movement

I think I've been feeling the baby move for the past couple days. It's hard to tell for sure, but I've been feeling the same little tiny bubbly feelings since Wednesday-ish and I'm pretty sure that's what it is!!

stretch

Alright ladies, this post needs your comments. I need the skinny on stretch marks. I've heard of everything from olive oil, to body butters and creams. So far so good for me, but I'm wondering if I should start using something to keep my skin from getting crazy. So if you would, here's your chance to give solicited advice to a soon-to-be-mom.

Did you get them?

What did you use?

What worked?

What failed?

When did you start your prevention tactic?

What else??

voices

I KNOW I will use high-pitched baby voices when we have our little tyke. But I still think it is funny hearing other people (mostly grown men) talk to their babies like idiots.

Just a little joy of the day.

tales

Here's my 17 week picture. So after we took the picture I noticed that the really dark couch was sticking out behind me a bit affecting the way the picture looked! I did my best to photoshop it out so it doesn't make my belly look all weird but I'm not sure how well I did. If I look lumpy, it's the couch!

Here's a question: where do old wive's tales come from and how do they perpetuate so fast and so far? I'm interested in hearing some of those outrageous pregnancy "facts" you've heard over the years. Here are the rules: 1) you have to actually have heard it from someone's lips

OR 2) you have to have read it from multiple sources.

Some of my favorite recent tall tales:

Eating peanut butter while pregnant will give your baby a lot of hair.

Heartburn while pregnant means your baby will have more hair.

Eating sweet potatoes will help you conceive twins.

What wive's tales have you heard? Pregnant or not, leave your comment!

seventeen weeks

Wow! I'm 17 weeks and growing! I went shopping for my first maternity clothes last night and it was . . . interesting. I thought it would be so fun - I love shopping! But it ended up being medium frustrating. It seems like everyone wants to put pregnant women in the biggest pants possible. ALL the jeans I looked at (save maybe one or two pair) were boot cut or flair! Like the style we wore in middle school, remember? I'm partial to straight leg/skinny's but found a hard time finding anything resembling stylish that didn't cost half a mortgage payment (give or take!).

I finally settled on a pair that I like pretty well from Gap (but I think I'm going to exchange it for a better size today). And at least I got a lot of walking in last night as I went from one end of the mall to the other.

The good news is that I'm finding tops more appealing. Finally my belly looks like a cute little baby bump, rather than a muffin top bulging out of old clothes. I got a couple simple, cheap shirts which made me happy.

Well, I was about to upload a picture of me for this week but I hate all of them! Turns out maybe I don't love these jeans. Back to the store :(

Here are a few stats of the week to conclude this post:

Baby is 5 1/2 inches (crown to rump) and about five ounces (my uterus is the size of a cantaloupe, which can be seen in my growing bump!)

Baby has mastered yawning this week and is moving like crazy - I should be able to feel the baby move soon!

The baby's nervous system is maturing like wildfire this week and he/she is becoming more conscious of the sounds he/she is hearing inside!

More to come and I promise a picture when I get into some decent clothes!!

pending doom

What is the deal with everything being recalled/potentially hazardous to your newborn/off-limits for pregnant women, etc.??

It's just funny that after billions of successful pregnancies and births and infants growing into toddlers, everything is dangerous these days! Don't eat soft cheeses (actually, as long as its pasteurized it's okay), don't eat sushi (not medical advice actually. Just don't eat the few fish that are on the high-mercury list and don't eat more than 12 oz. per week), don't put your baby on its stomach, don't buy this kind of crib or that kind of car seat unless you want everyone to know you are a negligent parent. *sigh*

It's not that I don't want to make sure everything is safe and ready for our baby, I just feel like everyone is freaking out and everything is hazardous. Maybe if I never sleep and never let my child out of my sight everything will be okay.

Just a little rant.

27 days, 22 hours and counting

Items of business: first, here is a 16 week picture for you. I think this shirt makes me look pregnant when I'm not, so it's really doing a good job here!

16 weeks

Next, we have the ultrasound set for June 18! We're so excited to find out if our gender guess is right! Keep those votes coming in - it's fun to see what everyone thinks we'll have. We're also excited to get the DVD of the ultrasound - yay technology!!

In other news, my first real pregnancy pain has manifest itself. There is something wrong . . . with my butt. My left cheek has a pulled muscle, or pinched nerve, or screwy joint or something! I made the mistake of playing basketball at the nearby park last night with McKay, hoping the increased activity would make it better, but it made it worse! I talked to McKay's cousin who is a chiropractor and he gave me some tips. We'll see how things end up (get it - end up! - that's a joke my Grandpa would appreciate). For now, blogging seems to be helping.

sixteen weeks

Another Wednesday = another week!

The baby is getting big these days - up to 5 whole inches! My little blueberry has gone through several fruit-transformations, passed the avocado stage of last week and is now my little turnip! He/she weighs between 3-5 ounces and although the tiny eyelids remain shut, the eyes have finished moving to their proper place in the front of the head and the baby will start perceiving light this week (although I'm wondering how light it can be in there . . .) The baby should be putting on a little body fat this week - and I'm sure I'm helping with my fatty food cravings. There's lots of sucking and swallowing practice going on and within the next week or two his/her unique fingerprints will be formed. Wow! Hopefully I'll be feeling the baby move in the next couple weeks. Here's this week's illustration:

It's about time to move on to some better-fitting clothes I think. I've been wearing more and more skirts as my jeans end up unbuttoned at any chance I get (usually driving home in the car). I'm feeling less tired overall, and have a healthy appetite - with some food aversions still in full force.

I'm excited to make the ultrasound appointment at my Dr. visit tomorrow morning. Only a few more weeks until we know if our turnip is a boy or girl!

15 week pic

Okay, so I meant to take a good 15 week picture, but McKay has the SD card and I never got around to getting it out of his car . . . meaning we'll have to settle for another lame iPhone self portrait of the belly.

15 weeks and growing

Maybe week 16 (tomorrow) will be more successful in the photo shoot realm.

As long as I'm posting - I got a rocking chair for the baby's room for FIVE BUCKS on KSL! I was so excited!!! It needs a bit of TLC to tighten up the wobbly legs, and we'll definitely re-finish it when we stain the other furniture. But it's a great cheap start!

picking up the chair

crib find

It's been a big morning. I officially purchased my first baby furniture! A lady in my neighborhood is selling a bunch of her gently used baby stuff and I got a matching crib and changing table for a screamin' deal! -- $75 -- Nice.

Because I was too excited to wait for McKay to get home assemble everything I put on my handy-woman belt (translation: I got the little IKEA took kit from the junk drawer) and got to work!!

The finished product = one golden oak crib and matching changing table. We'll probably stain it a darker wood before November. It's so fun to have those first pieces of furniture set up and ready!

fifteen weeks

Another week has flown by! Because I didn't get a decent picture last week for 14 I'm including a quick self-portrait of my belly that I sent to a friend. It will have to do.

14 weeks

Wow, I'm five weeks away from the ultrasound - and from halfway! Crazy! It's funny how sometimes it seems like I'm not even very pregnant and everyone around me is finding out genders and having babies and I'm not making very good progress. And then I realize that I'm almost halfway through. Wow. Funny pregnant times.

Here are some week 15 stats:

-The baby can hear this week! It's time to start music lessons . . . do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do!

-The baby's bones are strengthening and growing this week - especially in the backbone - so he/she will be straightening out a bit more this week.

-The baby is between 4 and 5 inches long and is a whopping three ounces.

Good work, baby!

-The baby's skin is nearly translucent right now so if we could take a peek, we could see all the tiny blood vessels at work! Cool.

-And finally, if the baby is thumb-sucker, he/she will find that thumb this week! This week's illustration from "Your Pregnancy Week by Week" shows that possibility!

A couple of mom stats:

-I can feel the top of my uterus under my bellybutton (if you are interested in that kind of thing).

-It's day 105 of pregnancy. I thought about doing something cool for day 100 - but I didn't think of it until after it passed. Oh well. I can probably think of 100 reasons why I'm excited and 100 more reasons why I'm scared, but no one would want to read that. So just imagine it.

Well, once I shower I'll post my 15 week picture. I promise this time. No backing out.

14 weeks!

I am 14 weeks and the baby is the size of an orange - 4.5 inches!! Pictures forthcoming.

I woke up in a weird mood today. So I'm watching The Office before I shower and clean the house. Then I'm going to Michelle's house to hang out and watch School of Rock before I teach piano.

Bye