Week 20- Pink explosion

At 20 weeks, the baby is the size of a banana.

We are having a GIRL!

I cannot believe it. I really thought all this time that it was a boy, and so my brain has been processing boys for so long that transferring thoughts to peonies, daisies, glitter, and ballet is quite a transition. But I am thankful and excited just the same!

We had our ultrasound at a perinatal office on Friday. The best I can describe is a very specialized ultrasound since my pregnancy is high risk. The benefits of being "high-risk" is that the doctors are very cautious and have to do a lot more ultrasounds than normal.... so I get to see my baby every 6 weeks. Hooray!

Richard went to this appointment with me, and my super active baby was still super active (she is going to be a dancer, I believe!). During this ultrasound they go through all the anatomy and check everything: from measuring the femur bone and forearm, to counting the bones in the pink finger. This is also of course where they confirm the sex of the baby. We didn't want to be surprised! We were ready to find out.

As the technician was doing some measurements of the stomach and and torso, she kept laughing at how the baby was putting her (ah! her!!) hand in all the shots. (That is such an Uncle Tay tay thing to do!) So you see her ankle and toes and...a hand. They she would MOOOOVE around and put her hands above her head. and then back down again. I just kept thinking, jazz hands! (See? Dancer.)

After that nurse was finished she said "stay as you are" (goop and all) because the doctor would come in to look too. But they sent in another nurse to confirm a measurement, and more goop was squirted on my stomach. Then she left and 10 minutes later the doctor came in and added more goop. Ick! I think they just like the splft! sound the bottle makes. Richard took a picture of my goopiness. Thanks, dear.

Everything looked normal and healthy.  Praise the Lord! They don't see any concerns right now. The doctor just wants to keep an eye on things, so I go back mid July for another ultrasound.


As soon as we left they doctor, we both started calling family and friends. I had a few confusing conversations in the car as my excitement and Richard's excitement spilled together into a dueling phone match. :)

Richard said a few times, "my world is about to explode in pink!" He's soooo right!

19 Weeks- the Kicking Tomato

I am at 19 weeks today and the baby is the size of an heirloom tomato.  I have started to feel a lot of commotion and movement lately, even some light kicks. It's really amazing and no words can describe the feeling.

I just had to show this:


Each week, I get an update from an app on my iPhone (from a website called babycenter.com) about the progress of the baby and a picture pops up like this one at 12 weeks:

 Growing. Developing. Happy and content. But wait...
 
This is the picture that came up today (at 19 weeks)!

Really?  No wonder the little thing is starting to kick. If the baby is anything like me, he/she is having some MAJOR personal space issues. I would be having a serious meltdown at this point.

Speaking of HE or SHE...we are finding out on FRIDAY if we are decorating the nursery with airplanes or ruffles. We can't wait!

17 weeks-Turning Turnip Green

There is a scene in the Bourne Identity, where Jason Bourne is explaining to Marie about the weird senses he is picking up in the diner. (I looked it up.)


Jason Bourne: I come in here, and the first thing I'm doing is I'm catching the sightlines and looking for an exit. 
Marie: I see the exit sign, too, I'm not worried. I mean, you were shot. People do all kinds of weird and amazing stuff when they are scared. 
Jason Bourne: I can tell you the license plate numbers of all six cars outside. I can tell you that our waitress is left-handed and the guy sitting up at the counter weighs two hundred fifteen pounds and knows how to handle himself. I know the best place to look for a gun is the cab of the gray truck outside, and at this altitude, I can run flat out for a half mile before my hands start shaking. Now why would I know that? 


I can relate...


Christen: I walk into any room, and the first thing I do is check for the exit. I can tell how many trashcans are in the room that I could throw up in a moment's notice. I can tell you which people around me look like they would be helpful if I were to get sick and which ones could jump out of the way the fastest. I know the best person to ask for a ginger ale, and I can walk 3 flights of stairs before my nausea starts up again. Now why would I know that?

I am 17 and 1/2 weeks pregnant (the baby is the size of a turnip...not very glamorous), and well into my second trimester. I want to say that I feel great and that my second trimester is full of energy and no more sickness. That is still not the case. Everything that my pregnancy app is telling me i should be feeling right now isn't happening. 


This morning, as I was pulling into church, I noticed the banana I was eating tasted a little strange. I parked, got out of my car and puked on the ground next to my car. I walked about 10 more feet and puked in a bush. I believe the geese that inhabit our church property were laughing at me 2 bushes over. Thankfully, I don't THINK anyone saw me. 


I am continually impressed with the pregnant women I hear about who can throw up and bounce right back into whatever they are doing. I'm not there yet. I require a make up change and a 2 hour nap.


On another note, I went to the doctor last week for a check up. I got to hear the heartbeat. It was solid and steady. On June 3, Richard and I will find out the sex of the baby. I can't wait to see the baby again.


I have also bought a few baby things recently, a high chair and a bouncy seat at a yard sale, and a really cute sailor dress at the thrift store. I don't know if I am having a girl, but the dress was so precious and only $3. I couldn't pass that up.


Even with all the sickness, I am loving being pregnant. I love planning and preparing for this baby, and I am praying that I can be the kind of mother that God wants me to be. 

Buns, Covets and Flittles

Happy Mother's Day! Many friends have wished me a Happy "first Mother's Day", but I don't feel like it will truly be my FIRST until I am holding a little one. Even still, I am honored to be a "soon to be" mother...and I don't mind the cards and attention (Let's be honest!).

Wow. I'm way behind on this here. So much has happened the the past MONTH...That's way too long. I'm sorry to report so much in one, but I wanted to get everyone caught up. Hold on to your butts!

I had a fabulous 13 week ultrasound on April 22. The tech was trying to measure but the baby moved, kicked, rolled and punched A LOT! At one point the tech just laughed and said "Where are you going?!" to the baby because he/she was dodging in and out. This of course made me laugh so then the poor ultrasound tech had to start over.  I have decided that the baby is DEFINITELY mine because he/she loves working out and/ or showing off.

What a beautiful baby! :)

I love the hand! "Hey!"

Because all went well, I felt it was finally time to announce to the world that I was having a baby. So I posted this picture on Facebook and let everyone figure it out.

Now I am approaching 16 weeks (on Wednesday). The beginning of my second trimester has been rough. During participating in the Atlanta Passion Play, I had come down with an awesome sinus infection. After enduring a week and a half of misery, I finally went to the doctor who gave me some antibiotics, and even still, I was super cautious about how much Sudafed and allergy medicine I took. I drank water and Gatorade like it was going out of style; mainly for my throat and in hopes of flushing the sickness out. That just made me pee MORE. Awesome. Also, the infection caused me to puke quite a few times. I didn't throw up AT ALL during my first trimester, even with the intense nausea. I tried my mom's method of talking myself out of it, but this sinus infection totally won! Hopefully I am finally passed that and can begin to enjoy the energy and less morning sickness.

This past week, Richard and I got to go on our "Just Us Vacation." When we got married, our friends, the Fishers, told us to always try to get away alone once a year. And we have made it a tradition. We had big hopes for our "Just Us Vacay" this year that included a roadtrip down the California coast. However, that was BEFORE we found out we were pregnant. We decided to save the money, and enjoy some relaxation at Myrtle Beach, SC. We stayed in a beautiful high rise condo owned by my wonderful relatives. The condo overlooked the beach, so each morning I could watch the ocean and read and pray. It was a great time for Richard and I to rest and enjoy each other's company.

In the past few weeks I have noticed that my "cravings" have turned into "covets". Instead of craving random foods or strange combinations with pickles, I just want what someone else is having. If I see someone enjoying a snack, I want that....and will covet it all day. If I see a billboard, magazine ad, or commercial, I am enticed to go get that thing (or send Richard). I have even read a few people's FB status of what they were making for a meal, and decided I needed that thing. This morning I read a friend was making pancakes with strawberries for their mother's day breakfast. Guess what Richard is making me for Mother's Day Dinner? Mmm.  

I will say that bacon is the only constant. I can eat that every meal everyday! So now I believe that my child will be very much like Aunt Lala, who can eat a pound of bacon in one sitting.

The first part of your pregnancy, the baby seems to be more of a "theory" because you are only recognizing the symptoms and changes. AND you have to remind yourself that you aren't just getting fat...someONE is growing inside you. Then there is a flittle!  A tap tap! I have to be paying attention or I get it confused with a gas bubble or hunger pains.  I am beginning to notice the flittles when I lay flat on my back. And then I am just in awe! Having a baby is TRULY miraculous. I am amazed at what God is doing inside me!

Praise the Lord!

Week 12- Lime Green

Week 12 News and updates:

• The baby is the size of a lime today. I love limes. I love the color, lime green. It's striking and loud and bright. I love the flavor that limes add to fajitas and candy and Coke. I love sour stuff, and have enjoyed Sour Patch Kids candy when I'm feeling queazy. So it seems appropriate that my baby is compared to this beautiful green citrus fruit.
• I have a horrible cold this week. Started with allergies, and turned into mayhem in my head. Where normally I would just pop a pill, I am having to tread lightly around the medicine cabinet. Allergy meds like Zyrtec and Benedryl are not great for pregnancy so you have to be careful and take only as needed. 
• I made lemon bars last night. These are AMAZING...and I highly recommend this recipe from the Pioneer Woman. They are super easy and one of the best recipes i've ever tried (and i have tried a lot of lemon bars!) I was too tired to eat them by the time they were done. So guess what I had for breakfast? ....well oatmeal first, and then I had dessert! :)
• My next ultra sound is in 10 days! I will be finished with my first trimester by then. WOW time flies! I can't wait to see the baby and how much he or she has grown. After the ultrasound we will make our official announcement to the world! We are excited to let everyone know, especially so that people around me won't think I have just let myself go. I'm a little more rotund than usual these days, so I am ready for people to know why. 
• We are still discussing names. And by discussing I mean, that I am pouring through websites trying to find the perfect one. This is a hard task, and not something we are taking lightly. It is also hard to bring my taste in colorful, artistic, creative things with Richard's very conservative, compassionate, proper taste. 

My sister was greatly concerned about the first set of names we were discussing because they were very ...well... normal. Not like me at all. When my mom told my sister these names, she said, "Christen?! She picked these? These are a decoy, mom. Don't believe her. She is lying to us."

Then she called me and with all the compassion and love and sarcasm in her heart, sat me down (over the phone) and suggested we keep looking. (I think her words were "really? REALLY?! These are terrible!") She explained to me that this was a blank canvas. We needed to not settle, but to find the names that perfectly fit our family... and she said she expected more out of me! :) I just love her and her willingness to ALWAY offer up her "opinion."  After being kindly berrated for 45 minutes, I then explained that she will love the baby, even if we name it Poop. She agreed to that at least. But the pressure is on. (I'm the firstborn you know, so I have to live up to the expectation...can't help it.)

Craving list

I haven't craved anything weird yet. But in case you were wondering what I can't stop noshing on....Here is a list of my most craved prego foods so far:

1. Bacon

2. Peanut Butter

3. Hot dogs- I just thought this was cute...I won't eat Levi. I promise. :)

4. Blueberry pancakes

5. Any kind of cake or brownies

6. Goldfish crackers

7. Chocolate milk

8. Fruit- mostly oranges and apples

9. Cheese

10. Banana pudding...the hot kind from Mary Mac's in downtown Atlanta. I will be getting some of that this weekend when my parents arrive.

Very brown and orange, isn't it? So basically, fat and sugar. Great!

I feel like the rest of my cravings are the result of watching others enjoy something, or seeing a commercial for that food. Paula Deen shows are so much fun to watch right now, but result in a buttery craving. And I used to love to check out Martha Stewart's food website for ideas or inspiration for dinner. Instead I just gape and drool through the slideshows. Speaking of...check out this slideshow !! (Warning: do not watch if you are hungry, pregnant or like breakfast food!)


I was REALLY hoping I would be a skinny pregnant woman...oh well. I'm getting a brownie!

Pregnancy Brain

Today my baby is the size of a FIG! Isn't that cute?

Ok. Let me preface this post by saying...I am a very forgetful person. I know I am, and have always been Growing up, I had to learn to write things down on my notebook or my bathroom mirror or even my hands and arms, just so I would remember important assignments and events. Even with all those, I would lose my notebook, wipe the mirror, or wash my hands. And my moment of remembrance would come as I walked in my classroom door! Eek!

In my college years, I would get halfway to class and realize I didn't have my books. So I would have to run UPHILL all the way, to go get them, only to find that I forgot my keys and couldn't get in the dorm. I never gained weight in college, I lost it! I contribute my weight loss and management to my forgetfulness.

God has blessed me now with a husband who helps me remember. I also put important dates, lists, and assignments in my very efficient phone that beeps at me to remember them. But I still have my moments. And with a bun in the oven, my forgetful brain is greeted with a deluge of hormones and exhaustion.

Now here we go:

Yesterday was Atlanta Passion Play Load In Day. This is wear all the crew and some of the cast take a day off work to come help take props, staging, costumes, etc. off large trucks and set them up backstage as we prepare for the show this weekend. It is a long day that requires lots of energy (and all of my husband's time and attention).

At 10 AM, I drove in with my friend Brandy (because Richard had to be there extra early). When we arrived there were lawn care workers weed eating and making lots of noise. (That's my excuse, ok?) I got out of my car, and just as I was walking away I had this sense that I was forgetting something. I turned around and said "Did I lock the door?" I walked close enough back to the car to see the lock tab was down, shrugged my shoulders and walked inside. I guess I didn't forget anything, and if I did I would remember it later if it was important.

Around 1 PM, my sister in law, Virginia called my phone, 

"Christen. We are in the parking lot and walked past your car. It is still running and the keys are in the ignition!"

"What???"

"Yeah, we walked by it. The door is locked, but it is still running."

Yes. I left it running for 3 hours. But I locked the door. I even double checked. I just missed the important step after putting it in park, and that is turning the car off and taking the keys out. Thankfully I have keyless entry on my door, so I can punch in the code and the door unlocks (I love that feature. I have NEVER locked myself out of my car which I am very capapble of). I am also grateful that there was no immediate or evident damage and I was able to drive it home. My gas tank is almost empty. Hopefully, I will remember to get it refilled today before I go home. Hopefully.

This is going to be a wild ride folks! All I can say is please pray for my future child...