18 weeks

Okay, pregnancy brain is real. I am constantly forgetting things. My appetite is returning, which is fabulous and I have gained back two pounds! So I am now five pounds away from where I was before I got pregnant. I also had a doctor's appointment with my thyroid specialist. She's worried about the size of the nodule on my thyroid and wants to do an ultrasound on it when my insurance okay's it. She thinks that it could be cancerous because of it's size, the ultrasound will tell us more. However, I can't have a biopsy until after the baby is born. So if the ultrasound shows cancerous traits I will get a biopsy immediately after the baby is born and if it is cancerous I won't be able to nurse. So everyone, cross your fingers! I'm pretty worried about it, but I'm so grateful for my sweet husband who wouldn't allow me to go to the doctor's alone and is my rock during all of this. I could not have married a more perfect man. 

How far along: 18 weeks

Gender: We get to find out next Friday!!! We weren't supposed to find out until the 18th but I called my doctor and asked to reschedule it because my little brother leaves for his mission on the 11th and we really wanted to know the gender before he leaves. I'm so excited!!! This weekend for date night we are going to do a whole bunch of gender prediction tests and see which one comes out on top. No matter what, we are going to love this baby of ours!

Maternity clothes: No maternity clothes yet. I'm 18 weeks pregnant and I can still wear all my clothes...including being able to button my pants. Is that normal? 

Stretch marks: Nope, not yet and hopefully not ever! (Wishful thinking, right?)

Belly button in or out: Still in. 

Sleep: Except for feeling sick a couple of nights this week I've actually been sleeping really well. I'm gonna relish in that. 

Best moment this week: Hiking with my family and buying a crib!!! Yep, we bought a crib. It's beautiful. The mattress has pink castles and crowns on it, so if we have a boy nobody tell him he slept on a girl mattress. lol 

Worst moment this week: Feeling sick. I forgot that I'm lactose intolerant and I drank milk for the first time in a long time. Talk about an upset stomach! 

Miss anything: Working. I miss my job. 

Movement: Not yet. I feel like I've been waiting for that forever. I hope it comes soon. 

Cravings: Still no. That was supposed to be my favorite part of pregnancy and I don't have any! What's up with that? When did all of your cravings kick in? 

Queasy or sick: Yes, from drinking milk. 

Looking forward to: Next week! Getting to find out the gender of our baby and seeing my Grammy! She's coming to town next week to visit and see Isaiah off! I can't believe my little brother is big enough to serve a two year mission for our church. I'm so proud of him. 

17 Weeks

This week has been tough. Getting sick and then saying goodbye to my students. I still am not gaining weight. Well, I did gain .6 lbs in two weeks...That's something? I don't know what my deal is. I have been eating more than ever. All in all though this week has been great. I'm lucky to have a family and a sweet husband who take care of me. As you can see my bump is coming...

How far along: 17 weeks

Gender: Don't know! We will find out June 18th :) At our doctor's appointment yesterday the heartbeat was 150...girls usually run around 160 and boys run 140 so ours is in the middle, not helpful as we try and guess the gender! lol 

Maternity clothes: Still no. I guess that's a blessing right? I can still wear all my jeans and button them too. All my clothes still fit, but I find myself wearing loose shirts because my "bump" looks more like I'm a little chubby and I don't want to show that off. 

Stretch marks: Nope, not yet and hopefully not ever! (Wishful thinking, right?)

Belly button in or out: In. I have a deep belly button so it will probably take awhile to poke out, if it does at all. 

Sleep: Not very good. I guess that's only going to get worse though, right?

Best moment this week: My little brother got ordained an Elder and he went through the temple for the very first time! All in preparation to go on his two year mission to the West Indies. I'm so proud of the young man he has become. 

Worst moment this week: Saying goodbye to my students. I can't even begin to tell you how these kids have changed my life. Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I've done, but I know that my choice to stop working so that I can prepare my body for this baby is what I need to be doing. Also, I got a cold this week. That sucked. 

Miss anything: Sleeping through the night.  

Movement: No movement yet. I'm hoping to feel it soon...I really can't wait!

Cravings: Nope. When are those supposed to kick in?

Queasy or sick: Not sick related to pregnancy, but I did get a cold this week. 

Looking forward to: Memorial Day! My hubby doesn't have to work :)

16 Weeks

I didn't realize until just know that we are in the fourth month! Holy cow! Only five months to go! It seems to be going by slow, but fast at the same time...is that possible? Man, oh, man! We can't wait for this wiggle worm to get here. This week has been good, but tough. I'm still losing weight, even faster than before, so that's not good. I met with the doctor and he is going to have me meet with an ENT and get my thyroid checked out even more...a biopsy...yay...

How far along: 16 weeks

Gender: Don't know! We will find out June 18th :) At our doctor's appointment yesterday the heartbeat was 150...girls usually run around 160 and boys run 140 so ours is in the middle, not helpful as we try and guess the gender! lol 

Maternity clothes: Nope, I have a belly wrap thing that you wear over your pants so you don't have to button them, and it looks like a cami. I don't wear it though...I don't need to wear it yet. 

Stretch marks: Nope, not yet and hopefully not ever! (Wishful thinking, right?)

Belly button in or out: In. I have a deep belly button so it will probably take awhile to poke out, if it does at all. 

Sleep: This week wasn't so good. I guess my nights of getting a good nights sleep are over. 

Best moment this week: There were so many! Getting to surprise Caleb's mom for Mother's Day, seeing my uncles, new aunt, and cousin, getting to see our favorite couple, the Tobler's, and finding out that the probability of our child being born with a mental handicap is significantly lower than what we were originally told. 

Worst moment this week: There were a few, but mainly being sick again...I mean really? 16 weeks! Let's stop with that. I guess I should be eating more...according to my doctor. 

Miss anything: Wanting to eat. I never want to eat. 

Movement: Still no movement. That should be coming soon. Mom's when did you start to feel movement with your first baby? 

Cravings: Again, still no. I wish. 

Queasy or sick: As mentioned before, yes, I got sick again this week. My doctor says that I need to be eating more. I just keep losing weight. 

Looking forward to: Next week! It's going to be bitter-sweet. It's my last week of working with the most amazing kids before they leave me for summer break. I wish I could explain to you how much they have impacted my life...they have changed me forever. You know that song from Wicked, For Good, those lyrics describe how I feel about them. I love them all so much. 

15 Weeks

How far along: 15 weeks

Gender: We don't know yet, but we are so excited to find out!

Maternity clothes: Nope! I just wear skirts and dresses. When I do wear pants I have this belly band thing so that I don't have to button them. :)

Stretch marks: Nope, not yet and hopefully not ever! (Wishful thinking, right?)

Belly button in or out: In. I have a deep belly button so it will probably take awhile to poke out, if it does at all. 

Sleep: I've slept really well this week! Caleb's alarm goes off every morning at 5 am and usually I wake up to that but this week I slept through his alarm! I am loving this and I am taking this opportunity and relishing in it. 

Best moment this week: Getting to see my husband's sister and brother-in-law! They were driving through to go up to visit his family and stopped to have lunch with us :)

Worst moment this week: Getting my thyroid results. I have hypothyroidism. This can cause a developmental delay in my baby after they are born...hopefully we have caught it early enough that the baby will be okay. 

Miss anything: Being able to go through the day doing normal activities and not get exhausted halfway through.

Movement: Nope. Our wiggle worm is much too small to be felt yet, but when we had the ultrasound at our last appointment the baby was kicking up a storm! I can't wait to start feeling that movement!

Cravings: Nope. I really thought those would be kicking in already. Maybe my view of pregnancy cravings are different than they actually are. 

Queasy or sick: Just a few headaches and some gas pains. I'm finally doing better. 

Looking forward to: Our best married friends, the Tobler's, are coming to visit on Monday! We are so excited to see them! Also, celebrating my first Mother's Day with some important people in my life :)

14 Weeks

Okay, so I was a little late posting my 13 week blog post, so they seem really close together, but today marks 14 weeks! So I am trying to get on top of it and post on time! Also, please take note that I AM getting fat...Caleb hates when I say that, but that's what it feels like! There is a small bump. Can you see it? I sure can. 

How far along: 14weeks

Gender: We don't know yet, but we are so excited to find out!

Maternity clothes: Nope! I just wear skirts and dresses. When I do wear pants I have this belly band thing so that I don't have to button them. :)

Stretch marks: Nope, not yet and hopefully not ever! (Wishful thinking, right?)

Belly button in or out: In. I have a deep belly button so it will probably take awhile to poke out, if it does at all. 

Sleep: Not so great this week. Some days were good, others weren't. 

Best moment this week: Well, we got a camera today! It's 16 megapixels! I have never owned a camera better than 8! Also, I have never owned a camera with a rechargeable battery...I always had to put AA batteries in my camera! So I am really spoiled now. Also, I went out to lunch with some people from work yesterday :) That was incredibly fun. 

Worst moment this week: Hmm...getting a headache. They are bad. Yuck. 

Miss anything: I still miss not having to force myself to eat...but it is getting better. I also miss my flat stomach. I guess I have to miss that for awhile, huh?

Movement: Nope. Our wiggle worm is much too small to be felt yet, but when we had the ultrasound at our last appointment the baby was kicking up a storm! I can't wait to start feeling that movement!

Cravings: Not really...I want veggies and fruit...but I don't really crave them. 

Queasy or sick: This week has been MUCH better. I have had headaches and my stomach has been a little unsettled, but nothing like before. 

Looking forward to: A Saturday with my hubby. Friday night is girls night with the ladies I work with up in Pine Valley. That should be fun!

13 Weeks

I am stealing this questionnaire from my friend Meagan, who is also pregnant, but much more adorable than I am. This should help me to track my progress and keep you informed on how we are doing...if you care :)

How far along: 13 weeks

Gender: We don't know yet, but we are so excited to find out!

Maternity clothes: I have one pair of maternity pants, but I don't really need them. I usually just wear skirts and dresses, but I can still wear all of my jeans.

Stretch marks: Nope, not yet and hopefully not ever! (Wishful thinking, right?)

Belly button in or out: In. I have a deep belly button so it will probably take awhile to poke out, if it does at all. 

Sleep: Not so good. I wake up to pee in the middle of the night or I just plain can't get comfortable. However! Last night I slept like a baby! Caleb actually thought I was dead because I was in such a deep sleep.

Best moment this week: Getting to go to the Miss Radiant Pageant on Saturday. It's a beauty pageant for special needs girls and one of my students was in it. It was wonderful to be able to see her up on stage and to feel of their sweet spirits. 

Worst moment this week: I was REALLY sick last week. I missed two days of work!

Miss anything: Not having to force myself to eat. I thought that having an excuse to eat a little bit more would be great, but I can't even eat as much as I was eating before I got pregnant. I'm supposed to be eating an extra 300 calories now but I can't even eat the normal amount. I have to eat all the time. And I don't want to. 

Movement: Nope. Our wiggle worm is much too small to be felt yet, but when we had the ultrasound at our last appointment the baby was kicking up a storm! I can't wait to start feeling that movement!

Cravings: Nope! I don't want to eat anything.

Queasy or sick: Yep. I went 12 weeks without throwing up and then last week it all went down the drain. 

Looking forward to: Buying a new camera. Hopefully we will be able to get it this weekend!

Pregnancy Week 9: What No One Ever Told You

Warning: If you don't want to know what being pregnant is really like, don't read this.

You know when you're watching a movie and some lady in it is pregnant and she looks so happy? Her skin is glowing, her hair looks amazing, she feels a little sick, but is still able to function during her daily life? It's a lie.

Reminder: Every pregnancy is different.

I had heard of morning sickness. Heck, I can remember my 5th grade teacher bolting out of the room because she needed to stick her head in the trash can for awhile. I knew about that part of pregnancy. But do you know what parts I didn't know about? Bloating. Gas. Constipation. Inability to eat. Crying at everything. I mean everything. For example, last night my mom called me a pregnant lady as an explanation to why I was already upset at something my sister did. So, what did I do? I bawled. At the dinner table. Then I cried some more because I was embarrassed that I was crying. A few weeks ago I went to get a yogurt out of the fridge for breakfast and there was none. Someone ate my yogurt. So, what did I do? Cry uncontrollably. It doesn't even make sense.
Then there's the fact that my body is now fat. I'm not big enough to look like I have a baby bump...I just look like I put on a few pounds. For a girl who has been skinny her whole life this is not a fun realization, so of course, I cried about it.
Oh, and let's talk about exhaustion. Most days I don't make it out of bed until 7:30 and I have to leave for work at 8. Go ahead, ask me how many days I'm late. While we are on the subject, goodbye sleep. No position is comfortable. Caleb and I are cuddlers but sometimes I feel so gross I don't want him to touch me, which then makes it harder to sleep because I'm so used to sleeping cuddled up with him. I have to get up and pee in the middle of the night...twice. Even when I sleep well I still wake up feeling like I didn't sleep at all.
Let's get back to the bloating, gas and constipation. Ladies, you know when it's that time of the month and you are so bloated you feel awful? Yep, got that going on 24/7. The gas? It hurts. I have never dealt with gas pains before and now I have them to the max! I tried taking gas-x...didn't help. They seriously cripple me. Constipation...I won't go into details. I'll leave it at this. When I actually go number 2 I'm so excited that I tell my poor husband.
Smells. At times I can't even walk into my own house because it smells so bad. Once it smelled like vanilla and the smell was so strong it made me nauseous and I secluded myself in my office for the entire day. Working in a severe special needs classroom where some kids wear diapers and none of them have good hygiene...it's tough.
Migraines. Holy cow! Those things are bad. I had one so bad that Caleb found me on the floor in the bathroom in the fetal position. Sleep didn't help. Cold compresses didn't help. Dark rooms didn't help. It was terrible.

Everyone says that it will get better in the second trimester. I hope they are right, otherwise this will probably be our only baby!

All of this being said. I know that these crazy things happening to my body are worth it and that I am going to love my little baby like crazy! It will all be worth it when I see my angel's face. Caleb and I are so excited to be given this opportunity to become parents and to learn a little more about Christ-like love. It will be tough, but worth it...just like pregnancy.

As I have been going through this struggle for the past few weeks I have developed a sense of awe for women who go through this alone, for all the various reasons. Kudos to you! I don't know how in the world you do it! I couldn't get through this if it wasn't for my husband who calms me when I'm crying for no reason and doesn't make me feel silly. This man caters to my every need. He goes to the store if I need something to eat, he watches Disney with me when I'm not feeling up to par, he constantly reminds me that I am beautiful and that what I'm doing is something he will be forever grateful for. I am grateful to have him to lean on and ladies who have ever done this without that support...you deserve a medal.

Week 9