Week 21

How far along: 21 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 3.2 pounds

Maternity clothes: Mostly maternity clothes, but there is always some of my normal clothes still being worn

Stretch marks: None

Sleep: Sleep is amazing. Getting more and more exhausted though

Best moment of the week: Having Adam feeling baby move 

Miss anything: Doughnuts

Movement: Every time Adam talks to baby or places his hand on my belly

Food cravings: Fresh fruit and cereal

Have you started to show: The picture explains it all

Gender prediction: Boy

Labor signs: None

Belly button in or out: Getting flatter 

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or moody: Extremely happy

Looking forward to: Meeting with Sarah tomorrow and seeing baby again on Thursday

Baby is 10.5 inches long and about 11-12 ounces. Also baby is the size of a pomegranate. Arms and legs are in proportion, neurons are now connected between the brain and the muscles and cartilage throughout the body is turning to bone. When baby moves, the movements are much more coordinated and less jerky. Adam and I have now gotten into the habit of reading books to baby. Yesterday we read an assortment of children's books that I checked out from the library. Other nights the only reading that baby hears is our nightly reading of the Bible before we go to bed. Either way baby is hearing our voices and being read to. When I was little I loved hearing stories before bed and I'm hoping to start a love of reading even before baby is here. Pregnancy has been great and now I love seeing my baby and I'm to the point of where I no longer have to ask Adam if I look pregnant...I know I do! My work schedule next week is pretty crazy, but that's okay I will enjoy spending some quality time home with Adam. Thursday cannot come soon enough and hopefully munchkin cooperates!

Adam and I are making a GF calzone today and I'm really excited to see how it turns out. We also went grocery shopping today and found some great buys on fresh fruits and veggies bring on the yummies. Seems like lately I have been eating strawberries a pound at a time. Oh well it's healthy food...right?! 
Lastly, I forgot to add Adam has officially felt baby move more than once! It seems like every time Adam talks to baby or is near me and is trying to feel baby move, sure enough he/she says hi and kicks and man are they kicks. This is so exciting and I'm so glad that he gets to feel our little one move.

We have a naughty little baby

How far along: 20 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 3.2 pounds

Maternity clothes: A combo between my pre-pregnant clothes and maternity clothes. STILL looking for maternity work pants/capris

Stretch marks: None

Sleep: Still sleeping great

Best moment of the week: Seeing our stubborn little, naughty baby on the ultrasound screen

Miss anything: Nothing this week

Movement: Once or twice

Food cravings: Strawberries and rasberries

Have you started to show: Yep =]

Gender prediction: Boy

Labor signs: None

Belly button in or out: In but not as deep

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or moody: Extremely happy

Looking forward to: Finding some work pants that are comfy.

Today was the DAY!!! We finally got to see baby on an in depth ultrasound and man was baby being naughty!! That is the exact wording that our ultrasound tech used, naughty. Baby decided to hide directly behind my bellybutton so everything that she was trying to see mostly had a shadow on it. We only got 4 pictures of baby due to the little booger deciding to hide. The tech and the doctor vigorously tried jiggling and wiggling my belly to move so they could get the view of the heart that they wanted. Did baby move...haha nope. So needless to say we have a little sassy pants on our hands. Adam claims that baby already has my personality. 

From one of the good pictures that we got baby most definitely has my nose. FINALLY someone in my family will have my nose! When the doctor and the tech wiggled and jiggled my belly I laughed uncontrollably every single time. The doctor was slightly worried at first when I first laughed and the tech explained that it tickled me and that I really found it funny. It was so hard not to laugh because it really did tickle and it was so crazy to me that seeing them move my belly was really moving all the stuff inside me so much. To me it was hilarious. Before the doctor came in Adam and I were joking that me banging on my belly like a bongo drum before my appointment with my OB might not have been the greatest idea. That had me literally cracking up. Adam said baby was saying okay you want to beat on me like a drum well I'm going to hide, and hide he/she did. We go back in two weeks to get hopefully (fingers crossed) a better look at baby and at the heart. The heart is the main thing that the doctor was not happy with not being able to get a good look at. I'm completely okay with this because he is being super thorough and we get to see baby again. Yep I will most definitely go back in again. When I met with my OB the FHR was 146 when we had our ultrasound it was 155. Why the change, I have no idea?! Looking forward to going back in two weeks to see our little munchkin again!!!

19 Weeks

Oh week 19. Baby is 6 inches long, and a full half pound in weight. Baby is the size of a large mango. The last weekly picture with a one being the front number. It seems so weird to think that 19 weeks have literally flown by. Adam and I have been so busy lately, I thought once we got through the month of May that we would be less busy...I guessed wrong. I think with it being the summertime it is what's making us so busy. The next couple weekends are going to be crazy. This weekend was our trip to Freeport to celebrate my Dad's birthday and Father's Day. Adam and I both had a lot of fun. We made our annual trip to the dog tracks with the whole family and man do we have some funny one liners from this trip. The last race before we made it to dinner I think all of us were laughing so hard we were crying. Yep that's how our family trips go! 

Next weekend is Zion's Nostalgia Days and my parents will be coming out here. The following weekend Adam and I will be dog sitting for my parents while they head down to Tennessee. We will be seeing a lot of my parents the next three weeks which I'm completely okay with. 

Feeling more and more pregnant every day. Adam and I went out to dinner Thursday night and after heading home I told him that I was uncomfortably pregnant. I reclined my chair in the truck, put my feet on the dash, and to top it all off unbuttoned my pants. After doing these three things all I could say was ahhhhhhh. I know I have a long way to go in this pregnancy, but at the time it was nice to do what I did and I'm not complaining about being pregnant at all. Pregnancy has been amazing!

How far along: 19 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: From taking my weight at my parents -2, guess we will officially see on Thursday

Maternity clothes: A mix between my small selection of maternity clothes and my everyday clothes. Still on the lookout for comfy maternity work pants

Stretch marks: None

Sleep: This week has been great because I've been completely exhausted

Best moment of the week: Finally really seeing more and more of the bump that is definitely there

Miss anything: This weekend it was gluten, I really wanted a creampuff at the car show

Movement: Once or twice

Food cravings: Salty foods

Have you started to show: Yep =]

Gender prediction: Boy

Labor signs: None

Belly button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: ON

Happy or moody: Extremely happy

Weekly Wisdom: Always take time to laugh at your stupid moments.

Looking forward to: THURSDAY!!!!! Our very first ultrasound, I can't wait to have pictures of baby!!!!

Decisions, decisions

I recently joined thebump.com and it has been extra helpful with giving advice and throwing out fun things to do while pregnant. Here is something I found helpful, I'm not reading into all of it, but it is very helpful especially being a first time mommy.

 http://pregnant.thebump.com/baby-products/gifts-must-haves/slideshows/mom-must-haves.aspx?page=1

While going through the site one day I found something about a babymoon.

http://pregnant.thebump.com/pregnancy/second-trimester/articles/10-babymoon-tips.aspx 

I didn't think much into it and then I started thinking more and more. My house can be a zoo and even though this is how life is for Adam and I, I can't remember the last time him and I had a get away with no animals just him and I. Thinking back about this the last time it was just him and I was when I went out to Virginia Beach to visit him for Thanksgiving. That was years ago and our lives have drastically changed since then! Some huge changes since then: we're married, we're pregnant, we own a house, we run a zoo...(two dogs, two cats, and a tank full of fish), and we have jobs (Adam in the Navy and part-time at the fire department, and I'm working full-time at KinderCare), oh ya and the huge one for me I'm now on a Gluten-Free diet. So thinking more and more into this babymoon it sounds AMAZING, but where do we go when our lives have drastically changed so much. 

When thinking about going on vacation with my new diet, slightly puts me into a panic! There are so many places that Adam and  I would love to go, but then the thought pops into my head of will there be places for me to eat and enjoy our time. 

Adam of course starts listing off places and I go looking into them and then right away start looking into places to eat and I didn't find much. Adam and I are only looking for a weekend get away. So I went and started my own search, low and behold I found an amazing website that helps plan any kind of trip and find places around the area that are accommodating for GF. How awesome is that!!!

http://glutenfreetravelsite.com/index.php

I have found an amazing place in Galena, Illinois that seems perfect. I still have to get Adam's opinion because I'm thinking we might be wanting two different things on this babymoon. We're discussing what we want out of this weekend get away when he gets home today. I'm looking forward to going on this trip since it will be Adam and I taking time for just us right before baby comes. I think this is something that works perfectly for us. 

Baby says hello...

Well I think the picture says it all. Hello baby bump and hello to my belly finally popping out. I went back and looked between last week and this week and wow there's a belly! Baby is the size of a sweet potato and 5.6 inches long and weighing 6.7 ounces. Baby is starting to yawn and hiccup. I can't wait to start feeling the hiccups.

How far along: 18 week

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

Maternity clothes: Some mixed in with my everyday clothes. Officially bought a maternity swimsuit and I love it!

Stretch marks: None

Sleep: Starting to be restless, but getting sleep though

Best moment of the week: Finally getting out on the lake on our boat

Miss anything: A mixed alcoholic drink sounds great especially with summertime/boating season here

Movement: Think I felt baby last week and think baby moved again when we were out on the lake

Food cravings: Tater tots

Have you started to show: I think the picture shows it all

Gender prediction: Still thinking boy

Labor signs: None

Belly button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: ON

Happy or moody: Extremely happy

Weekly Wisdom: Don't get discouraged when you don't show because truly one day your belly will just pop. This weeks picture is proof

Looking forward to: This weekend full of boating

Feeling pregnant

This week I've finally been feeling pregnant which is great and I think my belly is finally starting to show. Officially hit 18 weeks today and can't wait to see the picture if what I think shows. My clothes are starting to be a little more uncomfortable. I'm gradually getting maternity clothes, but the thing I need to get asap is khaki or black pants. I have to wear either of these as my uniform and my khaki and black pants aren't very comfortable anymore. I'm still fitting into all if not most of all of my clothes minus work pants.  I need advice of where the best, reasonable priced maternity clothes can be found. I have found some at Target, but the selection isn't huge. I have also been stalking our local goodwill for maternity clothes and the selection is tiny.Our Kohl's doesn't have much either. I'm thinking Old Navy or Gap.  Where should I go?

Interesting Pregnancy Firsts

Well the I have officially experienced two pregnancy firsts. One, buying new bras...yep that's right the twins got bigger and I wasn't planning on having to buy new bras so soon. This most definitely came as a shock!!! Oh well bought new bras and I feel a lot more comfortable. Secondly, I have felt baby move. Adam and I ate at Bdubs yesterday and after leaving I was really full, on our way to Target I started feeling weird. Shortly after getting into Target baby started moving around like crazy. At first I didn't know what I was feeling and then I put two and two together and realized that I was feeling baby. So I have decided that baby likes Target and that's why I felt so much movement. I think having a really full tummy had something else to do with it, but I still like the Target version better. 

To sum up this weekend it was amazing on Saturday we had my graduation party and it was just plain great to say the least. I had so many people show up and they just made my day. I had so much fun and can't put into words how much it meant for everyone to show up.

Thanks to my lovely procrastination after trying to create an account to register to get my teaching certificate I found out that my name that is on file is my maiden name. Never thought two years after changing my name that I would still have to go change something. So tomorrow after work I get to visit the ROE up here and try and get my name changed. I'm so hoping that this has nothing to do with me getting my degree from Western, if it does I will be in meltdown mode, and that would be very bad.

Today is Adam's birthday and he has hit a major milestone 25. He's getting the bedliner applied to the siderails and he is so excited. I'm also taking him to the local drive-in to see Men In Black Three. Hopefully it's good. I can't remember the last time I went to a drive in so it should be a lot of fun.

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.