20 Weeks (2 Days)!

I'm late and with no pic. This past weekend was hectic...what can I say? I'll do better next week.

How far along? 20 Weeks! HALF WAY!
Total weight gain/loss: Still down overall. I have been eating like a trucker, so I have likely gained something.
Maternity clothes? Maternity pants every day. Regular shirts with the occasional maternity shirt thrown in. Love them all.
Sleep: Loving it! Sleeping 8 hours a night and sneaking in a 2-3 hour nap every day.
Best moment this week: Getting ALL our nursery furniture paid for and picked up!
Movement: Ben felt Abbey move for the first time yesterday night and it was awesome. She woke me up at 3 this morning and kept me up til about 5:30am having her own personal dance party, but I didn't mind. I loved laying there feeling her bounce around.
Food cravings: MILK! I seriously still can't get enough!
Gender: GIRL! GIRL! GIRL!
Labor Signs: No, thank you.
Belly Button in or out? Getting more and more shallow.
What I miss: Sex. I've been on pelvic rest since JUNE people. JUNE. Ben's being a trooper and not complaining, but I miss it.
What I am looking forward to: Our next appt Oct 21
Weekly Wisdom: Don't let people get to you. Chances are, you are better than them anyway.
Milestones: Right now, every day is a milestone. I am more pregnant than I have ever been, so everyday is a huge deal. Our goal is 40 weeks, 37 at the earliest, so every day is one day closer to our goal. (Same as all the other weeks, but still how I feel. I know this has been the same pretty much every week, but it's stiiiiiiiill how I feel)
AND getting the nursery painted (pics to come) and getting the bookshelf and the desk to complete the nursery (again, thanks to my MIL!). (If you are wondering why we are getting an infant a desk, it's because we are not getting a changing table. We will put the changing pad on the table. I love the fact that there are drawers on the side so I can throw her diaper cream and stuff in there and it won't be a wasted piece of furniture in 6 months time.)What is Abbey up to this week?

Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!



AND

Congrats to my brother and his girlfriend on their new Baby Boy, Bryce! I guess I'm officially an aunt now. All negativity and hard feelings aside, I'm glad their baby had a safe, easy and healthy delivery.


Hugs&Kisses

20w2d

Three HUGE Things....

1. Thanks to my ever generous MIL, we now have ALL the furniture for Abbey's room! The dresser, night stand, bookshelf and desk (which we are using instead of a changing table). I am so thrilled! I can't wait to see it all put together.

2. We have started painting her nursery. The pink we are using is HOT pink and I freakin love it! The bottom will be black and the chair rail will remain white. Here is a sneak peak from my blackberry. It is NOT the best picture, but it gives you an idea as to what we are doing.

3. BEN FELT ABBEY KICK! Best.Moment.Yet. I am so excited for him! I get to feel her bounce around all the time, so getting to share that with Ben was so great. We are so blessed!


Hugs&Kisses

20w1d

19 Weeks (kinda)

Our 19th week will be a short week! They are officially moving me up 4 days making me 19w5d today instead of 19w1d. So YAY! That's one step (or 4 steps depending on how you look at it) closer to meeting our Abbey!

How far along? 19 Weeks!
Total weight gain/loss: Still down. My OB wants to see SOME sort of weight gain by my next appt in 2 weeks. O_O
Maternity clothes? Maternity pants every day. Regular shirts with the occasional maternity shirt thrown in. Love them all.
Sleep: Loving it! Sleeping 8 hours a night and sneaking in a 2-3 hour nap every day.
Best moment this week: Seeing Abbey for a full 40 minutes on our ultrasound yesterday!
Movement: It's getting so much stronger! It used to be little taps and bumps, but now they are getting stronger and more consistent. Sometimes I forget I'm pregnant until I get a good kick in the bladder (which I can't get enough of!).
Food cravings: MILK!
Gender: GIRL! GIRL! GIRL!
Labor Signs: No, thank you.
Belly Button in or out? In.
What I miss: Dr. Pepper (still)!
What I am looking forward to: Our next appt Oct 21
Weekly Wisdom: If it doesn't sound good, don't eat it just for the sake of eating something so your husband will shut up. It is NOT worth it!
Milestones: Right now, every day is a milestone. I am more pregnant than I have ever been, so everyday is a huge deal. Our goal is 40 weeks, 37 at the earliest, so every day is one day closer to our goal. (Same as all the other weeks, but still how I feel. I know this has been the same pretty much every week, but it's stiiiiiiiill how I feel)
AND having both our Target and BRU registries finished and up! AND AND we (meaning my MIL) bought the paint for Abbey's nursery! So, so, so nice of her!
What is Abbey up to this week?

Vernix Caseosa , a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

19 Week Belly Pic

From the front:


Not much to see, right? (I promise I'll take pics with something OTHER than my blackberry someday!)

And from the side:




I'll be back on Saturday with the new weekly update! See you then!


Hugs&Kisses

18 Weeks!

Almost half way done! Keep growing, Abbey!

How far along? 18 Weeks!
Total weight gain/loss: Still down overall and showing no signs of catching up. My appetite blows lately. Ben gets on me about eating enough, but as long as Abbey is growing, I think she is fine. He (jokingly) said he was ready for late night Wendy's runs, raging cravings and buffets when we found out we were pregnant and, so far, it has not been like that at all! Poor guy!
Maternity clothes? Maternity pants every day. Regular shirts with the occasional maternity shirt thrown in. Love them all.
Sleep: Loving it! Sleeping 8 hours a night and sneaking in a 2-3 hour nap every day.
Best moment this week: Feeling movement more often :)
Movement: It's getting so much stronger! It used to be little taps and bumps, but now they are getting stronger and more consistent. Sometimes I forget I'm pregnant until I get a good kick in the bladder (which I can't get enough of!).
Food cravings: Hot dogs! So gross, but I want them at least 2 nights a week. It's hard to find nitrate free hot dogs, so I don't get my fix as often as I want.
Gender: GIRL!
Labor Signs: No, thank you.
Belly Button in or out? In.
What I miss: Dr. Pepper (still)!
What I am looking forward to: Our US on October 7.
Weekly Wisdom: Love every minute of your pregnancy. I am so excited for February to get here, but remind myself to enjoy every day of this pregnancy while our Abbey is still on the inside.
Milestones: Right now, every day is a milestone. I am more pregnant than I have ever been, so everyday is a huge deal. Our goal is 40 weeks, 37 at the earliest, so every day is one day closer to our goal. (Same as all the other weeks, but still how I feel. I know this has been the same pretty much every week, but it's stiiiiiiiill how I feel)
And having my first fight with Target over our registry (it's STILL not showing online! STILL!)



What is Abbey up to this week?

Abbey has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing.

And the 18 Week belly, for your viewing pleasure:

I think it looks smaller than last week, but everyone at work keeps talking about how cute the bump is, so who knows.

Hugs&Kisses

I have a bone to pick with all you mothers....

WHY was I never warned about the poop vac? I have been warned about crapping all over the delivery table, but having all my poo sucked out by a shop vac prior to delivery?! WHY was I never told?

My younger brother, also the World's Most All-Knowing OB expert, informed me of this last week. He swears it is gospel truth. They use it for every delivery, every time. His girlfriend's OB informed them of this medical machine at their appointment last week (keep in mind, this is the same OB who claims US measurements are exact).

So, blog world, thanks for nothing.




Hahaha! I'm totally kidding. Well, not about the poop vac. After using several mom friends as my own personal WebMD, I confirmed what I though-totally false. No one, to date, has yet to hear of this alleged poop vac. I love you all dearly and thought you might benefit from a good laugh!

Abbey and I are doing well, we have had a busy weekend of nesting (which my house appreciated). Our next US appt is October 7, but surely I will find something to update about before then.

Hugs&Kisses

17w4d

17 Weeks

Three posts in three days? This is like a record or something.

How far along? 17Weeks!
Total weight gain/loss: Down another 2. And because I'm not gaining weight, I have to have the gestational diabetes screening early. Lameass PCOS puts me at a higher risk for GD anyway and the fact that I'm not gaining weight is concerning to my OB, so early screening it is (gaining too much weight is also a soft sign of GD- I can't win).
Maternity clothes? Maternity pants every day. Regular shirts with the occasional maternity shirt thrown in. Love them all. Especially my slim cut Old Navy jeans. LOVE them.
Sleep: Loving it! Sleeping 8 hours a night and sneaking in a 2-3 hour nap every day.
Best moment this week: Feeling movement more often :)
Movement: Crazy baby, especially when I sit down after moving around or walking a lot.
Food cravings: Apples. Apple ANYTHING. I went through a dozen BIG apples last week, not to mention all the juice AND applesauce! I love them.- Still loving apples this week!
Gender: GIRL!
Labor Signs: No, thank you.
Belly Button in or out? In.
What I miss: Dr. Pepper!
What I am looking forward to: Our US on October 7.
Weekly Wisdom: The more you ignore ignorant advice/opinions from people who talk out their butt holes, the happier you are.
Milestones: Right now, every day is a milestone. I am more pregnant than I have ever been, so everyday is a huge deal. Our goal is 40 weeks, 37 at the earliest, so every day is one day closer to our goal. (Same as all the other weeks, but still how I feel. I know this has been the same pretty much every week, but it's stiiiiiiiill how I feel)
And-WE REGISTERED!

What is Baby Abbey up to?

Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and her little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

And the 17 week belly :)




Hugs&Kisses

17 Weeks


PS- We seem to be moving closer to a Valentine's Baby after every appt! I haven't changed my dates here yet because they go along with my ovulation date as opposed to how big Abbey is growing. Growth US's are really just an estimate anyway.

One Year

This will not be my most eloquent post ever (not that any of them ever are).

It's been a year since we lost Buddha.

I think about where we were this time last year and how much has changed and how much stronger and closer Ben and I are as a couple and how so, so blessed we are to be having Abbey.

Now I feel like I see everything full circle. This time last year my heart was in a million pieces and I honestly thought my life would never be okay again. Over time, little pieces came back together and reformed this stronger, more compassionate, sympathetic heart and it's just got this one tiny piece that's gone now. It just took time. It still is going to take time. But it has gotten better and it has gotten easier and acceptance has made the whole thing easier to swallow.

I see God's plan come full circle for us and how life moves on even when it seems like it will never get better. It's almost like we have the best of both worlds-an amazing son who watches over us and will protect his sister and a wonderful daughter who is doing back flips and warming my heart right now.


We miss you, Buddha.


Hugs&Kisses

16w6d