Week 19

19 W 6 D

Since I'm posting on Sunday, I am technically 20 weeks along, which means I am halfway through the pregnancy!  So far, so good. 
How far along?: 19 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Mango and about to be a Cantaloupe.

Weight gain?: Not sure since I was out of town when I do my weekly weigh in.
Stretch marks?: None that I have noticed, but not like I'm looking for any.
Maternity clothes?: Except for some hiking shorts, all of my pants/shorts are maternity wear with most of them being the below the belly style since I love those the best.  Shirts are still fine.
Sleep?: I love sleep, and there's still no issues of sleeping as a result of pregnancy.  I can still sleep on my stomach.
Best moment this week?: My sister's wedding was pretty awesome. The food was marvelous, and I definitely ate plenty.  If you are ever in Charleston, you need to check out the Swamp Fox on King Street.  I had to have seconds of everything!
Worst moment this week?: It was a great week, nothing terrible sticks out, which is good!
Food cravings?: Seafood - shrimp especially.  I fulfilled the craving the most I could this weekend - whenever there was an option of shrimp, I chose it.  I even ordered grits because it came with shrimp, but I didn't eat the grits - YUCK!
Symptoms?: None that I noticed this week.

Exercise?: I'm finally back to a normal routine!  I played tennis 3 times last week, and I worked out with weights 3 times.  Feels great to be outside in the sunshine, too!
Gender?: We hope to find out this week.
Movement?: I feel movement everyday, sometimes a few times a day, other days, I feel it a lot.  I think the baby likes chocolate cake - every time I eat it, some time afterwards, I can definitely feel movement.
Belly button?: I'd say it's half flush with my stomach, and half in.  So soon it will be an outie.
What I miss?: An ice cold beer would be nice...didn't help that my brother would tease me with his Bud Lights at the wedding reception.  The beer felt ice cold when he put it on my back...
Labor signs?: too early!
What I'm looking forward to?: Going to the anatomy scan and seeing the baby again - hopefully finding out the gender.  I also want to start laying out and buying the nursery furniture.

Week 18

I spent most of yesterday making truffles for my sister's wedding, getting my dressed steamed, and shopping with my mom, which why I am a day late updating my weekly progress, again.

Mom and I looked at dresses for the rehearsal dinner, at maternity clothes, and at two baby stores.  Wow, talk about an overwhelming day!  There is so much to look at and research - I picked up the most recent copy of Baby Bargains, which seems to be helpful on rating the different brands and when to spend the big bucks and when to skip the high dollar items. 
In other news, I am done with the PE Exam (I hope).  The exam was brutal, but I gave it my all and hope (and feel) that it is enough to pass.  There were some questions that I could quickly answer, others that I knew exactly what to do and what equations to use, others that I had to read several times before I could gather my sense to begin to work the problem, and others which made me think "HOLY CRAP! What did I get into?!"  Fortunately, there wasn't too many of those "holy crap" questions, but I still had to make an educated guess, and I hated not knowing what to do.  There were other questions that I thought I knew how to work the problem, but when it came down to the answer I had and the answers I could choose from, there were none even remotely close.  Oh well, it's behind me for now, and I'll hopefully know the results in 12 weeks.

How far along?: 18 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Sweet Potato and about to be a Mango.

Weight gain?: 1 lb gain this week for a total of 12 lbs. 
Stretch marks?: No
Maternity clothes?: I continue to wear the "toddler jeans." every day.  For shorts, I can still wear my hiking shorts since they fit low.  Part of the shopping on Saturday included getting new maternity clothes - shorts and shirts.  Mom was good at picking out clothes I would like - though there was one tank that she gave me that has me wondering what she was thinking!  Overall, very good day (thanks Mom).
Sleep?: Still sleeping without any issues.  It seems I am back to my pre pregnancy routine of going to bed at 10PM and feeling well rested that getting up at 4AM is no problem - I actually wake up at 3:30AM.  Dreams are still CRAZY! But quite entertaining.
Best moment this week?: Being done with the PE...and shopping with mom.
Worst moment this week?: Taking the PE exam....haha, it was difficult, but really, I had a good week so I had to pick something that was bad...right?
Food cravings?: Nothing really. 

Symptoms?: None that I noticed this week.
Exercise?: I walked the dogs once for 30 minutes.  Now that the PE is over, I hope to resume my normal work out routine.
Gender?: Hopefully we'll know April 19th!!

Movement?: Definitely more often!  Though only I can feel it, not AJ.
Belly button?: Oh wow, it's on the verge of being an outie!
What I miss?: Seafood!  I eat my limit every week, but all I want is more!
Labor signs?: too early!
What I'm looking forward to?: I am looking forward to my sister's wedding - less than one week!  It's in beautiful downtown Charleston at the Francis Marion, so it should be quite the affair.
I also started compiling my "To Do" List now that I have free time, so I am eager to get it started.  So much to do, and so much time now. :) 

Dear Baby,

Tomorrow marks an important milestone in my professional and educational career; this is the second such milestone you were a part of, which is awesome.  You were technically just a few days old when I walked across the stage to receive my diploma for my Masters - little did I know you were growing inside of me!  I use to daydream while in my Methods of Materials class about having my Masters and PE - oh how I thought the day would never come.  Of course, timing is everything, and I am glad to have it behind me before you enter this world so that I can focus all of my time on you and AJ.  So tomorrow is a very important day for both of us - it's not just my future, but yours, too that will benefit.

While I love the moments when I can feel you (it takes my breath away), I ask that you refrain from bringing me such joy for just 8 hours of your precious life.  Every time you move, aka "flutter kick" as I call it, I want to stop what I am doing and enjoy the moment because I know in the coming months, those kicks will push on my bladder, and it won't be as pleasant and remarkable as it is now.  I have no time to stop and enjoy these moments tomorrow, not until 5PM.  In return, I promise not to eat anything that appears to make you excited, such as chocolate ganache cake!  Do we have a deal?

I have enjoyed our journey thus far, and it will only be better after tomorrow because I can take time to read about your growth, research the products I will need for your well being, and I can enjoy all those precious kicks.  I look forward to seeing you in just over a week, and I hope you're awake, happy, and full of movement...and not to modest.

So until the end of the exam tomorrow, take long naps and avoid the stress I am going through.  I promise not to put too much of a strain on you - I'll leave that to the brain.

Love,

Mom

Week 17

17 w 6 d

17 w 6 d

So I'm a day late updating the blog, but it's due to the great study effort I had yesterday.  From 7AM to 3:30 PM and from 7:30 PM to 10:00PM, I was working hard on the PE exam.  I took one sample exam, and if it's anything like the real exam I take on Friday, I should kick its butt!  I missed a few problems here and there, but part of it was due to simple math errors (Sta 76+00 - 73+00 = 100...uh, no Diana, it's 300).  I had the concept of the entire problem right, but the 100' threw off the answer.  I blame it on being so brain dead from studying, which is why I will not study on Thursday - I will just relax.  The only break I took was going out to dinner to celebrate some birthdays with my family.  My sister turns the BIG THREE OH this coming Friday and I'll be 28 just a few short weeks after her. 

This past week, I did make a quick visit back to the OB to give a tube of blood for alphfetoprotein (AFP) aka, the triple screen or quad screen.  Apparently, it's some sort of genetic testing and is generally used to detect neural tube defects.  Not like I knew any of this before giving blood, but the doctor said all he needed from me was a little blood, so I signed up!  I use to donate a pint every 8 weeks, so what's a small test tube?!  Here's more information: AFP; I'm not worried about anything, I just gave blood because it was easy, and if further testing were needed, this test would show it...supposedly...at least from what I read!

How far along?: 17 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Onion and about to be a Sweet Potato.

Weight gain?: No gain last week means gain this week! 2lbs for a total of 11 lbs. I'm seeing numbers I have never seen before...it's crazy, but if the baby needs it, I'll gain it.  I think the baby has been generous and let some of the weight go to my boobs.  I have a one inch scar on my chest that I swear was laying flat on my chest, but now it appears to be part of my boob...who knows, I'll probably search my beach photos to see if I can find the scar and compare to what I see now. :) 
Stretch marks?: No
Maternity clothes?: Just pants, aka toddler jeans.  I call them toddler jeans because they have the elastic waist band and no button or zipper - reminds me of what little kids wear.  They are super comfortable and I can tuck my shirt in and wear a belt - two positives! Okay, three if you count comfort.  Other than that, no additional maternity clothes needed - shirts are still long enough.
Sleep?: Still sleeping on my stomach and sleeping very well.  I love sleep - I swear I'm getting the best sleep ever!  I also have crazy, crazy dreams.  So many random people in my dreams doing random things.  It makes me want to laugh so hard.  I did have one bad dream where a relative was passing away, but I made myself wake up (I was actually crying in my sleep).  In my dream, I was telling myself to wake up!  And I did, then went promptly back to sleep and had a better dream.
Best moment this week?: Seeing my sister this weekend!  It's always good when I get to see my sister or brother, and esp. when food is involved.
Worst moment this week?: Realizing that one of my study guides/practice problem books for the PE exam is MISSING 48 pages.  It's being replaced for free, but I had to pay $30 to ship it quickly to me so it's here before Friday.  Ugh, talk about cutting it close and stressing me out. :(
Food cravings?: Frozen Pizzas.  Tostinos pepperoni pizza FTW. 

Symptoms?: Itchy boobs - could that be a sign of growth?!?! :)
Exercise?: Just call me a slacker!  I exercised three times this week - two nights of weights and one night of racquetball.
Gender?: Hopefully we'll know April 19th!!

Movement?: I felt movement everyday!  It's awesome.  After eating a little bit of chocolate cake on Saturday, I definitely felt kicking.  The baby likes chocolate, so I should eat more, right?  I mean, it's a sign from the baby...
Belly button?: Definitely becoming a shallower innnie.
What I miss?: Nothing that I can think of right now.
Labor signs?: too early!
What I'm looking forward to?: I am ready to be done with studying, so I am looking forward to taking the PE on Friday and having my life back.  Related to that, I can't wait to clean my house!  It's such a mess, and I want to organize things and get rid of a bunch a stuff to goodwill.  I want to clean out the guest room in preparation of turning it into a nursery.  I also want to bake an cook - can't wait to make the truffles for my sister's wedding!  I just want FREEDOM from studying.

Week 16

16 w 6 d

16 w 6 d

Where did the week go?!  Between work and studying for the PE, time seems to fly.  It also helps that I had a dentist, OB, and hair appointment this week, which kept me pretty busy.  I had hoped to make a stop by another daycare for a tour, but I had to work later on Thursday when I had planned on going by the daycare.  Oh well, there's still time.  Most places I've talked to have plenty of openings for January 2012.  Even though I'm taking 3 months off, my family has volunteered to take care of the baby through the end of the year.  It helps that my mom works for a college and has the last two weeks off.  My memaw is also volunteering for several weeks, and she is excited.  When she came into town today, she wanted to go by Hobby Lobby to buy yarn because she is going to crochet while she watches the baby.  It would be really cool if she could knit a blanket - my great grandmother knitted me one when I was an infant.  I was still a baby when she passed away, so I don't have any memories of her, so it's neat that I have the blanket as a keepsake (Mom, if you're reading this, I meant to mention that I want to get this from your house).

Someone remind me to close the closet door next week when I take the weekly progress photo...

How far along?: 16 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Avocado and about to be a Onion.

Weight gain?: No gain this week. Total gain is 9lbs.

Stretch marks?: No
Maternity clothes?: I wore maternity pants practically all week, except Monday.  I did find some jeans that are below the belly and has belt loops!  I was able to wear my shirt tucked in and with a belt!  Woohoo.  Thank you Old Navy.  Since the jeans fit so well, my mom ended up buying me another pair of jeans and a pair of khakis.  I'm so excited for these jeans...eventually, I'll need some longer shirts.
Sleep?: I am sleeping very well.  In fact, too well.  I don't hear my alarm or remember turning off my alarm for several snoozes.  I can still sleep comfortably on my stomach.  This week, my dog did not try to steal my body pillow - I guess she learned it was mine!
Best moment this week?: There were plenty of moments!

• At the 16 week appointment, I found out AJ's blood type is O-; we have the same blood type (0.5% chance of two people both having O-).  This means I won't have to receive the Rhogam shot at 28 weeks.  All of our offspring will be universal donors - hopefully they'll take after me and not have an issue with having their blood drawn.  In addition to finding out the blood type, the anatomy scan was scheduled for April 19th!
• At work, the site superintendent gave me a parking spot upfront.  I am very thankful for the spot, and I'm sure when July and August roll around, I will enjoy it that much more.
• AJ assisted the sheriff's department in finding and arresting the people who broke into his work truck and many more vehicles. 
• My grandparents came to town, and I was able to take a quick break from studying to eat lunch with them.  They also placed their bets on the baby (Gender, weight, length, date of birth, and time of birth)

Worst moment this week?: Going to the dentist.  I had some cavities from childhood that were failing and needed to be refilled.  I am not a fan of the dentist because of an incident that happened while my orthodontist was installing my braces - let's just say that lots of pain and blood was involved.  Anyway, I don't like people messing around in my mouth, but I've learned to trust my dentist.  The part that was so bad about the cavity filling was that I could smell everything so well.  The gloves they were wearing smelled like a strong bubblegum flavor mixed with burnt plastic.  Then when they were drilling out the old filling and preparing the tooth, I could smell burnt metal.  I wish the dentist would let me fall asleep (and I could have!) so I didn't have to smell everything.  It's disgusting - if you're thinking about getting pregnant, get those cavities filled now.  The worst part is due to me being pregnant, they can only do so much work, so I have to return for more filling. UGH.
Food cravings?: None this week. 
Symptoms?: None.

Exercise?: 4 days of weight lifting.  My tennis partner was out of town, and then it rained on Saturday.
Gender?: Hopefully we'll know April 19th!!
Movement?: I feel some occasionally, but it's not consistent
Belly button?: Still an innie, but as mentioned previously, less of innie - shallower

What I miss?: I would say chocolate cake, but that would be a lie because some of the guys at work brought in chocolate cupcakes which made me want more chocolate cake.  Let's just say that I gave in - but hey, no weight gain, so it's all good.

Labor signs?: too early!
What I'm looking forward to?: Less than 2 weeks until I take the PE!  My sister's birthday is on the day of the PE, but she's coming into town next Saturday, and I will see her for a dinner, so I'm looking forward to that.

Shooting Range

You know what good stress relief is?  Going to the shooting range, taking a .22 pistol, and going through half a large box of ammo.  Taking out frustration on paper targets all while keying in your shooting precision.

Well, not while you're pregnant, unless you're law enforcement and need to complete your qualifying exam. 

I was talking to a friend recently about going to the shooting range - we were going to go early on a Saturday morning, but the range didn't open early enough.  She asked if shooting while pregnant was safe.  I didn't know, but I didn't feel the lead exposure would be that severe to create an issue if I took preventative measures.  However, I decided to search the wonderful internet for more information. 

Thank you, Google, for bringing it to my attention that not only is lead a concern, but so is NOISE.  Of course, I wear hearing protection, but the baby does not.  The baby can respond to noise as early as 16 weeks; the ears are structurally complete at 24 weeks.  Since I have had ear troubles as a kid (not as a result of my mom going to a shooting range), there's no way I would want to take this risk while pregnant.  My mom also had similar ear troubles, so who knows if my inner ear troubles were genetic or a development/growth issue.   There's no way I would want to increase the possibility of my child having hearing issues, not when I can prevent it!

So this is what I found out:

• Use lead free ammo
• Shoot outdoors
• Wear a respirator
• Minimize the number of rounds you shoot
• Don't eat or drink 1 hour after shooting
• Use a silencer when possible
• Wear heavy clothing or soft body armor covering the abdomen
• Wash hands

There's a study I was reading that observed lambs to test the noise factor, and what they found was the fetus was not significantly protected against loud noises.  Additional studies found that there was hearing loss in babies.

This forum actually has a similar summary (actually longer), with references that authors used related to the studies conducted. Shotgun World

So as far as stress relief goes - I guess I'll stick with working out.  Playing tennis in the warm sunshine helps a lot, and I can find suitable substitutes as necessary.  I was definitely looking forward to a shooting range trip after I finish my PE Exam in early April, but I guess I'll just stick with making truffles for my sister's wedding!

Week 15

15 w 6 d

Welcome Spring!  I love the warm weather and sunshine.  I was outside a lot this week despite having a lot of studying to do.  The weather definitely helped my motivation to study since I really enjoyed my breaks in the sun.  Luckily, the daylight savings time really didn't affect me.  The first night, it was hard to fall asleep, but I quickly returned to my normal pattern and had no issues getting up in the morning.  I was able to stay up until 10 PM on Friday, which I can't normally manage to do...usually I'm calling it at night before it's 9PM.



How far along?: 15 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Naval Orange and about to be a Avocado.
Weight gain?: Gained about 1 lb this week! Total gain is 9lbs.
Stretch marks?: No
Maternity clothes?: Started wearing some maternity pants!  I wore below the belly jeans, which sadly don't accommodate a belt and casual khaki pants with the full panel, which meant no shirt tucking. :(  When I wore the khaki pants, numerous people pointed out the untucked shirt!...as if I need a reminder.  I'll try to get past it because eventually I will have to, but it's difficult.  I did try using the panel to roll down and hold the shirt in a tucked like appearance, but it didn't work out.
Sleep?: No issues sleeping, though one of my dogs thinks the body pillow is meant for her.  Still sleeping on my stomach.
Best moment this week?: Just the great weather!  Being outside walking the dogs and playing tennis was awesome.
Worst moment this week?: Some jerk broke into AJ's truck.  Not a fun morning for him, and it sucks cancelling credit and bank cards only to wait for their replacements to come in the mail.
Food cravings?: Pickles and gummy candies.
Symptoms?: None.
Exercise?: 3 days of tennis and 3 days of weight lifting.  Great week!
Gender?: Too early to tell
Movement?: I feel some occasionally, but it's not consistent
Belly button?: Still an innie, but as mentioned previously, less of innie - shallower
What I miss?: The taste of diet pepsi!  I had a dream this week that I was at the movie theatre buying popcorn, and concessions was selling fountain caffeine free diet pepsi!  I was so excited, but every time I told the guy taking my order what I wanted, he couldn't hear or understand me.  So, I left without a drink. :(
Labor signs?: too early!
What I'm looking forward to?: Less than 3 weeks until I take the PE.  So I'm looking forward to having my time back!  It's been almost 3 years since I have been able to not crack a book and study - started my Masters in the Fall of 2008.  I also have another OB appointment coming up this week, so I look forward to it, too.

Week 14

Weeks are passing quickly!  I contribute the feeling of time flying by due to constantly studying for the PE...less than 4 weeks.  I'm sure time will feel like it slows down after I get past this exam and my sister's wedding, but only time will tell. :)



How far along?: 14 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Lemon and about to be a Naval Orange.
Weight gain?: Another 1.5 pounds gained! Total gain is 8lbs.
Stretch marks?: No
Maternity clothes?: Still wearing my regular clothes, though mom did buy me some maternity jeans, khaki pants, and shirts.  I wore one of the shirts on Friday - it's a long orange polo and I needed orange on Friday (Go Tigers!)  But the length of the shirt was not needed, yet.  I've completely given up on wearing belts, which I hate the look of a beltless pair of jeans, but oh well.
Sleep?: Sleep is still great, and I can still sleep on my stomach.
Best moment this week?: Feeling the baby "flutter kicking" earlier this weekend.  The movement isn't every day, but when I do feel it, it's an awesome experience.  I practically stop what I'm doing and enjoy the moment.
Worst moment this week?: My dogs go into a fight when no one was home.  It wasn't too bad, but they were limping around at night and not eating their dinner.  One of them drank so much water the next morning, her breakfast came back up.  I've been babying them ever since, esp. the dog who is still limping - though she could be faking it for attention because I catch running around in the yard!
Food cravings?: Mac & Cheese...and pickles.  I have at least two pickles a day.  YUM.
Symptoms?: None.
Exercise?: Routine continues.  With the warm weather, I hope to maintain playing tennis. 

Gender?: Still to early to tell
Movement?: Felt some, but it's not every day
Belly button?: Still in, though it seems shallower.  Less of an innie, but still an innie.
What I miss?: With warm weather and yard work upcoming, I'm sure I'll miss being able to have an ice cold Bud Light.
Labor signs?: too early!
What I'm looking forward to?: Being done with studying!!! 

Movement!

So I felt an odd movement in my lower abdomen on the left hand side.  I was pressing up against my desk, and I thought it was due to the large construction equipment moving around outside.  However, the equipment stopped moving, and I still felt the movement.  Then it disappeared.  My second thought - gas.  But there was none (yeah, TMI, but what did you expect?!).  Then the movement began again - it felt like a quick fluttering; I picture someone doing flutter kicks on his/her back.

So the fluttering would quit and then pick back up again.  It would stop all together and resume hours later.  I quickly researched if it was possible to feel movement this early on, especially first time moms.  The answer I found was that it is possible to feel movement!  So I feel confident that I felt the baby fluttering around.  The movement was so awesome,and it made my day.  Once I realized what was going on, I had a big smile on my face...though it was a distraction from work when the fluttering would occur.

Week 13

Yay for the second trimester!  I've been told it's the best of the trimesters, so here's to enjoying the next 13 weeks and 3 days.  From a personal perspective, there's a lot going on in the 2nd trimester.  I take the PE Exam April 8th, my sister gets married April 16th, I turn 28, and I'm going to the Beaufort Airshow April 30th.  Who knows what May has in store - Clemson baseball game?  In addition, we hope to find out the gender of Baby Bowers in late April.

In other news, I sold the Harley.  I was sad to see it go since I enjoyed it so much, but I knew I wasn't going to ride it until after the baby was born, and I most likely wouldn't have had time to ride, anyways.  It wouldn't be good for the Harley to sit idle for months and months - tires rot, battery wears down, gas breaks down, etc.  So I was happy to find a new owner - his first Harely - so I'm hoping he enjoys the heck out of it.

How far along?: 13 weeks 6 days
How big is baby?: According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Started the week as the size of a Peach and about to be a Lemon.
Weight gain?: Hello 2nd trimester and weight gain!  It's like my body knew the second trimester was here, and on Wednesday, my weight shot up 1.5 lbs, which is roughly what I am suppose to gain each week during the 2nd trimester.  So make that 6.5 lbs total!  So I know most people look at my weekly picture and think, no way does she even have a bump, but that 6.5 lbs went somewhere.  My pants still fit the same, my boobs haven't grown, and my stomach is no longer flat.  Yes, to most people, there's nothing noticeable, but if you knew my stomach beforehand, you would definitely see the difference!
Stretch marks?: No
Maternity clothes?: Still wearing my regular clothes
Sleep?: No issues with sleeping, or sleeping too much.  Though my dogs don't let me sleep in.
Best moment this week?: I used my Doppler and easily found the Heartbeat - the baby was holding steady at 160 BPM.  In addition, selling the Harley relieved some stress.
Worst moment this week?: My favorite college team losing to its rival in baseball. 
Food cravings?: Seafood!  I still have not been able to satisfy my catfish craving, but I think I'll get the opportunity soon.
Symptoms?: Nonexistent.
Exercise?: Continued with the normal routine and was able to play tennis again this week.  This time, though, my  knees weren't aching afterwards thanks to the new orthotics. 

Gender?: Still to early to tell
Movement?: Nope, still too early
Belly button?: Still in
What I miss?: Nothing that comes to mind right now.
Labor signs?: too early!
What I'm looking forward to?: Looking forward to April - lots of good things happening that month.