Outta here

Less than 1 hour and I'll be on the road to Florida with my crew...aka D and the dog. Thank goodness for the new ride and XM radio. We are pumped. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and censor D out of them so that I can share on here! ;)

Speaking of our pup, she has learned a new trick. Molly is now able to jump by herself from the floor up onto our bed. Needless to say, we are verrrryyy impressed (eye roll). Good thing she decided to learn this before "stay", which she confuses with "shake", or even come close to heeling. It is also very convenient after D leaves at 5:40 am and I am on my last 30 minutes of sleep. Her favorite cuddle spot is on top of my head...aka..."get up Mom!"

Here's princess on the couch...the other no zone.

We still love her way too much. Hopefully we are able to get her to learn a few things before we have someone else around to take up all of our attention!

Hope everyone has a fun weekend and I'll be back with a Week 17 post before you know it...we're getting close to half baked!

xo,

H

On a serious note

Today I want to write about something that's been weighing on my mind for the majority of my pregnancy up until now. Although I don't believe that any of my readers are pregnant (hey, you never know!), I think that it is nice to be informed of what will come your way when you are. If you want to be surprised, then skip this post starttttinngggg now.

Inevitably there are going to be a lot of tests that come your way as soon as you start your OB appointments. Blood tests for everything under the sun, a glucose test in later weeks, and even things that are looked for on an ultrasound. What I have found to be the most controversial and scary of all of these is called a "Triple Screen" or "Quad Screen" depending where you have it done and what they are testing for.

This blood test is meant to tell you the probability that your child could end up with neural tube defects, Downs Syndrome, as well as other genetic problems.

Sounds like something you'd want to be aware of, right? Well...maybe not.

The way it works is all based on numbers. Let's say you're 25 years old. Off hand the average 25 year old has a 1 in 1,000 chance of having a baby with Downs Syndrome. (35 years old is 1 in 500 and 45 is 1 in 250) The way this test works your results indicate whether you have more or less of a chance based on that age scale. Most doctors will give you the option of additional testing if you come up with a result that is in the 1 in 200 range. (Still less than a 1% chance!)

I'm the kind of person that wants to know everything I can about what is going on with my body, probably to a fault, so when I first heard about this test and found out that it was optional I definitely planned on taking it. Then I did a little more research and talked to this nurse that I'm pretty close with...haha, hi mom. Turns out that with people in my age group chances of getting a "false positive" are almost just as likely, if not more, than getting correct information. Also- if you plan on having your child no matter what the prognosis, is it really worth the stress of getting worked up over potentially incorrect results? I'm clearly not an expert here, but I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to be "ready" to have a baby whether it turns out to be perfectly healthy or has other things for us to deal with, so why spend the next 5 months over analyzing?

Here's some additional info I found online:

http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/afp/a/afptesting.htm

The controversy in these tests lies in many places. One of which is the accuracy of the screenings. While some claim that they have only a 5% "false positive" rate, most research finds that there are 80+% rate of positive tests while the baby is unaffected. The false positive rates depend on many factors, including appropriate gestational age, maternal age, weight and the presence of diabetes.


False positives may not seem like a problem, however, there are follow up tests that are done that do carry risks, like amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS), which does carry a 1 - 2% rate of fetal loss. The standard is usually to repeat the AFP or triple screen. Another positive screen will then go to the Level II Ultrasound. Ultrasound can even be used to detect some of the anomalies associated with Downs Syndrome. If the ultrasound doesn't find a mix up in gestational age, or a multiple pregnancy, an amniocentesis is generally the next step.

Whether or not to have the test is a very hard decision and a very personal one. Some women feel that no matter what is wrong that they would not terminate the pregnancy, and therefore do not want the test. While others are very happy to have the normal results, even knowing that there are no guarantees.

Off my soap box now. :) I just figured that if I had put as much thought into it as I have, that it will likely affect most of you similarly. I'll hold off on anymore thought provoking posts for awhile, promise!

xo,
H

Vacay countdown

Only the rest of work today and tomorrow before we hit the road for Florida! My mom is boarding her plane right now and will get there tonight...so jealous. We are going to leave straight from work around 4 pm tomorrow and try to drive till midnight so that we get there around lunch time on Friday. I actually really enjoy road trips, so I'm looking forward to the whole weekend!

Before we leave there are a couple things that need to fall into place:

1. I need my husband to plant his two feet back on the ground. He has a jump this morning and for whatever reason I've been way more nervous than usual. Don't worry, he says that he is taking his phone along and plans to snap a pic as he falls through the air. Awesome. If he actually does take one I will try to post it here for you guys to check out. They do jumps about once a month and inevitably someone seems to get hurt during every one. Cross your fingers that my hubby lands in one piece.

2. I need to finishing packing! This is a fun one because Momma got herself a couple more packages in this week. :) I am the proud new owner of some Gap skinny white denim capris, bermuda shorts in black, white and khaki, a cute little dress, and a couple of tops that are still far too large- but adorable. See evidence below:

See...pregnant women can look cute! Also, my new piece of advice is even though you feel like a house, buy maternity clothes in your pre-preggo size. I was worried about not sizing up, but I'm SO glad I didn't. Finally I can say that I have 6's that fit like a glove...and the best part is that I don't even have to button them!

3. We are going to dinner with one of D's best friend's father tonight. He is in town for business (I guess he does something involving sales on military posts?) and wants to meet up at one of our fine establishments. Should be fun.

anddd that's pretty much it. Not too much keeping us from getting outta here, so we should be golden. Really the purpose of this post was just to brag about my snazzy new gear. ;) Don't worry, I already have another post planned for before we leave...and I might even schedule one to post while I'm gone so you're not left without baby babble for 4 days!

xo,

H

Gender Predictors

Here’s a list of pregnancy old wives tales that I've found through various websites. I've color coded according to what we should be having based on the theory! Most of them just sound plain ridiculous, so at least this will be entertaining...

Heart Rate:
If the baby’s heart rate is above 140 bpm, it is said that the baby will be a girl. If it is under 140 bpm, then it will be a boy.

Shape of Belly:
If you are carrying high with a big, round belly, you are having a girl. If you are carrying low with a smaller belly that sticks straight out, it’s a boy.
-Too early!

Shape of Mom’s Face:
When your face gets fuller and rounder when pregnant, it means you’re going to have a girl. If your face is long and narrow, it’s a boy.

Key Test:
This test involves a key. If you pick up a key at the top (the roundest part), you are going to have a boy. If you pick up the key at the bottom (smallest part), you are going to have a girl. If you happen to grab the key in the middle, congrats, it’s twins!
-This one is so silly I won't even try it...you know I'll pick it up at the top on purpose!

Mayan Tale:
The Mayan tale adds the mothers age at conception and the year of conception. If the result is a even number then mom is having a girl. If the result is an odd number then a boy is on the way!

Drano Test:
The drano test combines a tablespoon of Drano and urine together. If the mixture turns green, it’s a girl. If it turns blue, it’s a boy.
-Haven't tried this yet...and probably won't!

Acne
If you have acne while pregnant, it’s a girl. It’s thought that acne during pregnancy is caused by the extra hormones.

Cravings:
People believe that if you are craving salty foods while pregnant, you can count on having a boy. If you crave sweets, fruit, and orange juice, you are having a little girl.

Smell of Garlic:
If a pregnant woman eats a clove of garlic and the smell does not come out of her pores, it’s a girl. If the smell seeps out of her pores, it’s a boy.
-I eat lots of garlic and haven't gotten any complaints, but I don't think I'm going to down a clove of it anytime soon!

History of Parent’s Kids:
You can find out the sex by going off of your parent’s kids and the order. If you are the first born, you will have what your mother had but starting with her second child. If you are the middle child, you will have what she said, but starting with the third child. If you are the last child, you will have what your mother had in the exact order. I think this tale only works when the parent’s had three kids.

Time of Conception:
The person that is most aggressive in bed at the time of conception is the opposite of what the baby will be.
-Uhh, hi Mom. Haha...

Legs:
If your legs get really big, you’re having a boy. If your legs stay in shape and lean, it’s a girl.

Moodiness and a Little Pecker:
If you are really moody, you are having a girl since you have another extra girl hormones in you. Your pregnancy will make you smile and be more happy if you are having a boy because there’s a little penis inside you. Gross and weird! Not sure how true this is, but it sure does make me laugh!

Bread:
If you eat the ends of bread, it’s a boy. If you eat the middle of the loaf, it’s a girl.

Chinese Gender Chart:
The Chinese Gender Chart claims to have an accuracy rate of over 90%. It is based on how old the mother is at conception and the month that she conceived.

Mom’s Beauty:
Basically you are having a girl if your beauty disappears during pregnancy. It is said that the girl “steals” the mother’s beauty. If you think that pregnancy has never made you look more beautiful, you might just be having a little boy.

Dream of Sex of Baby:
If you have dreams that you are having a boy, you will have a girl. If you dream about having a girl, it will be a boy. Dreams show the opposite of what you are having.

Clumsy vs. Graceful:
If the pregnant woman is graceful throughout her pregnancy, she’s having a girl. If she becomes clumsy, she’s having a boy. (I tripped twice and attempted to pee in a dark Sonic parking lot- all within a week. Grace, I am not.)

Side You Most Rest On:
If a pregnant woman prefers to lay on her left side, she’s having a boy. If she prefers resting on her right side, she’s having a girl. This might just be because that is the way the couch faces the TV!

Hands:
When the pregnant woman is asked to show her hands, it’s a boy if she keeps her palms down and a girl if she shows her palms up. Random.

Dad’s Weight Gain:
If the dad-to-be gains weight while you are pregnant, it’s a girl. If he doesn’t gain weight, you’re having a boy.

Breast Test:
If a pregnant woman’s left breast is larger than the right breast, she’s having a girl. If the right breast is larger, it’s a boy.

Necklace Over Hand:
Have someone hold a necklace over your hand. If the necklace swings back and forth, it’s a boy. If it moves in a circle, it’s a girl.
-Haven't done this either.

What Do You Think?:
71% of the time, the mom-to-be knows what she is having.

Morning Sickness:
If you had a smooth pregnancy with no morning sickness, it’s a boy. If you were sick or felt really nauseous during your pregnancy, count on a girl.

Areolae:
If your areolae (the part around your nips) have darkened, it’s a boy.

Protein:
When a pregnant woman craves meat and cheese, count on a boy.

Feet:
Are your feet colder now that you are pregnant? If so, you just might be having a boy. If your feet have stayed the same before pregnancy and during, you’re having a little girl.

Hair on Legs:
If the hair on your legs has been growing at record speeds, you might be having a boy.

Hands are Dry:
If your hands are constantly dry, it’s a boy.

Urine:
What color is your pee? If it is bright yellow, you will have a little boy. If your urine is a dull yellow, plan on a girl.
-It varies depending on how much water I've downed and if I've taken my prenatal vitamin yet!

Nose:
Do you feel like your nose is growing and getting wider? If so, you might be having a boy.

Headaches:
If you are having headaches, you might be carrying a boy.

Baby Names:
It is said that when you can only think of specific names for a boy or a girl, you will have that particularly baby.

There you have it. The least scientific gender test you will ever read. Hope you rolled your eyes as many times as I did going through it. Now look on the upper right side of my blog and take the poll!

xo,
H

I'm baaaacckkkk

Well, that was quick and easy! We got to take vitals, hear the heartbeat and go over my laundry list of questions...my kind of appointment. We also got to make our next ultrasound appointment, which I will reveal the date of later in this post. Hah...so mysterious!

As far as vital stuff goes, my heart rate is good, and of course they have me weighing two pounds heavier than what the scale at home says. That puts me at a 4.5 lb weight gain with the hospital since the first charted me at 8 weeks, and an about an 8 lb weight gain in real life. That's not too awful. The nurse that takes all of my info down remembered us from our 10 week appointment and was hilarious. Picture, if you will, a more robust Whoopi Goldberg. She predicted we're having girl, because "I look like someone who should have a girl" (D proceeded to go pale). Then she mentioned that "who knows, we could be having twins"...(D starts to sweat)...and finally asks if I'm carrying my weight "up top". I started laughing, which she took as a yes and announced that it's going to be a boy! I had to mention to her that I also am carrying more junk in the trunk too, so I wasn't sure about her theory. She just looks at D, says "you have fun now, ya hear?" and then instructs me not to come back until I have a belly to show her. If I hadn't already peed approximately 23 times already today I probably would have wet my pants (umm, or dress...).

In baby news, our little avocado's heart rate is 156 bpm and sounding great! He literally put the Doppler in the right spot on the first try and we heard it loud and clear. No big baby news other than our first ultrasound looked good and were cleared to schedule the second.

Now on to the big ultrasound date reveal...

We ran straight from Family Practice to Radiology so that we could schedule right away. When the lady at the desk asked how far along we were I proudly said "16 and half weeks" (ok, I added a day or two...) and waited for her to give us a date. June 4th was her answer. Umm, what? I was thinking more like May. Apparently this hospital likes to schedule you around 21 weeks, "in case you are really 19 weeks at the 20 week appointment."

A. Who cares? My doctor's referral says 20.

B. Hellooooo, I'll be 22 weeks the very next day!

I didn't realize point B until after we left. I wanted to be "that girl" and call the appointment line to try and change it, but D is encouraging me not to. We'll see if he sticks to that since he's the one that has to put up with my whiny ass on a daily basis, but for now June 4th it is. To keep me occupied, and to keep you guys with updates, we will have to play a little gender guessing game between now and then. I'm going to get a poll hooked up on here and do a post that goes over old wives tales so you can use that to supplement your intuition!

Sorry I don't have more exciting news, but that being said, it was a much better appointment day than the last one!

xo,

H

Appointment Day!

Good morning! Hope everyone had awesome weekends. Ours was great...slept in both days, went to a Crawfish Boil (which was seriously one of the coolest things we've done here) and had a little date night on Saturday. It all made for a nice couple of days.

I said I would take pictures of the crawfish boil, but I won't lie to you, I didn't bring my camera. Plus, I was so amazed by everything going on that people probably would have thought I was even crazier if I started snapping away, so the images here were found online.

Here's how it goes down:

You have this giant pot that has a big basket inside. The pot is connected to a gas can, like the kind you have under a grill and it heats up the water, bringing it to a boil. There is seasoning you add to the boiling water and then you can put in all sorts of veggies. We did potatoes, mushrooms, onions, corn, and sausage. While that cooks you take the crawfish and "purge" them. Which means- dump a bunch of salt on them so that they throw up everything that is in their stomachs. Gross. After you hose them down, you throw them in the boiler with some shrimp and in about 5 minutes you have a feast! The people that we were hanging out with just covered a table in their garage with newspaper and poured everything on top of that.

It was hot. Like, spicy hot. I looked over at D at one point and he literally had beads of sweat rolling down his face. Also gross. In the end, it was pretty darn good, and now I can say that I truly feel like I've been initiated to southern life.

On a more exciting note, I don't know if you picked up on this from my last post- but we have a Starbucks on post now! I've gone twice this weekend and loved every bit of it. I've been avoiding caffeine as much as possible, so their Passion Tea Lemonade is my new go-to treat. Doctors say that pregnant women can safely have about 200 mg of caffeine a day, so who knows, I might have to indulge here soon. I seriously could have a soda and cup of coffee everyday if I wanted to, but now that I've gotten used to it, I kind of like not having soda. Also, it is getting so humid here, that sticking to the basics and not having anything that can dehydrate you is probably the key to feeling as good as possible!

Now for today's appointment! Is it sad to admit that I am wearing the lightest weight work dress I own in hopes that it will help when they weigh me? Hey, my appointment is after lunch and I already know my numbers aren't going to be pretty. I actually don't know what I have to do this check-up other than hear the heartbeat and chat with the doctor about my questions. Yes, I have a list. I can't wait to find out what's going on with our little lady or man and set the big ultrasound date! I'm sure I'll be back on here this evening with the play-by-play. :) Cross your fingers that this appointment goes better than my April Fool's Day ultrasound!

xo,

H

Pregnancy Week 16

Update day! I feel like the next few weeks are going to fly by...we have a lot going on to get us from here to week 20! :) Baby M is as big as an avocado this week- and I feel like that is a pretty substantial size. We're getting bigger by the day over here. You'll see in my pictures below that we still don't have much bumpage, but are definitely getting super thick. I'll try to post a comparison from a few weeks ago to see how much change we have going on. Here are the stats...

How far along?: 16 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I'm going to wait and update you all on this after the appointment Monday afternoon. I'm thinking it went up by at least a pound this week. Ugh.

Maternity clothes?: Not totally, but now that I have some pieces to work with I have started to incorporate them into my wardrobe. The elastic banded shorts and leggings are awesome...anndddd that's one thing I never thought I'd hear myself saying.

Sleep: Another great week.

Best moment this week: Going to the new Starbucks on post on Friday!!! Ahhh, my life is complete.
Movement: I don't think so...but I'm thinking it will be soon!

Food cravings: Not this week...besides the M&M McFlurry I "had" to have on Tuesday.

Gender: Still no clue, but I should be able to give you the exact date that we will be finding out tomorrow afternoon! We're getting close people!

Belly Button: Innie

Stretchmarks?: No newbies here, but you know what little treat I do have going on? Big blue veins on my lovely lady lumps...aka chest. Very attractive.

What I miss: Running more than 3 miles without having to pee. Ordering a Grande, no foam, Skinny Vanilla Latte from Starbucks...

What I am looking forward to: My appointment tomorrow :)

Weekly Wisdom: Bring lots of healthy snacks and water to work so you aren't tempted to hit up a vending machine mid-day!
Milestones: Finally getting a hair cut. (Does that count?)

annddd your pictures:

Let's try out a comparison shot (Week 11 v. Week 16):

Ok, not as big as a difference as I thought it would be, but it feels like it. We'll try this again in a few more weeks and see if there is a little more change. I'll give you guys a weekend update tomorrow and check back in after the appointment! Check ya tomorrow.

xo,

H

Friday!

Thank sweet baby Jesus it's Friday. This week went by pretty fast and hopefully the next couple of hours continue that trend. I'm so ready to be home and put my feet up!

In recent news:

• I got my first maternity clothes order in yesterday! I now have two long, stretchy tank tops for Florida, khaki bermuda shorts, a super cute gray work dress, andddd my personal fave- black leggings. (I may or may not be wearing them right now with a long top and black flats...so comfy!) All of the bottoms have so much belly room, which makes me feel less sausage-like and more "with child". The worst feeling the last couple of weeks has been any kind of squeezing in the stomach region due to my ever shrinking wardrobe. Can't wait for my next couple packages.
  
• Molly is scheduled to get spayed the week we get back from our little vacay. Please cross your fingers that she doesn't go into heat between now and then, because she is definitely right at the age where that starts to happen. I'd rather not have to break out the doggy diapers...
  
• I got a trainer! This wasn't really a necessity, but more like a nice to have that has worked out. I've seen several great looking pregnant women at the gym and when I interrupted their workouts to try and find out what their secret was (yes, I did this), they all had the same answer: get a trainer. I'll meet up with my new main man once a week for an hour and he'll give me a basic workout schedule for the rest of the week. We will modify it as I grow and have more workout restraints. I'm looking forward to everything except the 5am training time...but hey, I'll do what I have to do!

This weekend the plan is to lay low and gear up for next week's trip. We leave Thursday right from work and have a 13-15 hour drive ahead of us...which will be so worth it for a few days of relaxation and being a part of society again. It's pretty gloomy here so we're going to catch up on some movies and if it clears up we will be going to our first crawfish bake tomorrow at a friend's house. I'll take some pictures to document the occasion if we go! :)

Before I hop off of here, let me leave you with a picture of my latest purchase. A "onesie" as my lovely husband says...

This Target number isn't maternity, but will hold me over while I'm not quite ready for a full fledged maternity suit! Cute, right?

Have a great weekend everyone! Get ready for Week 16 and appointment posts next week!

xo,

H

The new 'do...

Well, Heidi Klum I am not, but I am rocking a much shorter hairstyle. D likes it and someone at work said it makes me look "5 years younger"...sooo, I guess I'm 1 for 1? Ha. Whatever, it will grow back at warp speed thanks to prenatal vitamins and for once I have too much to worry about besides obsessing over a hairstyle. :)

Check her out...

Ok, this was after running around with Molly last night, so I'm kind of a mess.

Work today...maybe the bangs pulled back to the side equal younger?

Anyways, sorry for the lack of posting lately, I just haven't had very much to ramble on about. I'm sure I'll come up with something better than making you stare at pictures of my face soon, promise! :)

xo,

H

Pregnancy Week 15

Week 15 is here! Another one down and one week until my next appointment. Not very much to report this week in regards to change, but the baby's size can be compared to a navel orange. It's legs out-measure the arms now and it should be moving around like crazy. Just a couple more weeks until I'll be able to feel all of that movement! :)

How far along?: 15 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +6.5...but we will see what the doctor says. They weighed me at 8 weeks and are counting that as my start weight (I had already gained 4 or so pounds between the start of my pregnancy and week 8). I'm counting what I know I've really gained! I read this week that weight gain will start being 1 lb a week from here on out...uh 25 more?! We will see what they say next week!

Maternity clothes?: None yet, but I ordered some last week and they should be getting here any day now! I'll show you some of my new goods in the next few days. :)

Sleep: Awesome as of the last week!

Best moment this week: Coming home to a clean house (thank you D), getting the new ride, and having my dad visit.

Movement: Nothing yet, but soon hopefully!

Food cravings: Sweets :)

Gender: Only another month to go, but I've been feeling like it's a girl lately! (I thought boy for the first few weeks...so who really knows)

Belly Button in or out?: Innie

Stretchmarks?: Nothing new here.

What I miss: Not having to pee all the time.

What I am looking forward to: Appointment next Monday and Florida that weekend!

Weekly Wisdom: Drink more water than you think you need. Carry bottles of it everywhere.

Milestones: Next appointment will be here in no time!

Ugh...picture time.

Hope you enjoyed my "redneck" tank top, as D calls it. I still feel like I just look like I've been hitting the keg too hard or something. Hopefully I will "pop" in the next few weeks. I recently read that between weeks 16 and 20 the baby will double in size, going from about 5 inches to 10! I have a feeling that is when things will really start rounding out (hopefully just in the belly region)!

xo,

H

Have a good weekend

T-minus 30 minutes till I scoot out of the office for the next few days...ahh, how I love weekends! My dad is on his way to our place as I type this and should get here right around dinner time. I'm pretty excited for this weekend and our first experience at a Louisiana festival. They are all the rage here...CajunFest, JazzFest, CrawfishFest...and this is the time of year that they have them, before it gets too ridiculously hot.

Hope everyone has nice a nice weekend as well and is it sad that I'm already excited for Monday's 15 week post?! Let's keep these weeks moving!

xo,
H

Take Your Child To Work Day!

I got nothin' today, so just to prove that I occasionally look like an acceptable part of society, here is a work clothes pic. This was also taken much earlier than my usual picture posts, so you can see less bloat, more actual mini-bump. :)

For questions regarding why I look like I am about to fall asleep standing up, please consult Molly, who insisted on growling and barking at random house noises all through the night. She conveniently only does this when D is gone and I'm already on edge. It makes for a wonderful sleep.

Since I mentioned the pup, here's a picture of her from yesterday after our run.

We started off around the golf course loop (2.2 m) in 93 degree heat. About .75 in I got really excited when we saw a rainbow in the distance. Must have already rained! After another few minutes we get a light drizzle, which really cooled us off and felt great. Then at about 1.2 it turns into a heavy downpour, so we run really fast the rest of the way back. It was raining so hard we were both drenching and I could ring out my shirt. As we hit the top of the last hill, car 10 feet ahead, the skies opened up and the rain stopped immediately. Because of course it did.

Heading out to pick up the car now...and good thing because D has a 2am ruck march tomorrow. So thankful I don't have to drop him off!!!

xo,

H

Automobiles and Hormones

Well, we took the plunge and got a new vehicle last night. After work D and I drove to Lake Charles and got to test drive one of the Santa Fes we've been studying up on. It was awesome...well, everything except the color (red), so they are transferring another car in one of our preferred colors to the dealership and we pick it up tomorrow! We just couldn't picture ourselves with a flashy red SUV...so our new ride will be in the silver color scheme. Actually, "Iridescent Silver Blue Pearl", in case you were really concerned. :)

I think our color will be slightly darker. I'll take a picture of the real deal tomorrow!

It was so much fun to do such an "adult" task together. We were both really excited about it and this will be the first brand new vehicle that either of us has ever owned. I'll probably start driving it once I start to have trouble heaving myself out of the Accord and when the baby is here, but until then I'm really happy for D to have a nice vehicle to himself for a little bit. Back when he was finishing college his car was on the verge of dying and he had the option of getting whatever he wanted for himself. Instead of going out and getting a manly truck, or cool sports car D came home with a modest sedan, very used, so that he could continue putting his money towards a ring for me. I didn't know that was why at the time, but this would just be the start of many selfless things that he would do throughout our time dating and even more so since we've been married. I'm lucky to have such a thoughtful husband who continually surprises me with sweet gestures like planning dates, leaving me Easter baskets, or just doing silly things to make me smile every single day. He deserves way more than a new car to drive temporarily, but for now that will have to suffice. I mean, hey- I am carrying his love child. That should count for something too! ;)

I'm a mushy hormonal mess today. I even gross myself out. Ugh.

xo,

H

Onesies from Vicki's Secret

Thinking about having to find a swimsuit in my last post made me remember a conversation D and I had shortly after finding out we were pregnant. I'm sure I've already told it to several of you, but I'm going to post it here so that I'll be sure to never forget the hilarious things that have come out of his mouth the past few months...

Let's set the scene: I'm whining about what a whale I am going to be this summer and wondering how I'm going to survive being very pregnant in Louisiana...just call me Debbie Downer.

D: (Very excitedly) Hey! You get to buy a onesie this summer!

Me: (Annoyed) Yes...WE will be buying lots of onesies...

D: You know, you could get one at Victoria's Secret or something.

Me: (Confused) Wait- what are you talking about?...Do you mean a one piece bathing suit?!

D: Isn't that what you call them?!

We have a long ways to go here people. And don't worry, I have tons of conversations like this to share. :)

Weekend and Upcoming Events

I know its already Tuesday, but I can't skip out on giving you a weekend recap...

On Saturday morning we took the pup on a little trip to a lake about 20 minutes from the house. Vernon Lake is pretty big and has a sandy, almost beach-like area on its shore line. Molly was very curious to see what sand was all about and did crazy puppy sprints back and forth for awhile until we could calm her down enough to start playing with the frisbee. She had a blast. We didn't take her in the water, but plan to soon!

Later that afternoon D and I headed to Natchitoches to go see some of the shops, get ice cream (wonder who suggested that?), and check out an Alligator Farm that is a pretty big hit in our area. D was excited enough for the both of us. We drove down the sketchiest, most country road I've ever seen for about 10 minutes, passing nothing but fields and shacks until we saw a school bus that had been painted to look like an alligator. Classy. Then we drove another half mile until we pulled up to the establishment, paid our entry fee, and of course- bought little bags of food to feed the gators. The park had several displays...several of which you could lean over a wire fence and throw the feed to the animals. Very safe. They also had a live feeding every hour in which the audience got to sit on bleachers and look out at an enclosure that had a rickety old boat attached to a rope that pulled out to the middle of the water and had a man who attached chicken to a pole and would hang it over the side. The alligators would leap out of the water to grab the food, fighting, and growling to get to it first. We were impressed. I wish I could show you pictures of D- because he made me take one of him in front of every exhibit. I do have some of just the gators, so you'll have to enjoy those instead...

Big Gators...I thought these were fake at first. They're not.

The park probably had over a hundred of guys this size.

Babies

In other news, my dad is coming to visit this weekend! He has a business trip to Houston and is going to head here after his Friday meetings. We are looking forward to having another guest!

We also are looking forward to the end of this month. D has a four day weekend and we will be heading to Florida to see my grandparents and mom. Can't wait to get out of here for a few days, enjoy the sun, and eat some yummy food. Now I just have to find a bathing suit that I can squeeze myself into. Lovely.

Hope every one's days are off to a great start! :)

xo,

H

Pregnancy Week 14

Another week down! I love hitting these weekly milestones and getting my email updates on how big the baby is and what it's up to. I've also discovered that I am super competitive and get a sick satisfaction about being further along than other people when I see posts from other preggo women on thebump.com or blogs. Weird, right?

So, this week Baby M is about the size of a lemon and is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine, and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys, and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over her body for warmth. (Again, thanks bump.com for the updates!)

Now here are mine...

How far along?: 14 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +6.5...I think I spoke too soon last week about things staying consistent.

Maternity clothes?: I'm in desperate need of pants/capris, etc. I officially said "see-ya" to all size 6 shorts this weekend (anything smaller than that has been gone for awhile!), and my "fat" shorts that I could slide on and off without buttoning last summer won't even come close fitting correctly. See unflattering picture below for proof.

Sleep: The usual.

Best moment this week: Getting a little treat in the mail from my awesome sister-in-law! :) Thank you!!!

Movement: Too early still.
Food cravings: This week...I'm embarrassed to say, hotdogs. I'm like a pregnant trucker.

Gender: Still not sure...my first instinct was boy, but now I'm less convinced...

Belly Button in or out?: Very much in.

Stretchmarks?: No new ones here, thanks to my Belli oil and lotion. :)

What I miss: Not being closer to family and friends. That would make the next 5.5 months so much more exciting.
What I am looking forward to: My next appointment in 2 weeks!
Weekly Wisdom: I got nothing this week.
Milestones: Officially in the 2nd tri until week 28...that seems so far away.

This week's pics are horrendous. Don't judge:

Pardon the blurriness. I swear we will start using real cameras to take these pictures instead of taking the easy way out via iPhone. I had a front view picture, but it was just too nauseating to post...just trying to help you guys out here! I'll be back tomorrow to tell you about our awesome weekend- and I'll leave you with this...Alligator Farm...

xo,
H

Reason #394875 why I need to know my child's gender immediately...

Don't worry. These come in pink too. And green. And purple. And cream...

Have a good weekend everyone!

xo,
H

Q & A

In the past few days I've had some questions from multiple people regarding things I've posted on here, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to answer them publicly. If one of you asks me about something, odds are more than one of you are thinking it! :)

1. Why is your husband referred to as "D", is this a nickname the two of you use?

Unfortunately, no new nicknames here. "D", as I fondly call him on the blog, has some issues with our personal information being out in cyberspace and has elected to remain relatively anonymous. His reasons are pretty legitimate ones. First, his current occupation has discouraged information sharing since he was back in college. I remember getting a call after one of his ROTC classes where D was shaken up after a speaker came in, asked one of the students their name, and proceeded to pull up and share everything he could find on that person with the rest of the group. Facebook was cancelled soon after that. His next reason is in regards to our future. He doesn't want to be applying for some high-tech, top secret, super awesome post-Army job and get denied because of something like a picture that I thought would be funny to post. I doubt that something like that would happen, but I guess you can't be too safe these days. I will obviously still talk about him, and I freely advertise the fact that he is in the Army, but don't expect to see any pictures or full names here! (Unless he agrees to let me censor out his face...and then what's the point? Haha!)

2. It seems like you have been working out a lot. What are you doing?

Well naturally dead lifts and downhill skiing! ;) I kid. My workouts lately have been a joke compared to my marathon training days just last year, but I have been trying to stay active. If I go for a run the distance is usually no longer than 4.5 miles and lately its been closer to 2.25 because I am having a hard time making it more than a lap around the golf course before I have to pee. Sad, no? Aside from running, I have been getting more and more into weight training at the gym. Our facilities aren't great, but there is an indoor track that goes around the machine area and allows me to jog or walk between sets if I am not going for an outside run that day. My goal is to keep my limbs nice and toned while my belly expands. I have also been loving kettlebells. My new favorite thing to do is get a 25 or 35 lb bell and do squats while holding it with my arms extended between my legs. (I'm having a hard time trying to describe this move...) Basically it just adds some extra weight and I squat down until the kettlebell grazes the floor and go back up. Easy peasy. Nothing too strenuous here and by the way, although I try to do something active once a day, I'm definitely not out jogging or gymming every day of the week. 4-5 days I make it out and others might just involve the pup getting an extra walk or two.

3. Ok, actually there was no third question, but here's your open invitation to ask away if ever you have anything you'd like to know about pregnancy, the great state of Louisiana (insert crazy person laugh), or anything else going on. I think I've always been a pretty open person, but the past few months have taken it to a new level. I mean, when you get to talk to your doctor about bowel movements or have to tell your significant other that they should probably just sleep in the guest room to avoid your gassiness, there's really not much else off limits in life. :) I'm such a dirtball.

xo,
H

Vanity and Opinions

Since this whole pregnancy adventure began, we have not bought a single thing relating to the baby or myself- aside from the "What to Expect" book (and we bought that day 1!). While I don't really feel rushed to start making big purchases for our child before we know whether we need to be preparing for a boy or girl, I do feel rushed to start buying for myself...is that bad?! I mean, I'm sure we will invest in bedroom furniture here soon, it's not like you need a gender to decide between espresso vs. maple wood on a crib- but now-a-days it seems like even strollers and car seats have some sort of boy or girl look to them, no matter how neutral you go.

Now back to me. :)

I just found a designer pair of maternity jeans at a huge discount! Just because they are on sale does not mean I need to spend over $100 on a pair of pants, but what's really holding me back is not the price tag, it's guilt! I mean, I'm sure I will end up pregnant again (probably multiple agains...) in the future, so its not like they won't get use, but do I really need them?

Check 'em out and tell me if you think I'm being crazy:

Onto my next vain endeavor- I desperately need a haircut and color. I finally made an appointment at the only legitimate salon within a 50 mile radius of our home and am looking forward to having some "me time" later this month. I wanted to wait until after the first trimester to do anything involving color, and plan on just doing highlights since the color doesn't even touch your scalp. Most doctors say that getting your hair done while pregnant is perfectly safe, but I'm such a worrier that I probably wouldn't even touch color if it hadn't been since BEFORE our wedding...haha...on the plus side, I definitely fit in with the locals around here right now. ;) What are your thoughts on this haircut...is it just too "mom-ish" for words?:

And finally, what does a vain pregnant woman need to spend way to much time and money on? Why a stretch mark treatment, of course! I'm pretty excited to invest in some Belli Elasticity Belly Oil. I know that genetically me getting stretchmarks is inevitable, but I don't have to go down without a fight. Plus, pregnant skin is dry- and think about dry skin stretching compared to something nice and lathered up. Much better mental picture, right?! No opinion needed here, this sucker WILL be mine!

Seriously, on the first two let me know what you guys think. If you are not a follower, join so I can feel like I have a purpose for updating here! I know there are several of you out there who check in. :)

xo,

H

P.S. This "vain" lady just finished a box of Nilla Wafers that she bought after work yesterday and its not even noon. Oops... ;)

Pregnancy Week 13

As promised, below are my weekly highlights. As for the baby, it has made some pretty big progress this week as well! It's size can be compared to that of a peach and it is forming teeth and vocal cords. This week will also bring baby closer to normal proportions, with it's head now only one third the size of the body...so excited for our little hunny. (Thank you for the info, bump.com)

How far along?: 13 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +5- glad this hasn't changed much in the last few weeks!
Maternity clothes?: No, but I have been relying mostly on skirts and dresses lately. Skirts that used to sit low on my hips have become high-waisted, but are still comfortable and work appropriate. If I do wear pants I think I'm down to 1 or 2 pairs that button and the rest I wear long tops to cover what I can't close!
Sleep: Good, but getting up closer to 3 or 4 times a night to pee. This gets old quickly. Laying there and trying to ignore it just makes it worse. :)
Best moment this week: Getting to sleep in while D took the dog out for a walk.
Movement: Too early still.

Food cravings: Skittles! Hey, if that's what the baby wants...
Gender: Not a clue...guesses? I might see if I can make a poll on here or something.
Belly Button in or out?: Very much in.
Stretchmarks?: No new ones yet.

What I miss: Not feeling like a boring, old couple. Like for example, when friends want to go out to a late dinner and we think about how it will interfere with bed time...

What I am looking forward to: Getting through the next few weeks with out any surprises and maybe even getting a bump so I have something to show for this whole baby thing.

Weekly Wisdom: Hmm...how about not comparing your pregnancy to other peoples. It is really easy to read other blogs out there and see girls who are really showing at my week and feel like I should be too. I've even seen some where they look like they have a bump at like 7 weeks! Crazy! (And who knows, those girls are probably 5'0'' and bloated...)

Milestones: Officially in the 2nd Trimester! :)

Once again, excuse the post workout look. Even D asked if I wanted to take this week's picture in athletic wear again...I do look cute for work, promise! There's your update ladies (and gent's?). Now if you'll excuse me,I'm off to have vanilla ice cream topped with strawberries and sugar...you should try it, pregnant or not. :)

xo,

H

Weekend Recap

I can't believe it is already Monday. What a quick weekend!

We had a nice little Easter Weekend here, full of sleeping in, big pancake breakfasts, and even made it to church on Sunday. The post chapel was pretty nice and we are going to try and get better about going regularly. We car hunted a bit on Saturday and are really liking Hyundai Santa Fe's. They seem like the perfect size for our little family and have a biggg trunk, all ready for a puppy, stroller, and whatever else we have with us. :) Hopefully we will have one by this weekend...because let me tell you, sharing one car has gotten old.

In other news, someone got a haircut this weekend and it wasn't D or me! That's right, Molly got her first doggie haircut from her father. D has been joking about shaving her for the longest time and I finally agreed to it. It just gets too hot here for all of her fur and she has been shedding everywhere lately. I guess he decided now was the time because I woke up from a nap on Saturday to see my little furbutt proudly showing off her new do. I promise our dog doesn't look like a hairless rat, she is just a lot shorter haired...her fur kind of looks like a puppy buzz cut! I'll have to take a picture to post.

Finally, guess what week it is?! 13- the first week of my second trimester. Can you believe we are a third of the way done this pregnancy? Things are really moving along quickly. Our next appointment is towards this end of this month after we hit 16 weeks and after that we get to schedule our 20 week ultrasound! I will have my photographer take some amazing 13 week belly shots and post them with my weekly highlights this evening. ;) Once again, I just look like I've eaten a really big meal, so nothing too exciting to show yet!

Hope everyone had a happy holiday weekend. Miss you all!

xo,
H

Finally Friday and Name Games...

Is it just me or was this week unusually long? Between the anticipation of yesterday and then the actual day itself, I am beyond spent. I can't wait to just kick back and relax this weekend, starting tonight by going out to dinner in Natchitoches (correctly pronounced Nak-a-dish, or incorrectly pronounced "Nacho-toe-cheese" if you are my mom and I) with some friends. A night of no cooking? Yes, please!

Thank you to everyone who made me feel a lot better about everything Thursday. I am already feeling a little less anxious and in a better mood. I've been a pretty big optimist about everything pregnancy wise so far and that little "surprise" threw me for a big loop. Again, thank you for the calls and supportive texts, and also, thank you to my hubby for putting up with my raging mood swings and getting me skittles. Because who doesn't feel better when they are eating skittles? No one, that's who. :)

So onto a happy, exciting topic: Baby Names!

Lately I've had a lot of people ask me what we are thinking when it comes to names. Are we going to share our choices with everyone? Are we going to keep them a surprise? Well, after some thought we've decided that we plan on trying to come up with two names for both a boy and girl. We will have our "top choice" and a back-up, just in case we get to the hospital and decide that name 1 doesn't seem to fit. When we find out whether we are having a boy or girl, we will share our the top choice with everyone!

I really do love talking about names to people, in fact, anyone that has asked me already knows what we are thinking. I can't keep secrets! I just know how hard it has been for just D and I to agree on names and if someone other than the two of us has something negative to say about what we do agree on, I might explode. As of now, we have a number one boy name and several back-ups to narrow down. When it comes to a girl, we have quite a few first names we are tossing around and trying to match up with middle names, so we have a ways to go there. D is determined to not give his daughter a "hooker" name...which seems to come up with all of my suggestions! (And I swear, I'm not suggesting crazy things like Candi or Honey...haha) I guess you could say we are VERY open to suggestions. If you hear a cute little name and want to pass it along to me, step right up! In fact, I encourage it. We could use all the help we can get. :)

xo,
H

A kink in the system...

Well, today didn't happen the way we planned...guess that's what I get for having an ultrasound scheduled on April Fool's Day! I thought about whether I wanted to post right now or wait a couple of days, but I know after blabbing about how excited I was about our appointment I'll get questions either way, so here it goes.

I woke up this morning around 6 am to start getting ready for work and per the usual, the first thing I do is make a beeline for the bathroom. (Still peeing all-the-time.) I noticed a little blood, which was a small amount and bright in color- so of course I did the obvious and and commenced freaking out. The doctor had told us at our first appointment that if we had any bleeding before 20 weeks to go to the ER and after 20 weeks to head to Labor and Delivery, so off to the Emergency Room we went.

The first thing they did after checking us in was listen for a heart beat, and luckily they found it (after 389475 years). That was a good sign. Then I got to give a urine sample and some blood while we waited for the ultra sound tech to get in at 8. Although we had an appointment scheduled for this afternoon, they didn't want us leaving with out the doctor seeing the results. After a wonderful cafeteria breakfast we got to head to Radiology where D had to wait outside until they had everything situated. Thankfully at a little Ladies Night gathering last night some of the girls had told me to expect this. They also won't let you see the screen until they go through it themselves first. Nerve wracking much? Ugh. After a few minutes of the tech looking at the screen she told me that the heart beat was 169 bpm. Very good. Then she called D in and turned the screen so we could both see...

Haha...so creepy! This is a frontal picture. The machine can't get super detailed at this point, so we call this the "Alien/Predator" picture. D wanted to throw it away he was so scared. I'm 95% sure the baby won't come out looking like this. ;)

Profile pic...hard to see how developed the arms and legs really are, but you can see the spine...

Look at the little feet propped up on this one...and you can see a little hand in the background! Doesn't the face look like a little adult?! So weird.

These pictures really don't do the ultra sound justice. We got to see little hands and feet with fingers and toes, a chubby little body, ribs, spine, brain! The baby was moving around a lot and looks wayyy cuter on the little screen doing it's dance than the frontal and profile pics they gave us to keep. After I got done blubbering (for happy reasons this time!) we went back to wait for the Dr to chat with us. He said my blood work and urine test came back normal and that the baby looked great, so we went home with orders to just relax for the next day or so...maybe I took all of my new found energy a little too far? Who knows. The moral of the story is that some women have spotting during pregnancy, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.

*Positive thoughts sent our way for the next few days would really be appreciated and hopefully this was just a random occurrence and not because of anything worse. Thank you guys. :)

xo,

H