Bumpdate - Half Way through Bed Rest

I am officially 34 weeks and half way through my stint of bed rest.  This has been a pretty tough week for me emotionally.  I was a tearful wreck on Wednesday but with the weekend around the corner I am feeling better.

Having my hubby home makes things better :)

I went to the Doctor this past Tuesday and she pretty much told me sorry - you are still on bed rest until 36 weeks.  I have another sonogram next Tuesday and every week after that until I deliver.  So not much new news this week.  Crossing my fingers that next weeks results are good.

Pregnancy - 34 weeks:

Weight Gain?  +26 pounds - My weight gain has really slowed down in the third trimester.  Not sure if it's the bed rest or if it's just everything is going straight to him but I'm okay with it slowing down.

Sleep?  Insomnia is horrible.  My hubby's alarm goes off at 4:30 am and I literally wake up and stay up for an hour to hour and a half before I can go back to bed.

Best Moment this week?  This is a tough one this week...my family, friends and coworkers have been truly amazing and I am so thankful for the support system.

Miss Anything?  Being able to go shopping.  I have a nursery waiting on me to decorate it :)

Exercise?  Walking from the bedroom to the living room :)

Movement?  Oh yes...and he is LOW.  He hits my bladder and I'm afraid I'm not going to make it to the bathroom.  And somehow he is kicking a nerve every once in awhile that makes my legs go totally weak. 

Size of the Baby?  Last sono he was measuring 6 lbs 3 oz.

Food Cravings?  No real cravings - getting full a lot faster.

Gender?  It's a BOY!

Pregnancy Symptoms?  Bed Rest :(

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Six Weeks of Scary

Besides Halloween where this little princess

Cinderella

had a blast getting candy and hanging with her cousin and friend, I've been on a pregnancy roller coaster.

My 28 week appointment was supposed to be the routine pee in a cup, weight check, blood pressure, tummy measurement, out.  But...much to mine and the PA's surprise my uterus was measuring big.  There was actually a student PA in there and she measured me 3 times then turned to the PA and said I think you should try.  Well my uterus was measuring 33 weeks at 28 weeks (5 weeks ahead).

She explained briefly that anything over 3 weeks they start to get concerned and that she wanted to do an ultrasound.  I assumed she meant at 35 weeks which is what they had been saying all along.  But she shocked me when she said no we need you to come in tomorrow because we are concerned with your amniotic fluid level.  I was kind of in disbelief and didn't ask many questions but scheduled an ultrasound for the next day.

When I got home I went straight to Dr. Google (which I shouldn't have done).  Dr. Goggle told me I have polyhydramnios (too much amniotic fluid) and of course that can mean there could be all kind of different problems with the baby including chromosomal abnormalities and gastrointestinal abnormalities.  So I freaked out, was in tears and could barely sleep or concentrate the next day at work.  Mike and I went in that afternoon with fear in our hearts.

Luckily everything looked great with this little guy - he is just really big.  I did have more amniotic fluid than normal but the tech said that with big babies it was totally normal.

Phew...we felt so much better after seeing him and being reassured by the tech that everything looked great.

My 30 week appointment went great-still measuring big but everything else was fine.  I saw the PA for this appointment and she wasn't too concerned with the ultrasound results and said they would do another one at 35 weeks to see how big he was.  She said he could have just hit a growth spurt and he may level out by then.  I came out of that appointment on cloud 9.

We went in for a 3D sonogram that weekend and LOVED seeing our sweet little guy blink, yawn, smile and move around.

At 32 weeks I got to see my doctor for the first time in 6 weeks.  She looked through my ultrasound from the past few weeks and did my measurements again and told me she was still a little concerned with the fluid levels and to come back for another ultrasound just to check.  When I asked what she was concerned with she said that high fluid levels can increase the risk of preterm labor.  It scared me a little but not as much as the last one.  She pretty much said from here on we will be doing these every 2-3 weeks and may also do a non stress test just to make sure he is okay.  So out to the receptionist I headed and scheduled the ultrasound for the following Tuesday (Nov 5th).

I had a fun weekend of celebrating ahead and honestly was not too worried about the next week.  My sister and one of best high school friends threw me a baby sprinkle that weekend and this little guy is so blessed and spoiled already.  I had a great time hanging out with friends and family.  We had a few friends over after the shower and had a really fun and busy weekend.

32 weeks pregnant

Rachel (hostess), Me and Kelly

My Sister, Me and my mom

But the fun ended Sunday night.  I started having contractions and they were close together (like every 5 minutes) but they were only about 30 seconds and not nearly as intense as I remembered when I had Addison.  I went back online to Dr. Google and read that you should lay down on your left side and drink tons of water.  If they don't go away after an hour then go to L&D.  Luckily mine went away after 5 bottles of water in 45 minutes.  Another scare avoided!

I left work early Tuesday and headed in for my ultrasound.  This time by myself.  Mike started a new job within the last month and doesn't really have the time off to go to each appointment.

The ultrasound tech called me back and started measuring the baby and fluid levels.  And holy shit if he wasn't measuring 6lbs 3oz at 33 weeks and his head is in the 97th percentile.  He is BIG!  And my fluid level is at a 31 (normal is 5-25).  She also wanted to measure my cervix since I did have contractions the past weekend.  And here comes the scary part - my cervix is thinning already - it's down to 1.76 cm.

They made me wait for the PA to go over the results which is not normal for their office.  Typically they wait until the next appointment.  So the PA walks in and tells me due to my cervix thinning, contractions and the fluid level I am on bed rest for at least the next 3 weeks.  Talk about jaw hit the floor.  Ummm I have a 3 year old, husband and full time job with my busiest event season around the corner.  But she tells me I am literally on house arrest with my feet up.  I can recline and lay down and I'm not supposed to be walking or on my feet for more than 15 minutes at a time.  The biggest concern is that while he's big, his lungs aren't fully developed.  She said most likely at 36 weeks they will let me go back to work and normal life.  But until then - nothing!!!

So I of course freaked again!  I had a baby shower from my work friends the next night, a Veterans Day Event on Monday and plans to decorate the nursery for the weekend.  But I was told to cancel it all and put my feet up.

A cute diaper four wheeler from one of my sweet coworkers.
They brought me my gifts on Friday - I'm so lucky they are so supportive.

I'm now on Day 6 and not gonna lie I'm having a really hard time.  I hate, hate sitting still...it's just not me.  Luckily my boss is letting me work from home and my friends and family have been super supportive.  But the person who has been the most amazing is my husband.  He has had to be mom and dad for the last week.  He experienced grocery shopping at Walmart by himself and actually did really good and he's been cooking, cleaning and taking care of Addi and me.  He's also been my rock and I love him so much.

I go back to the doctor today and I'm honestly not sure what to expect.  I will update this week on what my doctor had to say-crossing my fingers things are getting better and not worse.  

Prayers and advice are welcome on getting through the next 2 weeks.

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28 Weeks...Third Trimester!

Pregnancy - 28 weeks:

Weight Gain?  +25.2 pounds - I only wanted to gain between 25-35 pounds this time around but looks like that may be impossible.  Crossing my fingers the weight gain slows down in the third trimester.

Sleep?  Getting tired all over again.  I swear I hit 28 weeks and exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks.  Last night I literally did not leave the couch.

Best Moment this week?  Addison felt her brother move!  She really doesn't have much patience for him but we were watching cartoons on Sunday morning cuddling on the couch and she actually sat still long enough to feel him kick.

And I'm officially in my Third Trimester...whoo hoo...only 12 more weeks until we get to meet our little man :)

Miss Anything?  Haha...being able to keep my legs closed when I sit down.  I know this totally sounds stupid but putting my knees together while sitting is very uncomfortable.  I am sure I look so classy and ladylike while sitting.

Sweets...I haven't totally avoided them but I have my glucose test today and I'm nervous about it for some reason.  So I've really tried to eat a little healthier the last 2 weeks.  Wish me luck!

Exercise?  Yes I started running again!  It is heaven and I missed it sooooo much.  I am only doing intervals of running for a minute and walking for 30 seconds.  And I'm only doing about 2 miles but man does it feel great to pound pavement again.  I'm super super slow and listening to my body but so far so good.

Movement?  Mainly after I eat and when I lay down.  

Size of the Baby?  Large Eggplant - 2 1/4 pound and 14.8 inches

Belly?  All baby :)  Can't believe I'm posting this but I want a record of how my belly looks without clothes - so here goes.  I am pretty straight out with this one.

Food Cravings?  Pumpkin Ice Cream...so I was at the store and saw this:

It is amazing and only 90 calories for 1/2 cup.  I may or may not eat it out of the container :)

Gender?  It's a BOY!  My daughter and Mike are set on the name Austin but I haven't given in yet.  I have a long list of names I love but my hubby isn't on board with any of them except Austin.  Here's the list - what do you think?
-Parker
-Austin
-Bryce
-Noah
-Braxton
-Brennin
-Brayden
-Barrett
-Brekin
-Kason
-Bryson
-Colton
-Corbin

Pregnancy Symptoms?  Back pain...I think this is going to continue unfortunately until the end :(  So the heating pad will be my new bestie.  And the other perk is nightly massages from the hubby!

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Letters To My Babies and 26 Weeks!

Good morning and Happy Hump Day!  

I haven't done a link up in forever but this one is right up my alley.  A letter to my kiddos when they are all grown up (tear).  I've decided to take another perspective on it and do "My Promise As Your Mom" letter since I don't know much about this new little one.

To my babies (Yes you are still my babies even though you are adults and you always will be),

I imagine you both as successful, happy adults that your dad and I haven't screwed up too much.  I have a feeling that Addison will be a strong, confident, independent, bossy young lady with goals and a drive just like your mom.  And I have a feeling that this new little one will be very laid back just like his daddy and that I will probably have to kick his butt some days to get him motivated.

But no matter who you are and who you become, I will always love you both.  So here you go...these are my promises to you as your mom:

• I will support you in whatever you do and will help you to achieve your goals
• I will spoil you even though you are a grown adult
• Mine and your dads house is always your house - you are welcome to visit as often as you want
• I will try to let you learn from your own mistakes as hard as that's going to be for me
• I will always make family dinner on Sunday and hope that you (and your friends/family) will join us
• I will be honest with you
• I will be there on your 21st Birthday to buy you your first drink as an adult
• I will try not to be too overbearing and let you live your life
• I will still give you a kiss and a hug and tell you I love you each time I see you
• I promise to be a good listener and sounding board
• I will give you advice when asked but understanding if you decide to go another direction
• I will respect your privacy but will be as involved as you want me to
• I will not pressure you to make the rounds over the holidays and will try and share as best I can
• I promise to be the best mom I can possibly be
• And last but not least - I will love you unconditionally and forever

I love you both to the moon and stars,

Mom

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Pregnancy - 26 weeks:

Weight Gain?  +21.6 pounds - This makes another 4 pound weight gain...ugh!  

Sleep?  Much better but still getting up at least once or twice to pee.  Good thing I barely remember getting up and fall asleep pretty quickly

Best Moment this week?  Not swelling!!!  This is huge right now...last week my ankles and feet were huge and really uncomfortable.  I took it easy this weekend and they miraculously went down :)

Miss Anything?  Being comfortable - this pregnancy has been a lot more uncomfortable than my pregnancy with Addison.  With her I felt almost 100% and could pretty much do anything.  With this one it seems like everything hurts. 

Exercise?  Yes but not as much as I should.  I really can't wait for fall to start so we can take walks at night.  It is still 90 degrees outside!

Movement?  Like a little ninja

Size of the Baby?  Scallion - 1 2/3 pound and 14 inches

Belly?  Yup and I'm unmistakably pregnant now

Food Cravings?  Toffee!!!!  I made toffee twice last week (once for a Sip and See for my sister and once for a bake sale at work) and I had some left over pieces that I have been eating for the last week.  Thankfully it and almost all the other sweets have been eaten out of my house.  If it's there I eat it, if it's not then I don't!

Gender?  It's a BOY!  No names picked out yet.

Pregnancy Symptoms?  Swelling a lot in week 25 but none in week 26.  Some slight back pain and almost a cramping feeling when I overdo it.

I totally got photo bombed this morning...gotta love that little stinker :)

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24 Weeks

Pregnancy - 24 weeks:

Growing Belly

Weight Gain?  +17.6 pounds (Yup that's 4 pounds in 2 weeks - yikes!)  I am really trying to think about weight gain in a positive way but I really hate watching that scale go up after getting to my goal weight back in April.  I know that I have to gain weight to have a healthy baby and pregnancy but it is tough.  

Sleep?  A little insomnia this last weekend - Addison fell out of her bed in the middle of the night on Saturday night and when I came back to bed my hubby was snoring.  I can't sleep at all when he snores so I tossed and turned for 2 hours.  Ugh...thank goodness it was the weekend and I could nap.  Speaking of naps - I literally take one or two every weekend!

Best Moment this week?  I had a Doctor's appointment today and everything looked great - he is even measuring big.  Crossing my fingers he is a little big and comes a little early (I really, really, really don't want a Christmas Eve baby)

Miss Anything?  Soda - I know there are caffeine free ones and ones that are natural but I try and get in as much water as I can.   

Exercise?  Yes...so how do I explain the weight gain.  Not really sure :(

Movement?  Tons!

Size of the Baby?  Ear of Corn - 1 1/3 pound

Belly?  Totally in maternity clothes now and still loving dresses.  Best thing about maternity clothes is I feel like I'm wearing PJ pants to work every day.

Food Cravings?  Frozen Yogurt and I got some today...super yummy!  And looking forward to yummy pumpkin treats!!!

Gender?  It's a BOY!  No names picked out yet.

Pregnancy Symptoms?  The infamous line (Linea Nigra) from my belly button down.  And I still can't breathe...it is miserable.  I am out of breath taking in groceries, walking up stairs or lifting anything if it's hot.  Besides that just the normal aches and pains of pregnancy.

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Catching Up....August

Finally - my last catch up post!

August has been a month of ups and downs...

The first weekend Mike's sister came into town from Nacogdoches.  The girls had a blast playing together and entertained each other all weekend.

We also took Addison and my niece Kenzie to the circus.  This was the first time both of the girls had been and they had a really good time.

The Greatest Show on Earth!

Eating a snack!

 

Addison loved dancing to the music

But this was also a tough week for Mike's family too.  His Pepaw was put on hospice and so we all went and visited him.  And unfortunately he passed away on August 12.  He was such a great man and did so much for everyone in his family.  He will be greatly missed by everyone.  

Okay...enough sad.  Back to the ups!

Addison started playing Blastball!  I have a feeling she is going to be a little tom boy.  I gave her the choice between ballet and Blastball and she picked blastball.  She is a little slugger too!  She loves hitting and even begged her daddy to get her a tee ball set for the house.  Now they love playing T-Ball every night.

Go Team Orioles!  

Little Slugger!

Addi and Daddy playing T-Ball

We also went to a minor league baseball game with Mike's company.  They hosted all the employees in a suite.  Addison had a good time playing with all the other kiddos and watching real Baseball!

Go Rough Riders

Family Pic

That was August and I'm definitely ready for Fall!  Come on cool weather and all those yummy pumpkin treats!

Pregnancy - 22 weeks:

Well Hello Belly

Weight Gain?  +13.2 pounds

Sleep?  Sleep is good!  I'm still napping on the weekends and we got a brand new bed.  Can I tell you how amazing it is.

Best Moment this month?  Mike felt the baby!  Yay!  I also had my 20 week sonogram and everything looks healthy as can be.  That is a big relief!  

Miss Anything?  Breathing...I get shortness of breath really easily.  

Exercise?  Finally yes!  I have been going at lunch to the Recreation Center and getting on the elliptical for 30 minutes twice to three times a week.  It feels good to sweat again.

Movement?  Big Time Kicks - lots of movement especially after I eat.  Also, lots of movement at night and in the morning.

Size of the Baby?  Spaghetti Squash - 11 inches - 1 pound

Belly?  I have definitely popped.  I can still wear the belly band but not going to be long before I'm totally in maternity clothes.  Loving dresses right now!

Food Cravings?  Sweets...but trying to be good.  Counting calories during the week and trying to eat somewhat healthy on the weekends (with the occasional piece of cake).

Gender?  It's a BOY!  No names picked out yet.

Pregnancy Symptoms?  Oh man...pregnancy symptoms are in full effect.  I have preggo brain like crazy...I literally left my office the other day with my lunch bag and no purse, no keys, no phone.

Also, getting swollen and getting horrible cankles.  But it's only when I'm sitting at my desk all day - I am propping up my feet and trying to elevate them as much as possible.  

And like I said I'm totally out of breath - I can't even walk up stairs without having to take a big breath when I get up there.  This pregnancy is very different than Addison.  I am a lot more uncomfortable now that I'm actually showing.

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Catching Up....July (Part 2)! It's A _________!

We were all super excited to find out what we were having...my appointment was scheduled for July 22 and I was 17 weeks and 6 days!  We took Addison out of school and had told EVERYONE that we were finding out the sex that day.

But...when we got there the Doctor told me I had screwed up and that we weren't supposed to have our anatomy scan that day.  WOMP!  WOMP!  I have had some serious pregnancy brain with this pregnancy.

I think the Doctor must have felt sorry for me because she let us go take a quick peek anyway!  I could have kissed that woman :)  There would have been nothing worse than having all that anticipation built up for me and all our family and friends and not being able to find out.

She took us in the sonogram room and pretty much immediately Mike and I could see what it was.  She even said...wow this one isn't shy!

And this is what we saw...

IT'S A BOY!!!

And the other great part was that he looked healthy as can be :)  We were all excited but I think my husband was the most excited of all...he and Addison went into the hallway while I was making my next appointment and when I walked out he was literally dancing in the hallway.

We went home and called all our family to let them know and everyone was super excited for us.  So....Addison will be the only girl on my side of the family and our new little one will be the only boy on Mike's side.

I have to admit...they say you have a gut instinct on these things and I did have a feeling that it was a boy.  I never really told anyone this because honestly either sex would have been A OK with me.  But even though I had a feeling I am still nervous about having a boy just because it's different and I'm used to my girl.  But I have heard from so many moms that boys steal your heart and you just have a different love for them.  

We are going to be blessed with a little girl and a little boy and I couldn't be happier!  This was going to be it for us anyway so I'm glad that Mike will have a Mike Jr. and I will have a Mere Jr.

And I finally started to get a little pooch of a belly...here's me at 18 weeks:

Pregnancy - 18 weeks:

Weight Gain?  +7.2 pounds

Sleep?  Sleeping great except the 500,000 times I have to get up to pee.

Best Moment this month?  Finding out the sex of the baby!  I also started to feel slight movement at 17 weeks. BEST. FEELING. EVER.

Miss Anything?  Not really...pregnancy is great right now!

Exercise?  Nope...wish I could say yes.

Movement?  Little kicks very low in my abdomen.  First movement I felt was at 17 weeks while I was sitting on the couch typing on my laptop.

Size of the Baby?  Bell Pepper - 5 1/2 inches

Belly?  Tiny little bump but still in regular clothes.  The Be Band is the best invention ever.  I'm not ready for maternity clothes quite yet but with this I can wear my regular clothes!  

Food Cravings?  Sweets...sweets....and more sweets!  My new craving - Mini Chewy Sweettarts. 

Gender?  It's a BOY!  No names picked out yet.

Pregnancy Symptoms?  Nothing unusual...feeling great!  I love the honeymoon period.

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Catching Up....July (Part 1)!

July was a really fun month for us!  I had a great July 3 event...Addison went on her first airplane...We took a little family trip...my nephew was born...

And we found out the sex of our baby (stay tuned for July Part 2!)

The Independence Day event I run was a HUGE success this year.  We had a bigger crowd this year than we ever have.  It was amazing...and our fireworks are low level so they are literally in your face and beautiful.

I went home about 2 am July 3 and got up the next morning at 5:30 am to hop on a flight down to Houston and Galveston for the holiday weekend.  Our friends rented a condo down in Galveston and invited us to come stay with them...heck ya!  Mike couldn't leave on July 4 because he had to work so Addi and I decided to fly down and then he would drive down and meet us for the weekend.  She had never been on an airplane before so she was super excited.

She was being goofy...but was REALLY good on the flight.  Granted it was only 45 minutes.

My good friend Rachael picked us up from the airport and we hung out that day and let the girls play.

We headed to Freedom Fest in Houston that night.  The lady that books the talent for me for our festivals also runs that one so we were able to get into VIP with free food and drinks.  It was really fun and we left the kiddos home with a sitter so it was nice and relaxing.

Martina McBride - Independence Day (Up close and personal)

Addi was still awake when we got home from the concert so we let her play with sparklers and she loved it.

The next day Mike got in and we headed down to Galveston!  

We stopped for lunch before we headed down to Jamaica beach.

This was the view from our beach house in Jamaica Beach!

We literally stayed on the beach the entire weekend...Addison LOVED jumping waves.  

Addison and Daddy

  

The friends we went with...plus there were a few more not pictured.  There were 13 of us total!

Morning walk on the beach while everyone else slept in.

Ms Priss

These two cuties were inseparable...they loved playing together :)

Our last night on the beach

This girl was worn out and slept a good 2 hours of the trip home.

We got home on Sunday and about an hour after we walked in the door, my nephew came over to spend the night because my sister was being induced the next day!!!  She got to the hospital that morning and by 11 am they called and said she was close to pushing.  We rushed to the hospital so this proud big brother could meet his new sibling.

My sister did not find out before what she was having...so Cody brought a girl and boy blanket to give his new sibling.

Cody telling us what sex the new bundle of joy was.

It's a BOY!  The proud new parents!

Addison loved her new baby cousin!

Sorry again for the SUPER long post...stay tuned for July Part 2...It's A _______!

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Catching Up...June!

Almost totally caught up...Sorry - I want my blog to be in order...so my OCD self won't write anything current until I'm 100% caught up.

So June - 

June entailed lots of relaxing, fun in the sun and family time!  I missed my family soooo much.  I was so crazy busy in May and didn't get to spend nearly enough time with everyone.

Mike went on a boy's camping trip the first weekend in June so Addi and I had a mommy/daughter weekend.  It was so nice to spend time with my girl.

We went and saw her first 3D movie...Epic!

And went to a fireworks show - which she HATED!  We ended up having to leave after about 2 minutes of fireworks.  

June 14-16 was full of excitement!  We thought my sister was going into labor on June 14 :)  So my nephew came over to play and the kiddos played outside in the sprinklers.  They had a blast...but WOMP, WOMP false alarm on the new baby.  She was just dehydrated and it caused her to start having contractions - when she went in they pumped her full of fluids and sent her home.

And June 16 was Mike's birthday and Father's Day.  We celebrated his birthday on Saturday, June 15 with with his favorite home cooked meal (Blackened Chicken Pasta), a Nothing Bundt Cake carrot cake and some gifts.  Addison set the table in our "nice" dining room for family dinner and we even drank out of wine glasses (with juice for me or Addi).  

Yummy cake!

And Presents!

Then father's day started out with Dad's favorite breakfast - Biscuits, Homemade Sausage Gravy and scrambled eggs.  And of course...more gifts!

Addison wrote a special message inside his card and was reading it to him - so cute!

She loves her Daddy!

And then we headed over to my parent's house to swim and celebrate with my parents and family!  My dad's birthday is June 13 too...so there was a lot to celebrate!

They love their Grampy!

My nephew and sister

My Grandpa

And of course we had to have cake and sing to the Birthday Boy!  

June ended pretty uneventful with lots of playing in our little pool and family time :)

Pregnancy - 14 weeks:

Weight Gain?  +4 pounds

Sleep?  Catching up on sleep from May...finally being able to rest without having to take a unisom.

Best Moment this month?  The 14 week appointment was the first one that Mike was able to go to.  Typically I wouldn't have a sonogram until 18-20 weeks but since Mike was there and we were the last appointment of the day she said come on let's go take a peek at that baby :)  It was great for the peace of mind to get to see our little muchkin.

Also, I finally told everyone at work that I was expecting!

Miss Anything?  Not really...trying to be good about eating. 

Exercise?  Nope...wish I could say yes.

Movement?  Not yet

Size of the Baby?  Lemon - 3 1/2 inches

Belly?  Just getting chubby but still in regular clothes.  No baby bump yet.

Food Cravings?  Fresh fruit...my newest obsession - strawberries and grapes dipped in lite cool whip and vanilla yogurt mixed together.  YUM 

Gender?  Too Early

Pregnancy Symptoms?  Starting to get my energy back - I finally managed to stay awake past 10 pm!

I am so relieved to be out of the first trimester.  Now just waiting to feel that baby move.  

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