Did I swallow a pineapple?

 

 My belly officially

sticks out more even when he pushes his out!

How far along? 16 weeks (ok, so technically closer to 16.5)

Total weight gain:  ≈ 2.4 lbs
Maternity clothes? Haven't found any yet but would like to get a pair of stretchy skinnys! Some jeans still fit but I had to use the hair tie trick for at least one pair this week!
Stretch marks? No...the slather routine continues.
Sleep: I am sleeping pretty well but am still waking up several times to pee. I did this before but it's definitely a lot more now!
Best moment this week: Getting baby gear in the mail!
Miss anything? Hmm, not really. I guess energy and school motivation!

Movement: Still waiting...I thought I felt something the other night but it turned out to be stomach gurgles from eating grapes!
Food cravings: Cinnamon rolls! I keep seeing pictures of them posted on pinterest (Shh!) but when I finally made a batch on Saturday they did not turn out gooey and fluffy like I had anticipated..very disappointing. I feel like I can't get enough water lately either...other than that I can't think of any crazy cravings.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Silly me decided to do a ballet class on Tuesday. I haven't done ballet in over 8 years and after all the turns I felt so,  so nauseous and it lasted all night long! I guess I can scratch that off my workout plan! I felt a little sick today when we went to a birthday party, but I think it was the heat. Other than those two incidents I have felt pretty good this week!

Showing? So, I was at the store on Thursday and the cashier asks "how many months are you?" This time I didn't even have my hand on my belly so it was a legit stranger-bump-notice! I was so taken aback that I stumbled over my answer! I was wearing a maxi skirt and baggy white t-shirt, and while I definitely have a belly, I was shocked that a stranger would be brave enough to ask. To me it still looks like I am just a little chubby! I was slightly offended until I realized how silly that was since I am, in fact, pregnant. Sometimes I look in the mirror and feel huge and at other times I think that I don't look that much different at all...too funny.

Gender: I don't know but I am getting very, very excited to find out!! I have my colors picked out for both a boy and a girl and am equally excited about both!
Labor signs:  Nope!
Symptoms: Crazy dreams & very itchy skin! I am feeling more hungry than usual and according to my very cruel husband, I am getting slower by the day. :( We were jogging the other day and he started laughing and said "I can't believe how slow you are!" Ugh, rude! Then he told me I had a "pregnant run" and proceeded to show me his impression of it (which is totally false). If only men could get pregnant...
Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Pretty good this week!
Looking forward to: Next prenatal, gender reveal, first movement, getting a more defined bump!

Baby’s fruit size:An avocado!! Crazy!

I got a goodie box in the mail from my friend Lindsey today!! Check out these super cute diaper covers! I can't get over how adorable and tiny they are!! 

15 week update!

Daddy decorated the chalkboard this week, and he did such a good job that he put Mommy's boards to shame...

How far along? 15 weeks

Total weight gain: 1.8 lbs (although it seems to be a bit different every morning and who knows if this scale is right!)
Maternity clothes? About ready to start shopping for some stretchy-top skinny jeans!
Stretch marks? Slathering, hoping, and praying that they stay away!
Sleep: Getting up to pee about 7,000 times per night....
Best moment this week: Lots of good moments this week! Hubby surprising me with a Halloween decoration, decorating our home for one of my favorite holidays, finding a Ergo baby carrier for $50 on craigslist (woo hoo!), spending time with baby Anabelle, picking up our crib (not the actual picking up part, that turned out to be a pain, but knowing that we have it now), and my friend Lindsey offering to send us items her baby has outgrown (8 thirsties diaper covers and bottles!!)
Miss anything? Today we walked into Starbucks and I missed my trenta iced coffee and pumpkin scones (although I can't blame the scones on baby, I had to give those up awhile ago).

Movement: Not yet, can't wait to feel baby movin' and groovin'!
Food cravings: Lots of random cravings this week. I made grilled cheese (vegan version) with tomato and avocado with a side of tomato soup earlier this week and I was in heaven! I seem to be much more flexible with my "healthy eating" standards now that I am pregnant...woops!
Anything making you queasy or sick: My nausea has gotten much better this week, thank goodness! I get waves of it sometimes at night or first thing in the morning but it is pretty brief/mild now. Still feeling very sensitive to smells (I'm looking at you hubby!)

Showing? My belly is definitely stickin' out! I continue to catch James staring at it and chuckling...A classmate who didn't know I was pregnant saw me with my hand on my belly tonight and gasped in recognition -- then she stopped herself because she was afraid maybe I wasn't pregnant and had just gained weight, lol. My first "stranger" bump notice! I made her squirm for just a minute before I told her that I was actually pregnant. :)

Gender: Still up in the air...other people have very strong opinions about what they think it is, but I am still unsure.
Labor signs:  No
Symptoms: Emotional/irritable, itchy back (stretching skin?), still extra sleepy, and apparently -- a serious pinterest addiction.
Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: I'd still say 50/50, but I am pretty sensitive these days and have had a few "snappy" moments.
Looking forward to: 20 weeks so we can find out the gender!! Also, I'm looking forward to our next prental visit, which I had to reschedule for the 9th. No word yet on my blood work, so I am anxious to hear the results.

Baby’s fruit size: A navel orange (or an Apple, depending on which book or blog you believe!)

Last Friday we had one day of chilly weather and I got so excited for Fall that I decorated our house for Halloween (one of my favorite holidays!!) I raided the dollar store for decorations and then hubby came home with my awesome surprise (third picture below!)

See the cute little scarecrow in our plant and the stickers on the window (next to the ugly stickers I cannot get off)?!? I can't wait to add pumpkins to the mix!!

I lined our stairway with glittery orange and black bows!

And my favorite decoration of all -- my awesome rustic pumpkin from TJ Maxx! Hubby has seen me drool over the Halloween decorations there for a month now so he decided to surprise me with this as one of my presents for our upcoming 3rd wedding anniversary....lucky for me he couldn't wait until then to hand it over!

The 'Apple' of Our Eyes

Here I sit, enjoying a Chargers game and facing the prospect of my first calligraphy endeavor with our week-marking chalk board. Our little one is now about the size of an apple, and the lady is starting to feel a bit better.
We had a bit of a rough week, as we had the memorial service for my Nana Tuesday. I'm sad our baby won't get the pleasure of meeting her. She was such a wonderful, loving, joyful woman; but it was nice to see how much of an impression she made on so many people, and it really gave us an opportunity to take pause and reflect on the kind of parents we want to be, and the legacy we want to leave for our little one. Not to mention how wonderful it always is to get to see our I.E. family.

The weeks seem to be just flying by, an observation and feeling not shared by the wife... understandably so, my body isn't undergoing the same seen and unseen, miraculous changes. Although I'm fairly certain I've put on some couvade pounds...
Another observation I've made this week - Pinterest is like crack for pregnant women.  I think I'm going to have to stage an intervention for Ashley, and potentially check her into a wifi-less facility. You think I kid? I saw her look at baby patterns for a blanket for over 3 hours. And don't get me started on colors. (Fingers crossed that baby likes Cambridge blue and lemon chiffon yellow minky).
This last few weeks has done nothing but reinforce my previously held supposition that Ash is going to be the best mommy our baby could ask for - what a lucky child. I'm glad she knows what she's doing. At least one of us does.

This week also brought with it some baby purchases! We picked up our crib at Walmart (thanks Maggie & Ant for the last minute car swap!) Ashley found the carrier she has been wanting on craigslist for $50 (originally $135), and she insisted that we both practice putting it on with the baby insert...

 15 week belly picture and update to come!

Our lovely little lemon loaf!

We are officially in the second trimester, hoorah!!

How far along? 14 weeks

Total weight gain: ?? Forgot to check this morning!
Maternity clothes? Not yet
Stretch marks? No, I have been alternating between coconut oil, vitamin E oil, grapeseed oil, argan oil, and cocoa butter (although the smell of this makes me want to gag!) Fingers crossed this concoction keeps them away!
Sleep: Still wanting to nap all the time! Having some difficulty staying on my sides, my hips end up hurting a bit. If James catches me on my back he pushes me back over onto my side, lol.  
Best moment this week: Hearing baby's heartbeat at our first prenatal appointment!! I was too overwhelmed to remember to ask about the heart rate, but James said he looked at the screen at it said 155.
Miss anything? Being motivated to engage in school... all I care about is baby!

Movement: No, but my abs have been super sore this week!
Food cravings: Salt & fruit (not together, ew!)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Still feeling icky at night before bed and first thing in the morning but doing better during the day!

Showing? A bit of a bump but I don't think a stranger would know I was prego.

Gender: Not sure, we have people guessing both boy and girl now. If we believe in the heart rate fortune tellers, it's more likely to be a girl! If we believe in the craving folks, it's a boy!
Labor signs:  Nope
Symptoms: Exhaustion, little bit of queasiness, irritability! 
Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: 50% happy, 50% irritable (Sorry babe!)
Looking forward to: Our next prenatal visit (October 7th) and watching my baby bump grow!

Baby’s fruit size: Lemon (since when are lemons bigger than peaches?)


We decided that James' belly makes him look like he is starving...please don't feel sorry for my hubby,  I do feed him! <3 

Little Punky Bear's Heartbeart!!!!!!

Today we got to hear our baby's heartbeat for the first time. It was so, so amazing!!! I was waiting with bated breath until our midwife found it with the doppler device, and once she did I couldn't believe that baby's little heart was so fast! It was really hard to process what I was hearing (and really hard not to move!) I was so emotional!

Take a listen!

 

I also had to do the standard blood work/urine sample. She asked us a bunch of questions about diet, exercise, and family health history -- and I bombarded her with questions about some of the products every single product I have used or consumed since I found out the I was pregnant that I later learned was "bad." She reassured me that baby and I would be fine. :) It feels like such a weight off my chest to have had our first appointment. I finally feel like we are on track. On our way out we got to see a sweet little newborn baby boy that had been born at the center. The midwife was walking around the office showing him off! So cute; I love the "family vibe" of our little birthing center!

After our appointment, hubs had to go to work and I went to visit with my friend Lindsey. She and I used to teach at My Gym children's fitness center together when I lived in Santa Barbara. I haven't seen her for about four years and she now has a little 10 month old baby named Elliot (who is seriously one of the cutest babies I have ever seen!)  They were visiting from Oregon and it was so great to spend time with them. I found out that she and I have a lot of the same beliefs about using all natural products and non-toxic "green toys," so she was a great source of advice and encouragement. She actually uses the diapers I was considering buying and highly recommended them! I love chatting with like-minded-mamas! Little Elliot was so lovey dovey. As soon as I walked in the door he looked at me with his giant blue eyes and gave me a big smile. When Lindsey put him down he crawled right up to me and asked to be picked up. So stinkin' cute! He was crawling all over the place and would come over just to me give a quick cuddle (or hit me with a spoon)....it made me even more excited to have a little baby of our very own!

We visited for about four hours and the time just flew by! After our visit I checked out a little store in Laguna called Children's Orchard. They sell gently used children's items from infants to teens and the deals were unbelievable! They had bouncers for $20 and exersaucers for $40! I didn't find any big items that were gender neutral enough for me but I did buy 3 little snugglies! I found a Halo sleep sack for $5.99 and got two swaddlers for $7! Such a good deal...on Amazon these items would have cost me $50. I am hooked! I can't wait to keep checking back to see what kind of deals I can score.  So fun!

P.S. If you want to leave a comment you have to create a username. We haven't been able to see the comments posted by people without one, but we'd love to hear from you! :)

Week 13 is just Peachy

Me oh my here we are at week 13!

The first trimester comes to a close with our little one about the size of a peach and we can't wait to find out if we're growing a manly or feminine peach.
It's starting to feel much more real now considering the tiniest of baby bumps is starting to show.... Ashley has a little bit of a bump too.
We've started to move things around a bit to visualize where and how we're going to squeeze a new roommate into our 800 square foot condo. We do have vaulted ceilings, maybe a loft addition for baby?!? Or the garage on the first floor? There is space down there. Har har har...

I'm learning that there are certain colognes, foods and sounds that "the baby doesn't like," and that exercise is much harder during pregnancy (for mommy & daddy).

Excited for our first prenatal visit which is scheduled for Sept. 12. Hopefully we'll get to hear baby's ticker fluttering!

Here is the 13 week bump photo & Ashley's pregnancy update:

How far along?: 13 weeks

Total weight gain: 1.4 lbs! I hadn't gained any weight at all as of last week and then BAM 1.4 lbs out of no where!
Maternity clothes?: Not yet but my normal clothes are feeling tighter!

Stretch marks?:  No
Sleep: Not so fabulous...it's hard to get comfy and I pee every 30 minutes!
Best moment this week: James snickering at me when he took this picture. When I asked him what he was laughing at he said "you have a belly!"
Miss anything? Mmmm, probably not feeling sick & having more energy.

Movement: Not yet

Food cravings: I seem to have a new one every single day. I have been dying for some TCBY chocolate almond milk fro yo!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Waking up, going to sleep, eating, not eating, smells, the heat... ;)

Showing?: Um...holy bump! I was questioning whether or not I really needed weekly photos or if I should skip a few weeks in between, but my bump seemed to get much bigger in just one week! So much for not showing until 20 weeks!

Gender: ??? 7 more weeks until we can find out!
Labor signs: No
Symptoms: Still battling nausea! I have had a couple "teaser" days where I thought it was going away only to be followed by very, very icky days. Sigh. Also, a bit of low back pain but I'm not sure if it's car accident related or baby related.
Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: When I am not feeling sick I am mostly happy!....and I suppose a little more irritable than usual (see James post about noises and smells!)
Looking forward to: Our first prenatal appointment this Thursday! I hope we get to hear our little pumpkin's heart beat!!!

Baby’s size: Peach!

12 weeks and counting....

12 weeks! Almost to the end of my first trimester....hoorah!! It has been so incredibly hot this weekend so James and I attempted to beat the heat by finding air conditioned places to walk around (aka shopping!!!) We went to Babies R Us and I had an identity crisis over my previously chosen theme. Yes, we already had a theme. It's so fun to see all the little baby items in person; thankfully James was there to act as a voice of reason -- I was very tempted to begin buying lots and lots of baby gear!

We just took our 12 week photo, and I feel like I definitely have a little baby bump already. I have been walking around rubbing it like a Buddha all weekend. :) We got to spend some time with Granny Bev this weekend and she generously gifted us with the money to buy our crib! I am so excited about this crib! After some digging online I finally found a crib with a non-toxic finish that is solid pine without pressed board (which contains formaldehyde!) It is a 4-in-1 so it will grow with baby up to a full size bed and it is a LOT cheaper than most non-toxic, solid cribs! The only downside is that the solid pine model only comes in cherry (rather than espresso), but I think safety is more important than appearance!

And here is a picture of daddy-o stickin' out his belly to look like mommy!

We were so excited that we kind of rushed to take our first baby belly pics without planning how we wanted to do them, so I have been trying to find a way to spruce them up...here is what I came up with:

I think it looks much better in front of a white wall, but not a bad "after" fix! I bought a cute little chalkboard that matches our house that I experimented with for our 12 week shot.