Weeks 24-28

Wow, I got behind on posting my weekly photos!

 

Week 24

 

Week 25

Week 26

Weel 27

Week 28

 

So that's how I look, as for how I feel...I feel huge! I know I still have almost three months and we're only going to be bigger, but it's not just in the belly that I feel huge. I'm having extensive swelling everyday. I know it is happening because of my job. I'm a bank teller, so I'm on my feet literally the entire 8 hours I'm on the clock, so by the end of my shift, my legs and ankles look huge! I have some swelling in my face and hands as well, but the swelling in my legs, ankles, and feet are the worst. If I have time to prop my feet up in the evenings, it might go away, but there are still mornings when I wake up and the swelling hasn't gone down much. It's hard to even get into shoes at the beginning of the day. I just keep telling myself that once the baby is born, all the swelling will go away, but I don't get to wear any of my cute summer dresses or capris because I don't want anyone to see my huge ankles.

 

On a positive note, I have an ultrasound on Tuesday! They are going to check to be sure that my placenta has moved up so I won't be at risk of placenta previa. I'm honestly not really worried about that since they say that most of the time the placenta moves up on it's own. I'm just excited to see my baby boy again! 



Weeks 21-23

Holy belly! I think I've hit the point where when a stranger looks at me, there's no doubt this is a pregnancy belly, not just a beer gut.

Week 21

 

Week 22

 

Week 23

Week 20...Gender Reveal!

Week 20

This has been such an exciting week! On Wednesday, I hit 20 weeks and got to have my second ultrasound. We tried to Skype during the ultrasound, but we couldn't get the video to work, so we ended up just talking on the phone during instead. He still got to hear everything that I saw. I was also given a DVD again with over 9 minutes of the ultrasound highlights.

Let me remind you what we were thinking it would be. We were both hoping for a boy, but I had a strong "intuition" that it was a girl.

Well...

 

it's a BOY!!!

 

The ultrasound tech stopped at a spot and said "This is the gender shot...do you see anything" and I said "Well, it looks like there's something sticking out right there" She confirmed that it is a boy and the first thing Jake said was "Well, I was going to buy a new rifle, so I guess I better buy two!"

 

Seeing him on the ultrasound was amazing! I just can't believe how they are able to get such great shots and can tell what everything is. The entire time, he was in an funny position, with his feet up by his forehead and his butt sticking up. It certainly didn't look comfortable, but he seemed to be fine with it.

 

Everything looked perfect on the baby, but she did mention that she was going to let the OB know that I have a low lying placenta. Low lying placenta just means that the placenta attached close to the birth canal and could at some point cover the birth canal, causing the need for a possible C-section. She told me (which I confirmed later by looking online) that in 95% of cases with low lying placenta, the placenta moves up as the uterus stretches upward and that once it's time to give birth it should not be an issue. One good thing about this is that I will get to have another ultrasound at around 28 weeks, just to be sure that it is indeed moving up. Usually Tricare (military health insurance) will only cover 2 ultrasounds, 8 weeks and 20 weeks, but I will get to have at least 1 more!

 

Everyone's first question when I tell them it's a boy is to ask if we have a name picked out. That's a tough one. If it were a girl, we both agreed on a name long ago. But boy names are tricky, we both have a favorite and it doesn't sound like either of us are going to give in anytime soon. I love Reid, and Jake loves Cooper. The middle name will for sure be Wayne (Jake's middle name which was passed down from his dad.) I call him Reid when I'm talking to him, but Jake refers to him as Cooper, so I really don't know which one of us will give in first. I guess we will see in a few months!

 

Another very exciting thing that happened this week...I for sure felt him move for the first time. On Thursday, I had an appointment with the eye doctor, and while I was sitting down, leaning forward, with my chin on the strap, concentrating on keeping my eyes wide open, I felt a light push outward just under my belly button. I held in my excitement (so the eye dr. wouldn't find it odd) but I was certain it was the baby and not just gas.

 

That next morning, Friday morning, I woke up to light pushes all around my belly button, which just confirmed to me that it was for sure him that I was feeling. I joke that he is probable full on kicking me, but it just feels like a light tap from inside because he is still so tiny (about 7 inches from head to rump and 13 ounces) Again this morning, Saturday morning, I felt him as I was waking up, so it seems that early morning is his active time. It's amazing to feel, but it makes me not want to get up. I just want to lay there all day feeling him move.

 

Today, I finally finished painting the master bedroom, so I'll be able to start decorating in there tomorrow and hope to have new photos to post this week.

Weeks 18-19

Just this past week, I feel like this bump has really popped out. Looking at the pictures, it doesn't look much bigger last last week, but wow it feels big and it feels full!

Week 18

Week 19

A funny fact about these two weeks...I started painting the master bedroom last weekend (was supposed to be painting the nursery and on a whim decided to paint the master first instead) so I stripped the room of everything but the mattress. Because of that I've been sleeping on the recliner every night and I have to admit that it's more comfy than the bed. I guess once I'm done painting and get the bedroom put back together, we'll see if I actually move back to the bed or stay on the recliner.

This week is a very exciting week! I have an appointment on Wednesday (I'll be exactly 20 weeks) and get my 20 week ultrasound...which means I'll probably find out the gender of the baby! Jake is going to try to skype during the ultrasound so he can find out at the same time as me. I have a feeling it's a girl...but we will see!

Weeks 14-17

I'm still slacking on the blogging! Here's a catch up post with the bump pictures from the last few weeks...it's really starting to pop out!

Baby bump at 14 weeks...I was in Missouri/Indiana visiting my family this week.

 

Baby bump at 15 weeks...tunics with leggings are my best friend!

Baby bump at 16 weeks...don't mind the face...not sure why I didn't smile.

Baby bump at 17 weeks...got to wear jeans all week at work, so I broke out a pair of maternity jeans that I got from my sister.

Weeks 11-13

I thought once I announced the pregnancy I would be on blogger all the time sharing my experiences and ideas for after the baby comes, but honestly, I didn't expect to be so tired! Working as a teller, I'm on my feet literally the entire work day. That really wears on you when you are pregnant! The last month or so, I've just been collapsing on the couch once I get home. I hit the 2nd trimester yesterday and I'm happy to say I am starting to see why everyone says the 2nd trimester is the best time of pregnancy! I used to get daily headaches that would last all afternoon and evening, I haven't had one of those headaches since last Thursday (knock on wood!) I used to get sick from certain smells (garlic!) but that seems to have passed too. But best of all, I don't feel nearly as exhausted at the end of the day! I've actually been able to do some dishes and laundry the past few days after work.

Here's how the last few weeks have progressed:

Baby bump at 11 weeks...I think my eyes give away just how exhausted I really was.

Baby bump at 12 weeks...starting to show in tighter clothes.

At 12 1/2 weeks, Jake left for a deployment. I will most likely have the baby before he gets home, but I'll post more about this another time.

Baby bump at 13 weeks...holy cow, I feel like it popped out alot!

 

I honestly was a little freaked out that I'm so big at 13 weeks. I thought maybe I had been overdoing it on food. I turned to pinterest to see how other women look in their 13 week belly bump progression photos, and it turns out that I look pretty average.

 

My work pants are getting really tight, and I've already searched every store in Great Falls for maternity work clothes with no luck. Thank goodness I'm traveling to Missouri to visit family next week and will get some time to shop in St. Louis for maternity clothes!

Pregnancy Weeks 1-10

Here is how the pregnancy has progressed so far:

I found out by a home test before work on Monday, January 14th.

I told Jake on Tuesday with this gift:



I got the confirmation from the base clinic that Thursday.

We told family members on February 3rd, by phone and skype, during the superbowl.

The first appointment, including the first ultrasound was Thursday, February 21st. During the ultrasound we found out the baby was measuring about 9 weeks 1 day, which sets a due date of September 25th. The video of the ultrasound is loaded here.

I announced my pregnancy at the morning staff meeting at work on Wednesday, February 27th.

We announced on facebook with this photo and caption:

Beer - $4

Water - free

Realizing there are 3 people in this photo - priceless.

 

This is my belly at 10 weeks (not really a baby bump yet, just bloat):