Tuesday, November 25, 2008
16 Week Pregnancy Update
11:57 AM | Posted by
carrie |
Last Friday I hit the milestone of 16 weeks. On this Friday I will officially be 4 months pregnant, because I have to finish out this week fully. All of this math and when the first trimester is over and the second begins is confusing even to us preg-ites.
I visited a website that gives weekly updates on the size of the baby and this week is an onion-- an average baby size of 5.1 inches. That is a pretty big onion, but I am happy that our baby is growing to a more realistic person size, instead of being a peanut, or an apple seed any more. Our baby now has hair, eyebrows and unique fingerprints. Our little one can swim and kick-- and I may have felt the baby, but I can't be sure with all of the weird goings on inside of me right now.
I am somewhat over my morning sickness, although strong smells and standing leaning over can make me nausous. Also, if I have a frog in my throat and try to clear it, if I keep coughing this can trigger my reflexes to try to rid everything from my body that I have ever eaten. My other common issues are round ligament pain, muscle spasms, tiredness, dizzyness and a weird metallic taste in my mouth that apparently is common, but I never heard of as a pregnancy symptom.
My appetite is beginning to come back, but I still feel soooooo hungry and then halfway through what I was intending to eat I am stuffed. I trust that the holidays will help put on a little weight, and for once I do not have to worry about eating all of the treats that I want to-- aside from the sugar.
Some days I think, "I'm huge!" and at other times I wonder if people in the mall of elsewhere can tell that I am pregnant at all. Possibly they haven't because I have been blessed to not have strangers come up to me and rub my stomach so far.
These are all pretty common complaints for the May mom's group I am involved in online. Thankfully I am not working a full-time job like many of them so I can fill my days updating you on my mission to grow a human. I was surprised and excited to learn that in my online group there is another mom who is due about a week after me from the next Twin Cities suburb over who is half-filipino! Her mom came over after she and the woman's dad were pen pals. It is wonderful because we thought that there was no one in the state from the Philippines, nevermind in a suburb we would consider living in. I am researching filipino Christmas traditions this year so that hopefully they can be brought into our lives when the baby is here, so that he or she will have a greater appreciation of that aspect of his/her heritage.
Ummm-- what else can I update you on? Oh-- we have begun the search for baby stuff. we've found a fe things that we like, but haven't made a registry or anything. Part of the issue is that the sheets, highchair and the crib we like is at IKEA. However, IKEA doesn't do registries that we have found. But they have such cute stuff! They have a lot of great crib sheets that are priced really well, and toys and feeding tools for when the baby is a little older. Oh well, we have plenty of time for that.
We don't even know the sex of the baby yet! However, we hope to find out on December 15 when we have "The Big Ultrasound." This is the one where they look for genetic abnormalities, development problems and if the baby is a Ma'am or a Mister. Before I was pregnant I never wanted to know-- and now I am so excited! And it is more considerate from Grandmas and grandpas who want to get a cute little outfit for their new family member. Also shockingly, just 4 weeks after that ultrasound, the baby is considered to have an 85% chance of survival if it were delivered. It is crazy that the medical world can have this baby live if I gave birth in January! However, this baby is staying put until it is completely done baking in my oven.
That is all I can think of now, but I will have to take some picks of the downtown skyscraper that my OB/GYN's office is located in, and Jim and I on our walk to there through downtown skyways. It is really kind of a hoot coming from a small town like Portage.
Our 1st Anniversary
Yesterday was the first anniversary of The Weston's wedding. It is amazing to me-- it seems as if it were just yesterday at times, and at other times our wedding seems like years and years ago. Our anniversary is also the close anniversary to us being out here in the Twin Cities for a year.
One year ago yesterday I had: Never been married, never had a positive pregnancy test, never seen an ultrasound of a life inside of me, never heard a heartbeat coming from my abdomen, never lived outside of Michigan, never filed joint taxes, never moved away from family and friends, never had to plan a life for two-- and now 3 of us.
I am still so thankful for how everything worked out for us to be able to move here together, and I am so thankful for the wonderful first year that we have had. It hasn't been without its ups and downs. Money is tight now that I am not working and won't be for a while-- especially our housing budget, it is difficult and at times lonely not being around friends and family who we've known our whole lives, it is difficult to have to share a car now that we live in Fridley and farther from downtown (sometimes I get a little stir crazy) and the weather will soon be back to its stereotypical Minnesota winter weather.
However, I cannot imagine what life would have been like if we had been too afraid to make this step. If Jim had told his company "No," instead of us stepping out in faith to move here, and the faith that this was God's way of having us get married in His timing. I think that I mentioned that shortly after we moved out here, Jim's company reorganized his old team, a move which could have resulted in Jim losing his job, and if not that, it would have meant that he would have been out of town 2 or 3 weeks out of the month.
It is wonderful to see how he has been blessed with his job-- a job that he excels at, and one that he enjoys most of the time. I hate when he has to travel for work (like he just did to Las Vegas for several days) but I am honored at the trust and enthusiasm his company has for his abilities. He may even win an award for the biggest order at the last show he worked.
It is also wonderful to see how Jim has taken to the role of expectant father. He really wants to be the sort of man who instills love in his child-- even before his future baby has the ability to hear. He talks to my growing belly all of the time and tells the baby we love it, and prays for our future child and for my safety and comfort during this sometimes trying time. Nearly every morning he gets up for work early enough to prepare me breakfast so that I will not feel nauseous and throw up. Some mornings it is cereal or toast with butter, or bacon, but this morning and many others it is french toast-- since eggs make me feel ill sometimes, but he wants me to get the protein of eggs.
I have joined a group of expectant May mommies online and I am amazed at some of their sad stories. Some of them have husbands who have asked them to end their pregnancies, who have been uninterested in the process, or who are resentful that they do not get dinner prepared for them every night. I am blessed to have a man who will pray over me and tell me that I am "working so hard, all so that we can be a family."
In return I am sometimes cranky for no apparent reason, weepy, nauseous, bloated, crampy, sleepy and frequently have to pee at the most inconvenient of times. I take up the whole couch, I sleep cuddling pillows instead of him now and don't look like the woman he married. And yet we are really, really happy. I wish that those of you who read this could see us more often. I know that Jim's dad reads this (when there is something new on here) and I just hope that I am the sort of daughter in law who a father is happy to have his son saddled with. I'm trying my best to take care of him!
Love to you all! And we will see you soon enough! We are planning on leaving for MI on Dec. 19th and will be there till several days after the holidays. Last year we had to drive home on Christmas and we vowed to never again have to do that.
One year ago yesterday I had: Never been married, never had a positive pregnancy test, never seen an ultrasound of a life inside of me, never heard a heartbeat coming from my abdomen, never lived outside of Michigan, never filed joint taxes, never moved away from family and friends, never had to plan a life for two-- and now 3 of us.
I am still so thankful for how everything worked out for us to be able to move here together, and I am so thankful for the wonderful first year that we have had. It hasn't been without its ups and downs. Money is tight now that I am not working and won't be for a while-- especially our housing budget, it is difficult and at times lonely not being around friends and family who we've known our whole lives, it is difficult to have to share a car now that we live in Fridley and farther from downtown (sometimes I get a little stir crazy) and the weather will soon be back to its stereotypical Minnesota winter weather.
However, I cannot imagine what life would have been like if we had been too afraid to make this step. If Jim had told his company "No," instead of us stepping out in faith to move here, and the faith that this was God's way of having us get married in His timing. I think that I mentioned that shortly after we moved out here, Jim's company reorganized his old team, a move which could have resulted in Jim losing his job, and if not that, it would have meant that he would have been out of town 2 or 3 weeks out of the month.
It is wonderful to see how he has been blessed with his job-- a job that he excels at, and one that he enjoys most of the time. I hate when he has to travel for work (like he just did to Las Vegas for several days) but I am honored at the trust and enthusiasm his company has for his abilities. He may even win an award for the biggest order at the last show he worked.
It is also wonderful to see how Jim has taken to the role of expectant father. He really wants to be the sort of man who instills love in his child-- even before his future baby has the ability to hear. He talks to my growing belly all of the time and tells the baby we love it, and prays for our future child and for my safety and comfort during this sometimes trying time. Nearly every morning he gets up for work early enough to prepare me breakfast so that I will not feel nauseous and throw up. Some mornings it is cereal or toast with butter, or bacon, but this morning and many others it is french toast-- since eggs make me feel ill sometimes, but he wants me to get the protein of eggs.
I have joined a group of expectant May mommies online and I am amazed at some of their sad stories. Some of them have husbands who have asked them to end their pregnancies, who have been uninterested in the process, or who are resentful that they do not get dinner prepared for them every night. I am blessed to have a man who will pray over me and tell me that I am "working so hard, all so that we can be a family."
In return I am sometimes cranky for no apparent reason, weepy, nauseous, bloated, crampy, sleepy and frequently have to pee at the most inconvenient of times. I take up the whole couch, I sleep cuddling pillows instead of him now and don't look like the woman he married. And yet we are really, really happy. I wish that those of you who read this could see us more often. I know that Jim's dad reads this (when there is something new on here) and I just hope that I am the sort of daughter in law who a father is happy to have his son saddled with. I'm trying my best to take care of him!
Love to you all! And we will see you soon enough! We are planning on leaving for MI on Dec. 19th and will be there till several days after the holidays. Last year we had to drive home on Christmas and we vowed to never again have to do that.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Photos
The much disputed first pregnancy test-- now in retrospect it is a positive, but could you see a line?
The next day with the help of a digital pregnancy test after the same lukewarm result and we were both firmly convinced.
After we took the digital test out of its cartridge Jim looked at the remaining strip and said, "Now that is a line." I agree honey. I don't trust dollar store tests, except as an indicator you need a better test.
I am sorry that this is so short. I think that Honey was so excited to actually hear the heartbeat that he pressed the stop button after only a few seconds. This was the first time the doctor and PA student tried to hear the heartbeat. Here I am 10 weeks along, and many people do not get to hear the heartbeat that early, either because of the position of the baby or the placenta or the baby is just too small.The PA student couldn't find it (more than a little frustrating) but my doctor literally set the reciever on my abdomen and heard that sweet sound.
This time at 14 weeks the beat was much stronger, but we forgot to record the sound.
We're Having a Baby
I'm sure that by now most of you have heard our news. On May 8, 2009 Jim and I are expecting our first child. We are so excited, and mildly surprised, as we were sure that there would be problems for us in this realm. I know that what you, Jim's dad and Aunt Susie and Grandma and anyone else want to see are pictures of my stomach, so I will being with one.
Here I am at 14 weeks. We had our third prenatal apprt. yesterday and during the appointment we got to hear the baby's heartbeat with a doppler. It is still surprising somehow that it is still there-- but there it was, beating at about 145 bpm. In 6 weeks, on december 15 we get to see the baby on an ultrasound again and will likely get to find out the sex of the baby.
I am feeling better than I was with morning sickness and fatigue, although I still tire very easily and this morning I threw up. I am so blessed to have such a supportive husband in my life. Nearly every morning-- unless I get up first Jim makes me toast and serves me in bed, and some days I even get french toast. Yum. He has been trying to fatten me up because between our first appt. and the last one I had lost 5 pounds and he wants to insure the baby will be nice and healthy. By this last appointment I had only gained .4 of a pound, although I don't look it, and thankfully the doctors say this is normal in the first trimester.
I will be updating a video soon and probably a photo post, but we will have to see how long I last.
I'm sorry it has been so long for me to update this blog. I will try to do better becuase I realize for many of you Michiganders and those in Missouri and California, this is your only way to stay updated on us.
Blessings!
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