eighteen weeks.

Sidenote to my pregnancy posts:  As I post I plan to be completely honest about my feelings and thoughts as we ride this rollercoaster into parenthood.  I plan to use this blog as a way for me to process this journey.  Thanks for taking the time to read.

Date/How Far Along: March 26, 2013 = 18 weeks, 3 days.

Size of baby: Bell Pepper

Sleep:  I've had a couple of pretty bad nights of sleep this past week, but only after I wake up to go to the bathroom.  When I try to get back to sleep my brain just continues to run or I can't find a comfortable position to sleep.  I'm still getting longer blocks of sleep, so I won't complain :)

Total Weight Gain:  I have no idea since we're on vacation and I haven't weighed myself. 

Symptoms:  My stomach has been stretching I think.  My abs have been very sore the last couple of days and I've heard that's a symptom.  I'll be excited about my 19 week photo because I feel bigger than I did when we left for Florida.  I could have actually popped or I'm in warmer weather so I'm not in bulky sweatshirts all day long.  We'll see.

Movement:  I'm actually not sure if I've been feeling movement or not.  The last two mornings I feel a little pulling when I lay partly on my stomach, but nothing any other time.  My dear friend Melissa said that I'll know when it's baby movement, so maybe this isn't yet.  Soon hopefully!

Maternity Clothes: Yes.  I actually brought a lot to Florida with me.  They're more comfortable and I like that they show off my growing tummy.  I might have to invest in some jeans/nicer pants and shorts for summer.

Go-to eats:  I'm still craving salads.  John and I had a date night last night and all my food was great, but the Caesar salad was so delicious.  I still haven't been craving pop or coffee, which is nice. 

Best moment/s of the week:  We got to go to our dear friends church grand opening on Sunday!  I also got to get a pedicure on Friday for our Florida trip :)

Hardest moment/s of the week:  Leaving Comet behind at the in-laws and the plane ride.  

Gender: I'm not feeling it one way or the other.  My family has all given opinions, but I'll save that for another post.  I think John is still thinking it's a boy.  Our ultrasound is in 17 days!  I'm so excited!

What I wish people knew:  I already feel a little self conscious so please stop staring at my growing tummy while you glare.  If you want to give me an encouraging smile and then stare at my tummy fine.  Just no glaring and staring.

What I’m looking forward to:  Spending the rest of our 18th week in Florida and seeing baby Pootsie on Saturday.

Milestones:  You are starting to hear sounds like my heartbeat and possibly loud noises outside me.  I always tell you good morning so I hope you can hear me.  

To check out our growing baby bump, click here :)

Our Appointments with Our Midwives

Sidenote to my pregnancy posts:  As I post I plan to be completely honest about my feelings and thoughts as we ride this rollercoaster into parenthood.  I plan to use this blog as a way for me to process this journey.  Thanks for taking the time to read.

Since we've chosen to use a midwife I've been in love. The babe and I have had three appointments so far.  I feel blessed that John has gotten to go to two of them, so I only had to do one solo.  I haven't felt there is anything extra I could be receiving from an OB/GYN, but since I haven't seen one for pregnancy I can't honestly compare the two.  Here's a video that does.  I think it is valuable to know that I am experiencing a low-risk pregnancy.  My views might be different if we had complications or if we run into complications in the future. We have met two of the bunch that we could potentially have for our delivery. I'm oddly still okay with not knowing who we'll have during delivery. We have been treated with respect and kindness at all of our appointments. I appreciate that they treat me as if I know my own body and they are respectful when I'm asking for more information. They have both seemed very knowledgeable and personable to me. John has only met Amy Brandl, but he will get to meet Aszani Stoddard at our next appointment.

Our first appointment was long, but I expected that going in from what I read online.  We got in promptly and we're seen by a nurse first who took my vitals (weight, height, blood pressure, some other notes) The nurses at Meadowbrook have all been very nice as well.  We waited for a little while after the nurse was done and then Amy came in.  She went through our medical history, a little bit about what we could expect from our pregnancy, some information about the midwives and then did my physical exam.  I'd say she performed a full physical, emphasis on pregnancy including an internal exam, pressing on my uterus and a breast exam.  She told me that unless there are complications/questions I probaby won't have to have another cervical exam until very close to the end.  I also had to pee in a cup and give blood samples at this appointment.  She used a doppler to try to hear the heartbeat, but she couldn't find it.  She told me it was hard that early, plus my uterus is tilted backwards so that makes it even harder.  It was a bit of a bummer.  I would say the whole appointment took at least an hour if not longer than that, but we weren't left waiting for too long at any point and time.  We made our twelve week appointment right there and we were on our way.

John was able to come with to the twelve week appointment, but not the sixteen week.  Both appointments were relatively short, basically a check in.  I had to wait a little longer in the waiting room this time (5-10 after appointment time), but these appointments were in the morning as opposed to the afternoon.  Our next one will be in the afternoon as well.  I am anxious to see if afternoon appointments are quicker.  I had to have my vitals checked each time by a nurse.  The midwife came after the nurses were done and asked how I was doing, looked at my vitals and listened to the baby's heartbeat.  They also offered any testing that was appropriate for the time we were at in our pregnancy and informed us of what would be happening in the upcoming weeks.  They also took the time to answer any questions I had brought with.  These appointments with wait time last 45 minutes to 1 hour.  I scheduled our next appointments and was on my way.  At the last one I got to schedule our 20 week ultrasound appointment too.  I'm so excited about that one!

Overall I've been very satisfied with our midwives.  It is possible for me to meet others, but I'd have to drive further to other clinics, so I might just stick with the two I enjoy.  

Feel free to check out this post for more information regarding midwifery and OB/GYN.

seventeen weeks

Sidenote to my pregnancy posts:  As I post I plan to be completely honest about my feelings and thoughts as we ride this rollercoaster into parenthood.  I plan to use this blog as a way for me to process this journey.  Thanks for taking the time to read.

Date/How Far Along: March 18, 2013 = 17 weeks & 2 days.

Size of baby: Onion

Sleep: I'm sleeping well and trying to enjoy it while it lasts.  I've heard it gets harder and harder between a growing belly and having to pee all the time.  I slept with a pillow between my legs for two days and it got annoying, so I quit. 

Total Weight Gain:  I had my 16 week appointment last Friday (one day short of 17 weeks) and I have gained a total of 5.2 pounds.  I thought I was going to get scolded, but my midwife said that was fine and that I looked great :) I have underestimated how good a comment like that can feel.

Symptoms: It was another wonderful week.  I have nothing to complain about except the fact that winter is holding on a little too long this year. 

 

Movement: Nope.  I just can't wait!

Maternity Clothes: Yes, I've been taking advantage of them.  My mom helped me find a maternity swimsuit.  I tried on clothes and started to pack yesterday for our trip to Florida.  It's going to be a lot of comfy, athletic clothes for me.

Go-to eats:  Still cheese and lettuce.  Yum!  I was really craving chicken nuggets on Friday night, but then ate them and they weren't as good as I wanted them to me. 
 

Best moment/s of the week:  I got to hang out with good friend Emily and her babe Leo on Wednesday.  Saw Hannah, Ethan, Erin and Ryan on Tuesday, and Keri and Jeremy on Sunday.  Best best part was free prenatal yoga on Saturday morning.  The Bump Club of the Twin Cities puts it on along with many other events.  They do prenatal yoga once a month so I will defininetly be going again.  I suggest all Twin Cities mommas to check this out!

Hardest moment/s of the week:  Swimsuit shopping.  
 

Gender:  I have no thoughts about it.  There are so many different exciting factors to having either a boy or a girl.  We did get to schedule our 20 week ultrasound apointment for April 12.  I cannot wait!

What I wish people knew:  I want to be okay with not being Super Mom, but it's really hard to think about "failing" or at least not meeting my own expectations.  

What I’m looking forward to: FLORIDA!

Milestones:  Your fingers and toes now have their own unique fingerprints! 

To check out our growing baby bump, click here :)

Baby Freebies/Coupons, Part Two

Sidenote to my pregnancy posts:  As I post I plan to be completely honest about my feelings and thoughts as we ride this rollercoaster into parenthood.  I plan to use this blog as a way for me to process this journey.  Thanks for taking the time to read.

There are a lot of freebies and coupons for baby products out there. If there is something specific I'm looking for I always make sure to search for a coupon first. I have also scoured other blogs to find places to sign-up for freebies/coupons. Although sweepstakes aren't a sure way (or actually a pretty close to 0% chance) of stocking up for baby they aren't a bad idea to check out every once and a while. Here are some freebies I've found recently: (I'll keep sharing new freebies when I find them.)  Check out this post for more.

https://www.sevenslings.com/

Get a free sling using BABIESONLINE coupon code. I just tried the code and it works. The only cost is shipping, which ended up being $11.90. The code is for a $40 credit it looks like, so it can be applied to other products on the website, but the cost will end up being the difference after the $40 is subtracted.

https://www.honest.com/account/select-bundle

https://www.honest.com/faq

I actually used my freebie for this company three weeks ago. There are two monthly subscriptions that they offer, one called Family Essentials with household products and one with diapers. I got 5 travel sized household products including Shampoo & Body Wash, Lotion, Healing Balm, Laundry Detergent and Hand Soap. (I haven't used them yet, but I have used their Multi-Surface Cleaner and I like it) Their diaper sample just comes with diapers and wipes. The only cost is shipping which is currently $5.95. They are offering free shipping over $50 for the month of March. One note about the free trial is that to cancel I had to make a phone call to the company. They were very friendly, but still slightly pushy about me keeping their service. If I hadn't made a call they would have just started sending me my monthly subscription of products. The subscriptions are nice because they are customizable to a family's needs offering most of the company's products. I like the company as a whole because they are trying to offer safer cleaning products. Below are two videos one of Jessica Alba talking about The Honest Company (it's hers) and one of a husband and wife who both signed up and got each trial package.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QBI-vt2RvY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHjTdTfoUGw

UdderCoverPillows – www.uddercovers.com

I just found the coupon code over ENBABY at The Frugal Living Blog http://simplyfrugalliving.com/2013/02/12/free-nursing-pillow-udder-covers-just-pay-shipping/ for a free UdderCover nursing cover. It is similar to the Seven Slings code in that it takes off $35 from whatever gets put in the online shopping cart. The blog above also said the code will work for a free nursing pillow. Again just like Seven Slings the cost to me would be the shipping which came to $11.95 when I did it.  I believe this code can also get nursing pads, just pay shipping and handling.  

https://www.carseatcanopy.com/

Using the code FABULESS1 get a free carseat canopy or get a discounted 5-piece set.  Just pay shipping and handling.  Here's a review of the carseat canopy:  http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2012/09/i-love-my-free-carseat-canopy-just-pay-shipping.html

www.nursingpillow.com

Using the code FABFRUGAL1 get a free nursing pillow, just pay shipping and handling $12.95.  The code works on other products on their site, they will just be discounted. 

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is not available in my area, but it's worth checking out! I believe it's one free book per month. Click here for more info: http://www.imaginationlibrary.com/

Baby Magazines

I was offered both American Baby and Baby Talk early on, but I found them as I was signing up for other offers.  I also received two magazines when I registered at Babies R Us, which had the little cards I could send in for a free subscription.  I also signed up for Parents (the magazine) online and just received a promotional email.  I got four years of the magazine plus a free bag for only $15.  

I signed up for the Gymboree (www.gymboree.com) mailing list and got a free body suit with $10 purchase.  It was good to use in store if I printed it off or valid online.  

Thanks for reading :)  Enjoy your day!

sixteen weeks = four months!

Sidenote to my pregnancy posts:  As I post I plan to be completely honest about my feelings and thoughts as we ride this rollercoaster into parenthood.  I plan to use this blog as a way for me to process this journey.  Thanks for taking the time to read.

Date/How Far Along: March 11, 2013 = 16 weeks, 2 days.

Size of baby: Avocado..

Sleep: I still can't complain about sleep.  I'm usually pretty comfortable.  I haven't started sleeping or lounging on the couch with a pillow between my legs.  I think that helps my hips be less sore.   

Total Weight Gain:  I think my estimate was too high last week after I weighed myself in, but I'm going to our midwife on Friday, so I'll get an official weight then.  I'm supposed to gain 1 pound a week now since I'm in my second trimester, so I should've gained 7.5 total since I started.  We'll see.

Symptoms: Today was a great week and I honestly have no complaints.  I know each week and even each day is different, but I'm going to savor this one since it was pretty darn good.

Movement: Nothing yet, but I'm patiently waiting.  I had a friend tell me she didn't feel her baby girl until 22 weeks because of how her uterus was positioned, so I might be patiently waiting for a while.  I'm just so excited for it to happen! 

Maternity Clothes: Yup. Not full time yet though.  I'm thankful for them because they're just more comfortable overall than my regular clothes.  I'm worried about what I'll pack for Florida in two weeks.  I'm pretty sure it'll be a bunch of athletic shorts and my maternity t-shirts.  I have NO IDEA what to do about a swimsuit.  I might just try to rock a two-piece and not care what anyone else thinks.

Go-to eats:  Cheese and romaine lettuce.  I went through two packages of lettuce last week.  I am always so hungry while we're cooking supper, so usually I have a salad as an appetizer.  There isn't really anything that makes me feel queasy.

Best moment/s of the week:  Seeing friends and finally getting some energy back.  I was SO thankful to see Keri and Kate and it was fun to get to spend time with Marley and Kendra.  I also feel like I got lots done around the house because I had extra energy.  
 
Hardest moment/s of the week:  Daylight Savings. 

Gender: I have no idea.  Daddy is still thinking you're a boy.  I can't wait until 20 weeks when we'll hopefully get to find out for sure.  I've been researching where we can get cakes that are pink or blue on the inside :)

What I wish people knew:  I believe most pregnant women do their best to do what's right by their baby and themselves, whether it's eating something on the no-no list once and a while, having coffee, sitting on the couch instead of exercising.  We're all doing our best so don't judge or feel like we'd appreciate negative criticism or correction.  

What I’m looking forward to:  Seeing my dear friend Emily and her babe Leo on Wednesday and having an official midwife appointment on Friday. 

Milestones:  Your taste buds are forming!  I seriously hope you have the same love for sushi that I do, so we can drag daddy there at least once a week.

To check out the growing baby bump, click here :)  

My Best Men and a Memory Log

My best men, John and Comet.  There could be another in my life, but we won't know until April.
Update 5.7.13:  Baby Hammar is a Boy!

I want to keep a list of activities/events/memories I do not want to forgot during this pregnancy.  This post is definetly for my own personal enjoyment/memory log, but feel free to read anyway :)

- John told me my baby belly is cute. 

- When we were at Motherhood Maternity last weekend John saw peepee teepees and had no idea what they were. We had a good laugh after I explained it. 

- This week (mid 15th) I finally stopped feeling exhausted. 

- Maternity clothes are really comfy, but can be crazy expensive so shop wisely.

- Remember that weight gain is a positive. 

- Cheese and romaine lettuce have been delicious. 

- The neighbors Allie and Rick are expecting three days before us. 

- Our friends Keri and Jeremy are expecting in June. 

- I've tried talking to the babe, but I feel silly. I won't quit trying.
- Coffee dates with Laura.  I'm going to miss her when she goes off to college.

- Being rubbed and loved on by Marley and Kendra.

- Lunch dates with Kate and Keri.

- Crazy dreams.  I've had one where John was no where to be found when I went into labor.  I had one where we decided to go on a dating show.  

- At week 15, day 4 I finally had some energy back!  I walked four miles that day.  My body was very upset, but I had the energy.

- Remember that pregnancy could be all about deprivation, but it's really about being safe and healthy.
- I love our family's excitment about the babe.
- I started sleeping with a pillow between my legs at 16 weeks.  I also feel like I am visibly pregnant now.
- Remembering to enjoy the time we have with Comet sans babe.  He's going to need some extra tlc once the babe arrives.
- I actually don't mind people touching my belly.  It might get old, but I especially find it endearing when it's a friend or family member.  I haven't had a stranger do it yet though.

Update 5.7.13:
-  Hearing, "You're showing, it's so cute."
-  Popped during week 18.
-  March 30: TSA agent asked if I was having a baby :)
-  March 30:  Babe's first movements.  Having a dance party in there during church.
-  When we found out we were having a boy, John talked about bringing him to Gopher games on the way home.  He's so excited.
-  April 28:  Daddy feels you for the first time.
-  You and I love reading books about dogs, especially Harry the Dirty Dog.
-  Your momma loves prenatal yoga.
-  Feeling so blessed and loved as friends and family ask if they can host baby showers for us.
-  May 5: We started painting the walls in your nursery.

Update 6.18.13:
-  May 7:  We had a howling party with Comet and the baby loved it.
-  May 11:  My mom, John's mom, Hannah and Cate felt him move.
-  May 15:  Marley raps Eminem for the babe.
-  May 29:  John thanked me for carrying our baby.
-  May 25 and June 1: Our first two baby showers.  SO much fun!  The babe got so many great and thoughtful gifts.  I loved seeing all the people who were able to attend as well.
-   May 30:  First Braxton-Hicks contraction.
-  Week of June 10:  We basically finished the nursery.
-  June 16:  Celebrating Father's Day
-  June 21:  The start of midwife appointments every two weeks instead of every month.

This will be a post that I continually add onto :)

For baby bump and baby related photos, click here!

Baby Freebies/Coupons, Part One

Sidenote to my pregnancy posts:  As I post I plan to be completely honest about my feelings and thoughts as we ride this rollercoaster into parenthood.  I plan to use this blog as a way for me to process this journey.  Thanks for taking the time to read.

There are a lot of freebies and coupons for baby products out there. If there is something specific I'm looking for I always make sure to search for a coupon first. I have also scoured other blogs to find places to sign-up for freebies/coupons. Although sweepstakes aren't a sure way (or actually a pretty close to 0% chance way) of stocking up for baby they aren't a bad idea to check out every once and a while. Here are the companies I signed up with for freebies and coupons.  Often times when there was an opportunity for me to register with a company after I was finished they linked me to other offers.  Most of them also included an email list, but I didn't care and just unsubscribe if I wasn't interested in getting information from them all the time.  I will post more if I come across them.

Keep in mind that starting a registry at Babies R Us, Target and BuyBuy Baby gets you a gift bag.  Refer to my post about registering for more information.

1. Enfamil Family Beginnings:  https://www.enfamil.com/app/iwp/ConsumerRegisterLoadConsentInfo.do?referralID=174&cm_mmc=Digitas-SEM-_-Google-EFB-_-Brand-_-enfamil%20family%20beginnings

They advertise that I will receive free samples of products, up to $250 in free gifts and up to $60 in savings.  (And the monthly email.)  I haven't received anything from them yet, but they ask for a due date and since we have months to go I thought that might be the reason.  I'll update if I receive anything.

2. Similac Strong Moms: https://similac.com/registration?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_term=similac%20strong%20moms&utm_content=similac%20-%20strongmoms&utm_campaign=customer%20retention&cid=ppc_an_sim_ggl_bkws_2783

They promise a $20 credit towards baby announcements to Shutterfly during pregnancy.  I should've done a little more research before signing up for this one because I already got my email with coupon code for that and it expires at the end of April.  If anyone needs it let me know and I'd be happy to forward it.  After our babe is born they promise up to $329 in membership rewards (not sure what that means) and samples and coupons delivered straight to my door.  This is one I'll have to wait until after the babe is born to see if it was worth it.  I might consider signing my husband up when it gets closer to our delivery so we can get another credit for baby announcements. 

Update 7.17.13:  I got free formula in the mail from Similac Strong Moms!  I plan to breastfeed, but if that doesn't work out or if we eventually have to supplement with formula these full size samples will be great!  Another perk of signing up for this program :)

3.  Everyday Family:  http://www.everydayfamily.com/register/

They are a good website to register on to find other special offers and deals.  They must have a lot of collaboration from other companies.  It is also a great source of information.  There are numerous ways to chat with other moms and moms-to-be here.  

4. Gerber Start Healthy, Stay Healthy:

I signed up for this one through the Everyday Family website. It says they offer up to $114 in free coupons and offers. Gerber also offers an opportunity to get a backpack full of goodies if I was going to deliver at a participating hospital. We are not, so we'll have to miss out on that one. To check your hospital visit: http://www.gerber.com/allstages/special_offers/backpack.aspx

5. Playtex: http://www.playtexbaby.com/SignUp.aspx

This only says it's for tips and exclusive savings.  I haven't received anything yet.

6. Johnson & Johnson: I don't have a lot of information from this one because I found it on another blog and I can't seem to find it now that I'm writing this post. The only reason I think it's worth mentioning is that their “New Mommies” program was discontinued, but they still sent me five valuable coupons with either no expiration date or they expire no earlier than next year.

Extra FYI: As I googled baby freebies I had to double check a few to make sure if they had expired or if a company was no longer offering that program. Sometimes the blog posts I found were from 4-5 years ago, so I've been checking the date of each post I read so I don't get excited about a freebie that may no longer exist. Also make sure to double-check if the program is offered in your area. I found dead ends at a few because they were only offered in Canada or the UK.  Some mommy bloggers talked about just emailing/calling companies and they would send products.  I'm not good at phone calls, so I only called Johnson & Johnson.  Many sources also said to mention if your family is expecting mutiples because they will often send more coupons/products.  Happy searching!

Here are a few blogs that continually post freebies:

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/tag/baby-freebies

http://thefreebieblogger.com/2879/baby-freebies/

Guest Post: Becoming an Auntie

I asked my youngest sister to write this Guest Post for me this morning because she has a snow day and got the day off.  Her district had the day off yesterday too because it was the end of the trimester.  Lucky girl! She is wonderful and I adore her.  Ten years separates us so she provided me with a lot of my infant experience early on.  She turned sixteen a few months ago and got her driver's license.  It seems like she grew up so fast and I have trouble still calling her my little sister even though she's not so little anymore.  She is a diving in the fall, a gymnast in the winter and runs track in the spring.  She has a lot of athletic talent.  We know she'll be a great auntie and the baby will be so blessed to have her in his/her life.  Thanks for the sweet post Cate!  Love you! 

Cate the day she found out :)

"Auntie Cate"..I can't wait to hear those words come out of the sweet little baby's mouth. How exciting to get to hear those words! When I found out I was "head-over-heals" excited! I have been waiting 5 years to get the news of getting to be an auntie, now I just have to wait patiently for 5 more months, but at least I know the precious babe is coming. I love hearing about the progressions in Em's pregnancy. I was the youngest so I never got to see my mom go through this. So getting to see my sister experience this is so cool to me. I just wish I lived closer to her, so I could feel her belly :) I know Emily will be a GREAT mom.

To the future Little Hammar--I can't wait till you are here. I am sure there will be some arguing of who gets to hold you. So get ready for the Latt craziness:)

P.S. You are going to have awesome parents!!:)

Love, Caitie

fifteen weeks.

Sidenote to my pregnancy posts:  As I post I plan to be completely honest about my feelings and thoughts as we ride this rollercoaster into parenthood.  I plan to use this blog as a way for me to process this journey.  Thanks for taking the time to read.

How Far Along: 15 weeks, 2 days.

Size of baby: Apple.

Sleep: Sleep is still going pretty well.  I'm still able to sleep on my stomach, especially if I put one foot out to prop myself up a little.  I've had a little trouble when I move suddenly though.  I get a sharp pain on the right side of my uterus which apparently is called round ligament pain.  It only lasts a few seconds, but it is awful.  I've been able to get back to sleep quickly afterwards so it's not too big of an issue.  

Total Weight Gain:  My estimate would be about 6 pounds.  I didn't have to work today because of the snow, so I'll weigh myself tomorrow.  Although I struggled for a while with gaining weight, but now I'm feeling okay.  The babe needs nutrients, so I gotta provide. 

Symptoms: The worst is being tired, so I'm not complaining.  My nausea has pretty much subsided.  When I get hungry though my stomach is SO hungry.  That's quickly remedied with a snack :)  I've also started having the round ligament pain, which is awful, but short lived. 

Movement: Nothing, but I've heard other women feel it this early.  I'm patiently waiting.  I am honestly so excited about this part of pregnancy!  I can't wait for John to be able to feel it either.  

Maternity Clothes: Yup.  I bought a few items from Old Navy and I've been rotating them in with my regular clothes.  I have been using my Belly Band, which is great because I don't have to button or zip my regular pants.  It's very comfortable while I'm standing, but slightly uncomfortable when sitting for a long period of time. 

Go-to eats:  I want salads SO bad this week.  I homemade the salad dressing from Olive Garden, which is so good.  I'm not currently having any food aversions.  

Best moment/s of the week:  Your daddy and I got to spend the whole weekend together.  We celebrated a positive change for him at work on Friday night at our favorite place for burgers in St. Paul.  Saturday we got a few more plates for the house because we only had three left and yesterday we got a La Z Boy and a rug.  You won't have to lay on the wood floor now!  I'm feeling like a happy momma because more details are falling into place for your arrival. 

Hardest moment/s of the week:  There wasn't anything hard about this week.  It's been a great one!

Gender: I was thinking you were a girl last week, but now I'm unsure again.  Your daddy still thinks your a boy.  He regularly calls you a 'he'.  No one else has voiced their opinions either.  The beginning of April can't come soon enough.

What I wish people knew:  Some details about our pregnancy are things we cherish together.  They are what we enjoy thinking about and talking about.  It seems like people believe all of the details about our pregnancy are fair game to ask questions about.

What I’m looking forward to:  I got a snow day today :)  We get to see Hannah and Ethan this weekend.  I also get to hang out with Harper on Saturday. 

Milestones:  You are 4 inches long and weigh almost 2 ounces.  You can sense light even though your eyes aren't open yet.  

To check out my growing baby bump click here :)

Our Dating Ultrasound

Sidenote to my pregnancy posts:  As I post I plan to be completely honest about my feelings and thoughts as we ride this rollercoaster into parenthood.  I plan to use this blog as a way for me to process this journey.  Thanks for taking the time to read.

Our first appointment with our midwife was on a Wednesday. I thought I was 8.5 weeks along, according to my last period. It is also what every algorithm said on the internet.  She did all her tests and felt my uterus and thought I was only 7.5 weeks. Since my periods are generally inconsistent she recommended that we go in for a dating ultrasound. I'm not sure how frequent this procedure is recommended, but when John told his coworkers about it none of them remembered doing it with their wives. We wanted to know how far along we were too if the general dating method could be invalid for us so we scheduled one for two days later. We couldn't get into our regular clinic so I had to drive to Chanhassen. It was lucky we got in because we were going on vacation on Saturday and apparently the earlier this ultrasound is performed the better they are at predicting an accurate due date.

Since it was early on in my pregnancy I had to drink 20oz of water 45 minutes before the procedure. I found this slightly hilarious that they ask pregnant women to do this. In my first trimester I had to pee all the time. My uterus has moved up now, so it's not as bad, but seriously. Every bump I had to drive over on the way there was pretty difficult and then when I had to wait in the waiting room I didn't know if I was going to make it. I also hadn't been able to find a lot of information about dating ultrasounds, so I was unsure of what to expect when I got there.

I had a very friendly and knowledgeable ultrasound tech. She put me at ease. They started with an exterior ultrasound.  There wasn't much for me to see because my uterus is tilted backwards. (The midwife said they can be tilted forward or backward and it's just like being left or right handed.) She did show me the heartbeat though, which was so neat. I asked her why drinking so much water before was necessary. She told me that because the uterus is generally tucked behind the bladder it's much easier to see through it when it's full. Pregnancy fact for the day, check. After the exterior ultrasound was finished she told me I could pee, which I couldn't really do because I had held that much water for so long.

I then had to undress from the waist down for an internal ultrasound. (This was where I was missing a lot of information...) I followed instructions and the tech came back into the room. The instrument used is an internal transducer wand, looks like a magician wand. She asked me if it was okay if she inserted it. Of course I just reacted and said it was fine, but afterward giggled about what the alternative options could have been.  Maybe some pregnant moms are very involved in the process and they do it themselves. I don't know.  It was awkward, just a little uncomfortable. It's basically a camera that the tech moves around to get all the photos she needs. Although it was uncomfortable I hardly noticed because I could see our baby. It looked like a gummi bear, but later when I was explaining it's movements (aka ninja chops) to John he decided it would be the Dragon Warrior. A helpful sidenote is that John got Kung Fu Panda for Christmas. It's probably on his fave five list right now. It was amazing to see that our 9 week old was moving around. Its little arms were flailing and its heart was beating strongly. I really wish John could've made it to that appointment, but we still have our twenty week ultrasound so he'll come to that one.

In the end the tech had me measuring at 9 weeks and 2 days, but according to my period I was 8 weeks and 6 days. She said usually the midwife/doctor doesn't change the due date when it's only a few days difference. Our little Dragon Warrior should be gracing us with its presence somewhere around August 24, 2013.  

For a photo jump to the previous post or click here.