If I Can't Sleep, I May As Well Blog

One thing I definitely won't miss about pregnancy?  The insomnia.  I woke up for a bathroom break around 2:40 and have been awake ever since.  It's so miserable to want to sleep and not be able to! 

However, since I am awake, I thought I'd briefly recap our Christmas weekend.  Since we spent Thanksgiving with my family in Memphis, we headed to Illinois to visit Stephen's family for Christmas.  Our first stop was to stay with his parents on Thursday night.  On Christmas Eve, I was thrilled to see that it was SNOWING!

Photograph proof of the snow 

That evening we went to the Christmas Eve service at my in-laws' church (Stephen's dad is the pastor).  Several members of the church gave us presents for Charlotte, and they are SO sweet.  After the Christmas Eve service Stephen and I followed his parents to his grandmother's house, where we spent the rest of the weekend.  The drive would have been fine had it not been for the crazy snow we encountered.  I was a nervous wreck the whole time.  At one point I couldn't even look at the road because it just made me nervous and want to cry.  (Of course, these days everything makes me want to cry.  I am practically a water fountain.)  Fortunately, we made it there safely, although the trip that usually takes an hour ended up taking almost two because of the road conditions. 

Christmas day was spent eating yummy food and watching movies and napping (Well, I think I'm the only one who did any napping, but it was divine).  We didn't take any pictures on Christmas, but here are some we took the day after:

It's hard to believe that next Christmas we will have a BABY!  I can't wait. :)

What was your favorite part of Christmas this year?

Merry Christmas!

*Card created using Shutterfly.

Only 10 Weeks to Go!

I feel like I say this every week, but I can't believe how far along I am!  I'm entering my 30th week of pregnancy, and I am getting to the point of being more and more excited about meeting Charlotte and holding her in my arms.  I'm just thankful that for the most part I've had a very easy pregnancy and that so far everything looks great with our little one.  Here's hoping that will continue all the way up to and through labor and delivery!

Baby's size?  Charlotte is almost 3 pounds now and between 15-17 inches long. 

Weight Gain?  Ummm...

Stretch marks? Still no new ones.

Belly button in or out?  Still in.  I'm thinking it may stay that way, although things could certainly change in the next few weeks.

Sleep?  It's getting harder and harder to get a good night's sleep.  I've ended up on the couch or in the recliner some nights.

Foods I am loving?  I am all about the clementines and of course anything sweet.

Foods I am hating?  Shrimp has lost any and all appeal to me for some reason.  I used to really like it.   

Best moment this week?  Having a Christmas date with Stephen.  We saw White Christmas performed by the local theater guild, and then we had a yummy dinner at Outback (I'm blaming my recent weight gain all on that dinner). 

Movement? She is moving and squirming and who knows what else in there!

Symptoms?  Lots of visits to the bathroom, lots of nasal congestion, sleepless nights.   

What I miss? Sleeping through the night and not needing a bathroom break.

What I will miss? Her little movements.

What I'm looking forward to?  Christmas!  I'm hoping for a white Christmas, too!

Weekly Wisdom: Fiber is your friend.  Anyone who is pregnant will probably know what I am talking about. :)

Milestone: 10 weeks to go!

Emotions:  I have cried more in the last few weeks than I have in a LONG time.  My poor husband is putting up with a LOT.  I love him more every day for it.

On Birth and Babies and Books

Hello, bloggy friends.  I confess that I have not been feeling very bloggy over the past few weeks.  This shouldn't be a surprise since my posts have dwindled down to practically nothing.  I have no idea if I'll suddenly be hit with a new burst of blogging energy, but I have been doing this whole blogging business for almost 6 years (I began my first blog in Jan. of 2005-crazy!).  Maybe it's time to retire.  I don't know.  Anyway, today I did feel like blogging, so here I am! 

I am 29 1/2  weeks pregnant, which blows my mind.  I can't believe that in a little over 10 weeks (or maybe sooner!) we will actually get to meet Charlotte and hold her in our arms.  That thought is both thrilling and terrifying.  I have a lot of fears about becoming a mom, especially about those first few weeks.  I don't really know ANYTHING about newborns except what I've heard from others, and even that's not much.  How will I know what to do when Charlotte cries or is fussy or won't sleep?  What if I drop her on her head?  (Kidding, only not so much.)  Right now I'm on the hunt for some good books on infant care, so if you know of any, please share!  I know that reading a book STILL won't really prepare me for the real thing, but at least it will make me feel more informed, right?

Next month Stephen and I are taking a childbirth class at the hospital where I'll have the baby, and I'm both looking forward to it and horrified.  I am sure they will show some horrendous, emotionally-scarring birthing video and I'll wish there was a way to just keep Charlotte in my belly forever so I won't have to deliver her.  I'm still on the fence about whether to have a natural childbirth or get an epidural, but maybe I'll know more about which option to choose after this class.  And possibly scary media aside, the class will hopefully be informative, and it will be neat to be taking it with other couples who are expecting a child.  I will keep you posted should anything noteworthy happen at these classes.  We will go once a week for 4 weeks, and then we'll be experts at everything!  Right?  Of course.  :)

I can't believe Christmas is almost here.  Where did the month go??  We are traveling to Illinois to see Stephen's family, and I am hoping we'll get a little snow.  However, so far the forecast shows nary a hint of that glorious white stuff, so I don't know if that will work out or not.  It will be fun to spend some time with Stephen's family, too, since it's been a while since we've seen them.  This will also be our last Christmas without a child, which is kind of weird to think about.  Next year we'll have a sweet little girl hogging all the attention. Rats.  :) 

Okay, I've ended the last two paragraphs with smileys, so it's definitely time to wrap up this post.  I hope you all are doing well, and please let me know if you have read any good baby books! 

Third Trimester is Here

Am I really 28 weeks along and in my third trimester??  I can't believe it!  I can't wait to see our little princess!

Baby's size?  Charlotte is roughly 15 inches long and about the size of a Chinese cabbage (which I couldn't even pick out at the grocery store, haha). 

Weight Gain?  As of last Wednesday's appointment at the doctor, 23 pounds.

Stretch marks? Still no new ones.

Belly button in or out?  In.

Sleep? Oh sleep, how fickle you are!  Some nights I sleep GREAT, and then other nights I wake up frequently and when morning comes don't feel rested at all.

Foods I am loving? Hot chocolate, ice cream, clementines, and apples.

Foods I am hating? Nothing new. 

Best moment this week?  Going to a friend's baby shower and then registering for Charlotte at Target on Saturday.  I hope the registry isn't lame; I have NO idea what I'm doing!

Movement? Yes, and Charlotte is definitely getting stronger with her kicks.  I am hoping that Stephen will be able to feel her in the next few weeks.

Symptoms?  I'm going to the bathroom all.the.time.  And I'm still rocking the nasal congestion and dealing with headaches.  Fun times. 

What I miss? Sleeping on my stomach, running, wearing "normal" clothes.

What I will miss? Feeling Charlotte move; I love it!

What I'm looking forward to?  The Behold the Lamb of God concert tomorrow.  It's one of my favorite Christmas things!

Weekly Wisdom: If you feel like crying, just do it. :)

Milestone: Entering the third trimester!

Emotions:  My emotions have become more and more crazy lately.  Bring on the waterworks!

Good News

I passed the gestational diabetes test!  I also only gained 3 pounds since my last visit 4 weeks ago--woot woot! :)  Thanks to all of you who offered advice and prayers and encouragement.  I really appreciate it.  My appointment wasn't until 3:15 in the afternoon, so I had scrambled eggs and one slice of toast for breakfast, then tuna and peanuts for lunch (random, I know).  I didn't eat anything after 1:15 and chugged water all day long, too.  I knew if I really had gestational diabetes none of that would help, but I wanted to at least give it a shot. :)  All of my bloodwork came back great, and Charlotte's heartbeat was nice and strong, so everything looks good.

I go back in 3 weeks for my next appointment, and then I think at the appointment after that one, they are going to do a 3D ultrasound. I told the doctor about my concerns regarding the size of my belly, and he said it looks like I'm just carrying low and he wasn't worried about it, but they will watch it and then if needed check things out on the ultrasound just to make sure, which made me feel better. 

Thanks again to all of you for your support!

27 Weeks

I'm in the last week of my second trimester!  I can't believe how time is flying right now.  I have no doubt that time will only speed up even more, especially with Christmas coming up and so many activities happening in December.       

I really thought I would have a bigger baby bump by this point, and I have to confess that the size/shape of my belly has depressed me.  I don't have that nice, rounded bump that I see on so many other pregnant women; to me I just look fat.  And just the week before, some people at work were telling me I still don't even look pregnant to them, which made me so sad.  It's really depressed me, and then I feel stupid for feeling depressed because I know what a blessing it is to even BE pregnant, and I am obsessing over something so small and inconsequential.  Still, part of me worries that I haven't gotten bigger because Charlotte isn't growing like she needs to be or something like that.  I'm hoping all of this is just in my head.  I will feel better once I go to the doctor and can hear her heartbeat again and know everything is okay. 

Speaking of the doctor, on Wednesday I go back for a checkup and the dreaded gestational diabetes test.  I just have this fear that I am going to find out that I have gestational diabetes, but I am trying not to worry about it since I can't know for sure until I am tested. 

And now for an update on little Charlotte:

How far along? 27 weeks!

Baby's size?  About 2 pounds and roughly 14.5 inches long!

Weight Gain?  Bleck, next question.

Maternity clothes?  All maternity pants, but I am still wearing a blend of maternity and non-maternity tops.

Stretch marks?  No new ones.

Belly button in or out? Still in.

Sleep?  I really love sleep; I just wish I could get more of it!

Foods I am loving?  I have an apple every day, and lately I've also really loved hot chocolate.

Foods I am hating? Nothing new.

Best moment this week?  Spending Thanksgiving weekend with my family and going shopping on Black Friday (we did NOT go at a crazy early hour, however).

Movement?  Yes indeed. 

Symptoms?  The usual suspects.

Gender?  A little princess. :)

What I miss?  Sleeping on my stomach.

What I'm looking forward to?  Getting the gestational diabetes test over with!

Emotions: Worried about gestational diabetes test, anxious to meet Charlotte and hold her in my arms.

26 Weeks

I didn't realize it until this morning, but I now have less than 100 days of pregnancy left (unless little Charlotte comes late–eek).  Only 97 days to go.  I can't believe that; I am sure those days are going to FLY by, and we still have a lot to do!  I finally picked the bedding we're going to use, and I've somewhat started a baby registry at Target.  I really need to get on that and finish it up and register somewhere else, too, right?  I guess Toys R Us?  We still need to find a dresser and changing table, too. 

Here's a little update on Baby Mount:

How far along? 26 weeks! 

Baby's size?  About two pounds!  Crazy!

Weight Gain?  I haven't weighed this week, so I don't know, but I know I've crossed the 20-pound mark.

Maternity clothes?  All maternity pants, but I am still wearing a blend of maternity and non-maternity tops.

Stretch marks?  Only ones I already had. :/

Belly button in or out? Still in.

Sleep?  I really love sleep; I just wish I could get more of it!

Foods I am loving?  I have an apple every day, and lately I've also really loved hot chocolate.

Foods I am hating? Nothing new.

Best moment this week?  Feeling Charlotte move.  This morning she seemed especially active, and it's just the best feeling.

Movement?  See previous question.  I noticed she moved a lot during church once again.  Perhaps she's going to be a music lover. :)

Symptoms?  Still nasal congestion and headaches, and I wear my glasses a lot more because my eyes are drier.

Gender?  A little princess. :)

What I miss?  Sleeping on my stomach.

What I'm looking forward to?  Thanksgiving with my family! 

Emotions: Up, down, all around.  Hehe.


I hope all of you have a fantastic week!

Christmas Card Season Is Upon Us

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only TWO WEEKS away?  I can’t.  And with Thanksgiving just around the corner, I’m already thinking about Christmas.  It’s hard not to, since the Christmas decorations came out in stores on November 1. :) 

Of course, with Christmas come Christmas cards.  I love receiving Christmas cards, especially photo cards or personalized cards because it helps me see how my family and friends have changed or grown over the past year.  However, I am not so great about sending out Christmas cards.  Last year I thought about writing one of those update letters (and even partially composed one), but then I never finished it because I figured that most of the people who would receive it already knew everything in it.  I ended up not sending ANY cards last year, which is kind of sad.

This year, however, I’m determined to do things differently, which is why I was really excited to see that Shutterfly is having a 50 free holiday card promotion for bloggers!  How cool is that?!  Shutterfly has some really great products, and I am already excited about the possible design we could have for our photo card.  Here are some that I like:

Oh What Fun Christmas Card

Elegant Lace Snowflakes

Pretty Poinsettia Print

So prety, right?!  I also have my eye on the baby announcements, since obviously we’ll be using those next year as well, and they have some ADORABLE ones:

Triple Play Peppermint

Baby Love (how appropriate for my blog, hehe)

Pattern Play

I get excited just looking at these cards!  What are some of your favorites?

If you're a blogger interested in the promotion, go here for more details!

November Goals: Week 1 Report

Last week I promised to post on the progress of my goals for the month, so here is week one's report:

1.  Track my food every day and try to stay between 1800-2000 calories.  I tracked 5 out of 7 days and stayed in range only 3 of those days.  Honestly, I am more concerned with the act of tracking and being aware of what I am eating more than I am concerned with the calorie range at this point.

2.  No more Coke!  Check.  I did have a Diet Coke one day, but that is it.  (We won't talk about how I've already blown this goal for this week...)

3.  Exercise for a minimum of 120 minutes a week.  Check!  I logged exactly 120 minutes. 

4.  No eating after 8 p.m.  I did this for 5 out of 7 days.  I have decided that if I am hungry after 8, I’m going to allow myself to eat, but it needs to be something light and not junk food. :) 

All in all, I did a decent job, but there is certainly room for improvement.  We'll see how this week goes! 

Only 112 Days to Go!

I can't believe I am already 6 months pregnant.  Here's this week's pregnancy update:


How far along? 24 weeks!

Baby's size?  A little over a pound and the size of an ear of corn.

Weight Gain?  I forgot to weigh this morning, but I was 188 on Saturday, which makes 18 pounds gained.

Maternity clothes?  All maternity pants, but I am still wearing a blend of maternity and non-maternity tops. 

Stretch marks? Not yet!

Belly button in or out? Still in.

Sleep?  It really depends on the night.  Sometimes I sleep great and am super comfortable, and other nights (like last night), I am tossing and turning and waking up a lot.

Foods I am loving?  Sweets!  It was all I could do not to buy every item of junk food we saw at the grocery store yesterday!

Foods I am hating? Nothing new.

Best moment this week?  Seeing friends from college this weekend.

Movement?  I was beginning to worry about this because I didn’t feel like I was feeling Charlotte move much at all, but then yesterday at church she was having a party.  I guess that means she will enjoy going to church. :) 

Symptoms?  I am congested all the time, and I’ve been getting headaches as well. 

Gender?  A little princess. :)

What I miss?  Sleeping on my stomach.

What I'm looking forward to?  Getting everything in her nursery all organized. 

Emotions: All over the place (just ask Stephen, haha).

This week I am determined to pick the bedding we are going to use in Charlotte's room, and then we'll have to decide if we want to paint or just use decals.  Of course I will post pics of the finished product. :) 

I hope all of you have a fantastic week!

November Goals

I'm here to 'fess up to you, my readers.  My weight gain was nuts in October.  I have my next checkup at the OB tomorrow, and I wouldn't be surprised if I the scale shows an 8 pound gain from my last visit a mere FOUR WEEKS ago!  I was relieved on Monday to see that I didn't gain any weight this past week, but still, tomorrow could be an entirely different story.  As of Monday, the scale said 188, which makes for a total weight gain of 18 pounds.  I think I gained about 5 of those pounds in the span of 3 weeks, which is crazy.  I have been extremely hungry a lot of the time, but I have used that as an excuse to fill up on empty calories like sweets and even Coke.  I hardly ever had regular Coke when I was trying to lose weight, so I don't know why all of a sudden I told myself it was okay to have them, but there was a stretch of about two weeks where I was craving (and drinking) them almost every day!  (And before someone leaves me a comment about the caffeine being bad for me, one can of coke has about 30-something mg of caffeine, which is far below the 200-300 mg most practitioners believe is safe for pregnancy.)  Last week I realized that I was going to head into dangerous waters if I didn't stop myself, so I'm trying to regain control of my eating habits and focus more on living healthy so my baby has a healthy environment in which to grow and develop.   I'm not going to get all crazy and try to lose weight or anything like that; I just need to stop being a mindless zombie when it comes to eating!

With that in mind, I decided to set some goals for November.  I used to set goals every month, but I haven't done that in a while, and I think the focus would really help me.  Here are my goals for November:

1.  Track my food every day and try to stay between 1800-2000 calories.  Right now, the tracking is really important for me because I snack a lot, and if I am not aware of how much I am eating, I can easily go overboard.

2.  No more Coke!

3.  Exercise for a minimum of 120 minutes a week.  I can split this up however I choose, and if I do more than that, great!  I've done a fairly decent job of exercising at least 3 days a week most weeks, so I hope to continue that and maybe even exceed 120 minutes every week.  I've already logged 80 minutes for this week, so I'm feeling good!

4.  No eating after 8 p.m.  There's no need to eat after this time, since I go to bed between 9:30-10:30, and usually when I feel the urge to eat after 8, I want to eat junk, so I'm going to enforce this curfew, which has helped me before.

Hopefully these goals will allow me to be disciplined without being obsessive.  I'll report each week on how I did for the previous week.

Do you have any goals for this month? 

22 Weeks

How far along? 22 weeks!

Baby's size?  About a pound, and as long as a spaghetti squash.

Weight Gain? 18 pounds.  Bleck!

Maternity clothes?  Yep!

Stretch marks? Not yet!

Belly button in or out? Still in.

Sleep? Sleep has been about the same.  If I wake up, it's very hard to go back to sleep.

Foods I am loving? Ice cream.  Zaxby's.

Foods I am hating? Nothing I didn't already hate (onions and pickles and tomotoes, I'm looking at you!)

Best moment this week?  Celebrating my birthday with Stephen and going shopping for maternity clothes with my mom.

Movement?  Still not too much, although I do think I feel like flutters every now and then.

Symptoms?  My sense of smell seems to be really heightened, and I am definitely thirstier than usual.

Gender?  A little princess. :)

What I miss?  Sleeping on my stomach.

What I'm looking forward to? I'm looking forward to holding her in my arms.

Emotions:  I've been all over the place emotionally the past few weeks.  It's hard to keep up. :)

What I Wish I Could Say

Stephen's parents gave us the book Bringing up Girls, and last night I read the first three chapters. In one chapter, Dr. Dobson says that by ages nine and ten, 40% of girls have already tried to lose weight. I read that and just wanted to cry. Girls shouldn't be thinking about their weight at ages nine and ten, but I know I was. I was always conscious of my size because I was always the "big girl" in my class. I didn't like the way I looked, and I wished I could be like the pretty, skinny girls in my classes--the ones who seemed to have the perfect life. But I was just me, an overweight girl in glasses who didn't have many friends and so instead got lost in the world of books.

I wish I could go back to my nine-year-old self and tell her that she is beautiful, that she is loved and treasured and valued. I wish I could tell her that someday people will like her not for what she looks like but for who she is, and that she will find love in the arms of Christ and later in the arms of her husband. I wish I could tell her not to worry so much about how she looks but to focus instead on building her character and building her faith. I wish I could tell her that the people who made fun of her for being fat or ugly weren't worth her time, and the ones who were worth her time would never make fun.

Most of all, I wish I could tell her it gets easier, but honestly, it hasn't. I still struggle mightily with my appearance, and there are many days where I cringe when I look in the mirror and wish I were prettier or skinnier. And now I find myself carrying a little girl inside of me, and all of these struggles take on a new importance. I don't want to leave my daughter with a legacy of self-loathing. I don't want her to be worried about her weight when she is nine or ten years old. I don't want her to wonder if she is pretty or if a boy will ever like her. I have tears in my eyes as I write this because I remember so vividly having those fears and more, and I want to keep her from that. But how?  I don't know if I can keep her from those fears, but I pray that God will help me conquer this demon in my own life so I can give Charlotte the tools she needs to grow up into a beautiful woman of God who walks with humility and grace and confidence.

Thoughts on Romans 8

I'm 21 weeks along now. Woohoo! I feel like I still have a long way to go, though, and I guess I do. I imagine the last few months will fly by, however, and we certainly have plenty to do to get ready for Charlotte's arrival: select bedding; decorate (and possibly paint) the nursery; get all the furniture; buy tons and tons of diapers and all the other needed supplies; finalize daycare plans; and select a pediatrician. Whew! That's quite a list, and I'm sure that's not even everything.

Sometimes I get a little overwhelmed when I think about the fact that in 19 weeks or so we'll have an actual baby to bring home. I wonder if I will be a good mom and if I will know what to do when she cries. I worry about going back to work and how I'll balance being a Christian, a wife, a mom, and an employee with only 24 hours in a day. I even worry that she'll inherit all of my worst traits: my procrastination; my tendency toward pessimism; my insecurity; my obsession with food and weight, etc..

But you know what? All of those worries do nothing but leave me fearful and exhausted, and that's a far cry from the abundant life Jesus wants me to experience. I have been reading Romans 8 this week, and when I am find myself fretting and laden with guilt, I remember verses 1 and 2:

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death."

And when I feel so overwhelmed I don't even know how to pray, I remember verses 26-27:

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."

And then come my favorite verses:

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The love of the Father for me is so great, how can I let myself be swallowed up by fear?

Today I choose to rest in His love. Won't you do the same?

On Baby and Music and Treadmill

I've started a post in my head several times but haven't been able to make it all come together in my head, so here's a bit of what's been floating around in my mind the past few days:

1. Tonight I'm having a girls night with two of my best buds, and I am so excited. Girl time makes my heart happy.

2. I really want Brooke Fraser's new album. Have you heard of her? Her voice is fantastic, absolutely mellifluous, and Albertine, her last album is one of my favorites. You can even listen to the new album on her site.

3. My birthday is a week from today. I love celebrating my birthday and would prefer it to be every day of the year, but then I guess it wouldn't be as special. :) What's great is that this year both Stephen and I were able to take the day off, so we've got the whole day to spend together. I still don't know exactly what we're going to do, but it will be fun.

4. I can't believe I am going to have a real, honest-to-goodness baby in 20 more weeks! It still hits me as a surprise sometimes.

5. I think I felt Charlotte move yesterday! I am still hesitant to say it for sure because it could just be gas, but it felt different to me. I can't wait until I can feel her kicks and know FOR SURE it's her.

6. Stephen and I used Swagbucks to buy Lecrae's newest album, Rehab, and it is so much fun. I have been jamming to it in my car and while on the treadmill, and not only is it fun, but his lyrics are really solid. You can listen to 3 of the tracks here.

7. It is so nice to have a treadmill! Stephen and I have both been using it, and I love that I don't have to use headphones anymore to listen to music while working out. It was definitely a smart investment.

Thus concludes my radomness. What's been on your mind this week?

20 Weeks

I'm halfway through my pregnancy! Crazy! What kills me is that just on Friday a few of my coworkers told me I don't even look pregnant. I'm pretty sure they meant it as a compliment, but it makes me sad because I feel like I don't have much of a baby bump, and I'm ready to be obviously pregnant! Plus, even though I may not look pregnant, my waist has definitely expanded, so I'm in this awkward in-between phase with all of my clothes.

How far along? 20 weeks!

Baby's size? Charlotte measured about 12 ounces last Wednesday, and BabyCenter.com says she's now as long as a banana. Awww.

Weight Gain? 13 lbs total

Maternity clothes? I am wearing almost all maternity pants but am wearing a blend of maternity and non-maternity tops. All the maternity pants are still kind of big, so I've been wearing a belt, which just feel weird!

Stretch marks? Not yet!

Belly button in or out? Still in.

Sleep? I sleep pretty well once I am able to go to sleep, but if I wake up, it takes me a long time to fall back asleep. Then the alarm goes off, and I feel like I just went to bed!

Foods I am loving? Ice cream! And apples and cereal.

Foods I am hating? Nothing I didn't already hate (onions and pickles and tomotoes, I'm looking at you!)

Best moment this week? Finding out we're having a little girl!

Movement? I still haven't really felt much movement, which kind of makes me sad, but my doctor told me not to worry since some first-time moms don't feel the baby move until a little later, and Charlotte was definitely wiggling all over the place when we got the ultrasound. I can't wait to feel her little kicks, though.

Symptoms? Hunger! And dry eyes. (I've been wearing my glasses a lot more, which is a big deal for me because I've never really loved wearing my glasses.)

Gender? Girl!

What I miss? I have really missed running recently.

What I'm looking forward to? Picking out bedding and decorating the nursery.

Weekly Wisdom: Cherish each moment.

Emotions: I have felt pretty normal this past week (or as normal as I can be, haha).

Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll be posting about feeling little Charlotte move, and perhaps the baby bump will grow some more as well!

It's a...

...GIRL!

Introducing

(drum roll, please)

Charlotte Grace!



Doesn't she look just like Stephen and me? Hehe. I love how her sweet hand is up by her face. She looks shy. :)

Everything looks really good--she has all her major organs and hands and feet and everything. She is a little bit bigger than average, but the tech said she was within 5 days of the due date. It was so incredible to see how different she was from when we had the ultrasound at 6 weeks. Here's the 6 weeks picture as a reminder/comparison:



It's incredible how she has grown in just 13 weeks! We loved being able to see her squirm around and wiggle her little hands and feet. Seeing her made everything so much more real, and I was so overwhelmed I even cried a little. God's handiwork is beautiful and amazing.

Of course after we found out we had to call/text family members and friends, and then it was back to work. :/ Yesterday one of my coworkers went around the office and asked everyone to guess whether the baby is a boy or girl. If they wanted to guess, they paid a dollar per vote. Well, today after I told them we're having a girl, they gave me a cute little pink piggy bank with the money inside it! I was so touched, and now Charlotte has a college fund. She has a long way to go before being able to afford Union tuition, though!

It's still hard to believe that we will actually be able to hold her in a little over 20 weeks. I am so thankful for this blessing from God and pray that we can be parents who show her the love of Jesus. Thank you to all of you who have already left comments on facebook or twitter; it means so much to me!

Tomorrow is the Big Day!

Tomorrow around 8:30 a.m. we will hopefully find out whether we're having a boy or a girl! I am SO excited and cannot wait to find out. Then we can really start planning the nursery and buying cute little baby clothes!

Even though I'm really excited, my mind keeps thinking of all the things that could go wrong at the ultrasound, of all the problems they could find, but I know that worrying is useless and just causes stress, so I'm trying to just be calm and trust in the Lord. I'm very good at borrowing trouble, so the temptation to worry is always with me. Just last night I read Psalm 55:22, which says, "Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved," and it brought me such comfort. I came to the Lord with all my concerns, and I felt better.

I hope to announce on the blog what we're having as soon as we've been able to call our families and tell them, but it may be Thursday before that happens. If you haven't voted in our poll, you still have 1 day to do so!

Exercise That's Not Exercise

I have finally found it--exercise that does not feel like exercise. I've experienced this Holy Grail of cardio twice now, and I have loved it both times. What is this I am talking about?

ZUMBA.

Have you heard of Zumba? I'm a little late jumping on the Zumba bandwagon, but in case you don't know what it is, here's a little blurb from the Zumba website:

The Zumba® program fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves to create a one-of-a-kind fitness program that will blow you away. Our goal is simple: We want you to want to work out, to love working out, to get hooked. Zumba® Fanatics achieve long-term benefits while experiencing an absolute blast in one exciting hour of calorie-burning, body-energizing, awe-inspiring movements meant to engage and captivate for life!

The routines feature interval training sessions where fast and slow rhythms and resistance training are combined to tone and sculpt your body while burning fat. Add some Latin flavor and international zest into the mix and you've got a Zumba® class!

Does that not sound FUN? I had heard about Zumba for quite some time but didn't know of classes in my area that weren't at a gym. Then my friend found a class and invited me to go, so we did. I was slightly nervous about looking ridiculous because my dance experience has pretty much been limited to the occasional solo living room dance party, but I needn't have worried. The people in the class were all different shapes and sizes, and everyone danced with their own style. I had an absolute blast, and the best part is that Zumba really is not just fun; it's a fantastic workout that uses a lot of different muscles.

I went to my second class on Monday, and this class was even better than the first. There was a different instructor, and I liked the way she conducted her class a lot better. There were probably 60-70 people in the class, which made it a little challenging to see the instructor, but I managed to find someone a few rows in front of me who looked like she knew what she was doing, so I just watched her when I couldn't see the instructor.

Here's a tip if you try a class: try to get near the front. I know that I wanted to be near the back my first time because I didn't want everyone to see me looking a fool, but it's so much easy to follow along with the moves if you are near the front. Plus, there's just not time for people to be staring at you while you dance because everyone is so focused on their own workout.

I am hoping to go again next Monday with some friends, and I would encourage you to try it if you're looking for a fun workout. The classes I've gone to have been $5/class, but I'm not sure if the price varies by instructor or region. To see if there are any classes near you, click here.

18 Weeks

It's been a while since I've posted a picture because there really hasn't been much to see, but now I have a little baby bump, so here you go! I'm 18 weeks today.

My New Love

Yesterday, a magical fairy delivered this to my house:



Okay, so it was actually a delivery man from Dick's Sporting Goods, but wouldn't it have been awesome if a magical fairy had delivered it, especially since you know a fair couldn't lift that thing?! (I do think a magical fairy could have assembled the treadmill faster than the delivery guy.) Anywho, we purchased this little baby using some of our homebuyer credit, and I am so excited! I have wanted a treadmill for a long time, but when we lived in our apartment there wasn't room for one. Now that we're in our house, there's still not really a ton of room for one, but we were able to make space for it in our bedroom (romantic, eh?).

I completed my first workout this morning, and it was great! The treadmill has built-in speakers that allow me to connect my iPod, and so the music plays through the speakers, eliminating the need for headphones! Since I am constantly having problems with keeping my headphones/earbuds in my ears, this is a stellar feature.

Plus, since the treadmill is merely inches from my bed, it is one of the first things I see every day, and the visual reminder will be good for me. I really have no excuse not to get my 4 workouts a week!

I look forward to many more workouts on our new machine. I suggested that we name it, but Stephen said, "We're having a hard enough time trying to think of a boy name for our child. Do we really want to name something else right now?" Good point, honey, good point. :)

17 Weeks

Yay, I'm 17 weeks along! My mom was saying to me yesterday that it seems like I've been pregnant a lot longer than that, and I kind of feel that way, too. Not because it's been a bad pregnancy or anything, but maybe it's just because I'm still waiting to have more of a baby bump and we don't know if we're having a boy or girl yet, and it seems like it's taking FOREVER to get to those milestones!

How far along? 17 weeks!

Baby's size? According to babycenter.com, Baby Mount is about 5 inches long now and almost 5 ounces (that's the size of a turnip, FYI). :)

Weight Gain? 10 pounds so far.

Maternity clothes? Not yet, but I will soon be wearing maternity pants, as most of my pants can now only be worn with the button undone. Hehe.

Stretch marks? Not too many, I don't think.

Belly button in or out? Still an innie.

Sleep? I feel like I have more energy now, and so I haven't wanted to sleep 24/7 like I did earlier in my pregnancy, but I still love my sleep. I find that if I wake up in the middle of the night, however, it's hard to fall back asleep, whereas I used to have NO problems just dozing off again.

Foods I am loving? Grapes, ice cream, and still anything sweet!

Foods I am hating? I don't have any food aversions that I didn't have before.

Best moment this week? Going shopping for maternity clothes with my mom! She hooked me up with some fabulous pants and tops from Old Navy (which was one of the ONLY places in Jackson we could actually FIND maternity clothes). I am definitely going to have to go to Memphis to get some more, especially when it gets colder.

Movement? I haven't felt any movement yet, but my doctor told me that may not happen until around 19 or 20 weeks, and I can't wait!

Symptoms? Besides wanting to eat all the time and having occasional heartburn, not much. OH, except for nasal congestion. That is annoying and something I never even knew came along with pregnancy. I also have been having CRAZY vivid dreams.

Gender? Only 2 and a half weeks until we find out. Yippie!

What I miss? Not having to worry about caffeine intake, but that's a small price to pay!

What I'm looking forward to? Finding out the gender and going shopping for all the baby clothes and decorating the nursery and registering for baby things.

Milestone: On Friday, 2 of my coworkers noticed that I was starting to show, and I was so excited!

Emotions: I have definitely been feeling more emotional in the past few weeks, but overall I am very excited and happy and content. :)

"Is it 5:00 yet?" Office Questionnaire

Stolen from Renee. I thought this was kind of fun and didn't require much thought from, haha.

Food
What is your must-have office snack? I'm all about snacks at work, so I have a variety: grapes, clementines, yogurt, Chex mix, FiberPlus bars.

How many cups of coffee do you drink every morning? I don't drink coffee. I spend most of the day refilling my water bottle. (And then making trips to the bathroom).

Caf or decaf? Right now, it would be decaf since I'm pregnant.

What’s your favorite lunch spot when eating out? I hardly ever eat out for lunch (there are people I work with who eat out every day, and I don't know how they afford it!). When I do eat out, it's Subway or Chic-fil-a most of the time.

Style
What’s your favorite outfit to wear to the office? A skirt with a comfy top and flats or sandals. Once upon a time I HATED skirts, but now I love them!

Do you keep a sweater at work at all times? Yes, a sweater is a must at my office, and I wear mine almost every day.

Whose style do you most admire at work and why? There's a legal assistant who works on the other side of the building that has the most posh, sophisticated style. I envy her outfits pretty much every day.

Miscellany
Do you go with reusable or paper/plastic for your lunch sack? When I bring my lunch I usually bring it in a WalMart plastic bag. Fancy, huh?

Do you listen to music at work? Just the music that comes out of the office speakers. I am so sick of the station because they play the same songs every day, multiple times a day.

What’s your desk décor like? In a word: boring. I don't really have anything personal on my desk besides a desk calendar with word puzzles and a pen cup that I got from Kenya (and which I doubt was actually fashioned to be a pen cup, but that is how I use it).

If you also work in an office, fill it out and then let me know that you did!

Better Late Than Never

So even though Labor Day was last week, how about I share some pics from our long weekend with you? Yes? Okay. We decided to go to St. Louis for the holiday weekend as a kind of mini getaway before we have kids and it's a lot more difficult to get away together. Much thanks to Stephen's parents for watching Bailey while we were gone. Fortunately she is loved greatly by both my and Stephen's parents, and if they love our dog, we have no doubt they'll love our baby even more. :)

Stephen scored a pretty good deal on a hotel for us on Priceline, and we stayed at the Hyatt Regency at the Arch.

We could see the arch from our room!



We ended up having TWO rooms at the hotel due to some unfortunate circumstances I won't get into here, but our second room was a junior suite and super nice, so it worked out okay.

Before we checked into our hotel, we stopped by the St. Louis Zoo. Even though it took over an HOUR just to get to a place where we could park our car, we enjoyed our time there. We saw a very cute sea lion show:



We attempted to take a picture of ourselves without cutting out some portion of one of our heads. As always, we were somewhat successful.



We also saw these Wild Somali A*ses (I promise that really is their name, but I'm throwing in the asterisk so as not to steer perverts here), who were posed so oddly that we couldn't resist taking a picture.



Saturday night we walked down to the nearest MetroLink station and went to Union Station, which just so happens to house the hotel where we stayed on our last trip in May 2008. I was also delighted to find that the Hogwarts Express sign was still there, so of course I had to take a picture. Check out the difference between me now and me then!

Erin circa May 2008



Erin circa Sept. 2010 (and pregnant, too!)



Our hotel had a Starbucks in it, so Stephen had his first taste of Starbucks! Neither of us drinks coffee, but I used to frequent Starbucks quite a bit for the white chocolate mochas and the frappuccinos. Stephen had decided before our trip that it was time he sampled something, so he tried the vanilla latte and thought it was okay but not great. I got a decaf nonfat Java Chip Frappuccino, which is delicious and which I used to have FAR too often in grad school (and you better believe I got the full fat variety back then), but he didn't love that either. We went back on Monday morning, and he thoroughly enjoyed his hot chocolate (no coffee in that, haha) while I had my white chocolate mocha. Yum!

Sunday was the big event of our trip--seeing a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium! But before that, we had to make a stop by THE St. Louis landmark-the Arch. Stephen is quite dwarfed by it in this picture.





After some sightseeing in the wonderfully cool, breezy air, it was off to the Stadium, which was also within walking distance. I had been to the old stadium once before many years ago but didn't care a lick about baseball at that time. I still don't care a ton about baseball, but I love the way my husband loves the Cardinals, and I was excited to experience a live game with him. Plus, ballparks have great food! :) We had seats behind third base, and we had a really good view of the whole field!



Fortunately for us, the Cardinals actually managed to win a game, which is a rarity these days. It was a really fun game, and I'm so glad we got to go.

For our last outing, we took the MetroLink once again out to the Delmar Loop area and had dinner at Pi Pizzeria. We ordered the thin crust with pepperoni and extra fresh mozzarella, and it was very different from other pizzas I've had but completely delicious. (Sorry, I didn't take a picture!)

Monday we stopped by Stephen's parents for a quick visit and lunch at Subway, and after a very brief visit with Stephen's grandma, it was back to Jackson for us. It was a very quick trip, but I'm glad we were able to get away and spend some time together.

Now, I must know: what is the best trip you've ever been on?

15 1/2 Weeks

I had another check-up at the doctor today, and we got to hear Baby Mount's heartbeat again (142 bpm)! Baby Mount is now the size of an apple and apparently is quite active because he/she moved around quite a bit both this time and the last time the technician was trying to find the heartbeat. It is just so amazing that technology allows us to hear things like a baby's heartbeat while the baby is still in the womb. I met with a new doctor today, and he was really great and helpful. All in all, it was a quick visit: we were out of there in about 30 minutes!

In just four weeks we get to find out whether we're having a boy or girl! (You can still vote on what you think the baby will be by going here.) I cannot wait to find out. The ultrasound is at 8:30 on October 6, so we will find out first thing in the morning, and I know I probably won't be able to sleep well the night before because I'll be so excited.

I still don't feel too pregnant yet, though I've gained 8 pounds and I'm going to need maternity pants or something with an elastic waist VERY soon. :)

Now that we're only 4 weeks from knowing the gender of the baby, we need to make some progress on picking a boy's name. We are pretty settled on a girl's name but are really having trouble with a boy's name. Any suggestions??

You Ask, Stephen Delivers

In the comments of my last post, Jenny suggested that I should have a poll for people to vote on whether Baby Mount is a boy or girl. Well, Stephen has created such a poll on our baby blog, so go vote and let me know what your vote is!

Chronicles of Baby Mount poll-go here.

Hello, Second Trimester!

Hello, friends! I hope you all had a great weekend. I had a very productive Saturday and then spent most of Sunday fighting a nagging headache and allergies. Fun times.

I am happy to announce that I have worked out 4 times a week for the past 2 weeks! I have been getting up at 6:15 and going for a 30-minute walk, and it's worked out really well. It's not a ton of activity, but I feel good that I am doing something to keep my body active, and it's manageable for me right now. Plus, on Saturday Stephen and I spent two hours raking leaves, which was a great workout (and left me sore the next day!).

I am now 14 weeks pregnant and officially in my second trimester, about which I'm super excited. Several of my friends have told me the second trimester was their favorite, and I am looking forward to having a bit more energy and seeing my baby bump grow! I have a little belly right now, but it's only noticeable in certain clothes. Some of my coworkers have taken to calling me "Little Mama," and I just love it! I'm ready for it to be obvious that I'm pregnant and not just look like I had too much dessert at dinner, haha.

I read that the baby has developed hair. How sweet is that?? Baby Mount is now the size of a lime and is moving all about. I can't wait until I can feel the baby move; I am SO curious to know what it feels like.

Next week I go back to the doctor for another check-up, and THEN at the appointment after that one, I think we get to find out what we're having! I can't wait!

I hope you all have a great week and are striving to reach your goals!

Slow and Steady, Not Fast and Furious

Some of you may have noticed that I declined to answer the question about weight gain that was in the pregnancy survey I posted on Monday. Or maybe you didn't notice and couldn't care less. However, the truth is, I didn't want to post it because I am ashamed of what I've gained. It's definitely more than I wanted to or should have gained by this point, but there's nothing I can really do about it now, so I may as well ‘fess up.

Pregnancy starting weight: 170

Weight as of 13 weeks: 176

Yep, I've gained 6 pounds, and I’m not even out of the first trimester yet. According to What to Expect, average expected weight gain for the first trimester is 2-4 pounds. So while 6 pounds isn’t too much higher, I definitely don’t want to start a trend of gaining more than I’m supposed to for every trimester.

A lot of this gain has happened over the past few weeks. For a while I was doing fine, but I think the extra eating I’ve been doing has caught up with me. I have not made the best of choices (can we say Blizzards and cake?), and now it’s showing up on the scale. I am trying to eat healthy a majority of the time, but my cravings for sweets (which have always been around) have seemed to be heightened, and I’ve just allowed myself to indulge.

I’m determined to nip this in the bud, though, and continue this pregnancy with healthy weight gain. I’ve started tracking my food on SparkPeople and am trying to be more mindful of the foods I’m eating. When I want something sweet, I’m going to turn to fruit or yogurt and not give in to every single temptation I have. Hopefully, if I can build some healthy habits, I will gain weight the way I need to. It’s not as though these are new strategies to me; I used them when I was trying to lose weight, so I don’t know why my mind seems to have “shut off” all my healthy lifestyle buttons, but I am turning them back on!

13 Weeks!

Baby Mount is now 13 weeks old, which means I am entering the last week of my first trimester! Woohoo! In honor of this, I'm posting a little survey I stole from Karli (who looks AMAZING at 19 weeks!).

How big is the baby? Baby Mount is now almost 3 inches long and the size of a medium shrimp. This is the first week in a while that has not compared Baby to a piece of fruit. Hehe.

Weight gain? Umm, next question, please.

Stretch Marks? Not yet, but they are inevitable because I have residual stretch marks from when I was much heavier.

Maternity Clothes? Not yet, but I think they will be coming very soon. I am still wearing all of my regular clothes, but my pants are definitely getting snug and won’t last much longer, I’m guessing.

Sleep? If I could sleep 10 hours a night, I would. I have had a lot of trouble falling asleep some nights, and then I feel all out of sorts the next morning. It’s frustrating.

Best Moment of the Week? Stephen’s parents came to town for a quick trip, and it was fun to see them. I also went to a baby shower for one of my friends, and knowing that I will soon have a little one made it all the more exciting!

Food Cravings? Zaxby’s and anything sweet, especially cake or ice cream. Danger, danger!

Name? We are totally stuck on a boy’s name, but we really like the name Charlotte if it’s a girl.

Movement? It’s too early for me to feel any movement, but I can’t wait until I can!

What I Miss? I can’t really think of anything that I miss. I’m just so grateful for this pregnancy!

Fun Fact? Baby Mount has fingernails now! And if the baby is a girl, she will already have over 2 million eggs in her ovaries! Isn’t that crazy??

Put Your Mind to It, Go For It, Get Down and Break a Sweat

The baby is 12 weeks old now and the size of a lime. For a more detailed description of the baby's development this week, see the baby blog that Stephen created! I love this line from the babycenter.com description: "His face looks unquestionably human." Aw.

It's no secret that the pregnancy has caused me to feel quite exhausted, and I have not been very disciplined in keeping up my exercise routine. I have averaged about one workout a week for the past 2-3 weeks, and I need to change that. Exercise is good for me and good for the baby and is even supposed to help prepare my body for labor (and goodness knows I need all the preparation I can get for that!). I have not been very disciplined in this area, and while I know that rest is good, laziness isn't, and there definitely have been days that I wasn't as tired and yet still didn't exercise.

So here's my plan: Exercise in the mornings 4 days a week. I've tried it in the evenings after work, but by then I'm even more tired, and it's easier to talk myself out of it, so it really needs to be in the morning. Stephen has promised to help me get up in the mornings, so that should prevent me from continuing to sleep after the alarm has gone off, as I have done pretty much every morning.

I know exercising will make me feel better and give me more energy and provide health benefits, so why NOT do it? I will report back in a week to let you know how I did!

(Bonus points if you can name the show that featured the song lyrics referenced in my title!)

Oh, Baby!

Hello, friends! I hope you've all had a great week. I've been dealing with some nausea (which for me has not been the norm in pregnancy), so I stayed home today to get some rest. I watched an episode of A Baby Story earlier, and good gracious, it had me bawling! I never really liked watching that show before because I thought it was kind of "icky," but curiosity got the better of me this morning. I have to say that watching someone in labor and in obvious pain kind of freaked me out, but when the baby was born, I just started crying. I kept thinking about how that will be me in 200 or so days, and it's just so overwhelming and wonderful.

On Wednesday I went in for my first OB appointment, and we were there for over 2 1/2 hours! We talked to someone about insurance (woohoo), then we met with a nurse practitioner, and she took a family history. As she was asking all the questions I realized how fortunate Stephen and I are that our families have had no major health issues beyond diabetes and high blood pressure and the like. Then we got to hear baby's heartbeat! It took the technician a while to find the heartbeat, and she was pressing down on my abdomen really hard. I had to go to the bathroom, so that part was less than fun, but then we heard little baby's heartbeat! It is amazing how fast a baby's heart beats! Then we had a quick chat with the doctor, I had a bunch of blood drawn at the lab, and we were done! I go back in 4 weeks, and then 4 weeks from that we'll have an ultrasound and hopefully find out the sex of the baby!

The only downside to the whole experience? Stepping on the stupid doctor's scale. I had just weighed myself at home the previous Saturday, and the scale said 171, a mere pound higher than what it said when I found out I was pregnant. I was so excited! Then, I stepped on the doctor's scale on Wednesday, and it said 176. When I weighed in at 6 weeks, that scale said 172, which means I gained 4 pounds in 5 weeks! What in the world?? So do I just chalk it up to bloating or something and just worry about what my scale at home says? Or do I keep freaking out like I have been over the past two days? I hate the scale. HATE. IT. Part of me says I should just not look at the scale, but then I would be scared about gaining 5 pounds in one week or something.

What is the solution? Someone help this crazy woman!

Reasons Why Today Is Awesome

1. Baby Mount is 11 weeks old today! Our little bean is roughly the size of a fig now and is now fluttering about and even gets hiccups! Isn't that just the cutest?? I have my first real OB appointment on Wednesday, and it's the long one, where they take a family history and do a bunch of blood work and all that jazz. Stephen is going with me. I am so thankful to have a husband who is so involved in the process!

2. Stephen bought me a surprise at the store: colored pencils and a coloring book! No, I'm not in fact 8 years old, but I do enjoy coloring, and I especially enjoy coloring with colored pencils. They're more precise than crayons and not as thick as markers. I already finished one picture in my princess coloring book, and it looks lovely, if I do say so myself. :)

3. We got an awesome surprise in the mail: a check from the government! We filed an amended tax return last month to take advantage of the first-time homebuyer credit, and our check was waiting in the mailbox for us today. We were completely shocked that we got it so quickly. I begged Stephen to fly me to SeaWorld, but he said no. Isn't he mean? ;)

So even though I didn't sleep well last night and have been super tired all day, I'd say today was pretty fantastic. And tomorrow my parents are coming in to town because they are going to buy us a new sofa as their housewarming gift to us! Yippie!

I hope you all have a great week!

10 Weeks

I'm 10 weeks pregnant today! I only have 210 more days to go. :) So far I haven't had any nausea. I'm just fighting a lot of fatigue and dizziness. And I'm too tired to compose many sentences, so how about some pictures depicting different parts of the journey thus far?


I took two tests, but I still didn't believe them.


So we went digital just to be sure. :)


The excited parents-to-be!


Me at 7 weeks


Baby Mount received his/her first gift this weekend: handmade burp cloths from my aunt! Aren't they precious?! (Thanks, Aunt Zonia!)


Me at 10 weeks. No bump yet! I can't wait to see how Baby Mount continues to grow and develop!

Pregnancy Is Messing with My Mind

Pregnancy has made me more scatterbrained and clumsy. I don't know if it's some legitimate symptom of pregnancy or just the fact that I am distracted with thoughts of Baby Mount, but I find myself bumping into things, forgetting things, and confusing things. I also do not think things through as thoroughly as I should at times.

Case in point:

Last night I decided I would go for a 30-minute walk around our neighborhood loop. It was relatively pleasant outside compared to some of the other nights we've had, and I was just itching for some exercise, so off I went. When I walked out the door, my watch said 7:40. Great, I thought, at 8:20 I'll have my 30 minutes in.

Does anyone else see the problem with that math? I didn't, until around 8:15. Then I realized that in fact my planned 30 minute walk was a 40 minute walk. By that time, I had already started my third loop around and so I just finished that loop and ended up walking 45 minutes instead of 30! I even jogged for 12 minutes, too!

I suppose in this case, my scatterbrainedness (look, I made up a word!) had a positive outcome in that I got more exercise than I intended. Let's hope that trend continues. :)

Workouts (or Lack Thereof)

Okay friends, it's time to talk exercise.

I haven't been doing it.

Here's the thing: I am tired ALL. THE. TIME. I have been going to bed between 9:30 and 10:00 every night and sleeping until 6:30 or 7:00 every morning, and still I am tired! After I get home from work, it's all I can do to keep my eyes open, much less workout. It's really pitiful (just ask my husband!). I have read/heard that the fatigue lessens some when the second trimester hits, and I sure hope so! Still, I have a few more weeks before that happens (I'm 9 weeks along right now), so I need to figure out something. Maybe I need to tell myself I'll do just 10 minutes of cardio a day. That's not much, but it's less than zero. Every night I tell myself, "Tomorrow I'll work out," and then tomorrow comes and I'm tired, and it doesn't happen. Basically, I'm using my fatigue as an excuse not to exercise, and it's not doing my body (or the baby) any good.

Apparently I need a good kick in the pants, so readers, lay it on me! How do I beat this fatigue?

Pregnancy: A Weighty Issue

One thing that I did not anticipate about pregnancy is the wild, crazy dreams I would have. I have had a lot of very vivid dreams. From what I've read/heard from others, those dreams can sometimes be nightmares. So far, none of them have been too bad, save for one.

In that dream, I hopped on the scale for my weekly weigh-in, and to my dismay I had gained FOURTEEN POUNDS! I was horrified and immediately started crying, trying to figure out how I had lost control so quickly. It was awful, and the dream stayed with me after I woke up. I even went and weighed myself just to make sure I hadn't in fact gained that much weight (I hadn't).

This dream, while perhaps not a nightmare to some, was rather nightmarish to me, and it preys upon one of my biggest fears about pregnancy: gaining weight. I know gaining weight is a natural, necessary, and expected part of pregnancy, but I am still very nervous. I worked really hard the past 2 1/2 years and lost over 90 pounds, and it's going to be hard to see the scale going up. Granted, the reason for the higher number on the scale makes it more than worth it, but I am afraid of gaining more than I need to.

The week I found out I was pregnant, I weighed 170.2 pounds, so I am considering that my starting weight. I actually lost a bit the week after that and was at 168.8, but that did not last long. I've been fluctuating between 169 and 170.something ever since. I suppose that's not too bad, and I haven't gained an insane amount of weight, but I'm only a little under 9 weeks into my pregnancy! I have a long way to go, and I just hope that I can keep the weight gain at a healthy, manageable rate.

So what's my goal? To gain 25-30 pounds. That's a very healthy weight gain, and I could even stand to gain less than that because I am still overweight, but I think 25-30 is realistic for me. I know it's possible; I just hope it's possible for ME. I am hungry ALL.THE.TIME. right now, so it's been a struggle not to use that added hunger as an excuse to indulge. I have to remember that the food I'm eating is fueling my growing baby, and that is more important than satisfying my desire for ice cream 3 times a day.

I also need to remember that I only need an additional 300 calories every day, and that's not a lot when it comes down to it. Where I'm having trouble is figuring out what my caloric intake should be. When I was still actively trying to lose weight, I would eat between 1500-1700 calories a day. So does that mean that now I should eat 1800-2000? Or should I eat more than that because I'm not trying to lose weight and therefore am simply trying to maintain my weight? (I don't even know if that makes sense now that I've written it out!) Basically, I really don't know, and I guess ultimately the number doesn't matter as much as my attitude toward food and the choices I make about what I eat. I don't want to be so obsessed with this that I miss out on the joy of pregnancy, so I'm going to have to find some balance.

I'd love any advice/suggestions any of you have to share!

P.S. I've decided to keep my blog here for now, if for no other reason than the fact that all the cute URLs I thought of are already taken. :)

The Beginnings

Man, I am SO GLAD the pregnancy is out in the open now! It was so hard to keep it a secret. Now I don't have to think of things beside pregnancy to blog about. :) You may have noticed that I changed the header on my blog. Since weight loss won't be happening for a while and my life will be decidedly focused on the baby, I think Baby Love is a fitting name. I considered starting an entirely new blog in which to write all the baby-related posts, and I may still do so. What do you think? Would you follow me to a new blog, or should I just stick with this one?

Currently, according to BabyCenter.com Baby Mount is the size of a kidney bean. I love reading about all the developmental milestones that take place each week. When we found out I was pregnant, I was four weeks along, and the baby was the size of a poppy seed. We had some poppy seeds in the kitchen (for a recipe I never made, ahem), and I couldn't believe how TINY a poppy seed is! Seriously, they are minuscule. It's so amazing that a little life can actually grow inside of me!

The first 2 weeks I was pregnant, the whole thing seemed very surreal. I didn't really feel pregnant and certainly wasn't showing any outward signs of pregnancy, so it was hard to believe that I even was pregnant. That all changed when we went to our first doctor's visit. I was 6 weeks along at that point, and Stephen, being the supportive husband and excited father-to-be that he is, went with me to the appointment. They confirmed that I was pregnant, which relieved me because even after taking 3 pregnancy tests I was still a little worried that I would find out I wasn't in fact pregnant. :) Then we met with my OBGYN, who examined me. She then decided to do an ultrasound to check for an ectopic pregnancy because I had been having some pain in my left side, and she wanted to rule that out. So we waited, rather anxiously, for about 30 minutes until they could squeeze us in. And then, after a few moments, we saw it: our baby. It was incredible! Then we heard the heartbeat, and tears sprung to my eyes because it made the whole thing so REAL. The baby was fine, and after talking with the doctor some more so I could ask her my list of questions, we left, our first baby picture in hand.

I am beyond thankful for this pregnancy. I know it is not something to take for granted, and I pray daily that God would remind me of the tremendous blessing and privilege and responsibility it is to bear and raise a child.

May we be worthy of the task.