Happy (belated) Father’s Day!

Posted in Baby Clothes, Doctor Appointments, Firsts, Maternity Clothes, Pregnancy, Second Trimester by Jenny P

Happy (belated) Father’s Day to all those dads and daddies-to-be out there! I hope you had a wonderful day!

Geoff and I started the day by sleeping in (which never happens) and watching some TV on the couch, then headed over to his parents’ house for a BBQ and leftovers from Brittany’s bridal shower (more on that later). It was so nice to be able to relax outside on one of the first hot summer days of the year. We got Geoff’s dad a two-sided sign that says, “Grandpa’s Workshop” from Etsy. For Geoff’s first Father’s Day I got him an “I love Daddy” onesie, a Gryffindor onesie straight from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and a Green Bay Packers hat (also from Etsy). Did you get/give any cool gifts for Father’s Day?

We did not get a chance to see my dad this weekend since they live in another state, but we are planning a trip there in two weeks, so I’ll tell you what we bought him then (don’t want to spoil the surprise by having his read about it on here).

After the BBQ we headed down to the beach for our volleyball games. Unfortunately I’m not allowed to play anymore (doctor’s orders) but it was such a nice day to be by the lake and it is really fun to watch everyone play.

We also lucked out and got some beautiful weather for my sister-in-law’s bridal shower this weekend. I helped throw the shower, which involved planning out games, cooking 30 or so of the delicious flatbreads I mentioned a few weeks ago. Everything went extremely well, the food was delicious and everyone seemed to have a great time.

I wasn’t the only pregnant person at the shower since two of Brittany’s cousins are preggo too. They are a bit further along than me, and they each already have one kid, but the good thing is that I get to hear their advice (and I get their maternity hand-me-downs!). Since my bump “popped” out over the weekend, I think it is officially time to go shopping for maternity wear. I don’t need much at this point, but a pair of jeans and a dress would be awesome. I think I’ll probably head to the outlets this weekend. I’ll let you know if I find anything good!

In other news, we had another doctor appointment this morning, and everything is still going great! We got to hear the baby’s heartbeat again, thought this time (s)he was hiding way on the left side of my belly and I started to get nervous again when the doctor couldn’t find the heartbeat right away. Our next appointment is our ultrasound to determine gender, which is exactly one month from today!! Don’t forget to get your guesses in on if it will be a boy or a girl (see sidebar) before the big reveal.

Last thing – have any of you heard of this “Pregnancy Belt” thing? It is a way that dads can feel what is happening when the baby kicks – in real time! This would be so fun to try out with Geoff once I start feeling the baby’s movements. There is a video that accompanies the story, so check it out if you have time – it is adorable how the dads react.

22Apr2013

Week 8 Update

Posted in Baby, Doctor Appointments, First Trimester, Milestones, Pregnancy, Weekly Updates by Jenny P

Week 8: Baby is the size of a raspberry!

Since our ultrasound looked good/normal, we decided we could tell a few more people our good news. We decided to let our parents tell a few of their friends, and we decided to tell a few of ours.

We have a group of really close friends here, and most of them play on our beach volleyball team. We had a game last night, so afterwards I sort of made an announcement. It was something like, “I’m not going to be able to play anymore after this session because…” and before I even finished people were flying at us with hugs and congratulations. It was so much fun to finally spill the beans (at least a little bit). We are having them keep it to themselves for a little longer until we hit the 12-week mark, which I know is super hard because I’ve been doing it myself!

Anyway, everyone was so excited for us, and made me laugh because I mentioned that they shouldn’t throw balls at me on purpose, and they said they would dive in front of me to protect me like a bodyguard. I love my friends.

How cute are we? This was for “rainbow” theme night (I’m purple and Geoff is red).

Then earlier today I got a call from the doctor’s office. They just wanted to confirm with me that everything was good with the ultrasound, and that they estimated the baby’s age that day to be 8 weeks, 1 day. That means that they moved my due date to November 27 (it was November 30 before, but based on the information I had, I was thinking it was going to be November 28).

So now I have a better idea of my due date, which is awesome! That also means that I’m farther into week 8 than I thought I was (I’m 8 weeks, 5 days today) so I thought I better post an update before I’m into week 9!

Besides a couple of awful days last week when I was nauseous all day long, I have mainly been experiencing what I’m calling “night sickness.” Other than feeling tired and slightly more annoyed than normal, I usually feel pretty good in the morning and throughout the day while I’m at work. Then when I get home, right around 6:30, I hit a wall and I get so nauseous that I just curl up in a ball on the couch and eventually fall asleep. It is not fun. I actually wish I could throw up sometimes because then maybe it would make me feel a little better.

I think I may have found a solution: Luigi’s Real Italian Lemon Ice Cups. They are seriously the best thing ever. I have no idea why they work for me, but if you are having the same issues I am having you should try them to see if they work for you! They have other flavors besides lemon, but none of them sounded as good to me.

This week according to What to Expect:

As your baby starts moving in the womb, morning sickness (which doesn’t just strike in the morning) may have you moving to the bathroom.

Your Baby in Week 8 of Pregnancy

Your baby is growing at an amazing rate — about a millimeter every day — and now is the size of a large raspberry. Your little berry is looking a lot less reptilian (even though she has webbed fingers and toes, her tail is just about gone) and a lot more baby-like these days, as her lips, nose, eyelids, legs, and back continue to take shape. Her heart is beating at the incredible rate of 150 times per minute — about twice as fast as yours! And even though you can’t yet feel it, she’s now making spontaneous movements as she twitches her tiny trunk and limb buds.

Your Body in Week 8 of Pregnancy

While your raspberry-sized babe isn’t exactly causing you to show yet, chances are your clothes are feeling a little tight around the tummy and you might need a bigger bra. You may also be feeling perpetually queasy. But take heart — your baby feels just fine even while you’re hugging the bowl with morning sickness. Try to eat often, but only a little at a time. That should also help your body battle another stubborn woe coming your way soon: pregnancy heartburn. Most likely, you’ll find relief as you move into your second trimester, but for now, try to focus on the positive: Morning sickness is usually a sign that your pregnancy is going well.

13Apr2013

Meeting our new doctor

Posted in Doctor Appointments, First Trimester, Pregnancy by Jenny P

Since Geoff and I decided we wanted to go to a different hospital when the time comes, we needed to find another doctor. I found one at a clinic a few blocks from our house, and I had my first appointment with her yesterday.

I think it went really well! She seems to be really focused on nutrition, which is something that is really important to me. She said that since I already did all the blood and urine tests a few weeks ago that she would not repeat them, and she didn’t even have to do a pelvic exam since I had my medical records sent over from my last doctor.

We basically just talked about certain things I had questions about. For example, Geoff and I play in a sand volleyball league twice a week. We are in the “C” league, which is basically just messing around and playing for fun, nothing serious. I asked if I could continue to play, since I barely break a sweat when I play. Her recommendation was to finish up the session then the take a break from playing until the end of my pregnancy.

I also had a lot of nutrition questions, and she pointed me in the direction of a couple different books. More on that when I’ve had a chance to pick them up and take a look at them.

To finish up we set up my next few appointments, including my first ultrasound next week! I’m so excited!! I’m not exactly sure what to expect, but I hope we are able to hear the baby’s heartbeat and maybe even see something (it is now the size of a blueberry).

When did you have your first ultrasound? What were you able to see/hear?