20 weeks... WHAT???

Tomorrow I am 20 weeks... is that even possible that I am already at the halfway mark? I am already halfway to the point where I will have the baby... or probably more than halfway if baby comes early! I find out what baby K is THIS WEEK!!! We also have our gender party next weekend! I'm really excited. DH and I went and started registering for stuff over the weekend too. We registered at Target & Babies R Us! We still have to put all the gender specific stuff on there once we know what baby K is! We are soo excited. Here is the newest email I have on baby K's progress:

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

Here is an updated belly pic...

19 weeks

Tomorrow I will be 19 weeks! We got a lot done this weekend including buying some stuff for our gender party and planting our garden (woohoo!!) So far we have zucchini, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, jalepeno peppers, yellow bell peppers, cantaloupe, watermelon, and basil planted. We have a little more room and are thinking about adding some more. Here are some pictures of our garden… it is a work in progress!!!

Me planting:

Our garden:

So as I said I am 19 weeks tomorrow. I am also going to get to find out baby’s gender in 10 days!!! WOOHOO!!! The baby is now the size of a mango! Here is the email I go this week about baby’s progress:

Your baby’s sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don’t be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Here is an updated pic:

One more for the heck of it...

18 weeks

Well tomorrow I go back to work after a wonderful spring break! It was so nice having some time off from work and getting to get some things done that I have been wanting/ needing to do. DH also took Thursday and Friday off to be with me so that was really nice. Yesterday was the first time I’ve felt baby actually kick. I have felt little flutters and small movements but no actual big kicks. Well yesterday my dog was laying in my lap on the windowseat and he laid his head on my belly and the baby started KICKING right where my dog's head was. The baby continued kicking for a good 10 minutes. It was so cool. I could feel it from the outside but dh couldn’t. I guess it was easier for me to feel since I knew what I was trying to feel and when it was happening. I don’t think it will be much longer before dh gets to feel him/her though.

Tomorrow I will be 18 weeks. The baby will be the size of a sweet potato! I get an email each week and here is the 18 week email letting me know what is going on (I know it is saying “he”… it alternates each week from he to she)…

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He’s busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you’ll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they’re still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he’s born. If you’re having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you’re having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

Ok here is an updated picture…4 weeks & 18 weeks… HAHA!

Doctor's appointment

I went to the doctor today. It was a good appointment. I saw a different doctor and I really liked her. I asked her if she thought there was a possibility of twins since the last dr mentioned it and she laughed and said "Was that Dr. Jones?" She then said "She was probably joking... she has a dry sense of humor." Hmm.... not too funny! She said she didn't have any reason to believe that there was more than one. The baby's heartbeat was 149. I was planning on asking if I could come back in 3 weeks instead of the regular 4 since I will be 20 weeks (the week I can FINALLY get my gender ultrasound) but before I even asked she said that she wanted me to come back in 3 weeks for an appointment and an ultrasound. I go back May 11th!!! Oh, and the worrying about my weight.... apparently my Wii Fit is not very accurate. I had gained 3 lbs since my last appointment... last month! She said that was ok because I hadn't gained much before that being so sick.

Gender predictions....

So today I was trying to come up with ideas about the gender party I want to have and it made me want to know the gender!!! So I have been playing around trying different things that “predict” gender at home just for fun. I thought it would be fun to put all the results here. Here are the results…

Chinese Gender Calendar: boy

Mayan Gender Predictor: boy

Ring Test: boy

Penny on the wall test: boy

Penny on thread test: boy

Heartrate: over 140 each time= girl

Old Wives Tale Questionaire (http://www.babygenderprediction.com/old-wives-tales/index.phtml): girl

Cravings: fruit, salads, cheese, orange juice

My prediction: boy

DH's prediction: girl

Feel free to comment with your prediction!

17 weeks!

I am 17 weeks today!! The baby is now the size of an onion! I am on spring break this week!! WOOHOO!!! Today I spent they day working on cleaning out my closet of clothes that don’t fit me anymore. It is so nice being able to sleep in AND get things done that I want to do. We went to the beach for the weekend with a pregnant friend of mine & her husband. It was a lot of fun! We didn’t do much of anything other than rest and eat!! I bet I’ve gained some weight when I go back to the doc on Wednesday!! Here is an updated pic of my belly… maybe a tad bigger? I will update after my dr’s appointent Wednesday!

16 weeks

I am 16 weeks today! FOUR MONTHS!!!! And guess who threw up this morning!?! Yep, morning sickness at 4 months pregnant!! UGH! The baby is now the size of an avocado!!! Today mom, stepdad, dh, and I went shopping for nursery furniture. We ordered it! It is gorgeous!!! I can’t find a pic of the right color but we picked a caramel color which is a light brown. So this isn’t the right color but here is the crib:

The 3 drawer chest/changing table (no hutch on top):

and 5 drawer dresser:

I can’t wait until it comes in so we can put it all in the nursery!!!

Here is an updated pic of my belly. I decided to do a collage doing one every 4 weeks:

new ride & belly button!

MIL said she would buy us our travel system and it came in this week!!! I wanted to post a pic of it all put together. It is so cute!!! I love the color even more in person than I did on the website! Here is a pic of it:

I also have been noticing how much my belly button is changing already. I have always had a BIG TIME innie and it has been getting wider and flatter. Night before last I noticed that there is now a tiny bit of a bulge to it right in the middle. That seems crazy to me for being this early!! Yesterday I was very annoyed by a comment a coworker made about me. She told someone else and then ME that she thinks I walk around just sticking my belly out because there is no way I can be this big so early with how little I am. I was like I CAN’T even stick my belly out if I wanted to. I can’t do much with my belly… it is what it is! Some people are so crazy!!!

I am 15 weeks today!! That seems so crazy to me! So close to being 4 months! I didn’t post yesterday like I normally do because my sinuses have been acting up so bad that I just didn’t feel like it yesterday. I absolutely had no interest in taking a picture or taking the time of uploading the pic. Today, I am feeling a lot better. Still don’t feel great but I do feel better. Today I was wearing a dress and I had LOTS of comments on my belly…. funny thing is I didn’t really think I looked all that big this morning. Here is me today in my dress (yes that is the shower behind me… that mirror is the best mirror for taking my pics since it is my only full size mirror and no… I didn’t walk around holding my belly all day but I thought it showed up better in the pic that way… haha!):

Here is my normal belly pics for last week (14) and this week (15 weeks):

Have a great week! :)

shopping

So we went shopping at Babies R Us last night and found lots of stuff!! Here are a few of the things we are looking at….

Crib (ignore the bedding)

Glider…. It comes in a bunch of different colors and I’m not sure what color yet until I know what kind of bedding. This is SO comfortable!!! It also has an ottoman that goes with it that isn’t pictured.

Stroller/Car Seat (Travel System)… I really want a travel system and this is the one I like!

Bedding if it is a girl…..

Boy bedding (from Target):

14 weeks!

Tomorrow I will be 14 weeks! I don't really have much to update since my last post other than saying that we did feel the "lump" yesterday morning. DH could feel it too! It was very cool! We couldn't actually see it but we could feel it. Anyway here are some new 14 week pics:

sciatica, pt, and twins

Well my back hasn't been as bad this week but it started bothering me again yesterday so I went ahead and got my appointment scheduled for PT. For whatever reason my insurance won't authorize me to begin PT until April 1st so my first appointment will be next Friday. It is at 11:15 which is a really awkward time for me as far as work but I wanted to accept whatever they had so I could go ahead and get this started. I am seriously thinking about taking the whole day off. The lady said I might have to come back the following week too depending on what they did on Friday.... guess we will see. I hope they are able to do something for my back. It makes me somewhat nervous since when I asked if they did anything for sciatica during pregnancy they said that "they had" like it wasn't a real common thing.

Today I brought up the comment that the dr said on Monday about the possibility of twins and one of my coworkers was so excited. She kept saying "Well you know your belly has gotten big quick, you are hungry all the time, and you had all that sickness!" I still can't get over the dr's "Are you sure you aren't having twins?" comment. Umm YOU are the doctor... I am not! Are YOU sure I'm not having twins? I think her sole reason for asking is due to me taking clomid but it still makes me nervous. When I told her that only one baby was seen at 6 wks she said well sometimes they can miss a baby that early. I swear if I find out there are two when I have my 20 week ultrasound I will freak!! haha! I wouldn't mind having twins but I would have liked to have known already so I could have been preparing!!

Doctor's appointment...

Well I went back to the doctor and I will start with the positive. The doctor was able to find the heartbeat right away... she said she saw a "lump" and asked if I had noticed that at all. I haven't and am still not sure what she meant... apparently she could see the baby from the outside. We have got to do some more watching my belly apparently!! Didn't know it was possible to see so soon. She went to where she saw the lump and sure enough baby was there. The heartbeat was much less this time. It was 156... last time it was 172. She said that was normal for this point in the pregnancy. She also asked if I was sure I wasn't having twins and I asked why and she said with taking the clomid she just wondered.

That being said... I did NOT like the doctor. She was very unhelpful and seemed to mock every question I asked. She had one of those grins that looked like she was calling me dumb! I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask her and she didn't once ask me if I had anything to ask. She really wanted to do the doppler and leave. But I started spitting out my questions and I had to be quick because she looked like she was about to walk out! I asked her about my back pain and she said that it was sciatica and that if it got bad I could be referred to a physical therapist. I told her it was already really bad so she agreed I could start going to a physical therapist. I asked her about the bleeding and she said that she had read that in my chart and that was not an issue since it was brown blood and left it at that. I asked her about the swelling I have had in my hands and she asked if I had eaten a lot of salt... REALLY? Duhhh I know eating a lot of salt can make you swell. She then said that it wasn't an issue in early pregnancy. She said that I could get the down syndrome test the next time I go so I needed to do research on that to decide if I wanted to do it (helloooo information... explain please!!) and that my ultrasound would be at 20 weeks and walked out. She MIGHT have stayed in there 5 minutes. It was soooo dissapointing! Then I went to make my next appointment and they asked if I cared who and I said no. Then they offered her and I said ugh... so they changed it to someone else. The lady laughed and said I can give you someone else just let me know. So I told her anyone but her. I was very dissapointed with my appointment but at least I know baby is still doing fine! :)

13 weeks & peaches!

I'm 13 weeks tomorrow (and going to the doctor!) and the baby is supposed to be the size of a peach! It also has fingerprints at 13 weeks!! This week or next week (depending on what you look at) will be the beginning of my second trimester. I'm going with this week because if you divide 40 weeks by 3 you get 13 weeks 3 days so I'm guessing that is why some say 13 and others say 14. I haven't had ANY throwing up since the 11th!!! Maybe the morning sickness is going away! My main issue has been my back... possibly my sciatic nerve. It is my lower back on my right side and I have shooting pains that go through my back, down my hip, and into my leg. It is the worst in the mornings and at night. Friday night was AWFUL! I literally couldn't get up off the couch to go to bed because it hurt so bad!! I am definitely going to talk to my dr about it tomorrow when I go! Oh and my newest thing that dh thinks is sooo funny is I need to pee EVERY time I laugh! It doesn't matter if I just went when I laugh I feel like I've got to go!!! I am excited to be going to the dr tomorrow although I'm not so sure how nice this particular one is. Oh well! I'm hoping to go ahead and get my gender ultrasound scheduled because I really want to plan a gender party. I thought it would be fun plus I won't have to worry about telling someone before someone else. What I would like to do is have the dr seal the gender in an envelope (we won't even find out) and invite all my CLOSE family and friends over after my ultrasound. I'll let everyone make a guess and they can buy tickets to reveal the gender... the money will go to baby's future and the lucky winner will get to open the envelope and reveal the baby's gender to everyone including me & dh!! I think it would be a lot of fun! I'm hoping that I can get my ultrasound scheduled for a Friday so we can do the party that night and we won't have to wait long before finding out! We will see!! Well here is a collage of my belly pics from week 4 until week 13. I will post again tomorrow to let you know how my dr's appointment goes! :)

12 weeks!

Tomorrow I will be 12 weeks! I haven't updated since last week but a lot has happened. This past week was pretty stressful at work. I also had a scare with some brown bleeding starting Tuesday night. It wasn't much and had stopped by the time I could get the dr on Wednesday. They said that there were lots of reasons that could cause brown bleeding but brown means old blood and if I wasn't having any cramps and since it had stopped there was nothing to worry about. They said that if it happened again that they would get me to come in so they could take a look to reassure me. I also have been having MAJOR morning sickness. It seems like it was worse this week than it has been throughout the entire pregnancy so far. Maybe it has to get worse before it can get better? I told dh maybe that is baby's way of telling me "I'm ok mommy... the bleeding didn't hurt me!" I also tried on the maternity pants that were given to me and only one pair fit.... they fit in the waist & length but they are way too long at the crotch.... very strange! That was a huge let down because I was counting on her clothes fitting me so I wouldn't have to buy so much maternity clothes myself. Between the stress of work, having trouble finding clothes to wear, the bleeding, and the morning sickness- I had a major breakdown Wednesday at work. I went in another teacher's room and just burst into tears... talk about hormones!!

Things have gotten better. I haven't gotten sick any this weekend and yesterday my mom and I went and got pedicures! We also were able to find me a shirt, pair of capris, and a little cotton dress. I also went shopping with dh and was able to find 2 nice dresses (I need one for an upcomming wedding), 2 pairs of dress pants, one pair of dressy black capris, and a nice shirt. I'm excited about the weather getting warmer because I feel like I have more I can wear for warm weather.... plus warm weather makes me feel better!

This weekend I have had major thirst and ALL I want is water with lemon in it. Today that is all I have drank... plain water or water with lemon. Nothing else! I can't get enough of it!!! It is hard to believe that I am actually 12 weeks now! The baby is now the size of a plum and vocal chords have formed and it MAY be possible to tell the gender!

Here is a picture of me last week and this week.... think I look a little bigger!

11 weeks!

I will be 11 weeks tomorrow! There are some big changes in the baby this week... the baby is supposed to be the size of a lime! It also is supposed to have hair and fingernails now! I haven't noticed much of a change in my belly this week but I think I have been sicker this week! Ugh! I'm getting close to the second trimester so maybe it will start getting better then. I hadn't said anything about this on here because I honestly thought I was crazy at first but the more research I did, the more I realized it was possible. Last Saturday I think I felt the baby move for the first time. I had just finished eating some icecream at our cousin's house and I felt something in my belly that felt kind of like when someone rubs against your arm really lightly. When I was looking up about feeling the baby move I found out that it COULD be as early as 10 weeks for people who are small. It said that it wouldn't happen very often this early but it is possible. Well, I had that same feeling today!! It is crazy!! Anyway, here is an updated pic. I think I may actually look a tad smaller this week then I did last week.

I'm BAAACCKKK!!

Ok... this post will be short but sweet but I had to share my news with you! Today I was called into the office to be told that I now WILL have a job next year and it will be MY job! No moving... no grade level change... nothing!!! WOOHOO!!! Talk about relief!

10 weeks & looking kinda preggo!

So I’ll be double digits tomorrow… 10 weeks!! WOOHOO!! I also think I look much more pregnant now and not so much like I ate a big lunch. I have a belly no matter what I wear now… loose or not. Today was a warmer day and I got to wear my maternity capris… they were so comfy and actually fit me which is nice. I also washed all of the maternity clothes today that one of the teachers is letting me borrow. So now I have some clothes that I’ll hopefully feel a little more comfortable in.

I’ve also had 2 pregnancy/baby dreams lately. Thursday I had a dream about the baby. It was a SHE and she was adorable… she had on a cute little dress and a big bow in her hair… she was also wearing black shiny leather shoes! Then last night I had the CRAZIEST dream about going into labor and when I got to the hospital they made me eat all of this “numbing chili” and then I had to wrangle horses. I didn’t actually dream about having the baby. I woke up when I got to the delivery room which was one giant room with lots of curtains and everyone was having their babies in the same room. It was STRANGE to say the least!

Anyway… here is a new pic collage. This is every other week from 4 weeks until 10 weeks. I think I look more pregnant this week. What do you think?

Feeling Down...

After mentioning it in my survey post I decided that I should go ahead and blog about my feelings because I'm really feeling down today. I hope this will help chear me up or at least help me to be able to get my feelings out. The last two Sundays have been hard. It is hard for me to get motivated enough to go back to work on Mondays. I love my job... that is what makes it so hard. I am tired and am pissed about being RIFed once again this year. RIF means reduction in force. Last year this happened and I was lucky to be called back to the same exact position. This year due to budget cuts we are closing an entire elementary school which that alone makes it necessary to cut me, along with 30 other people. They cut anyone with 4 years or less experience. I have 2. Pay ends in August... insurance ends in June. When I was told this about my insurance I just laughed and told the woman I was pregnant and due in September. She then told me I was the 4th person she had told that day that was pregnant. Lovely, huh? While I was told it was "possible" I could get called back I am very doubtful with it being so many people in front of me on the call back list. Plus they said that if they lose the money they think they will due to cuts in state funding they will have to RIF even more people. WHO is going to teach these children? We will have the same amount of children next year as we had this year... how will they be affected by bigger class sizes and frustrated teachers due to having too many students? I do NOT want to look for a job. That is what I did last year. I started calling every school around asking them if they would have openings, worked on applications and then I got called back. This year, while I don't think I will get called back, I don't have any motivation to do this. I would love to just be a SAHM but we can't afford it but who is going to want to hire a teacher who will be out the beginning of the school year when so many other teachers that are looking for jobs won't be? Now, here comes the kicker. Dh has been very supportive and would love me to be able to stay at home. He has even started looking for other jobs that would be higher paying... let's face it he hates his job anyway. He applied for a job in NC and he got a call for an interview. He goes on Monday. We don't know how much the pay would be but think it would be significantly more than what he is making now. BUT we would have to move. He would probably have to start working BEFORE I finished the school year and I am not the type of person to quit so I would stay here and he'd go there because it is too far for him to commute. If it is the kind of money that we think it would be I would be able to be a SAHM for a year... but we'd have to move... sell the house. I THINK I'm ok with this but it is too soon to make any big plans because he doesn't know if he will even get the job. I just feel like I'm in limbo... do I have to look for a job, will I get rehired, will we be having a long distance relationship for a few months and then moving, will I have to get a job there? I have no idea what will be coming up other than in another 6 or so months we will have a newborn. I hate not knowing the future... I am a planner (that's the teacher in me) and I hate not being prepared and I have NO idea what my future holds.

20 questions

Ok, Ashleigh tagged me so here it goes...

Rule #1: The tagged person must write their answers on their blog and replace any question they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.

Rule #2: Tag 4 people to do this quiz; they cannot refuse (ok, so nothing bad will happen if you don’t participate but I would love to see your answers). The tag-ee must state who tagged them.

1. If you have pets, do you see them as merely animals or are they members of your family?

Family... my doggy (Winston) is my first baby. DH & I got him after I graduated high school and he has been our baby since then. I can't imagine living life without him in it and it scares me to think that he is almost 7 years old already!

2. If you could have a dream come true, what would it be?

I've got a pretty good life. The only thing that would make it better is if my dh had a job he loved and my job was more stable... dang economy for making teaching such a difficult job to hold on to in this area.

3. What would you do with a billion dollars?

We would probably get a nicer house... I love my house but my dream house is a log cabin! I would still work because, let's face it, I love my job. I would have a cleaning lady & an on call chef (DH and I love to cook but sometimes we just don't feel like it... haha). I would like a swimming pool & hot tub. Pay off all our bills. Start a savings account for our children's college. Give money to each of the people important to us in our life and give some to charity.

4. What helps to pull you out of a bad mood?

DH, my dog, a bubble bath, or music usually do the trick for me! :)

5. What is your bedtime routine?

Get everything ready for the next day, wash my face, brush my teeth, put on my pjs, and go to bed!

6. What activities did you do in High School? If you could go back, would you do the same stuff or something different?

I was a majorette... I also took dance but that wasn't with the school. I really wanted to be a cheerleader but we couldn't afford it. I was not really in to sports... wish I had played softball because I was pretty good at that.

7. What kind of books do you read?

I love Nicholas Sparks... I've read all of his books. I love anything that I can just relax and enjoy.

8. How do you see yourself in 10 years?

2 precious children, a nicer house, teaching or a SAHM

9. What’s your fear?

I fear not being able to afford this baby. I haven't written about this because I have honestly been in denial but I, along with 30 other peole in the county, was told about a week ago that we won't have jobs next year due to the budget. They go by who has the least experience and this year had to cut anyone with 4 years or less. This is the SECOND time this has happened to me. Last year I got called back and was fortunate to get my same position. This year with so many people being ahead of me on the call back it isn't looking good. I have zero interest in looking for a job and honestly who will want to hire me knowing I will be out in the beginning of the school year?

10. Would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to see outer space?

Nope

11. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

Pee... lol!

12. If you could change one thing about your significant other, what would it be?

Sometimes I don't feel like he takes my concerns seriously. He always wants to "fix" things and sometimes I just need him to hear me out because he can't fix it.

13. If you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?

I can't imagine myself having a different name. It isn't my favorite but I still can't imagine having a different one.

14. If you had to choose between six months of sun or six months of rain, what would you choose?

Sun duh!!

15. If you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?

tacos!

16. What is the thing you enjoy about blogging the most?

Writing what I feel...

17. Do you prefer salty or sweet foods?

Is it awful to say a mix of both? haha!

18. What items are in your purse right now?

Wallet, checkbook, chapstick, baby's ultrasound (I carry it with me everywhere), pen, and I had to laugh when I read Ashleigh had this because I do too... a tampon!

19. If you had to choose between vacationing at the beach or in the mountains where would you go?

Beach!


20. What do you watch on television that you know you shouldn’t?

Probably same as Ashleigh... One Born Every Minute. It scares me sometimes and makes me cry a lot but I still watch it!

okay...I tag

Anne Marie- Pardon my Disillusion
Claire-TTC and Me
Erin- The Kings
Angela- Trying to Believe