Thankful for Pregnant Girlfriends

Thanksgiving is for being thankful. This year I'm thankful for having a bestie that's also pregnant so we can share what the hell is going on with our bodies :)

My friend Megan is two weeks and 2 days behind me, I'm at 21 weeks and she's at 19 and this was in no way planned. As in, neither of us planned on being pregnant right now, at all. My brief 'how we found out' story is here (it may help make sense for the rest of the story) and Megan is the one who told me to take that first pregnancy test. We pretty much talk everyday during the week on Google Talk at work (when we're obviously not busy...) so we're aware of the most up-to-date facts on our lives and clearly, questionable periods.

Once I told Megan my first test came back positive (and I still wasn't 100% convinced because i had a very light period and thought it might be a false positive) she was very excited and quizative on the details and how I was feeling. She and Nate were the only people that knew and I'm happy she was there because I'm a google-er and read every situation that could possibly happen so when Nate would take Google away from me I would freak out to her about what I read. Part of my freaking out and just being a worrywart was because we had a miscarriage two years ago (weirdly, we got pregnant both times in July) so Megan helped smooth out my worries and google my questions since she was concerned and wanted everything to turn out okay this time around.

The next week Nate and I were on our trip and Megan was still checking in with me and asking very concerning questions on how I was feeling and what weird things my body was doing. Half way through our trip I received a text from Megan's boyfriend asking what my plans were on a certain Saturday because he had a surprise planned. Nate and I were relaxing in a coffee shop reading on our smart devices (yay... decaf on vaca) and I looked at Nate and said, OMG TRAVIS IS PROPOSING!

Fast forward another week after our trip Nate and I are lying on the couch watching a movie and I get a text from Megan that said, "Well it looks like you won't be going through this alone!" with a photo of a positive pregnancy test. I looked at Nate.... and said, HOLY SHIT. Nate and I just stared at each other, giggled and we couldn't think of anything else to say because she had no idea what other surprise lied ahead.

Remember all those detailed questions she asked about how I was feeling and what my body was doing? This all makes sense now :) Megan kept telling herself during these weeks that there's no way she's pregnant because I was but her body was definitely telling her, yes way! There's so much to this story and the next couple weeks leading up to her engagement but this post would be a novel after I tell you how many times I had to tell Megan not to tell her parents, friends and the world (at 6 weeks pregnant) since I and very few others knew she was getting engaged. Sorry, Mary :)

BABY BUMPS IN COMPARATIVE WEEKS

21 Weeks

This week's photo is from our brand new kitchen floors that have been ripped apart since July (my entire pregnancy!) This is also how expensive a Great Dane can be :) For about a month Carli went through a little emotional outbreak and peed in the kitchen at least once a day. A Great Dane's piss is like a bucket full! She would pee on a rug in front of the fridge but it would overflow all the way to the cabinets and sit there until we got home from work or when we woke up in the morning. Carli's pee ended up soaking the material underneath the wood and started to darken the wood in the entire area her piss was spreading. So, Nate's testosterone came out one evening and he started ripping up the floors thinking he could replace it with the extra pieces of wood we had in the shed. Long story short, we chose to replace the entire kitchen along with the back bathroom and foyer with black and white checkered tile to match our bungalow's original appeal. Thank you, Carli for adding value to our home :)

  

Before & After

Due date: April 8, 2014

How far along? 21 Weeks 

What fruit are you? Carrot to Spaghetti Squash and "the books" say 12 to 16 ounces
(We're measuring 1 1/2 weeks ahead of schedule since last sono so I'm doing a range until the next update)

Total weight gain/loss: 12 lbs, right on track!

Maternity clothes? The Tummy Tube, an array of items from Gap and the Jcrew Pixie pants are still on order, I'm waiting for the holiday online discounts to start!

Stretch marks? Nope and of course I'm slacking on using the Mustela cream

Sleep:  I could sleep through the night if my lower back didn't wake me up constantly. Although, since I'm on track with my weight gain and I'm average weight in general, it's okay to sleep on my back still :)
Miss Anything? Acupuncture has started and since I can't lay on my stomach or have needles in the exact spots I REALLY need them, I'm missing the luxury of the ability to relieve the pain quicker. 

Exercise: Walking the dogs :) 

Movement: Little movements on the side. My Placenta (sorry if that grosses you out!) is in the front of mini so her kicks aren't strong enough for me to feel her.

Food cravings: Sweets

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Gender: still a Lady :)

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? It's looking really tiny but still In

Happy or Moody: So calm but the princess-syndrome can come out easily

Looking forward to: Thanksgiving and sleeping in!
Best moment this week: Dinner with My Megans' & finally having a complete (and new!) kitchen floor. 

Naked Lindsay, Black Megan and Skinny Bitch

20 weeks, HALF WAY and Mini is a...

The Video Reveal

Due date: April 8, 2014

How far along? 20 Weeks - HALF WAY!

What object fruit are you? 'The Books' say 10 1/2 but we're 12 ounces (a can of beer!) We're measuring 1 1/2 weeks ahead of schedule so SHE could possibly come early. 

Total weight gain/loss: I think I finally popped and mini had a growth spurt, 10 lbs! 

Maternity clothes? The Tummy Tube, Gap's Leggings, tanks and T-shirts. Jcrew Pixie pants are on order, I live in the regular ones during the winter and they're available in maternity now! :)

Stretch marks? Nope, lathering on Mustela cream though just in case

Sleep: No more lying on my back, mini is directly on top of my vena cava blood vessel so it's best if I don't pass out while I sleep! The Bump Nest body pillow is arriving today!
Miss Anything? Sleeping on my back :) 

Exercise: My acupuncturist says no more Pure Barre because of my low back pain & sciatica but prenatal yoga is booked this week :)

Movement: Not yet ... but on the sono mini is movin' :) 

Food cravings: Mocktails :)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Gender: GIRL!!!

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? In ... if I push my stomach out it starts to flatten! :/

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy :)

Looking forward to: One less curiosity to wonder about and planning!
Best momentS this week: The Gender Reveal & The Mother of all Baby Showers

GENDER REVEAL: Is Mini a Beau or Bow?

Just kidding... You're going to have to wait for the 20 week post on Tuesday after we tell family :) I'm doing my own 5th grade science class experiment and testing gender prediction myths on myself to see which conclude true or false!

Q&A (I'm scoring my answers as Boy or Girl)

The Key Test

The Ring Test



1. Carrying High(girl) or Low(boy): Boy. I feel like it's low, what do you think?
2. Craving sweet(girl) or savory(boy)? Girl
3. Father puts on weight=boy: Boy
4. The Pendant/Ring Test - Swing a pure gold pendant over the belly, if it swings back and forth it's a girl, if it swings around it's a boy: Boy 
5. The Mother's Face - If it's round full and rosy, a girl: Boy




• Acne=Girl: Girl. Just started sprouting some at 18 weeks...
6. The Key Test - pick it up from thin end(girl) or round end(boy): Girl 
7. Morning sickness=girl: Girl
8. Girl if baby's heart rate is less than 140 Beats: Boy
9. Boy if carrying extra weight out front: Boy
10. Boy if belly looks like a basketball, girl if watermelon: Boy
11. Cravings are salty or sour (boy) sweet (girl): Girl (cravings have always been sweet)
12. Craving protein; meats & cheeses (boy), fruit (girl): Girl
13. Crave orange juice if girl: Boy
14. Boy if feet are colder than before pregnancy: Girl (they're always cold!)
15. Boy if hair on legs has grown faster during pregnancy: Girl
16. Boy if hands are very dry: Boy (could be the dry fall weather??)
17. Pillow faces North when you sleep (boy) South (girl): Girl? (What? The direction my body lays is East to West)
18. Pregnancy has you looking better than ever if boy: Boy :) - My skin has been great up until now, but this could be because of a new face wash?
19. Urine is bright yellow(boy), dull yellow(girl): Boy
20. Boy if nose is spreading: Girl? 
21. Boy if having headaches: Boy (Sinus headaches)
22. Add my age at time of conception and the number for the month you conceived; even = boy: 34
23. Girl if carrying weight in hips and rear: Girl
24. Hair develops red highlights: Boy
25. Moodier than usual: Girl
26. Refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread: Boy (we rarely buy bread though?)
27. Breasts have really blossomed if girl: Girl!

SCORE

15 (Boy) 13 (Girl)

This parking job shows how excited Nate was... he went back to re-park.

 What do you think little mini is??

 

19 Weeks: Shopping, Music and Celebrating 5 Years

Due date: April 8, 2014

How far along? 19 Weeks

What fruit are you? Heirloom tomato...Mmm, a caprese salad sounds good

Total weight gain/loss: 5 lbs

Maternity clothes? The Tummy Tube is so great along with Gap's Leggings, tanks and T-shirts.

Stretch marks? Nope, lathering on Mustela cream though

Sleep: My sciatica keeps me tossing all night but I have referrals for a preg friendly chiropractor and acupuncturist! This will also be the same chiropractor helping my uterus through labor :) The Bump Nest body pillow will be purchased very soon!
Miss Anything? Having a glass of wine after a long day of work! 

Exercise: Pure Barre and still waiting for a free Thursday evening so I can take prenatal yoga again!

Movement: Not yet ...maybe my abs are stronger than I thought :) 

Food cravings: Flavored Starbucks drinks

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Gender: FRIDAY!! 

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? In

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and anxious to know the gender!

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender THIS FRIDAY! and attending The Mother of all Baby Showers that evening with my preg friend Megan and our hubs'. Let the real planning begin!!
Best momentS this week: Feeling so great and relieved after an amazing Holiday Gift Market weekend, all the planning and preg tears was worth it! The Coastline Music Festival on Saturday and seeing Surfer Blood. Celebrating our 5 year anniversary yesterday (11/11/13).

Busy weekend for the bump & Nate's TV debut

The bump is growing and we were out on the town all weekend! My weekend started on Thursday after work for a night out with my Junior League girls shopping at the VIP kick-off party for the 10th Annual Holiday Gift Market.

Nate obviously had a longer day than me...hahaha I laugh every time I look at this!

Friday was a busy day with our birthing center appointment in the morning (which I'll elaborate more on the 19 week update) and then a full day on my feet working The Holiday Gift Market. 

After a long day it was sooo nice coming home to a clean house, freshly shaved little man and hosed down sweet horse.

Saturday began with a little bit of shopping at The Market and Nate's TV debut on the news which we didn't see until today! The Market has an area for the men to relax while their women shop called, The Man Cave; we linked up with a furniture company and set-up the necessities; sports and leather couches. Here's a little behind the scenes gossip... Nate didn't want to walk around the Market with me so he decided to just eat, again. He must have acquired my preggo sense of smell (my sinuses are blocking the intense smell I'm supposed to be having) because at first sniff he was all over some wings. I remember him texting me as I was shopping that he was in the man cave eating wings and Nate's the kind of person that doesn't know how to sit quietly alone, he needs to be talking to someone at all times, so he brought his food into the man cave. Nate's not into watching sports which is why I found it funny that he was sitting in the man cave in the first place so this morning when we watched the news segment on The Market he admitted that he originally sat next to an older woman and started asking what she bought to strike up a conversation so she asked if it was okay to change the channel and watch HGTV instead of sports; Nate said he preferred HGTV :)

The most exciting part of the weekend for us was listening to music all day at the Coastline Music Festival! We committed to the day because two bands we're fans of were playing; Surfer Blood and The Joy Formidable. Most of the bands are still a little too 'pop' for us but it's hard to refuse a full day of music in our 'genre' because it's so rare to find in Tampa and the city needs our support! 

There's always free ice cream at music fests :) Talenti is our go-to gelato and now they have gelato pops covered in dark chocolate. Genius.

 

Just buying papa a beer :)

 Watching Surfer Blood

Sunday has been our recovery day and giving the dogs their much needed attention! 

18 Weeks

As soon as we got pregnant Nate made it known that he didn't want me giving birth in a hospital. Any one that knows Nate understands that most words coming out of his mouth aren't true and he's just trying to rile me up. So I initially told him he was crazy and it's my vagina. After some seriousness came through during the non-hospital conversations, doing my research and five minutes into watching the documentary The Business of Being Born I was completely won over by the natural birthing methods, specifically water birth.

With me being a worrier and imagining crazy gone-wrong scenarios there was still a lot of back and forth between our decision but Nate ultimately let my vagina have the final say and at the end of the day I still don't feel comfortable being in a hospital, lying in a bed under a surgeons delivery methods. I know, that sentence probably sounds crazy and when I'm in labor I may call myself a nut but the freeing hippie influence my mother instilled on me growing up is kicking in now and I'm embracing it over my worrywart attitude from my father.

On Friday we have our first consult at a local birthing center that was referred to us through multiple friends who have either given birth there or are current patients and we're so stoked! I think it's a good sign that I'm way more excited than nervous, right!? :)

Due date: April 8, 2014

How far along? 18 Weeks

What fruit are you? Bell Pepper! ... bell peppers sound good right now...

Total weight gain/loss: around 3 lbs? My weight always fluctuates a few pounds so its hard to tell right now!

Maternity clothes? I graduated to the Tummy Tube this weekend and I'm hoping this will last for the next few months until i absolutely have to buy real maternity pants! I'm also still loving Gap's Leggings, Tank and I just recently bought their t-shirts since I'm a total jeans and t-shirt girl.

Stretch marks? No but I'm trying Mustela cream even if there's nothing I can do about stretch marks!

Sleep: I love sleeping but my sciatica keeps me tossing and turning all night. 

Best moment this week: Dressing up at work for our Halloween contest at work and our division won! Our theme was an 80's prom gone wrong and I was the pregnant teen queen :)

Miss Anything? Having a glass of wine after a long day of work! 

Exercise: Pure Barre and why is prenatal yoga mostly scheduled for stay at home moms??

Movement: Not that I can tell...

Food cravings: No huge cravings but when I see something  that looks good, i want it! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not eating right away in the morning

Gender: Friday, Nov. 22 at the 20 week appt. OR at the new birthing center soon :)

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? In

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and calm! And in love with my thicker hair!

Looking forward to: A girls shopping night out with my Junior League ladies for the Holiday Gift Market Kick-off party Thursday evening!!