Kelly Belly-21 weeks

How Far Along: 21 weeks!!!

please ignore the sweat ring around my belly button...I had just finished walking two miles...in the insane heat..not sure what got in to me...

Size of Baby: she is the size of a large banana

Maternity Clothes:  pretty much all maternity stuff unless I am wearing a dress.  I am still fitting into my non-maternity Old Navy shorts so I wear them all the time.



The article of clothing that is giving me the hardest time is scrub pants!  You would thing that would be easy but OH NO.  I normally wear a small tall and I get the kind that has elastic and a drawstring.  Well they were starting to get really tight and dig into me when I sat down.  So I decided it was time to get some medium pants.  I washed them and then put them on the other morning to go to work and I am not kidding you they were like parachute pants!  HUGE!!  You would think they sent me and extra large.  I couldn't believe the difference in the small and the medium.  I wore the medium anyway and was uncomfortable all day long...pulling them up, rolling them down....terrible.  So today I went back to the smalls that dig in.  I just have to adjust and put the drawstring under my belly every time I sit down....let's all pray that I don't rip them at work please :)

Weight Gain:  +4 pounds at the doctor today...so that is +10 pounds total.

Stretch Marks:  no new ones....but my belly is stretching out big time now.

Belly Button:  still looking the same...getting kinda tighter around the edges.  



Sleep:  I have been sleeping ok....I get up about every hour and a half to pee.  When I wake up to do this, the hip that I have been lying on hurts and is cramped up.  It is a weird feeling....  I love my body pillows and I have noticed this week that I have started almost laying on top of them.  


I have also started having a tiny amount of reflux this week.  Before I got pregnant I had awful reflux.  I mean it was really bad.  I would get contractions in my esophagus!  I slept in the recliner many nights.  I have been so thankful that once I got pregnant it went away.  I am so scared for it to come back.  The second I realized I was started to have a little bit of reflux I started propping my head up on more pillows.  I am hoping it just stays minor....


Best Moment of the Week:  seeing our little cutie on the ultrasound!

Movement:   Yes!  It was still pretty on and off until about 3 days ago but now I can feel her moving throughout the day.  I love it so much.  I think I am starting to feel her do some rolls now instead of just little punches and kicks.  


Me and some friends went to see the movie Bridesmaids and she rolled around in there through the whole movie.  She could either hear the movie and liked it or she liked that I was laughing.  Either way....it was great!

Symptoms:   peeing all the time still.  People said this got better in the second trimester and they lied.  I pee constantly.  I can pee....walk out of the bathroom...and turn right back around and pee again.  I don't mind it so much because I am just so happy to be pregnant but I just didn't expect it.  I think maybe from the pressure of my uterus I am not emptying all the way.  So when I pee, I sit there for a bit and concentrate and usually I can pee a little more.  I am sure y'all love hearing about this but ya know?!?


I haven't had any headaches this week...WOO HOO!!!!


Ok so now onto the weirdest symptom...MY NIPPLES STARTED LEAKING!!!  I'm sorry but no one told me that this could happen this early.  I mean I knew that it could happen towards the end....but 21 weeks????  I had no clue....and none of the books say a thing about this happening this early.  I feel like I need to explain how I discovered this.  I was adjusting my boobs in my bra because they are beginning to spill out.  When I pulled my hand out there was a little wet spot on it.  I thought that was weird so I looked down at my nipple...in order to do this I had to lift my boob up and out came some clear stuff!!!  I yelled for Lonnie and he came and looked....kinda freaked him out.  He may not ever touch them again :(  Anyway, it is just a little throughout the day and the right one more than the left one.  I actually wore a nursing pad today because my nipple was getting stuck to my bra and then ripping off did not feel good at all....AT ALL!


*Dr. said this was totally normal and some women have it starting at 12 weeks!  He also said that it was a good sign for breastfeeding...that made me happy.


I am having some Braxton Hicks contractions...I am assuming that is what they are.  My uterus just gets really hard for a few seconds and then it goes away.  I usually only have about one or two a day.  I will be asking the dr about this tomorrow.


*Dr. said this was ok and I might feel them more when the baby is moving around a lot..which I have.  He said to only worry if they become regular or I have 4-6 in one hour.


And then there is the left side pain.  I have been having that for about a week now.  It hurts all the way through to my back.  I have no clue what it is...maybe bowel?  When it first started I couldn't even stand up straight....it is better than that now.  It just aches all the time.  I actually think it is better today. 


*Dr. thinks this is related to my muscles stretching.  Since I have to do a lot of bending and twisting with my job, I will probably get this more.  It feels back to normal today.  

Food Cravings/Aversions:  still loving fruit...I'm guessing that I am going to like that the whole time.  I made some ritz crackers with peanut butter in between covered in melted chocolate....they rocked!  I am still drinking crazy amounts of lemonade.

Gender: sweet little princess :)  I am so in love with her......

What I Miss:   nothing at all...I am so glad to be here

What I'm Looking Forward to: I am going to decide on the fabric for the nursery in the next week or two.  We are also starting to clean out her room which makes me happy.  I can't wait to have her room totally empty and then start filling it up with her stuff.  Right now she has a few shelves in the closet.  
  
Weekly Wisdom: calm down Kelly.  Baby girl wants you to be calm....

Milestones: having our big ultrasound and being over halfway there feels huge!  It is starting to become obvious that I am pregnant so I find that people look at my belly a lot.  I really love this :)


I hope everyone is having a great week!

A little funny for your Tuesday

So hubs and I have been cleaning out closets downstairs in preparation for baby girl.  We have a lot to do and I am working on a post just about all of that.  But anyway, one of our huge closets downstairs was FULL of stuff from our wedding.  


This included my wedding dresses...yes, that is right, I said dresses.  


I couldn't decide so I bought two.  Now, in my defense, I bought them off the rack so they were WAY cheaper than if I had ordered them.  I only wore one of them and the other one has been sitting in the closet ever since.  I had good intentions of selling it or something but we see how that worked out.  


My best friend, Sarah, is going to be a counselor at a camp next week.  It is a camp for kids with cancer.  They are having a dance and needed formal dresses to be donated so the girls could wear them.  I thought this was the perfect opportunity to get rid of the dress!


But I had to try it on first....


Yes....me...with my 20 week pregnant belly....wanted to try on my wedding dress.


It didn't go as bad as I thought because I remember it being big when I got it...so that helped...


But it certainly didn't zip all the way....

Sure wish I had taken a picture of the back!


Oh and another thing.  I'm not sure if I have mentioned this before but my husband is a borderline hoarder.  I'm so serious...and I am a total purger.  So this cleaning out business is pretty interesting.....


Kelly Belly will be up tomorrow instead of today because I have my ultrasound and doctors appointment tomorrow....YEA!!!

Meltdown

So I had a major small meltdown on Thursday.  


I have been feeling it brewing all week really but it all came to a head yesterday.  


First of all, everything is fine....apparently I am just a crazy woman.


For the past few weeks I have been worried about my cervix.  Will it dilate early?  Can it hold her in there now that she is getting bigger?  I have just been scared to death that my water would break right now...ending all of this.  I don't feel like this is an irrational fear...I just think that I let it get the best of me.  


I have been worried for multiple reasons.  The main one is that I have had quite a bit done to my cervix in the past few years.  I had four IUI's, an HSG, two embryo transfers, and two mock transfers (which is like having a metal rod shoved through your cervix).  I also had abnormal cells on a pap smear which led to biopsies of my cervix and then freezing of the bad cells.  So, I just felt like my cervix has been through it.  This is the rational part....


Another reason I got worried is because my really good friend, Keisha, had her water break at 28 weeks.  This was last year.....actually the baby's birthday is tomorrow!  It was such a scary thing and little Kyndal had to stay in the hospital for almost two months.  She is absolutely fine now but at the time it was very intense.  This is the irrational part...


So, before I left for Florida I made Lonnie look with ultrasound to see if my cervix looked ok.  It can be really hard to see the cervix on an abdominal ultrasound but I felt like we saw it good enough to put my worries at ease.  You really need a vaginal ultrasound to measure the cervix best but I decided we didn't need to do one.  


Then for the past two days I just felt weird.  I started having pain on my left side.  I didn't feel like it was my uterus but it was hurting pretty good.  I was actually scared it may be a kidney stone.  The pain was making me nauseated and I just wanted to lay down while I was at work.    This by itself did not stress me out....


Also yesterday my nipples started leaking.  I will post more about that in my next Kelly Belly post but the main point is WTF???  NONE of my books said anything about this happening so early.  This kinda weirded me out but, again, this by itself did not stress me out....


I was at work yesterday....still feeling weird....but just chalked it up to being worn out.  As I was about to walk out the door I had to pee really bad.  This is another thing for my Kelly Belly post next week....my peeing issues.  So, since I do ultrasound I wanted to see how full my bladder was before I peed and then check it after to see if I was emptying all the way because I'm not sure that I am.  And well, ya know, I had to take a little peek at my girl.  She looked fine but there was a small contraction on the front side of my uterus.  This is normal and I see it all the time when scanning other women.  The freak out came in when it looked like my sac of fluid was dipping into the cervix.  I couldn't tell if the small contraction was just making it look this way or it really was.  Scanning yourself is hard and I couldn't get a really good look at it.  I know...I know...I know way too much about all of this.  And it is times like this that my job comes in to haunt me.  


So all of these things put together resulted in a total meltdown.  I called my husband, who was at home, and told him to come up there right now so we could look at my cervix.  He told me to chill and come home and rest....that there was nothing we could do anyway.  This led to pissed off and freaking out.  I came home and went and laid down in the bed.  


I cried for about an hour while my husband was taking a nap.  I just kept thinking of all the bad things that could happen.  My mind was just racing.  I think in the back of my mind I knew that I was totally overreacting but I just couldn't calm myself down.  I am actually surprised that I didn't have this meltdown any sooner.  


When he got up from his nap he decided that we should go back to the hospital and look at my cervix....to make me feel better.  He did not seem worried....


Of course everything looked fine.  My cervix was looking like a rockstar and measuring over 3 cm.  I can't even tell you how much this relieved me.  I have got to calm myself down.  I can't do this again.  It just makes me feel awful.....and I'm sure it drives my husband crazy...actually I know that it does.  Looking back on this I really think this was a panic attack.  I have had them before but it has been a long time.  My head just got the best of me and I freaked!  


I am just in a really scared place right now.  I am trying to focus on the positive and not worry about the "what-if's", but this is really hard for me.  I have stopped reading all the posts on the babycenter app on my phone.  I just can't read stuff that is going to stress me out right now...I totally overreact.  I am sure I will calm down soon...I guess it is just hormones??

Kelly Belly-20 weeks (2 days late this time!)

How Far Along: 20 weeks....as in halfway there!  I can't believe it!

Size of Baby: baby boo is the size of a small cantaloupe.  I just ate my weight in cantaloupe by the way....feel so ill....

Maternity Clothes: I am wearing my non-maternity shorts from old navy all the time...they are so comfy!  Almost all maternity shirts and tanks.  I am wearing some dresses that are non-maternity but they work for now.  

Weight Gain:  +6 pounds total...and I think maybe two more but I won't know until I go back to the doctor next Wednesday.

Stretch Marks:  no new ones :)

Belly Button:  still looking the same  



Sleep:  sleeping pretty good for the last few nights.  I think it is because I am home in my own bed with my super lovely body pillows.  I am thankful for the good sleep.  

Best Moment of the Week:  My husband felt the baby move for the first time when I got home from Florida on Saturday night....this was at 19 weeks 4 days.  

My last night on vacation when I was laying in bed she started moving around like crazy.  I put my hand on my belly and I could feel it!  When I got home the next day I sat on the couch beside him and made him put his hand on my belly for a while.  He totally didn't believe me that he might feel it.  All of the sudden she kicked and we both looked at each other with wide eyes.  He was shocked.  She did it a couple more times and it was so special.  I love it!

Movement:   definitely feeling her.  It is getting stronger every day.  It seems like she moves around more after I eat or when I lay down to go to sleep.  Maybe I can just feel her more at those times.  

When she starts moving around a lot it literally makes me laugh.  On our long drive home, after we ate breakfast, I swear she started doing gymnastics in there.  I was just giggling away.  Casey who was riding with me was like what the heck is wrong with you???  I told her the baby was going crazy in there.  It is almost like it tickles sometimes.  I am loving it.  This feeling will NEVER get old.....

Symptoms:  headaches seem to be getting a little better.  They are not as frequent and not as terrible when I do have them.  

Food Cravings/Aversions:  still mostly fruit.  Like I said above...I just ate a TON on cantaloupe!

Gender: a sweet little princess :)

What I Miss:  absolutely nothing 

What I'm Looking Forward to:  our official ultrasound next week!  

Weekly Wisdom: just try to relax and quit worrying about every little thing

Milestones:  halfway there!!!  

Dreams:  I think maybe my dreams have returned to normal so I am going to take this one out.  If I have a weird one, I'll post about it.  


And here's the belly :)

Family Florida Trip

Well I am back from the beach!


We had a great time but I have to say that I am super happy to be home.  I really missed my honey and my bed.  But also...vacation can be exhausting!  


We don't really do anything so I really shouldn't be so worn out BUT I think anything that involves 7 women HAS to be tiresome!!


We woke up at our own leisure every morning.  Then we would have our cheese toast.  This is a staple.  One our drive down there we stop in Mobile at a fruit and veggie stand and buy great tomatoes for our cheese toast that we eat every day.  It is weird but I never eat this any other time.  I have tried to make it at home and it just isn't the same.  

I did have this for breakfast one morning....I think I was really missing my peanut butter toast!

After our cheese toast we get our bathing suits on and lather up with the sunscreen.  We pack our beach bag and an ice chest if we are taking one.  We each have our own glass of water that we take so we have to fix those.  It is quite and ordeal for us to get out the door!  My Grand and Aunt Jerry don't go to the beach and they just love watching us get ready to go...I am sure it is comical.  

I would usually stay in the sun for about an hour and then I would get under the umbrella.  I was so scared to burn because I know I am more sensitive to the sun now.  I would cool off in the ocean or get in the pool for a little bit.  I drank TONS of water and I could seriously tell that I needed it.  This, of course, led to multiple bathroom trips.  

After we had had enough sun we would go up and take showers and get ready to go to dinner that night.  We definitely have a system when it comes to dinner.  The first night we get there, after driving 12 hours, we just order pizza.  We eat at the same places every year and usually in the same order but sometimes we change it up.  We go to one restaurant twice because it is so good it is hard to decide what to get!  At a place called Louisiana Lagniappe I get the shrimp and grits....it is so amazing!!!  Although this year I did get sick after eating it....kinda ruined it but I am sure I will be ready to eat it again next year :)

My favorite dinner was FOR SURE the night we went to Old Bay Steamer.  I get the crab legs and they are just absolutely DELISH!  It is really messy to eat them and hard work but totally worth it.  

One morning we go to breakfast at a place called Another Broken Egg Cafe.  I was craving a bagel badly so I was just going to get that.  Then I decided I would get just one pancake to go with it....UMMM....this is what they brought to me....

Yeah...that is the biggest pancake I have ever seen!  I ate about a third of it.....

As you can see, my vacation revolved around food!  It usually does anyway but this year it did even more because I was eating stuff that I don't normally eat at home.  I enjoyed every second and I am scared as hell to get on the scale at the doctor next week.  

So now that I have showed you the important stuff...I'll leave you with some pictures of my family ;)  And I want to cry because I forgot to get a great pic of me, baby girl, my mom, and my grand :((((

Oh and sorry some of the are grainy....I took quite a few with my iPhone instead of my camera...

our view from the balcony

me and mom...and some people had asked me about the dress.  It is from Target and it is non-maternity!

me and Jenni

me, mom, and Grand

All of us!

all of us again at breakfast!

mom and Jenni

me and Casey

Jenni and Casey

Me and Grand....love this one!

I just thought this shirt was soooo cute.  It says Twinkle Twinkle Little.....and then there is a star on my belly!

Ok so I can't believe I am going to share this picture.  I have added it to this post and taken it off like 5 times.  But I am just going to go for it.  I am pretty sure that I am going to want to remember how I looked in this stage of pregnancy and also after I have the baby this can be motivation!!!

 OK so if you made it through all of that then YOU ARE AWESOME!  
Happy Memorial Day to all and I hope everyone is having a great weekend :)

Kelly Belly-19 weeks (a day late, of course)

This post is a day late but I 'm at the beach so I am just proud that I got it up at all!!!

How far along:  19 weeks!!!

Size of baby:  size of a large heirloom tomato or a mango....I like thinking mango ;)

Maternity Clothes:  most of the time.  I am at the beach this week though so mostly bikinis and dresses the past few days.  I will say being pregnant in a bikini is interesting!   

Weight Gain:  +6 pounds total...although I am sure that number will go up after this week!

Stretch Marks:  same as before pregnancy...nothing new

Belly Button:  still in...I am actually liking my belly better without the belly ring

Sleep:  it is still hit or miss.  I am sleeping pretty good for being in a random bed without my body pillows.  Lots of naps though....

Best moment of the week:  being pregnant on our beach trip is pretty great.  I have wanted to be pregnant on this trip for the last 3 years so I am just enjoying every second. 

Movement:  it is still sporadic but I am pretty certain when I feel it.  I am starting to feel the difference between her moving and gas.  It is exciting!!   Another great moment this week is that I swear she starts kicking when I talk to my husband on the phone...she must sense my excitement!

Symptoms:  feeling pretty good this week.  My headaches have been much better but I do have one today.  Still peeing all the time and still pretty tired.   

Food Cravings/Aversions:  I have just been hungry!  I made some cookies for our trip and they are just delish...can't stop eating them.  I also can't get enough fruit.  We stopped at a fruit stand and I got all kinds of stuff.  We are going to make a fruit salad today and I am pumped!

Gender:  a precious little princess :)

What I miss:  nothing as far as pregnancy goes....but I am missing my husband this week :(

What I'm looking forward to:  feeling her move more and more and starting the nursery when I get home. 

Weekly Wisdom:  fresh out of wisdom this week....

Milestones: every day is a milestone!  I am just so happy to be here and each day is a day closer to holding my little princess in my arms. 

Dreams:  none that I can remember this week!

And here is a couple of belly pictures!!!! 

As you can see I am still totally pale.  Apparantly my pregnant body just wants to stay that way! 

By the way...I am posting this from my mom's computer which is a PC and I am used to a MAC....it has taken me two days to get this done....What the heck???  I hope it turns out right!

Beach Bound!

I am leaving in the morning and heading to the beach.  I can't wait!  Today I am packing, baking cookies, making fudge, and doing general last minute stuff.  


My mom, Jenni (aunt), me, and my mom and Jenni's best friend Casey have been going every year for quite some time.  A couple of years ago my cousin Jan (my mom's age) started going with us.  Well then last year we decided to take my Grand and my Aunt Jerry (Jan's mom)!  SO there is seven of us, all women, heading to the beach!  


It is such a relaxing trip.  We don't do anything but lay on the beach, eat great food, play games, and listen to the waves.  Oh, and maybe we have a few drink ;)  Although, this year I will happily not participate in that! 


Here are some pics of us from last year!

Aunt Jerry, Grand, Jan, Jenni, Casey, me, and my mom (Dianne)

Three generations...mom, jenni, me and Grand

Jan and Aunt Jerry (her mom)

Casey and Jenni goofing off....there is a lot of that!!!

Have y'all been able to tell yet that my family consists of mostly women?????


This year is technically baby girl's first girl's Florida trip!  SO I will get a picture of 4 generations :)  This just makes my heart smile.  


My mom is taking her computer so I will hopefully be able to do my 19 week update on Tuesday and maybe I'll post a few pics from the trip.  I hope you all have a great weekend and week next week!!!