Yay...for feeling good!

I felt great today! Jackie came to visit me for the day and we had a really nice time. It was a short visit, but sweet. We went to lunch in the Third Ward at one of my favorite restaurants, Swig. I was surprisingly hungry, which has been a foreign feeling to me for my entire first trimester. Jackie had to get home early, so after we parted ways I was able to run some errands -- I felt really good all afternoon.

As I sit here eating a huge bowl of fruit (strawberries, pineapple, and grapes...mmmm), I'm reminded of how little junk food I've eaten during my pregnancy. For the most part, I've only wanted fruits and veggies...which is shocking for me. I've probably eaten far more fruits and veggies in the last three months than I have in the past year...well, probably not literally, but it seems that way. Although, I have a feeling that my health food kick will change with my ever growing appetite. All that to say, last night I had my first junk food craving. Teirney and I were sitting in the living room -- he watching t.v., me on the internet -- and out of nowhere it hit me that I "needed" peanut M&M's. I couldn't stop thinking about them...it was, however, 9:00 p.m. and Teirney, after trying to convince me that fruit dipped in chocolate might be a good substitute (not the same), made it very clear he was not going to leave his "post" on the couch for peanut M&M's. I offered to go with him, but I was not persuasive enough. So my last resort was to raid the cupboards for something, anything, close to peanut M&M's. I found some tootsie rolls and a chocolate bunny that I never ate at Easter (I knew that bunny would come in handy someday). I quickly devoured the tootsie rolls and nibbled on the bunny a bit. It didn't quite satisfy my craving, but at least it got my mind off of it. Tonight, out of nowhere, I really wanted a caramel apple. Teirney gave in on that one...we walked to Whole Foods and got one! At least there was an apple underneath all the caramel. :-)

I failed to mention in my last post that I made my first maternity clothes purchase last weekend. I still fit in two pairs of my regular jeans, but they're getting a little snug. So I found a couple pair of jeans at Motherhood in Madison. They're still a little big for now, but they're SO comfortable! I also bought a dress that I needed for a wedding we attended on Saturday. Both my sisters, Amy and Jackie, and my mom came with me. We had so much fun and I was so glad they came with me for the momentous occasion.

I end this post with an apology. After I made my last post and slept on it, I realized it sounded really shallow, petty, spoiled, and crabby. I came to the conclusion that I'm not going to stress about making the apartment "homey" it doesn't really matter. And I also decided that I'm going to be content with the apartment and everything we have been and are blessed with -- so many people have much less and I shouldn't be worried about not having the right pictures or curtains to hang. Things always look clearer in the morning after a good night's sleep. So I apologize for my venting, which turned into ranting. Sometimes it helps to write it all out before you can sort it out. Thanks for listening, but I'm sorry I subjected you all to it. Enough said.

Signing off...much love to you Bebito. You are a precious gift from God and we treasure you! I leave you with the scripture that my Dad always quoted to me...and still quotes -- "may the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you."

Week 15: "Apple"

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.") (http://www.babycenter.com/)

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Time is flying by so fast -- I can't believe I'm 15 weeks already! I'm back from my travels for awhile, so now I'm just trying to get people to come visit me. My sister, Jackie, and possibly my other sister, Amy, might be coming down on Thursday for the day. I'm really looking forward to that. Before I forget, here is my 15 week picture -- not too much of a difference from last week.

I think my nausea and vomiting is starting to slowly go away day-by-day. I did get sick yesterday morning, but then felt quite a bit better after lunch. Yesterday turned out to be a very busy day. I got up with Teirney and took him to work in the morning so I could have the car, planned meals for the week (for those of you who know me well, shocking, isn't it?), made a grocery list, straightened up the apartment, went grocery shopping (probably shouldn't have carried all the heavy groceries up the two flights of stairs to our apartment, but oh well), came home and ate lunch, went to my endocrinologist appointment, came home and made dinner. I could tell I was feeling a little more like myself based on everything I accomplished yesterday, and was only a little tired by the end of the day. Today I haven't gotten sick and was able to do all the laundry (again, probably shouldn't be carrying the heavy baskets of clothes up and down two flights of stairs, but oh well). I'm hoping to go for a walk with Teirney tonight...it's so beautiful outside.

GOOD NEWS!!! As I mentioned above, I had my appointment with the endocrinologist yesterday. In previous posts, I mentioned that I have a history of hypothyroidism in my family, so at my first prenatal appointment they did a TSH test and it came back at 7.2 (normal range is between .4 and 4). The entire appointment was awkward because the doctor kept misunderstanding things that I would say and didn't seem to be listening all that well. They did another TSH blood test yesterday and I was told to call this morning to get the results and they would determine if I needed to go on meds or not. When I spoke to the nurse today, she said that the test came back normal, which is great, but I'm confused as to why the first test on August 4 came back so high and this one came back at 2.16. The nurse didn't really have an explanation for me except that she said "it can change." She then proceeded to tell me they still needed my medical records from when I had this problem in the past. I told her I never had this problem in the past and the only way I found out about it was because of the prenatal labs. She said, "well, yesterday, didn't the doctor talk to you about getting us your medical records from when this happened to you before?" I said no -- I had no idea what she was talking about. Again, such a weird awkward conversation and appointment -- seemed like they kept twisting what I was saying or misunderstanding me (which brought me to tears in the car on the way home yesterday) -- I just can't figure it out. Anyway, my level is normal but I need to go back in 4 weeks to get it tested again so they can keep an eye on it.

While we were visiting our friends, Jason and Amy, this weekend. I was talking to Amy about my next appointment on October 30 (20 week ultrasound) and voicing my concern that maybe I should be having an appointment prior to that time because that is 2 months from the date of my last appointment. At my last appointment I had scheduled two appointments -- the UltraScreen (Down Syndrome testing) and the follow-up appointment for the results. I cancelled both those appointments because we decided not to do the UltraScreen. But while Amy and I were talking, she mentioned the possibility that maybe the midwife was planning on combining the "follow-up" with my regular 4 week appointment, which got me thinking. So I called yesterday and the midwife said she definitely wants to see me before October 30, so I was glad I called (thank you, Amy). So my next appointment is October 2 (next week Thursday).

Now for some venting...I'm still very distraught over our apartment (DISCLAIMER: please keep in mind I'm pregnant and my emotions are very up and down these days). Don't get me wrong, I feel very blessed that we found a very nice, large enough apartment to fit our needs, but, as some of you know, there are issues. Ah, yes, the issues...(1) the hopper spiders and spider webs that multiply daily, (2) the white walls (which we could paint, but too much of a hassle because we'd have to paint them back to white when we left), (3) the frustration of trying to make it "homey" with all the white going on, (4) no storage in Teirney's office so everything just lays around making it feel messy, (5) the boxes that I still haven't unpacked because I'm so apathetic about decorating with all the ugliness going on and not knowing what to do, and last but by far certainly not least, (6) the HORRIBLE SMELLS that come from this 92 year old apartment!!! Yes, the smells...and I know my nose is sensitive these days, but even the air fresheners don't seem to be working. I thought they were working yesterday, but today it's terrible! Today they are mixing with the other smells and I kid you not, it smells like a nursing home in here. The rooms that are especially bad are the kitchen and bathroom...go figure...the two rooms you have to use. Jason and Amy, gave us an idea for the kitchen that I'm going to try. They said to try pouring bleach down the kitchen sink...apparently that had worked for Amy when she had the same problem. I do notice a smell from the sink, but can't pinpoint if that is the exact location it is coming from -- it's just everywhere and so frustrating. My poor cute husband who has to deal with my complaining thinks I hate the apartment, which I don't generally, but there are just issues. I'm just abnormally sensitive to these things right now and wish they would go away so that I could focus on making our apartment look cute -- I have no motivation to do so right now. Okay, I'm done venting...I just needed to get that out there.

Dear, sweet, Bebito, please know these frustrations are not directed at you...you are loved dearly and I would endure smells ten times worse than this for your sake...in fact, I'm sure I will. :-) Hugs and kisses.

Now I'm off to make dinner...in the smelly kitchen...anyone have a nose plug?

Week 14: "Lemon"

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb. In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active. (http://www.babycenter.com/)

I am officially in the second trimester...woohoo!!! I'm just hoping that I start to feel like I am pretty soon. Not alot has changed since last week -- still feel sick off and on -- some good days, some bad days. But on my good days, I am starting to feel a little more like myself. I'm even starting to get hungry now and actually want to eat. Before, I would just eat because I knew I needed to in order to avoid getting sick...and to avoid death. Now I'm just looking forward to food actually tasting good again.

My innie belly button is slowly starting to turn into an outie...that has been funny to see. It's the truest sign I have that my belly is growing. As many of you know, I have my belly button pierced. I've debated on whether I want to take it out or not. They make these pregnancy belly rings now (they are flexible so they move with your belly), so you have an option of keeping it. I purchased a couple of the pregnancy belly rings and I've decided to keep it in for now (not that I'll ever show my tummy again after I have this baby, but I just didn't want to give it up quite yet). If it starts to get irritated or something, I might have to revisit that decision.

I know some of you have mentioned that you don't think I have a "bump" at all yet, but believe me, it's there. Here is my 14 week picture.

I am leaving tonight to go to Madison to stay with my sister, Jackie, for the week. Her husband is on a fishing trip, so my mom and I are going to go and keep her company. Poor Teirney will be driving me all the way there tonight and is coming back tonight as well. Then he is coming to Madison on Friday, spending the night, and then we're driving to Oshkosh for a wedding on Saturday and staying with our good friends, Jason and Amy and their two beautiful daughters. It's going to be another busy week! Teirney is also worried the baby will think its father has abandoned it because I've been away from him so much. I assured him that was not the case.

Stay cozy and warm in there Bebito -- grow baby, grow! :-)

Week 13: "Medium Shrimp"

Fingerprints have formed on [Bebito's] tiny fingertips, his/her veins and organs are clearly visible through his/her still-thin skin, and [Bebito's] body is starting to catch up with his/her head — which makes up just a third of his/her body size now. If [I'm] having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. [Bebito] is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce. (http://www.babycenter.com/

I'm in Marshfield this week visiting my parents. Teirney brought me up on Sunday afternoon and will come back to pick me up this weekend. I've had a few pretty good days lately, and today I felt exceptionally well...almost normal. So I decided today would be a good day to take a picture. Yes, the first official "bump" picture. Not the greatest picture, but it was the first attempt (I'm sure I'll get better (and bigger) over the next 6 months).

Today, my mom and I went to Eau Claire to spend the day with my sister, Josie. We had a really great day together bumming around town with no agenda and just going wherever we pleased. We went to some unique stores downtown Eau Claire, which was a nice change of pace from the typical "shopping mall." I have to say I'm extremely tired right now though...'twas a big day for Bebito and I, considering we don't get out much.

My mom is doing a little redecorating so I've been "commissioned" while I'm here to help her with some decorating ideas. Its been fun going shopping to check out carpets, rugs, window coverings, and lamps...right up my alley. Now if only I could get motivated to decorate my own apartment...maybe it will get done during the "nesting" phase.

It is hard to believe I am 13 weeks already!!! This little one is growing so fast every day -- it is such a treat for me to read what is going on in my body every week -- I can't wait until I can feel Bebito dancing around in there. When I saw the midwife last week she told me that pregnant women should be drinking at least 62 ounces of water a day...oh my, what a chore for me! I've always had a hard time drinking enough fluids, much less water. I'm trying my very best, but I'm afraid I fail far too often. Maybe my lack of eating junk food has made up for it. No? Well, I guess you're right, but I should get brownie points for that or something. On second thought, I did have Taco Johns for lunch today -- that could be considered "junk food" I guess. I'm just in survival mode right now...eat anything that sounds good. I'm just glad that has included vegetables more often than not these days.

Must go get some sleep! God bless you, sweet Bebito! I'm thinking and praying for you. Much love. xoxoxo

Donuts and Indian Food

After having some good days early on this week, yesterday and today I'm feeling somewhat miserable. Got sick this morning, but shortly thereafter requested donuts for breakfast. Aside from the occasional "I have to have an Icee," it is a rare occasion when things sound good these days, so Teirney was happy to oblige. I have such a wonderful husband! He was pleasantly surprised the other day when I told him I would like Indian food for dinner. That doesn't happen too often, so he quickly ordered take out before I changed my mind.

An attorney I worked with at Foley just had a baby and e-mailed me links to some message boards she found helpful. One of them is the Bump, which is a branch of the Knot and the Nest. The Bump has message boards by trimester so you can easily connect with women going through some of the same things you are. It has been comforting to hear women voicing the same things I've been feeling. For instance, yesterday at lunch time, someone who is about as far along as I am posted a note about "Lunch" saying nothing sounded good to her and she had no clue what to eat. Other women replied with the same frustration and then said what they ate for lunch. Funny thing was, 3 of them had the same thing for lunch that I did, mac-n-cheese and a grilled cheese sandwich. It's just nice knowing other women are in the same boat.

I will be going to Marshfield tomorrow and spending the week with my parents, so I'm looking forward to some yummy home cooked food. Its been hard for me to be in the kitchen and cook these days. The smells in the kitchen alone make me sick.

I love today! Teirney is home, there is a cool breeze coming through the windows, and we are both laying on the couch watching the Badger football game. One of my favorite fall-ish things to do. Hopefully the Badgers start playing better than they have been this first quarter and that will make the day even better.

Teirney is playing piano with Dave Scottberg's band, Element 13, at Mikey's tonight. It's going to be a late night, so I think we'll both need to take naps today.

GO BUCKY, GO!!!

Week 12: "Lime"

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. [Bebito's] fingers will soon begin to open and close, his/her toes will curl, his/her eye muscles will clench, and his/her mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, [Bebito] will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His/her intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his/her abdominal cavity about now, and his/her kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in [Bebito's] brain, synapses are forming furiously. His/her face looks unquestionably human. His/her eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his/her head, and his/her ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, [Bebito] is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

I think I'm starting to feel a little better, aside from being sore from laying around so much the last several weeks. Seriously, there are times when my moans sound like I'm 20 years older than I am because of my aching muscles or cracking bones and the scary thing is I'm not even that far along -- how am I going to sound when I'm 8 or 9 months pregnant? I don't even want to think about it. At least this past weekend I was able to get out and get some exercise and enjoy some of the weather with Teirney and his parents.

Food still doesn't taste the same. I feel like I'm going through the motions just because I need to eat, but it certainly isn't "enjoyable." The foods that sound best to me are usually vegetables and fruit, which isn't a bad thing, but sometimes my stomach doesn't want to digest it. Ahhh...I can't win.

I had my 12 week appointment with the new midwife at the Women's Pavilion today. So far, so good. My blood pressure was 120/78, which is good. We also got to listen to the baby's heartbeat for the first time. It was amazing -- so fast. The midwife said there's definitely a baby in there and the heartbeat was strong. That was good news. I was so excited about that news in general, I forgot to ask what the "beat per minute" was. Oh well.

The Pavilion itself is beautiful and the surroundings are a dramatic change from Aurora Sinai where I first went. I am so glad I decided to switch -- this is exactly the kind of place I pictured when I imagined having a baby. I also really liked Cheri, the midwife -- she is very experienced. She has been a midwife for over 25 years and even handles high risk pregnancies, due to her experience, which most midwives do not do. Even though she is the only midwife at West Allis Memorial Hospital, she will do everything in her power to be the one to deliver my baby, which I was very pleased to hear. She said unless there is some unforeseen circumstance where she can't be there, she makes every effort to deliver all her patients' babies day or night. I felt very comfortable talking things over with her and she spent about an hour with me just talking and answering all my questions -- exactly what I hoped for in a midwife.

She gave me the option for the Ultra-Screen to screen for Down Syndrome and other abnormalities, but I opted against it. Insurance won't cover it and I just figure if we ever have to cross that bridge, we'll have enough time to do research after the baby is born without me worrying about it through the whole pregnancy. We're just trusting and praying our baby will be perfectly normal, and if not, we'll love and adore him/her just the same anyway.

My next appointment will be my 20 week ultrasound on October 30. We plan on finding out what we're having so hopefully Bebito will cooperate that day...we'll see.