dub lub dub."  Phew!! Also, we got all my blood work back and I am A+...literally, that is my blood type. But I was also A+ in the sense that I am disease free, although no worries, that was not a shock :) We scheduled our 18-week check-up and our 20-week ultrasound, when we'll find out if Baby is a boy or a girl.  November 30th, in case you want to mark your calendars.  If I could figure out how to enable the comments on this page (sorry, Nana, I'm trying!), I'd open up a vote. With our successful doctor's visit and the fact my stomach is starting to pop a bit (I think it was trying on all of those stretchy clothes on Thursday), it's time to accept that yes, I am pregnant and yes, it's time to tell more friends & family, as well as the administration at school and my students. 

Christmas in October

Holy cow, I am so lucky!  It's like Christmas in October! I received hand-me-down maternity clothes from Austin Anne & San Fran Anne (both college friends) and Jen (a teaching friend here in FL)...look how many things! My mom's in town, so we sorted through all of it this morning.  We ended up with 5 loads of laundry and a bag for Goodwill.  The pile on the couch was the entire "keep" pile pre-wash and the clothes hanging are all the blouses & dresses.  I boxed  up a bunch of my pre-pregnancy clothes (blouses that now won't button or too-tight yoga pants) and made room for all of my new items, like t-shirts and pants.  I made a very small list of a few staples I still need, but really, it's just like 3 or 4 things.  I feel so grateful that my friends were kind enough to pass on their clothes! Up next...what baby items do they want to get rid of? ;)

14 weeks

Mom didn't want me to post these pictures this week! She says she looks too chubby.  Um, mom, you're pregnant! Get over it!  She's 14 weeks and Baby is the size of a lemon, or as I like to say - a tennis ball. 

Tossing & Turning in Month 4

Hubby K, StevieDog & I went on a long walk on Sunday evening, to what we like to call "the little park."  Next door is the big park with running trails, the dog park, a big lake, archery areas & frisbee golf.  The little park hosts a small lake, a bike/walking trail and lots and lots of grass for Stevie to play on.  As you can see in the picture, we've reached 4 months!  To me, it's a really weird in-between time.  Of course, I didn't even know I was pregnant in month 1, month 2 was full of excitement & newness and then month 3 was kind of...anticlimactic.  We got to see Baby at week 10 and that was a thrill that we got to share with immediate family & our closest friends, but other than that it's been same 'ol, same 'ol around here for the last 4 weeks.  I still haven't spread the news at work except to my lunch buddies and I have felt relatively normal. Um, so what's she complaining about, right?! I just can't rest easy.  Does every expecting mom feel this way or is it because I've gone through a miscarriage?  Because no matter how hungry I am, how much my breasts grow, how exhausted I am by at 8pm, or how much I cry at movie previews, I just can't totally accept that I am pregnant.  I thought my 1st ultrasound would calm my nerves, and then the second; I figured the second trimester would bring me confidence, yet here I am fretting over "what could be."  Last week my dear friend, who was just 2 weeks behind me in her pregnancy, discovered she has a blighted ovum...all the preparations for a baby including the necessary hormones & "structures" but no actual baby.  My heart breaks for her and I think about her & her hubby (and dog!) all the time.  And I can't help but selfishly add her grief to my current fears.  It's a good thing Friday brings our 14-week appointment.  When we hear baby's heartbeat this far into things, will I finally be able to relax, accept my pregnancy, tell work (& my students!) and start planning? I hope so. I am sure glad my mom, California Grandma, soon to be known as "Nonna" will be visiting.  She gets into town tomorrow night and I am playing hooky for two days so we can get our nails done, go shopping, see a movie...all the things we miss living 3000 miles apart!

13 weeks

Mom is 13 weeks - Baby is the size of a peach.  Not much is changing around here, except Mom actually feels great & even has enough energy to take me on long walks every afternoon.  Oh, and she has a sweet tooth that never existed before.  Dad doesn't seem to mind & even brought home Drumsticks for her.  As for me, I've lost a few pounds.  Love those green beans and my walks with Mom.

Belly Band

HubbyK said, "You know it's too soon to be starting this stuff, right?" At 12 weeks & 3 days, yes, I know. But who cares? I could rock one of these things all year long. Gosh, it feels gooood to be able to breathe in a pair of jeans. Who needs a button...or a zipper?!

12 Weeks

Mom's 12 weeks today, which means she's ending her 1st trimester!  That also means it's time to start the belly pics.  Baby is about the size of a large plum right now, approximately 2 inches long & weighing in at just half an ounce. That's pretty small. Mom keeps justifying any weight gain by blaming something called her uterus, which has apparently grown to the size of a grapefruit.  As Mom (& her baby and uterus) grow, I plan on shrinking. I started a new meal plan last week that includes more green beans & less kibble at dinnertime. Delicious & nutritious!