To Mommies

First off, a few cool things that I have encountered in relation to dealing with businesses. For those of you who have recently given birth and were hardly sent away with any hospital goodies, here is a treat for you. If you call Similac (1-800-232-7677), they will give you a free backpack/diaper bag just for giving birth, cool right? Well you won't be able to pick out whether you get a backpack or diaper bag, you will receive one or the other in just 7-10 business days. All you need to do is call, let them know when you gave birth and at what hospital, simple as that. I received mine very shortly after I called, it was a small black backpack (convenient if you don't want to bring a your full diaper bag).
     Secondly, I recently had my motor give out in our baby swing (something in which I heavily relied on to get a few extra hours of sleep) and I was told by a friend of mine to give the company, Fisher Price, a call and see what they could do about it. In his situation they sent him a check for a new swing, but in my case, I called and received a brand new swing motor in just 4 days for free! Not bad I say.

So, Judah has had some pretty bad gas issues as of late and I was at my wits end about it because the poor guy wasn't getting any sleep with all his gas pains. I was told Mylicon drops, Gripe Water, and plain old warm water would help. So out of those I picked Gripe Water (I was going to try warm water but Judah refuses to take a bottle). It did seem to work for a while but like all things it lost its effectiveness rather quickly. I liked the fact that at first it worked, but there are definitely more cons about GW than pros. For instance, its very sticky on the skin, it goes bad within 4 weeks, and you often need to keep it in the refrigerator, which is not very accessible when you need to be in the nursery and you are stumbling around the house because its 2 A.M. Before I tried any of the other options I had done some researching online and I did come upon something called Colic Calm, which is all natural and does not contain Sodium Bicarbonate or any other unnecessary additives. It is 100% money back guaranteed and is supposed to work instantly.  In my opinion, it does have a pretty quick effect. The only odd thing about it is that it has a very dark color and can temporarily darken the color of their stools. If you can get past that I say go for it, it works.

Since Judah's birth, on top of the gas issues, I have dealt with thrush, heat rash, a fever of 103, pretty bad sleeping habits, and an apparent milk allergy, which has me off all milk products until further notice.  His thrush, which I have no clue where it came from since he was born cesarean, was evident in his mouth because he had the classic white patches.  Although we've been dealing with that for months its under control because we got a prescription for that right away.  I did read that a mixture of 1 tbspn vinegar with 1 cup water could kill the fungus when rubbed on surfaces the mouth touches (good for breastfeeding moms, although I can't imagine that would taste very good to baby). Although harmless, thrush is a big pain in the rear.  I have sanitized, medicated, washed, and sterilized everything that has touched his lips up to my ears and I'm not sure its going to go away until he's done breastfeeding. At least I haven't contracted it myself  because I hear it hurts awfully bad.
     Now the heat rash Judah got was a result of a domino effect.  He has a milk allergy (an allergy to protein in dairy products), which caused blood in his stools.  A side effect of a milk allergy is eczema and the only way to treat eczema is with topical lotions.  I had used various lotions such as Eucerin and Aveeno and both made him very red (he inherited his parents super sensitive skin I guess).  So, of course it being Summer time when this all started, his skin got sweaty and he had a reaction that made his skin seem to literally peel off, gross I know.  We ended up getting a prescription for an eczema cream and his skin is 1000 x's better.
     I think the worst of all his ailments and allergies was when he got sick and had a fever of 103 out of the blue!  One night he had a terrible time sleeping and was breathing rather heavily.  He also had projectile thrown up on me just before bed.  I didn't think anything of any of it until I went to nurse him and felt his skin was on fire.  It was scary needless to say.  The next day we spent 2 hours at the doctor's office as they ran different tests.  Judah was so inconsolable I actually started crying in the room he was being examined in, it was heart breaking.  When we had gotten home we needed to take a nap desperately and the poor guy who that day could only sleep while on me was sweating through his blanket and we were both soaked.  It was a true picture of being a mother. Finally, when all was said and done he had two viles of blood drawn, a shot of antibiotics, and a set of x-rays done at the hospital along with a follow-up appointment the very next day.  Luckily his fever went down within just a few days with a little Tylenol and love.


On a lighter note I just wanted to share a few baby related websites I often like to enjoy: kids.woot.com, babysteals.com, kidsteals.com. These sites are the type of deal when you can buy the item advertised on that day only. I must say the deals go fast, especially on babysteals.com, but let me tell you, they have such cool stuff! Kidsteals.com is great too but obviously for those with older kiddies, although sometimes they sell full sized minky blankets for adults and well who wouldn't want that on their bed? Check those out, it might be worth it!

There is certainly more to the story of Judah's sleeping habits, but for those of you who were wondering how they are, he would get "Most Improved" in a classroom of babies.  I am very proud (and rested).

Full time mothering...

On this latest hiatus, I have basically perfected...well...managed to develop...well no...ok, let's be honest...TRIED to begin a routine with my son. Not to say that I haven't gotten better or that the newness of being a parent has fully worn off, but I do feel a little more confident in my everyday tasks and duties. The house isn't a mess, the dishes get done (most days), I get to get out of the house and enjoy time with friends, I am able to attend most chapel meetings, and even get to spend some special time with my husband watching Disney movies and Nickelodeon cartoons. My weeks are filled with feedings, diapering, nap giving, errands, playing with Judah, seeing/entertaining grandparents, meeting up with friends whether it be walking at Buttonwood Park, the breastfeeding support group, or visiting them at their homes. So, I guess you could say that's been what's up in a snapshot.

Speaking of snapshot, I just received my uber early Christmas gift, a Canon T1i camera. The main purpose of having it at all would be to capture, in sweet quality, all the important and cute moments of Judah growing up and if I waited until Christmas, I'd miss 3 good growing months! Even though in my preference I like ALL gifts given on the day of Christmas and prefer them wrapped in wrapping paper (so I can slowly uncover the gift inside) and not a bag (not that I don't appreciate gifts in all forms), I made this exception seeing as though besides the Lord and my husband, Judah takes some pretty high precedence. But, I digress...

..Okay, can I just say that I LOVE MY JOB?! Yes, the job of being a stay at home mother. I love being a mother and especially being one to my little bunny Judah. He is wonderful and words can't begin to describe how much love he makes me feel. He has really started to develop a personality that includes big smiles, loud laughter, kicking with excitement when he sees his parents (Me and Timm, yay!), and he actually plays little games with us. He not only plays games but definitely likes playing them over playing with toys. I know this because his reactions reveal it all. He laughs and smiles so immensely at us its heart melting. One thing Judah loves to do is have "conversations" with us. For example, he will coo at me, I will imitate his coo, he will then laugh and coo, I will imitate his coo again, and this will go on for like a good 5 minutes. It is so amazing to see him respond to me while making eye contact. Another one of Judah's sweet skills is he is a pro at grabbing things that are hanging above him and putting them straight in his mouth. His hand eye coordination is really developing strong. Another thing getting strong are his legs. It seems as though all he wants to do is stand. He loves to stand especially when looking at his favorite Mickey picture. Judah stretches up so high its like he wants to just reach out and grab it or fly right up to it. Judah really is an amazing boy and is the second biggest blessing my life.

Now, as for me personally I am ALMOST back to my pre-pregnancy weight of 125 lbs. I am hanging in there in the mid 130's right now. Seems like the weight just melted off then as I got to the last 15 or so lbs the weight loss slowed. But I don't think that's bad at all considering I gained 45+! Who knows how much more weight I would have gained if I actually delivered close to my real due date. Since I lost most of my weight, I was able to go shopping with my dad to get some new clothes. I have noticed I have gone up a pants size, but I believe its due to my hips and body changing shape after carrying around a baby for nearly 9 full months. While I was shopping I have found that the Gap Outlet at Wrentham Village rocks! Wrentham has highly improved since I have been there 3 years ago. They now have stores such as Coach, Ugg, and Burberry. I don't shop at any of the previous listed stores but its neat to see some higher end shops to bring in a more diverse crowd and trust me there is lots of diversity at the Wrentham Outlets; its actually something I kind of miss, almost like being back at college again. Anyway, Wrentham now has an Ann Taylor Loft Outlet too, which I love ATL! WV is definitely worth the ride, check it out on a nice weather day, except Saturday, its a madhouse!

One thing I am really looking forward to is watching the third installment of the Twilight Series: Eclipse. It came out in theaters just 10 days after I delivered so I missed it and now must wait patiently for its DVD release on December 4th, which I bet I will receive as gift at Christmas time. I am also really looking forward to Christmas this year because there are SO many people who haven't met Judah and this is going to be our first year with him and it is going to be so special. He will be 6 months and 5 days on Christmas and I am sure he will look much different and will have some new skills to show off. He truly is changing everyday.

Last but not least, I have been reading Proverbs lately and am in love with them. Now that I'm a mother I see everything with a new perspective and I see the Proverbs as a great teaching that Judah will someday learn because it demonstrates how to obtain understanding, wisdom, and honor among God and man, which is pretty supreme living. For now its through my demonstration that he'll learn because I know he's always watching and so is the Lord. I am just excited to one day teach my son these wise words. Well, I think that's all for now. I'll try to keep it up more often, maybe once I get that routine down ;)

Last Post..until after the baby arrives/Well, the baby arrived =)

(written early June)

I know it seems to be early to be having a last post at only 35 weeks pregnant, but then again, is it just ONLY 35 weeks? To me, this is a big feat and I am so happy to have made it this far with the little guy moving like crazy inside me. I know that technically I will be full term in less than two weeks, but I would like for him to stay in there until his lungs, as well as everything else, are fully developed and ready for the outside world. Another reason why I am going to put the posts on hold are because well frankly I am getting very tired, I have a ton of stuff to do before the baby gets here, including another shower this weekend (which I am very much looking forward to! =) I feel overwhelmed by the amount that I have to get done and things that I need to get so I would like to focus all my time and energy to those things. There will most certainly be an update post baby's arrival though, don't you worry.

SO, to update, I did already have one amazing shower on May 15th. I can't believe that was already almost a month ago! Well even though not everyone could make it, I am very thankful for those that could share that time with me. Showers are something that, as the guest of honor, you should be very thankful for because people take the time out of their busy lives to watch you open a bunch of gifts! On the other hand, showers are one of the really important and meaningful parts in a person's life who has something to celebrate, and how sad would it be to celebrate alone? To all those people who are invited to showers, try to make them, they mean a lot to recipient even if you are bored out of your mind, and guests of honor, be VERY thankful for and to those who come, and definitely make sure you get those thank you letters out in a timely fashion.

(written June 26/27, 2010)

It is now 6 days since Judah has been born and I cannot begin to explain the degree that my life has changed. The Lord is so gracious and has blessed me with a wonderful husband who is extremely supportive and helpful. I have also been blessed with an extremely caring church family, in law family and with a dad who would and did drop everything to be by my side. To all of them I am extremely grateful. The Lord cares so much and I know I don't express His impact on my life enough, but know I credit Him with all things good.

As for me I am in recovery for the next 5-6 weeks because I had a C-section. Now I was initially disappointed and nervous when I heard I needed one but I knew that the Lord allowed it and I knew I needed to accept my condition because I knew it would work toward His goodness and glory. I now have accepted it and would do it over and over again because the outcome outweighed every fear and bit of sadness I felt. I just want everyone to know that I don't want anyone feeling bad for me because I didn't deliver the traditional way and probably never will because truly I am so happy and in all honesty so in love with my baby.

Physically I am in pain, I have a lot of restrictions, and find it difficult to walk, stand, climb stairs, and adjust myself in bed. I find lying on my back most comfortable but without help its very hard to get out of bed. Chores are definitely on hold for a while, which, for a neat freak like me kinda drives me crazy.

My stay at the hospital was pretty awesome. Even the food was really good too. I had a lot of wonderful nurses and felt very well taken care of. One of the nurses came in just to say hi and see how I was even though I wasn't scheduled as her patient that night. One scary thing that happened while in the hospital was I almost passed out in the shower and had to pull the emergency cord. I got assistance right away though so that was good. Also, I want to thank ALL of my visitors. It means so much when people take time out of their lives for you.

As for my baby Judah, I am in love. He makes Timm and me cry tears of happiness everyday. He really is an excellent baby and only cries when he needs a diaper, is hungry, is uncomfortable, or just wants to be snuggled. He eats often and goes to the bathroom even more, I think we had 17 dirty diapers today. He is also an extremely strong baby and actually rolled himself over once. I love him so much.

If you'd like to pray for us we could use prayer in the following areas: Judah's early salvation, health for him including his jaundice clearing up and his physical anatomy being complete so we can avoid surgery, a swift recovery for me (I have been particularly sore near my incision site lately), and that Timm and I can get some sleep and be good parents in the eyes of the Lord.

If you'd like to help out food is always good, an encouraging word or prayer is always appreciated, and to give Timm a break a quick trip to the store is helpful. We also are in need of nursing bras/under clothes and a sleepsack for Judah.

Well that's it for now. Timm is napping, Judah's about to eat and I am trying to get the diaper bag ready for our first doctor's appt. Thanks for taking the time to read.

updates and dreams

(written mid April 2010, finished in mid May)

"Leg cramps, short of breath, gotta pee, wow he's kicking so hard, restless legs, 'timm will you pick that up?' oh my goodness my tailbone is killing me, I am SO hungry!" Those are just a few of the new/common things you could catch me saying now and within the past 3 weeks.

So a few new things have come up recently: I now go to my doctor's appointments every 2 weeks, I started birthing classes, actually felt hiccups for the first time, and scored over 100 items of baby clothes for only $65.

I love going to the doctor's every 2 weeks now because I constantly have questions and this way my curiosity and concerns can be satiated a bit more frequently, but personally I would prefer to go every week throughout the whole pregnancy and have my personal doctor on tap on the phone at any hour! But since I don't have that available to me I need to just trust the Lord that everything is okay according to His plan no matter what and just trust it.

As for the birthing classes there are 8 other couples in the class all ranging from the closest due date of June 16, 2010 to the farthest due date of July 31, 2010. I am pretty much right in the middle of that. The first day of class is always a little awkward and she made everyone go around the room and introduce themselves and talk a little bit about the baby and any concerns they had. I hate having the spotlight on me unless I want it to be there so I was a little nervous when it came to my turn and I completely forgot to introduce Timm. It made everyone at the class chuckle. So far the classes are going well, mainly a sit and listen and be informed type of deal with a lot of interesting yet informative videos thrown into the mix. Occasionally we will get up and practice different techniques but mainly we learn. Next time we have class though we get to visit the labor and delivery area of the hospital, which I am excited about because I am hoping to see some new born babies in the nursery, if they have that type of open set up. Also it'll be nice to just familiarize myself with the place I will be delivering so that I am not totally confused and more out of sorts than need be on that special day that I go into labor.

Next up were those hiccups I felt for the first time, which by now I feel almost everyday. They are so cute because I know exactly what is going on when I feel those intermittent little tiny thuds on the very bottom of my belly. Judah having the hiccups also let's me know that he is in a head down position, which is good to know because I really would like to not have a C-section, but like I said to everyone else I just want to do what is safest for the baby and myself.

Last on the updated list above was Timm and I scoring all those baby clothes for an awesome price. We actually were only going to pay $50 but the people who gave us the clothes were so incredibly nice and welcoming (especially since we were total strangers off craigslist!) that we gave them $15 more than their asking price. I just finished putting all of the clothes away into our new dresser and 4 out of the 5 drawers are filled. Particularly we got a lot of sleep 'n' plays for the 3-6 month range so I hope he's sleeping and playing a lot in those months =).

(written May 10, 2010)

So 8.6 weeks left til my due date, which is certainly an estimation but I do hope that it goes to the full 40 weeks. I am now feeling Judah all the time with very vigorous movements. Earlier today my belly was literally at a total slant because he was pushed out on one side. I tried to take a picture but he always changes positions quickly.

So when you are pregnant you are prone to having strange and vivid dreams, usually the subconscious's way of dealing with any underlying emotions, fears, or any other feelings. I'm not quite sure what they mean but they are interesting just the same. I wanted to share some of the most ridiculous dreams I have been having lately though, two in particular.

First dream: I am not only having one kid but two! But here's the kicker I look down at my belly and there is only one child, so where is the other one you ask? Its in my other body! I have two bodies in this dream with one child in each. I am not sure of the gender of one of the babies but definitely one was a boy. I also could see the babies sticking out of my stomachs in a way I could see their features pretty clearly, which also let me know that they were both in breech positions. I was so upset because I knew I was going to have to have two C-sections, one for each body, but then I thought to myself I guess its not too bad because its only one C-section per body (because in the real world having multiple C-sections can limit you in the number of children you have, probably one of my underlying fears). So to continue, just before I go into one of the hospital rooms to meet with my doctor I am passing by my other body and waving to my other kid who has a full head of hair and is already smiling and waving so I waved hi and made silly faces at them. The weird thing about that kid was that his eyes were huge, like almost anime eyes and he somewhat resembled Elijah Wood. The dream pretty much ends there. So that was dream number one.

Second dream: I had this one just today when I was having my nap. I'm not sure if this was a nesting type dream or what but I was cleaning out my fridge and purging it of all old foods. Mainly the food that I threw away were these once delicious looking slices of cake wrapped in plastic baggies. As I was throwing out each piece I would remember and reminisce in my mind for a moment about each party that I had gotten them at and would remember how delicious each piece was when I originally ate it. None of the pieces had mold on them or anything but just were past that stage of being worth it to eat. I think possibly this dream could have had to do with the fact I am trying to be cautious of what I eat while I am pregnant and also fear of gaining too much weight since I have already gained well over 30 lbs! I know I don't look it but the scale doesn't lie.

So not much to update on symptom wise except my back pain is horrendous in my tail bone and I am just feeling somewhat more uncomfortable as the days go on, especially in bed where I am constantly tossing from one side to the next. In other news, I know that my one of my showers is coming up soon so I am really excited about that and I will be updating on that once that gets here. Its amazing to think how far I have come with this pregnancy even though I still have 2 more months from tomorrow. I am really going to try to enjoy the rest of it because I know that time will go by so fast and I don't want to rush anything.

26.5 weeks....13.2 to go

Okay so its only been a little more than 2 1/2 weeks that I've written but seriously my belly has recently gone through a big growth spurt. Judah should officially be about 2 pounds and have his eyes open by now if not opening in the very near future.

I was just rereading my previous blogs and read that my belly was "manageable" and that I could "still bend over", well that has certainly changed in recent weeks. Now, I notice that while I am walking at work or going up my stairs at home I get winded pretty fast. I also am getting the most annoying leg cramps, so much so that the other day when I woke up I seriously could not walk, a little scary if you ask me. I also have been having vision changes and get dizzy a lot easier than before. Vision changes include seeing stars whenever I stand up or change positions. For example, I had called the doctor's office about my vision changes, as well as other things, and they told me to come in to get it checked out because it potentially could be a blood pressure issue. I got my blood pressure checked, it came out great, but when I was in my examination room I had to lie down to check the baby's heart beat and almost immediately I started seeing "stars". This has been happening for the past week almost everyday. So I'm not sure if I'm dehydrated, moving too fast, or stressed, because I have gone through a lot of stress recently. Whatever it is I'll just have to keep an eye on it.

The only other significant change in the past 2 1/2 weeks is the best one and that is that Judah's movements are getting much stronger and I can feel him from pretty much from morning til night. His movements earlier on in the pregnancy were not as strong and noticeable from the outside, but certainly are now, and weren't nearly as frequent. I like to call his movements "drum solos" because sometimes he moves around so much at one time in my belly it feels like he's using me as a drum set. I am getting really excited for his arrival and a little nervous too, but I think that's normal. Timm and I are going to be starting our birthing classes in 20 days, which go on for a total of 5 weeks, although we skip a week in between. So by the time I'm done with birthing classes and my breastfeeding class I will be 35 1/2 weeks pregnant, so pretty much getting pretty close. I have 1 week and 2 days til I would consider myself to officially be in the 3rd trimester. I am approaching the 7 month mark quickly and couldn't be happier. This is truly the biggest blessing in my life ever, next to marrying my wonderful husband!

21.5 Weeks and counting

(March 5, 2010)

Wow, almost 22 weeks. Seems like so much time has gone by, yet there's still so much time ahead of me! One thing is for sure is that once you reach that 20 week mark you usually have less than 20 weeks left and I am sure that the last month will fly by with all the doctor's appointments and setting up there is to be done. For those who are wondering how far 22 weeks is, its about 5 1/2 months, which on a 9 month scale would leave me with 3 1/2 months left...wrong! If you look at the calendar of my due date July 11, 2010 its more like having 4 months and 1 week left, so its all a bit confusing. If you do go by the 40 week calendar and count a month at every 4 weeks, then you're technically pregnant for 10 months, throwing that 9 month rule thing out the window. I personally prefer to go by the 10 month scale simply because it makes it feel like time is going by faster. Faster for me to see my baby, which by the way, I found out the sex! ITS A BOY! And yes we do have a name, a good strong one too, its Judah Isaac!

(March 23, 2010)

Okay, I just had my 6 month appointment! Everything is right on target, my belly was measured at 24 cm and I'm 24 weeks =) So I am so happy everything is going to a T, but I am so ready to just have my baby! I know I am going to grow a lot more too, but its all worth it. I am looking so forward to meeting him, learning his personality, and sharing the love that I have had saved for him before I ever knew I would have him grow inside me.

Truly the second trimester is definitely the "honeymoon period" of pregnancy. I have felt so good that I forget sometimes that I am pregnant! My belly is very manageable and I can still bend over and get around with ease. Although, sometimes if I'm sitting in a chair for a long time my legs will get tired and it'll be hard to stand up but that's it. The only other challenges I felt physically lately is nausea is rearing its ugly head again on and off, but mainly off thank goodness. The doctor said that is totally normal and can happen with all the changing hormones. I would say that one thing that is surprising me lately is how much weight I am gaining. I am gaining weight daily it seems, since prepregnancy I have gained over 20 lbs! I personally know that I don't look it but I still have 3 months or so to gain more weight and that's the time that I'd gain the most, so I'm a little afraid of just how much weight I'll have to lose post pregnancy, but like I said, its all worth it!

I have to say this, another part of being in the latter half of the second trimester is that I am getting a lot of belly stares, and its not like I can really hide my belly anymore but please for my sake and for other pregnant women's sake, please do not treat it like an object! I get tons of comments all the time at work about how my belly looks rather than asking me about what's inside it. I know that when someone is pregnant it can be fascinating to a lot of people but please be sensitive and remember that we pregnant ladies can feel fat, tired, moody, sometimes not that pretty, large, stretched out, uncomfortable, in pain, and protective just to name a few. So say a kind word about how good we look, if you really mean it, and maybe some words of encouragement to get us through the day cause some days are harder than others especially when you have never successfully had a baby before. Also we know we look big so there is no need to remind us of how enormous we will be getting once we're closer and closer to our due dates. Point is, be mindful of what you say cause we aren't objects =)

Lastly, you may be wondering, am I nervous to go through delivery? Do I think, will I be a good parent? How will we make it financially? I just have one answer for all of this and for anyone else who may be in a similar situation and that is that the Lord has forseen this and allowed this and because of that He will provide in every way that we need. Psalm 37:25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. Now this doesn't mean that I dont' struggle with this or that I or anyone else can just coast through life saying "well I'm a Christian, I'm set for life, the Lord won't allow me to suffer too bad", it means that you must truly have faith that He will provide and obey His commands.

Also remember:

Matthew 6:25-34 ...Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? WHO OF YOU BY WORRYING CAN ADD A SINGLE HOUR TO HIS LIFE? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ...If that is how GOD clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown in to the fire, will HE not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?...Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. each day has enough trouble of its own.

Blog Hiatus...lots of updates

(Written in the beginning of November 2009, it is now mid January 2010)

So I purposefully took a blog hiatus due to me being pregnant a 2nd time. If you come upon this then well you get to read it but its mainly for me to get my mind clear. I have a little, very little, baby inside me with a wonderful heartbeat of 173 bpm. I can't wait to find out if its a boy or girl so I can start preparing. Timm is so excited and that makes me so happy.

(Continued January 14, 2010)

Well now my baby is well probably a few times bigger than the last time I wrote. I am still awaiting my next ultrasound. It could be in 2 weeks to 6 weeks, not sure yet, but whenever that is, I will find out what I'm having! I can't believe I have come this far in my pregnancy already, I'm nearly 15 weeks now. I had a doctor's visit when I was 12 weeks and I got to hear my wonderful baby's heartbeat for the first time, it was so relieving and neat. I am truly thankful to God.

So my belly when I had my first ultrasound (at 8 weeks) was pretty much the same as before I was pregnant except I had the tiniest of pooches on the bottom of my tummy. But after the 12 week mark I definitely noticed a difference and had the beginnings of a true baby bump. Now at 14.5 weeks, I am starting to get people who I haven't seen in a while to notice, which is kind of neat and weird. I am thankful, at this point, I have not gained any weight in my face, even though as of late I feel like I've been eating pretty much constantly from morning til night. As for other bodily changes, well the list goes on, my least favorite is the return of acne. I feel like there is nothing I can do to control my poor face. The worst, but oddly not my least favorite, was being so sick for 7 weeks straight. I somehow avoided throwing up at work for 2 months but I kind of didn't mind being sick because it let me know my body was doing what it was supposed to and its generally a good sign that the placenta is growing correctly. So, so far so good, but I will be finishing this blog up completely once my 4 month appointment arrives so I can have a true up to date return of my blog. =)

(Written January 24-27, 2010)

So, my 4 month appointment was perfect. My doctor said "keep up the good work". The baby's heart rate was in the 150's and I just have to wait 5 1/2 more months to meet them! I will be finding out the gender soon too! So excited! I've been feeling movement here and there, especially after I eat. When I was in the waiting room at the office I saw the cutest little chubby baby ever and I couldn't take my eyes off them. It made me realize how excited I was to be having one myself, its truly a blessing. But I do know its going to be a lot of work, so anyone who can ever lend a helping hand, I am open to it!

If you are currently pregnant and have ANY questions at all about pregnancy or want to compare notes, please feel free to contact me because I want to be as much of a help to other pregnant /future pregnant women as possible because I know that I love to ask questions, it just eases the mind (and so does prayer).