A few people have been asking for more pregnancy specific info so I thought I would give a brief update every four weeks or so to let you know how things are going. It will also be a great way for me to actually remember the pregnancy and be able to look back, read through posts and reminisce.
So here we go...
WEEK 14
Size & development of baby:
Our baby is the size of a lemon this week! It is growing leaps and bounds at each ultrasound. It is so cool to see him/her progressing in such vast ways while still being so small overall. At out last ultrasound (11/8/11) we were able to see the baby from all angles. It was moving around quite a bit and was flipping from side to side. We go back in two weeks and I am eager to see how much he/she has grown!
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.
(Lemon picture and paragraph above from this website.)
(Lemon picture and paragraph above from this website.)
How I am feeling & how I am changing...
I feel wonderful so far! I have been blessed with no nausea or morning sickness whatsoever. Praise God! I have only had one day where my stomach felt a little "off," (during week 13) but it was NOT bad at all. During the early weeks I would wake up each day wondering if "today was the day" that I would get sick. Ha! At one point I was even wondering if everything was OK since I felt 100% normal. I am convinced that my continued acupuncture treatments has helped offset typical first trimester symptoms. Since we all know I am a fan of acupuncture I will just leave it at that and not continue writing an entire paragraph (you can thank me later). I was extremely tired during the early weeks but that has passed and I now have much more energy. I am thirsty 24/7 so it is not uncommon to see me chugging water all day long. I have also noticed that I am shedding hair more rapidly than normal which is due most likely to the crazy hormone surges going on inside my body! My sleeping habits are up and down but 1 - this is typical for me in general and 2 - I have heard that is fairly normal during pregnancy.
I definitely started to notice a baby bump at the end of week 12. Of course it was and still is the awkward phase where I don't look pregnant, but have just a little pudginess in the tummy area. Basically looks like I ate too much. My shorts and pants are starting to get snug (totally have the tummy hangover when I zip my shorts!) and I am not sure how much longer before I convert to maternity bottoms.
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| 8 week belly shot |
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| 12 week belly shot |
What I am eating & what I am thinking:
My eating habits have not changed too much since I have felt good. I am basically just listening to my body and eating more on days when I know I need it. I have not had any intense food cravings although It is funny because I am choosing certain foods over those that I would typically choose. For example, these days I will go for red meat over chicken or fish whereas pre pregnancy I was not a huge red meat eater. Now I am always eyeing the steak meat or ground beef options on any menu! I have been preferring cold cereal in the mornings vs. my typical hot oatmeal breakfast. Oh and coffee sounds pretty awful (only drinking decaf when I do have some but I usually can't even drink one cup before tossing it). The only other odd food tidbit is that I have been snacking on trail mix w/ raisins, goldfish and/or the sweet & salty honey nut flavored chex mix each afternoon. I am fully aware that this choice is giving me zero nutrients and that it resembles that of a 3rd graders lunch box but oh well! This combo just always sounds so delicious when I am reaching for an afternoon snack.
Brandon and I have decided we want to find out the sex of the baby. We are hoping to find out at our ultrasound sometime in December. We have been tossing around names and nursery ideas but honestly just decided to wait until we know boy or girl in order to eliminate half of the "debate." Ha! Not sure if we will do some type of fun reveal or not - still thinking on this one.
I have been doing some reading at night in hopes to gain a little insight to this whole raising an infant thing but I am sure a lot of parenting is just trial and error and learn as you go. I have not been thinking too much about the actual childbirth part for many reasons. 1 - we still have 26 weeks to go and 2 - it really (I mean really) freaks me out. I will be getting an epidural (or two, or three - lol) end of discussion. I appreciate all of my friends and family who have gone al natural but that is not my thing. I love you little baby but I do not want to feel you coming out of my body.
Bring on the pain meds thank you very much.
I think that is all for now. I will post another update during week 16. Thanks again for all of your support and prayers during this time! We feel so blessed to have such an amazing family and group of friends.
PSALM 139:14
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,
I know that full well."
Yay! I'm glad you are feeling so well! I didn't have any morning sickness with my kids, and I was certainly happy about that, but didn't want to talk about it too much because my girlfriend had HORRIBLE morning sickness...for 5 months. And a trick I used to keep my regular pants for longer, loop a hair elastic in your jeans and hook it over the button. I wear long shirts so it wasn't an issue, and so much more comfortable than the maternity pants...or make some elastic waist skirts :-) Also a life saver!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are doing so well. This is such an exciting time for you guys. Blessings Brittnie!
ReplyDeleteGreat post!! It's so nice that you feel well. I am laid out flat by morning sickness with each pregnancy and it's dreadful.
ReplyDeleteParenting is full of a lot of sorting through everyone's advice, opinions, and guilt trips! Epidurals are great, but do prepare to manage some pain on your own too, just in case - you probably won't get the epidural at 1cm. With Elijah, I was all prepared to go natural... and had a long labor and an epidural. That was amazing, so I planned for an epidural with Kirsa... and didn't end up getting it until 7cm! (Didn't plan for the fact that, with the 2nd child, you have to wait for the babysitter to arrive before going to the hospital!)
Educating yourself on labor/delivery is a great idea, but don't overstress. We all got here because some woman went through it. The people at the hospital know what they're doing and, in my experience, know how to take good care of you! Make Brandon be educated too - he will be your best advocate and protector. Remind him of that role - husbands can be pretty good at that part when they know that's their job.
We found out the sex both times too. So much more fun for registering and decorating!!
I found I used maternity pants around weeks 12-20, but then once my belly rose up, I was back in regular pants, just without a belt. Maternity pants are so comfortable, you might find it hard to want to wear anything else after you deliver! :)
Your baby bump looks just perfect and beautiful, and it's fun to have the updates on your pregnancy!! -Katie {My Paisley Apron}
You look adorable! I am so happy for you guys and cannot wait to find out what you are having. And, I'm so very glad that you feel well!!
ReplyDeleteLove this post Britt! You are too cute! I can't wait until you find out if it's a boy or girl! - Emily F
ReplyDeleteThis is so exciting. I hope you do more of these posts because I love feeling like I am right there with you :) I also can't wait to find out what you're having!! One recommendation about reading--don't take any of the books too seriously! Like you said, a lot is trial and error. When I was working as a nanny, I worked for parents who were sticking only to a specific way of doing things (in this case, the Babywise method) and who refused to see that it wasn't best for their child. When they finally relaxed a little and adjusted the schedule to what their child was begging for (in his/her own way,) their child was WAY happier and so were they (and so was I!) Read all you want but keep in mind that your relaxed approach is probably best!
ReplyDeletei'm so excited for you and this journey. God is in control. Happy little lemon.
ReplyDeleteYou're so cute..! love the baby bump!!
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting about the beef... my mom said for one week during her first trimester she was a total carnivore-- all she wanted was red meat! Maybe it means baby is growing some red blood cells?
ReplyDeleteYou look so great and after all your difficulty deserve to feel good as well. I had horrible pregnancies, but conceived so easily, it all evens out.
ReplyDeleteKeep taking lots of photos. I felt so horrible throughout my pregnancies I only took a few and I so regret it.
That is wonderful that you are feeling so good!!! Cute pictures! :)
ReplyDeletewow, so glad you are feeling well. I bet those food cravings will kick in soon, right in time for the holidays. hehe.
ReplyDeleteBrittnie, I love your blog....so wonderful.
ReplyDeleteSuch exciting stuff. Hope you continue to feel awesome! You look beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWe are SO excited for the three of you, Brittnie! Our fingers are crossed that Baby Blackburn is a boy so Max has a playmate. ;)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog ~ thanks for posting such useful material.
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