Oh Finally! 11 weeks is here and I can spill the beans!

I know, I know... I skipped last week (week 10)! So sorry, but I do have a good excuse! It's called the stomach virus! YUCK! Good news though, I'm all better and actually starting to feel a little normal again! Today, I went for my 11 week check up and met my new doctor, Dr. Emily Johnson. I had to transfer over to her because my gynecologist isn't delivering babies anymore. Anyways, Dr. Johnson was great! She was able to find the baby's heartbeat on the tummy right away with a Doppler machine... heart rate was in 170's! Whew this is already one busy little baby! Can't wait to meet him/her!  Speaking of him/her... lately, a lot of people have been predicting whether we're having a boy or girl! Most think that it's a boy, but I'm still betting it's a girl! Especially after that super high heart rate. We truly don't care either way, all we ask for is a healthy, happy baby.


Baby's size: The baby is the size of a FIG - just over 1 1/2 inches!
Eating habits/cravings: This past week my favorite thing was peppermint chocolate flavored anything... like the Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake from Chick-fil-a... and the Peppermint Mocha Latte from Starbucks! I was also really craving sushi... probably b/c I'm not supposed to have it. We went to Little Tokyo... no need to worry, I ordered all cooked rolls. Not as good as my usual spicy tuna rolls but still delicious. Oh and I did send Michael on his first pregnant run to the grocery store on a Tuesday night at 7 for a pepperoni pizza hot pocket! haha it was sooo good! Sweet guy :)
Mood/Energy: Feeling great! The stomach virus was no fun but only lasted a couple of days. I have energy back for the most part, although I'm still procrastinating a bit on certain tasks. For example, our Christmas tree is up but without a single ornament or light on it... and we may not send Christmas cards this year b/c I haven't picked one. Sad, I know! This is not like me at all but oh well... I'll get back to myself one day.
Things to look forward to: Our next visit is December 27. We will be 15weeks, 1 day. We will then go back at 18 weeks (3rd week in January) to find out the sex of the baby. :)
Major development this week: Your baby is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden. She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.
Baby pump picture: Not yet :) But I have gained 4 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.

We are so excited to finally be able to share the news with everyone! For those of you who were keeping the secret, thank you so much!
I know yall will be disappointed but I'm a little grateful, I can't think of any crazy, emotional stories to share this week.

Week 9! These weeks are creeping by!

Here we are at week 9! Some people may be thinking... Already? And I'm thinking... That's it? Everyone talks about how fast this time will go by, but I am not feeling that yet. Maybe it's because we are still in that nervous, waiting period where we aren't comfortable telling EVERYBODY yet... or maybe it's becasue this is the not so fun part while I'm tired and sick all the time and just feel a little chubbier than usual... or maybe it's the anticipation and excitement of it all! Whatever it is, I feel like the weeks are creeping by very slowly. My main point in saying all this is because in 7 months, I know I'll be saying "Where did all the time go?" And I want to remember all these feelings from the very beginning.

Baby's size: GRAPE; almost a full inch; weighs just a fraction of an ounce
Eating habits/cravings: Still pretty hungry in the mornings... I eat about 4 times before lunch. After I eat lunch, I'm usually good until dinner time. It's not even that I'm hungry, I just have to eat something every hour to keep the nausea away. Things that were delicious this week: Beagle Bagel chicken salad on honey whole wheat bagel... this was the #1 spot hitter of the week. Also, I loooove chicken fingers and french fries. If I'm not hungry for anything else, I can count on this to get me through.
Mood/Energy: This past week was the worst yet as far as nausea and vomiting but things are looking up b/c I've been feeling better over the weekend. I'm still very tired but I've actually started to get things done again. YAY!
Things to look forward to: Our next visit is November 29. We will be 11 weeks, 1 day.
Major development this week: She or he is starting to look more and more human. All the essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form - as do his or her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. They eyes are fully formed, but the eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. Your baby has tiny earlobes, and the mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, he or she is poised for rapid weight gain.
Baby pump picture: This might be coming soon b/c I have a feeling mama will be showing any week now. Right now I'm in the not-so-pretty stage of "gaining a few pounds so none of my clothes fit right" but not quite to the "Are you pregnant?" stage.
Funny emotional moment of the week: On Saturday morning, Michael was naming different foods to see what I wanted for breakfast... Pancakes, hashbrowns, oatmeal, he went on and on. None of those things sounded great. In fact, they all sounded terrible! And so, I told him the thought of those foods was making me sick. A little later that morning, he made a joke about one of our neighbors and so, I told him again, he was making me sick. He then went on to say to me (his pregnant, emotional wife): "Everything makes you sick!" I immediately started to cry, uncontrollably, like a b-a-b-y. It hurt my feelings so bad. This is the moment that I realized I was not myself. Normally, this would not have bothered me... I probably would have made a joke back and gave him a nice soft punch. But not that day and probably not for the next 7 months. :) As I was crying, I told him that I know I'm miserable to be around and that I'm not fun anymore and nothing like the person that he fell in love with. Poor guy felt so bad... and then I felt bad because this wasn't his fault... Needless to say, it's very funny now. Just thought we'd share that with yall.

We're having a baby!!

Yes! That's right... we are having a baby! Our due date is June 19 so we are exactly 8 weeks today! Michael and I are so excited that it's hard to put our feelings into words. We have known since week 4 so it's been very hard to keep this secret! And it's not over yet. :( I can't wait to be able to tell everyone... only a few more weeks and we'll start spreading the news!  Our friends and family that already know have been so amazing and supportive.  If you're reading this, this includes you so Thank You for everything! I've always known that in your toughest times, you find out how much your friends and family really love you. But this has reminded me that in the happiest times, those same people can truly amaze you with  their love and genuine excitement!

We heard the baby's heartbeat on Monday, November 1.  This is a moment we will never forget... this is the moment when it all sets in and becomes totally real! All the anxiety and wonder cleared during that moment and we were filled with joy. For those already-parents out there, you know what I'm referring to... for those who aren't, you have something wonderful to look forward to. We love this baby so much already!
We thought now would be a great time to start a blog to keep everyone updated on the pregnancy process. We... um, I will try to post at least once a week. I know most of you won't be interested in it that often but it's a good way for me to capture everything that's going on. 

Every week, I will include the following things.
Baby's size: RASBERRY; just over 1/2 an inch
Eating habits/cravings: Starving and very nauseated in morning. Protein usually does the trick.... specifically, Chick-fil-A chicken biscuit is my life saver for now! Not very hungry at night. Hamburgers, cereal, frozen yogurt. YUM!
Mood/Energy: Exhausted can not explain this feeling! I've also been very emotional. I tear up over the simplest things. One day this week, I cried 3 times by lunch time. Once over one of my favorite songs I've heard a million times; another over a sweet text message my cousin sent me; and another over the thought of not loving my dog and cat as much when this baby comes. It makes me want to cry just thinking about it right now.
Things to look forward to: Our next visit is November 29. We will be 11 weeks, 1 day.
Major development this week: Your baby will now have eyes, although his eyelids will be closed over them. He will also have arms that bend at the elbows, legs that bend at the knees, and his toes will be forming.
Baby pump picture: to come... maybe! :)

I would like to give Michael a lot of credit! He has been wonderful and supportive. He even told me he would trade bodies with me for a day... only if that could really happen! ha ha
One last thing, we are trying to come up with a nickname for Baby Mitchell until we have a real name... any suggestions?