16 weeks

Well, I am officially starting to outgrow my regular clothes.  That skirt I loved so much in my 10 week update (and that I was so sure was going to last me until the end of the summer) was retired yesterday after spending all afternoon unsuccessfully trying to readjust it on my growing belly. I have also started to pile up other skirts and shirts that are just not flattering (or too snug) on this small but ever-growing bump!  I don't yet feel ready to start wearing "maternity" clothes even though I have picked up a few things lately as I have found good deals, so I am trying to sort through what is left of my regular clothes to see what still fits for the time being.

16 weeks + 4 days

I have no new symptoms to report, just the belly expansion and the same few little things I have been reporting the past couple of weeks.  I feel like a broken record repeating this week after week, but I really am lucky to be able to say I still feel great  :)

At 16 weeks the baby is the size of an avocado (Erik asked if it was one of the Hass variety, ha!) measures around 4.6 inches long, and weighs about 3.5 ounces.  I have been reading that I need to get ready for a major growth spurt these next few weeks though, as the baby is about to double its weight in the next two weeks alone.  I think that might have already started, this morning I woke and woah baby, I had a large melon protruding from my lower abdomen.  Even Erik couldn't believe how much larger it looked this morning while I was laying in bed. I had actually been worried these past few days as I though I was kind of small for how far along I am, but this morning was reassurance that this little one is no longer the tiny peanut it once was!

Developmentally this week, the baby is growing hair, lashes and eyebrows, and forming taste buds.  The coolest thing though, is that tiny bones are forming in the ears which means he/she might be able to hear us!  Time to stop listening to Lady Gaga and turn up the Mozart.  Just kidding, I never listen to Lady Gaga.  Ever.  I sure hope the baby likes bluegrass though  ;)

I am patiently awaiting those first flutters of movement that I read can start around week 16, but so far nothing.  I have been spending a fair amount of time lately trying to lay still and concentrate to see if that helps, lol...  So far it hasn't.  Even when I gently poke at the bump or rub it with my hand, still nothing.  Soon I hope!

On Friday I have my second visit to the birthing center where I will start meeting with the midwives.  I am excited to hear the heartbeat again as well as start getting to know all of the providers.  I am really looking forward to the ultrasound which won't be for another month yet, but I am can't wait to find out the gender.  Then we can (more seriously) start working on a name for this little avocado!  :)

15 weeks and a pink lady...

Every Wednesday when it turns over to a new week in the pregnancy timeline, I give Erik little updates on how big the baby has grown to (ie which size fruit) as well as some other developmental milestones that the baby has reached that week.  Sometime around week 10 or so (back around the size of a prune) Erik asked me when the baby would be the size of a Pink Lady Apple.  He said with a silly little smile on his face that he definitely wanted to know when we got to that point.  Well honey - we are there.  And this one is for you  :)

 

Why a Pink Lady Apple?  Well to say that Erik has an apple obsession would be an understatement.  I don't think a day has gone by in our 5 years together that he hasn't had an apple (or 2 or more) his favorites being Pink Lady and Honeycrisp.  Even out of season, this boy sure loves his apples! 

15 weeks + 5 days.  Erik, his lady, and his Pink Lady  :)

At 15 weeks, the baby is the size of an apple (specifically for Erik - one of the Pink Lady variety,) measuring in at 4 inches from crown to rump and weighing around 2.5 ounces.  The baby is becoming more proportional in size, as the legs now outmeasure the arms.  Also, all four limbs have functional joints.  He/she is busy moving amniotic fluid through their nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in the lungs begin to develop.  And although the eyelids are still fused shut, the baby can sense light and would likely move away from the beam if I were to shine a flashlight at my belly.  I still can't feel it yet, but the baby is getting quite a workout on the inside, moving and squirming, sucking it's thumb and probably hiccuping.  I read it's possible to feel "flutters" starting at week 16 which is only a couple of days away, but I am more likely to start feeling something closer to 18 weeks.

15 weeks + 5 days

Thankfully, I can report that I am still feeling great!  Getting a good nights sleep seems to be the answer to relieving the headache problem, so I have been working on that the best I can.  The only symptom I am having besides a slowly growing waistline, is the occasional round ligament pain that started a couple of weeks ago.  It is the worst when I have been sitting a while and get up quickly, and it pinches so hard in my belly I can't stand up straight for a few seconds, lol.  It resolves almost instantly, and I don't even ever think about it until the next time it happens and catches me off guard!  No big thing.

One of my pregnancy apps informed me that at week 15 there is only 25 left.  Yes, I understand what simple math that is (40 - 15 = 25) but to see the numbers I was like "25? what!?"  That is so much less than 40!  Ha.  In just over 4 weeks we will be halfway there.  I mentioned that little fact to Erik and he was completely shocked too.  4 weeks flies by in no time these days.  It seriously feels like last week that Erik asked me when our little prune was going to be an apple.  That was almost 6 weeks ago.  Gulp.

Over the weekend I pulled out my old "painting" shorts to work on some projects around the house.  While I could technically still button them, it was not very comfortable at all.  If I have never mentioned this before - I can't stand tight clothes, especially in my stomach area.  I have been like this my whole life.  True story - I wore those stretchy knit pants (yes, the kind with the stirrups) until the 6th grade when my Mom finally convinced me that jeans were okay.  After I put on the too-tight shorts this weekend, I suddenly remembered that I had picked up a belly band at a yard sale (for $1 I think) a few months ago.  What a lifesaver.  I thought for sure my clothes would fall down while wearing it, but it kept everything in place all day, without my shorts being too tight at all.  Genius invention!

Thank you to my sweet hubby for participating in this blog post + photo shoot, and for making it through the entire thing without actually eating that lovely apple!  ;)

This weekly pregnancy update was brought to you by organic Pink Lady Apples, which we snacked on while I typed this post tonight.  Also by my belly band, which held up my shorts for the entire photo shoot today.  And of course, by the letter B.

How bout them apples?  ;)

DIY felt bunnies + thrifty baby finds

At the recommendation of my husband who heard about it from a coworker, I recently started following a new blog, Going Home to Roost.  It is a very sweet blog about plant-based eating, simple living, and cute crafty things.  On it, I came across this adorable tutorial for a DIY felt "bunny with a baby" and after finding myself home this weekend with some spare time and all the materials required to make it, I decided to whip one up for myself!

Here is the version from the tutorial on her blog:

I didn't have pink felt so I used brown.  Also, my white felt began to fray so my bunnies look a little bit scrappy!  I think they still turned out pretty cute and will make a sweet little decoration in the nursery, maybe sitting on a shelf or hanging on the wall  :)

I also came across some more great finds while sale-ing this past weekend...  Strangely enough, after I recently shared my feelings that I think this little peanut is a girl, everything that I came across at a few different sales was for a baby girl....  I couldn't help myself, I went for it and at only $1 per piece, it didn't exactly break the bank.  And how could I say no to that sweet pink dress??

Clockwise from top left:  Gap Baby dress, baby's first "North Face,"  and several sleeper gowns that I can't seem to stop buying.  Plus two adorable blankets.  Everything like new or new, and only $1 per item.

If this baby is a boy, I am going to have a lot of stuff to hand over to a friend or coworker that has a little girl.  Either that or our little guy is going to wear a lot of pink, ha!  ;)

I am still shopping for mostly gender neutral stuff as we have another 6 weeks or so before we find out if this is a little baby boy or girl.  By that time though, most of the big yard sales for the year are over and it will be too late to find deals as great as these...  So when I come across these adorable things that look brand new but cost so little, it's kind of hard to walk away!

15 week update in the works, coming up soon! 

My international debut...

Sometime shortly after we moved into our new house, I was contacted by an editor from UK based magazine called Let's Get Crafting who came across my etsy shop patterns online, and was asked if they could feature one of my designs in the next issue of their magazine.  Of course I was thrilled by the opportunity and said "yes please!"  They requested a high resolution photo of The Bee's Mobile which they wanted to feature, and sadly I had somehow deleted all of my original digital photographs of that particular pattern.  All I had available was the low res photos I used on my etsy page.  (Note to self and other photographers - always back up your originals!!)  Needless to say, they required a high res photo for the magazine...  So on a random Tuesday morning in April, fighting off the early pregnancy nausea and trying not to trip over unpacked boxes, I was up early to set up a makeshift photo studio in my very messy (but well lit) dining room so I could have the photos to them in time for their deadline.  Somehow it all worked out, and a few weeks ago my copy finally arrived!

Here it is, my international debut  ;)

Even though everything in the UK is probably sent "Royal Mail," I like to pretend they put that sticker on the envelope just for me  ;)

 

I am pretty much famous now.  Please contact my agent for all future correspondence  ;p

14 weeks

If I was one day later posting this it would be a 15 week update!  But, at this point I am trying not to skip any, so let's just try and pretend I posted this a few days ago...  I am now a full week into my second trimester, which is kind of crazy to think about!  I am feeling great, although have been dealing with some pretty intense headaches lately.  This is so unlike me, I almost never get headaches.  I don't know if it is related to not sleeping too great lately, or the pregnancy itself.  I finally broke down a few days ago and took a tylenol (gasp!) and it didn't seem to touch it, so I have been just trying relaxation/distraction techniques to deal with them... and it kinda helps... sometimes.  Other than that, I am feeling pretty great!

We were suppose to head up north to Michigan last Friday, and at the last minute (Friday morning actually) I had a change of plans... or rather a change of heart.  I decided it best that we cancel the trip and stay home instead.  I allowed myself to take the past five days off and do things for myself, including long walks with the Lucy girl, yoga, organizing some things I have been putting off since we moved in, gave my etsy shop a facelift, cooked a lot of yummy food, and I even started working on a new crochet pattern for my etsy store!  Here is a little preview...  I bet it won't be hard to figure out what this mobile is going to be...

It has been great having so much time off to relax and just enjoy some things that I like to do!  I seem to keep myself so busy sometimes I forget to take the time to do the things that make me the happiest...

Anyway, on to the 14 week update!

14 weeks + 3 days

Erik took these photos as we were running out the door to dinner on Saturday night.  The camera battery died after just a couple photos so I didn't have many to choose from.  Also, we were having an unseasonably cool evening in the low 70's so I put on jeans for the first time in a long time, and quickly realized that was a big mistake!  They seemed to fit initially, but the car ride home with a full tummy was rather uncomfortable.  I think I will stick with my stretchy yoga pants and summer dresses for the next few months!

This week, the baby is the size of a lemon (how appropriate given my craving for lemons this entire pregnancy so far.)  He/she measures about 3.4 inches and weighs about 1.5 ounces, nearly doubling it's weight since last week!

It's possible that the baby is sucking it's thumb already, and might be wiggling it's toes as well.  The kidneys are making urine (which will be excreted into the amniotic fluid which the baby will then drink -  weird and awesome at the same time), and the liver and spleen are functioning now too.  Also, the baby is growing lanugo - a thin, peach-like fuzz all over it's body.

I haven't really had any weird cravings, up until a few days ago.  I had a short phase of putting Franks Red Hot Sauce on everything I possibly could, and the other night laying in bed I told Erik that a dill pickle covered in Franks sounded like the most delicious thing I could think of.  I really wasn't trying to be that weird "pickles & ice cream lady," it just honestly sounded amazing at the time.  Now, it doesn't sound quite as good but given the opportunity I am sure I wouldn't turn it down  ;)

Up until about a week ago I had zero feeling on what the sex of the baby would be...  Pre-pregnancy I was so certain our first born would be a boy that I even painted the nursery a very light bluish-green during the house renovation.  But recently, I have had actually started to have feelings that there is a little girl growing in there!  I don't know why I feel that way, I just kind of got that feeling one day.  I wouldn't mind being wrong here - I would love to have a boy.  But if I am right, it will be just as awesome - we would be having a girl!  I feel like this is a win-win so I don't mind sharing my "instinctual feeling" on this one  ;)

13 weeks

Since I usually post my weekly updates towards the end of the week (and this week I am even later than usual), I am now actually almost 14 weeks and just a couple of days away from the second trimester!  It is crazy to think I am 1/3 of the way to meeting this little peanut  :)

I am feeling great, with the exception of some poor sleep these past few nights.  Not sure why, but it could have something to do with changing my work schedule last week.  I started working longer shifts but fewer per week, and this means I need to get up earlier than usual to get to work on time.  So far though I love it, I am enjoying my last of four days in a row off, and it seriously feels like I am coming off a mini-vacation.

The only other symptom I had this week was some sharp pains in my lower abdomen/groin area that lasted only a few seconds and only happened a few times.  I remember reading something about round ligament pain recently, and after looking it up I am quite sure that is what those sharp pinches were.  I was actually kind of excited about it once I realized I was having a new pregnancy symptom, ha!

Here is a little photo recap of the last 4 weeks and end of the first trimester:

For the pre-bump photo I used one I had taken last year since I didn't do any "before" photos this time...

So here we are at 13 weeks, baby is the size of a peach, measuring in at 2.9 inches long and weighing in at about 0.81 ounces.  The teeth and vocal cords are forming this week, and this tiny peach sized baby already has fingerprints!

13 weeks + 4 days

I realize that with a dress on it's hard to see the tiny start of the bump that exists, but I had no desire for anything but a comfortable slip-on dress today.  It has been so hot out!  There isn't much of a change in the belly area, if anything I almost feel that it got smaller, is that possible?  I have been pretty active the past few days, walking a lot and even did yoga twice.  As well, my appetite is leveling off, I am not ravenous all the time as I have been in past weeks.  So maybe that has something to do with it...

One of the best parts of this weekend was my yard sale-ing adventure yesterday.  I found some amazing stuff for super cheap!  I was downright giddy when I got home, lol...  I walked away with around 30 pieces of baby clothing (including a yellow rain jacket, ralph lauren sweater, and several sleepers) for get this - 20 cents a piece!!!  The girl who was selling them was very motivated to get rid of everything and was only asking $1 for 5 pieces - some were complete sets too.  People, this price is basically free.  Everything I picked out was like new or in great shape and mostly sized newborn - 6 months.

The next great find was a piece of furniture for the nursery.  I found the perfect rocker and ottoman set in nearly-new condition for only $25 total (they were asking $30) and I later realized I probably would have paid a lot more.  It has a removable slip cover that is completely washable, and after laundering the whole thing it looks brand, spanking new.  I imagine this thing was around $200 new?  Maybe more?  It's really nice quality!  I set it up in the nursery with a few little crocheted items I made last year...

At that same sale, the lady was selling a brand new moby wrap for only $5!!  The current price on amazon is $48.  I have a similar wrap that I made last year but for $5 I was willing to pick up a moby as well, just in case mine doesn't work the way I want.

My last amazing find was a brand new fuzzi bunz cloth diaper, still with the original price tag of $18.95 attached.  I scored this for only 25 cents!!  I looked at the lady like she was crazy when she told me the price, but I wasn't going to argue with her!  ;)

We plan to cloth diaper so I am always on the look out for them at yard sales.  I am not opposed to used ones that are in great condition, but to find one brand new was pretty awesome.  I also came home with a lovely purple blanket for the rocker in the nursery ($2), a 12 pack of brand new cotton pre-folds for diapering or burp cloth use ($0.25 for all 12), a picture frame for the nursery ($1), and a few soft rattles with the tags still attached ($0.25 each.)  It was like the yard sale gods were smiling down on me yesterday, haha...

After buying the rocker and seeing how things look as I slowly add to the nursery, I am getting super excited to start decorating in there.  I know it is still early, but I can't help thinking about all the cute things I want to add to that space.  I must have walked by the nursery 15 times since yesterday just to see the little corner of stuff I set up.  Further decorating will have to wait a few weeks though.  Next weekend we are headed up to Michigan to visit with Erik's parents and attend my family reunion, all the was up in Alpena.  My next two posts (if I find time to do them) will be coming from "up north."  Hopefully I will be able to pop in at least once and just write a little about how the trip is going.  Until then..