Another Gender Predictor

Since there is a 2 month wait to find out the gender, Nicole found another gender predictor to try.

It's a boy if:
You didn't experience morning sickness in early pregnancy (Depends on what you consider early - I didn't really get it until about 8 or 9 weeks)
Your baby's heart rate is less than 140 beats per minute (It is starting to get a bit lower, but hasn't even neared being lower than 140)
You are carrying the extra weight out front
Your belly looks like a basketball (Too early to answer)
You are carrying low (Too early to answer)
You are craving salty or sour foods (Nope!)
You are craving protein -- meats and cheese (Now my favorite thing to eat)
Your feet are colder than they were before pregnancy (This one is iffy since they've always been pretty cold)
The hair on your legs has grown faster during pregnancy
Your hands are very dry
Your pillow faces north when you sleep (I think it does)
Dad-to-be is gaining weight, right along with you (Dad-to-be like to laugh at how much weight he can lose each day)
Pregnancy has you looking better than ever (Getting better now that we're out of the morning sickness stage, but don't think better)
Your nose is spreading (Don't think so)
You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves in circles
You are having headaches
You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived and the sum is an even number

It's a girl if:
You had morning sickness early in pregnancy
Your baby's heart rate is at least 140 beats per minute
You are carrying the weight in your hips and rear
Your left breast is larger than your right breast
Your hair develops red highlights (However, this isn't something new, just what has always happened during the fall)
You are carrying high (Too early to tell)
Your belly looks like a watermelon (Too early to tell)
You are craving sweets (Definitely not something new, but still sweet cravings are mixed with veggie cravings)
You are craving fruit (Apples, oranges and grapes are the only fruit I can stand to look at right now...not even pineapple!)
You crave orange juice (Blah)
You don't look quite as good as normal during pregnancy (Thanks to the people that like to tell me this)
You are moodier than usual during pregnancy (Surprisingly level - lucky Michael!)
Your face breaks out more than usual (I HATE this)
You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread (Once again - nothing new. That's Scoot's piece)
Your pillow faces south when you sleep (I really don't understand this one, but if you go by the way the pillow case is on then I still think North)
You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves from side to side
You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived and the sum is an odd number

9 for boy and 7 for girl. Still pretty close to even though

2 1/2 Inches of Baby

From crown to rump our baby is now 2 1/2 inches!

I completely meant to have a bit of sugar before the ultrasound, but became so obsessed with making sure I drank enough water to give us a clear picture that I forgot the sugar. It wasn't until we were watching the screen and he/she didn't want to move around too much that I figured out I had forgotten.

Without any prompt however he did stand up for a second to show off, but half a second later he was back to laying down with his feet propped up. The only other movement he gave us was was some bobs of the head and a few kicks to look like there was a dance party going on. Even my laughing didn't seem to budge him from his resting spot.

The tech finally pushed on my stomach a few times to get him to move in a position that she could get the needed measurements from, but he obliged just long enough to get those measurements before laying down again.

At least he's found a comfy spot...and we still got to see movement :) Which was absolutely amazing and so much more thrilling than I would have ever thought.

We get the results from the test to make sure there are no chromosomal diseases in about a week and everything is going smoothly. The heart beat is now in the high 140's which they said is good and strong.

++ Writing "he" is more normal for me than "it" or switching it up all the time. We're not trying to keep a secret of what the gender is. In fact we have 2 more months to find out which is going to be a very long wait for us. So, until then, I'm just using "he" even if Michael thinks that is jinxing it.

Start of a belly pic

It doesn't look much like a baby bump, more like just a bit of chunk. From this week forward I'll take a belly picture every week as I move from looking like I've had one too many servings of fries to a formed bump.

12 Weeks!

This is the last week of the trimester, and I'm already feeling so much better! I don't want to sleep all the time, most foods don't disgust me anymore, my appetite is back. It is all just so much better!
The only hassle now is finding some pants to fit. I honestly hadn't had too much of a bloat up to this point and all of a sudden this week my stomach just kept expanding. First my pants were a little uncomfortable, so I went two days with maternity pants. Then yesterday I tried to fit in some looser dress pants and ended up not even being able to button them because it felt so strained. That's why I figured the perfect Friday field trip for a pregnant co-worker and I would be to visit some resale shops this afternoon to see what we can find.
As for belly pictures, there isn't really much of anything noticeable, but I will start taking and posting with these surveys. Just not this week, because I woke up late this morning and completely forgot.

* How far along?: 12 Weeks!
* Total weight gain: I am now even. No weight gained and none lost.
* How big is baby?: The size of a plum. They say about 2 inches, but we'll know for sure on Tuesday when we go in for the next ultrasound.
* Maternity clothes?: My jeans still fit great, but making the switch to maternity for all other pants.
* Sleep?: Don't need nearly as much :)
* Best moment this week?: Today I guess, because the weekend starts tomorrow and that makes me happy.
* Movement?: Too early
* Food cravings?: No real cravings, just really loving all sorts of veggies
* Labor signs?: None for a long time
* Belly button in or out?: Innie
* What I miss: When we go to a sports bar the beer looks really good, but water is ok.
* What I'm looking forward to: The next appointment on Tuesday afternoon so we can see our little one again.
* Milestone: Making it through the week. Does that count?

Today's Breakfast

Yesterday evening I made a stop to the grocery store because my hunger is starting to increase and the snack machine probably does not have the best calories in it.
1) I actually went to the grocery store and bought tons of good stuff and didn't spend a ton. I kept it close to $25!
2) There were no sweets in my basket!
Michael laughed when I came home with yet another bag of grapes since we ended up trowing out a whole bag just last week, but I promised this one would be eaten. Then there were apples, oranges, carrots, mushrooms and cheese cubes to round out the snacks.

This morning because I was running late I didn't get to lay in bed and eat my normal bowl of Fruity Pebbles while watching the Today show, so I took one of my snacks out and had apple slices and peanut butter for breakfast.

Absolutely amazing!

Now it's time to get started on the chocolate milk I got. I have to add some sugar somewhere :)

199 Days

According to my countdown ticker...we're under the 200 days mark!

Not a big moment in development or anything, but kind of wow.

Pants that Fit

Tonight I'm going to find some maternity pants.
Definitely don't need any shirts yet, however I need to stop wearing my form fitting tops since the form isn't looking so fit anymore.
Michael and I can both see a little bump, whether it is my uterus or bloat, there is definitely a pooch in my lower stomach and it makes it very uncomfortable to wear my normal dress pants. Even with the belly band today and my pants unbuttoned, I had to unzip them a little so that I didn't feel so constricted. If I'm gaining around the waist line, I don't know from where since I'm still down in weight.
Anyway, I'm very excited to find some early pregancy (without that strange panel) pants today and show off my new fitting pants tomorrow :)

11 Weeks!

Not a very eventful week...thankfully. By the end of the week my nauseousness seemed to finally go down, so I'm excited about that and hoping it stays that way. Poor Michael spent time cooking a great dinner this week, grilling chicken and making great sides and everything, but when it came time to eat all I could handle was rice and butter.
I'm starting to get my weight back though and am almost back to even. I know it is for a good cause, but it is very difficult to get excited about gaining weight and the fact that my pants don't fit comfortably.

* How far along?: 11 Weeks
* Total weight gain: Almost back to the weight I started at
* How big is baby?: The size of a lime...which sounds huge considering last week was a walnut
* Maternity clothes?: Using the belly band so I can keep my pants unbuttoned. May go look at some pants soon.
* Sleep?: With class and work I'm more than exhausted all the time (Same as last week)
* Best moment this week?: Not baby related - I gave my first lesson in class and aced it!
* Movement?: Too early
* Food cravings?: Anything that is not chicken, except fried chicken tenders, still love those
* Labor signs?: None for a long time
* Belly button in or out?: Innie
* What I miss: Nothing really
* What I'm looking forward to: The very relaxing weekend Michael and I have planned
* Milestone: I know it isn't "bump" yet, but I can definitely see a little pouch in my stomach that I can't suck in.

The Gender Debate

Everyone has an opinion on the gender of our little one. There is the hope of a boy so Michael has someone to watch football with, but also the thought of a girl to be best friends with our niece. It will be nice to finally know, but there is still some time to wait for the "official" reveal.

To fill in the time though...we've tested out Old Wive's tales and every other predictor there is. Below are some of the responses.

Chinese Gender Predictor

This is just a table that based on the mother's age and month of conception, will tell you the gender of your child. According to the table on thebump we're having a girl. However, there are apparently several versions of this table floating around out there that will give you different answers.

Madame Z's Birth Predictor

By filling in several questions about your favorite color, current weather and everything non-baby related you receive a full prediction about the birth of your baby.

"The day you deliver, outside will be hot. Your baby will arrive in the early evening. After a labor lasting approximately 14 hours, your child, a boy, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 9 pounds, 15 ounces, and will be 17 inches long. This child will have medium green eyes and a lot of blonde hair."

I took this prediction yesterday also when the weather was just cloudy, not dark, and the prediction said our boy would be 13lbs, 13 oz. Very glad that didn't show up again :)

Old Wives Tale Quiz

I can only take the first part so far, but after inputting whether I was craving sweet or savory, or if my hair was stringy or full of body I learned that there is a 60% chance for a boy and 40% chance for a girl.

Intelligender

The most expensive and confusing one yet. After spending $30 for this at home test, we were excited to see what it said. This is all based on what color the liquid changes to after waiting for 10 minutes. I followed the directions to the T and believe it was the correct color for a girl, but when I took the jar in to the bedroom to show Michael it suddenly turned the color for a boy. Because you're not supposed to move it, I'm going to stay with the girl prediction.

10 Weeks...a little late

After moving back a week, we're finally at 10 weeks.
The past week has been a little crazy. On Tuesday we had a little scare that everything wasn't going to turn out well. After an emergency doctor's appointment and ultrasound, we were relieved to hear that everything is fine, and the baby is growing just perfectly. I'll make sure to post that ultrasound picture later, because you can actually see arms and legs in it...or at least in my mind you can.
Anyway...the 10 week check in.

* How far along?: 10 weeks and few days
* Total weight gain: Still down 2 pounds, but think I'll start gaining little by little soon.
* How big is baby?: The books say the size of a prune, but I'm going with Walnut (sounds better)
* Maternity clothes?: Nope, everything still fits fine
* Sleep?: With class and work I'm more than exhausted all the time
* Best moment this week?: Knowing that everything is fine
* Movement?: Too early
* Food cravings?: Changes every hour
* Labor signs?: None for a long time
* Belly button in or out?: Innie
* What I miss: Nothing really
* What I'm looking forward to: 12 week appointment and ultrasound...you should be able to see a face then!
* Milestone: Making it through the week without going crazy

We have a heartbeat!

On Monday morning we went in for our second appointment and the first ultrasound. The room was dark so that it was impossible not to stare at the glowing flat screen tv mounted on the wall. The technician began the ultrasound and almost immediately you could see our little one.

I could tell it was a baby, but other than I was completely lost on which side was up. The part I thought was the head was actually the yolk sak and the head was on the complete opposite side.

After some quick measurements we were able to hear the heartbeat. 160 beats per minute!

Old wives tales say that 160 and below is a boy...

The doctor moved us back a week, so once again I am finishing up week 8. No big deal.

Below are the pictures we received during the ultrasound. The head is on the right side and the umbilical cord on the left. In four more weeks we go in for the NT Scan and get another peak :)

9 Weeks

* How far along?: 9 weeks
* Total weight gain: Lost 1 pound - M/S has really done a number on me this week
* How big is baby?: The size of a medium green olive
* Maternity clothes?: No, the only pair of pants feeling a little tight are my black linen ones
* Sleep?: I actually stayed up til midnight last night!
* Best moment this week?: Not baby related at all...starting class this week was great.
* Movement?: Too early
* Food cravings?: Very random. A couple days ago it was candy corn and grapes
* Labor signs?: None for a long time
* Belly button in or out?: Innie
* What I miss: Feeling healthy
* What I'm looking forward to: The end of the first trimester and our seeing our little one on Monday morning
* Milestone: I was able to make dinner yesterday

First Day of Class

Today I become a student again. I have my notebook, dividers, paper, pens, and pricey text books ready to go. After work on Tuesdays and Thursday for the next three months I'll be sitting in class until 9:30PM.
Although I'm very excited to take on this new challenge, I'm also nervous since my new bed time is somewhere between 8:30 and 9:00 right now.

I have to agree with Michael that it is a little strange to be going back to school. Especially since I don't really have the option to skip class to stay in the dorm, nurse my hangover and watch movies all day.

8 Weeks

* How far along?: 8 weeks
* Total weight gain: Lost .6 pounds - even though I've been eatting nonstop to keep my stomach happy.
* How big is baby?: About the size of a raspberry
* Maternity clothes?: No, the only pair of pants feeling a little tight are my black linen ones
* Sleep?: Go to bed early but wake up for a couple hours at least each night
* Best moment this week?: Doctors visit - and finding out we get an ultrasound soon
* Movement?: Too early
* Food cravings?: Red meat
* Labor signs?: None for a long time
* Belly button in or out?: Innie
* What I miss: Being able to eat what I want without my stomach disagreeing with me
* What I'm looking forward to: The sonogram (a little over a week) and starting classes on Tuesday
* Milestone: First appointment done

1st Appointment

This morning was our first appointment with the doctor. Nothing too big, just a professional confirmation that I'm pregnant.
The doctor and the entire staff is so friendly. I was shocked by the computer check in process and even a photo for the staff to ID you with. Even the wait time wasn't too bad, except Michael would have prefered ESPN on the tv instead of CNN.
I was ready for the normal questions from the nurse and she joked that we must have been trying because I was so exact with my dates.
Dr. White discussed the common questions with us and said everything seemed normal. The vitamins I was on before were good, except he wanted me to take some Omega-3 that was made from veggies and not from fish.
Then came the dreaded part.... he wrote up my order for blood work in the lab. The last time I had to have my blood drawn I passed out about half way through, and was afraid that would happen again. Once the tech came in and started getting multiple vials ready I blurted out that I faint easily. He gave me a once over and without saying much he left the room for a second then told me a new room to go to. The lady in there was so sweet and had me lay down then used a tiny needle. Instead of me being the one wanting to pass out Michael said he got a little dizzy when he peaked over at the blood.
In two more weeks we go back for an ultrasound!!!

Boppy Body Pillow

I've always slept on my stomach, which is not recommended and very uncomfortable once you're pregnant. Luckily we had a body pillow in the guest room that I was able to pull out and try to get used to sleeping on my side, but the pillow gave me more hassles than without.
Michael, the wonderful husband he is, went to Target yesterday and got me the Boppy Total Body Pillow.

I am in love with it and cannot believe how comfortable it is. It has just enough stuffing and forms perfectly. Although it may look a little strange I'm so happy to have gotten a full night's sleep with out waking up on my stomach!

A lot to catch up on

Michael and I went to Buffalo this past weekend for my mom's 50th birthday and to tell everyone our big news. The timing was perfect because we could give a gift without anyone having questions about gift giving at a strange time.
When we got to town before heading to the house we made a stop at the new hotel for drinks. We knew we had to give them the gift before ordering the drinks...because again apparently it is very strange when I say no to drinks. As soon as we got in the hotel I started trying to get mom to open the gift, but they kept saying, "no, lets order drinks first." Finally I got her to sit down and open the gift before I had to put my drink order in.
I wish we had a camera with us because the first reaction to the frame was a face that kind of said...aw how sweet, I'm not quite sure why they said this is a great gift... then as she unwrapped the tissue paper and saw the baby related pieces it started to sink in and the big smile and happiness began.
Everyone else in the family was shocked and excited. I think my favorite comment was from Stacy who thought we were too young, and was completely shocked to hear how old Michael and I are, especially Michael.
The trip was amazingly relaxing and the only down part was they lost our luggage on the way back home.
I'm excited to finally have all my family told and a lot of our really close friends. There are still more friends to tell, but I'm still holding on to waiting a few more weeks before that.
Tomorrow I tell my regional manager. She's in town for some leasing stuff and I can't wait to give her the news. She has been so nice to me since I started with the company and is kind of like family.
One last random story - Michael has a buddy he roomed with his last year in college, then became roommates with after college and if living together wasn't enough, then went to work at the same company. He and his now wife got married a few weeks after us. We wanted to tell Brandon and Sarah the news before we left for Buffalo, but they weren't able to meet up, so we decided to wait until after telling all our family. On Saturday we were sitting on the porch of the cottage when Brandon called. We thought he forgot we were out of town and was just looking for someone to golf with. Since we had told everyone already Michael asked if he had heard the news and told him we were pregnant...Brandon's response was, "thanks for stealing my thunder, I was calling to tell you that Sarah is pregnant." So once again Michael and Brandon are doing everything together.

1st Appointment Set

After a week of trying to figure out if my insurance would actually cover me in Texas since it is based out of California, I finally have my first appointment set!
The lady in charge of new patients was so nice on the phone. She went over the insurance with me and even though it caused a couple issues we finally figured out it would work there. Just not something they see every day. The first appointment available was for tomorrow, but since I'm already taking a 4 day weekend starting tomorrow afternoon I didn't think asking for more time off would go over well. After declining that appt I was nervous about times for the next week since work wise I have a crazy week with corporate visits and meetings every day. Luckily the next time available was the following Monday with the doctor I had done a bit of research on.
She even told me that he was probably the best for a first-time pregnancy (I'm sure she says that about all of them), but also that he does his best to make sure to always see his patients so that you don't get passed around the practice.
Now it feels real!
I'm really hoping they do an ultrasound since I'll be just over 7 weeks by then and most everything I've read says you normally have your first appointment around 8 weeks and that's when they do it and you can hear the heartbeat then. Fingers crossed.

Also, I haven't taken a pregnancy test in about a week. Since we're going to Buffalo in a couple days to tell more people I wanted to make sure the line was still getting darker or anything to give me reassurance that everything is ok before telling more people. So I couldn't help myself when I was at the grocery store this morning, and got another pregnancy test. The test line came up immediately (no time for the hormone to work with the chemical or anything, just POP!) but the control line took a little while to form and was really light. Later I found out that just means you have so much of the hormone that your test line takes some of the color from the control line. Confusing but makes me so freaking happy :)

So Sleepy

It's 1PM and I'm ready for bed. There are still several more hours until I can even think about packing up for the day and heading home, but all my body wants to do is curl up in a ball under my desk and take a nap.
I'm not even a nap person!
For the past week I've had a sleepy feeling, but not enough to actually want to sleep, just enough to make me yawn every 10 minutes or so. This is the first time I actually feel like I could lay my head down and easily fall asleep.
Also, I know it is a bit early to be jumping into larger pants, but after I eat it is so uncomfortable to keep my pants buttoned. Luckily my shirt is long today and I can undo the top snap without anyone being any wiser. Just have to hope the fire alarm doesn't go off or something where I have to jump up quickly. This bloat is just horrible, but in an hour it will be back down to normal size.
Now back to work even though I just want a blanket and pillow right now.

Relaxing Sunday

It has been a whirlwind of a weekend!
Friday we made the announcement to dad, Cheryl, and Michael's parents. They guessed the news before we even had a chance to tell them because we called them all together and I was only drinking water as we waited for a table. I tried throwing them off by ordering a beer, but it became obvious I wasn't really drinking it.
When we finally got our table we gave everyone shirts with the same picture of the four of them from the shirts at the wedding with "First we were friends" on the front and on the back it said "Now we're grandparents!" with a picture of a baby.
Everyone was excited by the news, so even though they knew before we told them, it was still nice to get it out there.
The best part was seeing everyone's reaction, so I'm even more excited that I get to tell mom and Charlie in person too.

In other news I'm losing a lot of my fears also. Maybe Michael telling me to think positive has finally gotten to me. We're safely to the second month!!