Peanut Tracker: Week 17 Recap: We Know the Gender!!!

I feel like we have been waiting forever, but we finally know the gender!

On Friday my mom and step father were visiting and we met up with Eric's parents at the ultrasound location for a gender identification ultrasound. I invited everyone into the room so they could watch the ultrasound and see their grandchild for the first time. The peanut looked great and I even watched it kick around and felt it at the same time, which was weird and amazing. After giving the technician a little trouble, it was announced:

It's a GIRL!!!

Cupcakes I made to celebrate with the grandparents

I was certain that it was a boy. I had dreams that it was a boy until they changed to dreams of a girl about two weeks ago. I was always drawn to boy clothes and nursery themes. But I am so happy that our peanut is a girl and that I can finally start spoiling her with clothes, toys, and other adorable things! Eric and I can also concentrate on picking a name, which should be interesting, to say the least.

We had a wonderful weekend visit with my parents and I didn't want it to end. They got into town Thursday evening and we sat around and chatted and ate pizza until after one in the morning. Friday was a busy day of getting ready for the ultrasound. I was running on less then 4 hours of sleep and was feeling pretty sick all day, but I fought through it because of all of the excitement. The best moment of the day was seeing the look on Eric's face when he called his grandmother to tell her we are having a daughter. It literally brought me to tears. After the ultrasound, we went out to dinner with Eric's parents, mom, Kirk, and Chris. Once we made it back home, we all called it an early night.

Saturday I went maternity clothing shopping with my mom because I needed a couple tops and shorts for the summer, then we met up with Kirk and Eric at Babies R Us to start looking at baby girl themes and items. We purchased a couple of outfits and got some great ideas for the registry. It will be an interesting day when Eric and I finally get the registry done! Eric grilled steak for dinner and my mom and I made strawberry shortcake to help with my strawberry cravings. We played canasta and talked about more baby stuff until bedtime.

My parents left today and I already miss them. However, they will be back for the baby shower this summer and I am already counting down the days. I feel so much better knowing the gender and am starting to enjoy my pregnancy now that I can shop and begin deciding on items that we want for the nursery.

17 weeks, 4 days

At this point, the peanut is somewhere between the size of an onion and a sweet potato. She has mastered swallowing, sucking, and blinking. This coming week her bones will begin to harden, including her inner ear, which means she will start hearing things like my heartbeat and my tummy rumbling! I am have more good days than bad as far as my sickness goes, which I am beyond excited about!

Current cravings: strawberries, chocolate ice cream, burgers
Current aversions: onions, tomatoes

I Am NOT Crazy!

It finally happened! I felt the peanut kick last night!

I was home and desperately trying to wake up Eric so he would make it to work on time. He is an impossible person to wake up (which makes me nervous for school mornings when the peanut is a teenager), so at one point I just gave up and laid there.

After a few minutes, I felt the strangest sensation. It was like a cross between butterflies in my belly and a muscle twitch. It was the oddest, most unique feeling I've ever had. I've never felt anything like it, so I know it was definitely not gas or anything like that. I looked at Eric and said "I think I just felt the baby kick!" And he grunted as if saying, "Yeah, right." So I continued to lay there silently, thinking I was just imagining it. I rolled over, onto my back, and I felt it again. "I definitely felt the baby kick." Eric put his hand on my belly for a few minutes and nothing happened, "You're crazy."

After talking to several experienced mommies, they confirmed that what I felt was a kick! It finally happened. Now I want it to happen again! However, the baby is still only the size of an onion, so I know the kicks will be faint for a little while longer. I just wish Eric could feel it too. But he will have to wait until the peanut is a little stronger.

The World is Not Made for Preggo's

I know that it seems like I've been really whiney lately. Well, I'm going to whine some more...

Everyone always talks about what a miracle pregnancy is and how women have such a beautiful glow. While that might be true, it has not been true for me. My peanut is a little miracle, beating the birth control odds. But, I have been terribly sick since before I even knew I was pregnant.

I ended up in the emergency room twice for dehydration (both pregnancy tests came back negative, by the way), and was dealing with nausea and exhaustion for weeks before we had a reason as to why. Since then, I have had to deal with "morning" sickness day and night almost 24/7. Leave it me to be part of the 10% or less of women who get this sick during pregnancy. I have had dry and cracked skin, chapped lips, and heartburn, all side effects of being so sick.

I have suffered from migraines for years and the only thing that helped to alleviate the pain was Topomax. Now that I'm pregnant, I can't take my medication. The doctor told me the only thing I can take is Tylonol (regular strength). So basically, nothing. My allergies are about 100,000 times worse than pre-pregnancy, and I can't take anything for that either. Why hasn't some pharmaceutical genius invented something for these issues?! If I could, I would.

When I walk around stores, people do one of two things: they don't pay attention or they pay too much attention. What I mean is, they either run into me, cut me off, or watch me struggle to pick something up. I very rarely hear "do you need help with that" or "I'm so sorry I bumped into you, are you ok". Very few stores have mother-to-be parking, which is annoying because walking a half mile from the back of the parking lot in 90+ degree heat while pregnant means you have no energy left for walking around the store (that's more for my friends who are in weeks 34-40). On the flip side, people think they have the right to come up to me and give me parenting advice and/or touch my belly without asking me first. If you aren't a close friend or family, don't touch my belly (unless you want me to rub yours too).

I have acne, back aches, food aversions, itching, shortness of breath, and have to pee every 30-45 minutes. I have to endure terrible, excruciating pain for who knows how many hours in 5 months. I have to deal with people judging every delivery and feeding decision I make after that. In short, pregnancy sucks.

Thank goodness there's a great ending to this awful journey. Can I just skip ahead to November so I can hold my baby and forget about the downside of pregnancy?!

Peanut Tracker: Week 16 Update

I can't believe I'll be 17 weeks tomorrow! As slow as time is passing because of my sickness, it still seems to be flying by. Which is good, because I want to meet my little peanut!

The biggest baby related activities this week have already been covered in previous articles: the maternity tour at the hospital and Eric kissing my belly. I still haven't felt any kicks, which is making me a little sad. But I know it's coming! The only new symptom is that the tops of my feet have been really itchy. My doctor doesn't seemed concerned about it, but it's really annoying. I'm just counting down to my mom and stepdad visiting this weekend and finding out the baby's gender on Friday!!!

16 weeks, 5 days

Going into week 17, the peanut is almost the size of an onion. It's legs and arms are longer, more developed, and have more controlled movements. Baby will be working on swallowing, sucking, and blinking this week, and fat will be forming under baby's skin.

Cravings: strawberries (strawberries and splenda, strawberries and yogurt, strawberry shortcake), sweet potatoes, chicken wings (so glad my chicken aversion is gone), chocolate milk shakes (not ice cream, just shakes), peanut butter, pasta.
Aversions: onions, tomatoes, pudding

Little (Emotional) Moments

Today was amazing.

I haven't felt the baby kick yet, but I know it's coming. I just hope it happens soon. But what made the day amazing was when I looked at my reflection and noticed how much bigger my belly has gotten this week, Eric put his hands on my belly and kissed our baby. It was the first time he's kissed my belly since we first found out we are going to be parents. It reminded me yet again why he is going to make an amazing father. I know that life will be tough at times, but I wouldn't want to take this journey with anyone else. 

There isn't much more going on in the world of baby. I had a little bit of a scare last night when I had a problem with food poisoning (thanks to the wonderful caterers my company hired for Employee Appreciation Day...I don't feel very appreciated). I was worried whatever I ate would cause problems with baby. The doctor said the only concern would be if I got dehydrated, which luckily, did not become an issue. 

Now begins the official countdown to the gender identification...7 days...

Maternity Tours & Final Decisions

Eric and I had our tour of Trident Medical Center, which is the only hospital my OB will allow me to deliver in. Since we had such limited choices in facilities, I was hesitant to stay with them. I had also seen the Mount Pleasant Hospital when visiting my friend and was very impressed with their postpartum rooms and the sleeping accommodations for the new dads. However, I think we are going to stick with our OB and plan on delivering at Trident after tonight.

We started off the evening on a great note with Eric breaking the "smoke free campus" rule before we left the parking lot. I told him the fact that he won't be able to just run downstairs for a smoke should be another incentive to quit sooner rather than later. After meeting in a conference room with several other couples and discussing other classes and important information we need to know before arriving for labor and delivery (like make sure your check-in paperwork is completed and received in advance, call your doctor before coming in, and making sure contractions are 5 minutes apart from beginning of one to the beginning of the next and about one minute in duration), we finally began the tour.

To get to the elevators we had to walk through the cafeteria. And let me just say, there is nothing crueler than forcing a bunch of pregnant women to walk through the aroma of baking pizza around supper time when they can't stop to eat! We were able to see the rooms, which were clean and accommodating and helped ease my jitters before heading into the hospital in October. The hospital is in the middle of renovating some of the rooms and they will have tubs for water births and even better furnishings. I like that they have only one room for Labor, Delivery, and Recovery, and then transfer mom and baby to a postpartum room where we would stay until discharge. I DO NOT want to be carted all over the hospital while trying to deal with excessive pain. And I absolutely love that as long as the baby is healthy, they let the baby stay in the room with the parents the whole time. They also have great security measures to prevent baby snatchers (which is comforting and worrisome at the same time).

The only downside to this hospital is that the rooms aren't very big and the sleeping arrangements for Eric won't be that great. His "bed" is basically a fully reclining chair that's just a little wider than most chairs. It looks like we might be packing lots of pillows so he'll be able to get some rest too!

So it seems Eric and I have made our first big baby decision. Which is great because I didn't want to have to find a new office that understands and works with me on all of the issues I've been having, as well as my past medical issues. I'm sad because my best friend is due within days of my due date and will be delivering on the other side of town, but I really think staying with our OB and Trident is the best decision for me, baby, and Eric.

What grown up decisions will I make tomorrow?

Peanut Tracker: Mother's Day and Week 15 Recap

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommy's and mommy-to-be's out there!

Eric and I celebrated Mother's Day by visiting his wonderful momma in his home town. We had a great time with his family. His brother and sister-in-law brought their adorable new baby, so there was a lot of cooing and cuddling going on all day! We had a delicious meal, shared some laughs, and then drove back late last night. The only thing that would have made the weekend better would have been if I could have seen my mom. But she'll be here to visit soon!

I can't believe that I'll be 16 weeks tomorrow! Time is flying by and I'm glad that I'm writing down notes on my entire pregnancy or I would never remember it! I am actually starting to feel better for longer periods and if I do get sick, I recover a lot sooner then before. Hopefully that means I will be feeling wonderful just in time to start enjoying kicks from the peanut and shopping for the nursery!

We scheduled a gender identification ultrasound for Friday, May 25. My mother and stepfather will be in town, so we invited them and Eric's parents to the appointment. It will be the first time our parents meet, but I think it will be better for everyone to meet this way versus meeting in the waiting room. I'm sure everything will go swimmingly, especially since all of the focus will be on baby. 

15 weeks, 6 days

As my sickness dissipates, my eating habits are finally getting better. I am trying to add more fruits and veggies back into my diet where I can and can't wait until I can eat some at every meal. I finally gained a pound, so that means I'm actually keeping some things down! The peanut's hair on its head is growing in, has thin, translucent skin, blood vessels are forming, it's limbs are becoming more developed and movements more controlled, and its skeletal system is developing (explains my milk and cheese cravings this week). The peanut is about the size of an avocado at this point.  My current cravings are McDonald's fries, sweet potatoes, vinegar, peanut butter, cinnamon, drumstick ice cream. Current aversions are onions, tomatoes, pudding. 

Teach Me Your Ways, Oh Wise One

It's happening: I'm becoming an overprotective mother.

Does this mean I'm destined to be on Dance Moms: Season 12? Probably not. I'm way too lazy for that. But at 15 weeks I am already researching every ache, pain, and worst case scenario that goes along with this pregnancy. I go into every doctor's appointment (pre-scheduled or not) with AT LEAST 20 questions. And I have GOOGLE on my Android's main screen because I got tired of having to swipe to the second panel so much.

But as an analytic person with an over active imagination, asking questions and excessive research makes me feel better. For example, I was really worried about how much I was showing compared to everyone else I know. If I hadn't asked my doctor, I wouldn't have known I have a tilted uterus that can cause that. I also wouldn't have read through blog after blog of other women who are showing just as much (if not more). Turns out I'm not a complete freak, just different.

However, even with all the research and questions, and all of the experience that I have babysitting and caring for newborns and infants over the years, I still feel completely unprepared. It's like sitting in class hoping not to be called on because the teacher is asking pop questions about the reading you didn't complete last night. So, I have decided that Eric and I will benefit from a new parents class.

The problem is that it is almost impossible to find listings for current classes in the Summerville/Charleston area. And the courses I can find are for Lamaze or Bradley method only. Honestly, I don't really care about going through a class that teaches me to "breath through the pain." If women have made it through labor for thousands of years without those classes, I will too. And my prenatal yoga helps me work on pushing and deep breathing anyway. What I am concerned with is care and safety classes.

If you're wondering what I mean by that, I'm referring to diapering properly (that's more for the daddy-to-be), bathing (because I've only given a bath to babies 5 months old and up), infant CPR and Heimlich (it's been almost 5 years since I've had an infant CPR class and I don't know if Eric ever had one), and home safety (so I can encourage Eric to start keeping the toilet seat down). Yes, I am already planning for worse case scenario. I don't think that makes me crazy, but then, I am biased.

I even started looking into breastfeeding classes that they actually teach you before you give birth. But I think that's a little premature. If I can't figure it out in the hospital, I'm pretty sure they will send in an insurance provided (aka "free") lactation specialist to teach me the way.

I just hope I'm not forgetting anything while I try to find and schedule these classes...for 4 months from now.

Birth Plans, Themes, and Maternity Pictures...

I'm starting to freak myself out.

I know that I shouldn't, but I keep watching shows like A Baby Story and Bringing Home Baby that make me wonder what we're going to do for our birthing plan. I really need to do more research, but I'm so terrified of the entire labor and delivery process that I can't bring myself to pick up another book. But put a woman in excruciating pain on TLC and I am glued to the screen.

I know there are a lot of benefits to water births and they are also supposed to be more calming to the mother, but I don't think I could go through with one. I'm also hesitant to go to a midwife for one reason: my past medical issues. I have been prone to sickness my whole life and have also had a couple cervical cancer scares. Luckily, they were just scares and nothing more to worry about. I also have a tilted uterus, which is why I look like I'm 28 weeks instead of only 15. That can sometimes lead to the baby getting stuck during delivery, so my doctor is encouraging me to stick with a hospital just in case there are complications. I don't want a C-section because they aren't the best delivery method for the baby. There are also risks for me. However, I was a C-section baby, and I turned out ok (for the most part). Maybe I'll just let mother nature take over and stop analyzing (yeah, right). Or maybe I'll feel a little better after our maternity tour at the hospital next week.

I want to start shopping so I have some sort of therapy while I stress over the birthing plan, but I can't because we don't know the gender yet. I can't even start looking at stuff for the nursery because Eric and I don't want to pick a theme until we know the gender. I wish we could just pick something gender neutral so I can at least online window shop, but I know we'll regret it as soon as we know the gender. My mom is coming to visit for Memorial Day weekend and I would love to start the baby registry then, but we'll just have to wait and see. Can we just jump to 20 weeks?

I have also had to start thinking about a maternity photo shoot. Apparently some of the photographers in Charleston require you to schedule 3-4 months in advance. That means I have to schedule this week, but I'm having a difficult time picking a company. I don't want the same pictures everyone else has. No bows around the belly, or topless with my hands covering my chest showing off the bump, etc. I want something different, something a little artsy, and I want Eric in most of the pictures. I wish there was an easier way to compare photographers and prices. Oh, and the really fun part is that I have to pay a retainer when I book the appointment for 3-4 months from now. I really hope I don't have any complications and end up losing it!

And people say that pregnancy is easy...

Peanut Tracker: Week 14 Recap

With one week of my second trimester completed, I am finally starting to feel like me again. I'm still tired (growing a person can be exhausting), but I have a lot more energy then a few weeks ago.


I am also starting to see the end of the constant sickness. The past 3 or 4 days have been mostly nausea with only a little morning sickness and I'm hoping it continues to improve. Tonight I tried salt & vinegar chips to help with the nausea because my friends and family in Canada suggested it. I wish they had suggested it weeks ago! It helped with my nausea almost immediately and I realized I was so hungry that I almost ate the whole bag! 


Yesterday Eric got me out of the house and we went to look at potential coffee tables, window shopped, went to dinner, and then saw the Avengers (which was awesome, btw). It was so great to get out and see the world again! Now I can enjoy the summer heat and swim in the pool, go for walks, survive an entire day of work, and actually get work done around the house. 


We have another doctors appointment this Thursday and I'm really hoping the baby cooperates so the tech can give us an idea of the baby's gender. It will still be a little early, but, from what I've found in my research, sometimes they can tell as early as 14 weeks. I'm so anxious to know! And I know the grandmas-to-be are excited too. The most frustrating part: I want to pick a theme so I can start shopping, but Eric won't agree to pick a theme until we know the gender. Keep your fingers crossed for us! 

14 Weeks, 5 days

In other news, I've now lost a total of 15 lbs and I'm hoping that I will start gaining some of it back (even though my belly is already sticking out past my already enormous chest). The peanut will soon be the size of a naval orange and it's head is growing in. That means it'll be cute soon! Current cravings: vinegar, beef, sweet potatoes, drumstick ice cream, peanut butter, cinnamon. Current aversions: onions, tomatoes

I Feel Like I'm Taking Crazy Pills!

Now that I am into my second trimester, I am starting to notice more and more just how pregnant I am. I cry ALL THE TIME. For those of you who really know me, you know that I'm not a crier. In my adult life I have only cried at funerals, the anniversary of my brothers death, my best friends wedding, and during break ups. That's it. Now I cry every day. I feel sick, I cry. I think about how things will change when the baby comes, I cry. I watch Say Yes to the Dress, I cry. I watch a commercial with a baby in it, I cry. It's INSANE! At least I'm not snapping at Eric for nothing. I would feel so guilty if that's what my hormones were doing to me. 


Also, I have a serious case of pregnancy brain. I forget everything. Every time I walk out of the house, I forget my keys. The other day I was asked to go grab something from my supervisors desk and forgot what I was doing in the middle of the 5 foot walk from my desk. Not to mention forgetting why I walked into the kitchen almost every time I go in there. 

The other fun part of pregnancy that has developed in the past couple weeks: crazy dreams. They aren't dreams where I give birth to an alien or something, but I am always pregnant and something terrible is always happening to me. Last night I was running for my life in a scene that made me think it was ancient Rome. And when I woke up, I was still terrified. I really think I'm losing it...