18 Weeks

Today marks the 18 week mark... 2 weeks to halfway through! My little sweet potato is apparently moving like crazy this week, but I only feel little flutters every now and then when I'm sitting completely still. It kind of feels like a goldfish is swimming around my uterus. Wonderful image, huh?

The hard part about pregnancy this week is getting some decent sleep! It's hard to find a comfortable position because I'm typically a belly-sleeper, and sleeping on my side is just not the same. Plus, I wake up sore from sleeping in new positions. On top of everything, I've been having just the wildest dreams. So it's hard to fall asleep, I wake up in weird positions, I wake up to pee, and I wake up from these dreams, and all together I'm not getting much restful sleep! Thank goodness for naps!

Tennis practice started on Monday, so I've been busy with that. I actually really enjoy being busy during the day with school, my internship and tennis, because it keeps me busy enough to not realize how tired I am! Plus, I've been trying to do a lot of the conditioning with the girls, so I've been able to stay active as well.

Jordon and I are very excited for our next OB visit... St. Patty's Day! We're eager to see how much Tyler has grown since we last saw him (I think a lot since my belly is just getting bigger and bigger!). Even though my belly is still obviously small in comparison to how it will be later in the pregnancy, I still feel like it's huge... I'm not used to having a belly this big! And my jeans are just too tight to handle the lower part of my belly... even the rubber band through the button hole trick is getting tough. Thankfully, I found a pair of jeans that I haven't worn in forever because they were too big. My SIL also passed on a bunch of maternity clothes to me the other day, so I should be set once my little boy starts popping out a bit more.

Please continue to keep us and Tyler in your thoughts and prayers!

17 weeks

17 weeks pregnant yesterday! Jordon and I continue to get more and more excited everyday! We just want to hold our baby and never let go :-) We went to the OB yesterday and it seems that everything is growing just the way it should. Next time we go, we get to do the "big" ultrasound... the one where they normally tell you the gender and such (although we are already blessed to know we have a wild child aka a boy on the way). I'm excited for it anyway, because it will be much longer, so I can check out my beautiful child for a longer period of time, and we can check on how well he's growing (although judging by my ever-expanding bump, he is definitely growing right on track). I only weighed in at a whooping 118 lbs this time, but the midwife said I should be packing on the lbs anytime now, so I'm not concerned (I'll be honest, I don't think I'm ready to see anything over 120lbs on the scale yet... at least not until my bump gets bigger and I can be assured it's baby weight and not thigh weight haha!).

So I found out something pretty cool about my little onion the other day (he's about the size of an onion now apparently). When babies are growing inside the uterus, they start out with fingers with smooth skin on them. Then, as they move around, the fluid sweeping by the thin, mold-able skin of the fingers creates the ridges that are fingerprints! How crazy!? With as much as my little onion moves, he is going to have wild fingerprints haha.

I have been feeling pretty darn great recently (physically that is... I'll get to the emotional wreck I am in a few). I've been revving back up my exercise routine thanks to my favorite undergrad-thesis-assistant-turned-exercise-buddy Niki. Last week we went to the gym at her apartment complex and I rocked out a nice 2 mile farklet treadmill workout. The only hard thing about running when you're pregnant is how bad you have to pee when everything is bouncing around in there! We also did some weight training too... I've been busting out squats a few times a week in order to strengthen up my thigh muscles so I can give birth while standing/squatting (don't judge... gravity helps you making labor easier. I'll do whatever to make it go easier!!). I love having energy again and I love not being nauseous 24/7 anymore. I did take a nice hour long nap the other day, but other than that I've been pretty energetic recently. It's a good thing too, because I start coaching tennis on Monday! If I hadn't been active up until now, that would definitely be changing on Monday.

Emotionally I've been the typical pregnant woman. Last night I saw a commercial for a new lifetime show called Coming Home about people in the army coming home and surprising their kids. It took all that I had to not break out in sobs. I did seriously tear up though. I mean really, it was just a commercial!! I don't think I'm allowed to watch the show haha. And the other day Jordon and I's checking account got overdrawn because my paycheck from JMU didn't get put in on time. I then I proceeded to have a crying fit about how poor we were and how I couldn't even afford a pair of maternity pants. Oh, it was a sight to be seen. My poor husband. However, if I remember correctly, I think all was cured by a brownie sundae.

Until next time... keep us and Tyler in your prayers!

16 Weeks

My little avocado (yes, he's about that big now) is 16 weeks old now! And it seems like he is growing and growing every day. It is very strange to have my stomach growing into a big bump (especially when it's not from brownies haha).

I've been much, much less tired and much, much less nauseous. As long as I get enough sleep at night and eat what my body tells me too, I feel great. Which is good because school, my internship and subbing at the school has kept me very busy! Yesterday, I helped Jordon teach PE in the afternoon, and one of the preschoolers said "It looks like you have a baby in your tummy" and I said "Well, that's because I do!" and she said "Did God put it there?" It was SO cute. It makes me that much more excited to have a little one!

I also got a sweet surprise from Miss Erin Mahoney in the mail this week! Two sets of adorable onesies and a stuffed giraffe (see photo above)... so much fun! I love my friends and how they spoil me and my unborn child haha.

Jordon and I are going to the doctor this upcoming Thursday, so we are excited to make sure everything is going right on track with Tyler!

15 Weeks

Thursday officially marked the 15 week mark, however I couldn't blog on time because Shentel is an awful internet provider and we didn't have internet Wednesday through today. You would think if they were going to have a monopoly on phone and internet, they'd at least provide decent service. Bah. Enough ranting about Shentel.

I feel like my stomach is getting exponentially bigger, however I have only gained 1.6 lbs from my starting weight. Although taking into account the 3 lbs I lost during the first trimester, I guess I've technically gained 4.6 lbs. Either way, the doctor said the baby is growing just fine and not to obsess so much over the number of pounds gained but just eating well, so that is what I'm doing.

Jordon and I are getting more and more excited for little Tyler to make his experience... I even had a dream last night that I thought I went into labor so we went to the hospital and they said I wasn't really in labor so I decided to climb the stairs in the hospital until I did go into labor haha. I was very determined.

As I've told everyone I've discussed pregnancy with, I am in awe of the crazy things happening to my body that I never expected to. In particular, I've noticed that anytime I get hungry I have just a couple hiccups. Just like one or two. And they are associated with the feeling of hunger. Weird. Plus, the whole not craving sweets things is still freaking me out.

Jordon woke up today with some flu-like symptoms, so I'm doing everything I can to avoid getting sick while still taking care of my helpless hubby. Poor thing. I just downed at least 10 oz. of orange juice and plan on keeping that up. I've also washed my hands so much today that they are completely void of any moisture and could definitely pass as sandpaper. As long as I don't get sick, I don't mind!

Please keep Jordon in your prayers, and please keep me in my prayers so that I do not get sick!!!

14 Weeks

Today Jordon and I went to the OB and found are we are indeed officially 14 weeks pregnant. Although they thought my uterus felt like I was 2 weeks behind, the baby was measuring perfectly on time for 14 weeks pregnant (actually a little bigger!) so we kept the same due date: July 28th!

Having an ultrasound was an amazing experience. First, the little fellow looked just like a baby, and we could see all sorts of details from his little feet to his little fingers. And oh yes, it is a BOY! She asked if we wanted to know what it was if she could see, and a few minutes later she said "How would you feel about a little boy?" Obviously we were ecstatic. I really could not care less what it was, but I know Jordon wanted a little boy as the oldest, so I was so happy that he was happy. The baby was also moving around like CRAZY! It was so amazing to watch.

We could also see details like his femur (it was 1 cm long! how little!), and the different hemispheres of his brain. It is just amazing what technology can do! And we found out our little boy is 4 oz. right now! So tiny and yet we could still see his man-parts haha!

We also found out the placenta is anterior, meaning that it is in a good position and isn't covering up the cervix (meaning it would be blocking the exit for my little man, meaning I'd need a c-section). Everything looked good! I am very excited that the baby is looking and growing healthy anddd that we don't have to reverse two weeks in our baby countdown!

As for the pictures above: The first one is of his head and belly.... I can already tell he is handsome and looks just like Jordon and I haha! The second is of his whole body, and you can see his little leg sticking up.

Please continue to keep us and Jordon Tyler Jr. in your prayers!

13 Weeks

Officially 13 weeks preggers today and actually blogging on time this week! Jordon and I visited our OB yesterday and heard the baby's heart beat! I keep accidentally telling people we heard the baby's "heart rate"... oh the constantly-working mind of an exercise physiologist ;-) Anyway, it was very exciting because it was one more step to us really believing we are pregnant and not that I've been struck down with the flu for the last 2 months. She also said she heard the baby move (our ears weren't quite talented enough to catch that, but we trust her!), which she said was a very good sign our baby is healthy and that our risk of miscarriage dropped from 30% to 2-3%!

She also felt my pelvic bones and assured me that I have child bearing hips (well an 8ish lb or less child) so that was reassuring! We're going in for an ultrasound next week because she said my uterus was feeling a little on the small size (so we may have the due date a little off), but we're pumped because we'll actually get to SEE our little bundle of joy! But if I post next week and I'm back to 12 weeks, you'll have to forgive our earlier due date miscalculation.

I'm feeling much, much better each day. I've been feeling less nauseous (although still pretty particular about what I eat haha) and a lot less tired during the day (except yesterday when I went to bed at 7pm!). I thank God for the second trimester!

12 Weeks

So Thursday officially marked my 12th week of pregnancy, meaning that in one week I will be out of my first trimester! And the baby is just growing and growing, and is about the size of a large plum now :-) It is just crazy how things like this occur.... I don't know how anyone can not believe in God after going through pregnancy. It is just amazing how methodically and quickly a human can develop and grow.

Things are definitely getting better on the sickness front. Once my cold ended, I wad the happiest woman alive! Plus the nausea is subsiding. I get a little nauseous in the morning after I eat breakfast and I get nauseous in the evening before bed, but all together it is much less than it was earlier, so I won't complain. Plus, I feel like once all the nausea is gone, I'll be terrified that something is wrong, so I don't mind it right now.

The fatigue is also subsiding, although it may just be because I've been far too busy this week to notice my tired-ness. It does feel good to get up and out of the house too. I think I'm about ready to get back into running some too... I'll just have to start off slow.

Jordon and I are going to the OB on Thursday, so we are excited to get things checked over and get the update on our little-bundle-of-joy-to-be! And we cannot wait to find out the sex, although we have another 8 weeks or so to go before that big day! I'm kind of getting a girl-vibe from my belly, but then again, I was pretty convinced it'd be a boy a few weeks ago. So we will just have to wait and see.

Keep us in our prayers and we'll keep you updated!