Old wives tales, just for fun

Cravings: Definitely not craving sour. Sweet things (girl) and dairy (boy apparently?).

Belly shape & other physical changes: Carrying low for sure and the belly is pretty basketball round (boy). I've had some really awesome pregnancy hair (boy) and I haven't gained any weight in my face (boy). I had horrible pregnancy acne (girl) and bad m/s (girl). DH has yet to gain any sympathy weight (boy). My leg hair is growing the same rate as before (girl), nose is the same shape (girl), my feet are always cold so no change there (girl), and increase in headaches (boy).

Chinese gender chart: Girl

Heart rate: Baby's h/r started out high and then gradually slowed down. At the big u/s it was in the 130's (boy).

Obviously we got a couple views like this:



that pretty much ended the debate. But I thought it was interesting to see which turned out to be right or wrong. :)

19 Weeks, a little late

How far along? 19 weeks
Weight gain/loss: Up 16 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Same as last week
Stretch marks? Nothing yet. Phew!
Sleep? I need a pregnancy pillow. I cannot stop rolling onto my back, and when I'm on my back I wake up.
Best moment this week? The big u/s! Everything looks great and baby weighs 10 ounces already. He's breach and sitting right on my bladder (although they assure me this is normal and most of the time babies who are breach at 20 weeks are head down when they're ready to come out), and the stubborn little guy wouldn't uncross his legs or turn so the u/s tech could see the goods or the bottom of his spine. Our tech was wonderful though, and she had me use the rest room and brought me some juice to try to get LO to move around. As soon as she left the room I jumped up and started doing jumping jacks and threatening my future child with all yellow and green clothing and gifts. The words "I'm your mother and you have to listen to me," might have been uttered. Who knows if the was the sugary juice or the mild scolding but we managed to cajole the little guy into turning over, and we saw some boy parts! Still can't believe we're team peen!
Food cravings: All kinds of fruit, and milk. I've been having fruit parfaits daily.
Gender: BOY!!
Belly button in or out? Still in.
Movement? Yep! Everyday. What week does the kick counting start?
What I miss? This week, sweet sweet caffeine & alcohol.
What I'm looking forward to: Stronger kicks, painting the nursery, buying more boy clothes.

Now for some ultrasound pics!

And me:

18 Weeks

Your Baby: Week 18

Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon.

How far along? 18 weeks
Weight gain/loss: Up 15 pounds. (Holy freaking crap)
Maternity clothes? Same as last week
Stretch marks? Nothing yet. Phew!
Sleep? It's still hard to get and stay comfortable but it's getting better as I get more and more used to staying on my side.
Best moment this week? This was a really tough week. Things at work went from bad to here's my two weeks notice in the span of a day. Luckily I was offered another position that solves the problem. I feel relieved, but it's hard to say that's the best moment when so many shitty moments led up to it. I'm just happy things are ok again. Some good things that have been overshadowed by all this stress: I got to hear the baby this week at my appointment and I scheduled the big u/s for next week.
Food cravings: Cafe and tea lattes, Pb&j.
Gender: Finding out next week!!
Belly button in or out? Too early
Movement? A lot actually, a ton some of the more stressful days this week.
What I miss? Beer.
What I'm looking forward to: Finding out the gender!

16 and 17 weeks

Your Baby: Week 16

Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender.

How far along? 16 weeks
Weight gain/loss: Up 10 pounds. Where the fuck is it all coming from?
Maternity clothes? Oh yes. Pants for sure and regular pants + the bella band. I bought under the belly maternity jeans on sale at old navy that are comfortable but still a little big in the belly area and don't stay up as well as my full panel work pants. I had to buy some work appropriate maternity shirts because most of my work clothes are way too fitted and don't stretch.
Stretch marks? No, I'm dreading them more and more with the passing weeks though.
Sleep? After the belly got solid it got a lot harder to get comfy, but I'm doing better. I still wake up a lot either to pee or because of crazy dreams, but I'm definitely getting more sleep than I was a couple weeks ago. Not looking forward to the pillow barricade that I will surely need to keep from rolling onto my back after 20 weeks. le sigh.
Best moment this week? We went to a wedding last weekend (it was an outdoor ceremony that was WAY too hot for a pregnant lady but I sipped on water and got through it. The rest of the night was really fun and we got to see a bunch of friends we haven't seen since college. I wasn't too obviously pregnant in my new dress from Motherhood, and some of our friends who hadn't heard couldn't tell until I pulled my dress tight around my bump to prove it. That definitely felt good. I've been feeling huge lately and that day I was swollen from the heat. As much as I think I'm carrying this child in my chin, everyone else is oblivious to it and I got tons of compliments. It was a nice ego booster.




Food cravings: Last week it was sugary cereal with milk. Cinnamon toast crunch was like my crack.
Gender: My gut feeling is still leaning more towards boy, but I really have no clue anymore.
Belly button in or out? In, but starting to feel weird when I touch it since the ute has climbed up to meet it.
Movement? Definitely! It's so cool! Sometimes it's a squirmy squishy feeling and sometimes it's a kick/punch feeling. Nothing consistent yet but I love when it happens.
What I miss? Real coffee, red wine, BEER.
What I'm looking forward to: Consistent movement and finding out the gender.
Weekly wisdom: Idk, I'm really bad at this portion, I'm figuring this shit out as I go along. The best I can come up with for this week is: "You are not as fat as you imagine" (yep, I just stole some weekly wisdom from the sunscreen song)
Milestones: Kicking!

Your Baby: Week 17

Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

How far along? 17 weeks
Weight gain/loss: Looks like 12 pounds. Speaking of weight, the numbers on the scale absolutely terrify me. To be honest I had a slight panic attack last week, only to feel normal and healthy and pretty again over the weekend. Perspective is a great thing. It's just crazy to gain so much weight so quickly, and I still wonder where it's all coming from.

I eat pretty damn healthy, and while I'm more hungry more often, it's not like I'm relieving every hunger pang with donuts and twinkies. I have fast food or take out a couple times a week, either for lunch or dinner, but that's no different than what I've always done. I don't eat dessert more often than usual, I eat BETTER quality foods than I did pre-pregnancy, and while I give into my junk food cravings it's not in excess.

The only thing I can think of is how much pregnancy makes me hate some of the healthy staples I used to love. (Ok so I never really loved salad, but I ate it for lunch two to three times a week) Any raw vegetables instigate my gag reflex to point where I can barely have lettuce and tomatoes on a burger or crunchy peppers and onions on a pizza. Cooked vegetables are touch and go, and if I do manage to eat them I usually have to trick myself into eating them with butter, dressing or cheese. (hence the pizza example)

I'm also hating chicken that isn't fried or otherwise altered in some unhealthy way. I can't stand to handle it raw, and grilled or roasted just has no flavor and feels so dry. Even when it's not! It just tastes different than before I was pregnant.

So there you go, my only explanation is those two huge staples of a healthy diet completely out the window and replaced by carbs, fruit, red meat and dairy.

Maternity clothes? Same as last week.
Stretch marks? Same as last week.
Sleep? Same as last week.
Food cravings: Starbucks iced chai tea lattes!! Zomg.
Gender: Same as last week, although I must add that I REALLY WANT TO KNOW!!!! AHHHH!!!!
Belly button in or out? Same as last week.
Movement? Getting ever so slightly more frequent, but still nothing consistent.
What I miss? Real coffee, red wine, beer, cold lunch meat.
What I'm looking forward to: Consistent movement and FINDING OUT THE GENDER. I have no idea how people hold out the entire pregnancy, it's driving me up the wall.
Weekly wisdom: Meh, I should write something about not letting people get under your skin so you don't get an eye twitch that won't stop, but I have yet to figure out how to do this. It's like a freaking rave in my eye.

Wow I'm a horrible blogger lately

But I blame this amazing second trimester thing. I actually have the energy to do stuff again which means less sitting on the couch with the lap top. My house is clean, I've had guests, I've traveled to see friends without feeling miserable, it's awesome. Here's my combo 14 & 15 weeks post:

Your Baby: Week 14

Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth.

How far along? 14 weeks
Weight gain/loss: Up 7 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Pants for sure, even though the bella band still works for some outfits. Stretch marks? Too early.
Sleep? Some nights are wonderful, some nights I can't get comfortable or I'm having crazy dreams. One bright spot is if I don't drink water for an hour or more before bed I wake up much less to pee on those good nights (down to once a night most of the time, woo hoo!).
Best moment this week? Saw my FIL, SIL and nephew for a short visit during the week which was fun, and had a really fun weekend with my BFF in AC NJ. (Holy sh!t. None of us had ever been and it was such a clusterfuck of trashiness it was just awesome!) We hit the casinos and I lost about $60 and DH won about $80, so all in all we basically broke even. I played my first game of poker at a casino, so that was cool. I'm actually really good at poker, but those tables intimidate me!
Food cravings: Mashed potatoes, sweet tea
Gender: Too early. I had my first dream that LO was a girl this week though. In all of my other baby dreams LO has been a boy and an infant, in this one LO was a girl and about a year old, with curly baby hair like mine and we had named her Elizabeth which is our second favorite girl name.
Belly button in or out? Too early
Movement? Too early, but I'm wondering if some of the odd gassy stuff I'm feeling are random movements that I just can't recognize as baby yet.
What I miss? Beer.
What I'm looking forward to: Feeling real, recognizable baby kicks!
Weekly wisdom: I got nothing. lol. I really like the baby bargains book, but that's all I have in the way of "wisdom".

Your Baby: Week 15

Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now outmeasure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements.

How far along? 15 weeks
Weight gain/loss: 9.5 (holy hell)
Maternity clothes? Pants for sure, even though the bella band still works for some outfits.
Stretch marks? Not yet...
Sleep? Some nights are wonderful, some nights I can't get comfortable or I'm having crazy dreams. One bright spot is if I don't drink water for an hour or more before bed I wake up much less to pee on those good nights (down to once a night most of the time, woo hoo!).
Best moment this week? This has been a rough week, but I think I might be feeling baby move? It's every once in a while in the same spot I always find LO's h/b on the doppler.
Food cravings: mac and cheese, bacon
Gender: Too early. I have no idea what I think I'm having anymore!
Belly button in or out? In
Movement? Too early, but I'm wondering if some of the odd gassy stuff I'm feeling are random movements that I just can't recognize as baby yet.
What I miss? Beer.
What I'm looking forward to: Feeling real, recognizable baby kicks, the big u/s!
Milestones: I have a real, hard baby belly!

13 weeks!

Your Baby: Week 13

Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy. (Much more convenient.)

How far along? 13 weeks
Weight gain/loss: Up 5.5 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Pants for sure, although it's too early for shirts. The bella band still works for some outfits, but I'm going to have to invest in more mat pants soon.
Stretch marks? Too early (thank God)
Sleep? I still want/need 8 hours or more, but it's getting harder to stay comfortable.
Best moment this week? I've been really sick this week, but best moment was my 13 week appointment. I got to hear Stevie on the "official' doppler which was nice, and it looks like everything is right on track! Our NT b/w results came back great too.
Food cravings: Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, watermelon, cantaloupe.
Gender: Too early. I still feel like it's a boy, but we'll see.
Belly button in or out? Too early
Movement? Too early, but I'm wondering if some of the odd gassy stuff I'm feeling are random movements that I just can't recognize as baby yet.
What I miss? Real coffee, I really wanted a frapaccino this week
What I'm looking forward to: Feeling real, recognizable baby kicks!
Weekly wisdom: Being pregnant = unsolicited, random, and often judgmental or inappropriate advice. It sucks, ignore it. (I'm still working on living this myself)
Milestones: 2nd tri!!!

12 weeks & NT scan

Baby's now the size of a plum!
As you move into the second trimester, baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all of baby's systems are fully formed.

We had out NT scan today at 12 weeks exactly. I'm so happy we decided to do it. Although both DH and I are 24 and have no family histories to suggest any problems, this will probably be our last look at Stevie Z before the big u/s.

I was so surprised at how detailed the scan was, it took a good 30 minutes to get all the shots, and the tech was great (although she was super unemotional and kinda dull) and we got to see so much! The thing that surprised me the most was how much Stevie looked like a baby. Not a yoke sac, a yoke sac with a heart beat or gummy bear baby with arm buds, but a real, recognizable baby. And s/he was moving so much! Kicking legs (crossing them which I thought was hoot) waving, thumb sucking and just wiggling all around. S/he also kept covering up their face with their hands, which DH and I thought was pretty funny. Like DH said, "No pictures please!" hehe. My favorite part was when the tech zoomed in on the face profile for the first time and DH said, "That's my nose." It really made me laugh.

Anyway, we're still waiting on the bw results but the radiologist says everything looks fine. I did learn that I have an anterior placenta, but I know that could change with time. It would be a bummer not to feel the baby kick as much or as soon as I had hoped, but as long as I don't develop placenta previa I'm not going to worry about it. On to the pics!

11 weeks

Baby's now the size of a lime!
Your fetus currently enjoys a 1:1 ratio between body and head, and has skin so transparent that blood vessels show right through it. But fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds, and nail beds are forming -- setting up a significantly more attractive future.

By now, you're surely familiar with the prenatal symphony of burps, flatulence, and rumbling tummy. Small, frequent meals should help with the discomfort. And make sure to eat and drink slowly to prevent swallowing extra air. You'll later use this technique when feeding baby! Prenatal yoga can also help settle down your belly and -- side benefit -- soothe those mood swings.

How far along? 11 weeks
Weight gain/loss: Up a total of 5 pounds. Seeing 150 on the scale gave me a mild heart attack, (It went something like this: WTF?!?!?! 150?!! I've never been this heavy !*#?!$*%@! -cue hyperventilation) but eventually I took a deep breath and remembered it's all for my little garbanzo bean. I might see 180 (holy mother of God) or higher before this thing is all said and done, so I should probably get used to it right?
Maternity clothes? Pants for sure, although it's too early for shirts. The bella band still works for some outfits, but I'm going to have to invest in more mat pants soon.
Stretch marks? Too early (thank God)
Sleep? It's all I want to do, all the time. Unfortunately I get up at least twice to pee during the night, which is lame.
Best moment this week? I have two! 1) I bought DH a father to be card for father's day. Of course I started tearing up in the store when I bought it and then when I gave it to him I cried again. He mostly just laughed at me and gave a hug, but it was still nice. 2) On that same shopping trip I also bought my first baby related purchase, a little 0-3 winter coat from Gymbore (sp?). It was on sale for $8.99, how could I not buy it with a winter baby on the way? While checking out the cashier asked "Is this a gift?" and I got to say "NO!" it was silly, but awesome.
Food cravings: Surprisingly no real "cravings" this week, they haven't been quite as intense now that morning sickness is letting up, which is nice.
Gender: Too early. I still feel like it's a boy, but we'll see.
Belly button in or out? Too early
Movement? Too early
What I miss? Real coffee, red wine
What I'm looking forward to: Second tri! It feels like it's right around the corner I just pray daily that I make it there. Having some energy back would be awesome.
Weekly wisdom: Don't judge other people's weight gain in pregnancy. Seriously. I really hate self-righteous twats (this is obviously bump related) that get their panties in a twist over what everyone else is eating and gaining. Who gives a shit if a pregnant woman wants to eat all the ice cream in her own house?
Milestones: First week off the prometrium! :::does happy dance:::: Starting to wean off the metformin, I'm mostly able to poop again, (it feels like a milestone to me) and the NT scan is scheduled for Monday!

Some belly pics: Starting to look less bloaty? Maybe just in this picture, but I'll take it!

10 weeks

Baby's now the size of a prune!
With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will start working too.)

Notice a network of tiny blue veins crisscrossing your already achy breasts and (sorry) disappearing waistline? Though you may not love the new look, these veins carry the extra blood needed to nourish your burgeoning baby. You also might see the effects of pregnancy on your face -- in the form of major breakouts, that is. (Thanks, hormones.)

How far along? 10 weeks
Weight gain/loss: up 2.5 pounds from last week to 148.5 We'll see if it sticks around, I haven't really pooped in almost a week. :(
Maternity clothes? Not really, but I do have a pair of maternity work pants that I wore once this week. The rest of the week I'm still rocking the bella band and the rubber band through the button hole trick, or wearing flowy dresses.
Stretch marks? Too early (thank God)
Sleep? It's all I want to do, all the time. Unfortunately I get up at least twice to pee during the night, which is lame.
Best moment this week? I had my first appointment at my midwife practice and I love them!
Food cravings: Bagels and cream cheese, ice cream, grilled cheese, over easy eggs (whatev, I know they're "bad")
Gender: Too early.
Belly button in or out? Too early
Movement? Too early
What I miss? Real coffee, red wine
What I'm looking forward to: Second tri! It feels like it's right around the corner I just pray daily that I make it there.
Weekly wisdom: Meh, I got nothing.
Milestones: Nothing too crazy, just making it to 10 weeks.

Belly Pics:

9 weeks

Baby's now the size of a green olive!
Your little embryo has now officially graduated to fetus-hood. Adding to the excitement, a Doppler ultrasound device might be able to pick up the beating heart. With basic physical structures in place and increasingly distinct facial features, baby is kind of starting to look like...well...a baby.

As you squeeze into your jeans and struggle to button your shirt, try enjoying the gain -- after all, when was the last time putting on the pounds was totally guilt-free? It's also probably time for some new lingerie. Your sore, bigger-by-the-minute boobs will feel so much better in a maternity bra.



How far along? 9 weeks
Weight gain/loss: Down a pound from last week, so 146.
Maternity clothes? Not really, but I do have a pair of maternity work pants that I wore once this week. The rest of the week I'm still rocking the bella band and the rubber band through the button hole trick, or wearing flowy dresses.
Stretch marks? Too early (thank God)
Sleep? It's all I want to do, all the time. Unfortunately I get up at least twice to pee during the night, which is lame.
Best moment this week? My first comment about "showing" from my coworkers. It's not really baby obviously, but my stomach is taking on a whole new shape. I decided to just embrace it and rock the maternity pants, and it was awesome.
Food cravings: Cheese, cheese, more cheese.
Gender: Too early. Although I have to say, I constantly refer to this baby as he...when I dream about the baby it's a boy.
Belly button in or out? Too early
Movement? Too early
What I miss? Real coffee
What I'm looking forward to: My first appointment with my midwife on the 9th.
Weekly wisdom: Embrace the bloat. Eat what you're hungry for.
Milestones: I'm starting to "pop" more on the bottom of my belly. You know, the part that's not just beer gut from pre-pregnancy. DH says I'm starting to look pregnant.

Check it out, here I am in my mat pants and all my bloat glory:

Please note:
* This shirt is coraly pink, but my iphone makes it look orange
* This is my work bathroom, not a bathroom in my house.

8.5 week ultrasound

Everything went great, LO measured exactly 8 weeks and 4 days (exactly where s/he should be according to FF) and the placenta is thick. We got to see Stevie Z moving those arm and leg buds a little bit, and even got a profile view of a little face! We go to hear the heartbeat (of course I started crying) which was between 170 and 180 beats per minute.

My RE says we're now down to a 5% chance of m/c and released us to our midwife! I can't tell you how relieved I am to have made it this far.

8 Weeks

Baby's now the size of a raspberry!
Baby is growing like mad, putting on about a millimeter every day and continuing to straighten out in the trunk. Though you can't feel it yet, baby is moving those little arms, legs, and (now only slightly) webbed fingers and toes like crazy.

Playing host to an ever-growing embryo does take a toll. Heavy fatigue may be setting in, along with abdominal cramping and tender breasts. Treat yourself gently, and it doesn't hurt to remind your partner to do the same. Though it's not showing yet, you're growing a little person in there!

How far along? 8 weeks
Weight gain/loss: Up 2 pounds, 147
Maternity clothes? Not yet, but I am rocking the bella band and the rubber band through the button hole trick.
Stretch marks? Too early (thank God)
Sleep? It's all I want to do, all the time.
Best moment this week? A friend told me she knew before I told her because I was glowing. :) I still think it's just grease, but it was still nice to hear, lol.
Food cravings: Carbs, carbs and more carbs. Biggest one this week is waffles with butter and maple syrup. (syrup also seems to be a natural laxative, nice bonus)
Gender: Too early
Belly button in or out? Too early
Movement? Too early
What I miss? Real coffee
What I'm looking forward to: Hearing the heatbeat, my (hopefully last) appointment with my RE this Friday.
Weekly wisdom: Hmm, I might have to get back to you on that, I don't feel very wise.
Milestones: 8 week u/s 5/28.

7 Week Belly Pic

I think I'll start posting these on my ticker change day, so long as I manage to look presentable on Monday morning. If not maybe Tuesday. ;) Anyway, this is a super cute (and cheap) dress I bought a Target, it hides the bloat pretty well, but as you can tell it's still huge. I can't wait to have a real belly, I feel so awkward knowing that it's just jiggly fat & water right now.

7 Weeks

Baby's now the size of a blueberry!
Baby's brain -- both hemispheres! -- is growing fast, generating about one hundred new cells every minute. Arms and legs are emerging as joints start to form, and a permanent set of kidneys (baby's third!) is now in place.

This is my first week without an u/s. I have mixed emotions about it. I know my RE thinks things are going fine and while I believe things are fine, it still makes me nervous. Keep growing strong Stevie!

Belly Pic Friday (2 days late)

Still 145 lbs. I don't see a huge change in this picture, but I absolutely need new work pants. None of them button, and I've had to think of creative ways to hide that. So far belts and longer shirts have been helping, but I can't keep wearing the same few outfits every single week. Hopefully today I'll find some cute and cheap stuff to help get me through until a real belly starts to show.

6 Weeks

Baby's now the size of a sweet pea!
Growing like crazy, baby is starting to sprout eyes, ears, nose, cheeks, and chin. Those little hands and feet -- still webbed like paddles -- might wiggle by week's end, the heart is beating (almost twice as fast as yours!), and blood is starting to circulate.

• Only new symptom so far has been round ligament pain. That settled in at the end of last week. It was accelerated by a 3.5 hour car ride followed by a bad nights sleep at my parents house on a blow up mattress, then my little sister's college graduation on bleacher seats. 5 hours long. Ow!! I was so nauseous and in so much pain, it was not a fun time.
  

• My first mothers day was nice, considering I was so so sick, we drove home on Saturday rather than spending the rest of the weekend with my parents. My mom totally understood though, and before I left she gave me a "mother-to-be" card that made me cry. It was really sweet. :)
  

• We had our second ultrasound at 6w 1day, and Stevie is doing great! We saw the fetal pole and the heartbeat, which was really awesome. Confession time: I youtubed 6 week ultra sound until I was blue in the face on Monday night so DH and I would know what to look for Tuesday morning. (Man there are a lot of shitty u/s techs who can't focus in on utes for shit out there) Well anyway, the research paid off I guess. I saw my baby's heartbeat right away and I almost cried, DH was really excited but he had a freaked out look for a second. It was suddenly real for him I think. He's been excited but he's also the voice of rationality when it come to this kind of stuff. So he's been cautiously excited. "Expecting the worst while hoping for the best," is how he usually puts it. We're down to a 15% chance of m/c, and if everything is fine 2 weeks from now we'll be down to 5% and graduate to a midwife!

So, I guess it's about time for a weight post.

I got on the scale the morning of my BFP to see 145. Eww, easily the heaviest I have ever been. I hadn't weighed myself in weeks, and I was not expecting that. Since then the number has been fluctuating anywhere from 139 to 145 again. Water weight and constipation much? My RE usually recommends that his patients with PCOS try not to gain weight in the first trimester if they are already overweight. At 5'3", it looks like I fall into that category. This is not going to to be easy considering I'm shoving anything down my face to keep from feeling nauseous. Here's my baseline belly pic, please enjoy my beer gut/bloat:



Work clothes are already pretty tight and uncomfortable once the bloat sets in for the day, (notice the bootyliciousness going on in these pants anyway? yeh...) and I'm not really sure it's appropriate to wear spanks while pregnant. Or a bella band to work. I'll have to think of something before I split my pants.

5 Weeks!

Baby's now the size of an appleseed!
Your embryo, which doesn't look like much more than a tadpole right now, is actually starting to form major organs (heart, kidney, liver, stomach) and systems (nervous, circulatory, digestive). Baby's presence in your uterus triggers production of HCG (the hormone detected by pregnancy tests), which triggers the production of other hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which triggers all those great symptoms you've probably been noticing!

Eleven days since I saw that first and faintest of lines, and I still can't believe it. I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do blog wise, so here goes:

• DH has decided to name our in utero babe "Stevie Z" after Steve Zissou. Because he's "living the life aquatic! He's swimming around in there!" I've tried to tell him a fetus does not swim, but to no avail. Stevie Z it is.

• Friday after my fourth beta RE called to tell me my beta levels are still rising very nicely but my progesterone has dropped, so I'm now on prometrium, aka vaginal progesterone suppositories. I was seriously overwhelmed and freaked out on Friday and all I wanted to do was cry. I realize that low progesterone is not the worst thing that could happen, they have medicine to hopefully fix it right? They don't have a pill to make your betas double. But it was a lot to handle when we planned on telling our families the same night. I felt like I was telling them with strings attached. But they were so excited for us and we had them promise not to say anything because it is so early and this is now considered a higher risk pregnancy.

• Guess who couldn't keep her big fat mouth shut? Yep, my MIL. We went to a wedding on DH's side on Saturday, (one of the big reasons we told Friday night, I usually drink a lot at weddings, not to mention any time I have to spend time with my ILs) and she literally announced it in the parking lot to her family members I had never even met before!! I wanted to strangle her, she just kept going! Luckily, DH and SIL backed me up later when they got her alone. He explained that we're excited but we obviously don't want to have to un-tell everyone. I wanted to scream at her "I HAVE TO TAKE PILLS VIA VAGINA TO KEEP MY BABY ALIVE YOU TWIT! CAN YOU NOT TELL THE WHOLE WORLD I'M KU?!?!?!" He probably handled it better.

• I feel like I'm under a lot of pressure. I was nervous enough without the news of the low progesterone. Now, it's regular nerves x2, since I actually have something real to worry about. Add telling people, and my stupid MIL telling everyone DH's entire family, and here comes more pressure. UHG. I just keep hoping and praying and trying my damnedest to be positive.
  

• Lets move on to symptoms, those wonderful things that make me feel pregnant, and reassure me mentally by making me physically sick. Cool! Disclaimer: I don't want to say I had "symptoms" immediately after O, because I don't now for sure if I can actually attribute those to pregnancy. But either way this is what I felt. 1) Right after O I had cramps for a few days. Not regular cramps that I get when I O or when AF is on her way, but what felt like a combination of ute cramps, sore abs, hip pain, and having to poop cramps. It was literally a cramping I had never had before. It started up again around 7DPO and since the BFP I still have odd crampy feelings off and on. 2) I had to get up to pee in the middle of night almost every single night since O, and still do. This was definitely out of the norm for me, I rarely if ever have to get up and pee at night. 3) Around 9 and 10 DPO I was so tired, had a headache that felt like I had hit my head on something (like when I'm hungover) and I started having waves of nausea and lightheadedness. Most of those are still going strong, especially the nausea and fatigue. No actual puking yet though, which has been nice. 4) Boobs are sore, slightly bigger, and my nips are huge and a little darker, that also started around 9-10 DPO.

And last but not least, the BFP chart:

B.F.P.

I truly can't believe it. I'm still in shock & so is DH, but it's been confirmed with cheapies, frers and my first beta, so it looks like after a long and bumpy road, we're actually KU. Cautiously, I'm going to say we're actually having a LO! More details about symptoms and how I told DH to come, for now, I'm still reveling in these 2 beautiful pink lines. :)

This overdramatic temp spike is playing with my emotions

GAH!!!!

Add to that phantom symptoms, and you have an HJK all wound up for eventual disappointment.

I'm not one to put a lot of stock in phantom symptoms either, (they suck, obviously) but I've had every one in the book in previous cycles and I didn't even O. So I tend to take them with a huge grain of salt, but lets just go down the list:

1) Cramps. I can't really say what is "normal" for me in this department because I've been on BC for a year and with that I only cramp the day before and during AF. This cycle I've had them off and on since O and getting more frequent, it's probably period related and just different from what I'm used to.
2) Nipple pain. This I can say for sure is NOT normal for me, I have occasionally sore boobs and nips, but this takes the cake. I actually had a dream that someone was winding a thread around my nipple and pulling it tighter and tighter, I've been having horrible pains even in my sleep. Also probably period related even though it's not "normal" for me. Who knows what's normal for me off of BC?
3) Fatigue. (but I'm always tired, I probably didn't drink enough coffee those days)
4) Lightning Crotch. I'm even laughing at myself typing it. As though a sudden shock in the crotch is the way mother nature tells women they are pregnant. Oh well.

I ovulated! Suck it PCOS!

Woot!!! I freaking did it! I’m so proud of my ovaries. My chart was looking awesome too until today with a big ol’ temp drop. (Which I can’t even be upset about because I’m still 8dpo WTF?! I’ve never been 8dpo! Anyway, I’m excited to see where this goes. I don’t expect to be KU this cycle, but hopefully this is an indicator of things to come, more ovulatory cycles with less intervention. Fingers crossed!

PS> I also swear I'll be a better blogger in the future, I started back up with good intentions only to get ridonculously busy with guests, vacations, snow removal and everything.

CHs?

I'm not too excited yet. My cat's have been behaving horribly in the morning, which is their usual MO after we've left them for a weekend or for vacation, :::sigh::: whatever. Basically, Stan scratches up the carpet outside the bedroom door to get our attention (if we let them sleep in the bedroom he just scratches my side of the mattress, the little dear) and we have tried everything we can think of to curb the habit. All I know for sure is they usually give up and go back to being good kitties in a few days.

Our timing is ok, but we weren't really focused on TTC this month. I was just focused on getting back into the swing of things and trying to get my ovaries to release an egg. We'll see if those CH even stick.

VAIL tomorrow!

Back to This Charting Thing

So here's the plan:

• 80 mg Vitex twice a day
• 500 mg Metformin twice a day
• sticking to low GI diet, lots of fruits and veggies every day and no sugar (God help me)
• exercise
• and hopefully this all leads me to OVULATE.

::::Blows off dust and cobwebs:::::

Oh, hi there. I've seriously neglected this little blog. In an attempt not to make my self crazy, I had to take a bump break. It's a year since I first started back on birth control and put off baby making for a myriad of reasons. First to get my ovaries back to healthy and normal, and then to get the rest of our life in order, like buying our first home and settling into a new job. Of course if I know you from the bump, you already know all this. ;)

Anyway, I'm back. Why now you ask? Here's the story, it's not very good or very profound, but still. December was hellishly busy for me, I work for a small importer now, and I had no idea what retail was like during the holidays. When you're company is small even admin is slammed with a million extra things to do, and the entire staff (and staff other than sales have a strict mon-fri gig) had to work weekends or forgo bonuses. We're all still pretty pissed, although I'm sure we'll get over it when we realize we have a pretty sweet set up the rest of the year.

In the midst of the chaos I called cvs to refill my otho evra, and saw that the pack said 1 refill remaining before December 31st. Well shit, one more thing to remember, RE appointment, time off of work, blah blah. Then I thought to myself....it's been a year since I've been back on this stuff? Was DH still cool with "Spring 2010" to TTC again? So I asked him what he thought. We both decided a couple cycles (God willing) with just met and vitex (and of course a clean ovarian slate thanks to the BC) couldn't hurt anything. After this last BC cycle I'm just going to be charting to see if I O. Seriously if I could manage to O on my own without Clomid that would be freaking fantastic. I originally called to make an appointment with my RE before starting all of this, but after speaking to him on the phone, he said there was no need to rush in as long as I make it in before the end of February for my yearly, and we would assess the old egg cartons then. Basically, going into this again knowing what I know now, me, DH and my RE feel better about it. Hopeful even...weird.

So that's that. Going back to the old sn since it's working again and keeping the new one in wait (just incase the bump gets ban happy.) See you around the interwebs.