18 weeks, 4 days Belly Picture

Brandon was not home, so I just took the picture in the mirror. Great advise from my friend Rachael.

I am definitely starting to pop. Belly hurts, but it feels like it is getting bigger by the minute. I may start updating the picture more often, because it seems to be changing so fast. It is very exciting.

We ordered our crib today! Ahh, the adventure of the crib. But, we got the one we wanted in the color we wanted. Thanks, Grandma!

8 days until we find out the sex of the baby. People at work are speculating, they think it is a girl based on the way I am carrying. We shall see!

No cravings yet, but I am still enjoying cheese, as well as apple juice.

Oh, and I apologize if I offend anyone, but pre-third trimester & pre-breastfeeding, I am officially (yes, I was measured by a professional) a DDDD, which is equivalent to a G. The letter G, as in Gorilla. I wonder if I am going to get to the middle of the alphabet. My goodness.

Still have a cold, but am better than last week. Just to give major props to myself, I am handling school, Youth Groups, Religious School, being pregnant, researching and preparing for the baby, a cold (which my ears are still so clogged my equalibrium is off), emotions about my Grandpa Mike, and making sure my family is ok, and I am still cool, calm, and collected. I am not really stressing out. I am just making sure I am doing what I can, but not too much that I stress myself out. I guess I have figured out what is really important.
Brandon has also found relaxation this week in the new "Star Wars-Unleashed" Video game for the Wii. I am so glad that he found a way to de-stress, I don't think he has taken an hour off in a month and a half. If the baby can hear already, we are already prepping Kermit to be a nerd, he/she is listing to Star Wars music within weeks after their ears developed.

18.5 Weeks

I had a pretty rough week, I had a really bad cold. I was extremely miserable, but am feeling a lot better. I still have a lot of food aversions, but feel like I am getting more protein into my diet and am doing pretty good with my eating habits, especially with all of my food challenges.


We started getting some of our stuff delivered from Amazon.com this week. We have gotten the $250 worth of diapers, and now actually have a couple of baby things in our house. So exciting!


Also, there is a newish website, www.freshmanfund.com, which we are now really excited about. It is basically a 529 college program registry. This way, instead of people feeling forced to buy baby toys, they have the option of donating towards our child's education. We are still working out the details, but I believe that you can even use your credit card and directly put money into the 529, in any amount. I believe that is Awesome! We are going to be looking into which 529 we would like to open in the next couple of weeks, and then will register for the www.freshmanfund.com to link it directly to the 529. I will keep you all updated.


Last but definitely not least, I am feeling some funky stuff going on in my belly today. I am trying not to get too excited, it could just be gas (he he) but I am hopeful that this is the first evidence of me feeling the baby. As far as I have been told, a couple of weeks after I can feel the baby, Brandon can feel the baby. Cool, huh?

18 weeks tomorrow

I have not written in a while, so let me give you all of the updates. I am lying to myself and saying that I feel well all of the time. My goal is to remember this miracle of an experience fondly. So, I keep pretending to myself and the world that I am feeling great. The truth? I still have food aversions, nausea, being outside is difficult for me, and my stomach is stretching and often extremely painful. I had no idea a baby so small could have already found my sciatic nerve. I sneeze a lot, and my entire stomach contracts and hurts. The “girls” are amazingly inconvenient. It is like they are everywhere, and I am sure that is going to get worse before, because I am planning on breastfeeding. I have an extremely hard time sleeping. But, I am trying my best to just stay positive, and convince myself and everyone else that I am doing just swell. I am finding a balance between not being lazy, but pacing myself to make sure that I am taking care of myself.

A big call out to having cool and awesome Grandmas! My grandma is setting us up furniture-wise, and Brandon’s Grandma, Nana, bought us our stroller, Boppy, and car seat. Rock on! This is really happening.

We had a doctor’s appointment today. We heard a heartbeat (150 beats per minute) and my belly is the correct size. Everything looks good. We have our 4D ultrasound in two weeks, and should find out the sex at that time. Woo Hoo!

Brandon and I signed up for a childbirth class. I have no idea on whether I will be beneficial or not, but I am at least hoping we may meet some new mommies-to-be. I have also started to find girlfriends up here in Orlando. It is very exciting.

Brandon and I are working on our options for next year. Assuming that Brandon continues with the Religious School principal position next year, we are considering me “Job-Sharing” for next year. Job-Sharing is an opportunity by Osceola County Schools in which two teachers share a contract, and each are part time. I would work 2.75 hours a day (2 periods). It is a big decision, but we are working on our options.

17 weeks, 5 days.

The beginnings of a bump....

16 weeks

Well, I am about to start week 16. This week I seem to keep switching between still being somewhat yucky feeling and feeling much better (with more energy). I have started experimenting with a variety of foods again, even though I still can only get a few bites of chicken down at a time. I have been eating eggs this week to try to get more protein into my body. Eating is probably the most frustrating part of pregnancy. Two of my friends had babies this week, and it hit me as pretty overwhelming. Crazy! I am one of the next ones. I am getting really excited. Really, really, really excited. Brandon is too, he is starting to be more protective and cuddly with me. I am loving it. We are down to three boys names, with a definite boy middle name and a definite girl’s name.

This week, we registered at Babies’R’Us. What a frustrating process! We walked out extremely disappointed with the store, and are much more impressed with Amazon.com. The prices are cheaper for the same products, they have more color choices, so we can get exactly what we want, and free shipping on most items. We are still at the beginning of building both registries, because we would like people to have the opportunity to pick something up at the store if they are not online people, but we actually like some of the stuff (mostly, big items) on Amazon.com registry better, such as the carseat for my car (Babies’R’Us only has this yucky brown color, and Amazon has the same one in a pretty grey and blue). We have decided that while we like the stuff and convenience of a superstore at Babies’R’Us, we just have to not interact with too many employees so that we don’t get frustrated. But, they have such cute baby stuff! I love all of the little clothes. Those kinds of things, like sheets and clothes, we want to touch, as well as have people have the opportunity to touch as well. We are all about making sure the baby has lots of soft things.

If you would like to see our Amazon.com resigtry, the only trick is to first click on the “Toys, Kids, and Baby” link on the left hand side, and click on “Baby”. Then, on the right, you see the “Baby Registry” logo that you can click on.

I have not “popped” yet, but I do have the beginnings of a belly. Nothing too obvious, but if you know I am pregnant, you can tell I have a belly.

We also have decide to go to a Childbirth class in November. They want you to register really early, so we are sending over our information. Hopefully, we may meet new other mommies and daddies to be.

Mom & Dad came up to visit this week. It is always so nice to see them.

15 weeks belly picture

14 weeks

Woo Hoo! I am at 14 weeks today. Still eating lots of bagels, but I am starting to feel better otherwise. I still don't like to go near many foods, but I am getting hungry, which was rare for a while. My exciting news of the day is that we were at Disney property control (a store for Cast Members that they sell lost items from parks, broken items, and new but extra merchandise), and we found an Ergo Baby Carrier (which I was given the recommendation for) for $2.00. We just need to wash it. I checked online, and it is a $105 sling. Woo Hoo!

I am at the stage in which I feel my "glow." That is pretty cool. I was the matron of honor at my best friend's wedding this weekend (Lauren & Steve got married!), and I felt pretty awesome. I only ran out of energy at the end of the day, but I did put in a very long day. I seem to be smiling a lot. It is a fabulous thing.