So Many Decisions!!!

There are so many things we need to decide from classes to birthing place to diapers and on and on... Joshua and I took a cloth diaper class last weekend as we would really like to this. There are so many options though for cloth diapering! You can do prefolds, all-in-ones, fitted, or inserts and you have choices with fabric. I was feeling very overwhelmed as the instructor was saying the type of diaper that will work best for your baby will all depend on your baby. But how do I prepare then?! We then took a class on "baby wearing". This was a class about all the options in baby carriers and how to wear them. Again so many options!!!

This past week I have been thinking a lot about my birth plan (or lack of therefore!). I feel limited in where/how I can give birth through my insurance. I have the one option of giving birth at St. Joe's Hospital. I won't know who my doctor is when I give birth (just whoever is on call). For the good and bad, the hospital gives the most births out of any place in Colorado. For many of these reasons plus others, I've been thinking more about hiring a doula and have set up a couple of appointments for interviews. I am hoping that by having a doula throughout my labor I can have a natural birth and feel very supported as compared to having doctors/nurses that I don't know come in my room every once in a while to give me instructions on medicine.

I also cancelled my childbirth class at the hospital this week. After researching all the many different types of classes available, I registered for a "birthing from within" course at the same place I have been taking prenatal yoga classes. This class is supposed to prepare mothers and partners for a natural birth more so than the hospital would. I was told this class also helps you prepare mentally for childbirth in ways that other classes don't really address.

So, I have made some steps this week. Got some appointments scheduled with doulas and scheduled a childbirth class. I also bought some pre-fold diapers! I was feeling a little anxious about not having bought anything for the baby yet while knowing I am half way there! So, now I have something for our little baby. It makes me feel a little accomplished even though in the back of my mind I am still wondering how will decide on the right car seat and what should be the baby's sleeping arrangement? But, for now, I will set aside all of those thoughts and be happy that I have made a few decisions this week.

Baby Belly

While I have felt huge for quite some time, I noticed today that my belly is starting to "show". Many of my clothes have been too snug for a little while and I have started wearing several maternity outfits (mostly for comfort). I still don't think I look pregnant, at least strangers wouldn't guess that I am right away, but I certainly can tell that I am getting bigger. The first picture is me at 21 weeks (today!) and the second is me at 16 weeks.

Half Way There!

We got to see little seamonkey today! I had an ultrasound and was so excited to see the baby. It was moving around a lot, waving it's arms and feet. Its legs were crossed and had its head down right now. I couldn't believe that the feet are above my belly button! Everything seemed good, but will get more information after the doctor looks at the pictures. Seamonkey weighs 13 ounces! He/she is getting so big!!! I just added some pictures to this post (my scanner is packed away so I just took some pictures of the sonogram photos). I think the photo of the foot is just adorable!

I feel kicks all the time now, and they get stronger each day. I have been feeling really good lately. No nausea or sickness, only a few headaches. I am just constantly hungry! And, of course, I have to go pee a lot. I feel as though I have gained a lot of weight even though my baby bump is still not noticeable.

I went to Washington, DC this weekend for work and did just fine on the plane. I made sure to drink plenty of water and sit in an aisle seat to be able to get up for frequent bathroom breaks. Seamonkey seemed to kick more during the flight but other than that everything seemed normal.

I have been going to yoga once or twice a week and also try to walk everyday. Since I have been feeling better, I make great efforts to make sure I get the nutrition baby and I need everyday. I have read that molasses is a great source of iron but have not quite figured out the best way to fit it into my diet. I tried putting in my soy milk but it was pretty gross. This weekend Joshua and I are going to a cloth diaper and baby wearing classes to learn more about what cloth diapers and baby slings and other carriers. Hopefully we will leave with a good idea of what we want! I am also thinking about looking into getting a doula for the birth. We may start going to some meet and greets soon.

We have started picking out some names but are keeping them to ourselves for now! :)

Baby's Moving!

I am pretty sure I have been feeling my little baby move. Within the last couple of days the feeling has gotten more intense. It's like a feeling I have never had before and hard to describe. It's really faint and makes me question if it is just gas or hunger pains. Every time it happens, I think "Is that the baby or just my belly?". A couple of days ago I felt something but then nothing else so wasn't sure what it was. Today, though, it has been pretty constant. I would best describe it as a fish swimming.

It almost makes me laugh! It's unbelievable that there is this being growing inside of me. The feeling is so new that it is hard to ignore. I wonder what the little thing is up to.. somersaults or kicks or just tapping me to say hello?

Will morning sickness ever end?

Week 16 and I still have morning sickness! Uggghhh.. I hope this baby gives me some relief soon. Throwing up really takes a toll on my body. I feel weak and exhausted, plus I have all these red dots on my face from blood vessels bursting.

On a brighter note, I had my 16 week appointment yesterday and everything looks good! I got to hear the baby's heartbeat, which was a strong 150. I had to take more blood work and I should get the results soon. I also set up my "big" ultrasound for May 4th at 7:45am. Early but this way Joshua can come too. Plus, I wake up so early anyway that it is no big deal. This is the "big" ultrasound because you get a full body scan plus you can find out the sex if you want. We have decided to wait for the big surprise though. I also found out that I have gained 3 lbs so far, which the doctor said was good. I feel as though I have gained a bunch but it must be just bloat. :)

Something that I have recently noticed is that people are starting to treat me a little differently now that I am pregnant. Not in a big way but still different. Everyone seems more concerned with how I am doing. When someone asks, "how are you doing?" they actually mean it! When I say "okay", they seem to want more information.

I am thinking about doing some baby shopping this week! I just can't hold out any longer. Nothing major but maybe a cute little outfit. :)

15 weeks 3 days

Ha! Right after my last post, I started throwing up again on a daily basis. Ugghh! It was like clock work, every day at 10am I would be sick. Thankfully, though, I have been feeling very well that last couple of days. Eating frequent, small snacks throughout the entire day seems to help a lot. My headaches have also subsided. I am so grateful that things are starting to look up!

I bought some of my first maternity clothes last weekend! I bought a new pair of jeans that are super comfy. I had trouble, though, finding maternity clothes at the mall. My friend Rachel and I are planning to do some more shopping this coming Saturday. She has a few more ideas of where to shop than I do.

I also went to my first prenatal yoga class this. I signed up for 6 classes over 6 weeks at the hospital. I felt much more relaxed after the class and had the best night's sleep in a long time (didn't wake up til 5:30am to pee!). The class very low-impact but felt really good to stretch all my muscles. I do, however, feel as though I need to be doing some sort of higher-impact exercise that keeps up my strength. I'm going to try to other prenatal yoga classes to see how those go as well. One of the really cool things about the class was that it was a room full of pregnant women!

I have my next prenatal doctor's appointment on Wednesday. Looking forward to making sure everything is going okay!

2nd Trimester!

WooHoo!!! I entered the 2nd trimester yesterday, so I am a third way through my pregnancy at 14 weeks. My nausea has subsided an incredible amount. I will still start to feel sick if I do not eat frequently. I have found that I have to eat small meals every few hours. It's strange--I'll get this intense hunger and then will be full within a few bits. I'm am so happy that I am eating regular food again and not just crackers and mashed potatoes.

I'm really hoping that the 2nd trimester goes smoother than the 1st. I have been getting these horrible, horrible headaches for several weeks now. They are so intense I feel like I can't think or move my head, and they even wake me up at night. My Ob told me I can take tylenol pm which has helped me fall asleep at night. I am really hoping the headaches will end now that I am done with the 1st trimester.

I had my 12 week doctor visit a couple of weeks ago and everything looks great! Joshua and I got to hear the baby's heart beat which was so amazing. The heart beat was at 155 beat an hour. Based on an old wive's tale, this means will are having a girl. Also based on an old Chinese gender chart, we are having a girl! Don't know if it is true but it is fun to guess. I actually think I want to wait to be surprised at the birth but am still undecided.

Some more exciting news is that Joshua and I are putting our condo up for sale!!!! Getting the place ready to put up on the market has been more work than I ever imagined though. We had to pack up lots of stuff, rearrange furniture, and clean every corner of the place. Our place looks really nice and I think it will show really well. There seems to be so much more space that both Joshua and I are thinking maybe a baby could fit in here with us. While we could stay there a little longer (and will if it doesn't sale), we think now is a good time to buy a house while interest rates are down. Plus, we hope to have an extra room so everyone can stay at our place while they come visit the baby!

I have started looking at baby names and found a cool site that generates names based on options you click on: www.babynamewizard.com