Week 21-Baby is the size of a BANANA!!!!!

This week was another monumental one! Daddy Josh got to feel Ellie kicking! It was by far the most amazing moment! Seeing the look in his eye when he finally felt her was so emotional! Up until now, it's kind of just been me and Ellie...Josh, obviously, isn't the one that is going through the morning sickness, the leg pains, and the growing belly.  Now he feels more "a part" of the pregnancy and it has begun to feel very real for both of us!!! We cannot wait to meet her!

I've also started experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions.  I get one or 2 an hour at nighttime.  My stomach gets really hard in places, then relaxes again. I was reading my weekly updates and it described what BH contractions were and that I might be feeling them! I knew that's what's been happening!

Baby Ellie is now about 10.5 inches long and weighs about 12.2 ounces.  She's as long as a banana this week. I have been feeling LOTS of movement! Before, I would feel "flutters", occasionally.  Now it is definite kicks, that feel like I'm being flicked from the inside.  An indescribable feeling! She also, now, has her lifetime supply of eggs in her womb! Haha...hard to think about her being the size of a banana and having a womb with eggs! :)

I'm still feeling great.  Absolutely loving being pregnant, but also anxious for it to be over so she can be here!

Week 20-Baby is the size of a CANTALOUPE!!!

HALFWAY DONE!! Woo hoo!!!! Can't believe we're already at week 20! Feeling her move A LOT now.  When I get in bed to go to sleep, she is dancing like crazy! The other morning I thought I felt her from the outside, but when Josh put his hand on my tummy, she quit (stubborn like her daddy!).

Doctor's appointment last week went great.  I finally gained ONE POUND! Now I'm only down 13 from January.  Haha. Still feeling great.  The morning sickness, knock on wood, is over.  I can now wake up and not worry about getting sick.  That is a wonderful feeling.  I'm finally big enough now that people know I'm pregnant, not chubby and I get a lot of compliments on how cute my "bump" is.  At dinner the other night, our waitress asked if I was pregnant.  I instantly whipped out my iPhone to show her the ultrasound picture of Ellie! Josh and I both looked at eachother and said, "Oh no...we're already those parents and she's not even here yet!" The waitress was so sweet and said, "She's so cute!!" Haha.  We think so too!! :)

This week Ellie weighs about 10.2 ounces and measures about 6.5 inches. She's still got a lot of growing to do though. She has working taste buds and is gulping down several ounces of amniotic fluid per day.  

Week 18-Baby is the size of a SWEET POTATO!!!!

This, by far has been the most exciting week of my pregnancy! We had our ultrasound to find out the sex of our baby.  It was so amazing just to be able to see it again.  Our ultrasound technician said with MUCH confidence that our baby is a......GIRL!!!!!! We are so excited to meet Eleanor "Ellie" Ruth Donaldson. It was so emotional to hear that I was having a daughter! My mind instantly went to all the amazing things I'll get to do with her.

She's about 5.6 inches long and about 6.7 ounces now and she keeps on growing rapidly. (That's why I'm probably feeling so hungry lately!)  I'm feeling a lot of movement now! It's such an amazing feeling. This week I really started to feel aches in my lower back, I assume because things are moving outward and putting pressure on my back. I invested in a body pillow (which Josh loves, hehe!) which is helping me sleep better at night.  


Everyone is SO excited that we are having a girl.  Grandma O and I went on our first shopping trip for Ellie to the Carter's outlet.  Let's just say she'll already be the best dressed baby! We could not be happier and cannot wait for September to arrive! 

Monumental Day.....

The day...well, one of the days....I've been waiting for came today. (I think).  I am pretty sure I felt the baby MOVE! Peole have said it feels like a "flutter"....well, mine felt more like a gas bubble low in my tummy that didn't make any noise. I'm still waiting for it to happen again...so I know that's for sure what it was.  I'm 18 weeks on Monday, so I should have felt it any day! YAY! There is actually a little person in there! So crazy! 6 days til we know if it's a boy or a girl!!!! I cannot wait! Once I know who is in there, and they have a name...this will all start to TRULY sink in.  :)

15 Weeeks-Baby is the size of a NAVEL ORANGE!!!!

Week 15!! It is starting to go by quickly now!!! :-)  These last two weeks since I've blogged have been eventful!

First, we decided to purchase a Fetal Doppler to use at home.  Since we didn't get to hear the heartbeat at the appointment last month, I really wanted to see if I could find it at home.  When it arrived last week, I was so excited when I found the heartbeat right away.  Since then I've been able to find it every day and it's been a steady 150-160 beats per minute.  That's VERY strong.  :-)  While I'm trying not to become obsessed, it's very comforting to hear it at night and know that everything is OK.

Yesterday, I experienced something I've been reading about...Round Ligament Pain.  While teaching 3rd grade, I was squatting down helping someone and when I stood up, I felt a sharp pain in my lower abdomen that literally took my breath away.  The round ligaments surround my uterus in my pelvis. As my uterus grows during pregnancy, the ligaments stretch and thicken to accommodate and support it. So when I move suddenly, I often can feel sharp jabs or pains.  I was so relieved, sort of, to read this was totally normal.  


This week, the average fetus at 15 weeks weighs 2.5 ounces and measures 4 inches -- and their proportions are becoming even more normal, since their legs now outmeasure his arms. It might even be hiccuping in there. It's making lots of progress: the joints and limbs can all move now. :-) 


It also said that the baby is moving like crazy, and I may be able to feel it soon.  I'm almost positive I felt it yesterday.  It's really hard when people just say it feels like a "flutter"! I was driving, with my cell phone in my front sweatshirt pocket, when I felt a little tickle and I thought it was my phone vibrating.  But when I looked at my phone, nothing had vibrated.  So, I'm thinking it was a kick, but we'll wait a few more weeks and hopefully those get more prominent.  :-)


Anyways, that's enough for now.  Doctor appointment on Thursday! :-)  3 weeks til we know if it's a boy or girl!!! :)

Week 13-Baby is the size of a PEACH!!!

FINALLY...I'm in the 2nd trimester!!! And already, I'm starting to feel better! More energy, less nausea, more appetite. Thank goodness!!! :-)

Baby, this week, is about 2.9 inches long and weighs about .81 ounces and proportion-wise -- the head's now about 1/3 the size of her body. This week baby's vocal chords are forming and so are its teeth.  Even though it's the size of a peach...there are fingerprints on this little fingers!!! Can't believe there's a little human inside me.  I CANNOT wait to be able to feel kicks and punches.  Also counting down the days til we know if we're having a baby boy or a baby girl!! We have to wait 5 more weeks!


Not a lot more to report! Everything is going great! :-)   

Week 12-Baby is the size of a PLUM!!!

Well, week 12 is almost over and I have been so busy, I didn't get to update my chalkboard! So I'll make sure it's updated for week 13.

This week has been great.  I finally filled the prescription for the nausea medicine.  But when I take it, it puts me to sleep within 30 minutes.  So, obviously I'm only taking it at night.  And I haven't been sick for a couple of days.  Which is very exciting!! Hopefully with the 2nd trimester starting next week, this will completely go away.

The average fetus at 12 weeks is about 2.1 inches long and .49 ounces. Now that it has pretty much all its parts, its main job is to keep on growing!! Most of the critical systems are fully formed! She's about to enter the growth and maturation stage, in which her organs and tissues will grow and develop rapidly. She's now developing her reflexes -- if you poke her body, she'll likely move. She's opening and closing her fingers and curling her toes, too. Her brain is developing fast!


So, that's all for this week!! :) I'll be sure to update the chalkboard for next week!! 



Total weight gain: 4 lbs LOST! 
Maternity clothes? 2 pairs of jeans...SO comfy! 
Stretch marks? None 
Sleep: YES! Sleeping great.
Best moment this week: We bought our crib and changing table.  At one point Josh looked at me and said, "I'm putting together our baby's crib...can you believe it?" No! It's crazy! 
Miss Anything?Caffeine...been craving an energy drink lately! 
Movement: None
Food cravings:  Cold fruit of any kind!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Sickness is starting to subside...fish still makes me nauseous.
Gender Prediction: I keep having dreams that it's a GIRL!!!! So we'll see...2nd week of April! :) 
Symptoms: Nausea, Breast Tenderness, Fatigue.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY!
Looking forward to: Gender scan in April!!!!!!