Week 15 Day 4

What's on my mind this week?

I've been down the second half of the week with a cold.  A seriously nasty, not leaving the recliner cold.  I worked from home on Wednesday and ended up wishing I'd just taken a sick day.   Thursday, I did take sick day.  I spent both days in the recliner and Wednesday night too.  I passed the time reading to prepare for baby, watching tv and napping. 

Pregnancy has made me nostalgic for my own childhood, especially with food.  I've found myself going to comfort foods from my childhood I haven't had in years.  My mom packed my dad's lunches when we were kids and often had store bought desserts for him in the form of cookies and snack cakes.  I bake a lot, so we never buy store bought treats, but lately that just what I've been doing.  It might have something to do with the fact that I haven't been doing much baking lately either.

I'm a little apprehensive about out growing my clothes.  Not really because of my size, but because of the thought of having to purchase new clothes.

I've been making to do lists like crazy.  I'm already thinking about the classes we'll take later in the pregnancy, mainly because in some initial research, scheduling conflicts with when they are offered are abundant.  I need to start the paper work for maternity leave.  It seems like there is a lot to do, but it's all totally doable, and not crazy by any means.  We're blessed in that we have a lot of things that have just worked out for us to prepare for baby so far. 

Let's hope week 16 comes without the sickness!

Week 15

Weight: 134

What's on my mind?

• I've been having a hard time drinking enough water lately.  The last few days or so I've really tried to make it a priority.  I'm not sure why it's so much harder lately.  I think it probably has something to do with my altered activity level and lack of running.
• I've been thinking about baby everything, all-the-time.  It sometimes make focusing on other things hard!
• I love when I get the opportunity to talk baby and pregnancy with a close friend.  Although I'm particular about how I talk in detail with it about; I have a few good friends who've had babies and I love being able to converse about it!
• Baby shower planning is already underway.  My SIL is way ahead of the game!
• Keith and I made a to do list of things we have to do around the house before baby.  I'm pleased to say it is not crazy or terrible.  It's totally doable.  The biggest thing I'm anxious about, the registry.
• I start back to my second semester of graduate school next Thursday.  I'm enjoying my last week or so of time off before school starts up again.  I'm hoping the homework is manageable and I make it through the semester without too much added stress.  I'm grateful my semester is over during the month of April to leave us approximately 2 months until baby!

Grown Up Living

Tonight on the way home from school the boys and I agreed they could play in the basement with their REALLY BIG box.  On the way home, Caden told me that he wanted us to keep the REALLY BIG box until he grew up.  He and Caleb agreed that they didn't need houses of their own when they grew up because they love us.  They'll just live at our house and keep the big box in the basement so when someone comes to visit when they're grown up they can show them the box.

I'm sure the box will be long destroyed by the time they're grown up, but what melted my heart, they want to live at our house when they're grown up because they love us!

Boy or Girl? I don't know want to know.

A common question thus far in the pregnancy is when and/or if we are going to find out if we're having a boy or a girl.  I've been set on not finding out, something I thought about before we were pregnant.  However, Keith didn't share the same thought I did.  He wanted to know.

Luckily, he's come around to my side of the fence, but a part of me still feels like I'm cheating him out of something.   We could still change our mind, but as of now, I'm set on not knowing. 

There are only a handful of actual reasons I don't want to know, listed below, really I just have this strong feeling of not wanting to know.  I can't really explain it.

• Knowing the gender of the baby does not change anything about our love or desire to have the baby.
• No knowing will cause me to spend less money on clothes, etc. before the baby is born as it is more difficult to find gender neutral items, and after, I'll be a busy mother of three.  (I think this was a big selling point for Keith!)
• We're planning a gender neutral nursery, but if we knew, the nursery colors wouldn't change, why confuse things?

Week 14 Day 2

I was so unsatisfied with yesterday's photo that I made Keith take another last night.  

This one I'm much happier with!  We tried a new location in the house, probably not the best yet, but we'll keep trying.  And in this photo, you might actually be able to see a bit of a bump starting!

Did I mention in my last post that I'm officially in my second trimester?  It's an exciting moment for us!

This morning, I hit the treadmill again!  It sure felt good, and it wasn't as hard as I'd have expected after taking 2 months off working out.  I do want to focus on fitness through my pregnancy.  Everything I've read this far shares how good it is for you, and if I have that expectation of myself when I'm not expecting, why would now be any different?  

While I'm walking on the treadmill, I've been reading my books about pregnancy.  I've also starting thinking about needing to read books about breastfeeding.  It is something Keith and I strongly agree on that we want to do.  Doing it, however, has me a bit anxious!  I need to think positively.  

This morning during my run on the treadmill, I spent most of my time trying to imagine life with an infant with little success.  I think it's for two reasons, one, I have NO IDEA what life with an infant will be like.  I'm sure I can prepare and prepare and prepare, and I still won't know what it'll be like until it's here.  I think the other reason is that I've never been much of a dreamer.  I've always been more of a realist; I never fantasized about my prom when I was young, or my wedding as I got older.  It's just not who I am; perhaps that why every time I sit down and try to write a bucket list I struggle so much with it.  

Luckily, my husband has some idea what life with an infant is like, after all, this will be his third.  I feel somewhat confident in my abilities to handle toddles, especially after 2 years, but prior to that, it's uncharted territory for me.  I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a bit nervous about it!  Along with that nervousness though, comes a ton of excitement for life with our new family of 5. 

Week 14 Day 1

I tried a bit harder with this weeks photo, but I think there is still room for improvement.  I'm quite unhappy with this photo actually; I have legs, I swear.  The photo shows more of my sweater than me.  Keith asked me to dress less big sweater like or something for next week's photo so we can see more me.  I suppose that is a reasonable request assuming I can remember that when getting dressed in the morning since the photos are taken in the evenings after work. 

Weight: 132.5

Thoughts:

• I finally feel like I'm getting some of my energy back.
• I'm still going to be at a very respectable time.  (A.K.A. before 10P.M.)
• The urge to work out is back!  I started yesterday with what was going to be a 1.5 mile walk on the treadmill and turned into 1/2 mile warm up, 1/2 mile run, and a 1/2 mile walk.  Unfortunately it results in shin splints. 
• I need to develop a new workout plan.  If I don't have a plan, I don't stick to it.
• I've been trying to communicate more with Keith more about what I'm thinking about and what's going on, and I think it's helping us both.  It certainly is helping me prepare; I'm a need to talk it out person.  
• I'm anxious about starting up my second semester of graduate school in a few weeks, but also excited.  The timing of my semester being almost entirely in my second trimester could be better!  (Classes will be over by April 16!)

Prenatal Appointment #2 - Week 13

We had our second appointment last Friday.  It was quite simple really, a few quick check points with the doctor and we were done.  Well, done except for one exciting part.  We got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time!  At 13 weeks 4 days, the baby's heart rate was 164.