21 weeks

Woah. So I skipped a week, the big halfway mark! I was out of town and Trevor had drill, that week turned into two and here we are.

In general, all is well. I'm feeling kicks (punches? Who knows what really, but something) and seeing them now, too. Trevor hasn't seen it yet, but he felt it a month ago. Last weekend when he was at drill I caught a kick on video so he has seen that, pretty cool. We both got to feel some pretty strong kicks tonight. I'm feeling good, still have mucous in my throat but it doesn't seem as bad. I gag occasionally, but not often. For the most part, I have plenty of energy. I get winded a little easier but I'm back into walking as usual. I've been suffering through diarrhea all day, but Trevor has, too, so I'm not sure I can call that a pregnancy symptom. He has, at some point, had every pregnancy symptom I have though so maybe!

The nursery is coming along well. Since we moved here it's been a giant storage closet, but the clutter and junk is slowly finding its way out. And just as soon as we clear a spot, baby stuff filters in. The crib is put together, looks good! The dresser is set up and quickly filling with clothes. It's all starting to feel more real now that the room is coming together and my belly is actually looking pregnant.

This week's pregnancy question: registry item tips? Must haves? Over-rated stuff?

-A

19 weeks

This was a big week for us! I'm a couple days late in posting but Trevor's been pretty busy on the computer and I keep forgetting to take the weekly photo.

Let's see...feeling really good! The throat mucous is still there but not as bad. I get winded and back pain fairly quickly these days. I'm still feeling kicks, actually saw one today. My appetite is improving. According to my records I'm up about 8 pounds right now which is okay but I've got some room to gain. We've made some progress in cleaning out baby's room and Trevor started putting together the dresser tonight. I'm back to walking regularly which feels great. I tried to walk at least a couple times a week when I was feeling crappy but now it's much easier.

And for the excitement of the week...we had the big ultrasound Friday. We weren't planning on funding out the sex, but Trevor changed his mind and I figured he could win this one. He said knowing the sex would help him picture/plan for baby better; he wanted to know if this is his son or daughter. Coming from my very medical and scientific husband who has always just used the word "fetus" until now, I couldn't say no. We didn't actually get confirmation at the ultrasound that everything is okay, the techs can't really tell you that, but it was pretty cool to see baby in there! Trevor got to see it all, she only turned the screen for me every so often. Side note: my instructions were to arrive with a very full bladder. I had to pee so badly I peed half an hour before my appointment and slammed more water to fill it back up. When they called my name and asked how I was doing I said, "good but I really have to pee!" Then she told me I didn't need a full bladder and the clinic should have known that, so I got to use the bathroom, phew! Baby was moving all over during the ultrasound so it took a little effort to get all the shots she needed. She told us she would tell us the sex as soon as she could tell but baby wasn't making it easy. She even showed us the 3D image - wasn't expecting that. Honestly I think it's a bit weird, but it was kind of cool to see a real face...and a cute little Gibbs nose (I was hoping for that). Anyway, the photos below are the 3D image, a thumb sucking shot, and, for those of you who are familiar, the "three lines" money shot showing IT'S A GIRL!

After the appointment we almost forgot we planned to do our registry, so we headed to Target. I had done some research online, talked to friends and come up with a pretty good list of what we needed. Luckily we've been blessed with some wonderful friends and family who have gotten us some things already, and some friends who have been thrilled to get rid of no longer needed baby items. Even having a lot of stuff already and a list and lots of experience with babies, registering was a bit of a headache. I know how easy it can be to go overboard with cute baby things or stuff you think you'll need but actually never use. Plus I'm not very girly, thus, so far baby girl is getting lots of gender neutral type things. Which is fine anyway because someday there will be a Baby Gibbs #2.

I think that covers the highlights of the week! That and I'm on my phone and sick of typing this out, time to relax!

-A

18 weeks

I'm a day late, but I wasted most of yesterday napping...and cleaning...and napping.

Life is good! Starting to get the hang of this pregnancy stuff I think. I'm finally starting to feel really good, the worst symptom I've had this week is constant mucous in my throat. I'm sleeping through the night most nights and only having occasional back pain. My frequent poor posture is probably just as much to blame as pregnancy.

We had a doctor's appointment on Monday. Most of these appointments are quick and easy, but as far as we can tell all is well. We got to hear baby's heartbeat (150-it's normal for it to go down as the baby grows). Remember how I said I've been feeling kicks (17 weeks post)? We heard them when the doctor was using the Doppler to listen to the heart beat. She commented that we've got an active baby since she had to keep moving the Doppler around to follow the heart beat. I'm pretty sure they tell everyone their baby is active, but it was all still fun.

Not only am I/we feeling kicks, there have been a couple times baby has shoved his/her butt (or something?) up against me and I can feel the pressure (like a balloon expanding or something) then if we touch from the outside it's really hard. Trevor even played a little game of tag or something with baby last night. Baby was kicking so I had Trevor feel. He pushed, baby pushed back, then again a couple more times.

I think that's all for this week! Maybe not. Who knows. My brain frequently fails me. Pregnancy brain is a real thing, people.

Oh, and the photo. I just took this at bedtime so of course I look a little bigger, but you get the point.

-A

17 weeks

Or roughly the equivalent of 4 months. This has been a great week! It appears my belly has decided to just round out completely, as you can see. Baby isn't anywhere to be found in there though, he/she is still pretty darn low and about 5 inches long from head to rump.

We've been in Hawaii for a week which has helped make this an awesome week. To top that off, I've felt movements for the first time! It was hard to admit that's what it was at first, but as it continued to happen throughout the week I know that's what it was. I can see how people say it feels like gas, but it is different. The first few times I only felt it while sitting. Then, last night, I felt it while lying down...and so did Trevor! I didn't think he'd feel it for a few weeks but I kept trying and he actually felt it last night. Very cool! I'm excited to feel other movements, so far it's just been the little jabs.

Our next appointment is Monday and it's just a quick check in and hearing the heartbeat. Then in a few weeks we'll have the big anatomy scan (the one where we're not finding out the sex).

Here's this week's photo. No numbers but hopefully the ocean makes up for it. See the rounding out? I feel like I just look Thanksgiving full all the time.

16 weeks

This is my first post using the Blogger iPhone app so hopefully it turns out fine. It's been a good week! Still gagging some but much less. I'm starting to have more energy which is really exciting! I'm taking half a Unisom at night just until we get back from vacation then I'll try quitting it again.

My belly seems about the same size, still bloating like crazy by the end of each day. We had Trevor's unit formal last weekend and I was up, at the bar and feeling okay until 1:30 am - unreal!

For the past week or so I have been feeling twinges in my uterus area. From what I've read it could be my muscles stretching or it could be baby. Twinges is the best way I can describe it. It's not painful, not a twitch like when your eye twitches, just a twinge. I've been trying to find a pattern but I don't think there really is one.

I think that's all the updates for now. Time to board our flight to Maui!

15 weeks.

This past week has been pretty good, I must say.  My appetite has been improving and there are foods that actually sound good to me.  No issues with constipation, gas or fatigue.  I think I only gagged a couple times in the last week, very exciting!  And no barfing!  I'm still taking 1/2 a Unisom at night after the barf scare I had last week, but I'm not feeling like I desperately need it each night.  I think I only had to get up in the middle of the night to pee three times which is a record so far.  The most exciting news of the week is I think I have a legitimate baby bump now.  It's pretty small and only noticeable when I wear tight clothing, but it's there.  I still get bloated and by the end of the day my belly feels huge, but this is the photo I took right when I woke up this morning, before eating anything.  Trevor took the picture, I should give credit where credit is due since he was less than thrilled to have a camera thrown at him the second he opened his eyes.

It looks like I'm slouching, but I'm really not, just the belly starting to stick out.  Cheese still tastes particularly good...and sweet corn, I could eat that all day.  I guess it's been a pretty uneventful week, but I'm perfectly fine with that.

Trevor and I are going to Hawaii next week.  I'm really looking forward to the vacation, just not the journey there.  We have a layover on our way there and back and I am not a fan of those at all.  I have to get up and walk around every hour and a half to prevent blood clots because of all the extra blood pregnancy creates.  Better yet, our flight home departs at 10pm so I'll be up all night walking around the plane, pretty exciting, eh?  Anyway, this leads me to this week's pregnancy question: What are your best tips for travel during pregnancy?  Oh, and thanks to everyone for the answers to the weekly questions both on the blog and in private.  It's been fun to get the input from all of you!

-A

14 weeks

For the most part, this has been a good week.  I've discovered two favorites, can't say I'd call them cravings, but I now really love eating slices of mild cheddar cheese and salad (specifically the kind you get at a salad bar with shredded carrots and cabbage, right? that's cabbage?) with French dressing.  Those are some pretty good favorites if I do say so myself.

I've been getting lightheaded at times, usually in the morning, so I try to make it a point to get plenty of fluids.  I let myself have one big glass of the Lipton sweetened iced tea a day (ok occasionally 2 glasses) then the rest is usually water.  I drink that sparkling water like nobody's business; the burps make me feel better if I need it, too.  My appetite in general seems to be getting better, thankfully, now I just try to stay on top of making healthy choices.  Some days I would love a nice, big sandwich piled with cold deli ham, but I'm following the no lunch meat rule.  Some people say it's fine, but I think I'll survive without it.

Overall I've been feeling pretty good, less tired, less nauseous.  In fact, Sunday night I stopped taking my Unisom.  Monday afternoon I started to feel kind of crummy and as soon as I got home from work I threw up, and it was a doozy.  First time I threw up from actually feeling crappy and not from gagging.  So, that night I was back on the Unisom, but I think the combination of food/fluid loss and having been off the meds, I still wasn't feeling right on Tuesday.  I went into work Tuesday morning at 8, left at 8:30 and threw up by 8:45.  I have been taking the 1/2 Unisom every night and have been feeling just fine, so I figure I'll give it another couple weeks.  I don't want to jinx it, but my gagging problem seems to be improving a bit, not a lot, just a bit.  Speaking of jinxing, I haven't wanted to mention this either, but here it goes.  My acne has been at its worst in recent years.  I was even given a few different medications for it (that I had to stop when trying to conceive).  I assumed it would go hog wild after stopping the prescriptions, especially getting pregnant right away, but by some miracle my skin has been clearer than it's been in a long time.  I realize I have a long way to go yet and that could change at any time, but I'll take it for now!

They say frequent urination typically goes away in your second trimester then comes back in the third.  I'm excited to announce I only had to get up in the middle of the night to pee 4/7 nights the past week!  Such a big accomplishment.  And I think that's all the excitement I've got for now.  I took two pictures this week because I've been getting a few comments here and there about my "bump."  I'm certainly not offended, but I wanted to prove that my "bump" is actually bloat.  I'm rounding out just a tad, but anything noticeable to others at this point is bloating.  The first photo I took right when I woke up and the second I took around 5pm after eating a couple meals and snacking.  See the difference? :)

P.S. anyone else who's documented a pregnancy in photos find it very difficult not to suck your belly in? 

This week's first time mom question: I'm almost positive we'll skip the crib bumpers, but just out of curiosity what are your thoughts on them?

-A