Movement!

Mark felt the baby move today!!  It was so fun and exciting!!  I've been feeling it move for a few weeks now, but mark finally felt it!!  We were just sitting on the couch and it felt like I could feel the movements stronger than usual so I put my hand over it to see if I could feel it and I could so I grabbed Mark's hand real quick to see if he could too and he did!  It was so fun I almost cried and laughed at the same time!  To quote Mark, "Is he trying to kick out of there?" Haha!!  This is one of the best moments of my pregnancy so far!!  

Belly Bump

Finally, the belly bump pictures are here!  This is me at about 18 1/2 weeks.  Strange thing is...I swear I look bigger when I look in the mirror, even my mom said so.  I thought the camera was supposed to add 10 lbs not take it away.  Hmmm.  Anyway, yes I am still small and all, but pants are getting too snug now and its about time to break down and buy maternity clothes.  Luckily for me, I have a very talented mother who made me three maternity skirts while she was here and bought me some maternity tops for a birthday present!  I have decided I love maternity clothes and I may never go back.  Flowy, stretchy, light fabric - it's the best!  

Looking at the belly shot... so sweet.

There's a baby in there!  A baby boy to be exact!

My awesome new skirts made by my mommy!

It's A . . .

BOY!!!!

We didn't get an actual picture of the boy parts, though I swear she printed one off...eh well.  Less to embarrass him with when he gets older I guess.  It was so fun! (well aside from having to drink 32 oz of water and hold it for an hour).  Luckily they called me in right when my appointment was supposed to start, so I didn't have to wait any longer - YES!!  So I laid there while she took all the exam pictures for the doctor and then I finally got to go to the bathroom, but only for 20 seconds, and though I thought there was no possible way I could pee for longer than 2o seconds... I guess with 32 oz of water in your bladder you can pee for way longer.  So 20 seconds was really just a tip off the ice berg.  (I know, you're really glad you know that now) and I was able to go get Mark and my mom (who is here to visit).  Up to this point she hadn't showed me anything so I was really excited.  So we all came back to the exam room and there it was..the baby!!  As with all past appointments and doctors, the lady commented on this baby's activeness.  I should have known it was a boy - so active and all.  It was so fun to see him move and to actually see a real looking baby.  We saw his face, his profile, his legs, arms, feet, hands, spine, heart (and heard it) everything!  And then she asked us if we wanted to know the gender...OF COURSE!!  So she moved and said, "Do you see?" and my mom and I instantaneously said..."BOY!"  It was really obvious!  She even pointed out all the little boy parts (I won't bother naming those...I'm sure you can figure it out).  It was definitely not a stray finger looking mysteriously like a boy part...it WAS a boy part.  My little boy!  My son!  Our Son!  CRAZY WE HAVE A SON!!  So here are some picture for your enjoyment.         

Profile shots.  You can see his leg in the picture above and Mark says he's smiling - which I think is so cute for Mark to notice and to think something like that.  I think he is too.  In the picture below up by his nose you can see a white blob, that's his hand.

This is a picture of the face... it is a bit blurry and still a bit alien looking.  The face is on the left.  You can see the eye sockets, a little nose and a circular open mouth.  He even has his little hand up under his chin...if you can see that.

It was so fun and I am so happy and grateful that everything looked good, strong, and healthy.  I am also feeling a lot better and hungrier!  YAY!!  They measured me at 18 weeks 5 days which is actually two days further along than originally thought.  And my doctor thought I was small... that'll show her.  They didn't change my due date since it was really close, but still.  Speaking of my doctor, I changed to an actual OB.  I think I mentioned before that the doctor I had was a family doctor and a resident at that which did make me a bit nervous, I admit.  And after the ultrasound they had me go speak to a nurse about a second trimester screening, which I declined, but anyway she was quite surprised that I had a resident family practitioner and suggested I switch, so I did.  End of story.  All in all it was a great appointment.  Everything went so smoothly and wonderfully!  What a great day!!  Now about names . . . . 

Ugh!

Ok.... I want to know why my morning sickness decided to return!  For a couple weeks there I was feeling great!  I even gained 4 pounds!  My doctor would have been so proud.  But this past week I am feeling sick again every night and if I don't eat.  What is up with that?  So, it's not as bad as the first trimester, but still!  I want to be pigging out.  The food aversions are even kind of back.  My What To Expect While You're Expecting book says that I should be getting hungrier.... not less hungry.  However, I do have this weird thing that I can eat a lot of what I don't make.  Weird?  If I make dinner I can hardly force down a moderate sized helping, but if Mark makes it or someone else I'm all about it.  I really don't get it.  Eh well, at least it is better than the first trimester and maybe it will be short lived.  

In other news, a week from today we find out what we're having!!!!!  YAY!!!!!     

Update

I still haven't taken any new pictures.  I have tried to take a picture of myself in the mirror, but it really hasn't worked, so I'll have to get Mark to take one someday here pretty soon.  Anyway, I will give a little update:

I am 15 weeks 3 days.  Yay!  I hardly ever feel sick anymore which is nice and I have hardly any food aversions.  However, I don't necessarily ever really feel hungry.  I am still waiting for the massive appetite to kick in.  I had my first craving: Mongolian BBQ.  I wanted it so bad but unfortunately the closest restaurant to our house was in San Diego!  I was about ready to hop in the car and make the drive down.  Why did my first craving have to be something I couldn't have?  How ironic.  I am getting more round ligament pains or growing pains now.  Sometimes they really hurt!  People keep asking me if I have felt the baby move yet and in reply I say, "I don't think so."  I feel all sorts of gurgles, pops, rumbles, flutters, and stretches.  But I still think I'm too early on and the baby is too small.  Who knows, maybe one of these days I will realize that all along some of those feelings was actually the baby.  I look generally unpregnant, although I have been unable to button my pants for a few weeks now.  I even went and bought a B band, or belly band.  They're wonderful inventions - seriously!  Just a piece of stretchy material placed over the waistline of your unbuttoned, unzipped pants, but wonderful nonetheless.  Friends have commented on my little pooch, but unless I'm wearing a tight shirt you would never know...and even then a stranger would never pick me out of a crowd as a pregnant lady.  I think I am growing wider before I grow out.  My hips are already expanding and my waist is nonexistent - so there ya have it.  I'll let the picture I'll post soon do most the talking.  

Today I had my 16 week appointment, a bit early, but close enough.  This was the magic appointment where I would get to hear the heartbeat!  However, Saturday night found me with a sore throat and by last night I was near death.  Stupid cold/flu.  I always wonder...how does your body create so much mucus?  And what nasty cells make muscles cramp and ache??  I want to breathe again!  I spent most my time last night blowing my nose or writhing in pain.  This morning I tried to call and reschedule but they had nothing.  So with 3 hours of sleep under my belt I took the advice of my mom to start practicing being a mom and suck it up.  I drove the hour long trip down to my doctor.  Fortunately, a hot shower and getting off my rear end took away a lot of the aches and pains and just left me with a minor headache (probably from lack of sleep) and a ridiculously stuffed nose.  Once at the appointment, my baby continued to be an acrobat.  The doctor could only grab little faint heartbeats for split seconds before the little booger moved and we lost it.  All I can say is this baby better cooperate on June 22 when we go in to find the gender.  So far he/she has been quite the evader.  At first I just thought she couldn't find it and I started to freak out a bit.  Especially after she said, "Hmmm I might have to do an ultrasound again if I can't get anything."  Ultrasounds are great...but I wanted to hear the lub dub!  Finally after 5 minutes (ok it was probably only 1 minute) she finally got a nice strong heartbeat!  This time I did almost cry!  I can't believe that that is inside me - living and growing!  She measured me too and said I measured in the norm, but I kind of caught on that I was on the small end of norm.  She told me my measurements were "ok" and that I would probably be getting a new due date come the 22nd.  Great - add more time.  Just keep your fingers crossed, maybe the baby will go through a growth spurt between now and then.  She also got on me for not gaining any weight yet, but said as long as I start gaining more by 20 weeks I'm ok.  I really don't understand how I could have a pooch, plus lose my waist and still have gained nothing.  Eh well.  I guess my goal is to pig out.  Now if only my appetite would cooperate.    

All in all, I feel pretty good (minus this ridiculous cold I currently have) and I am getting more and more excited!  Almost at the half way mark!