Baby Kirschner

39 Weeks!

2012-01-04T15:31:00.000-05:00

39 Weeks (December 8, 2011)

This is my last weekly picture! Didn't know it would be at the time but two days later I delivered! This week my swelling all returned, and I continued to have all my other symptoms like sciatica, contractions, pressure, difficulty sleeping, difficulty walking too much... etc etc. At my doctor appt on the 7th I told my midwife that I had a few episodes of false labor where I would get regular contractions for hours at a time usually about 6-8 min apart but then everything would stop. The contractions were decently hard, not like braxton hicks and it turns out that they were real labor contractions (early labor) At my appt I was told that I was 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced, thanks to the early labor contractions/false labor! I was so happy! Midwife said all those false labor episodes were progressing me! She also said that she could tell I had dropped since last week just by my belly measurements! On the 8th I figured I should make sure I had all of Joe's Christmas presents because I wasn't sure how much more time I would have! I bought Joe a bicycle and then had to get it out of the car and up 3 flights of stairs by myself... while being 9 months pregnant! NOT EASY to do... and I don't really recommend it!

On the 9th I decided I should be productive so I cleaned my entire bedroom and also dusted the baby's room and the stair banister... not realizing I was nesting!

Later that same night Friday December 9th, Joe and I decided to be somewhat spontaneous before the baby was born and it was a good thing because it was the last chance we had before he was born! We decided to go to the Love Came Down at Christmas Jars of Clay concert at Lancaster Bible College. We got a free ticket at the door :) The concert started at 8pm... and so did my contractions. I had contractions 6 min apart throughout the entire thing. I also had to go pee what felt like every 5-10min throughout the entire concert. Good thing we sat in the back row! We debated on if we should leave the concert or not because the contractions were so regular, but then I figured since they were not 3-5 min apart that it was probably more false labor and I didn't have to leave yet. We left the concert a few minutes early to beat the traffic rush, then went to Sonic to get some food. I ate a hot dog with sauerkraut and tator tots. Then we went home and I told Joe I should probably take a couple pictures of me and him because I figured our baby would be born soon. So these pictures are taken around midnight I guess technically the 10th of December. We went to bed around 12:30am and at 2:40am I woke up with a strong contraction. I got up to go pee and then went back to bed. Then I had another contraction and then 5 min later another one and 5 min later another one, then it continued to progress 3-4 minutes... I woke up Joe and said hey I think it is time!!! ... to be continued at next blogpost...

38 weeks!

2012-01-04T13:31:00.000-05:00

38 Weeks (December 1, 2011)

This week I started having more frequent contractions that were somewhat harder than braxton hicks. Yay another step closer to delivery! I did some stretching and pre-natal yoga hoping it helps prepare me for delivery! I also lost 2 lbs so according to my birthing class instructor that means baby should be born in a week or two I think! I also painted soem pictures for the baby's nursery that match his bedding set. All other symptoms remain the same as previous weeks except my swelling all went down! Maybe thats why I lost 2 lbs!

We made a gingerbread house with our friends which is our 2nd year into this tradition :) Last year each couple made a gingerbread village! This year each couple made one big gingerbread house! It was lots of fun. I was also getting some contractions that were somewhat hard while we made them.

37 weeks: Considered full term!

2011-11-28T07:58:00.000-05:00

37 Weeks

Well I am officially considered full term at this point! Yahhhoooo! Thanksgiving Day was also the day I hit that full term milestone! We had our apartment pretty full for a wonderful dinner with family. My parents came from New York State, my sister, brother in law and their 3 kids from about 30 min. away, and my brother came up from Maryland and his girlfriend came from DE. It was a great time of giving thanks and enjoying God's many provisions and blessings! Everyone brought and cooked food so, no, I did not have to do all the cooking! :) The next day some of us went to Kitchen Kettle Village and took a buggy ride! Then Saturday when it was just Joe and I we decided to decorate for Christmas before the baby comes!

My symptoms seem to remain about the same, swelling in hands, ankles, feet, legs especially if I have been sitting too long or standing/walking too long. I can't wear my rings anymore, so I have to wear them on a necklace :( Oh and one strange thing that has happened during this pregnancy is that my hair is growing in wavy and darker! Strange! I always wanted curly hair, but it is weird to see the roots coming in dark and wavy! Other symptoms are of course the contractions that come more frequently and harder. I have been having contractions for about the last week that seem to come anywhere from 7 min-25 min apart. Sometimes they come regular for about an hour to two or three hours then they slow down again. Baby seems to have dropped some causing more heaviness and pressure in my hips, legs, and pelvic floor. I get much more back pain and such also. Pretty much everything is normal. Oh and at my last appointment they said I gained 4 lbs in a week! Ahh! And I also tested positive for Group B Strep, and now need IV antibiotics during the entire labor/delivery.

Maternity Photos: 35 weeks 3 days

2011-11-17T19:21:00.000-05:00

Photos taken at 35 weeks 3 days!

3rd Trimester: 35 wks - 36 wks

2011-11-17T18:36:00.000-05:00

35 WEEKS

This week continued to be busy from the previous week! We had bought our travel system, mattress and some other things the week before, and looked for a different crib then was on our registery. We found one this week and bought it so Joe put it together, and we sorted through all the baby clothes and gifts to see what we still need to buy! The nursery is coming together nicely, but still needs lots of organizing. Atleast all the furniture is put together and in the room! Hopefully by next week it will be done or close to it!
As far as symptoms go, pretty much the usual, more frequent and stronger braxton hicks which cause pain across lower abdomen, and lower back and sometimes my thighs. I guess a better way of describing the braxton hicks/contractions is that when I get them yes its the pain, cramping and aching, but its even more so coming with pressure in my pelvic floor! I'm hoping it means the big day is coming sooner! I have a very hard time sleeping because its nearly impossible to get comfortable! If I sleep on my right side, my shoulder /shoulerd blade hurts and has been bothering me for weeks. However, the position of the baby makes it more comfortable on my stomach to sleep on my right. If I sleep on my left side which Doc's all say is "ideal" the position of the baby makes it quite uncomfortable on my stomach and He does NOT like it much. hee hee hee :) Then of course sleeping on my back would feel best for my shoulder, and my stomach wouldn't feel pulled and uncomfortable, but then Doc's don't want me sleeping on my back... not to mention then I can't breath well because baby is getting bigger, and then I get more back/abdomen pain and braxton hicks. So really its all difficult, and even though it sounds like I am complaining, we make the best of it, and we laugh about how pathetic I am every night when I try to get in bed or roll over... its quite a sight! HA HA HA. I am also having more swelling and fluid retention in my hands, face and ankles. I can barely get my wedding band on and I can't get my diamond ring on at all, so I have to wear them on a necklace now, which makes me sad!

WEEK 36:

More painful contractions with more pressure! I am getting excited for the changes I have been noticing in the last week. Even though it means more discomfort, it more importantly means that our little man is coming soon! YAY! We love him so much and can't wait to see his little face and hold him in our arms! He is starting to drop lower, and some people have noticed! I have gained a total of 23 lbs so far... not bad! Still have sciatic nerve pain, leg cramps, dizziness, mild swelling, now slight nausea is coming back a little, as well as indigestion and heart burn, but not horrible!

The nursery is coming together nicely. Still needs some more organization, but making big progress! Joe put all the furniture into position, so the lay out is done and nice :) I washed all the baby clothes and blankets, etc. My mom came down to help me fold/hang and put away all the baby laundry. She also helped me unpack and put away the last couple boxes from the move a couple weeks ago!

3rd Trimester: 28 wks - 34 wks

2011-11-11T22:01:00.000-05:00

Well once again I am behind on this blog! I have been so busy getting ready for the baby moving, that it hasn't been on the top of my priority list to update my blog!

Week 28

I was told once again that I was anemic when got some blood work results back. But this time my iron levels had dropped another 1.5 points, which explains all the dizziness and weakness I had been feeling. I began to take my iron pills regularly and things greatly improved! I was also told that my glucose screening test was 5 points too high. I also began experiencing some mild swelling in hands and feet.

Week 29

Baby is still moving regularly and growing a lot. I began to feel more movements up near my ribs. I also urinate more and am tired more, although I don't take naps and I don't sleep too well.

Week 30

I continued to feel lots of STRONG movements from my son, who must get his strength from his father :) Although I did go to the gym twice this week which felt great! We bought some letters to paint and hang on the wall to spell his name, and some canvas that I want to paint when I get around to it! I am still experiencing sciatica in my right side, which has been going on pretty much since I got pregnant, but it only gets worse as I get bigger and especially if I do too much lifting, or bending or even simple things like vacuuming or laundry. I do not sleep comfortably at all! I get up to pee a couple times a night and toss and turn most of the rest of the night. But yet some how I still dream and don't fall asleep during the day! I also had another unpleasant experience of throwing up again this week. However, it was because I didn't eat enough throughout the day then I ate pizza too late at night! Not a good thing to do!

Week 31

I feel like I rarely sleep! But on a good note, we are buying a newer vehicle a Chevy Trailblazer! I also continue to experience Braxton Hicks contractions which began around week 20, but now they are stronger than before. The also come more frequently, and can feel like mild to moderate menstrual cramps which go across my lower abdomen down my thighs and across my lower back. Not to mention the continued sciatic nerve pain, and the baby's strong movements :) We love feeling him move, and we feel like we have such a strong bond with him!!! :)

Week 32

This week was a stressful week, so much so that my midwife said it seemed like I was possibly experiencing signs of preterm labor and that I needed to REST! We were supposed to move next door into a two bedroom apartment, but had some problems with the carpets from the previous tenants that moved out who let their cats pee on the carpet. I also had a harder work week than usual which seemed more physically demanding. So with doing too much this week I was getting even more Braxton Hicks that were decently hard again across my abdomen, down my thighs and across my lower back, but these were coming frequently, at least 6 an hour. However, when I would lay down and rest they did back off some. But that is why my midwife was not too pleased, especially since I would try to focus on my breathing rather than the pain when I got them, which isn't a good sign at 32 weeks. On a more relaxing note Joe and I got to get away for a couple days to NY to visit my parents and have a baby shower! It was lots of fun and we got lots of books, blankets, and clothes for the baby. .... Oh and I had an ultrasound my 4th ultrasound and baby was said to be around 4 lbs and doing great! I also began getting NST's (Non-Stress Tests) because of Sarcoidosis.

Week 33

Again I have to mention how active my bouncing baby boy is inside! Which I love, but he sure can pack a wallop! I am able to make out some of his body parts too when he moves and stretches inside :) We officially moved this week, once the carpet problem was taken care of! So baby now has his own room! Yay! My symptoms remain mostly the same, Braxton Hicks, sciatica, mild swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, legs, muscle cramps in my calves. I also had a CT scan on my lungs and a Pulmonary Function Test, both of which showed excellent results! I haven't had an excellent CT scan since I was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis 4.5 years ago! My pulmonary Doc had said though that pregnancy may make the disease temporarily improve with all the hormone changes! Yay for that! But I have to continue to pray that it won't come back with a vengeance after I deliver, which can tend to happen! We moved our remaining belongings into the new apartment the last weekend in October (we had a few days to get our stuff moved in) it also happened to be a random snow storm that day as well. We got about 4-6 inches of snow which the picture does not depict because I took it kind of early. I also had that fun shirt to wear for the Halloween party we had at work :)

Week 34

A busy week! We are getting organized into our new apartment, and also had 2 more baby showers (one in Jersey thrown by my sister in laws, and one at my church thrown by my best friend and my sister! We have lots to get done in the baby's room now! We still need to buy some big necessities before the baby is born but we have gotten lots of wonderful gifts. As far as symptoms go again mostly the same with Braxton Hicks, sciatica, swelling in hands, feet, ankles, calves, muscle cramps in calves. But the itchy abdomen and breasts seems to have increased A LOT all of a sudden which is horrible, and my scalp is very itchy and giving my dandruff gross! The baby is very strong! He kicks my very hard which depending on how low he kicks or how much he wiggles his head further down in my pelvis can send shooting stabbing pains and or pressure. But I am happy to see signs of a delivery coming somewhat soon, with only 6 weeks remaining (give or take)

2nd Trimester: Weeks 26-27

2011-10-04T16:27:00.001-04:00

Week 26:
This was an interesting week, mainly because we experienced flooding from Hurricane Irene, then even more flooding closing many roadways and businesses from Tropical Storm Lee. We took many pictures to document our baby's first flood.

As far as the pregnancy goes things are as good as they can be. I began to get more uncomfortable when I try to sleep, and wake up a lot. I feel movement all the time it seems like. The little guy is getting stronger and was beginning to make me jump with his strong kicks. Sometimes they hurt or tickle, depending on what he is moving! My husband and I also enjoy putting our cell phones on my belly and playing music and watching my stomach dance with our son's responsiveness! We think he loves to dance, and has lots of rhythm with how he makes my belly shake to the beat. Back pain is still around every day, mainly the sciatica. I also experience more dizziness too.

Week 27:
We were on vacation during part of my 26th and 27th weeks of pregnancy! We and my side of the family rented a home in the OBX for a week. We had a great time with ocean and sound views in Nags Head, North Carolina. Our son also got even stronger and made me say ouch even more depending on where he kicked! My husband says "That's my boy" whenever he moves! :) We continue to play music to him on our phones because it is fun to see him move them :) I had continued sciatica and dizziness this week too. Braxton Hicks are a daily occurrence and seem to get harder. The also get worse if I get dehydrated!

2nd Trimester: Weeks 21-25

2011-09-09T15:29:00.002-04:00

Week 21: Not a whole lot has changed since the last post. Well maybe the fact that Braxton Hicks are definitely in the picture now! As well as some increased pain in my back from the sciatic nerve. Baby also moves even more!

21 weeks!

Week 22: Baby's movements are very regular and he is most active in the evenings when I lay down in bed. We also had the excitement of trying the experiment of putting a flashlight on my belly to see if he would react! Wherever we moved the flashlight he would kick it and the light would bounce. It was so fun to interact with him! His kicks are also getting stronger, in fact when he kicks up high it can actually hurt!

22 wks 2 days above

23 weeks: I threw up again and this was the second time that I had the unfortunate experience of lack of bladder control during pregnancy. SO when I threw up I also peed myself! Not a pleasant experience, but I do have to laugh about it, because it can be very normal for pregnant women to have a lack of control when baby sits right on your bladder! So as gross as it is... luckily it has only happened to me when I was home! Make sure you do your Kegel exercises!!! I was feeling very congested this week. 23 wks 1 day

24 weeks: My week was pretty good. I had a lot of braxton hicks contractions and they seem to just get stronger and stronger every week! Baby doesn't like them either, he gets mad and fights them which is somewhat painful/uncomfortable. I thought people said braxton hicks didn't hurt! I also had some round ligament pain and pain in the broad ligament or whatever my midwife called it.

24 weeks

25 weeks: I feel pretty good during the day, but night is another story!!! I do not sleep well most nights and get up 1-2 times a night to pee... which will just get worse as I get bigger. I have been getting some carpel tunnel which I hear is also common during pregnancy, although my midwife says that it seems a bit early to get it. Still have sciatic nerve pain in my back, which is worse if I do any type of house work. My stomach feels very stretched at night when I lay down and try to get comfortable. My wrist and arms and hands can ache more at night also. I do tend to sleep a little more soundly if I stay up late! I fell down the last 1-2 steps outside our apartment and got a braxton hicks right away, but I was ok and didn't get hurt. On a better note, the baby is awesome! He moves a lot especially after a meal, or at bed time when I lay down. He also has a party in my belly whenever I take a bath and relax with some music. He dances to the beat and my entire stomach ripples and bounces and pokes out! We love to watch him. So cute and so fun and exciting. Bedtime and bath time are already my favorite times with him. His kicks at night also tickle me when I lay on my left side, its like he is tip toeing on my side against the bed! His kicks are also strong enough to make me jump regularly!!! Joe jumps sometimes too when he feels him. Sometimes I think that if he moves too much I get a braxton hicks. He tends to have most of his body on the right side which probably is the reason why my back always hurts on that side on my nerve! Sometimes I try to push on him and he pushed back hee hee hee :) I love him so much.... I can't say it enough!

20 WEEK Ultrasound: Half Way There!!!

2011-08-24T14:17:00.000-04:00

I had my 20 week ultrasound at 20 wks 1 day! We were so excited to find out if baby Nugget was a boy or a girl! I was also extremely nervous for the ultrasound, because I didn't want to hear that something was wrong. Thankfully, the ultrasound tech said everything was looking great! The ultrasound tech asked us if we wanted to know if baby was a boy or girl before she started the ultrasound and we both agreed emphatically "YES". She also asked me if I had been feeling any movement, and I again said "YES! ALL the time!!! I explained how I felt movement early on in my pregnancy and then when she saw that my placenta was in the back and saw how active my baby was, she had no doubt that I felt movement early on!!! She said "WOW!!! You may have your hands full with this one! She also was able to tell us very quickly and easily that Baby Nugget ..............................

.....................is .... a..........BOY!!!!!! He was not shy to reveal his gender. He was also very active and didn't want to cooperate with the ultrasound tech so she could get the measurements that she needed. She explained how she had to check for holes in the heart, but everything looked great with that. She let us hear his heart beat too :) She explained that she was also checking his other vital organs and they were all fine, she even said how the arteries that feed into the baby from the umbilical cord were all there and normal.... etc etc. But when she needed to measure his head he did not want to stop doing head stands so she took a picture and then had me get up and go pee and walk around trying to get him to move out of the right side of the womb which he was tucked in :)

The ultrasound tech explained to me that my uterus had righted itself and was no longer tilted backwards. She said my left ovary was the one that gave the egg, and both ovaries looked normal. The ultrasound lasted about 45min -1 hour. It was so much fun! Joe and I just smiled and laughed at how much our little baby moved and jumped. He even sucked his thumb, which he gets from my husband and not me ;) ha ha. I didn't cry but my one eye kept watering. I was so happy, I wanted to stay in that room all day and watch my son! We were on cloud 9 for days and still are really! Oh and I also was told that I finally gained weight. My 1st appointment at 8 wks said I was 114 lbs, then I dropped to 112.5 lbs by 12 wks, then at 16 weeks I was back to 114 lbs. So I was shocked to hear at my 20 weeks ultrasound appointment that I had gained 7 lbs and was up to 121 lbs! I have never seen that number in my life! Ha ha ha ha. I know it is necessary but it still seemed to be a bit of a shock! But I guess to get that far and only gain a few lbs is nothing to be shocked about. During this week I did throw up twice, but the nice thing is that when I throw up I feel better afterwards, instead of continuing to feel sick all day!

Some people find the 3D/4D ultrasound pictures a bit weird and creepy. But you have to know how to look at them. For one, you need to remember that baby is only 13 oz and maybe 7 inches long. You also have to keep in mind that they have lots of shadows on the baby's body, and that can make things look lumpy and or detached. But fear not baby has two arms and 2 legs, and 10 fingers and 10 toes. Baby's eyes are still fused shut at this point too, and baby does not have any fat on his body. We think that our baby has his Dad's smile and my nose. Although some people tell me he looks like me, I think he looks more like my husband! I already know he takes after his daddy with his strength, because his kicks make my legs spasm sometimes and make me jump!

I think these pictures of me at 20 weeks show that I have gained weight not just in my stomach obviously but also in my hips! Oh well such is life, and I guess most people say I can't complain because some people gain a lot more than I have so far. However, it is normal to see all the changes that my body is going through, and its normal to hope that my body will go back to how it was. I also know that it is possible if you work hard at it, but I also know some people's bodies bounce back quicker/easier than others. Although it probably doesn't help that I am wearing leggings! HA ha aha

So far though so good. Pregnancy isn't always easy but I know some people experience it in worse ways than I have. I am just thankful for my healthy, strong, growing son! I am thankful for a happy and loving husband and father to be! I am thankful that my lung health has been stable. I am also thankful for loving and supportive family and friends :) I have many, many things to Thank the Lord for!!!

2nd Trimester: Week 17-19

2011-08-24T13:26:00.001-04:00

Week 17 was about the same as the last few I began to feel more movement every week, and a little bit more tired but only took a couple naps up until this point. I was actually feeling well enough to get back in the gym for a lighter workout than I would usually do, but at least I was back in there! My appetite was continually coming back very slowly by this point.

Picture to the right is 17 wks and 3 days.

Week 18 was the first time I had the experience of a stranger asking me when I was due :) She also said she thought I was having a baby boy, because I was carrying all out in front and it just seemed to pop. I was excited to know that I was not just looking fat or something and that people could actually tell I was pregnant!!! Yay for hitting the best stage of pregnancy that some women talk about! I also felt more and more movement from little Nugget during this week, especially when I would get home from work and be relaxing on the couch with the computer. The best part was one day at work I was feeling the baby move so I put my hand on my stomach, and actually felt Nugget kick my hand for the first time!!! Up until that day I had never felt it from the outside!

*July 15, 2011* * *18 wks, 1 day*

Week 19 was a very exciting week in my pregnancy! I was feeling movement every day especially in the afternoon's and evening's and even after every meal. This week on July 21st was the first time my husband, Joe was able to feel the baby move! He had tried during week 18 when I felt the baby kick my hand but he wasn't sure he felt it or not. But week 19 on the dot which was July 21st there was no doubt he felt the baby! His eyes widened and he smiled really big. He said "OH" with a sparkle of excitement in his eyes!!! We were so excited to be moving into this new phase of pregnancy, where we can bond even more with our precious little baby! I did unfortunately throw up again this week, while I was at work!

*19 weeks*

Second Trimester: Weeks 14-16

2011-08-24T12:28:00.001-04:00

The 2nd trimester begins!!! June 16, 2011 not only marks week 14 of my pregnancy but also the 4 yr wedding anniversary of my husband and I :) We took a mini-vacation to Ocean City, NJ we stayed in a rental home with my husbands sister, her husband and their daughter. We had a great time. My hubby and I ate an anniversary breakfast at our favorite restaurant called the Beach House Grille, they have really good omelets and homefries! I didn't throw up at all while I was at the beach, but I did also take my anti nausea/vomiting pills whenever I started to feel sick. Also the fact that I could sit down and relax when I started to feel sick or go eat something helped me not get to the point of vomiting. We enjoyed the beach and the boardwalk :) and hanging out with some of the family. We even got to attend one of our nieces 8th grade graduation :) Did I mention that we have 13 nieces/nephews plus one on the way!

By my 2nd trimester I was having some good days, and no longer feeling nauseated ALL the time. It was still frequent but it was better than the first trimester. The end of week 13 and into week 14 was when I began to feel the first movements of my growing baby. Many people disagree that you can feel movement that early, including my own sister who is also pregnant with her first child. However, doctors do say that depending on your body size and location of placenta and baby some people can and do feel movement much earlier than others. I have always had a very flat stomach and small framed build, and the fact that my placenta is located in the back of my uterus putting my baby in the front, is what caused the early fetal movement.

For a technical term it would be considered posterior placenta: which means the baby attached itself to the back of the uterine wall which is then where the placenta formed giving the baby a front seat aka a posterior location. I know that sounds a bit backwards. You think posterior placenta would mean the placenta is in the front of the baby causing a lack of feeling fetal movement but those people who have anterior placenta are the ones that have the placenta in the front of the uterus causing fetal movement not to be detected until 18+ weeks. This was the case of my sister, her placenta is considered anterior which means her baby is behind it hiding the movements until later in the second trimester.

*14 wks*

Now when I say I began to feel movement at 13-14 wks, I do not mean regular movement. The best way to describe the early fetal movements I felt are as follows... it can be described as "quickening" which is how the book What to Expect When You're Expecting puts it. And seriously quickening really does explain in, because it is so hard to describe! Some other ways I would describe it are as flutters low in my abdomen, instead of higher where you would feel "butterflies", the best description is also that upside-down, inside-out feeling that you would get on a roller coaster, except that sensation was also felt much lower than it would be felt if I was on an actual roller coaster. I knew it was my baby because it was unlike anything I have ever felt, and I am pretty "in-tune" with the things that happen to my body.

*15 wks 1 day*

At 15 weeks I was getting even more of a backache than I had been having, which was bad enough to effect my sleeping. I was feeling sick less often but did throw up twice during that week. I was also feeling much more irritable and moody :( But on a good note I actually had some days where I would actually feel hungry instead of just having to eat to keep from throwing up. I wouldn't go as far to say that my appetite was back, it was still very picky eating. My poor husband probably starved for weeks and weeks because I couldn't cook anything!!!

*16 wks, 2 days*

At 16 weeks I was feeling more tired and breathless. Just walking down the block or up the stairs would put me out of breath, but its hard to say how abnormal the breathlessness is because of my Sarcoidosis and asthma. My back pain continued to increase during this week, but at least I only threw up once! The best thing about this week was the fact that not only was I feeling more flutters from the baby, but I felt the first actual KICKS! They were very small and light, like a tiny tap, tap, tap. I was leaning forward at the time and my jeans were tight across my lower stomach. I was overcome with excitement!!!

Here are some more pictures from week 16 which were taken over the 4th of July weekend

First Trimester including First Ultrasound

2011-08-24T10:56:00.000-04:00

My first prenatal appointment was at about 8 weeks. Although at 6 weeks I did have a brief appointment just to get something for the morning sickness, thankfully they gave me some pills that helped with that some. But my first real appointment included blood work and an ultrasound, and urine sample and weight, blood pressure etc.

I am pretty sure I have already covered most of the symptoms that were experienced in the entire first trimester, but in case I forgot one here is a quick list: Extreme Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, lack of appetite, weight loss, food aversions to chicken and chocolate, dizziness, a lot of sinus congestion, cravings for pickles, a slight baby bump that only my husband and I and some close friends and family could notice (but because of my small build most people wouldn't have guessed), mood swings, back ache, irritability, very tender/sore breasts, cramping, muscle weakness and loose bowels. I think that might be everything, oh and the heightened sense of smell which can make you throw up. I also bought a belly band to wear early on, because I couldn't stand how uncomfortable my pants felt buttoned and zipped. The pressure was not fun and it didn't help the nausea.

The most exciting part about the first trimester besides the overwhelming JOY of knowing we are going to have a baby was the ultrasound. The first ultrasound was awesome even though we couldn't see much and baby didn't yet really look like a baby, more like a nugget with stumps for arms and legs. We actually nicknamed our baby "Nugget" not because of the ultrasound but because we thought it was a cute neutral name to call him/her. My brother used to say so when is Nugget going to become a chicken tender... ha ha ha. Our first ultrasound I didn't not cry, I just smiled and watched in amazement. My husband teared up, but tried to remain tough. We saw the little tiny bundle and heard the heartbeat which took my breath away I couldn't even believe how amazing it sounded. We saw the heart beating and they printed out one picture of our little baby for us. They said based on size baby was exactly 8 weeks, but based on my LMP baby was 7 wks 6 days. So only one day difference.

The head is on the left, and the stumps of the arms and legs are forming. They also told me that my uterus tilts backward, but shouldn't be a problem because as the baby grows the uterus rights itself. The reason why they did an ultrasound at my first appointment was because my menstrual cycles used to run long, instead of getting my period every 28-32 days it could come every 35-47 or so days. So they did an ultrasound to see for sure how far along I was. It just so turns out that the time we finally conceived was the time where I seemed to ovulate on a normal cycle and not a long cycle like I usually have. This could have been the reason why we didn't conceive even though I was off the pill for 2 yrs, and we only occasionally/half the time used any other form or protection.

I had a cyst which ruptured around 12 weeks which caused some pain, and I was told that my left ovary was the one that gave the egg. Here are a few other belly pictures from the 1st trimester.

This picture above is at 9 wks 4 days. Picture below is at 11 wks 2 days and I was camping over Memorial Weekend.

Its funny that at 11 weeks I already felt like I looked pregnant, and my family could tell, but looking back at the pictures, I don't look pregnant at all. Although my clothes were getting tighter and I had to go up a bra size, comparatively speaking most people would never have thought I was pregnant. The picture below is at 13 wks 1 day.

At my first Ultrasound appointment I weighed in at 114 lbs which was at 8 wks. I am pretty sure I had already lost 1-4 lbs by then but I don't have any real way of knowing. However by 10 weeks I was down to 113 lbs (at my 10 wks appointment they tried to hear baby's heart beat on the hand held Doppler but couldn't). By 12 wks I was down to 112.5 lbs, even though my stomach was getting bigger I was losing weight. At my 12 week appointment they heard the baby's heart beat on the hand held Doppler and the FHR was 166 bpm. My dad and best friend both thought baby must be a girl because of the fast heart rate. Also by the end of this trimester my belly button was beginning to change to more of an outie.

Did I mention morning sickness?...

2011-08-13T11:05:00.000-04:00

The only reason for this post is to try to express to those who do not yet understand morning sickness. AND someone requested that I continue to be honest about pregnancy because they hear too many people sugar coating it and they said its nice to hear the real deal!

First of all "Morning Sickness" is somewhat of a lie or false advertising, for many women myself included this can last ALL day and night. It can be the kind I had where you feel like you are gagging and on the verge of hurling 24/7 and generally speaking you do hurl at numerous points during those 24/7 periods or it can be more like what I have now late in my 2nd trimester where I feel fine then all of a sudden without warning you feel horrible and must throw up NOW! As I mentioned before for me it started that it didn't matter if I vomited, I would still feel just as sick either way. I lost weight and couldn't eat! But now with these quicker sudden urges to vomit, I do feel better afterwards. Thank the LORD! I still have times where i need to take an anti-nausea/vomiting pill to get through the day, but its getting better. Oh and aside from the sickness that comes from pregnancy there is also the hormonal changes, which can be just as crazy as when you have your period, but worse, because it lasts the whole 9 months! :) Oh and I don't think I mentioned the constipation and gas, and frequent urination either... they are all part of the joy of making a new life :)

I still do not think that this makes newbies aware of what it is like to be pregnant. But let me just put if this way after going through it, I would never have wanted to "accidentally" go through this. My husband and I wanted this very badly and are so incredibly happy for our blessing, but that doesn't make the symptoms easier.

**So to those younger people who may read this (or older people who don't yet know)... pregnancy and babies/children are just like anything else in the world that is hard. All good things take serious trials and work to make it! For example graduating High School is an awesome and much needed achievement, but everyone knows it comes with its trials, like pop quizzes, tests, loads of homework, etc. COLLEGE an even bigger achievement definitely worth the work and money, but extremely challenging... harder exams, longer papers, more homework etc. MARRIAGE is one of the greatest gifts God can gives us, but that does not mean that it isn't hard, but it can sure prepare you for what it will be like to care for a child. Marriage takes constant work, you must learn to be selfless and care for the needs of your spouse before yourself, learn to think of them before you, learn to be understanding and open-minded, choosing to do things that are in the best interest of you as a couple and not just you as a person. Choosing to put your spouse before work, or friends etc. This list could go on and on! So never think that having children is easy... yes they are a true blessing and a gift from God, they can bring Joy and excitement, but they can also bring pain and sadness and most adults no what I mean because we know how we were for our own parents. But kids also have to come before work and friends, and all those things I listed for marriage apply for children as well.**

I also must say that I am aware that as sick as I have been during this pregnancy, and the fact that I have been sicker than many women who have been pregnant... I KNOW other women that have been MUCH sicker than me, so sick where they cannot keep anything down, or even lift their heads off of their pillows. So for this I am grateful!

This post was written at 22 wks into my pregnancy, but here are some pics to get me caught up. The first picture is at 8 weeks. Next at 10 wks, then 12 wks.

And then there was Morning Sickness...

2011-08-10T17:48:00.002-04:00

I continued having cramping and sore breasts for weeks and weeks. But I remember on April 18th, only 2 short days after finding out the exciting news of our baby, my stomach began to feel weird or strange as I wrote on my calendar. Not sick but very different. On the 21st of April I felt mildly queasy in the morning, and I was also having pain in my ribs and felt like I was getting a cold. The next day April 22, 2011 my Birthday... was my first experience with this new and not so fun thing called morning sickness! (6 WEEKs into pregnancy) I felt queasy all morning and could barely get anything into my stomach. My brother came up from Maryland to hang out with Joe and I and go to Shady Maple for my free birthday meal, which was then to be followed by a little indoor rock climbing. I had a bucket with me in the car the whole way to Shady Maple Smorgasboard and kept trying to eat crackers. I could barely get out of the car when we arrived and had to go straight to the bathroom. I dry heaved multiple times while at the restaurant and the smells of the buffet turned my stomach and made me gag while I tried to figure out what to eat. WORD to those who want to be WISE, do not I repeat DO NOT go to the biggest and best buffet ever or any buffet for that matter when you have morning sickness. However, considering it was my first day of morning sickness I really had no clue how bad you can really feel! We ate... well mainly Joe and my brother ate, I just picked at some potatoes and fruit, then we went home and we all fell asleep. Later when we all woke back up we decided to continue on with our plan to go indoor rock climbing. It was tons of fun and even though my ribs were still hurting and I was queasy, I toughed it out and made it to the top of the wall a few times. *(I have pictures of this if I can ever find the cable to my camera)*

Morning sickness continued to get stronger, and I remember many days in the beginning of my pregnancy during weeks 6-13 where I would throw up and feel horribly nauseated all day! I got a prescription for some nausea pills which helped some but I still got sick even with them. I also tried pretty much everything for nausea there is. I chewed ginger gum or spearment gum, I sucked on Preggy pops/drops. I used sea bands, I drank that tea that is supposed to help you feel better, I ate popsicles, crackers, soup, grapes, toast, etc. etc. You name it I tried it. Nothing helped completely but with the combination of them I could usually survive my days at work, felt horrible but I survived. But I spent many mornings crawling on the floor from my bed to the toilet to the kitchen to the trash can to throw up or dry heave! I got a major aversion to chicken and chocolate in those weeks and the aversion to chicken is still going strong! However around 18 weeks my desire for chocolate began to come back and is now going strong! I do crave pickles and that started around week 7! I am currently 21 weeks and 6 days and I generally feel mostly fine all day but I do get quick and SUDDEN bouts of nausea that end in vomiting (3 times during this week to be exact) The main difference now is that I feel better after I throw up but in those first 2 months or that didn't matter. I lost several pounds in the first trimester and it wasn't until my 2nd trimester where I began to gain back 3-5 that I lost and then added 3-5 lbs to my pre-pregnancy weight. I also experienced dizziness and still do, and itchy skin especially on my breasts, back and stomach. I use Gold bond medicated lotion now, because my normal Palmers cocoa butter does NOT help at all!

I have also noticed that the only women who understand and really feel for you are not just the women who have been pregnant but ONLY the pregnant women who got horribly sick during their pregnancy. Everyone else DOES NOT HAVE A CLUE!!!!! So to those women who think that pregnancy is going to be all fun and games... you may just have another thing coming to you when you get pregnant! Unless of course you are one of the ones who gets extremely lucky and never has a day of morning sickness or nausea in their life! They are the ones who are constantly happy and smiling and LOVE being pregnant. The ones that all of us sick pregos want to smack the smile off their faces! Now don't get me wrong *and only people who know what I am going through really KNOW what I mean* I feel truly BLESSED and GRATEFUL and THANK THE LORD for my precious GIFT that is growing inside me. BUT in all reality pregnancy can be and in my case has been on of the most challenging things you can go through, and I have had lots of other challenges in my health that are very hard. So as thankful as an expectant mother can be, she can also be just as miserable. So before anyone wants to judge me for complaining/being honest about how I really feel about my pregnancy symptoms, just think it may be you one day, or you just weren't as sick as I was and many women are. So its been my opinion so far during this pregnancy if you don't want to hear about how many times I threw up or my symptoms and such in detail DON'T ASK or READ this because I will tell you honestly.

Picture at the top I was 6 wks 3 days into my pregnancy the picture was taken April 24th Easter Sunday, and I was feeling VERY nauseated. The picture above was taken at 6 wks 6 days and I was trying to eat chicken noodle soup before my aversion to chicken hit hard! The picture below was taken at 7 wks 3 days. It was the day after we moved into our one bedroom apartment . We downsized to a one bedroom because we hadn't been getting pregnant so we decided to move out of our 2 bedroom to save money for a house. The week after we signed the papers and put our security deposit down was when found out we were expecting. Ha ha

+ Pregnancy Test +

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The evening of April 16, 2011 was the day we took the test. It was the day after my husband Joe's 29th birthday! What a belated birthday surprise he had. It was also the week before my 26th birthday, an awesome early birthday present for me!

When I took the test, I really had no thought that I would acutually be pregnant! We had gotten our hopes up so many times before just to have them shot down. So I needless to say when I saw those two lines show up I looked at Joe with my mouth opened wide and he looked at me wide eyed as ever and said "What!?!?!" I just looked at him and smiled still with a shocked look on my face and said "NUH UHHH! OH MY GOODNESS!" He then realized that meant it was positive and said "Really it is?!?!?!" We were both in such udder disbelief all we could say was OH MY GOODNESS over and over and over again! We couldn't stop smiling and we both almost cried! I couldn't believe I was pregnant! I was on day 38 of my cycle and still expecting that my period could come any time in the next 10 days, so I was extra shocked! Joe was so excited he was practically speechless, so we just hugged and smiled over and over again! :) :) :) We then had to call both of our parents and everyone pretty much had the same reaction "OH MY GOODNESS!!!" Not to mention that one of my sisters was also pregnant at this time with her first child, so my parents felt extra blessed! The next morning we told my sister and her husband via skype and then after church told my othe sister and her husband and kids by showing them the positive test. After that we called everyone else in my side of the family and our close friends. However, we waited to tell the rest of Joe's family until the following weekend when we were to have a family get together! (its been almost a tradition for his family gatherings to include someone announcing a marriage or pregnancy) It was a time that we will never forget! Not even with me having pregnant brain!

5 weeks 2 days

A little history and The first sign of symptoms!

2011-08-10T15:42:00.001-04:00

First things first... For those of you who do not know my health history as far as trying to conceive goes, here is a brief run down. I had stopped using birth control pills 2 years prior to conceiving and my hubby and I only used other means of birth control about half the time in those two years. It kind of just depended on if my lung function health was where it needed to be and when my next CT scan was scheduled for, because I never liked to be uncertain if I was pregnant or not when I went in for a CT scan. (For those of you who may not know I have an Autoimmune disease called Sarcoidosis...I will give a brief explanation in next paragraph) In those 2 years we had taken numerous pregnancy tests all with the same response: NEGATIVE. My monthly cycle would fluctuate between every 30 days to every 48 days. Usually going back and forth between a long cycle then a shorter cycle then a longer cycle and so on.

Sarcoidosis is as I said an Auto-immune disease. Specialists and researchers do not know what causes it, but they do know that there is no cure for the disease. It can be extremely mild to life threatening. I am in the middle about a stage II out of IV. I was diagnosed with the disease about 4 years ago, and have been on medication such as prednisone and advair and other inhalers. The disease mainly affects the lungs causing nodules or opacities/abscesses depending on the size of the spots. It can cause scarring of the lungs as well. It then causes shortness of breath which can be severe and pain which can be severe as well. I have had all of the above. The disease may or may not go into remission. Mine has been borderline from being considered in a remission. Every time they are about to tell me I am in remission new and bigger nodules appear. But even in a flair up medication may or may not be necessary. Sarcoidosis can also effect any and every other organ in the body, mine has only begun to mildly effect my eyes. At the time of my conception I was not in a remission but I was considered stable and was on Advair as well as some other sinus sprays and such. My pulmonologist actually said that Sarcoidosis can improve during pregnancy in some cases, but then come back with a vengeance after delivery. This is because of the increase of the maternal free cortisol. I have so far experienced an improvement in my breathing, but as far as the nodules go its hard to say because I have not been getting CT scans during my pregnancy.

NOW... onto the first signs....Many of my first signs of symptoms I misread as side effects from being on meds for the flu and shingles. I had the flu the first 2 weeks of March and also had my period during the 2nd week of March as well as I had a very mild yet painful case of Shingles. I began the medication for the Flu on March 7th, the Shingles rash began March 10th, and so did my period. We are pretty sure that we conceived March 25th, and then I was put on medication for Shingles on March 29th. My first strange symptoms aside from the flu and shingles actually began the day we conceived and I had unexplained muscle weakness. I thought it was due to shingles or meds I was on for my lung problems (Sarcoidosis) but all my doctors said no the muscle weakness was not from any meds. So who knows maybe it was the first symptom of my pregnancy!

Around April 1st, which would have been WEEK 3 of my pregnancy, I began to notice quite a lot of breast soreness and tenderness. Although it was a bit more soreness than usual some of my monthly periods can be worse than others, so I did not suspect anything. By the end of my 3rd week of pregnancy and into my 4th week I noticed I had been urinating a bit more frequently but because of the meds I was on and the amount of fluids I was supposed to be drinking I also pushed that symptom aside. I still had the very sore breasts at this point and now also cramping, which was strong enough to stop me in my tracts if I was walking. But once again I assumed it was just my period and that this month was going to be a BAD one. The start of WEEK 4 was also the start of some major fatigue and an increased appetite, but we were in the process of packing to move and I had been sick for quite a while and thought my period was coming so it wasn't anything to be suspicious about. At the start of my 5th WEEK I was still having the breast soreness and cramping and now a lower back ache/cramp, but the fatigue and hunger had already died down some. My mom had been down to help us pack and even asked me if it was possible I was pregnant, and I said "Its always possible but its not likely, I feel like I will get my period any day!" One of my friends also said I bet you are pregnant, but she had thought this many times and that was never the case... not to mention the fact that I didn't yet consider my period to be late. ... that month was due to be a longer cycle before I would get my period so I still had another 7-10 days before I suspected a pregnancy!

Hello and welcome to my blog!

2011-08-10T14:12:00.000-04:00

I have decided to write this blog more for myself as I now have the famous or infamous "pregnancy brain or fog". I want to record my thoughts, feelings and overall experience of my first pregnancy. I have a pregnancy journal I write in, but thought this might be more fun and then people can read it. I have a lot of catching up to do considering I am already 21 wks and 6 days into my pregnancy! So I will try to go back and post things in weekly-ish categories as I remember what I want to write ;)