Halfway there - and still a boy!

So I'm a day late, but I promise some fun updates! I am 20 weeks, 1 day pregnant - 139 days until my due date - just over halfway there!! And this week, he's graduated to a cantaloupe!

"He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery)."

I've been feeling him quite a bit over the past few days. In fact, last night as I was taking a bath I was watching my stomach and actually saw it move when I felt him! Jason hasn't felt him yet - mostly because as soon as Jason comes into the room, he stops moving so we can't even try. I have a feeling if he's forceful enough to shove my belly out, Jason could probably feel him.

We had our 20 week ultrasound today - and he's still a boy! :) A pretty good sized boy at that. According to all of the calculations he actually weighs about 13 ounces. Not quite a pound, but we're getting there! Also, based on his head, stomach, and femur measurements - he's measuring about a week / week and a half ahead. We're sticking with the original due date because the early ultrasounds are actually more accurate in determining that though.

Everything was great during the ultrasound - we got to see his brain, the 4 chambers of his heart, his kidneys, his bladder, his stomach, and once again he showed off his boy part. His bladder was small because he had just peed (which was incredibly unfair as I was dying from all the water they made me drink beforehand!) His stomach was starting to fill back up from the amniotic fluid he's drinking, and he would soon be filling the bladder back up to pee. And on goes the cycle where he drinks his urine ...

He started the ultrasound facedown, and right under my belly button, which made it hard to get some good shots. Except for the "money" shot - that was pretty clear. :)


Here he is, looking down. That's his head on the left, then his back and spine, and his knees are sort of pulled up to his chest.


These are his legs all stretched out. You can see his feet on the far left. (And of course, another good glimpse of the "look at me! I'm a boy!" part on the right.)


He finally flipped over and we were able to get a shot of his face. You can see his nose and mouth here as well.


This one is sort of hard to read, but that's his face looking straight at you. It's the "alien baby" look. You can actually see his eye though!


This one is my favorite - look at his cute little fingers! They actually around stretched out all the way, but sort of folded/bent under at the knuckles. The "S" looking shape is the umbilical cord.


And lastly, his tiny little foot!


How far along: 20 weeks - we're halfway there!!!
Total weight gain/loss: +6.2 (overall weight gain)
Maternity clothes: That would be a big fat yes.
Stretch marks: Nothing new.
Sleep: This last week I've had a lot of trouble sleeping. I think it was mostly due to some work stress, anxious for Karen's bar exam results (she passed!! Yay!!), and excited for today. Not to mention all the peeing. I think he's sitting on my bladder.
Best moment this week: Actually watching him move my belly!
Movement: He's quite active sometimes! Other times I can't really feel him, but at least a few times a day I can tell he's moving around.
Food cravings: Right now, there isn't a food that I don't like.
Gender: Boy!!!
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out: In, but it's sort of flattening out, instead of a deep innie.
What I miss: Being able to go more than a few hours without peeing.
What I am looking forward to: Starting the nursery
Milestones: We are halfway there!

I mentioned that I'm looking forward to starting on the nursery. Here is the bedding that we picked out. We're not so much going with a "theme", but more the blue/green colors. Although the elephants are adorable!




I think that's it for now!

19 weeks - a mango!

"Your baby's sensory development is exploding! His brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that he may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to him, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on his skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid."

How far along: 19 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +4.8 (overall weight gain)
Maternity clothes: That would be a big fat yes.
Stretch marks: Nothing new.
Sleep: Aside from the frequent bathroom trips, I'm sleeping well! I love my snoogle!
Best moment this week: Picking out the bedding. I love it!
Movement: It's sporadic, but he's making himself known! Last Wednesday night when I got home from cake decorating class I used the doppler. He pushed back on it! (Or ran away from it - I'm not quite sure. Either way there was movement.) Then I sat in the glider and I think the sugar high from the icing had him bouncing off the walls. The fluttering was amazing!
Food cravings: Nothing to speak of this week.
Gender: Boy!!!
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out: In, but it's sort of flattening out, instead of a deep innie.
What I miss: being able to get dressed quickly in the morning. Right now half of my shirts are too big and I can't ever remember which fit at the moment. If I was smart I'd try them all on and then organize them better in my closet.
What I am looking forward to: Our next ultrasound - next week!
Milestones: I'm so excited to read that studies show that he can maybe hear us now!

A few other things from this week: midnight leg cramps have started, weird pulsing in my right ear (apparently it's partially a sinus infection, but also partially because there is more blood flow and the heart is beating harder) is driving me crazy, I've had a bloody nose, and for the most part the sciatic nerve is feeling better. Physical therapy is working! Also, I went to a Baby Expo (think bridal show, but with baby stuff) with a friend on Saturday. I came home with a bag full of coupons, information, and a few fun freebie items - a toy, blanket, etc.

Also, our little boy already has some shoes! Uncle Patrick bought him some Sperry shoes so they can be stylish together.


Now for an updated belly picture! First is a picture from the front - I thought I'd show you the shirt I've been wearing in all of them. It says "Pregnant is the new skinny." I think it's sort of an illusion ... from the front, I don't think I look pregnant.


From the side is a different story!


And for fun, here is the difference between 6 1/2 weeks and 19 weeks.

18 weeks

First I just want to say, really?? This is the best picture of a sweet potato they could come up with? Do you see the hair coming out of the left side?? Really??

On to what the little man is doing this week:

"He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. Baby's become amazingly mobile (compared to you, at least), passing the hours yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing."

I meant to take a picture today but am already in my pjs now, so it will have to wait.

As you'll see below - the glider came in this past week. I love it! And so does Cali -she thinks that if I'm sitting in it, she's supposed to be in my lap. She curls up around my belly and we rock for long periods of time. At some point before the baby is here I think I'm going to have to start rocking a stuffed animal so that Cali gets used to not always sitting there. For now it's so cute though!

How far along: 18 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +2.2 (overall weight gain)
Maternity clothes: Um, yes. I also just bought a dress to possibly wear to a wedding we're going to at the beginning of January. It was $7 at a consignment sale - not too bad! It's obviously too big now, but will hopefully fit then.
Stretch marks: Nothing new.
Sleep: I couldn't get comfortable last night and was so close to sleeping in the glider.
Best moment this week: Getting our glider! It only took 4 days to come in. Jason picked it up and put it together for me - I love it!
Movement: Still not much of anything.
Food cravings: Nothing to speak of this week.
Gender: Boy!!!
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out: In, but it's sort of flattening out, instead of a deep innie.
What I miss: sleeping on my belly or on my back. I struggle to try to stay on my side.
What I am looking forward to: Our next ultrasound in 2 weeks
Weekly Wisdom: If your body tells you to lay down and put your feet up - do it. You'll feel much better afterwards. :)
Milestones: Feeling the little man for the first time! I know I had mentioned odd feelings before, but they were mostly twinges and I'm pretty sure were just feelings of the uterus growing/stretching. This morning as I was laying in bed, I felt what can only be described as a bubble/air pocket! It was there and then it went away. After consulting several friends and google - that was probably the baby! Now I just wait for it to happen again.

17 weeks!

"Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — his lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now and he's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. He can move his joints, and his sweat glands are starting to develop.

Wow, am I really here already? Craziness! I finally have my appetite back, which has been pretty nice. I've also had my first real craving this week (to the point that I HAD to run to the grocery store at 9:30 one evening.) The not so good part has been my sciatic nerve. I'd had problems with it for several weeks - nothing unbearable though, and pretty common. It got really bad about a week ago and was progressively getting worse. By the end of the day I could hardly move and Jason had to help me get out of bed. So at my 16 week appt last week I was given a fun "maternity support belt" to wear. I'm not sure if it's really helping, but at least it's not worse. I also start going to physical therapy this week to learn some stretches, etc to help with it.

We've been looking at several bedding options and I think have it narrowed down to two - a jungle one and a car one. We really like both so I'm not 100% sure how we'll decide.

How far along: 17 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +.2 (I gained weight!!)
Maternity clothes: Yep. There are actually a few shirts that I think look a little tight now.
Stretch marks: Not much - just the few that I noticed on my hip last week.
Sleep: Yes please!
Best moment this week: We ordered our glider!
Movement: Still not much of anything. I talk to him most every night asking him to move just a little for me.
Food cravings: LEMON COOKIES! I blame Anne for this. I was on the phone with her one evening and she mentioned lemon cookies. I'd actually never had them, but suddenly they were a must. I was already in my pjs, but got dressed to go to Marsh to pick some up. Unfortunately none of them looked good. Fortunately I got to eat one that Anne made the next day. I now have the recipe and just made a batch of them tonight. :) (And as a side note - Jason says that I have not hit rock bottom yet because I at least got dressed before running to the grocery that night.)
Gender: Boy!!!
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out: In
What I miss: Being able to walk/bend over without wanting to cry
What I am looking forward to: Starting physical therapy on Friday for the sciatic nerve problem.
Weekly Wisdom: If your body tells you to lay down and put your feet up - do it. You'll feel much better afterwards. :)
Milestones: Nothing big this week that I know of.

In non-pregnancy news - I've been taking a cake decorating class! I'm taking it with my sister Karen, and my friend Melanie. It's been a lot of fun! Here is a picture of the first one:


We also finally had our garage sale this past weekend - it was a lot of work, but was fun! We had it at my mom's house and had a pretty good turnout. I'm just glad that it's over and we have space in our garage back!

Week 16

"Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocaod: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop."

How far along: 16 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: -1.2 (overall)
Maternity clothes: Yep. And it's actually starting to fit now. (See picture below.)
Stretch marks: I just noticed some on my hip yesterday - eek!
Sleep: It's going much better. I've been waking up more in the middle of the night to pee, but at least I'm not just laying there awake.
Best moment this week: We have officially reserved our spot at a daycare that we love.
Movement: I've had some bizarre feelings, but I'm just not sure if it's the little man or not. I have a feeling that I'll be feeling him in the next few weeks.
Food cravings: Still no real cravings, but I always enjoy a hotdog or a baked potato with chili, cheese, and sour cream.
Gender: Boy!!!
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out: In
What I miss: Taking super hot bubble baths
What I am looking forward to: I have my 16 week appointment tomorrow and have a list of things that I want to talk to Dr. B about.
Weekly Wisdom: Don't send a hungry pregnant woman to the grocery store. She'll come home with lots of random things. Salad, peanuts, apple pie, baked potato, sparkling white grape juice, spinach dip and Hawaiian bread to name a few.
Milestones: I'm not sure if it's a "milestone" exactly, but about midweek I realized that I do actually have a baby bump. See picture below. :)

15 weeks

I know, I know - I'm a day late! I was busy looking at adorable little boy clothes yesterday evening!

"This week he's busy moving amniotic fluid through his nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in his lungs begin to develop. His legs are growing longer than his arms now, and he can move all of his joints and limbs. Although his eyelids are still fused shut, he can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, he's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but he is forming taste buds."

After my big post over the weekend, there isn't really much to report. We are just so happy and are feeling so attached to the little man already. Seeing him move around, kicking, sucking his thumb was just so amazing.

How far along: 15 weeks, 1 days
Total weight gain/loss: -1.6 (overall) I think anyways - it's been a few days since I checked but I still hadn't really gained anything.
Maternity clothes: Yep. Luckily I was able to borrow a bunch and I've also found some things at garage sales and goodwill. A lot of it is still too big, but it will be nice later on.
Stretch marks: I don't think I have any yet!
Sleep: The Snoogle is helping so much! I do find that I wake up almost every morning between 4 and 5 though. It's practice I guess!
Best moment this week: Finding out that we're having a boy!
Movement: As seen, he's moving all around - I'm just not feeling it yet.
Food cravings: Last week I wanted ribs, desperately. I begged Jason to go to dinner, we went somewhere that had ribs .... and they were out. They almost had a crying pregnant woman on their hands. :)
Gender: Boy!!!
Labor Signs: None!
Belly Button in or out: In
What I miss: Being able to eat chicken
What I am looking forward to: Picking out nursery bedding. It's been fun to really look at ideas this week.
Weekly Wisdom: Don't order something for dinner that can't be reheated. I never finish an entire meal so I typically end up with leftovers for lunch. Something like nachos (no, not the healthiest thing) don't heat up well.
Milestones: Found out that we're having a boy!

Introducing ..... little Fletch!

For those of you that don't know - Jason's dad, Jason, and Jason's brother have all gone by the nickname "Fletch." I have a feeling that our son will probably follow in that tradition. Yes, you read that right - I said "son." That's because WE'RE HAVING A BOY!!!!

We had an amazing ultrasound yesterday, compliments of Kim (family friend and my old infertility nurse) and one of her friends who is an ultrasound tech.

It was absolutely incredible. We saw the little bean waving at us, scratching his head, kicking, sucking his thumb, arching his back, moving around .... pretty much anything we requested, he did. He's already listening to what his momma tells him. :)

First for some of the pictures:

Hi everyone! Check out those 5 perfect little fingers waving at you! (You're looking at the side of him - so that's also the side of his face that you see.)


Some of the side views, with his legs bent. From butt to the top of the head (so everything but the legs/feet) he measures about 3.5 inches. Right on track!




Just chilling out - with his legs sticking up. You can see his feet here too.


Speaking of feet - here is one perfect little foot!


This one looks like he's peering out at us. That's looking up at his chin/face (you can't see the top of his head very well) and on each side of his face is a hand!


And now for the money shot! She was first able to tell that he is a boy from the side view. Both boys and girls have a little nub sticking out from that view, but the angle is what is important. His was perpendicular which is what means a boy. It was funny - right when we were talking about it he decided to arch his back and start doing what looked like pelvic thrusts. Such a show off.

And if that weren't enough to convince us - here is a shot looking up between his legs - note the little part sticking out in between them. Jason is quite proud. :)


We were pretty nervous trusting something now (at essentially 15 weeks) but Jody has been doing this for years and wasn't questioning it at all. She said that we could go ahead and paint the room blue if we wanted! We didn't go that far, but did buy a few outfits:


And now, if you're still with me - here are some videos from today! Please ignore the talking in the background. Jody's kids were with her so you hear a lot of them.

First, here he is scratching his head and waving at us:



Here you can see his heart beating in his chest (the flickering thing), she points out how you can see him swallow, then he arches his back to show off his goods.



The money shot:



Here you can see his face (it's ok, we know he looks a little bit like an alien right now), his umbilical cord, and then some kicking.



Here is was just chilling with his legs up and then he did some more kicking.



He's sucking his thumb!

2nd trimester :)

The big news since last week is that I'm now in the 2nd trimester! Yay!

"This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck the thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, the facial muscles are getting a workout as the tiny features form one expression after another. The kidneys are producing urine, which releases into the amniotic fluid — a process that will keep up until birth. The baby can grasp, too, and is probably sucking its thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he/she measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and weighs 1 1/2 ounces. The body is growing faster than the head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of the body. (The legs still have some lengthening to do.) Ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, is starting to develop all over the body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and the spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel the tiny punches and kicks yet, your little bean's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active."

We took another belly shot today and I'm definitely getting a bit rounder. :)


I didn't update after our appointment last week, but everything was great! I met with the nurse practitioner this time and we found the heartbeat with the doppler right away. (We've also been doing it at home, but it was nice to have a professional do it.) Heartrate is slowing down a little bit and was at about 169.

I found a quiz that I think I might use most weeks when I post my updates. Some of it isn't exactly relevant at the moment, but it will be one day!

How far along: 14weeks, 0days
Total weight gain/loss: -2.6 (overall)
Maternity clothes: Yes to maternity jeans! I can still button my other ones, but it's uncomfortable and NOT a pretty sight. I've also been wearing some maternity shirts, but can also still wear some of my regular ones.
Stretch marks: I don't think I have any yet!
Sleep: I no longer want to go to bed right when I get home. I've been slightly uncomfortable at night, mostly because I'm really trying to sleep on my side (especially the left) as recommended by the OB. I'm looking into buying a Snoogle - it's a body pillow but looks like it works a little better.
Best moment this week: I was actually hungry today! I haven't been getting sick for awhile but I still dreaded meals as I was never hungry and nothing sounded good. Today I was hungry. :)
Movement: Apparently the little bean is moving around a bunch, but I can't feel it yet.
Food cravings: See above - no cravings yet. Although I do seem to really like hotdogs - so maybe we an count that.
Gender: No idea yet! What do you think? Here in a couple of weeks I'll post results to some of the Old Wives Tales and you can make guesses.
Labor Signs: None!
Belly Button in or out: In
What I miss: Alcohol - haha!
What I am looking forward to: We're having an ultrasound this weekend - I can't wait!
Weekly Wisdom: I have no good answer for this one
Milestones: We're in the 2nd trimester!

To finish off this long post, here are some pictures of Cali loving on the baby one night. She really did get all curled up and hugged my belly all on her own.

Baby is a peach!

For some reason, this is my favorite week so far - either because I like peaches, I'm finally feeling better, or because it means I'm just about in the 2nd trimester!

"Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, veins and organs are clearly visible through the still-thin skin, and the body is starting to catch up with the head — which makes up just a third of the body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce."

I love that our baby has fingerprints!

We happened to have a peach in the house - measuring just under 3 inches one way - so very close to the size of our baby! It's crazy to hold it in my hand and picture the baby that size.


Like I mentioned at the beginning, I'm almost out of the first trimester! You'll read anywhere between 12 and 14 weeks. One of the websites I frequent says it's when you hit 13 weeks, 4 days (dividing 40 by 3) - so we'll go with that one. That means that on Friday I'll be in the second trimester! I have no idea where the time is going!

I'm feeling so much better these days. I hardly ever get sick anymore and I'm not as tired as I was. I guess my biggest complaint would be that I've had a headache everyday for the past 4 - but I think it's more sinus related than pregnancy related.

I have my next appointment this week - it should just be a quick in and out - pee in a cup, check the heartbeat on the doppler, etc. Unless something else worthy of noting happens, I probably won't blog about it.

We took another belly picture this week - but it's not really worth posting. There doesn't seem to be much difference between now and 3 weeks ago. (Although I think 3 weeks ago was bloat, and this is more baby bump.) I sent my mom the picture and she said that I looked "fuller." I think she was just trying to be nice.

That's all for now!

Camping

Jason and I wanted to take a little mini getaway - so we went camping in Brown County this weekend. We really enjoy going and the weather was great this weekend.

As we were packing up the night before, Cali decided she wanted to go with us.


Our campsite all set up! You can't really see it, but the hammock made it's first appearance this year. It was one of the best things we had at the campsite. Jason did a great job on my Christmas present!


The baby and I posing in front of the tent.


Obligatory self portrait


The hammock in use. We just loved having it!


On Saturday we went hiking and drove around the park. The views were great!



Saturday afternoon we drove to Jason's parent's house and used their pool for a few hours. Such a great way to cool off! Then we went into Nashville where we both enjoyed huge scoops of ice cream.


Both nights we had some great food over the campfire. Potatoes with cheese, corn on the cob, hotdogs, hamburgers, smores ... not all at the same time!


This was Jason "helping" as I cut the potatoes.


Yummy corn on the cob!


And some great potatoes!


Saturday evening we were tired from an activity filled day and just sat around and played some cards. Such a great weekend!

Jason's birthday and Buffett

Like I mentioned in a prior post, we ARE doing things other than just waiting for the baby. :)

Jason turned 29 on August 4th. We kept the celebration pretty low key, but the kitties were excited to wish him a happy birthday when he got home.




The next week was the Buffett concert. We went with Anne, Kyle, and 4 of their neighbors. It was a great crowd and such a fun night!





I enjoyed a bottle of sparking grape juice. Somehow it just wasn't the same.

Baby Bean Cupcakes

We had a great dinner with some friends a few weeks ago and were surprised with some "baby bean cupcakes!" Annie is a wonderful cook and blogger and just posted about the cupcakes. Go check it out! (And check out all of the other recipes she has on there - lots and lots of good ones!)
And on a side note - they even sent us home with a box of some of them. They didn't all make it - the baby told me that it was time to eat another one before we even got back to the house. (And yes, I'm blaming the baby.) :)

Here is a link to her blog! Annie's Eats

12 weeks

Sorry I'm a few days late this week! I wasn't feeling well on Monday, and in proof that we do have other things going on in our lives besides waiting for the baby - we went to the Jimmy Buffett concert last night. (Not nearly as much fun when you're the designated driver!)

Anyways, our baby is a plum this week! (I would like to see a lime and a plum next to each other - I always thought a lime was bigger.)

"The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, toes will curl, eye muscles will clench, and the mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squrim in response although you won't be able to feel it. Intestines, which have gorwn so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into the abdominal cavity about now, and the kidneys will be excreting urine into the bladder. Meanwhile, nerve cells are multipyling rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously."

I read somewhere else that this week is when, if we could see the baby, we might see his/her fist opening and closing up by the face. So cute! I wish, along with the ability to hear the heartbeat at home whenever I want, that we could also SEE the baby whenever we want.

Food wise, I am feeling SO much better. I still have a few food aversions, but for the most part am eating again. Eating so much that Jason decided to tell me one night that I can't "use eating as two as an excuse because you're only supposed to add 300 calories a day when you're pregnant." Maybe I should take that pregnancy book away from him. :)

I'm still in the in between stage of regular clothes and maternity clothes. I did go through and clean out my closet to make room for the maternity clothes. Between garage sales and some awesome friends loaning me things - I don't think I'll have to really go shopping.

That's it for now!

Want to hear our baby's heartbeat?

We were able to record our baby's heartbeat yesterday! Here it is at 11 weeks, 2 days. It seems to fluctuate between 175 and 180. Sometime in the next week or so the heartbeat will slow down and eventually level out probably somewhere between 130 and 160ish. Hopefully the video works!

11 weeks

"Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and the size of a lime, is now almost fully formed. Hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under the gums, and some of the bones are beginning to harden.

The baby is already busy kicking and stretching, and the tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as the body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that the diaphragm is forming."

Not much new to report. I think the "morning" sickness is starting to get better. For awhile it was all day, every day. I still have bad days, but last Friday and then again today were great days. Not one nauseous moment, and I was actually able to eat!

Unfortunately constipation has hit in full force, so that's fun. In fact it was quite fitting that last week was "prune" week because I actually bought prune juice to try and help. I poured it into a glass, smelled it, starting gagging, and promptly dumped it out. So much for that home remedy. :)

I think that's it for now! The end of the first trimester is getting closer!