28 weeks and registry link

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 28 weeks (3rd trimester!!!!!!)
Size of baby: about 15 inches and 2 1/2ish pounds
Total Weight Gain/Loss: 17 pounds
Maternity Clothes: still a mixture of regular and maternity - definitely prefer maternity
Gender: sweet baby GIRL!
Movement: constantly
Sleep: going pretty well minus bathroom breaks
Symptoms: heartburn at all times and from everything, cramping if I am too active, and back pain has made it's first appearance
What I miss: being able to bend over and pick things up - my belly gets in the way! I also miss being able to sleep anywhere - I have to be surrounded by pillows to be comfortable
Cravings: milk and LOTS of it! Spaghetti, Chickfila, spinach - food in general sounds good almost all day
Best Moment this week: just being over in general
What I am looking forward to: getting into 2012. It's been a bit of a rough week with one bad thing after another. I'm ready for a fresh start.


I CANNOT believe I am in my third trimester. This pregnancy has gone by SO fast, and I'm starting to feel like I have nothing ready. I've made a list of things that need to be done before sweet Quinny and it's quite long. I'm afraid anyone that offers to help with it is going to hate me. :) I'm so thankful for family and friends that are willing to do whatever is on my crazy list though!! Everything will be as perfect as I can get it before she gets here, and I'll be able to relax be sleep-deprived and have nothing to worry about except Quinn!




Ali helped me with a registry at Target a bit ago (Thanks bossy!) :) I had NO idea what I was doing, but we had fun! I had Tiffany go through it afterwards to tell me how crazy I was (Thanks Tiff!!) :) I never knew there were so many baby items. I definitely discovered that's it's a money-making business! I also discovered that we have absolutely nothing except a few cute clothes and a crib.


http://www.target.com/baby/registry/MlfEBgw0uK9zqS0YgWeR_A




In other news, if you could say a prayer or just think of my Mom that would be great. I'm not going to elaborate at the time, but she could really use some positive thoughts her way and for them to continue for quite some time. A rough patch is ahead, but I know we'll all get through it and come out so much better!


And because I want to leave it on a happy note - a sweet pair of leggings & pretty bow!

27 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:



How Far Along: 27 weeks
Size of baby: about 14 1/2 inches and 2ish pounds
Total Weight Gain/Loss: still at 16 pounds
Maternity Clothes: still a mixture of regular and maternity - definitely prefer maternity
Gender: sweet baby GIRL!
Movement: constantly
Sleep: still going very well thankfully!
Symptoms: heartburn and cramping if I am too active
What I miss: being able to bend over and pick things up - my belly gets in the way!
Cravings: milk and LOTS of it! Spaghetti, Chickfila, spinach...I can pretty much rotate those at all times and be perfectly content
Best Moment this week: CJ and I got the house spotless this weekend - nesting mode has started!
What I am looking forward to: I am ready for the holidays and having all of CJ's family up! We're also making a quick trip to Benton, but there is nothing too big planned for that. I also cannot believe that I'm almost in my third trimester - I'm really needing to get things done pretty soon because sweet Quinny will be here before I know it!

26 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 26 weeks
Size of baby: about 14 inches and 1.75 pounds
Total Weight Gain/Loss: 16 pounds
Maternity Clothes: mixture of both, but most shirts have to be maternity due to extra length needed
Gender: sweet baby GIRL!!!
Movement: Yes, all the time!
Sleep: Going very well thankfully!
Symptoms: heartburn and cramping if I am too active
What I miss: my memory - I can't even remember things when I make a list now.
Cravings: milk and LOTS of it! Spaghetti has been extra good lately
Best Moment this week: the nursery fabric came in and my patterns are all ready!
What I am looking forward to: I am SO ready for March!!!! :)

In other news, sweet Quinny got her first pair of shoes this week. I was beyond excited when JB Hunt had a great deal on these!!

24 and 25 weeks

The story of my life has been playing catch-up lately. I feel like I'm never getting everything done that I want. So, I'm combining two weeks since nothing that eventful happened.

Pregnancy Highlights:



How Far Along: 24-25 weeks
Size of baby: about 13 1/2 inches and 1.5 pounds
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I went to the doctor today for my glucose test, and he said I'm becoming a pro at gaining weight. It took 14 weeks, but I'm finally putting on the lbs. I'm at 15 total pounds gained.
Maternity Clothes: mixture of both, but most shirts have to be maternity due to extra length needed
Gender: sweet baby GIRL!!!
Movement: Yes, all the time! It was especially crazy today after drinking basically pure sugar
Sleep: I've had a turning point and I'm sleeping SO well. I still have a bathroom break or two, but when I"m out I'm out hardcore! I'm so thankful!!
Symptoms: The heartburn has made it's first appearance. I feel like I'm sometimes talking with fire coming out of my mouth.
What I miss: my memory - I can't even remember things when I make a list now.
Cravings: milk and LOTS of it! Spinach is all I think of when someone asks what I want to eat. I LOVE chickfila as well. I have it multiple times a week, but that's not a new craving by any means.
Best Moment this week: Sweet Quinny got quite a few outfits on Black Friday. It made me really excited! :)
What I am looking forward to: Nursery fabric should be here tomorrow! I know what I'm doing the rest of this week and weekend!


In other news, most of my Christmas decorations are up and I'm loving how cozy the house is feeling! I'll probably be hitting up Hobby Lobby soon for a few more things. You can never have too much glitter. :)

23 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 23 weeks
Size of baby: 11-12 inches and weighs just over a pound 
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm not sure since I forgot to weigh myself, but I'm sure it's more than 8 lbs!
Maternity Clothes: some shirts and I got my first pair of maternity jeans this weekend! They're heavenly!!
Gender: sweet baby GIRL!!!
Movement: Yes, all the time!
Sleep: it's going OK minus the bathroom breaks
Symptoms: I am officially hungry at all times.
What I miss: my clothes! :)
Cravings: milk and LOTS of it! Salads are still sounding especially good!
Best Moment this week: We found out on Friday that my best friend is going to have a little boy!!! I'm so excited for Quinny and baby McCoy to grow up together!!!
What I am looking forward to: I'm ready for the nursery fabric to come in! I'm making a bed skirt, pillow, and blanket.


We got the nursery arranged this past weekend. Now we just need to fill it up! Sweet Quinny has tons of clothes already, and I might be especially excited about her zebra leggings. :) Now she just needs her glitter baby toms and she'll be good to go! The fabric is officially on order, and I can hardly wait for it to get here. I'm SO ready to have everything done even though it's only November and we have plenty of time. I would rather get it done now when I still have energy instead of when I'm huge and can barely move! The fabric I'm using is by Amy Butler -

Picking a name!

CJ and I had a boy's name picked out basically 2 minutes after we found out I was pregnant. However, a girl's name did not come as easily. :) There were a few vetoes used and then we decided to drop the subject for awhile to give each other time to think about it. After several weeks (and a dinner out at Chilis) I randomly thought of the name that had to be our daughter's and I am so happy that CJ instantly loved it as much as I did. So, our sweet little girl's name is going to be

QUINN ELIZABETH WEATHERFORD

I have no idea what made me think of Quinn, but I'm so glad I did! It turns out that it's a very special name to not only me and CJ, but also my Mom. My Mom had actually wanted all three of her children name Quinn, but my Dad was not a fan of it at all! I know his first reaction would have been a laugh and then he would have started saying how ready he is to see little Quinny! Elizabeth is also very special to me, because it's both mine and my Mom's middle name. Maybe one day she can use Elizabeth as a middle name if she has a little girl. :)

The big doctor's appointment and weekly post

We had a bit of a surprise when we finished the ultrasound for our sweet baby girl. The ultrasound tech showed us measurements and we found out that I was actually closer to 23 weeks rather than 20. I knew there was potential for me to be about a week ahead, but I didn't know I would be over that! So, my due date was officially changed to March 10th. I'm excited that she will be here earlier than expected!!


I will be combining a few weeks because of our little surprise we received. :) I thought about skipping the post completely, but decided I would still want it in the baby book! There are also several ultrasound pics that I will include, but I've got to get them scanned first.


Pregnancy Highlights:


How Far Along: 20-22 weeks
Size of baby: We have a big girl! She is a little over a pound!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I've gained 8 lbs total....I'm putting it on fast now!
Maternity Clothes: Only shirts, but I am on the lookout for some nice skinny jeans so I can wear my boots!
Gender: sweet baby GIRL!!!
Movement: YES! I LOVE it! CJ also got a nice little kick last Friday. I was very excited for him to finally be able to feel!
Sleep: Getting better...the bathroom breaks really interrupt a great night's sleep though.
Symptoms: I am officially hungry at all times.
What I miss: my clothes! :)
Cravings: milk and LOTS of it! Salads are still sounding especially good!
Best Moment this week: Finding out we're having a sweet little girl that her Daddy is going to spoil rotten! I was so glad to have my Mom and CJ's parents there as well. They got to see how active she is. She was NOT a fan of having her feet looked at one bit!
What I am looking forward to: Getting the nursery in order. My goal is pretty far off, but I know it will be here before too long!


In other news, my best friend finds out what she is having on Friday!! I am SO ready for her to know. I know our kids are going to be great friends and it would be awesome for us to have one of each!!!

IT'S A.....

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.
.
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.
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.
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.
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GIRL!!

I will post more later - how the appointment went, sweet baby girl's name, etc. We're beyond excited!!

19 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:


How Far Along: 19 weeks
Size of baby: About 6 inches (size of heirloom tomato) and 8 1/2 ounces.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: 4 lbs
Maternity Clothes: I have a few shirts now because my regular shirts were becoming a little too short
Gender: we find out on Wednesday afternoon at 2 and I CANNOT wait!!
Movement: YES! It's so awesome
Sleep: I like to think that my lack of sleep is preparing me...
Symptoms: I'm hungry and thirsty ALL the time. I get really bad heartburn/reflux but only when I try to lay down
What I miss: my clothes! :) and I would welcome back sleep anytime!
Cravings: milk and LOTS of it! Everytime someone asks me what I want to eat all I can picture is a massive spinach salad...no idea where that has come from. I've always liked salads, but seems like an incredibly random thing to want 24/7.
Best Moment this week: the living room is almost done being painted! CJ is finishing off that and the kitchen and dining room this weekend. When I get things up on the wall and my decorations all out I'll post pics. 
What I am looking forward to: finding out if we're having a boy or girl...so soon!! :) We're under a week now. I am so ready for my Mom and Kev to get here so they can find out with us! I think I am going to post sometime Wednesday after the appointment, but we haven't decided 100% how we're going to tell everyone.

18 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:



How Far Along: 18 weeks
Size of baby: About 6 inches (size of bell pepper) and 8 ounces.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: still at 3 lbs
Maternity Clothes: I got new pants this week! They're not maternity, but they're heavenly!!
Gender: find out in 2 weeks
Movement: YES! It's so awesome
Sleep: It's still hit or miss, but I'm getting more nights of good sleep and I'm so thankful!
Symptoms: I'm hungry all the time. I also had a random cramp in my leg at the end of last week that kept me laying on the couch or in bed most of the night. It wasn't fun and I'm hoping to not have to deal with that again.
What I miss: my clothes! :)
Cravings: milk and LOTS of it!
Best Moment this week: my Nana was up for War Eagle. I LOVE seeing her and we got to have two dinners. She also got to see my house finally!
What I am looking forward to: finding out if we're having a boy or girl...so soon!! :)

It's been a great week! CJ is starting to paint the entire house soon and I know I will be giddy when that's done because I'll finally be able to hang all my pictures, paint canvases, and just finish making my house a home. We also got a king bed this past weekend. I'm positive it's the best money I've spent in my entire life. I love it SO much.  

Chicken Spaghetti

Chicken Spaghetti is one of my favorite recipes. It's quick, easy, and tastes SO good! I've not been a big fan of chicken through my pregnancy, but this recipe still tastes amazing every time.

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
1 pkg. whole wheat spaghetti noodles (I use the angel hair)
1 can cream of chicken (I use 98% fat free)
1 can cream of mushroom (I use 98% fat free)
1 can rotel
Velveeta shreds
skim milk (I fill a can after I've emptied the cream of chicken or mushroom)
pepper

Directions
Boil chicken breasts in water until done. Let cool and then shred. Cook spaghetti noodles while chicken is cooking. I like to make mine al dente. Mix shredded chicken, noodles, cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, rotel, 1/3 bag of Velveeta shreds, can of skim milk, and pepper to taste in bowl. Stir really well. Spray a 9x13 Pyrex dish with canola spray. Pour mixed ingredients and top with remaining Velveeta shreds. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted - this is about 20 minutes.

I like to serve this with garlic toast and a spinach salad. My garlic toast is really simple - a piece of whole wheat bread, a small amount of butter, and garlic powder. I broil that until toasted.

Enjoy! :)

17 weeks....a little late

I've had absolutely no motivation this week to post an update, but I knew I would be mad at myself if I didn't at least do a short post.

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 17 weeks
Size of baby: About 6 inches and 7 ounces.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm at 3 lbs. I have a feeling I'm going to gain fast from now on...
Maternity Clothes: not yet, but I REALLY need to get some pants.
Gender: find out in 3 weeks
Movement: YES! It's so awesome
Sleep: I'm still having trouble with getting good sleep, but I can blame it on my lovely pups this past week. Ella thought we needed to be up everyday at 4:30....maybe she's preparing us.
Symptoms: "morning" sickness decided to reappear this week...it was NOT fun.
What I miss: the nausea being gone...hopefully that will be gone really, really soon.
Cravings: milk and LOTS of it! I also really enjoy strawberry milkshakes
Best Moment this week: nothing big really besides getting closer to finding out what we're having
What I am looking forward to: finding out if we're having a boy or girl of course, but also getting my motivation back

16 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:



How Far Along: 16 weeks
Size of baby: About 4 1/2 inches(size of an avocado) and 4 ounces.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I forgot to weigh myself so I'll have to update later
Maternity Clothes: I've decided tights and dresses will have to be my best friends because maternity pants are just way too big
Gender: find out in 4 weeks
Movement: YES! It's so awesome
Sleep: I've been having a bit of trouble with sleeping. I can't get comfortable, and the bathroom breaks are really interrupting my sleeping patterns. I'm trying to figure out ways to make it easier.
Symptoms: I've been feeling great minus a few headaches here and there. My doctor thinks they're allergy related
What I miss: Mexican food! Eventually I will have it again!! 
Cravings: milk and LOTS of it! I had my first random craving....I had to have fruity pebbles and nothing else for dinner one night at the end of last week. I have no idea what made me want that!
Best Moment this week: We got the genetic testing results and they were all negative...GREAT news!!
What I am looking forward to: finding out if we're having a boy or girl. I am SO ready!! Black Friday is going to be dangerous this year. :)


CJ and I are SO relieved after getting the genetic testing results back. We were incredibly nervous about this, but everything is working out so well. Other than being nervous about that, everything has been going great. Nesting is semi-setting in. I've needed everything perfectly clean and have wanted to get rid of a ton of junk that's laying around the house. I've heard this will get worse and worse.

Caylx

This sweet little boy, his Mom and sister came over for a newborn photo shoot yesterday afternoon. He was SO easy to work with and CJ and I loved every minute of it!

A sneak peak for his Momma

15 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:





How Far Along: 15 weeks
Size of baby: About 4 inches(size of an apple) and 2 1/2 ounces.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: still at 0.
Maternity Clothes: not yet - I looked at pants, but I'm still in between regular and maternity clothes so it's making it hard
Gender: find out in 5 weeks
Movement: YES! I started feeling baby last Friday, but I was convinced it wasn't baby until I had felt the same thing for 4 days in a row! It's so neat!!!
Sleep: going well minus 3-4 bathroom breaks 
Symptoms: Lower back pain and headaches....I think the headaches are mostly allergy related
What I miss: Mexican food! I tried to eat mojitos last weekend and that ended badly.
Cravings: milk and LOTS of it!
Best Moment this week: hearing the heartbeat again - it was a strong 155
What I am looking forward to: finding out if we're having a boy or girl. I am SO ready!!


I had my 15 week appointment yesterday, and it went really well. CJ and I decided to do the genetic testing and we're anxious to hear back about that. Otherwise, everything was great. Baby had a strong heartbeat and was mad as usual when the doctor pushed on my tummy to find it. I'm always glad for uneventful appointments!

The Purple Pillow

My Dad was the king of buying early Christmas presents. When my Mom and I started going through some of his things after a few days of resting, we found several Christmas presents that were put back for this December including a fuzzy purple pillow. He had bought this for me because he knows my favorite color is purple and that I love having a ton of pillows around me. Mom decided to go ahead and let me take it back home.


Well, ever since the pillow has been in my house it has been a battle between Ella, Norah, Emma, and sometimes Zander to have it. It's the coveted "bed" in the house and has caused a few fights between the pups. Thankfully, Zander gets whatever he wants when I'm around so I don't have to worry about any pups taking it from him. :) That's what aunts are for, right?!


Norah was the winner of the battle for the purple pillow tonight and I snapped a pic of her cuteness with my phone.

14 weeks and more exciting news!

Pregnancy Highlights:



How Far Along: 14 weeks
Size of baby: About 3 1/2 inches (size of a lemon) and 1 1/2 ounces.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: 0 but I'm sure it's coming
Maternity Clothes: not yet, but I am looking into pants this weekend. Mine are starting to get uncomfortable
Gender: find out in about a month!!
Movement: nothing yet, but I'm excited for it to come
Sleep: still going well minus the 2-3 bathroom breaks. I've also discovered that I cannot sleep through storms anymore. I'm awake the entire time it's raining, etc. NOT fun!
Symptoms: I haven't had much this past week besides lower back pain. I am so thankful for the nausea to be gone!  
What I miss: Mexican food!
Cravings: milk and LOTS of it!
Best Moment this week: Not having nausea!!
What I am looking forward to: finding out if we're having a boy or girl. I am SO ready!!



In other exciting news that I can finally announce, my best friend in the entire world since practically 1st grade is also pregnant!!! I am SO excited that Kat and I have been able to experience this together. She is a couple weeks behind me, but we have so many fun things to look forward to. I cannot wait to start shopping and getting everything ready at the same time. We're also going to the same hospital so we plan to do a few classes together as well.

A fall project

I love to watch football - both NFL and College, but I always feel lazy if that's all I do all day. So, today I've been getting some much needed cleaning done and also decided to do a fall project. I've seen this a few times on Pinterest, and decided my empty dining room wall would be a perfect spot.

I started with scrapbook paper. The project I saw on Pinterest used fabric, but the scrapbook paper was only 59 cents a piece and also ended up being half off.

I then cut the scrapbook paper to fit into 8x10 frames I found for $3 each at Kohls. I took the picture that came in the frame and traced it on the back of the scrapbook paper to make sure I was cutting the exact size I needed.

I put them in the frames and now my part is done! :) CJ will have to hang them on the wall - I'm terrible at making things straight when hanging so I'll leave that for him to make perfect!



My next project - a fall wreath! I'm a little intimidated by this one because my Mamaw was always the person to make my wreaths so I've been putting it off. I'll post a final pic eventually!

I was also able to get a few fall decorations out today. I love pumpkins and think a person can never have too many! :)  

And because she's cute...Emma was not interested in cleaning, football, or crafts (excuse the grainy iPhone pics)!



Italian Potatoes

I thought I'd post an incredibly easy recipe that I got from my best friend a few years ago. It's one of my absolute favorites and I always make it when CJ and I have several dinner guests because it's always a huge hit!

Ingredients (Feeds 4-5 people)
4 russet potatoes
Fat Free Italian dressing (I get the great value brand)
basil (If I have fresh I will use that. Otherwise, I used dried basil)
pepper


Directions
Peel potatoes and dice. I usually cut the potato in half first to dice smaller. Place in bowl and add pepper and basil to cover diced potatoes. Mix well. Add half a bottle of Italian dressing. There are three options I use to cook these depending on the night. If I'm grilling, I will make an aluminum foil bowl, add the potatoes, and put on the grill for 30-40 minutes or until done. If I'm baking, I will place in a pyrex pan, cover with foil and bake at 450 degrees for 40-50 minutes. If I'm cooking on the stove top, I will put about 2 tbsp of olive oil in the pan and then add potatoes and cook on medium high for 20-30 minutes stirring regularly. If cooking on a stove top, I usually add more Italian dressing as the potatoes cook.

13 weeks

I will eventually get more pictures up, but until then...the beginning of the 2nd trimester!!!!!!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 13 weeks
Size of baby: TINY and about an ounce

Total Weight Gain/Loss: still in the negative -4 lbs
Maternity Clothes: not yet, but I have a feeling the pants will come soon!

Gender: NO idea yet

Movement: not yet, but the Dr. said it will be soon!

Sleep: still going well minus the 2-3 bathroom breaks
Symptoms: nausea is still there, but not often!
What I miss: mexican food!
Cravings: milk and LOTS of it! I've also had random chili cheese dog from sonic cravings

Best Moment this week: my energy finally returning
What I am looking forward to: finding out if we're having a boy or girl and getting started on painting all the (FREE!) nursery furniture

And Just Because.....Uncle Kevy made a trip to Dallas a few weeks back and got baby Beth his/her first Cowboys outfit! :) I'm sure this is the first of many Cowboys outfits our precious little one will have!

12 weeks

The plan is to do a weekly post so that I have plenty to look back on! I am now 12 weeks! I will upload a pic as soon as I get it off my camera. Remember when I mentioned I'm fatigued? :) Well, that means I'm incredibly lazy when I get home.

Pregnancy Highlights:



How Far Along: 12 weeks
Size of baby: TINY and about an ounce
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Lost 6 lbs
Maternity Clothes: not yet, but I have a feeling the pants will come soon!
Gender: NO idea yet
Movement: not yet, but the Dr. said it will be soon!
Sleep: I am sleeping like a champ -  I can fall asleep as soon as I hit the pillow!! 
Symptoms: nausea, fatigue, etc. Most are getting better and are not a daily thing anymore. FINALLY! :)
What I miss: Mexican food and energy
Cravings: milk and LOTS of it!
Best Moment this week: Hearing the heartbeat and knowing my iron levels are just fine
What I am looking forward to: getting my energy back and finding out if we're having a boy or girl

Telling Family

I've had several people ask how I told CJ but to be honest, it was more CJ telling me. He is the one who convinced me to take a test and had been saying for a few days that I was definitely pregnant. I took five tests just to be sure and we both looked at them together. They obviously all said the same thing. :)


I always thought I would be really creative when telling mine and CJ's family, but I just wanted everyone to know so that I could be surrounded with support. CJ and I did get his Mom and Dad a card that looked like a thank you note for all they had done for us during the week we were in Central Arkansas for my Dad's funeral, etc. We signed our names and added another to the end. Their faces were full of excitement!


Kevin drove my Mom up to our house to bring a few things from Benton and I knew I had to tell them both immediately. There was no card and especially no creativity. CJ and I both told them and they were both incredibly happy for us! I think it's really helping them heal, and I hope that continues. We celebrated afterwards with Olive Garden and I was actually able to eat something other than Cheerios. Progress! :)


Other than telling those in person, most have been told over the phone or through email. Driving to Benton would be impossible especially with the nausea and fatigue. I have been mostly overwhelmed with family support and I am very thankful!

Doctor appointments

I've had two appointments so far and they've both gone well. I've only been to the Dr. twice, but my doctor's office has been amazing. For the first two weeks after I called them I got a phone call daily checking on my stress level and just making sure I was doing OK in general. I'm very thankful for an office full of caring nurses and doctors.

My first appointment was a lot of paperwork and figuring everything out - due dates, insurance, payments, etc. etc. I did have the normal blood tests done plus my extra iron tests. I was VERY nervous about the iron results, because I've struggled with severe anemia since I was about 13. I've been hospitalized twice because of this so hearing the results was something I could hardly wait on. I seem to be right on track with everything I should be doing. I'm taking a daily prenatal vitamin along with DHA, folic acid, and extra iron. My eating is obviously off, but I was told to just wait because the weight gain and eating everything in sight would come. I was given something to help with the nausea, but I've only taken half a pill twice. The medicine knocked me out for several hours so I've not used it often at all.

My second appointment was very exciting! It started with news that my iron levels are the highest I've ever seen them - 14.3! Dr. S said all my other levels are completely normal and that I could go off the extra iron I've been taking for 4+ years. I was so excited to hear this, because I knew it would help with my nausea. CJ and I also got to hear the heartbeat - 165 bpm. Neither of us could wipe the smiles off our faces. Dr. S also said my miserable symptoms should be going away fairly fast. I think that was the best thing I have heard in weeks other than the heartbeat!

After two successful appointments, I'm officially ready to find out what I'm having. This won't be for awhile, but that doesn't stop the planning! I'll post later about colors, furniture, decorations, and all kinds of other things I've had on my mind for the nursery. There will be plenty of pictures, too!

The good, the bad, the ugly

I have had pretty normal symptoms so far thoughout the pregnancy. I am incredibly excited about having this sweet baby, but my body has been a little out of whack. The first thing I noticed before I even found out was the intense nausea. This has been non-stop since about week 4. This has definitely been the worst. It comes any time of the day and usually about seven or eight times. Because of this, my eating has been less than healthy. Basically, my only meal right now is cheerios three to four times a day and a gallon of milk every two days. I would try to eat more, but almost all food I see/smell makes me sick. I'm sure this has been especially annoying for CJ, because I've always cooked every meal of the day, and that's just not happening at the moment. If anybody comes to my house and wants food, they better have it with them! Everyone tells me I should start getting relief from this soon - here's to hoping!


The other symptom I've really noticed (and CJ, too) is the fatigue. I never feel rested and can go to sleep practically on command. I've been crashing around one at work and really struggle with getting anything productive done. I'm very thankful for a supportive boss, because I had a rough few weeks coming back from losing my Dad and having to deal with this fatigue. I've been crashing right when I get home from work. I always said I would be the pregnant woman that would continue exercising throughout pregnancy, but I never knew how in the world I would feel. Let me tell ya, I will never tell someone how I will do things again until I'm experiencing it myself!


I've experienced a few more things, but most are bordering on the TMI mark so I will keep them to myself. :)


Coming soon.....first two doctor appointments and telling the family!

As most of you already know...

 




..... I'M PREGNANT!

CJ and I are beyond excited and cannot wait for this baby to get here. My expected due date is March 22nd, but I easily see that changing to one to two weeks earlier. It was incredibly chaotic around the time of us finding out causing me to be off when filling out paperwork.


Even though we are incredibly excited, the news was overshadowed by very sad news for my family. Sunday, July 17th will easily be one of the worst days of my life. My amazing Dad passed away in his sleep at the very young age of 49. My family has been overwhelmed with the amount of support we've received and I am incredibly thankful for everything. Not living in Central Arkansas has left me worrying about my Mom and two brothers constantly, but I know they're in good hands with awesome friends and family there to support them. I cannot begin to explain how sad I am that my Dad will never get to meet his first grandchild. It was at least a weekly phone call of him hinting (or should I say demanding?) :) at me needing to have a baby. I know he's not here to enjoy it, but I know that this sweet baby will know who he is and all the great things he would have done with him/her. Uncle Kevy will make sure of that with all the camo I'm sure he's planning to buy. :)

I plan on updating this as much as possible. I want to be able to print this into a book that Baby Beth (this is what several people are calling baby) will be able to see it when he/she is older.