Movin' and Groovin'

Hello fair friends.  Well, I'm sorry I've been a bit absent this week but it's probably because it has been so busy and soooooooo exciting.  I know I haven't posted the 15 week update and it kind of seems silly now because as of today I am 16 weeks, but you'll find it after I tell you about this week.

After our fun shopping trip last Saturday, I decided it was time to head back to the gym.  So Monday, I went.  And I did my regular workout, only instead of three sets, I only did one set, per Trainer's instruction.  I was done fairly quickly and feeling great.  Cut to Monday night when I could barely move my legs.  Seems taking 2 months off (almost to the day) really changes how your body reacts.

Tuesday, (10/25) I could barely get out of bed.  So as I lay there contemplating how to get my jelly legs to move, I had an odd sensation in my belly.  At first I thought, "oh, that's gas." and almost immediately after that thought flitted through my head, I thought, "wait, everyone said the baby moving would FEEL like gas the first time.  Oh. My. Goodness.  I just felt the baby move!!!!!"  My hands immediately clamped on my stomach and apparently Monkey's somersault was through and s/he was back to resting comfortably on my bladder.  To try to explain further, it kind of felt like someone pushing on my belly and moving their two fingers quickly from about the middle of my belly to the far right side, but from the inside.  It was so strange.  Yet so amazing!  I haven't felt it again yet and am beginning to think it was because I was so sore that that area was the only area that COULD move!  But I happily anticipate the next one!!! 

Wednesday, although I thought good and hard about it, I did not sleep in and I went to the gym again.  This time, I did 2 sets of my workout.  I felt good afterwards, but by late afternoon, the pain was creeping into my legs again, however not my arms (and I had worked them out too).  I made it home in one piece, but about 7 pm texted Trainer and Meanie Christinie because my leg muscles were in such agony.  Both recommended a hot bath and movement, so that's what I did.  The bath helped immensely!  I was able to sleep adequately through the night and walk the next morning.

Thursday, the day wasn't bad and even walking through the grocery store was much easier than I thought it might be.  Planned to get up Friday to go to the gym again, although I knew I had a very finite period of time to do so because I had a funeral to attend that morning.

Friday, (10/28) woke up to the alarm and couldn't hold my eyes open.  I tried, I mean, I really tried to get up, but I couldn't.  I figured it was Monkey's way of telling me I needed rest.  So I did not go to the gym.  However, I did have quite the random dream that I remembered when I got up.  In the dream I was getting an ultrasound and J was with me.  However, it was a very futuristic ultrasound in that instead of seeing the baby on the screen, I was seeing kind of a hologram of the baby in my arms.  He (yes, the dream showed a boy baby) was very long, longer than I would imagine a baby to be.  So it was verified that the baby is a boy.  However, after I woke up I thought that maybe because the sonogram was so futuristic, that the dream was telling me this one would be a girl and the next one (in the future) would be a boy.  We still don't know the sex I guess.

Got up about 2 hours later than I would have to workout and got some work done, then ready for the funeral and off we went.  Mom and I had lunch after the funeral at one of my favorite places, Rosa's Mexican Food, and then it was home to work a bit more and try to nap the tears out of my eyes.  But that didn't work either.  Early evening with J and to bed.

Saturday I did make it back to the gym for episode #3 (like I had wanted) and did 3 sets of my workout.  However, I have determined that I will only be going 3 times this week and not 5 like I had originally envisioned.  Don't want to overdo it.

I happened to email Angel Ash to see if she had any insight to the sex of the baby and she responded to me this morning with the following:
"So, I asked (the angels). And I kept hearing "no." They don't want you to know right now (the sex of the baby).

I pulled a few cards asking what you need to know about the baby and I got:

YOUR DESIRE IS WITHIN REACH: saying that the baby is healthy and to release your worries.

EASY DOES IT: Do not push yourself too hard. I feel like by the end of your pregnancy, if you continue to push yourself, you may end up on bedrest. So make sure you are being kind to yourself and resting when you feel you need to rest. Also, this is asking you to let go of concerns and worries. Everything is okay. (Whew!)

SPRING: The baby is due in the spring!  (Well, we knew that!)

Sorry we don't get a boy or girl. But I literally asked the pendulum and I asked boy or girl and got "no." LOL."


So what I take from that is that we aren't supposed to know until we are supposed to know.  Now any fun ideas on how we can break it to the in-laws on Thanksgiving day?

Okay, here's the 15 week update which will be quickly followed (I promise) by the 16 week update:

Pregnancy Week 15: All About Baby

 Get out a ruler and measure 4 inches--that's about how big Baby is this week, from the top of her head to her tush. She's actually longer than that, counting legs, but since she's so tightly curled, with her legs against her chest, it's too hard to compute. So she is measured from "crown" to "rump" for the next few weeks. As she continues to gain weight, some exciting things are happening: as she sucks and swallows amniotic fluid, taste buds are beginning to appear on her tongue (isn't that cool?), and her eyes are becoming able to sense light, though her lids will still be shut like a kitten's for several more weeks.

Pregnancy Week 15: All About You

You finally look pregnant! As your bump grows, your internal organs are shifting positions to make room for your baby-to-be. Less room means you may not be able to eat large meals, but instead you'll need to eat more frequently to stay satisfied. Because of cramped tummy space, you may have heartburn, indigestion, and flatulence. Your blood flow has increased to provide extra nutrients—meaning more trips to the bathroom for you. You may also notice that you're retaining water.

Pregnancy Brain (See Mom, it does exist!)
Dropped anything lately? Tripped over nothing? Forget something you always remember—like the date? You may be experiencing a common complaint in pregnancy—scatterbrain. "Some of my patients call it 'placenta brain,'" says Dr. Joanne Motino Bailey, PhD, a certified nurse-midwife and a professor of women's studies at the University of Michigan. While there are no studies to support the existence of pregnancy scatterbrain, notes Dr. Bailey, there are some changes in your body which may account for your sudden clumsiness.

Changing center of gravity: The first reason you may be stumbling is obvious—you're getting bigger. As your belly grows outward, your whole center of gravity is thrown. After walking perfectly for years, your body now has to constantly realign itself to keep you upright—no wonder you're tripping.
While your baby-to-be is well cushioned in your belly, falling wouldn't be good for either of you. Opt for sneakers or flats instead of high heels. Take stairs slowly. And be mindful of your movements to avoid any serious spills.

Retaining water: Another reason you may think your losing your mind—your gripping sensation may be different because you're retaining water. Your swollen fingers may make it more difficult to pick something up. (Think about how much harder it is to grab something up with fuzzy gloves on.)

Loosened joints: For your belly to house your growing baby, your skin, muscles, and joints stretch and loosen. A pregnancy hormone, appropriately called relaxin, triggers this change. Just like you need to keep in mind your changing center of gravity, remember that your muscles aren't as tight as in pre-pregnancy days—take it easy!

Fatigue: "We all know that we're not at our best when we're tired," says Dr. Bailey. "During pregnancy your body is under a great deal of stress, but it's hard to take the time out for an extra hour of sleep, which is really what you need." So it's not surprising that your constant state of tiredness may leave you not as sharp as in pre-pregnancy days.

If however, you find yourself overly clumsy, let your healthcare provider know about it. There may be something more going on than loose joints and lack of sleep.

You may be now experiencing the happiest pregnancy symptom of all—your baby is most likely a regular wiggler now! You may begin to feel a fluttering in your uterus.  (I did, and I happily anticipate it returning!)

So there you have it folks!  I'm off to make some Snickerdoodle cookies (my favorite) and watch my favorite Halloween movie to get ready for tomorrow (don't laugh, it's Hocus Pocus, I don't like scary movies!) 

Happy Halloween and Happy Sunday!

Scratching and Stretching and Shopping

Hello friends...I know I've been a bit absent this week and it's only because we've been really busy.  We are now in trimester #2 (I have to remind myself of that lately!) and are really feeling like this will all work out.  As the title suggests, I've been itchy which leads to scratching.  I put a lot of lotion on my belly to hopefully help with stretch marks, and everywhere else, but I'm still itchy, belly, boobs, everything!  The other thing I am noticing is a stretching in my belly...I just feel like my abdomen is constantly being stretched, but I'm sitting still.  (To understand this effect, reach one of your arms across your body and stretch your tricep...that's how my belly feels 24/7 these days.)  

And lastly, J and I had our first baby shopping excursion.  We are starting on the nursery and somewhere I read that ordering furniture can sometimes take 10-12 weeks to receive.  So yesterday that's what we did.  I had searched Target.com to see things I liked, then printed them out so we had pricing.  We definitely want a crib that converts to a toddler bed and a full size bed, usually a little more money but will be around for a nice long time.  I asked my Facebook Mommies where to go and they responded in spades with many ideas, most of which we hit yesterday.  Babies R Us seemed to be the best place and not as expensive as we thought it might be.  Found a set we liked, although not the right color.  One of the suggestions on FB was to find the set you liked, then look for it on Amazon.com where sometimes the options are more diverse as far as colors, cheaper and usually free shipping.  So that's the next step.  I took pictures of the set we like, the name, the cost, etc. and now the research will begin.  J was a trooper, and at the end I think he cared more than I did.  I was just done! 

And I am very sad to say that after visiting 7 stores and walking around not a crazy amount, I am a bit sore today.  Just my calves are a little tender, but compared to what I used to put my body through and not get sore, this is not okay.  Which only means one thing, I need to get back to the gym and get back to where I was...maybe not weight wise with the baby coming, but at least where I can walk around and not get tired.  It is time.  My goal is at least twice this week, if not 3 times and then all 5 days next week.  Will keep you posted...have really loved sleeping in those extra 2 hours, but need to get used to less sleep and more being in shape!

In other news, I was able to sell my 2nd fertility binder to a lovely woman named Vonda (http://gaffordcrew.blogspot.com/) and according to the review below she loved it.  I couldn't help but share it with you! 

From Vonda: I stumbled upon this blog last year sometime and I’ve been reading it ever since! Of course I am talking about Nikusroad.blogspot.com. I feel like I know Niki, maybe its because I feel like she writes like she knows me! Anyways, in her blog writing she’s talked about the binder she uses to keep herself organized. Now don’t get me wrong, I am actually a pretty organized mom, if for any other reason I have a couple of boys that are extremely involved and it’s my job to get them where they need to be when they need to be there!

But me myself, not so organized… I wait til the last minute for everything if its just about me… I guess it’s the nature of taking care of others first! So like I said I have a busy crazy life with my hubby and boys… the only thing missing is a sweet baby girl. A couple of years ago I finally convinced my husband to let us try one more time for another baby. The problem is that I had my tubes tied after my little guy and so we knew it was going to be an ordeal. I wont bore you with the details, I will just tell you its been a messy adventure… We now know that our only safe option is IVF. After we learned that, I remembered Niki’s binder and decided I probably needed to be a whole lot more organized…

Niki was awesome to work with and had my binder to me in no time. We are moving forward with our treatments soon and I already feel relieved just having the last 2 years documented nice and neat! She customized my binder for me, I picked the fabric, what years I wanted represented and she even put an extra tab for in there for ‘baby year 1’. She thought of everything, all the information I could ever need is now at my fingertips. She personalized my binder in every way, one of my favorites though is the personal note in the front of the binder and the very sweet handwritten thank you card. Thanks Niki for helping this girl organize her steps to realizing her baby dreams. I love that you took your idea and made it available for other women who need simplicity in what can a difficult time!

Binders are still for sale and there are more than just infertility...well, presently just infertility and baby, but if I start to get more interest, maybe more will be birthed!  Have a wonderful rest of your weekend folks and week 15 updates are coming soon about the baby!

We are so very lucky!

Hello fair Bleaders!  Well, we made it!  My 2nd trimester started Sunday!  The first trimester is the big hump where miscarriage is more probable than the other two, and we've now crossed that bridge.  Wahoo!!!!  I feel a great sense of relief!  And a little bit more energy these days.  Still waking up with a headache (at least the last 2 days) but hopefully that will subside soon as the 2nd trimester is supposed to be easier than the 1st and I'm supposed to feel like a million bucks (according to Trainer's Wife).  Let's hope she is right. 

Before, I get to talking about what progress the baby has made up to now, let me explain why we are so very lucky.  First off, we made it this far.  So many women don't.  And we have, without a lot of drama and no abnormalities thus far.  However, that isn't what makes me feel so lucky.

Last week, I stopped off at Dr. H's office for a quick visit with Holly.  I had some moderatly expensive meds that were individually packaged and since the pharmacy wouldn't give me a refund, I asked Holly if I could donate them to her for another patient, since they had given me some freebees I wanted to return the favor.  Holly, of course, accepted enthusiastically and told me she had just the couple to give them to. 

Dr. H is currently treating a couple who have a 3 year old daughter who needs a bone marrow transplant.  So the parents of this little angel are trying desperately to get pregnant with a miracle child to cure their other child.  Talk about pressure!  We simply wanted to get pregnant to have a child.  These parents need to get pregnant to save their other child.  And not only that, the child they do get pregnant with needs to be a perfect bone marrow match!  I can't even begin to imagine.  I thought this process was stressful for me, but I can't imagine what they are going through.  So Bleeps, that puts it all in perspective, we are very lucky.  I was more than happy to give Holly whatever we had left over that she would accept and I only wish I could have done more to help.  Please keep them in your thoughts, they need all the help they can get.

I also had taken in some ultrasound pictures to show off, because who better to show than the nurse that helped create that baby?!  She loved looking at them because as she said, "they only get to see them about 8 weeks when there is just a little blip of heartbeat, not when there is a nose, and arms and legs!"  She was very excited and told me at least twice that I looked great. 

Also, something interesting happened in the waiting room while I was waiting for Holly.  There was another couple sitting in there and I don't know what they were there for exactly, but I had an idea (obviously).  They paid me no mind when I walked in and was sitting waiting.  But after having this conversation with Holly (in the hallway out of their eyeline), when I walked out I had their undivided attention.  I felt like living proof that IVF can work and things can go smoothly.  Who knows what was said after I left, ultrasound photos in hand, and maybe nothing was.  But if I gave them even a smidgen of hope that they could be in my shoes soon, then I'm a happy lady. 

Now for a baby update:
How your baby's growing:

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

How your life's changing:

Welcome to your second trimester! Your energy is likely returning, your breasts may be feeling less tender, and your queasiness may have completely abated by now. If not, hang on — chances are good it will soon be behind you (although an unlucky few will still feel nauseated months from now).

The top of your uterus is a bit above your pubic bone, which may be enough to push your tummy out a tad. Starting to show can be quite a thrill, giving you and your partner visible evidence of the baby you've been waiting for. Take some time to plan, daydream, and enjoy this amazing time. It's normal to worry a bit now and then, but try to focus on taking care of yourself and your baby, and having faith that you're well equipped for what's ahead.

Now for the personal update from me: 
Like I said, the last two days I have felt a wee bit better.  Saturday I did a bit of maternity clothes shopping.  MBM's sister had given me a huge wardrobe of maternity clothes that I went through and then passed some on to another friend, but the one thing missing was some great jeans.  As we get closer to winter, I live in my jeans, so that's what I needed.  Having already had a bunch of tops and dress pants, I was willing to spend a little more for jeans if I could find them.  Motherhood Maternity really delivered and now I've got 2 new pairs of very stylish jeans that are a bit dressier that I love.  Also found a few tops at Kohl's that were on clearance.  I was kind of disappointed by the department store's (Kohl's and Old Navy's) selection of maternity clothes.  Old Navy's was tucked in almost a back corner of the store with maybe 2 small racks, whereas Kohl's was tucked between "Women" and "Girls" with only about 4 racks.  I know there are stores that specialize in maternity clothes, but they are dang expensive!  Thankfully MBM's sister gave me a bunch, otherwise I'd be out a pretty penny today!

And Sunday I actually had enough energy to clean!  J is overjoyed! (Smile) I did the floors, vacuumed, cleaned bathrooms, cleaned carpets, paid bills, did laundry, and was actually not a bump on the couch.  Like I said, I still wake up with headaches, but the morning sickness is less and less.  Have started to have more of an appetite, but not back to normal at all.  We'll get there I know. 

Now for a sad note.  You all know how much I follow Guiliana Rancic because of her and her husband's battle with infertility. Well, Mama K alerted me this morning that it was announced that she has breast cancer that was discovered because of her 3rd IVF cycle.  Here's the story from the Today Show:

So please say a little prayer for Guiliana that she not only beats breast cancer but that she gets to have the baby that she and Bill have been trying so hard to get, the baby that will hopefully have saved her life!

Again, I feel so lucky today due to both of these stories.  And I hope you are lucky too!

13 weeks....one away from the 2nd trimester

Hello Bleeps.  Can you believe we have progressed this far?  I am officially 13 weeks pregnant, which puts me just at the door of the 2nd trimester.  If all is true, next week I should feel much better and dare I say, human, again.

Here's what BabyCenter says about the 13th week of pregnancy:

How your baby's growing:
Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

How your life's changing:
This is the last week of your first trimester, and your risk of miscarriage is now much lower than earlier in pregnancy. Next week marks the beginning of your second trimester, a time of relative comfort for many women who see early pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness and fatigue subside. More good news: Many couples also notice a distinct libido lift around this time. Birth is still months away, but your breasts may have already started making colostrum, the nutrient-rich fluid that feeds your baby for the first few days after birth, before your milk starts to flow.

So how am I actually feeling?  I go back and forth from feeling fine, to having a headache, dry heaving, and ready to collapse into a nap at any moment.  I'm hoping most of that goes away next week or so.  I'm also not really hungry, which while it seems good isn't the best because I get to the point of having a headache and feeling dizzy, and realize I haven't eaten for a few hours.  So then I eat whatever is near, and that isn't always healthy, although I am trying!!!!!

J and I went to see Dr. OB this morning for my monthly check-up.  I was weighed (and I had weighed at home this morning) and was up a couple pounds, but not as dramatic as I thought it might be.  Blood pressure taken and according to Nurse Shari, it was exactly (EXACTLY) what it was last time, which was great.  Time to see Dr. OB.  We chatted for a bit and she told us she had gotten the results of the Ultrascreen (the test that was Friday) and everything was perfect.  No abnormalities for us!!  YAY!  And didn't have to wait until the 17th either!  Thank goodness.  Then, she pulled out her handy-dandy fetal doppler and it was time to hear the baby's heartbeat.  While she was looking, she asked me if I had any feelings about the sex.  We told her we both keep calling Monkey a "he" inadvertently, but I really have no feeling either way yet.  Then, she found that little drum inside my belly.  Boy was it beating like crazy!  She said it was about 150 beats per minute (bpm).  I asked if higher meant girl or boy, and she said that was a wives tale.  So, no indication yet.  However, we do have our appointment to find out the sex of the baby - November 22nd.  The day before my birthday and my parents' anniversary.  Will have to come up with something fun to do for that.  And it's right before Thanksgiving so will see the in-laws most likely...maybe we'll get a cake with pink or blue inside for them to find out the sex.  Hmmm....that'd be fun.  We'll see.

Asked a couple questions of Dr. OB (what position should I be sleeping in? Can I eat feta cheese? Can I switch back to skim milk now - Dr. H had me drinking whole milk? Can I go in our hot tub? Are there any dietary needs I need to be meeting right now?) and she gladly answered (sleep however is comfy; can eat feta if it is pasteurized; can switch back to skim; can go in hot tub as long as it isn't hotter than my body temp, or just feet; and just eat what is good, but watch the weight gain).  Headaches are hormonal and should go away soon.  Drink lots of water and gatorade is good too.

As far as cravings go, I would say I had my first real one yesterday. I had a dream about pumpkin bread and woke up craving it to no end.  I woke up at 5 am, when to the bathroom and then back to bed but couldn't really go back to sleep. I actually considered getting up and making pumpkin bread! J surely would have liked that.  But I didn't have the energy to do that.  Thankfully, Starbucks delivered and they had my pumpkin bread, although not as good as mine or Mom's. 

I guess that's all for today folks.  I'm hoping to feel good enough to hit the gym in the next few weeks, and head back to boot camp with Meanie Christinie, Lobster and Robot.  We'll see.  Alright, talk to you soon!  Have a great Tuesday!