It's October, I love this time of year!

Man, this is my favorite time of year!  I love when the humidity is dropping, cool nights by the fire, and the beautiful changing color of the trees.  I am currently 16 weeks & 3 days pregnant and I feel GREAT!  I am at that in between stage of really not looking pregnant & really not feeling pregnant, but obvioiusly I'm pregnant.  : )  Still no big changes in my bi-weekly "bump" pics, but I'm OK with that.  I know soon enough that it will be very evident that I'm expecting a little miracle.  David and I met with Olivia last Monday & everything looked pretty good.  I weighed 135 on her scale, but I've came to the conclusion that was due to retaining water and being constipated.  On Mrs.T's scale today I weighed in at 131.  I am going with 131 as the more accurate weight for me right now.  : )  That puts me at gaining a total of 4 lbs. thus far.  I am definately OK with that.  Baby Bailey's heartrate was 140 bmp & s/he was moving around like crazy!  As soon as Olivia would get a good heartbeat on the doppler, that little one would move right out of the way.  I still haven't felt any movement yet, but sometime between now and 20 weeks I should feel some sort of "bubble" or "flutter".  I'm waiting for that...maybe then it will hit me that all of this is real.  : )  It truely does feel completely surreal.  Olivia also mentioned I should be kicking up the protein & veggies, so that's what I've been doing.  I am opting to snack on pieces of pepperjack cheese, cinnamon almonds, or greek yogurt as opposed to apples or other stuff filled with more carbs & sugar.  I never thought I'd be able to eat a piece of cheese without a cracker, but I have definately mastered that now.  Nuts really weren't my thing either, but these cinnamon almonds are incredible!  I'm still eating every 2 hours, this baby growing stuff makes you hungry.  I'm not half as hungry as I was in the beginning, but I still know when it's time to have a snack.  I usually eat oatmeal with craisins & cinnamon for breakfast or my oatmeal, greek yogurt, chia seed, PB2 powder, banana blend.  They both fill me up & give me the energy for my morning workouts.  Monday, Wednesday, & Friday I do atleast 30 mins of cardio on an eliptical.  Tuesday & Thursday I do weight training to keep from losing muscle mass.  I love doing squats & lunges, nothing like feeling the burn.  I am confident that maintaining this active, healthy lifestyle will not only benefit me & baby in the long run, but hopefully will also shorten the labor & delivery process (a woman can dream right?) : )  David and I have also been looking into childbirth education classes.  I think we are going to go with the Bradley Method, which puts emphasis on the Father playing the primary role as caregiver/support for the labor.  Also, the method encourages going "all natural" & encourages breast feeding.  All of which I am interested in.  The course is 2 hours per week over a 10-12 week period.  I had no idea we would be spending that much time in a class, but the more information David and I can gain, the better off we'll be!  A lot of exciting things are going on in October.  We have our next appointment with Olivia on the 22nd, our ultrasound on the 24th, and we leave for our mountain camping trip on the 25th!  I am looking forward to all of those things : )  On an end note...still need to figure out how to upload pics!

DONE with the 1st trimester!

I am so very happy that my first trimester is coming to an end.  I'll be 14 weeks in just 2 short days!  I have been feeling SO, SO, SO much better!  I cannot stress how much better I've been feeling these last few weeks.  All of the nausea has gone away, what a relief.  Now I can understand why women have more than one child, because that nasty nausea feeling that was just there a few weeks ago is so easily forgotten.  I feel like a million bucks, really!  I have been able to pick back up my gym regiment 4-5 times per week, which has been great.  I actually (usually) feel like going to the gym and breaking a good sweat.  I haven't participated in many classes since I found out I was pregnant, but the elipticals & some mild weight training have become my new best friends.  My eating is primarily under control for the majority of the day, but come 4-5PM, I am STARVING!  I mean, I could seriously chomp on some cardboard.  According to the scale at the twins house this a.m., I'm up a total of 5 lbs.  : /   Not feeling so great about that.  I know I'm going to gain weight, I am just having a hard time with the thought of it.  I feel like I've worked so hard to lose 40 lbs before becoming pregnant & I just don't want to "let myself go".  I need to work on giving myself a break and being a happy, healthy, mama to be.  So what if I gain 40 lbs., that's what I need to keep telling myself.  I know I can get it off.  I just need to remember smart food decisions, working out, & giving in to some of the cravings.  I have to find that balance.  I'm just an extremeist, I'm one extreme or another.  Either I'm 100% on the wagon or 100% off.  I have to work on the balance for my sanity and health, as well as the health of that little bambino growing a million miles a minute inside of me.  Screw the weight talk, let's talk about my little precious Baby Bailey!

That sweet little kiddo is already the size of a peach.  S/He is starting to produce urine from the working kidneys, which becomes part of the amniotic fluid.  Crazy to think little one swims around in its own pee, but that is exactly what happens. : )  My belly is starting to feel stretched out & tight, sort of like I went to the gym and did a ton of ab excercises & I'm "sore" feeling.  I don't, per say, have a "bump" yet, but it will not be too much longer before it will be visible.  My boob tenderness has backed of some (yes!) which is a relief.  I haven't had any lower back pain lately, which I am thankful for.  More positive news, I've had a lot less insomnia!  I am so thankful these days to get a good night's rest.  A good night's rest still involves 2-4 middle of the night bathroom trips, but that's no biggie.  All in all, I am feeling so great.  The fact that the weather is changing & I can spend a lot more time outside definately adds to the happiness I've been feeling.  We see Olivia in a little less than 2 weeks, can't wait to hear little ones heartbeat again. : )  I am going to try & figure out how to post pictures soon.  This blog is not complete without some "bump pics" : )

Music to my ears!!

The day has finally come, we heard baby Bailey's heartbeat!  What an amazing sound to our ears!  I'm 11 weeks and 4 days along in the pregnancy.  I have been counting down the days until this appointment; I have been looking SO forward to some further confirmation of this pregnancy.  When Olivia put the doppler to my belly, she assured me that it may take a few minutes to locate the heartbeat.  I tried not to worry, although I was so nervous.  As she moved the doppler to the left, she picked up that sound.  There was no denying it!  That puppy was beating hard, fast, and loud!  160 beats per minute!  She said it sounded "nice and strong", just what a Mama wants to hear. : )  David recorded some of it on his phone, but the file is too large to send to people.  I'm hoping we'll figure out how to download it so that everyone who cares to can give it a listen.  Nothing like the sound of your growing baby's heartbeat...nothing can wipe the smile off of this face today!

I still haven't been feeling the best.  I need not complain, at least I haven't been throwing up all day every day.  I have thrown up, but worse than throwing up is the terrible feeling of nausea.  That feeling reeeealy blows.  I've been sucking on life savers to help me when I'm having a "bout", and they do help.  I have good days and bad days, I'm hoping that my good days will become more frequent and that my bad days will subside.  I have been doing much better on my eating habits these last few weeks.  I have been trying to make smart decisions for me and the kiddo.  I just constantly have to eat, I am always hungry.  I've been eating yogurt, apples, cereal with bananas, strawberries, along with whatever the baby is tricking my mind into eating.  Cravings are the worst!  I have been having some insomnia episodes and when I can't sleep at night my mind goes into overdrive about food.  I obsess about it.  What I'm going to eat the next day, what I would eat if I could eat anything I wanted, how I want Cinnamon Toast Crunch or a Taco Bell double decker taco...crazy shit!  Ugh, that part is frustrating.  I have been trying to workout more and I feel SO much better when I do.  I was thinking about cancelling my trainer, but I know that would be a bad idea.  I have worked so hard to lose this weight and I damn sure don't want to gain it ALL back.  I know I am going to gain weight during this pregnancy (duh!) but I just want to make sure I gain "good" weight and not all "bad" weight.  Today at Olivia's office I weighed 129.  That means I've only gained 2 lbs thus far, according to her scale.  Man, I really love her scale! : )  Other pregnancy symptoms I have include a drastic change in my boobs (they are waaay bigger, still sensitive, and my nipples are getting darker), lower back pain (still...), nausea (of course), some occasional cramping, crazy ass dreams (I mean, crazy!), occasional insomnia, and unreal food cravings.  That's about it for now.

My next appointment is set for Tues. Sept. 24.  We will listen to the heartbeat again and then ask Olivia some questions we have for her.  I am looking forward to telling the world about our sweet baby in the next few days, that is going to be exciting : )  Life is a true miracle, and I feel so blessed to be able to carry and mother this incredible baby I have growing inside of me.  I am thankful beyond words.  Life is good!

7 weeks and some change...

7 weeks along and definately feeling the signs of pregnancy!  Wish I could tell you I feel wonderful, energetic, and fit.  I don't.  I have felt nauseous for the past few weeks, no throwing up, but none the less, nauseous.  People told me "morning sickness" felt like you were hungover without a cure, they were exactly right!  All the time, that hungover feeling.  On a positive note, I'm getting closer day by day to being over the first trimester.  I have also been SO hungry. I don't think I've ever been this hungry in all of my life.  I have to eat every few hours or else the nausea kicks in worse.  I wish I could tell you I've been eating healthy (like I was prior to pregnancy), but I want nothing healthy.  I want weird stuff that I don't normally ever eat.  Examples: soup, bread, french toast, etc.  Soup especially.  (Weird!)  I hope this phase passes and I can go back to eating salads & good stuff.  I really miss sushi!  David and I ate raw sushi atleast 2x/week.  Other symptoms I've had are: extrememly sore boobs & nipples, indigestion & gas, belly bloat, lower back ache, & having to pee atleast 3x/night.

Baby Bailey is the size of a blueberry.  The reason I have to pee so frequently is because my uterus has doubled in size and I have 10% more blood in my body than before, therefore, making my kidneys work extra hard.  Guess getting up extra at night is preparing me for the parenting journey ahead. ; )  We met with the midwife last week & she is awesome!  Our initial meeting lasted an hour and 20 mins, and she answered every question we had.  I feel very confident in our decision to hire her as our midwife.  We set up another appointment for Aug. 28 for bloodwork & to hear the heartbeat.  I can't wait!  Also, we have already recieved a gift in the mail!  David's sister Christie sent us a week by week calander to fill out important events & dates.  Our baby is going to be so lucky to have such wonderful people to love him or her.  I look forward to feeling better & updating my blog in the very near future : )

It's been a long time since Key West and.....I'M PREGNANT!!

Long time no blog!  Key West was great, blah, blah, but more importantly...I AM PREGNANT!!!  It took a year longer than expected, but my dreams of being pregnant (& my fears of being unable to get pregnant) have been confirmed!  I found out I was expecting on July 5, the day after the 4th of July.  On the evening of the 3rd, I went over to Mason & Marcy's house for some delicious margaritas and paid for it later.  I got home and puked my guts out!  Needless to say, I felt like trash the next day for the 4th & had no problem being the designated driver.  The morning of the 5th, David left for work and I decided to take a pregnancy test.  I used the cheap dollar store test and thought I saw a faint line, but then thought I was seeing things (because it was 5:50am).  I then used a digital test and sure enough it popped up "pregnant"!  I called David right away because I could not stand keeping it to myself.  When I called him, I told him I was so happy I was shaking and thought I might puke.  As soon as I said the word puke, David said "hold on" & pulled over on the side of the road to yack. Haha!!!  He was super excited, but his nerves got the best of him : ) 

According to a due date calculator, baby Bailey is due in the middle of March (sometime between the 15-17th).  I am currently around 4.5 weeks pregnant.  No signs or symptoms yet.  I have found a midwife in the Wilmington area named Olivia Marshburn.  David and I have a "meet and greet" appointment set up with her for Thurs. July 26th.  She is a CNM that does home births, I am thrilled that I found her!  She doesn't have an ultrasound machine in office, so I will go to the medical mall around 20 weeks for my one and only ultrasound/anatomy scan.  We are still planning on keeping the baby's sex a surprise : )  I will go in somewhere between 10-12 weeks for a doppler fetal heartbeat check.  Good Lord willing, there will be a heartbeat.  We have told our families and lots of close friends that we are expecting.  We aren't going to make it "facebook official" until after the 12 week mark.  Everyone is so thrilled for us!!!  David and I are over the moon!!  I have lost 40 lbs since last August and was down to 127lbs this a.m.  I am going to continue to eat right and exercise throughout this pregnancy.  I have no idea how much weight I will gain, I guess as much as I am supposed to.  Can't wait to update the blog soon!  So, so, so, EXCITED!!!!!

Well....taking my basal temperature, every morning for the past month before my period started, has been interesting.  I really have enjoyed doing it!  I have gotten into the habit of, first thing I wake up, and take my temperature.  Although I am not impregnated this month, I did find out which day of my cycle I tend to ovulate.  For me, it is around day 16.  It notified me on the website where I chart my temps.  I am happy that atleast I can pin-point a guesstimation of which days of the month I ovulate, which is helpful for my peace of mind.  I am now taking a break on the basal temp thing, I'm going to be more "relaxed" this month.  You know us women, one minute we are pumped on something and the next we are just "whatever" about it.  I'll probably change my mind next month and start taking it again : )  I'm definately ok about the whole not getting pregnant this month because we are going to KEY WEST on Sunday!! The closer it comes, the more I get pumped up about it!  What I need is a week long vacay with the hubs...   ahhhhh.  I'm glad Mom and Wayne are going to be there too, but I'm really excited about spending some time with David. : ) Fun, sun, alcoholic beverages, sunsets, great food, no work...what more could a woman want!

Not to mention...I have lost 13 lbs. in the last 7 weeks!  Way to go me!  Thanks to my friend Jess for giving me the kick in the ass I needed.  I have been eating less and exercising more, which has been really great, and most importantly- I have enjoyed focusing on ME!  It really has felt SO good to just worry about me.  I want to lead a healthier lifestyle.  I want to be the right size for my height.  I know I will always have the pear shape that God gave me, I'm ok with that.  I like my shape, I just want to slim it down a little (especially since in the future I "may" become pregnant).  I have been to the gym everyday for the past few weeks (I did skip a Sunday a few weeks back) and it is a great routine to get in.  When I do piss positive on that stick, you best believe my ass will still be going to the gym.  I want to stay active and healthy so I can (hopefully!) have that home birth and vaginal birth that I've always wanted.  I mean, I'm no fortune teller.  I have no clue what curve balls are going to be thrown my way when I do become pregnant, but a girl can dream.  My energy level has increased drastically since i've been eating less and working out more.  I don't have as much of a desire to take naps during the day like I did in the past.  I'm sleeping better at night (because my ass is worn out!).  All and all, it is a positive change for both my physical and mental health.  Next blog I will tell you all about Key West...  looking forward to it!

No more predictions!

I thought for sure that last month was "it", that it was the month that I was going to get pregnant.  The reason I felt that way were because of the following:

* I thought I felt myself ovulate last month (severe pain, R ovary, on day 13)

* David and I had been intimate "at the right times"

* I had no period symptoms what so ever (no cramping, spotting, etc.)

* My boobs hurt like hell

Guess what? I am not pregnant.  That taught me right there that I should make NO predicitons about when I "may be" pregnant.  Although I think I know myself and my body, apparently I have no idea what is going on inside of me.

I wasn't necessarily disappointed when I found out I wasn't pregnant because it seems like each month I have something to look forward to.  This month is Marcy's 30th birthday bash and I know I am in for a great time!  If I were pregnant, I could have still had a good time, just without the alcohol.  Next month David and I are going to Key West : )  I would LOVE to be pregnant, but if not, I know there will be lots of fun ( & alcohol) involved there also.  When I think about it too long, I do become sort of sad at the fact that we have been "unsuccessfully not preventing" a pregnancy.  I thought it would be like 1,2,3...BAM you're pregnant.  Not so.  I just have to keep and maintain a positive attitude and the positive mind frame of "what will be, will be".  I have done a few things different so far this month as to hopefully increase our chances of concieving.  I purchased a basal thermometer & some OPK test strips at Walgreens.  The basal thermometer is used when you first wake up every morning to chart your resting temperature.  Your resting temperature will "spike" a degree (give or take) when you ovulate.  Your temperature will remain "high" after you ovulate until your LH levels come down to insinuate the upcoming arrival of your menstrual cycle, then your temperature will "drop" to your lower level base temperature.  With this, atleast I can hopefully pin point the approximate time of ovulation.  I also purchased some ovulation predictor strips.  These will help me determine also at what point in my cycle I ovulate.  Everyone ovulates at different times, so I found out.  I was under the impression that everyone ovulated around cycle day 13-14 in their cycle.  That is not so.  Some women ovulate sooner and some ovulate later.  I just want to know when I do.  I am looking foward to what the future holds, life is so exciting!  The possibilities are endless.  Still living everyday like it's my last, that is what is most important.