What will Baby D be...boy or girl?

When I say that I am dying to find out the gender of this baby, I am not kidding at all. I am so anxious to know so we can settle on the name and make the announcement. Of course, we don't care if it is a boy or girl-we really have no preference. At first during this pregnancy, I really felt like this baby was a boy...but now my feelings change almost on a daily basis, ha! We had a Drs. appointment last Friday and Stephen was able to go with me for the first time. I begged to know the gender but our sweet Dr. (who I love!) said it was too early for their ultrasound machine...so we still don't know for sure at this point. She said I will find out around 20 weeks when we go to Indianapolis for our 3D and fetal echo scans...ugh, that seems like SO long to wait!

In the meantime, let's talk about old wives tales and what they indicate we are carrying!

Morning sickness: They say that little girls make their mama's sick and I have no thrown up one time, though there have been close calls. This indicates BOY!

Soft or dry skin? Mine has been dry (which was normal for me pre-pregnancy) which indicates BOY!

Are you craving citrus? Oh yes, mandarin oranges, orange juice, naval oranges...YUM. This indicated GIRL!
 
Have you felt glowing or less than beautiful and had lots of breakouts? I have had a few breakouts...more than pre-pregnancy, and no I don't feel like I am "glowing". Little girls are supposed to cause breakouts so... GIRL! 
Heartbeat indicator: All of our heartbeats have been fast; in the 170's. It is slowing down a little bit because on Friday it was in the 150s. I think this indicates GIRL!
Craving fruit or meat?: FRUIT and some chicken, but almost no beef-yuck! This indicates
GIRL!

My guess is GIRL! (This week anyways)... What are your guesses???

 

At our appointment Friday, I asked my Dr. if she believed any of these and she said no. So of course, we aren't taking any of these things to the bank so to speak. It's just fun to guess and dream about the baby boy or girl growing inside me! :)

 

Have a great Monday, friends!

 

 

Bump Date: 14 weeks!

How Far Along? 14 Weeks 5 Days

 

Size of Baby?  Lemon! 

 

Maternity Clothes? Yes! Yes! Yes! Some pre-pregnancy tops are doable but pants are totally not! I could kiss the inventor of maternity jeans, they are WONDERFUL. We stopped at an Old Navy in Chicago and I was thrilled that they offered maternity in store. I got a new pair of jeans and they are now my favorite. I might have worn them 2 times this week! :)

 

Gender? Still don't know yet. I have a Drs. appointment this afternoon and I want to ask...do you think it is too early to even get a guess?! I took several gender prediction quizzes yesterday and based on all of those, plus old wives tales we are likely having a girl. We shall see! 

 

Movement? I have been feeling some flutters but I am not 100% sure that it's baby movement...hard to tell!

 

Sleep? Not really a problem, but it does seem that I can't get enough. I am still so exhausted at the end of each day. I have heard that's to be expected though...

 

Food Cravings? Nothing that I can think of, well except pineapple. I love pineapple! 

 

What I miss?  Coffee every morning. I know I can have coffee and I have a couple of times, but I limit my intake whereas before I had it whenever I wanted! 

 

Symptoms?  Exhaustion, gas (!!!) and hunger!

Best Moment Last Week? Having another good doctors appointment and hearing the little peanuts strong heartbeat! 

 

Looking Forward to? Feeling movements, hearing the heartbeat again at my appointment today and finding out the gender!!! :) 

Have a great Friday and weekend everyone!

 

Bump Date: 13 Weeks and an Update

How Far Along? 13 Weeks 1 Day...though the photo says 2 days, sorry I messed that up! I am pregnant here...cut me some slack! :)

 

Size of Baby?  One of my books this week said a shrimp, while the the ticker on the bottom of my blog says it's the size of a peach. I like peaches better so let's go with that! 

 

Maternity Clothes? Yes! Yes! Yes! Some pre-pregnancy tops are doable but pants are totally not!

 

Gender? We don’t know for sure and won’t for a few more weeks but I am still thinking boy...I know I could be wrong though and really it doesn't matter to us! We just pray for a healthy baby!

 

Movement? I actually thought that I felt something a couple days ago but I can't be certain. I am so looking forward to feeling movement and taking that as a sign that everything is a-okay in there for the little peanut!

Sleep? Not really a problem, but it does seem that I can't get enough. I am still so exhausted at the end of each day. I have heard that's to be expected though...

 

Food Cravings? I think I am finally over my pizza cravings. Last night I couldn't eat dinner because nothing sounded good at all...except soft ice cream from DQ so that's what I had for dinner! Was it a craving?? Maybe! 

 

What I miss?  Can't really think of anything this week, just so happy to be here! 

 

Symptoms?  Exhaustion, gas (!!!) and hunger!

Best Moment Last Week? Going back and forth on a girl name and ending with what we started! Seems that we have a name picked out for both genders right now! Still working on the middle name for a girl, but we have time! Oh, and having a good friend call him/her by name last weekend. That made me SO happy! 

 

Looking Forward to? Feeling movements, hearing the heartbeat again at my appointment tomorrow and finding out the gender!!! :)

 

And of course, some bump photos:

 

It's getting bigger and rounder, can you tell!?

 

In other news this week, we are having some cool fall weather that I am totally loving! We actually had our first freeze on Sunday night. That means it won't be long and we can plant our fall bulbs! I have been anxiously checking the porch for packages each day hoping they will arrive soon. I guess it doesn't really matter though since we aren't totally prepared. We still need to remove our annuals and prep the soil...lots and lots of work to be done!

 

We have officially decorated for fall at our house. Stephen brought boxes up from the basement a few weeks ago and I brought all the fall colors out inside the house, but I held off decorating outside in fear that it was too early...it was still warm outside. Well, last weekend we decked the outside too! I just love this season...the cooler weather, the pumpkins, the mums...it is all so fun and pretty! Here is a shot of the front of our house:

 

This weekend we have exciting plans that take us up to Chicago. We are headed to the windy city for our anniversary weekend to celebrate! The fun will start on Friday night when we see a play in a town near ours. We will head to Chicago Saturday morning and check into the Palmer House Hilton (my favorite hotel) and spend the afternoon doing fun touristy things before enjoying dinner at a Brazilian Steakhouse. Yum! We are excited! :)

 

And you know that no post would be complete without some Louie lovin'! He was a hoot last night when we were outside taking the bump photos. I think he liked getting some fresh, cool air...but what do I know? He was running round, sniffing everything that wasn't moving and keep watch from the sidewalk:

 

How cute is his Halloween sweater? It's been cool here so he has been bundled up! Oh and I just LOVE the last picture of him! Such a cute puppy!

 

That wraps this up folks! Have a great Tuesday!

 

 

Bump Date: 12 Weeks!

 

How Far Along? 12 Weeks 2 Days

 

Size of Baby?  One of my books this week said a lemon, while the other said a plum...take your pick!
 

Maternity Clothes? Yes on pants, everything pre-maternity is just too tight. We went shopping last weekend and I got a few more maternity tops from Penny's, Sears and Kohls. I have a new pair of jeans arriving from Old Navy hopefully today. The creator of maternity jeans is my hero-they are the bomb!

 

Gender? We don’t know for sure and won’t for a few more weeks but I am still thinking boy...we have a boy name picked out (first and middle), and we finally have a girl's name too. 

 

Movement? None that I can feel yet.

Sleep? Last night was the first time that I can remember sleeping all night, and it was lovely. I  went to bed around 9 last night so I must have been TIRED! 

 

Food Cravings? Still pizza. I could literally eat it every single day. In addition to pizza, I have been a big fan of fruit and veggies recently. I have gotten a salad for lunch for the past 3 days! 

 

What I miss?  Can't really think of anything this week, just so happy to be here! 

 

Symptoms?  Still just sheer exhaustion. I am so tired all the time...I think I am a little easily set off too. Like some people are work get on my last nerve pretty quickly...maybe I just reach the end of my rope sooner?

Best Moment Last Week? We put the changing table together! 

 

Looking Forward to? Feeling movements, hearing the heartbeat again and finding out the gender!!! :)

 

Here are this week's bump pictures:

 

Louie was out on the porch with us while we were shooting pictures and he was just begging to have some photo action too. How could we resist this cute face?!

 

In other news, I had a dentist appointment yesterday for a cleaning and when I was scheduling my next one it occurred to me that in 6 months when I come back to the dentist, I will have a little baby boy or girl. It just felt so surreal!

Oh, and it's cold here today. I actually saw frost on the grass and rooftops as I was driving this morning. Also, I could see my breath! The cold weather is coming and I am thrilled! I just love fall and winter!

Have a great day everyone!

Another photo of Baby D!

First of all, HAPPY FRIDAY! We survived another work week, woo! It has felt like a long, long week to me so I am thrilled to be here on Friday staring at the weekend. Bring it on! Anyone else had an incredibly long, difficult week?

Secondly, I want to wish my mom a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Today is her day and I hope she makes it all about her. I am thinking, eat some cake and go get a pedicure Mom. Heck, eat cake while getting a pedicure. Sounds good to me!

And last but certainly not least: I had another doctor's appointment yesterday and was able to see sweet Baby D. Everything is great according to my doctor and the baby is growing/developing at a normal rate. I am so thankful that I have been going to the Dr. every week and getting scans. Nothing makes me happier than to see the baby on the screen and hear the sweet sweet sounds of his/her heart beating.

 I am in love!

My next appointment is scheduled for the 26th, which is more than a week but the office had a full schedule. The Dr. said pushing it a few days past a week would be fine. I can't wait to go back and see the baby again, yay!

I am off to resume my countdown to 5pm...have a great weekend everyone!

Bump Date-11 weeks!

How Far Along? 11 weeks and 3 days as of today, but 11 weeks and 2 days in these pictures. Same as last week...noticing a trend?

 

Size of Baby? A lime!
 

Maternity Clothes? Yes on pants, everything pre-maternity is just too tight. I have a couple (2) maternity tops that are doable right now, but mostly tops are regular still. The top in this photo is maternity and I will wear it through every season. Today I paired it with a cardigan but not in the photos...I was hot at home! :) Should have worn a cardigan in the photos though...sorry for my ghostly white arms!
 

Gender? We don’t know for sure and won’t for a few more weeks but I am still thinking boy...we have a boy name picked out (first and middle), but no girl name for sure yet. We have two first names that are high candidates though...
 

Movement? None that I can feel yet.

Sleep? Pretty good minus the potty breaks. Thankfully I have always been able to fall asleep quickly so getting back to sleep isn't a problem. I just bought a new mattress topper today for our bed and I am excited to see what additional support that provides! Thank you Kohls!
 

Food Cravings? Oh my, pizza! Can we have pizza for dinner tonight hun?? (hubs reads the blog)
 

What I miss?  Checking my blood sugar 8 times a day instead of 20. I am crazy about checking my blood sugar now. I wonder when the insurance company will cut me off and stop supplying test strips? There should really be an underground market for those things!

 

Symptoms?  Still just sheer exhaustion. I am so tired all the time...I think I am a little easily set off too. Like some people are work get on my last nerve pretty quickly...maybe I just reach the end of my rope sooner?

Best Moment Last Week? Putting together the crib and seeing it in the nursery! It just makes it seem to much more real! I have been spending more time than usual in the nursery too-I enjoy going in there to pray for sweet baby D!

 

Looking Forward to? Feeling movements, hearing the heartbeat again and finding out the gender!!! :)

 

Little Peanut

10weeks 3days

Just thought I would share a picture from this week's ultrasound. Baby D has grown so much and you can even see arms and legs! The miracle of pregnancy is really so amazing to me. I just can't believe the this little peanut grew so much in only a week in a half. Amazing!

Everything looks great and the doctor is very happy with our progress thus far. Baby D's heartrate was 173 BPM this time-do you think that means boy or girl? My next appointment is next Thursday, but they will start to space out soon after that. I think I am okay with that because when you have a Doctor's appointment each week, it's easy to get burnt out!

In other news, our crib arrived yesterday. I am so excited and hope we will have an opportunity this weekend to put it together. It just makes everything seem so real, you know?

Well, I am off to stare at this picture some more and enjoy the rest of my Friday. Hope you have a great weekend! :)

See you all on Monday!

10 Weeks, 2 Days

I just LOVE this little candy corn beanie that my little cousins sent baby D in the mail yesterday. I love getting fun mail from people I love!

How Far Along? 10 weeks and 3 days as of today, but 10 weeks and 2 days in these pictures.

 

Size of Baby? A kumquat...

 

Maternity Clothes? Yes on pants, everything pre-maternity is just too tight. I have a couple (2) maternity tops that are doable right now, but mostly tops are regular still. Today I am wearing leggings, a dress and cardigan-all non-maternity.

 

Gender? We don’t know for sure and won’t for a few more weeks but I am still thinking boy...maybe because we only have a boy name picked out?

 

Movement? None that I can feel yet.

Sleep? Pretty good for the most part, but my back has started to hurt. Do you think I need one of those pregnancy pillows already? Still getting up 4(ish) times a night to use the potty...and Louie goes with me every single time. He is my shadow.

 

Food Cravings? Nothing that I can really think of. The end of last week I wanted Tomato Bisque Soup from a place that's only in FL (and a few in NC) called The Loop. That still sounds really good, we made some at home Sunday but it just wasn't the same!

 

What I miss?  Checking my blood sugar 8 times a day instead of 20. I am crazy about checking my blood sugar now. I wonder when the insurance company will cut me off and stop supplying test strips? There should really be an underground market for those things!

 

Symptoms?  I think I have gone past feeling bloated to just feeling plain fat right now. Other than that, I have been really tired still and experiencing some achy lower back pain-I think that’s from tossing and turning during sleep though. Nothing too bad! I have been blessed with no “sickness” yet, but I have felt “pukey” a few times…hope that stays away!

Best Moment Last Week? 1. Deciding and announcing to family in Florida that we will be travelling there for Thanksgiving (as long as the Dr. says I can travel). 2. Ordering the crib and changing table that were generously gifted to us by Stephen's parents. What a BLESSING! I CANNOT wait for them to arrive! :)

Looking Forward to? My Doctor's appointment today at noon, can't wait!! Oh, and getting the crib delivered to the house of course!

 

And of course, some pictures from last night's photo shoot: I spy a little baby bump...can you see it?

Have a great Wednesday every one! :)

 

 

 

9 week Baby D update & registry talk

How Far Along? 9 weeks 3 days as of today! J

Size of Baby? Green Olive…which I don’t normally like at all, but I guess I love this precious one!

Maternity Clothes? We went shopping last weekend in search of some jeans/pants that I could wear comfortably. Thank goodness we found some that were reasonably priced…I mean, have you ever looked at how much maternity jeans can cost at say; Motherhood Maternity? Yikes! Burlington Coat Factory actually has a pretty big maternity section and I found a pair there for $15. I also ordered a pair from Old Navy for $19-those are my favorite. I am wearing regular tops still.

Gender? We don’t know for sure and won’t for a few more weeks but I am starting to feel boy…not sure why!

Movement? None that I can feel yet.

Sleep? I am sleeping fine other than getting up many times to go potty. Thankfully sleep has not been an issue, but I am still almost like a zombie I am so tired at times during each day.

Food Cravings? I have wanted cheese a lot this week-cheese pizza, cheese chex mix, cheese crackers, string cheese-bring on the cheese! I also can’t stop thinking about Steak-n-Shake’s carmel apple milkshakes that are here for Fall…I might have to get one this week!

What I miss?  I don’t feel like I really miss anything. I guess maybe I miss being a little more carefree with my blood sugars and checking all the time. Not that I have ever just not cared, I mean I came into this pregnancy with an A1C at 6.3, which is pretty good.  I just feel like I am constantly obsessing over what my number is right now-it is kind of exhausting.

Symptoms?  I think I have gone past feeling bloated to just feeling plain fat right now. Other than that, I have been really tired still and experiencing some achy lower back pain-I think that’s from tossing and turning during sleep though. Nothing too bad! I have been blessed with no “sickness” yet, but I have felt “pukey” a few times…hope that stays away!

Best Moment Last Week? Seeing Baby D on the ultrasound screen and hearing his/her heartbeat at 174. I hadn’t expected that at my appointment (Stephen wasn’t there-we were told it was not a prenatal appointment) but I was so happy to be able to breathe that sign of relief!

Looking Forward to? My next Doctor’s appointment next week (Wednesday),  and ordering things for the nursery. I am already in nesting mode…it may have something to do with my compulsive need to plan everything in advance.

This week I have been working and finalizing our baby gift registries, and whoa! Who knew there were so many places and options to register for babies? We decided to only register at Wal-Mart and Target since the majority of the people we believe will be shopping for us have the option of physically going to a store, printing the registry and shopping there or online. I know it probably seems early, but I wanted to get started because there is so much research to do for each product...or maybe I am just crazy? Either way, they are almost complete and we are happy with our choices thus far.

Now a question for you girls who are already momma's-is it even worth it to register for clothes? My gut says that people are going to buy you things that are and aren't on your registry anyways and clothes always seem to appear at showers in huge quantities, so I just wasn't sure it was worth the effort to register. Besides, I am sure whatever clothes we are gifted will be totally adorable since most baby clothes are automatically! :) So far we have not registered for clothes or anything gender specific.

The nursery is forming in my mind and I am pretty excited about it. The crib might be the next bigger purchase we make and I just cannot wait! We have already ordered and received our crib bedding and we both LOVE it:

So, when did you start your registries and what did you register for?

When did you order your crib or larger furniture for the nursery (or was if gifted to you?)?

How were you feeling at 9 weeks?

Hope everyone has a wonderful remainder of the week and weekend!

Things to do before baby D arrives!

Hi y'all! I mentioned in my post on Monday that I had been working on a little thing called a baby bucket list. Well, I added a few more things to do and have it ready to share today. Keep in mind (Stephen) that these are just goals to work towards accomplishing before the precious new member of our family arrives. I would be THRILLED/OVER THE MOON excited to have everything completed...but I know that just might not be doable.

Oh and just for kicks and giggles, I asked Stephen to take some bump pictures last night. Granted, the shirt I am wearing is one of my favorites (non-maternity) because it is loose and camouflaging...it was one of my fat day shirts, now it's making a weekly appearance in my wardrobe! Here ya go:

Okay, back to the list:

Baby Bucket List

·         Have one garage door working with an opener by Thanksgiving

·         Build in closet in master bedroom

·         Move jewelry armoire into bathroom

·         Move dresser from nursery into master bedroom

·         Paint living room & repair ceiling

·         Paint Library

·         Paint kitchen

·         Have windows professionally cleaned

·         Have carpets professionally cleaned

·         Get bassinet from Florida

·         Paint mud-room door

Wants/Needs

·         Baby crib

·         Changing table/dresser

·         Glidder rocker for nursery

·         Glidder rocker for living room (check)

·         Travel system, stroller and carseat

·         A baby!! J

What am I missing or forgetting? I am open to suggestions of tips on how to accomplish everything listed!

Hope you all have a great Wednesday...I am off to work!