Week 18

Edited to add: I wrote this on Sunday night after visiting the Taste of Edmond festival with friends.  I was waiting for Micah to take a picture of me to publish when suddenly the heat and the fried food combined with the baby and I wasn't feeling so well... So that's why this post is late.  And I have no picture.


How Far Along: 18 weeks

How big is Baby? 6 inches, 1/2 pound (that's right... we're in the pounds!)- about the size of a mango

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 7 pounds (per the scale in the office bathroom)

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much exclusively... again, I don't understand people that get by without maternity clothes... lucky!

Gender: Friday, Friday... gonna find out on Friday!  Have you voted?  So far the poll says girl!

Movement: Yes, yes, yes!  My favorite thing!  And the baby loves to hear JM laugh... whenever he's being silly it's going crazy in there!

Sleep: Eh... this week I haven't slept great.  I find myself restless and waking up randomly in the night.

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach... not thinking about my caffeine intake for the day

Cravings: WATERMELON!!  and popsicles... probably because it's a million degrees right now!

Food Aversions: I think I might be over most of these for now? Except for bananas...

Symptoms: Um, I can't stop eating... or sweating (ha!)

Best Moment: Feeling those first baby flutters and also realizing how active the baby is when JM is around- makes me excited to see them together!

My 30th Birthday Surprise

Last August, I emailed Lesley and simply reminded her that my 30th birthday was coming up- in June.  Don't judge- my birthday is always in the busiest part of the year and sometimes gets overlooked.  Since this was a big one, I wanted to bring in 30 with all my best friends!  Oh, and did I mention that I wanted my party to be a surprise?

As my birthday neared, so did my questions about my birthday surprise.  For those of you who don't know- I'm not really the best at keeping secrets or letting those I love keep secrets!  I had several clues and things, so I knew that a party was in fact happening at some point.  But I have to give it to my friends- they totally kept this secret.

I had a VBS meeting at the offices on Sunday afternoon.  My friends and Micah had told me we were going out to dinner after the meeting, so I was dressed up and ready to go after it was over.  At the end of the meeting, my boss was asking me all these random questions... when suddenly 3 monkeys in sombreros ran in speaking in Spanish accents...

They put a mask over my face, tied my hands and put a surgical mask (I still don't get that one!!) and led me out the door to a waiting car.  The car took off and drove like crazy all around the parking lot.  I told them that I get car sick (TRUTH!) and they let me take the mask off.  We drove all around Edmond- through Taco Bell, where we got some strange looks (and cussed at!)- and all over.  Eventually they put the mask back on me and we drove around a bit until they led me out of the car and up a sidewalk.

When they took off my mask, I was surrounded by my closest friends, who all yelled "Surprise!" and then started singing happy birthday.

John Mark ran up to me and grabbed me in a hug.  He was so sweet and so excited to be throwing me a surprise party.

I grabbed a couple of pics with my captors-

and moved onto one of the best nights ever, filled with all my favorite things- swimming, eating super yummy food and my precious friends!

 

I have THE BEST friends in the entire world.  The hosts, planners, cooks, kidnappers and everyone who came are all hold such a special place in my heart.  I thank the Lord for bringing them into my life.

Week 16

We've made it to 16 weeks- just 4 weeks away from halfway!  I can't believe how quickly this time has gone.  I've felt really good, just a little worn out from VBS preparation this weekend.  Here's the run down.  Oh, and please excuse my hair in this picture.  The wind at the lake was CRAZY!

How Far Along: 16 weeks

How big is Baby? 5 inches, 5 ounces- about the size of a turnip

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 5 pounds  (still don't have a scale, so that's from my last appointment)

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much exclusively... I still have a couple of dresses and stretchier shirts that work 

Gender: July 1st is the big day!! Have you voted?  So far the poll says girl!

Movement: I think I maybe felt something last night, but then my stomach growled, so I wasn't sure.  It's still early.

Sleep: Besides waking up every night from 4:00-4:30, I'm sleeping pretty good.

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach, cold sandwiches and running

Cravings: Cold fruit- peaches and apples, cold from the fridge are so good!  And  cheese in any form.

Food Aversions: I think I might be over most of these for now? Except for bananas...

Symptoms: Um, I can't stop eating... I would really eat all day long.  I'm feeling like John Mark these days- ha!

Best Moment: Seeing all of your votes for a girl, and getting everything ready for VBS at Henderson Hills.  It's one of the hardest, most rewarding things I get to do in my job!

BOY or GIRL?

In exactly three weeks, we'll have the ultrasound that tells us if this baby is a boy or a girl.  People ask me all the time which I think it is, and I really don't know.  There are times I'm certain it's a boy... and other times I just know it's a girl.  With John Mark I always had a suspicion that he was a boy.  I can't say I really feel either way this time.  So I'll be as surprised as you!

I've added a poll to the side of my page- right over there above the "Meet Us" page.  So take a minute and come cast your vote!

In order for you to make a well-informed decision, I'll give you a list of typical "gender-reveal" kind of symptoms and how they stack up against my first pregnancy. :)

-Sickness: I didn't have intense morning (or otherwise) sickness with either pregnancy.  No puking or nausea or any of those typical things.

-Exhaustion: I can't be entirely certain, since I found out about JM so late in the game, but I was SO tired this time around.  Maybe I can blame that on knowing I was pregnant and being more aware... I'm not sure.

-Emotions: With John Mark, I was crazy.  I admit it... I had rage.  This time around, I have tears... oh, the tears!  I cry all. the. time.

-Cravings: I've craved lots of random things this time, but the consistent things would be sweets (anything sweet!!) and cheese.  The first time around I craved meat... like ate batches of sausage balls at a time.  I don't know if any of that matters... just a thought.

-Heart Rate: JM's heartrate, while high for a boy, was never above 155.  This one has had a heartrate in the 160's.

Okay... I think those are the biggest wives' tales for predicting the gender.  Now it's your turn!  So come on over and cast your vote.  We'll make the big reveal in about three weeks!

Week 15

Sorry I'm late getting this up... I've been busy with things, like turning 30.  I had such a fun birthday weekend and as soon as I get pictures from paparazzi Jason, I'll tell you all about it.  Somehow in the weekend festivities I forgot to take a picture, which is too bad because I'm starting to look for real pregnant!


How Far Along: 15 weeks

How big is Baby? 4-5 inches, 3-5 ounces- about the size of an avacado

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 5 pounds

Maternity Clothes: Yep!  I got some gift cards for my birthday and bought a couple new shirts and things... I don't for the life of me understand people who wear their regular clothes throughout pregnancy.  I start showing and any ability to wear my old clothes flies straight out the window.

Gender: July 1st is the big day!!  I need to put a survey thing on here so we can have a vote and see who is right!

Movement: still nothing... I'm anxiously waiting for those first flutters.

Sleep: Besides waking up every night from 4:00-4:30, I'm sleeping pretty good.

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach... and cookie dough

Cravings: It's still mostly when I hear people talking about something, or see a picture of food, I am suddenly in desperate need of that exact food.  For example, I stopped at sonic the other day for a drink, and the lady next to me ordered cheddar peppers, so I had to throw some of those in there too.  Weird, I know.

Food Aversions: I think I might be over most of these for now?  I had some coffee the other day and it didn't make me gag.  I still haven't eaten a banana...

Symptoms: Besides feeling like I've grown a TON in the past week, I think it was a relatively symptom free week.  Micah would probably tell you otherwise, I just can't remember- ha!

Best Moment: The doctor's appointment and hearing the heartbeat- 163!  Also being surrounded by all my favorite people this weekend celebrating my birthday.