16 Weeks

I'm going to start doing these weekly pregnancy updates that I've seen on other people's blogs. It's a fun way to track the info! I hope to be able to keep up with it after I go back to work on Friday.

Total Weight Loss/Gain: Since my first weigh-in at the doctor's office at about 6-7 weeks, I've gained 3 pounds. I'm not sure what my exact weight was before I was pregnant but it was pretty close to my first weigh-in, so I'm counting from that.

Size of Baby: According to Babycenter, our baby is about the size of an avocado!

Maternity Clothes: Yes! Love them! Some of them are a little big sometimes, but I feel so much more comfortable in them than regular clothes. My sweet mother-in-law bought me some new clothes that will help me transition back to work!

Sleep: I sleep pretty well, but have extreme heartburn every night before bed. I feel like a fire-breathing dragon! Milk and Tums, Milk and Tums...

Movement: I'm not sure?! I've been feeling lots of weird pains/feelings in my abdomen for the last few days and I'm wondering if some of them are movement. As a first timer, I'm still not sure!

Cravings/Aversions: No one thing in particular. When I'm hungry for something, it sounds really good though! 

What I Miss: Lately when I see people drinking a glass of wine, I think about how that would taste and kinda miss it. I'm not a huge drinker though, so I think this is more a byproduct of alcohol being off limits right now. I did have a strange dream the other night that I was at a social function and had a cocktail and didn't realize what I'd done until after I drank it and then I was totally consumed with guilt. Never too early for mother's guilt is it?

Gender: We find out in 1 more month! Can't wait! I keep going back and forth, but right now I feel like it's a girl. A few weeks ago, it was a boy. Cam is still solidly thinking it's a girl. We had Chinese food recently and the Chinese word on the back of my fortune was "daughter". Could be a sign! We will be thrilled either way - there are so many fun things about either gender.

Mood: Pretty good. Trying to stay breezy and not stress before I go back to work. I'm making a pretty concerted effort this go round not to stress so much when getting ready for the school year. I will admit to having a completely irrational crying session yesterday due to feeling guilty for yelling at the dog. Bad puppy mommy!

Milestones: 16 weeks today! I can't believe we are nearing the halfway point. That's just crazy! I also haven't thrown up in over a week. That could change at any moment, but maybe it could be the beginning of a milestone? 

Medical Concerns: None, thankfully! Went to the doctor yesterday and everything looks great! It took her about five minutes to find the heartbeat on the doppler. Two weeks ago, she found it much more quickly. I was silently freaking out, but she finally found it and everything sounded good. She says it can be pretty tough to find it at this stage of the pregnancy. The heartrate went from the 120s to the 140s and then up to 150s (where it was two weeks ago). She said the rate can move up and down wildly like that when baby's moving around a lot. Crazy to think about a little baby having a party inside me - ha!

Anything Else You'd Like to Share: I've been having some pretty sharp shooting pains. It freaked Cam out when it first happened because we were laying in bed and all of a sudden, I was jerking around in pain. I don't know how to describe it, but it feels how I would imagine it would feel if a full term baby was extending its arm out in one direction. I've looked it up online and there's a common nickname for this pain, but I'm going to be a lady and not repeat it on the blog. Google if you wish. I've also felt a lot of stretching in my stomach. My doctor said all of this could be movement or just my uterus stretching.

What I Look Forward To: Finding out the gender! Getting adjusted into a comfortable working routine. 

My, how some things change...

I'm only a little over one-third of the way through my pregnancy, but I already feel very different than I did before. And not just in the standard "I don't feel very good physically" way.  In the spirit of keeping a record of everything, I'm going to jot down some of these changes here. These may be pretty boring to anyone else, but this blog is a little life journal for me!

• Candy - I no longer have the same feelings about candy. Anyone who knows me will be shocked! Maybe this is a temporary pregnancy thing? Maybe I'm finally growing up and out of my child-like obsession with candy? I don't know, but I used to consume a lot of candy and now I can eat a few pieces and feel totally over it. 
• Mess - I'm becoming a messy person. I'm used to being an organized neat freak. But now I'm more apt to let things sit. Laundry goes unwashed, papers stack up on the counter, and there are usually three different cups on my bedside table at any given time. I still care and it still bothers me, but not enough to do much about it. It's weird. Last week my water bottle cap wasn't on completely and some water spilled in my purse. Now, old me would have freaked out, removed everything and made sure it dried out completely. But I hardly did anything. It's just water, it will dry.
• Weight - I am not obsessed with my weight right now. This is huge for me. I have spent/wasted so much time over the last few years worrying about my weight, comparing myself to everyone around me, etc. I can attribute this shift to several things. Right now, my body isn't about me - it's about my baby. I know how much weight is healthy for me to gain and I plan to stick to it. But after two and a half years of near non-existence, my metabolism finally works again. It's nice and comforting to feel that. And I just don't eat as much now that I'm pregnant. And throwing up for months will you feel very silly for worrying about your double chin and cellulite. Maybe my old insecurities will return, maybe they won't. But for now, I'll take it!
• Opinionated - I feel very strongly about certain things. I've always been opinionated, but also pretty selective in who I share them with. But right now when I feel something, I feel it very strongly. Like when I went off on the Rooms to Go customer service representative because they made us wait three weeks to have someone come inspect a pillow with a seam that ripped (completely on its own) rather than just send us a new one. Call me crazy, but when someone spends a small fortune on furniture with one store, a free replacement is in order. Or the people who brought a three month old baby into a midnight showing of Batman. Don't even get me started on them! Basically, my sense of right and wrong is heightened.
• Mommy - Even though I haven't had my little one yet, I already feel a connection to other mothers and at times, a slight disconnect from people who don't have kids. I don't mean this to sound bad, but it just is what it is (I hate that saying!). Recently I heard some people talking about how someone we all know had changed since she had her baby. It was put in critical terms - saying she didn't take her job as seriously now. And this person isn't even officially back to work yet. I kept my mouth shut but it made my blood boil. Having a child is a life-changing experience. No one is ever the same afterwards. I hear people talk about the love they have for their children and how it is unlike anything they've experienced ever. I already feel that love, but I know it will be on a whole other level when I actually meet my baby. I am so excited about it! And so that discussion made me think some things. Of course, this woman shouldn't take her job as seriously now. Babies have a way of putting everything in perspective, including the over-obsession and worry most of us have with our jobs. 
• Handwriting - My handwriting has changed! Isn't that weird? It's similar to before, but much less pretty. It's sharper somehow and I just can't make certain movements flow with my fingers. I don't know what that's about at all. 
• One more thing! This isn't really a change, but I must make note of it. I already had acid reflux before I was pregnant. It's a genetic curse in my Dad's family. One time in college my sister lost her voice and her speech became slurred. The diagnosis was acid reflux. So yeah, we've got it really bad. My acid reflux during pregnancy is off the charts. I really, really miss Prilosec. It is a miracle drug and I will never take it for granted post-pregnancy again.

Girl Scouts

When I was little, I was a Girl Scout. Well, first I was a Brownie and then a Girl Scout. I have lots of memories of our meetings, selling cookies, and trips we took. But the memories that stand out the most to me are the ones of my Girl Scout troop leader Wendy. Wendy was my friend Kelly's mom. Wendy was not your typical Girl Scout troop leader, in any sense of the word. Wendy drove a black Mercedes and smoked cigarettes, back when it was still socially acceptable to do so. Dare I say she even made smoking look cool?  Wendy worked full time. She wasn't particularly crafty, although we still did crafts. She had long red nails and wore red lipstick. I'm sure we spent time talking about normal Girl Scout things like nature and ponies, but I remember one of our meetings turning into a full scale debate because one of the girls showed up wearing lipstick. I think we were in late elementary school at the time? Anyway, Wendy brought it up and we debated whether or not it was appropriate for a girl that age to wear colorful makeup. I admired Wendy in many ways. She was different - an archetype of the independent women of the late 80s/early 90s. The strangest thing about Wendy is that one day...she essentially disappeared. Left town with her family and we never heard from her again. Her husband was a cop; in fact, all our Girl Scout meetings were held in conference rooms in the Round Rock police station. We found out eventually that Wendy's husband had gotten a new assignment that required them to move across the county and cut ties with everything. Maybe the FBI? I'm not sure, but one thing I know is that very few Girl Scouts had a leader quite like Wendy.

Odds & Ends

From here on out, if anyone asks how I'm feeling, I'm just going to say, "Okay". If I'm having a stretch of feeling good and I say so, it's like a cue for my body to say, "Oh really? You think so?" and I will be throwing up again in a few hours. It's like I jinx myself. Sunday I woke up feeling better than I have in months. I felt like myself and had energy to do things again. We had a great day and then I continued to feel really good Monday. I thought I'd finally gotten over the first trimester stuff. And then it was 2:30 am Tuesday morning and I was puking again. And then again Tuesday right after lunch at my parent's house. This is new, as up to this point, I've somehow always been able to contain actually getting sick to my own house. Then I literally laid on their couch until 8 pm. I couldn't get up, couldn't do anything. We can now add cherry snow cones and broccoli cheddar soup to the long list of foods I will never be able to feel the same way about. Gross, I know. But it's my reality. For the entire summer. And I'm over it. It's all worth it, of course, but I'm just worn out. I pray that it's over for good by the time I go back to work on August 17th. If I have to throw up in a middle school bathroom, they may have to take me straight to the loony bin. I'll stop whining now!


On a happier note, I bought the bedding I blogged about last week. It is absolutely adorable and I'm so in love with it! And it was a great deal. So if we have a little boy, we are set! 


Are you watching the Olympics? It's so fun! I'm so happy for the U.S. gymnastics team and Michael Phelps. I don't really care for Ryan Lochte. He seems arrogant and he wears a grill. Seriously, a grill? 


There's a Martha Stewart Show rerun on right now that's from the week of Halloween. It makes me so excited for Fall! I can't wait for pumpkins, cooler weather, and boots. I'm also really excited for football season, but sad because it means my Campbell will be gone every other Saturday for the entire day at Aggie football games. He loves it and that makes me happy, but I miss him! I'm super attached to him right now. When he's around, I feel better. Always. Love that baby daddy of mine so much (I know you read this Cam! <3).

Mr. Sandman...

The odd pregnancy dreams have started. Some are bizarre, some are very sad, some make no sense. The other night I had a dream featuring Kim Jong-il, Mike from Breaking Bad, and David Beckham. It's so ridiculous what the random things rattling around in your brain can do in your sleep!

Who could forget the "dear leader"?

One of the best television characters of all time. Whether your business is legitimate or not, I am of the belief that everyone should have a Mike in their life. And a Saul, for that matter, but I digress...

And does he really need any introduction? This man knows how to wear a suit. I know I'm not the only chick who squealed audibly when I saw him driving that boat down the Thames in the Opening Ceremony Friday night!

A funny aside: the other night Cam woke up at 3 am and found me laying next to him in a deep sleep clutching my huge bottle of Tums lovingly like a stuffed animal. In my defense, I fell asleep eating a couple of 'em and I guess I just couldn't let go of my faithful friend.

A Minor Dilemma

Over the summer I've done lots of online browsing for all things baby. I'm almost decided on a set of baby furniture and I have a set of boy and girl bedding that I really like. Of course my plan was to wait on the bedding until after we find out the gender...until today, that is. I found out the boy bedding I love is being discontinued! I'm so bummed! The boy bedding was pretty set in stone - I saw it at Pottery Barn Kids way before I was pregnant - I was there with my sister when she was pregnant with my niece. It's a vintage hot air balloon theme with animals like lions and giraffes. I'm obsessed with giraffes! I immediately loved it and have kept it in the back of my mind all this time. And now it's on its way out! I talked to PB customer service and the local store today and our store still has it in stock. Once it's gone though, that's it. So now I'm faced with a dilemma...do I go ahead and buy it now, gender unknown? I think it's on sale and there is a way for me to return it for a full refund if we find out we're having a girl. Am I totally ridiculous for buying bedding this early? Maybe so. Will I regret not buying it if we get to September 14th and find out we are having a boy? Yes! So I guess that's my answer. Cam is convinced this child is a girl and probably thinks this whole thing is silly, but he won't say so. I mean...we have to buy bedding at some point right? 


Please note: I know this is a first world problem and not a true dilemma, but I'm a planner! I get a mental image of something like a nursery in my head and have a hard time letting it go! 

A Post of Random Thoughts

• My Mom and I went to see "What to Expect When You're Expecting" at the Discount Theater yesterday. It was so fun! The movie was pretty good - cheesy in places, but overall I liked it. Elizabeth Banks stole the show - she's the only lady who had a realistic pregnancy, in my opinion. Plus you can't beat getting two people into the movies for $3.50. Afterward, we went to the gift shop at Cracker Barrel - ha! My Mom and I do the most random things together and I will miss our summertime adventures together when school starts. 
• My parents were sweet enough to buy me some maternity clothes last week! I think I'm in love! Maternity jeans are so comfortable! Why don't we have jeans like that for non-pregnant people? They are comfortable, flattering, and they don't get all stretched out after I wear them for an hour like regular jeans. Cam says it's clear when I wear these clothes that I'm pregnant, but I'm not sure. I think it just looks like I'm fat! It's funny because I'm so used to sucking in my tummy when I wear something form-fitting and I have to keep reminding myself to not suck in when I wear these cute maternity shirts! 
• I'll be thirteen weeks tomorrow and I think I'm finally turning the corner and feeling better. I'm still really tired and feel lazy, but the nausea is much better. I'm still getting used to having to eat every two-three hours. If I don't, my stomach feels completely empty and gnaws at me with hunger and eventually nausea. Believe me - I love to eat, but right now even though my body tells me I'm hungry, I'm not mentally hungry every two hours. That may not make any sense to anyone else. It comes down to my body being hungry but feeling too lazy to figure out what to eat that often!
• Cam and I have two-door cars, so we both need to get new cars before our little bearcub arrives. We're in the process of trying to sell my car first. Oh my...selling a car on Craigslist these days is not for the weak! It is almost nothing but scams! I have had a couple legit inquiries and last night we drove down to campus so a student could test drive the car. They loved the car and are in the process of deciding, so fingers crossed!!!!!!! 
• I have serious vacation envy right now. Everyone on Facebook, Twitter, and blogs has been posting about their summer vacations and I am so jealous! With Cam starting a new job this summer and not having time off yet, we can't take a trip this year and with a baby on the way, I think it will be a long time before we take a real vacation again. I just really wish we could have had one last trip on our own before we have a baby, but that's okay. I'll take my little bearcub and Cam's better job any day! 
• I'm so sad about the shootings in Colorado. I've been following all the coverage and it's just terrible. It's scary how much damage and hurt one deranged person can cause. Yesterday when they showed the shooter's court appearance on TV, I seriously wanted to reach through the TV and kick him in the head. One thing that really bothers me when things like this happen is all the second guessing that goes on. I've seen people on social media talking about what they would have done had they been in the theater that night. The truth is no one knows what they would have done in that situation. People that think they would have been brave enough to whip out their own gun (which you aren't even allowed to have in most theaters, concealed permit or not) and take a headshot would very likely wind up huddled on the ground like everyone else. I was talking about this with my sister the other day and she mentioned how disrespectful this kind of talk is to the people who were in the theater because it implies that they didn't do enough, and I couldn't agree more. 
• The one person from the theater who I have no qualms about judging is this guy. I hope his fiancee gets wise and breaks off that engagement quickly! Any guy that would leave you and his own child in that theater and then GET IN A CAR AND DRIVE OFF WITHOUT YOU is worthless. And shame on Piers Morgan and all the other dolts in the media for not calling him out on his behavior when they interviewed him. Sorry for the ranting, but those pregnancy hormones...they are raging! 

Have a good one!