Week 16

Well, here ends the fourth month and I can't believe how fast it's gone! We only have five months left until little wisling gets here. It seems so far and yet so close, at the same time. It's so exciting.
We had another doctor appointment yesterday. We got to hear the heart beat again, which is up to 150bpm over the 146bpm from the times before. Dan was getting a little worried because (just like last time) it took the doctor a minute to find the heartbeat. I think he is officially much more of a nervous ninny than me! All seemed well and good. And next month we will get to have our ultrasound and find out if we are expecting a little boy or a little girl. We just can't wait! We also had our Afp4 testing done yesterday, which will help to determine the risk of birth defects. Please keep it in prayer that these come back A-OK. It's very nerve wracking. We should know the results in 7-10days. So I will be able to update on the next blog (I hope!).
One great thing about the doctor appointment is that I got all of my crazy questions answered. So here is what I know: Even though I've lost weight, it's not too drastic. So it's okay. I should be able to put on some weight soon, as this baby is growing by leaps and bounds!
My hair loss issue is not hopeless. As long as it is not falling out the in patches, the doctor says not to worry. Women react to pregnancy differently, and my thinning hair is not too weird and I won't go bald. It should come back in full force once the baby gets here.
I have NOT been having Braxton Hicks contractions. Apparently the pain I'm feeling is just round ligament pain (stretching muscles around my abdomen). I still say I'm surprised. Because "OW!" they hurt!
Other new developments in our lives include Dan getting a job interview at Cook! Yeah! And we are looking into purchasing a home in the Spencer area. So please pray that everything works out and we can really get our lives in a cushy spot before baby arrives.

Here are the new belly pics. They look MUCH better than usual, as Dan took them!

*When is your due date? April 12, 2010

*What week are you in? 16 weeks

*How much weight have you gained? I lost a pound this past month. So I am at +1lb.

*Do you know the gender of your baby? If so, what? I can't decide. But I don't really care. As long as it's a happy healthy little baby!

*Do you have a name picked out? What? Boy: Kellen Daniel, Girl: Aiaden Mirth (yes, we like the dream name!)

*Who is going to be with you during delivery? Dan

*Maternity clothes? I officially only have one pair of pants that fits (including pj. pants.). How sad!

*Stretch Marks? Moving around my sides. Boo!

*How are you feeling right about now? Better than earlier. I had another bout of morning sickness today, but I think that's because Caina kept waking me up.

*Have you felt the baby move?Yep. A little here and there.

*What is the latest thing you bought for baby? Well, we are looking into buying a house. And that's kind of for baby too!

*Sleep habits? On my side (mostly my left).

*Any food cravings? I still love apples! I have also really wanted egg salad lately.

*Anything you loved before that you absolutely cannot eat anymore?Nothing new

*Memorable Moment of the Week: Looking at a house, Dan getting a call for an interview, Hearing that most precious of "thump thump thump"s again!

Week 15

I've definitely felt some more movement this week, most of it right after I got home from Rachel's baby shower, finally a little more flutter toward the middle. I guess there is something about visiting Dan's family that really gets this baby going :-)
I've also felt my first Braxton Hicks contractions. I don't care what the professionals say. Those are NOT pain free. I had one hit me so hard that I couldn't move for about 15 seconds. Every time I tried to readjust myself (sitting on the couch) it hurt way worse until I sat back down. It really freaked me out. I wasn't sure what was going on until I did a little research on pregnancy pains. They came off and on throughout the rest of the day, but nothing like the first. I'm hoping that doesn't become a regular on my body's party schedule.
My lack of appetite is starting to become a bit of a concern to both Dan and myself. I'm losing a lot of hair and not gaining anywhere near the weight I'm supposed to (I've only gained about a pound this last month!). I don't feel like I'm skimping on meals or skipping meals, but I'm not eating as much as I used to (which wouldn't be a bad thing, except that I'm supposed to be getting an EXTRA 300 calories now). Thankfully we have another doctor appointment this coming Tuesday. I'm sure the doctor will have some suggestions.
On a cuter note: Dan and I have started reading and singing to the baby! Hopefully it will find some comfortable familiarity after it's born with our voices, familiar songs and stories :-)


I have cleaned the mirror in the bathroom this week. So, the pictures should be crystal clear!












This is the only pair of pants that I can still fit into comfortably. I have a pair of jeans that are almost too snug for comfort. I guess it's time to seriously look at maternity pants.

This Week's Fun Facts:

*When is your due date? April 12, 2010

*What week are you in? 15 weeks

*How much weight have you gained? Maybe 2lbs. It varies A LOT depending on when I eat and what clothes I'm wearing.

*Do you know the gender of your baby? If so, what? Still thinking it will be a boy. I keep dreaming about having a little boy.

*Do you have a name picked out? What? Boy: Kellen Daniel, Girl: I think we are more settled on Aiden than any other name.

*Who is going to be with you during delivery? Dan

*Maternity clothes? Still just the belly band, but I'm wearing mostly skirts and dresses now. They are just SO much more comfortable. I'm also on the way to getting a winter cape made with a lot of help from Kathy.

*Stretch Marks? Still the same ones. Dark on the ends.

*How are you feeling right about now? Pretty good! No aches today!

*Have you felt the baby move? Yes! He or she gets a little more active all the time :-)

*What is the latest thing you bought for baby? Still nothing much, but we did start cleaning up the nursery!

*Sleep habits? I officially no longer sleep on my tummy. So sad!

*Any food cravings? I still love apples! I think I may make smoothies and muffins later!

*Anything you loved before that you absolutely cannot eat anymore?No, but I did really want a steak burger from Steak n Shake the other day! What's a vegetarian to do!

*Memorable Moment of the Week: Increasing movement! Reading aloud to the baby (babies will recognize voices, music, etc. from their time spent in the womb after birth).

14 weeks = 2nd Trimester and MOVEMENT!

This has been a super exciting week for us! First of all, we are now into the second trimester. Which means the risk of miscarriage has dropped a SIGNIFICANT amount. This is a huge relief for me, as women in my family tend to miscarry once before carrying to term. It was a huge breath of relief to hit that milestone. Another great aspect of the second trimester is the easing of morning sickness. I'm finally experiencing Morning Sickness instead of, as Ellen called it, "all day" sickness. This is wonderful for me. I now know that I can be out and about after noon with out major risk of randomly being sick. Plus, I have a bit more energy which means I have VACUUMED! My poor carpet has been suffocating under the strain of dirt and and dust for far too long. We have a happy, healthy apartment once more!
Another amazing, yet totally unexpected event this week: THE BABY HAS MOVED! I know that it is really early and we were really shocked. It was so exciting! We were coming home from having dinner at Sara's at about 9:30pm on Monday night and I started to feel something weird in my lower abdomen. I thought I was feeling some kind of strange pressure in a little spot on my left side, but not like I've ever felt (and I've had all of the round ligament and mild contraction experiences). Then there was a tickley sensation that I can only describe as a fish flipping happily through its bowl. It carried on for a couple of minutes and was gone. I know a lot of women describe the first signs of movement as butterflies, but it really felt more like the flipping tail of a fish to me. Well, regardless of the slight difference in sensations, the baby is well on its way to being an early mover! I guess we'll have to put everything out of reach a little earlier than expected :-) I haven't felt anymore movement since then, at least not like before, but we're hoping the wisling will make another major "appearance" soon! Dan was very sad that he was driving at the time and couldn't really get a good hand placement on my belly. I know you can't feel from the outside yet, but he was really wanting to be involved. He kept talking to my stomach all night trying to convince the baby to move again. Apparently daddy has not quite achieved a level of persuasion surpassing our baby's ability to make independent decisions. Maybe I'll find some time soon to make a concentrated effort to lay still and quiet and then we'll have another water ballet when dan is readily available. :-)

Well, here are the belly pictures for the week.You may notice that my stomach is actually starting to proportion itself normally, as compared to the weird lumpy thing it was doing previously. My lower abdomen is now filling in to match with my upper belly area. Yippee! I look less like a blob now and more like a pregnant woman.
























This Week's Fun Facts:

*When is your due date? April 12, 2010

*What week are you in? 14 weeks. Yeah, 2nd trimester!

*How much weight have you gained? +1.5lbs (no weight gain since last week)

*Do you know the gender of your baby? If so, what? Still thinking it will be a boy.

*Do you have a name picked out? What? Boy: Kellen Daniel, Girl: Lila Rose, Aiden Jerusalem, etc. We still can't settle on one we like best.

*Who is going to be with you during delivery? Dan

*Maternity clothes? Still just the belly band, but I've started looking around in maternity. I'm definitely going to need some new pants before long. I'm also trying to find a coat that will allow me to grow through the rest of pregnancy. I will also go for a winter cape if anyone knows where I can find one. Does anyone know of any good maternity stores?

*Stretch Marks? Same as last week and the veins are starting to show up more noticeably.

*How are you feeling right about now? Pretty good as long as I stay in bed until at least 10:15, which is REALLY difficult some days.

*Have you felt the baby move? Yes! This past Monday. SO EXCITING!

*What is the latest thing you bought for baby? Does buying stuff to ease my pregnancy count as buying it for the baby?

*Sleep habits? I'm so glad I got a prenatal massage! I learned the perfect way to lay to keep me comfortable for hours. Thank you Mira! Still up about four times a night, but it's better than 10.

*Any food cravings? I still love apples!

*Anything you loved before that you absolutely cannot eat anymore?Nothing new. Still all the stuff from before though.

*Memorable Moment of the Week: Moving into the second trimester. Feeling the first movement!

Week 13!

Well, this has definitely been a week for steady progression to a positive end. MEANING: The morning sickness is finally what it's called (MORNING sickness) instead of all day, I'm getting some good energy spurts (which hopefully means I'll be able to run the vacuum and scrub the apartment soon), and I actually feel like being sociable with everyone again. Which is good because Dan and I are going to Indy to see Lilly and Jim Saturday evening, Covered Bridge festival in Parke County with my parents on Sunday (hopefully we'll find some cute baby stuff!), and Dinner at Dan's cousin Sara's on Monday! I'm so excited to go out and see and do. I feel like I've been cramped up for a decade. Dan has been so good through all of this. Abiding my every whim with VERY little complaining. He's been so understanding about everything. What would I do without him? Probably be a little less spoiled, but as you're here to read about the baby, we'll move on.
I've been telling everyone that's asked how I am that I feel like a Stretch Armstrong toy. You remember those. Came out in the late 70s, really popular in the mid/late 90s. Only I'm being stretched around the middle instead of the legs and arms. I had a few good hours of steady round ligament pain one day this week. So even if it's hard to believe, the little wisling is DEFINITELY growing in there!
Other developments: I've started having occasional sciatic nerve pain, which is new for me, but runs in my family and apparently shows up commonly in pregnancy. Dan has now been counseled in the art of helping to ease the pain. It's helps A LOT! I'm also going for a prenatal massage tomorrow. I've heard good things. I'm hoping that will ease up some of these early aches (and maybe help with the residual morning sickness too).
On a more positive note (or at least I think it is), while my belly has been growing, the rest of me has been slimming which doesn't make a lot of sense. I'm not sure if you can tell by the top pic, but my face is definitely more defined than before. I'm excited about that little development! I'm not actually behind on the weight gain train. So baby is just fine with me slimming down some of those previous chunky areas.
More good news! We have new copies of our first trimester ultrasound photos!
The baby is difficult to see. But these pictures were taken at 7weeks. So by now the baby has grown a lot more. However, these will hopefully give you an idea of what's to come. The round open circle is the yolk sac and the little peanut is the baby to be!










And here are the weekly belly shots:












I absolutely love this shirt! It is so comfy. Thank you Ellen for the awesome sweater!


The mirror is really dirty! Sorry.

*When is your due date? April 12, 2010

*What week are you in? 13 weeks

*How much weight have you gained? +1.5lbs

*Do you know the gender of your baby? If so, what? Not yet, but I really think it will be a boy. I just always have.

*Do you have a name picked out? What? Boy: Kellen Gabriel or Kellen Daniel
Girl: I really like Aiden or Maryanne (which would be tying to family) or something earthy (not moonunit though. Celebrities. *Bah

*Who is going to be with you during delivery? Dan

*Maternity clothes? Just a belly band, since I can't button any of my pants now and zipping is starting to become a challenge. Shirts are still fine though. I've got lots of roomy ones. Thank you return to 70s fashion.

*Stretch Marks?The ones I already had on my tummy are dark again (I did get big pretty fast) and I'm starting to get ones a little more north, which I SO dislike.

*How are you feeling right about now? Nausea in the morning, but energy in the evenings (Yeah!)

*Have you felt the baby move? It's doing all sorts of things in there, but all I'm feeling is the continual growth spurt!

*What is the latest thing you bought for baby? Not much, but my parents just said they bought a little surprise for him/her. So that's fun. Hoping to find some things at the Covered Bridge Festival!

*Sleep habits? I'm waking up all night, which isn't all together unusual, but more than normal. I'm having trouble getting comfortable. I've tried sleeping with 0,1,2 pillows, curled fetal, scissor legged, and on my tummy (which isn't going to be possible for too much longer). Nothing has worked. So I'm still looking for that restful spot.

*Any food cravings? I still love apples!

*Anything you loved before that you absolutely cannot eat anymore?Nothing new. Still all the stuff from before though.

*Memorable Moment of the Week: Making plans to see friends and family! Stopping in at work and everyone being excited about my growing tummy!