Dear Baby (2)

You've now been on our minds for two months. I wonder how much you're growing and what you look like. There's a bunch of developmental guides on the internet, but it's not the same as actually seeing you. This past month has been less worrisome for me. Possibly because we've heard your heartbeat and seen your crazy dance moves. Today we went to the doctor and the nurse had such a hard time finding your heartbeat. But I wasn't worried because just this morning you made me sick, so I knew you were in there. She called you a little rascal and told me you were moving around too much. That means you're probably more like your momma than I'd like to admit. I can just picture you in my belly cracking yourself up because you think you're so cute being difficult and making the nurse work extra hard to find you.

Last night I dreamt that you had almost black hair like my mom and blue eyes like your dad. You were beautiful, Baby Nerd. It makes me that much more excited to meet you. September can't seem to get here fast enough! I can't wait to see your little face and hold your tiny hands. You'll get to meet your dad, who has been waiting so patiently for you for years. He's going to be such a good daddy to you. You'll be the star of all of his pictures and movies. He'll teach you about whatever new hobby he's into at the moment (for now it's DJ-ing, which I hope will come to an end before you realize how much fun loud noises are!). I can't wait for you to meet your aunts and uncles. Your Uncles Joe & Dillon will teach all the ways of comic book nerds. I don't know if you know this yet, but you come from a rich history of nerd-dom. Get used to it. Your Aunt Nise & Uncle Fran will be here when you arrive, but will probably leave before you get to really know them. But, we'll look at their picture and talk about them all the time so when they come home to visit, you'll know who they are. Then, when you're older, your Uncle Jordan and Aunt Hannah will come home and meet you. And, I'm pretty sure they're going to love you too. And you'll get to meet your cousins who will teach you about whales and bugs and how to swing and all the fun things cousins do.
You'll get to meet your grandparents and great grandparents who will be so amazed at everything you do and how much you learn. Your Mimsy will probably take you shopping a lot, just like her mom did for me. She'll probably spend a lot of time at the pool with you and you may even learn to swim while you're with her. Your Grammy will take you to parks and your Grandaddy will try to get you to ride on the tractor. It's ok if you don't want to, Mommy doesn't like it either. My dad (who hasn't figured out a grandfather name yet) will teach you how to play basketball and play catch. And we'll all come to your little league games and plays and concerts. And we'll all be so proud of you even when you strike out or forget your lines or play the wrong song. Because you're awesome Baby Nerd. You are awesome.

13 Weeks

How far along:
13 Weeks. SECOND TRIMESTER!

How big is the baby:
There are a lot of different comparisons. I'm using the shrimp picture for the sake of consistency, but I like to compare Baby Nerd to a peach or tangerine as other sites do.
image via babycenter


Weight gain/Maternity clothes:
Lost another pound this week, for a total of -7lbs. I've ordered a few maternity things, but nothing has arrived. My regular clothes are getting tighter.

Movement?
Little Nerd is moving around a lot in there, I just can't feel it yet.


Food cravings/aversions?
No real cravings lately (aside from fruit smoothies, which I still haven't had since 4 weeks!). I don't like vegetables.

Gender?
About 7 weeks until we find out!

Symptoms?
Nausea, headaches, round ligament pain, constipation, and fatigue.

What do I miss?
Not much. I'm so happy to be pregnant right now.

Milestones:
We've reached the second trimester, Baby. And to celebrate we went to the doctor and ate a sausage biscuit, and took a 2 hour nap.


This Week:
Fingerprints have formed, veins and organs are visible through thin skin, the body is catching up with Little Nerd's head. Baby Nerd is almost 3 inches long and weighs almost an ounce.
(From babycenter.com)

Recently Pinned

Because this blog isn't only about pregnancy (although that's a big part of my life right now) & I love Pinterest.

Guilt Free Homemade Ice cream (frozen bananas, peanut butter, cocoa)

From Userealbutter

Deciding on baby names... I am about 99% sure we have our names picked out!

From Parents Magazine

Lunch Lady Brownies. I made them. I wasn't too impressed, but I think maybe I cooked them too long?

From saltboxhouse.

Easter decoration (& springtime in general) is on my mind!!!

From B-moviestar.

I heart grumpy cat. I heart Harry Potter. This is perfect.

via 9gag

Probably one of the best onesies I've ever seen.

Only $13.50!

12 Weeks

How far along:
12 Weeks.

How big is the baby:
The size of a lime.
image via babycenter


Weight gain/Maternity clothes:
Still -6lbs. I ordered a pair of maternity capris, but probably won't wear them for another month or so. My pants are still tight, but still wearable so I haven't bought any other maternity clothes yet.

Movement?
Little Nerd is moving around a lot in there, I just can't feel it yet.


Food cravings/aversions?
We love spicy foods and sweets. I've noticed that my appetite disappears when I smell something cooking. Like at home, we've cooked chili, red beans and rice, hawaiian chicken, etc... It all smells pretty good while cooking (except the hawaiian chicken), but I just can't force myself to eat more than a few bites. But if we go somewhere or pick up some food, I'm fine. So, mostly baby & I stick to sandwiches and easy/quick prep food at home and dining out.

Gender?
Still a few weeks off.

Symptoms?
Nausea, headaches, sneezing, food aversions, cramps from my uterus stretching, my hands & arms often go numb at night (maybe I'm just laying on them), constipation, hot flashes... None of these are severe, just things I've been noticing happen since I got pregnant.

What do I miss?
Not much. I'm so happy to be pregnant right now.

What am I looking forward to?
The end of first tri (mostly for peace of mind). First appointment with Dr. Ross (which is still a few weeks away). Finding out the gender and deciding on a name (we've got the list narrowed down, but nothing definite yet).


Milestones:
Last week of first tri! Although technically, if you divide 40 by 3, you'll get 13.333... I'm saying week 13 is second tri and no one can stop me.


This Week:
Little Nerd will develop reflexes this week. Fingers will open and close, toes will curl, eyes will clench, mouth will make sucking movements. Baby will squirm in response to prodding my abdomen. Intestines will start to move into Nerd's abdominal cavity and the kidneys will begin excreting urine into  Baby's bladder. Brain synapses are forming quickly and the face looks like a human.
(From babycenter.com)

Summertime Maternity

I've been considering maternity clothes for awhile now. I'm not looking to buy a whole new wardrobe, but I can't just wear sweatpants to work everyday. So, I've been looking online at different options. And I've come to the conclusion that affordable plus size maternity clothes are definitely lacking. This could be a really wonderful and prosperous niche that clothing retailers could fill. Do they think fat people don't get pregnant? I mean, there are some places that offer maternity clothes at pretty outrageous prices. There's no way I can justify spending $60 on a pair of jeans I will only wear for a few months.

I'm not really complaining, but I do want this blog to document my experience with pregnancy (and eventually motherhood) and this is one of them.

After doing some research - mostly online browsing - I've made a couple of polyvore sets with different maternity outfits using the same basic affordable pieces. I tried to limit myself to a couple of shirts under $25.00 and a couple of pairs of pants under about $35.00. I found that the most affordable places like Target and Old Navy really only go up to a 2X, which I think will probably fit me, but not anyone bigger than me. I took a little bit of liberty with the accessories. Normally, I don't wear jewelry, but the right accessories really do complete an outfit and I may suck it up & start wearing some.

p.s. I actually bought these white capris. They are work appropriate and only $15.00!!!

The items I stuck with are: White Capris, Black Pants, Dark Wash Jeans, 4 Maternity Shirts (coral, blue, red and white stripe, black and white stripe), Black Dress and Coral Dress.

I stuck with sandals because it'll be summer when I'm biggest and I am pretty sure my feet will swell. The necklaces are from Target and Claires. They're a little more than I'd spend on jewelry, but are pretty reasonably priced for people who actually wear that sort of thing.

Anyhow, this exercise has made me see that I only realllllly need these few items to get me through a long hot summer working in a business casual office. When we get our tax return, I may actually buy some maternity shirts.

Also, for the record, I do plan to look at places like Ross and TJ Maxx, but they don't really have their stock online, so I can't really do anything with those stores.

11 Weeks

How far along:
11 Weeks.
Welcome to the fetal stage, Baby Nerd!
(Um... Wow. How did that happen? It seemed like these weeks were so far off in the future. At the same time, it still feels like 20 weeks is so far away too.)

How big is the baby:
The size of a fig. Other sites compare it to a lime.
image via babycenter


Weight gain/Maternity clothes:
As of yesterday, I'm holding steady at 285 which is -6lbs from starting weight.

Movement?
Little Nerd is moving around a lot in there, I just can't feel it yet.


Food cravings/aversions?
We love spicy foods and sweets. I don't love tomato based sauces right now. And Baby Nerd HATES pepperoni pizza. I swear, I haven't been so violently ill this entire pregnancy until I ate pepperoni pizza a few nights ago.


Gender?
Still a few weeks off. Still think it'll be a girl. J is warming up to the idea of a girl & I'm getting a little excited about having a baby boy. So either way, we'll be excited.


Symptoms?
Nausea, headaches, sneezing, food aversions, stuffy nose, cramps from my uterus stretching (it's almost the size of a softball now), my hands & arms often go numb at night (maybe I'm just laying on them), constipation, hot flashes... None of these are severe, just things I've been noticing happen since I got pregnant.


What do I miss?
Not much. I'm so happy to be pregnant right now.


What am I looking forward to?
The end of first tri (mostly for peace of mind). First appointment with Dr. Ross (which is still a few weeks away). Getting my energy back enough to start cleaning out the future nursery, because that's going to take a lot of time and energy. It's kind of become a storage room since we moved in.


Milestones:
Baby Nerd has officially graduated to a fetus. No more embryo talk for you. And also, not having to get shot in the bum every day.


This Week:
Little Nerd is almost fully formed now. This week s/he will begin hardening bones, hands will soon open and close into fists, and tooth buds are appearing under gums.
(From babycenter.com)

10 Weeks

How far along:
10 Weeks

How big is the baby:
The size of a kumquat. Other sites compare it to a prune.
image via babycenter


Weight gain/Maternity clothes:
I've gained about 1 - 1.5 lbs in the last week or so. That still puts me below my starting weight, so I am ok with it, but I have started to be more conscious of what I'm eating now that my apetite has reappeared. All of my pants are tight. Some of them are even tight with the rubberband trick. The funny thing is that I thought because I was plus size, I would be able to stretch my regular wardrobe longer. Turns out that's not the case with me this time. I don't look pregnant, just fat. But I will probably look into at least one pair of maternity pants for work when we get paid again.


Movement?
Little Nerd is moving around a lot in there, I just can't feel it yet. But it's pretty amazing to see on the ultrasound.


Food cravings/aversions?
Still love Subway. And all things spicy. Lately I've enjoyed more savory foods too. Almost everyday for lunch this week I've eaten a turkey sandwich on an everything bagel.


Gender?
Still a few weeks off. Still think it'll be a girl.


Symptoms?
Well, I was just going to write about how my nausea seems to have dissipated, but then I got sick this morning. I guess Baby likes to keep me guessing. I'm still tired, although that seems to be fading as well. Last night I cooked dinner and stayed up until almost 9:00 without a nap. Seriously, that's late for me these days. Also, still having digestive issues.

What do I miss?
Not much. I'm so happy to be pregnant right now.


What am I looking forward to?
My first appointment with my regular Ob-Gyn, Dr. Ross!!!! It's scheduled for Feb. 28. So I will be 13 weeks when we first meet.


Milestones:
Seeing my sweet little Nerd again. Graduating to my regular doctor. Being told I can quit Progesterone-in-Oil injections. (I still have to take the other meds until Dr. Ross says I can stop.)


This Week:
Little Nerd is graduating to the fetal period this week. Vital organs are in place and just need to grow now. Nails are beginning to grow. Fingers and Toes are no longer webbed. (From babycenter.com)