Week 17

It really seems like it was just yesterday that Tom and I were at our old house, sitting in the kitchen floor amazed that we were going to be parents! We kept having to look at the pregnancy test to make sure it didn't change, or that we read it wrong!

Now here we are at 17 weeks! That's almost half way! I can't believe it!

I had a doctor's appointment on Monday. The doctor said everything is going well! We got to hear the baby's heartbeat again...how incredible!

The best part of the visit was when I weighed...YES, you read that correctly! I will say it again...When I weighed! I told the nurse that I was a little scared to weigh this time because I have gotten a LOT bigger in the last month since I have been there and I was really nervous about how much weight I had gained.

She told me not to worry and just step on the scale. I didn't even look! She told me I had lost a pound and a half! WOO HOO!! I was SO excited by that! But then I asked the doctor how that is even possible! She said my metabolism is really high right now and that my body is working really hard, but don't get comfortable and think that is going to happen all the time!

It's ok, I will settle for once!

I have finally taken some "belly pictures"! This is my 17 week belly...

And here it is again...

Wow! Hard to believe I'm not even half way yet. I know people will look at these pictures and think "Aw, cute belly", or "Wow, she's really pregnant", or other things, but I look at this picture and think, "Oh my goodness, I'm not even HALF WAY!!!" I have a long way to go! I know it will pass quickly, but oh man, I'm going to be HUGE!!!

HUGE!!

Well, this week the baby is the size of an onion!

Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

Fingerprints! Isn't that incredible?! I definitely teared up a little when I read that!

An onion...wow! I guess that would explain why I cried so hard when Tom left to go out of town on Sunday! :)

Week 16

I can't believe time is passing so quickly! It seems like just last week we found out we were pregnant, now here we are at 16 weeks! Only 4 weeks away from being half way!! Wow!!

Lately I have been feeling really good. Hopefully, I am finally in the I-feel-great part of the pregnancy!

I am still craving salads like crazy, which I still think is crazy! But I guess it's better than craving cheeseburgers and ice cream all the time! A friend of mine keeps telling me it means that the baby is going to come out being a vegetarian...not in my husband's house!! If you know my hubby, you know how funny that is! He's a steak and potatoes man all the way!

I have signed up to get emails from the What To Expect When You Are Expecting website and I get them every day. They let me know what's going on with the baby, or what's with my body and things like that. (It's really neat!)

Well, at the beginning of the week I got the following email:

For most women, the second trimester not only brings relief from morning sickness, but also brings on a truck driver's appetite. Don't be surprised if you suddenly feel hungry enough to polish off a 24-ounce porterhouse.

A truck driver's appetite?! That's funny! I have since realized that it's TRUE!!

The other night I made one of Tom's favorite meals...Parmesean Chicken and Spaghetti! First let me say, I had never made this before, but it was SO GOOD!!!! And it was a LOT of food! I ate it all! Nothing left on my plate! Tom said, "Wow, you really do have a truck driver's appetite!"

The worst part is about two hours later when we were getting in bed I said, "Hey Sweetie, wanna hear something funny? I am hungry! Seriously, I think my stomach is about to start growling!" He looked at me like I was crazy and just said "DANG!"

Well, my little truck driver is now the size of an Avacado!

Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender.

Guacamole anyone? Or if you're my mom, just a plain avacado!

Week 15

The past week was a rough one. I had sinus problems all week and was limited on what I could take to help. At first I didn't think there was anything I could take, then finally on Friday I called the doctor's office and got them to fax me a sheet listing what I could and could not take. I went to Walgreens that afternoon and picked up some Tylenol Cold and Sinus and that helped! I still felt weird about taking too much medicine. I just can't imagine that it would be good for my little Naval Orange!!

Baby's now the size of a naval orange!Continuing the march toward normal proportions, baby's legs now out-measure his arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably can't feel the movements just yet.

How amazing!! It's starting to look more like a baby and less like an alien! That's good! Don't want to make it too easy for those bullies in school!

Being at home so much this past week, I was able to do a little crafting! I finished sewing my first real project!

A blanket for the baby!

Here is the front:

This is the back!

Here is a view of both sides! I just love it!!

Here is a picture of Big Brother Toby making himself comfortable on the baby's blanket!

He's so funny. As soon as I set it down, he came over and said, "Thanks for the blanket Mom!" Then I had to wrestle with him to get off of it so I could take pictures.

He's so rotten! But we love him!!

Week 14

This past weekend I went to Atlanta with my friend Courtney and we did a lot of shopping! We went mainly for IKEA! If you have ever been to IKEA, then you understand! If you haven't, then you are thinking, "Why would anyone drive all the way to Atlanta just to go shopping." My suggestion to the latter...GO TO IKEA!!!! It's amazing! The prices, the selection, heck even the food is worth it!! At least go to the website, http://www.ikea.com/

Anyway, I got some amazing deals in Atlanta! Very worth the drive! Not to mention that I went with one of my all time favorite people in the world and we had SO much fun!

After we got back, it wasn't quite as much fun. I got a pretty bad migraine on Monday then got really sick. I missed three days of work with sinus drainage crap...no fun. The worst part is that I couldn't take anything. I called the dr.'s office and they said they didn't want to put me on antibiotics, so for the sore throat I could use Chloraseptic. Yeah like that helped a lot.

Anyway, I have started having some strange cravings. I crave salads all the time. And I have always been a ranch dressing kind of gal, but all of a sudden I want vinegarette dressing! So strange! When Courtney and I went to the Cheesecake Factory, I told her I was really wanting some pasta. Then all of a sudden I ordered a salad! And it was so good that I thought about it all day the next day and told her I wanted to go back that night and have it again! That's just crazy!

Ok, so week 14...my belly has really started showing! It's strange, and I want to touch it all the time! Now the baby is the size of a lemon!!

Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth.

So cool! I just love relating it to a fruit! Although, I am convinced that we are going to have a big baby, so I am guessing it is a BIG lemon!

Week 12 and 13

Ugh...I am a terrible blogger! Not really, I just had a really busy week last week and didn't have a chance to blog. So this will be a two-fer week!

Tommy and I have been so busy moving into the new house. We finally have everything painted. (Thanks Mom!) And we have a few more boxes, but we are starting to feel at home there! We absolutely love our new house! It is so wonderful and we are so happy there!

Last week I also had a friend come home that has been gone for WAY too long. She was living in Africa for a year and a half and then in Taiwan for about 6 months. She is finally home, so I spent a lot of time with her last week...and her boyfriend!

Anyway, on the pregnancy front, week 12 was a pretty easy week. The tiredness isn't any better and I had my first migraine since being pregnant, and that sucked. But other than that nothing really to report.

The baby was the size of a plum!

As you move into the second trimester, baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all of baby's systems are fully formed.

Last week I went to the store and had to buy a plum! It sat on the counter all week and Tom kept picking it up and putting it next to my belly and saying "Wow!

I also picked up a peach!

Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy. (Much more convenient.)

How amazing! I can't believe the baby is growing so fast! Such a miracle!

We had our second doctor's appointment this week and we got to hear the heartbeat! Wow! It was 155 beats per minute. The doctor said everything is looking good. The baby's heartbeat was good and strong and all my blood work came back and looks really good!

I keep thinking "Is there really a baby in there? Is this really possible?" Then to hear the heartbeat made me relax again! I guess that's why they make you go to the doctor's every month...just so I can be reassured that there is still a baby in my oven!

I did ask the doctor when we will be able to find out the sex of the baby and she told us it will be when I am 20 weeks. I will have another appointment at 17 weeks then she will move the next one up and have me come in early. I CAN'T WAIT!!! So it should be on September 14th...if everything goes as scheduled!

Week 11...Still Emotional!

I have passed a big milestone today! (Well, I think it is a big one) On my pregnancy countdown on the right side of the screen-it says we have 199 days left until we meet our little bundle of joy! 199 days! That's under 200! Wow! Pretty cool!

Well, this week the baby is the size of a lime! We went out with one of my very best friends and her boyfriend the other night and she had a margarita in honor of my little lime! And the guys got beer that came with limes too...although they quickly ditched the lime! You know fruit with beer isn't very manly! Then my friend had another margarita for me! That's true friendship right there! Love ya!

Anyway, the baby's eyes are completely developed now! Wow! A lime with eyes! That's kinda scary!

Your fetus currently enjoys a 1:1 ratio between body and head, and has skin so transparent that blood vessels show right through. But, fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds and nail beds are forming -- setting up a significantly more attractive future.

I have no doubts that we will have an absolutely adorable baby!

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And yes, I am still very emotional. This morning I heard a song on the radio that seriously made me get some tears in my eyes.

It's a country song about being in high school and when the boy goes and picks the girl up for a date and her dad has a talk with him.

Come on in, boy, sit on down,
and tell me 'bout yourself.

So you like my daughter, do ya now?

Yeah, we think she's something else.

She's her daddy's girl, her mama's world,

She deserves respect, that's what she'll get.

Ain't it son?

Now ya'll run off and have a little fun.

I'll see ya when ya get back,

I'll probably be up all night,

Still cleanin' this gun.

This is SO not a song that would make a NORMAL person cry! So there I was just driving and singing along then all of a sudden I thought about if we have a girl. This is going to be the way Tom will be. I can just see it!

But the part that really got me is the "she's her daddy's girl, her mama's world". Wow, I am getting choked up again.

I am so ready to meet our little baby! I just can't wait!

Week 10

Wow things have been so busy with us this week! We have been staying at my mom's house for the last week and a half. Last night we got to go see the new house! It's completely empty! We walked through and talked about paint colors and things we want to change. It's very exciting!

Tomorrow we will go get the paint and start working!

I can't wait! I will put pictures up when I get a chance.

So this week the baby is the size of a prune! I'm not really sure how I feel about saying that...I mean, a prune? Really? Can't we come up with a cuter fruit?

Anyway, here it is!

With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will too.)

Aww!! That is so incredible!

After more research, I have discovered that the baby is also the size of a strawberry! So that's what I will be saying this week! I like strawberries more than prunes! Besides the picture of that prune looks scary...kinda like a bird skull! haha

So here is the baby!

Yep, the baby like being called a strawberry much better!!