A goldfish in a water balloon

Last week I really started feeling lots of movement in my belly. I could feel little flutters and pokes but all sudden I had a Fung Fu fighting baby!! It was shocking! After about 3 days of being able to feel these movements regularly Tracy could actually feel it on the outside. I think that is just amazing because well, I am a little chunky and I thought my fluffy layer would pad some of those kicks! Now I can feel these kicks and movements on a regular basis. Such an amazing feeling. I feel so lucky! What an amazing experience this is!

Anxiously awaiting Valentine's Day! I am so exciting to find out what we are having!! The opinions are split among friends, family, and coworkers. Everyone has their theory! I just want a healthy baby.

Here's my latest pic taken at 19 weeks!

18 weeks 4 days

Nothing to exciting going on. I mean growing a baby is very exciting if your in my body. From the outside it is business as usual. My belly just keeps getting bigger! I still have not gained any weight. This is fine by me for the time being! If I can stay below 200 that will be great! I feel pretty confident that my weight is not going to be an issue. We joined the gym last week. Walking on the treadmill and swimming!! Swimming was a little weird. My belly felt funny in the water.
Had a appointment with the midwife on Monday. Saw Alisa this time. She was very nice. Not to much to do at this stage but they take the time anyway. It is a really great place to go. Heard the heart beat again. That is always exciting! About 146 this time. Schedule our ultrasound. The big day is Valentine's Day!! I am so excited to find out the gender of this little bugger!!

So here are some up dated belly shot! Whoa!

16 weeks and 6 days

I finally took my 3 hour glucose tolerance test. Passed it no problem. It wasn't so bad. I just napped in the recliner for most of the time. So, that's over with until about 28 weeks.

Nothing else going on. Took some belly pics last week that I haven't gotten a chance to post yet so here they are!

145!!!

Last week I had to take an early 1 hour glucose test because I am over weight and well old... I was not generally worried about the test. I did not eat breakfast that morning and just drank the 50 grams of glucola. Well, I failed the darn test!! Normal is anything below 140 and mine was 145! I was so upset I just started balling!!! It didn't end there. When I got the call I was on my way to the court house to pay a speeding ticket. I had to pay to park and had no cash so I had to walk to the ATM to get some money. When I got to the court house the DA lowered my ticket and said I had to pay it today. I went downstairs to pay...cash only. Walked back to the ATM, just across the street, I took $200 out and walked back to the court house. Pulled the money out, only $120...the ATM screwed me. Walked back across the street and the teller says. "I'm sorry we don't service our own ATM's." Really?? I had to sit and wait on a manager to help us. After a phone call and punching some numbers she handed me the phone, Blah blah blah, we will have your money back in your account in about 2 hours. Ok so it is after 3:00 and the ticket has to be paid by 4:00. Luckily we had $80 in our checking account to pay the ticket. (The automatic draft for the cable bill is another story.) Finally got the damn speeding ticket paid. What a crappy day that was!!
So back to the glucose test... I have to take the 3 hours glucose test. 12 hours of fasting!! Don't they realize I'm pregnant!! Well, I am so committed to getting active. We walked today. I have lost 12 pounds since I got pregnant so I am on the right track. Diet wise, I don't think I eat to terribly bad, but my perception my be skewed. I did a bit of a food inventory in my pantry and there might be some bad stuff in there. Short bread cookies from Christmas. Fig newtons, 3 different kinds of crackers, no fruit left in the fruit bowl, no fresh vegies left in the fridge. (But there is a homemade vegie soup!) I really need to try harder. I can do this.

Pregnancy Bliss

I really do feel like I am on cloud 9 most days! I am so grateful for all the nasty first trimester symptoms to be gone. Now I am only contending with a growing belly. I love my belly!! Ok I have never said that before! I took some belly pics the other day. I feel really good most days. I did have a bit of an emotional melt down this evening before coming to work. I burnt my fingers on some steam and you would have thought it was the end of the world. I got over it.  So I am now 14 weeks and 4 days. I am very much looking forward to our 20 week ultrasound so we can catch another glimpse of this beautiful child growing inside me and so we know if we are having a boy or a girl. That will make planning the rest of the nursery much easier!! I also feel like it will give us a whole new connection with our little one!! Oh and last week Tracy got to hear the heartbeat for the first time! She was super excited. Midwife says everything looks great. Right on track. I do however have to start doing so exercising so that I can prepare my body for labor. We are really hoping to go the the YWCA so that we can get in the pool. I love to swim!! Naturally, I am a Pisces! This week my big plan is to make some cloth diapers. I have final come up with a pattern that I am happy with! 

These are my All in One diapers. They are micro fleece on the inside and have a pocket for an absorbent pad to go in. The outside is made from waterproof PUL. I put snaps on the front to shorten the rise for tiny baby. I am hoping to make 20-30 of this size. Then I can make the others a bit bigger and they should fit for a while. As you can see my sewing is a little shotty but it's a diaper not a prom dress.  

My belly at 13 weeks! Yike

Here is a pic of me and Tracy in front of the crib! This is the crib that has been in the basement for 5 years!! And yes we will be using it!!

The sweetest sound!

11 weeks today!! Had my second appointment with the midwife. Today my appointment was with Bridgette. There are 3 midwives in the practice and I will get to meet them all. We went over all my health history information. I have a healthy family if I do say so myself. Of course the donor has a squeaky clean health history so that is pretty uneventful.
The plan, next appointment is in 2 weeks. I have to do an early glucose test (because I am overweight). So I have to drink the yummy orange sugar drink then go get my blood drawn. They will do other blood tests also. I declined any genetic testing or testing for down syndrome, neural tube defects, ect... They have a high rate of false positives and I wouldn't terminate the pregnancy anyway so it is pointless. I will get to have an ultrasound at 19 weeks. Around the beginning of February. I will have it done at the OB office that they consult with. The OB likes to meet all the patients at least once. That way if there is some sort of emergency I will have met the OB. Knock on wood. That;s when we will find out if we are having a boy or girl!!

The most exciting event of the day was hearing the heart beat!! About 160 beats/minute! What a sweet sound! I am sooooo relieved!! When I told my mom she said "Your having a girl." LOL, I think I am having a girl. My friends think I am having a girl. No one has said they think I am having a boy. Tracy wants a boy soooo bad! I really don't care. Really, I don't. Strange.

Oh... got diaper making supplies in the mail today. Next week I am going to start making some serious cloth diapers!! Pictures to follow!!

Midwife

So it was a no brainer decision for me to see a midwife. I am a nurse and it just makes sense to me. It surprise me how few people choose to go to a midwife. I wanted to have a real person that I can connect with deliver my baby. I didn't feel like I could get to know a OB in 5 minute visits once a month. Then to have him/her just show up in time to catch the baby. I don't know I just feel like I deserve better than that. With a midwife I get a birthing companion. She will see me for a minimum of 30 minutes at each appointment. I can give her MY birth plan and she will respect it. I will get all the same tests and monitoring as an OB. And I will be informed what all the tests are for and be given the option to decline. Why would I have test done to check for birth defects if I have no intention of terminating the pregnancy? And the best part ever is that when I get to the hospital my midwife will be with me until I deliver!! How awesome is that!! It just feels great to know that I will have a great advocate!!
On another note, how am I feeling? Not to bad. Just feel like a sleeping machine!! Getting some of my energy back, slowly but surely.
We have decided to use cloth diapers. And then I decided I would take a shot at making my own fitted cloth diapers. I have made a couple of prototypes. Working out the kinks. There are great resources online. The fabrics also has to be ordered online. I am waiting for some more fabric now to start making some more.
So other than that just hanging out. Hoping to have a change in my work schedule soon so I can come off night shift. I think that would make me feel a lot better!!