Week 16 & 17

Week 16 and17 feel like a blur. I have been crazy busy with work and when I get home from work I'm completely exhausted. Baby has moved from the size of an avocado to the size of an onion. Has moved from 4.6 inches and 3.5 ounces to 5.1 inches and 5.9 ounces. Baby's skeleton is hardening, the umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and the fingers and toes now have prints. 

How far along: 17 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Still don't own a scale so couldn't even guess 2+ something

Maternity clothes: Still wearing my everyday clothes.

Stretch marks: None

Sleep: Starting to be more and more restless at night.

Best moment of the week: Getting off training and officially working at work

Miss anything: Still missing a good mixed drink

Movement: None that I have felt, still hoping I feel something this week

Food cravings: Strawberry chicken poppyseed salad from Panera

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, zero morning sickness

Have you started to show: Yes, but I still don't feel pregnant

Gender prediction: Leaning towards boy even though everyone thinks girl 

Labor signs: None

Belly button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: ON

Happy or moody: Happy with a few emotional meltdowns but happy

Weekly Wisdom: Really don't have any this week

Looking forward to: My belly popping and my graduation party on Saturday

Week 15 is Here and Gone

How far along: 15 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 2 pounds. Found out at my last doctor appointment

Maternity clothes: Still wearing my normal every day clothes, officially bought a pair of maternity shorts and man are they comfy when I tried them on, I knew I had to get them.

Stretch marks: None

Sleep: Sleeping great

Best moment of the week: Officially starting my job

Miss anything: Still missing a good mixed drink

Movement: None that I have felt

Food cravings: S'mores, and trail mix and the occasional candy bar

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, zero morning sickness

Have you started to show: Yes there is a bump!

Gender prediction: I still think boy

Labor signs: None

Belly button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: ON

Happy or moody: Happy all the time, pregnancy is GREAT

Weekly Wisdom: For me to remember that even though I really don't look pregnant I'm not fat. I have a baby in there.

Looking forward to: My doctor appointment on the 21 of June. When we get a full ultrasound. Can't believe I have had to wait this long to finally get pictures of baby. 

Baby is the size of a navel orange and is 4 1/2 inches long. Ears are in the correct position. Baby now has coordination, strength, and smarts to wiggle its fingers and toes and can even suck its thumb! Baby is getting a workout in there by kicking, flexing, and moving arms and legs, even though I still can't feel it.

Feeling so busy

I have found the best GF cookies. Ever since finding out I have Celiac I knewI giving up Oreos would be hard. I finally found a GF brand and man are they yummy. If I'm not careful I feel like I could eat them in one sitting. I also found a GF graham cracker. Ever since it's been getting warmer and more and more summer-like I've been feeling like S'mores are in order. Haven't tried the graham crackers yet, but I'm hoping they are good. 

 

Here's the pictures of my new recent finds. The last picture is my favorite bread that I have found and it's soooo good. 

I haven't started training for work yet, and I'm ready to get busy, don't get me wrong I like the time off I just want definite days that I need to come in. Oh well, can't get anything until I get my physical form filled out. With my small amount of free time between cleaning the house I have been getting caught up on my reading which feels so great. Finally finished The Help and it was a very good book. Onto finishing the three books that I have started at the same time. I'm hoping to finish The Lone Survivor and Stronger Than You Think. I plan on reading during any breaks that I have once I start working full time. 

As far as pregnancy goes the last two days I haven't felt pregnant I have just felt fat. With not officially gaining any weight I'm not complaining it just doesn't help that I do and don't feel pregnant. I have been craving kettle corn popcorn. And I seriously feel hungry all the time. I am not giving in and eating everything I'm being smart with what I do eat, but I seriously feel like all I'm doing is eating. I'm ready for this set of hormones to go away so I don't feel so blah. Not as exhausted as I used to be which is very much a plus. I'm really wanting the 24th to get here so I can see baby and then I will most definitely feel pregnant again. I will be able to say baby and then I will feel very pregnant. 

Hoping that I can make some kind of plans with friends this week while I'm off. I really want to do something outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. 

Officially an Alumni of Western Illinois University

Here's a picture to start the post off right. Yep that's right I graduated after 5 years of blood, sweat, and tears I'm done with college. Wow does that seem weird to say. I just have the beginnings of all of the pictures that were taken that day. Baby Jamerson was a part of it all! Through everything all 14 girls in my program including myself of course walked across the stage and now are all officially alumni!!! I am going to put up some of my favorite photos that I had on my camera. With all of my family that came I still have to get pictures off of 3 more cameras. 

This is my college wife as Adam liked to call her. This picture describes us to a tee and I'm so glad that this moment was captured. I love her so much and without her last semester I don't know what I would've done. 

What great friends I have made at school! These two girls were also some amazing friends that I made at school and have always been supportive. Amanda I can't wait for your wedding!!! Katie I love that we live so close to each other. 

Graduation was simply amazing and I am so happy with this accomplishment. What great things are ahead!

Baby Jamerson is doing great. I still have yet to gain any weight. This weekend while in Rockford I weighed myself at my in-laws and I'm still the same weight as my last doctor's appointment. Still looking forward to the 24th we get to see baby again! 

Second Trimester and Hello Real World

Week 14 woohoo, hello second trimester. I can't really complain though because my first trimester was great! Baby is the size of a lemon or a clenched fist you can decide which you like better. Most definitely feeling like there is a baby bump! Still wearing normal clothes so I cannot complain. Found out that my super low rise jeans fit awesome and might go purchase another pair. Well my college life is officially DONE!! Today was my last day student teaching. I have become so attached to the school that I am at. I have been there since the beginning of January, it was starting to feel like home. I got the biggest group hug from my third graders today. They really melted my heart. They all kept telling me that after I graduate I just have to come back. There is no way that I can leave. Knowing that they will miss me so much really makes it hard to leave. Minus the fact that I was placed in an amazing school that far exceeded my expectations of my student teaching experience. I graduate on Saturday and am finally getting excited about it. It's still really hard for me to process the fact that I am D-O-N-E with school. My wonderful mentor teacher bought me my very first Vera bag. It's like I picked the bag out for myself. It's just perfect. I can't wait to use it!!!

Here is a picture of the bag I will be taking some up close photos of it tonight. The beautiful flowers are from my amazing, wonderful husband. He stopped by today and dropped them off at school to me as a congrats on your last day. He is the greatest. I don't know what I would do without  him. I'm so excited about everything that I'm still trying to make some plans for this evening. I know taking a nap is most definitely in there. 

How far along: 14 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: No idea. Really need to buy a scale.

Maternity clothes: Still wearing my normal every day clothes

Stretch marks: None

Sleep: Sleeping great

Best moment of the week: Today, finally realizing that all my hard work has paid off and I am done with school.

Miss anything: Still missing a good mixed drink

Movement: None that I have felt

Food cravings: Today it was a vanilla milkshake which I caved and bought one on the way home from school

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, zero morning sickness

Have you started to show: Yes there is a bump!

Gender prediction: I think boy

Labor signs: None

Belly button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: ON

Happy or moody: Happy all the time, pregnancy is GREAT

Weekly Wisdom: Take time to enjoy the little moments. Sometimes you miss them and they really truly are amazing moments.

Looking forward to: GRADUATION!!!!! And of course my next doctor appointment when I can finally have pictures of baby.

The end of the first trimester

Week 13 is here. The end of my first trimester and the end of student teaching. In my opinion this is a very deadly combination. Baby is the size of a peach and is 3 inches long. This week I am crazy stressed trying to finish my work sample and way to much going on in my third grade classroom to get any of it done while I'm there, this can make for a crazy hormonal pregnant lady that Adam gets to see. He's been such a trooper and knowing exactly when all I need is a hug. He came home this morning from working a shift at the fire department and he could tell that something was wrong, I more or less looked at him and started bawling. Most definitely ready for the stress of school to be DONE!!! Somehow managed to squeeze in a hair appointment with my favorite stylist and got my hair all pretty and ready for all the graduation pictures that will be taking place on Saturday. Beyond excited with the color and this picture DOES NOT do it justice. Looking forward to the second trimester, graduation, and our next doctor appointment.

Week 12

This has taken forever it seems to post. I'm practically out of week 12, but oh well  here it is. Yes there is a bump, dress shirts are officially tight in the belly region and I know that it is baby and not some tummy fat. Still completely exhausted all the time which doctor says will go away in the next couple weeks, hope this is really true. Graduation is 11 days away and that seems very very surreal to me! All of my hard work has paid off and graduation is finally right around the corner. I'm so far behind on my work sample it's not even funny. I'm taking it day by day and working on it piece by piece. If I think of it as a whole it makes me feel completely overwhelmed, so day by day has seemed to help. Didn't get as much done as I wanted today, but at least I got some accomplished. I'm going to try working on it more at school during the little down time that I have. I need to take every waking minute that I have to finish this work sample and get it off my hands. 

Very short post because I need to get back to school work. 

Oh baby baby

So I would be thrilled to add a picture of baby...but we didn't get a printout of the quick ultrasound that I had. Today Adam and I finally met our OB doctor and we absolutely love her!!! I'm so glad with my pick. Today we were told that I have a very healthy pregnancy and I have no risk factors for the growing baby. She was going to possibly look for the heartbeat and I told her that all I want to do today is just see baby so she said she would see what she could do. Within minutes my nurse was carting in the ultrasound machine. Baby was moving and punching around like crazy. We saw the heartbeat and she said baby looked great. Our due date is  November 7th and is official. Now when baby decides to come only time will tell. I have a list of questions that I will start answering weekly, hopefully when I put up weekly pictures. I will answer them today since I haven't taken my weekly picture yet.

How far along: 12 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Back to my normal weight before my weight gain with Celiac

Maternity clothes: I bought a belly band a couple weeks ago, but haven't had to use it.

Stretch marks: None

Sleep: Sleeping great, but still completely exhausted ALL the time

Best moment of the week: Getting to see baby, words CAN't describe the emotions I felt when I saw our little blessing in the screen.

Miss anything: Recently have been wanting a mixed drink or a glass of wine, none of that business for me though.

Movement: From the ultrasound moving like crazy, but haven't felt anything yet.

Food cravings: Fruit and salty potato chips. Not eating them together or anything crazy like that.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, zero morning sickness

Have you started to show: Yes there is a bump!

Gender prediction: I think boy

Labor signs: None

Belly button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: ON

Happy or moody: Happy all the time, pregnancy is GREAT

Weekly Wisdom: Whenever you get the chance walk. I have concluded that working with my third graders has been excellent exercise.

Looking forward to: My next doctors appointment to get a full ultrasound to see more of baby. Also to say goodbye to my first trimester so hopefully some of this exhaustion goes away.

Some chocolate sounds great and I'm thinking of making some brownies GF of course. Since my last baking frustration a preboxed brownie mix might be best at least for tonight. I plan on posting pictures of how they turn out.

Week 11

Baby is just over 2 inches long and the size of a fig. Baby has distinct human characteristics by now with hand and feet in the front of its body, ears in the almost final destination and almost fully formed, open nasal passages on the tip on the nose, and a tongue and palate in the mouth. 

Getting more and more excited about this week because on Thursday we have a doctors appointment and we will be getting out first ultrasound. I'm beyond excited and cannot wait. Also got new information about the jobs that I applied for, right now it looks like I'm juggling between the both and get to decide which one I ideally want to work at. I have never never never had this happen and it's super nice to be wanted in two separate teaching positions!!!

Don't think morning sickness is going to happen. Still completely exhausted ALL the time. Also now when I get home I'm starving, but I'm still being smart about how I'm eating and making sure that I'm not overeating. Great news just keeps coming my way and I just have to thank God for all he has given me.

Here's this weeks out take. I was done with Adam being my photographer and this is me saying no more pictures, I hid behind my sign. I thought the picture was quite funny and had to share.

So disconnected and rambling

I feel so disconnected from my blog lately. I haven't had any posts lately about being GF and I still have yet to take my week 11 picture. I feel like this post is going to be my rambling about what has been going on lately. My life has been completely consumed with teaching. I'm not complaining because I'm getting a good experience I just feel so self-consumed in it that I feel like everything else is falling at the wayside. Which is kind of a bummer to me. Adam's schedule has been completely crazy as well. On top of it all being pregnant is making me completely exhausted ALL the time. Today I was supposed to be going to a church event that I signed up for and I'm so stressed and have so much work to do for next week that I had to miss it. I'm trying to stay completely motivated and get as much work and planning done. I need today to be productive. To say the least I'm quite ready to be a little less busy and be able for things to slow down a bit. I did some fun things yesterday in my classroom and I didn't take pictures of them so I could share what I did...bummer. Also being GF has been getting easier and easier. Last night Adam and I had breakfast for dinner and it was delicious!!! Eggs, toast, hasbrowns, and bacon yumm-o! We've finally found a GF bread that as normal as it can get. Still not really wanting to eat sandwiches which is fine the assortment of items that I bring to lunch has been interesting. 

Currently I have a snuggle buddy (Dexter) who is helping me research fun ways to review what multiplication facts we've been working on. I'm also trying to find fun information/ideas of what and how I want to teach more about compound words. Oh I'm semi-overwhelmed!!!

Finally in the double digits...Week10

Baby is the size of a prune. 1 1/2 inches long baby is developing and growing by leaps and bounds. Bones and cartilage are forming. Even though baby is the size of the prune, the elbows on baby's arm are already working. Baby's stomach is producing digestive juices, the kidneys are producing larger quantities of urine. If baby is a boy the testes are producing testosterone. Still very crazy how little baby is and all that is already developing. I'm loving that there is a baby bump and with every week it shows more and more. I'm looking forward to the 26th being right around the corner. That is when we will finally get to see baby! I have been feeling amazing and if this is what pregnancy is going to be like I'm overjoyed! No new cravings just hungry all the time, so I'm making sure that I'm making healthy choices so that I'm not gaining tons of weight. Pants are feeling tighter which I'm ok with because that means my bump is getting bigger. I officially bought a belly band to wear with some of my dress pants that have been uncomfortable while I'm in school. And yes I'm am being the stubborn pregnant lady that refuses to buy new dress clothes. I have less than a month left of student teaching and don't find it necessary to go buy a new set of dress clothes. When I get bigger I plan on buying clothes that will fit more comfortably, but right now it's not happening. I'm so close to being out of my first trimester and I can't believe how fast it has gone. 

Nursery Ideas

I know I am probably really jumping the gun with ideas for the nursery, but I'm so excited and just can't help but look up different possibilities that I would like to have. Adam and I are country at heart even though we don't have a farm and all that. Our dream house is something with land and a place where we can have have lots of animals. With both of us being country at heart we decided that a farm theme for the nursery would be perfect. It's neutral for one thing and it is a little bit of both of us together. 

I never thought that looking for and finding farm animal themed items would be hard....well it has become a little tough. Everything in the stores that is neutral is mostly safari which don't get me wrong I like, but that's not what Adam and I want, so my online search begins. Thank you Google, you have been so nice to me. 

I am almost 100% sure that the bedding set on the left is what we will be getting. The other four pictures are possible ideas of what might look good on the walls. I'm still trying to decide what would look best in the room that we have for the nursery. Another possibly idea that I found was this website http://www.mywonderfulwalls.com/farmtheme.html# that has stencils that can be used on the walls. My stepmom will be helping with the painting of whatever we do decide to put on the walls and I know she won't need a stencil, but it has cute ideas to brainstorm from.

I can't wait until we finally start to decorate more and more. One item that we already have for the nursery and that is put together is this. 

It is a changing station and dresser, perfect for the room that we have because if we would've gotten the items separately I think that room would've been cramped. Oh and don't mind Ace being in the picture, he helped Adam put together our first piece of baby furniture so it was only fitting that he was in the finished product photo as well.

With all the nursery items that I have found I'm hoping that this will be items that we stick with and don't change. I know we want to do farm theme it's just the deciding part after that. I know we will get there I just like to have stuff planned. 

Week 9

I realized that in my last post I completely forgot to add in the names that Adam and I have picked out. My parents call us the A-team so Adam and I decided to stick with A names. The two names that we have picked out are

Allen Lloyd 

and

Addison Renee

Baby Jamerson has officially now become a fetus!!! Approximately 1 inch is size, baby is the size of a grape. Muscles are starting to form and baby can now move arms and legs, even though I won't feel the movements yet. Also I may be able to starting to hear baby's heart beat, can't wait for that. 

Baby bump is officially starting to show, pretty darn excited that it's there. I am most definitely thinking that it's a bump and no longer my tummy fat. Still craving sweets which is making Celiac harder and harder with every craving. Granny Smith apples with peanut butter have become my new favorite! I will be posting soon about some of the new GF dishes that I have recently made.
Lastly, sorry for how crappy I look I have been sick this week. Thank you to my third graders for giving me strep throat and I in turn gave it to Adam. Got a penicillin shot in the butt. That was an experience in it self. My butt still hurts. I'm finally starting to feel better which is the plus side, butt hurting not so much. Popsicles are still a go to for me even though my throat isn't hurting. Still very happy that I was able to get into the Dr. and get treated asap.

Week 8

Baby is the size of a large raspberry. My sweet little raspberry is looking more and more human-like every day. The lips, nose, eyelids, legs and back are continuing to take shape. Something new for the week is baby is making spontaneous movements, too tiny for me to feel just yet. I am officially starting to feel more and more pregnant and with this weeks picture I am thinking that a bump is starting to show more and more. I can't wait! My appetite is slowly coming back more and more.

Finally, I found a gluten-free bread that is squishy, and tastes great. Bring on the sandwiches!!!! The first day I bought the bread I ate two grilled-cheese sandwiches....yummy! 

Week 9 is right around the corner and I can't wait to learn about baby's development, with each coming week  finding out what baby is doing it just plain amazing.

On the other side of my life I put in applications to two different centers in the area and got a callback already from one of them. Waiting to hear back from the assistant director from the one location. Praising God for the wonderful opportunity that may be coming my way. The job that is possibly to come will be perfect for me and everything that I have been looking for. Waiting for more good news to come my way...

Blah blah blah

Well I had my first OB appt and it was disappointing to say the least. It was basically exactly the same as my meeting with the Women's Health nurse. I didn't even really have a chance to sit down and I was peeing in a cup, oh the lovely side of being pregnant. I better get used to that because from the sounds of it every single appointment that I have I will be doing this. I then weighed in and believe it or not I lost 2.5 pounds. I've been feeling big as opposed to pregnant so the weight loss was kind of a shocker. Did a family history for Adam and I which seemed to take forever. Got some blood work done and made my next appointment. April 26th cannot come fast enough. I will get to finally finally finally see baby, which is what I have been waiting for just to know that something is in there. 

My diet oh my diet, still weird as usual and no appetite. Trying to figure out some kind of schedule to eat on and make sure that I'm sharing meals with Adam. I know he hates eating alone and I don't want to make him eat alone just because I'm not hungry. I haven't had any cravings, still not liking the sound of eating any meat. Still no morning sickness which has been such a blessing. I'm almost out of the clear my nurse said with getting it. I'm thinking one of two things, I will not have morning sickness or I will get it in my third trimester. Time will only tell. Hoping that my appetite will pick up that would be great.

Had two breakdowns this week and I don't know if it was a combo or hormones and frustration or just one or the other. I'm slightly on the crabby side when it comes to my Celiac. It's putter a damper on things that I want to eat and I feel like the only thing I can do is cry. I know I should be grateful that I figured out what was wrong with my body and all I had to do was change my diet, but eating the same way for 22 years and then all of the sudden I have to change it is HUGE!!!! Some days I'm ok with it and then other days I see Adam eat a normal grilled cheese sandwich and I'm so jealous. This is a huge combo to take on a completely new diet and being pregnant, and some days it is much harder than others. I just want to be more okay with it and this week has been very hard. Just pray for me that things will get easier with every day.

Probably taking my 8 week picture today. Adam keeps telling me that I'm showing more and more, and yesterday I felt pregnant and then other days I just feel like my tummy fat is showing rather than a belly bump. I am most definitely ready to start showing that is one thing that I want to happen.