Week 15: Doctor's Visit and Christmas Fun

We had our 15 week visit yesterday (Monday, Dec. 27). It went great! I was in and out in an hour... Gotta love when that happens! Dr. Johnson was able to find the baby's heartbeat very quickly... and it's still beating away like crazy. It was in the 160's. She still seems to think that it's a girl b/c of the rapid heartbeat. We'll know for sure in 3 short weeks! Dr. Johnson said she is very happy with my weight gain... at least someone is. :( I've gained 8 pounds so far. I'm not crazy about this because I feel like I'm gaining too quickly but she said it's great. She told me she would like for me to gain 35-40 pounds total! I couldn't help but look at her crazy....but doctor knows best, right? I would also like to note that I feel it's a little unfair that I had to go for my appointment the Monday after Christmas weekend.... I mean who didn't gain a few extra pounds? Haha! Speaking of Christmas, we had a great one! The baby even got a few gifts. My mom bought the baby it's first Bible and a silver rattle. Aunt Jill and Uncle Aubrey bought baby a picture frame for the nursery.
This week I'm finally going shopping for maternity clothes. I can't put it off anymore! I need a good pair of jeans and some work clothes that actually fit. I'm really not excited about this becasue the options are slim to none for cute, good fitting maternity clothes. Oh well!


Baby's size: The baby is the size of an APPLE! About 4 inches in length and weighs 2 1/2 ounces.
Eating habits/cravings: Nothing interesting... I'm loving pizza but who doesn't?
Mood/Energy: Honestly, I'm feeling great! Michael would probably say that I'm a little extra emotional than normal... haha. There is one problem that hit this past week and is infamous about this time in pregnancy... I won't go into details but let's just say it's no fun... and it could very possibly be contributing to an extra pound or two in me. Ugh!
Things to look forward to: Our next visit is January 17. We finally get to find out if it's a boy or girl! WE. CAN'T. WAIT! They will also check all the organs to make sure everything is developing properly. We're praying that everything is A-OK!
Major development this week: She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

Week 14: Be truly glad; There is wondeful JOY ahead! I Peter 1:6

This week is going to be a great one! And every week thereafter. I've been very, very busy lately! With the Holiday Season here and being out of town for weddings and work events the whole month of December... I haven't had much time to think! But just the past few days, I've had time to slow down and really appreciate all the great things that are going on in my life.
I have the most wonderful husband ever and I know he is going to make the greatest dad. I just love him so much. I'm so happy that we get to share all of this... and that we will be a mommy and daddy in less than 6 months.
I also had the chance to see one of my dearest friends get married this past weekend. It was one of the sweetest wedding ceremonies I've ever had the opportunity to be a part of. Becasue of that, I also got to spend some much needed quality time with far away friends! :)
But most of all, I am so excited and grateful that I get to be a MOM. This whole pregnancy thing hasn't been so pretty for me and I've been really hesitant to truly let it all soak in. But just these past few days, it is starting to become very real. I get very emotional thinking about this sweet baby growing inside of me. Each week, I read the updates and am amazed at what's going on so early. But today, I stopped and thought about where this all started.  At week 4, we found out we were pregnant.  I can remember us standing in our kitchen pouring poppy seeds into our hands because that was the size of our baby And now, to think that it is the size of a lemon. It is such a miracle.

I found this Bible verse a few weeks ago. I read it a lot because it reminds me that this pregnancy is preparing us for something much greater.
I Peter 1:6
Be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead.



Baby's size: The baby is the size of a LEMON! About 3 1/2 inches in length and weighs 1 1/2 ounces. This baby has done some growing since last week!
Eating habits/cravings: Everyone keeps asking what I'm craving... and my answer is nothing! I want something different everyday and usually once I eat something I don't want it for a long, long time. I don't really know what I want until I get hungry. And once hunger sets in, it goes from hungry to ravenous in about 2.2 seconds. :)
Mood/Energy: Feeling like myself again besides being sick all the time. I get over morning sickness and a sinus infection sets in! Thank you suppressed immune system. :( I did have a couple of more dizzy spells this past week but nothing too serious.
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) for our mid-pregnancy ultra sound. They will tell us what gender the baby is!! They will also check the brain, heart, liver, bladder, spinal cord, etc for anything that looks out of the ordinary. We're praying that everything is A-OK!
Major development this week: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.
His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

Week 13! Hello Second Trimester!

Well, it depends on who you ask! Some say week 13 is second trimester and some say it's week14.For the sake of relief, I'm going to say it's week 13. And if you really think about it... it's the completion of 13 weeks.. and the beginning of the 14th week. I know, I know... I'm getting too technical. Anyways, second trimester, here we come! I'm really looking forward to being LESS sick and having MORE energy! I really can't wait to find out what we're having so that I can actually start shopping for this sweet baby and thinking about a nursery!



Baby's size: The baby is the size of a PEACH! That's right, a GEORGIA peach! :) Almost 3 inches in length and weighs nearly an ounce.
Eating habits/cravings: Nothing interesting... not nearly as hungry as I once was. Pretty much back to one breakfast in the morning.Thank You!  I'm at the point where nothing really sounds appetizing so I just eat to make it through the day.
Mood/Energy: Still have lots of energy... as long as I sleep well that night. I have started feeling very faint and having dizzy spells when standing for too long. I plan on talking to my doctor about this in a couple of weeks, but all the research I've done says that it's pretty normal during this time of pregnancy.The blood flow in your body starts to go more towards the baby around 12 weeks.
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: Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries.

12 weeks! GIRLS vs. BOYS

The big discussion this week... NAMES! But not just names, GIRL NAMES! :) Since we've been to the doctor last week, we can't stop thinking that there's a good chance, there's a baby girl growing in my belly. Ya know, with that heart rate in the 170's, even the doctor said it's probably a girl! So, of course, we do not agree on girl names. Don't get me wrong...we like some of the same names but when it comes to naming your child, you shouldn't just "like" the name. Here's the dilemma: I have a girl name picked out that I absolutely love and Michael just flat out doesn't like it. Sad Face, I know. :( So I guess, you all want to know the name, right? Hmmm.... well, it... is.... GEORGIA. I know... he's crazy for not liking it, right? I love this name for a couple of reasons... 1)It's not the most common baby name in the last decade or hopefully the next decade to come. 2) It reminds me of the south 3) George, as a last name, is a long-time family name.
Michael's reason for not liking it: 1) It's a state.
We went to a wedding over the weekend and we were able to see some of our old college friends that we rarely get to see! :) When we were leaving they were saying bye to Baby Georgia! Sounds to me as if she's already named.
On a better note, if it's a boy, we already have a name picked that we love and agree on! :)


Baby's size: The baby is the size of a LIME - just over 2 inches!
Eating habits/cravings: Nothing too crazy this week... starting to balance out I think. Good food tastes better, bad food tastes worse. Although, as I write this, I am eating Salt & Vinegar potato chips.
Mood/Energy: High level of energy most of the time. If I try to do too much, I'll get exhausted but that's pretty normal.
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: The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.
Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long and weighs half an ounce.
Baby pump picture: Next week