Nineteen Weeks.

It's our last week as a teenager - and we are inching closer and closer to that halfway point! This week you are now a full six inches long and you weigh an impressive 8 ounces - half a pound!! My baby book says that your kidneys are now fully functioning and producing urine and you are still busy packing on the fat as your body bulks up.

This week has been really exciting since I've now started to feel your kicks and punches and head-butts :) I still only feel a couple of your movements a day, and it's usually in the evening when I'm relaxed. The doctor said that as I move and talk throughout the day it kind of rocks you to sleep. And then when I sit or lay still for a while you wake up and start hopping around. It is so cool to feel you moving - and I'm excited for when it starts getting more consistent. Now, I'll feel you move and tell your dad - "I felt the baby!", then he'll come and put his hand on my belly and wait for another kick... and of course then we don't feel a thing! Oh well, I'm sure soon enough I'll be feeling you all the time :)

How far along? 19 weeks
Maternity clothes? I did some shopping last weekend and stocked up on maternity shirts - much more flattering and comfortable! So I guess now I've made the switch to full on maternity wear!
Stretch marks? None yet!
Sleep: Still sleeping pretty well, unfortunately I've been getting up to use the bathroom a lot lately!
Best moment this week? Definitely feeling you bounce around in there - it's one of the coolest things I've felt! And our great appointment with the doctor last week.
Miss anything? Not using the bathroom every 20 minutes...
Movement? A couple of kicks here and there at night time - great!
Food cravings? Bagels & cream cheese (mostly the cream cheese!), chocolate milk, cadbury mini eggs
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!
Have you started to show yet? There is really no hiding the bump anymore - I'm definitely looking pregnant these days :)
Mood? Happy! I'm really enjoying being pregnant!
What are you looking forward to this week? Heading up to my parent's house this weekend :)

All my love, Mom

Appointment Update & Mom's First Brag.

Last night was our 18 week appointment with the doctor - it was pretty routine, but still so awesome. I went in and they took my weight, blood pressure and a urine sample, everything was good - no signs of high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia) or gestational diabetes. My weight is up about 4 pounds from last month, which the doctor says is right on track with how far along I am - yay! My belly is also measuring at the right size - a good sign considering the amount of PB&J sandwiches that have been stuffed in there :)

Then, the cool part - hearing your heartbeat :) Doctor put the doppler down on my belly and we could immediately hear your woosh-woosh-woosh little heartbeat - then in about two seconds it was gone. So she moved the wand a bit and right away we heard it again. For about a second. And then nothing but static again. Then there is was again! And gone again... then the doctor started laughing - huh?!? What's going on? We had just been talking about how I thought I might be feeling you moving around, but I wasn't 100% sure. Well, the doctor said, "Baby is being a little stinker and moving so much that I can't pick up enough consecutive beats to get a heart rate. He or she is most definitely kicking around in there!"

Well that made me laugh so hard and dad was laughing too - and you just kept on squirming around :) Not that I haven't loved you up to this point, but for some reason at that moment - I just realized how much I really do love you already. I was just so proud of you - kicking and rolling and dancing around, it seemed like you decided it was time to show off and let us know how strong you are :) And I loved every second of it - in fact I'm still grinning ear-to-ear as I write this! Eventually you did slow down just enough for the doctor to get your heart rate of 138 bpm which was great too. But still, as we were driving home I said to dad - I think I'm having the first moment where I want to call people and brag about how darn cute my kid is, 'cause really - you are freaking adorable!! It was just a great night :)

Last night, dad also felt you kick his hand through my belly which was so awesome :) And now this morning I think you must be enjoying the music I'm listening to, because you are definitely having a little dance party in there! It feels SO cool to know that you are absolutely happy in there and that you are thriving. I'm just so proud of you - keep it up baby :)

Our next appointment is in three weeks on March 15 - and that will be the really fun one! We will get to spend lots of time seeing you on the ultrasound as they take all your measurements and check out all of your body to make sure you are growing healthy and happy in there :) I'm getting really excited for that!! I just hope you aren't doing too many ninja moves at that point - the doctors need to get a nice long look at you, so you'll have to behave a little bit then. But until then - keep on partying Squirms!!

All my love, Mom

Eighteen Weeks.

Welcome to Month 5, baby! You are the size of an adorable sweet potato this week - about 5.5 inches long and you weigh about 6 ounces. Apparently you're just hanging out, yawning, hiccuping, swallowing, and just being a busy little bee! Oh! And, you have your own unique tiny fingerprints now :)

I'm still waiting to feel the first kicks from you - there are times (usually in the evenings) when I think I feel a little nudge or poke or something from you, but I really have no idea if it's actually you or not! I'm ready and waiting though! We go to the doctor on Thursday for a checkup, and I'm excited to hear your little heartbeat again! Besides that, the checkups are pretty boring ... it is nice to know that everything is going well though.

My belly seems to be growing overnight - I'm at the point now where most of my regular shirts and sweaters don't fit quite right anymore. But, any maternity tops are still way to big for me - they make me just look chubby instead of cute and pregnant :( So I'm still trying to find a happy medium, I ordered a few maternity shirts online so hopefully I'll be out of this stage soon. At the rate you're growing though - it shouldn't be long! Here we are at 18 weeks:

How far along? 18 weeks
Maternity clothes? Like I said above, it won't be long before I make the transition to maternity shirts.
Stretch marks? Nope - but I should buy stock in Vaseline lotion!
Sleep: Sleeping great lately :)
Best moment this week? Spending the weekend up north with your dad - and of course my spa day!
Miss anything? Getting out of chairs and bed without feeling dizzy.
Movement? Maybe? I don't know ...
Food cravings? Last night I had a hankering for Vitale's pasta and meat sauce - and of course your wonderful dad made the trip to pick it up for me :)
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!
Have you started to show yet? I think it's getting more obvious, but it still depends on the type of shirt I wear.
Mood? Feeling good - I'm loving my little baby bump lately!
What are you looking forward to this week? Our doctor appointment on Thursday :)

We're closing in on the halfway point - crazy!! Stay warm and keep having fun in there :)

All my love, Mom

A Year of Dates: February.

This past weekend we enjoyed the first part of the Valentine's day gift I gave to your dad this year. I had planned out a date for every month for the next year, and put the information for each date into an envelope. At the beginning of every month, your dad will open the envelope and then we can go on our date :) I'm excited for him to see everything I've planned - he's been guessing about some of the dates... and he's been right about some of the ideas, but not others! I wanted to write about our adventures so you can see that we weren't always the lame mom & dad that I'm sure you'll think we are some day.


We got up early on Saturday and drove up to Traverse City. After about 2.5 hours on the road, we checked into our hotel - the Grand Traverse Resort.

Once we got there I headed to the amazing spa that they have in the hotel and your dad took the shuttle a couple of miles away to Turtle Creek Casino.  I had a wonderful day at the spa - I was pampered with a massage, a facial, a manicure & a pedicure - talk about spoiled!!


After I was done at the spa and your dad came back from the casino, we got all dressed up to go to dinner:

We enjoyed a wonderful 4 course meal at the Aerie Restaurant on the 16th floor of the hotel. The food was so delicious and the view over the Traverse Bay at sunset was really cool.  


Of course, I also made your dad take a picture of my baby bump while I was dressed up - here we are at 17 weeks 5 days:

On Sunday morning, we woke up bright and early and then went to the Sweetwater Bistro for a yummy breakfast. Then we got packed up and hit the road back home. We had a beautiful, sunny drive back to Grand Rapids. And of course I had your dad to be my chauffeur for the weekend... ok, let's face it - he's my chauffeur everywhere :)

On the drive back, I looked down at the cardigan sweater I was wearing and the buttons were popping open - I said to your dad, "Hmmm, I don't think I can wear this sweater anymore... maybe it's time for some maternity shirts." Pretty exciting! 


I also thought I was maybe feeling you tapping on my belly on Sunday ... it's soft, but there is something there :) I can't be sure it's you that I'm feeling, but it makes me so much more excited for when I finally do feel it! Your dad sat with his hand on my tummy for a while yesterday, but I guess you go a little bit of stage fright, because I didn't really feel you after that. Oh well, I know it won't be long!


Well that's it for our first 'date' of the year - we're off to a good start I think! 


All my love, Mom

Seventeen Weeks.

Here we are in the final week of our fourth month together - man, time flies! And this week you are starting to take after your mom ... you are starting to pack on your baby fat as you gain some weight! You are growing quickly - you're now about the size of an onion. You're about 5 inches long and you weigh about 6 oz. That just seems so big to me, but I've said that before :) Another cool thing you're doing this week is turning a lot of the cartilage into solid bone. Keep it up baby!

You accompanied me on a nice 3.5 mile run yesterday - the weather was beautiful, Leo cooperated, and I felt great! If all goes well you and I will be running the Irish Jig 5K race next month - I'm really looking forward to that! We also did yoga on Tuesday night and I have another class tonight. It feels really good to accomplish some physical activity - even more so now that I know I'm taking care of both of us :)

Here's our picture from this week ... Mom's looking a little disheveled after yoga :/ I think I actually look a little bit smaller now than last week - so maybe it was the meatballs after all!

How far along? 17 weeks
Maternity clothes? Still only maternity pants, but I may need to get some new shirts here pretty soon.
Stretch marks? None yet :)
Sleep: I've actually been getting back to my normal sleep schedule lately - I can't stay up quite as late, but I'm not totally exhausted anymore
Best moment this week? Enjoying a great run yesterday and a long chat with Amanda, and most importantly knowing that my dad was going to be getting better soon!
Miss anything? I miss being carefree - about what I eat and drink, exercise, hot tubs, enjoying a night out. I have a lot more to consider now - and that's a good thing!
Movement? Still waiting...
Food cravings? Continuing to chow down on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches - and a new obsession: golden oreos with chocolate cream!
Anything making you queasy or sick? Not really - feeling good!
Have you started to show yet? Just a tiny bit - I still don't think I look obviously pregnant
Mood? Doing ok after my dad's health scare earlier this week
What are you looking forward to this week? No contest - heading to the spa for the day on Saturday - can't wait to be pampered! And spend some time away with your dad!

Hope you're doing well - you can make your squirmy presence known any time now, I'll be waiting to feel it!!

All my love, Mom

Happy Valentine's Day!

I know it's kind of a Hallmark holiday, but I still really like Valentine's Day - it's just fun to see all of the nice things people do for each other and to hear all the words of love. It is just a nice time of the year. This year was just a little bit different for me though.

We had kind of a rough day on Monday when I found out that my dad had had a minor heart attack. Wow. Talk about scary stuff. I was not expecting that phone call and it was really tough for me to deal with and comprehend at first. Luckily your Grandpa E. was taken care of very quickly by some great doctors and he is now doing just fine. Hopefully he continues to recover quickly and will be back to normal in no time. I'm so thankful that this situation didn't have a different ending, I just really can't imagine not having my dad here with me - and I don't even want to think about the possibility that you wouldn't have gotten the chance to meet him. I just pray that he doesn't have any other complications and he gets to go home soon - that would be the best Valentine's day gift ever!

Once I saw him in the hospital on Monday and talked to him yesterday, I was able to calm down a lot and it actually made me appreciate the holiday yesterday just a little bit more. And of course, it helped to have some wonderful gifts from your dad to make my day a little easier! He first gave me a new rose charm for my bracelet that your Aunt Amanda gave me for Christmas - it's really beautiful:

It was kind of funny because he said he had a different charm already purchased when a couple of weeks ago, I got that same charm as a gift in the mail from Aunt Amanda :) So he returned that one and bought the rose charm instead! I guess great minds think alike! Here is the charm Amanda sent me ... in your honor!

Your dad also gave me a really sweet card and some delicious chocolates that he picked out for me from the local candy shop - he picked out all the kinds I like - yum!

For my gift to your dad, I gave him something that we can both enjoy all year long - I planned out one date for each month for the next year and placed the information for each date in an envelope. Now, at the beginning of every month your dad will open that month's envelope and we will go on our date! I'm so excited for him to see all the fun stuff I have planned :) Here are some pictures of all the dates, waiting to be opened!

We are going on our first date this weekend - a trip to Traverse City, a day at the casino for your dad and a day at the spa for me, then dinner and a night at a hotel there :) I'm really looking forward to the spa - hopefully you enjoy it too!!

Happy Valentine's Day my dear little squirms!!

All my love, Mom

Words of Wisdom.

I promise I'm going to try to not be the type of mom who thinks they need to dispense advice to you at every single point in your life. My own mom is darn near perfect when it comes to advice - she doesn't give me her two cents on everything but she always has great insight and words of wisdom whenever I ask, and even the unsolicited advice is usually something true & profound. I promise I'll try to do the same. Because I know, no matter how much advice I give you, you'll always have the power to make your own decisions in life.

That said, something you should know is that we all benefit from the wisdom of others. I came home from work yesterday and I was surprised to see your dad was home too - he got done with work a little early. As I walk in the door, Leo is there to greet me (like always), I take of my shoes and coat and step into the kitchen. The first thing I see is this:

The next thing I see is your wonderful father - he bought me these beautiful flowers... for no reason at all, other than to make me happy. He's pretty great. Tulips are my favorite flower and purple is my favorite color and the white ones are just like the beautiful flowers we had at our wedding. So simple and yet so thoughtful - they brightened my mood, my kitchen, and my day, and this is one of the many, many reasons that I love your dad.

So, baby, my first piece of advice for you is this: to my daughter - find the man that will buy you your favorite flowers just because he loves you. To my son - surprise the woman you love with her favorite flowers just to make her smile. Because it really is the simple things like this that can make your relationship & life better than ever. It reminds you why you love your partner and that they love you just as much.

I hope with all my heart that someday you will find the person that makes you feel happy and complete and loved - there's really nothing else like it.

All my love, Mom

Sixteen Weeks.

I really cannot believe that I'm already 16 weeks pregnant - it seems like it was just a few days ago that I was 7 weeks and I felt like I would never make it to 12 weeks - time was just dragging! Being pregnant is starting to seem more and more real every day. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that now I can actually see my body changing so quickly. Don't get me wrong, seeing you on the ultrasound or hearing your heartbeat is so cool, but for some reason I was still feeling a little detatched from that, it just didn't seem real. But now, I can see my stomach growing and feel it getting harder and that is just undeniable proof that you are in there!

This week you are now the size of an avocado - about 4.5 inches long! That just seems so big to me!! My baby book also says your eyelashes are now filling in and your fingernails are also growing like crazy. I think the coolest thing this week is that your ear bones are now formed so you can hear things! Like dad and I talking or music playing or my heart beating ... or in quieter times - your nutty mom talking to herself or the dog :/ By the time you're born you should recognize my voice - wow. I just can't wait!

I feel like my belly sort of 'popped' overnight on Sunday... I woke up Monday morning and said to dad "Holy crap, I look pregnant." To which he replied "um yeah, well you are pregnant honey ..." He thinks I'm a little bonkers sometimes. Usually my belly is not very noticable in the mornings and sort of grows as the day goes along, but the for the last couple of days this has not been the case. There is really no hiding it or sucking it in anymore. I still don't think I'm noticably pregnant, but I don't think it will be long before I start getting comments and looks from strangers.

How far along? 16 weeks
Maternity clothes? Still just pants
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: Starting to get just a tiny bit uncomfortable at night, my back has been sore which can make it tough to fall asleep
Best moment this week? Having a lovely relaxing weekend just bumming around with your dad
Miss anything? Being able to take motrin for this never-ending headache I've been dealing with
Movement? No :( But all the books say it could be anytime now!!
Food cravings? Meatballs!!!
Anything making you queasy or sick? Overeating ... doesn't take much anymore
Have you started to show yet? To me - I'm obviously pregnant. To others - I've had too many meatballs and oreos.
Mood? Happy and a little impatient!
What are you looking forward to this week? Getting back into running with dad - I put my money where my mouth is and signed up for my running club again. So hopefully that will motivate me to start running again. I'm also really enjoying yoga - so relaxing and helpful!

After dad took my pictures last night, I made him and Leo get in on the act - Leo was happy to oblige:

Your dad was acting all camera shy and tried to hide in the cupboard, of course Leo wanted whatever dad what about to eat...

I finally talked him into taking a picture with me - here we are, waiting for you!!

Keep on growing my sweet little guacamole :) I'll keep providing the treats!

All my love, Mom