Family Time

Today we are 19 weeks, 4 days pregnant!

Hi all!  Shawn and I are in San Diego for the holidays, and I just wanted to catch up a little...  We got to visit with Shawn's brother and wife, Brian and Kim, and their two beautiful babies.  We spent a lot of time hanging out with them on a plush carpet and just taking in all the cute baby sounds!  I got to practice a little with Andrew (my nephew) and got a full demonstration from little Mackenzie with the clothes her and her mommy are donating to our baby girl!  Here is me goofing with Andrew:

Also, if anyone is interested, here is my latest bump picture, sorry for the bare belly, but here it is in all its glory!  This was right at 19 weeks:

We can't believe we're already almost half way through this pregnancy!  This Saturday, we're 20 weeks!  Well that's it for now, I hope everyone has the happiest of all holidays!

Pictures of Our Little Girl!

Today we are 18 weeks, 6 days pregnant!

Here are the snapshots of our little girl!  Here's her beautiful face, and look, she's got Shawn's nose!!!

And here's picture number 2, the "It's a Girl" shot...  Both the tech and the Doctor said 90% girl, but I don't see anything!  But yes, you are looking at her legs and her, uh, well, you know...  :)

And last but not least, we thought we'd give you a close up of what will probably be doing Riverdance inside mommy soon...  That's right, her little footsie!  We thought this was so cute...

So we don't know whether that's it or not as far as ultrasounds go, but hopefully there will be more to come!  We're trying to decide whether or not to do an elective 3d/4d ultrasound, somewhere around 32 weeks, so I'll keep you updated on that decision.  All I know is we can't wait to meet her!!!

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!

Today we are 18 weeks, 5 days pregnant, with a GIRL!

That's right, we're having a little girl!  Shawn and I couldn't be more excited!  It is so surreal that now we can call the baby a she, and it almost feels as if I am about to wake up from a dream.  Thank God, the doctor said everything is looking great and we are right on schedule to deliver on May 15th still.  I can't express how lucky and blessed I feel, and though I am not a very religious person, I pray every day and night that we will have a healthy pregnancy and delivery.  I will post the pics as soon as they're uploaded but I wanted to share the news!!!  :)

Just a Check-in

Today we are 17 weeks, 2 days pregnant!

Hi there!  Just wanted to continue on with my weekly check-in.  We're still monitoring my belly growth, which is coming along slowly but smoothly.  So here goes the check-in...

How far along?  17 weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain/loss:  A little less than 4 lbs gain

Stretch marks?  Still none, but the belly is a-growin!

Sleep:  Still not so great, but thank God for Shawn, I have relaxed days.  :)

Best moment this week:  Shawn got to hear the heartbeat for the first time!!!

Movement:  You know, I think I'm feeling some little jabs here and there.  Very gentle, but just somehow different than gas.  

Food cravings:  Ben & Jerry's Napolean Dynamite ice cream (choco brownie on one side, Cherry Garcia on the other), still the wedge salad, chili dogs

Gender:  Less than two weeks until we find out!

Labor Signs:  Too early for these...

Belly Button in or out?  Out.  Shawn did notice that it has become a little more flat and weird looking, though!  

What I miss:    Restful sleep and dirty martinis

What I am looking forward to:  Gender gender gender!

Weekly Wisdom:  I've realized I shouldn't rush this pregnancy.  Things take time for a reason!

Milestones: Walking the stage at school and really showing in my dress

University of Texas Liberal Arts Fall 2009 Commencement

Hi all!  I just wanted to post a quick picture of my commencement night.  It was a great night, but soooo cold!  The picture is in front of a huge fountain which lines up with our tower, which as you can see, is lit up burnt orange with 09 lit in the windows.  It was awesome!!!  Hook'em Horns!

Today's Visit

Today we are 16 weeks, 5 days pregnant!

We had an OB visit today and Shawn got to hear the heartbeat for the first time!!!  The heart rate was 148 bpm, still above the Old Wives Tale of 140...  We also got another screening test, the Quad Screen, which is done for women between 16 and 18 weeks of pregnancy.  It tests for certain substances that can indicate Spina Bifida, Downs, and some other abnormalities.  It is a blood test, so no amniotic fluid needed.  For more information, you can look here at the Quad Screen info page if you like.  Hopefully we shall get the great results soon!

So for the past four weeks, I have been fearing my OB/GYN, Dr. Chris Hart (info here) would yell at me if I didn't reach her target weight gain of 2 lbs per week, for a total of 8 lbs.  Aaaand I didn't reach it.  But she told me that since we shot for 2/week and got about 1/week, she'll take it.  So I'm up to 105.4 lbs!  Anywho, we're in the two week stretch for the big ultrasound, so I'm counting down!!!

Our next visit to Dr. Hart (gender scan done at different office 12/17) will be January 19, 2010 at 3:50pm central time.

Just Checking In!

Today we are 16 weeks, 3 days pregnant!

Hi All!  Just wanted to say a quick hello.  Some big non-baby news is this weekend I'm participating in the University of Texas Liberal Arts Commencement.  It's this Saturday, December 5th.  I bought my robe, cap, tassel, and sash today, so I'm really excited!  Since I've been in baby mode the last couple months, I totally forgot about commencement, and just decided a few days ago to walk the stage.  Though honestly I feel a little silly to do it at 30 and pregnant, I feel I deserve it, and that I would be missing out if I didn't have this memory.  So Shawn and I are completing my school process as we went in; married, together, and happy.  I will post a picture after Saturday!  Wish me luck!!!

For some baby related news, I got in my first shipment of maternity clothes today.  There was a huge sale online at Old Navy, so I got to get some new digs!  Today I got some basic shirts and in a few days will be receiving some pants that I had ordered, both jeans and some comfy but wearable-in-public pants.  I'm pretty excited about this step, as my waistbands have been a little tight as of late and difficult to sit in!  Also, we have an appointment with the OB on Thursday, December 3rd.  I can't wait to hear the heartbeat again!  So stay tuned for the heart rate!  In two weeks from Thursday, we will have the big gender ultrasound, so start your guesses now!  I'll outline the heart rates, my cravings and beauty problems in a later post so as to see if Old Wives Tales are correct...

Last but not least, I ran across a small list of questions some women include in their baby blogs, so I thought I'd give them a try:

How far along?  16 weeks, 3 days

Total weight gain/loss:  As of my last appointment, no gain.  I am supposed to have gained 8 pounds by Thursday, so we'll see...

Stretch marks?  None yet, thank goodness!

Sleep:  Terrible.  And as I understand, it's only going to get worse

Best moment this week:  Getting my graduation robe and my maternity clothes the same day

Movement:  Ugh, none yet as far as I know...  Still trying to figure out the difference between "flutters" and gas bubbles.  Yay.

Food cravings:  Brownie sundaes, Whataburger, potatoes au gratin, wedge salad with bleu cheese...  Most seem to be salty

Gender:  To be determined...  Come on December 17th!!!

Labor Signs:  Too early for these...

Belly Button in or out?  Out.  But it's always been an outtie.  

What I miss:  Honestly?  My Malbecs and Zinfandels.  How I love red red wine...  

What I am looking forward to:  Feeling the baby and finding out the gender

Weekly Wisdom:  If I've left something upstairs, better make sure I really need it before I walk up there and lose my breath

Milestones: Finally getting to see the belly!!!

My First "Bump" Pictures!

Today we are 15 weeks, 5 days pregnant!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I'm writing this a little late, so it's technically Friday and we're 15 weeks 6 days, but in the spirit of the holiday, let's just keep it at Thursday.  :)  Anywho, I've got my first pictures of my belly as I finally feel like I'm showing the tiniest bit.  And yes, that's exciting to me!  So here goes...  First picture is before I was able to see any real difference, at 10 weeks, 2 days.  The second picture is this evening, before Thanksgiving dinner unfortunately, so at 15 weeks, 5 days.  Enjoy!

Shawn sure does look proud, doesn't he?

Maurer Milestones

Today we are 14 weeks, 3 days pregnant!

No big newsworthy events so to speak, but I think these are pretty groovy points...  First of all, as of yesterday, I have hit the triple digits!  I've been pregnant for 100 days!  As of Sunday, our estimated due date was exactly 6 months away.  While I feel like this is going sooooo slow, most people think it has gone by so fast.  Also, we find out the gender in exactly a month from today!  Yayyyy!  Shawn still feels girl, but there is something inside my head, heart, and gut that feels boy.  I don't really know why, and I can't put my finger on it, but it's just this tiny little feeling I have.  So we'll know next month!  Shall we make you all wait until Christmas day to find out or will I end up telling everyone within five minutes of us finding out?  Haha!  So last but not least, for the first time in about 8 weeks, I actually wanted my go-to Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.  I haven't been able to stomach the thought of it since about 7 weeks along, but yay, I had my first bowl today!  Life is getting to be back to normal once again.  Well, at least for a short while!!!

Thank you for reading my extremely exciting posts, your support means so much to me!  :)

What A Stocking Stuffer!

Today we are 14 weeks pregnant!

Well hello, all!  As this holiday season is floating in, I just had to make some purchases.  And I am going to share them with you now...  Every year, Shawn and I pick a Christmas ornament with the year on it, sort of a little tradition we're trying out.  So what better type of ornament to buy this year?

Well, that's about it for now, still looking forward to the 17th of December, when we find out Team Blue or Team Pink!!!

Normal Results!

Today we are 13 weeks and 2 days pregnant!

Hi all!  Just a couple things today, first of all, I've started my SECOND TRIMESTER!  This means a couple things, such as, had I not blabbed so early because I couldn't keep it from any of you :), you would all be finding out right about now.  But we all know that I have a hard time keeping any happy news in!  Second, it means that hopefully I will start feeling better soon.  I've chosen not to take any medications for nausea, regardless of my OB/GYN's gentle suggestion, because quite honestly, no amount of happy images will ever take the pictures I have seen of children of thalidomide out of my head.  So I'll deal with the sick feelings with the great and helpful suggestions I've gotten from my family and my friends.  Without all of you, I would have gone crazy in the last three months!

Second, I got some good news today!  The genetic counselor from the office we got our NT scan done at called me today with my results.  Our results are normal!  What she told me is that we started out our pregnancy with a 1 in 400 something chance of having a child with a genetic disorder, due to age and other information as well.  And now, after my blood screen and ultrasound, our chances have dropped down to 1 in 4000 something.  So this is good news!

One last thing - this is kinda silly and may be TMI - but I can actually feel my uterus now!  It's this little hard bump between my hips and belly and its so exciting!  :)

Love you all!

Some Upcoming Dates

Today we are 12 weeks, 5 days pregnant!

Hi all!  Just got back from a little visit to my OB/GYN, just routine (except for the FOUR VIALS of blood they had to take).  But I did get to hear the heartbeat for the FIRST TIME!!!  I didn't know this was going to happen, so since I thought this was going to be purely a "womanly visit" I told Shawn he didn't have to go.  So he is really bummed that he didn't get to hear the little wawawawawawa of the heartbeat, so I feel really bad :(.  But the heart is till a healthy rate of 150bpm, so it's a tad bit slower, but still in the normal range and over the old wive's tale girly limit of 140bpm.  So we'll seeeee!  Actually we'll see on the afternoon of Thursday, December 17th so mark your calendars!  I will be just two days short of 19 weeks then, so hopefully we have a cooperative baby and get to see his or her nether regions!  Other than that, my next OB/GYN visit (the gender visit will be at a different office) will be Thursday, December 3rd.  Should be another opportunity to hear the heart, so Shawn's definitely coming to this one!  Anywho, just that I'd put those dates out there for anyone who wants to keep track.  I'm just really happy we've got a really happy pregnancy going on here!  :)

Last View Until December...

This one I found amazing because you can see the fingers and thumb.  The doctor showed us five fingers on each hand, too incredibly cute!  He also showed us the heart, the right and left ventricle, and said "This is a very good looking heart!"  Yay!!!  I still just can't believe that we can see the little nose, lips, everything.  I can't put into words how in love I am and how purely beautiful this little baby is already.  It's amazing to feel these first twinges of motherly love!!!

**FOR ALL OF THESE, IF YOU CLICK ON THE PICTURE, YOU CAN SEE THEM BIGGER!**

Another View

Just another view of our beautiful baby.  The doctor showed us the nasal plate, which was very comforting since 70% of babies born with Downs Syndrome don't have this nasal plate.  The NT measurement (fluid in back of the neck) was 2.1 which he said was 'very normal and a very popular number.'  This is also used to predict if the baby has DS.  We are awaiting the results of a blood test to accompany the scans, but I feel much better now!  :)  By the way, the baby now measures 5.9 centimeters crown to rump!

12 Week Debut!

You can see his/her hand (farthest away from you) perched upon the forehead, evidently we felt dramatic this day.  The arm closest to you is stretched out above the head and along the body, very relaxed.  You can see the thigh and where the leg bends at the knee where the beautiful leggies were kicking and stretching.  :)  I am in love with the most beautiful person in the world!!!

Oops - I Gave Y'all the Wrong Date...

Today we're 12 weeks, 2 days pregnant!

So sorry, I gave you all the wrong date for my NT scan, it's tomorrow, not today.  And truth be told, I'm so excited!  I can't wait to see our little buggie again on the big screen, and I'm secretly hoping that they'll be able to tell me the gender.  I know, I know, its a little early, but the almighty internet has provided me with stories of some finding out this early.  And we all know if it's on the internet, it must be true!  Haha!  Well, I will definitely keep everyone updated on our progress tomorrow and will get the scans up as soon as I can.  Til then!

Long Time No Write...

Today we're 11 weeks, 5 days pregnant!

I just had a great week-long visit with my family in San Diego, and though I'm very happy to be home with Shawn and the puppies again, I always miss being back home with my parents and sisters.  It was a great week, and along with all the visiting I got to do, I had a breakthrough with my morning sickness!  No more do I have it every day, only sporadically, so I'm hoping that this is the beginning of the end with the vomiting!  Yay!  I've put on a few pounds since my last ultrasound, much to my Dad's delight.  He kept telling me to eat and eat, and with his cooking, it's not that hard to do!

I also got to visit with Kim and Brian, my sis- & brother-in-law and their two beautiful babies.  I got to meet my nephew for the very first time, before Shawn, too!  We got to talk baby for hours and hours and with every passing word, I get more excited.

For the upcoming plans, we've got an ultrasound on November 2, which is at a different office since it is the Nuchal Translucency test (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuchal_translucency) which will be the only scheduled round of tests we're planning on going through.  So we're excited to have our second ultrasound which we will post as soon as we can, provided that we get copies!  :)  So I'd say check back by the 4th of November for those...

Anywho, I've got some stuff to plan and stuff to do, so feel free to comment with any questions or anything!   I'll write again soon!  :)

Here and There...

Today we're 9 weeks, 6 days pregnant!

I'm really excited because tomorrow we get in to the two-digit week mark!  Silly, yes, but I feel that saying "I'm ten weeks" sounds so much more established than "I'm nine weeks."  Hey - I've never been known to be the most rational person in this world!  :)  I'm also really excited to enter my second trimester, which according to different websites, will be somewhere around October 31 to November 4.  I will be soooo happy to leave the gagging, the vomiting, the dizziness, the tiredness, and all that behind.  Well, at least until the latter part of my third trimester!  I also feel a little silly to admit that I am scrutinizing my belly every day to see if I can see the smallest hint of a bump yet!  I know, I know, I probably wont see anything until December, but I guess this is why first pregnancies are so fun and exciting!  Quite honestly, though, I do see a slight rounding of my lower belly, which seems to be consistent with the many websites I scientifically consult every day...  ;)

Shawn and I attended our first wedding while expecting last week, and to tell the truth, it was such a unique and neat feeling to remember ours and see us coming full-circle right before my eyes.  There were many wedding guests with whom I had attended high school, and the congratulations were plentiful!  As a matter of fact, as we approached the bride and groom to congratulate them, they congratulated us before we could even get there!  The support we have received from friends and family has been so great and so inspiring.  It reminds you how much people do care!  Mushy stuff, huh?

Anywho, I am so excited to continue seeing these changes in our lives, and I feel so grateful that I get to share them with people.  Which brings me to a question:  Since the heart rate was 161 bpm,  does everyone think it's going to be a girl?  My chinese lunar predictor calendar says we're having a girl...  All I know is I can't wait to find out!

xoxo

The Second Set of Scans...

Today we are 9 weeks, 3 days pregnant!

By the way, if you click on the pictures, they will get bigger :)

Our First Baby Pictures!

Here they are, the first pics of our little Maurer!!!  :)