I'm Sure You Get It BUT...

I'm 10 weeks! Sorry everyone, for spamming you with baby photos, statuses, updates and blogs. I'm making NO promise to quit anytime soon.

I'm actually feeling pretty well today. I'm sleepy, so I'm due for a nap soon, but otherwise I'm content. I've been able to eat today with no issues, which is always nice. I am INCREDIBLY thirsty though; I can NOT drink enough water. I've been crying a lot, but I try to do it alone. I've been crying while looking at baby clothes; I envision my little boy or girl in these clothes and then it hits me that I'm going to be a mom. Being a mother is the one thing I know that I will be wonderful at and I'm just so anxious to start.  

I haven't actually gained any weight, in fact, I'm down two pounds but I certainly don't look like it. I'm so bloated everyday. Sometimes, for maybe a few hours, I'll feel normal. I've read in all of my normal sources that this week I can really start noticing a little bump starting to grow. My uterus is the size of a grapefruit! My books tell me that I'll probably have to unbutton pants, wear stretchy clothes or go up a size BUT I live in yoga pants and dresses, so it's not too much of an issue.

The baby is the size of a prune. It's starting to look like an actual human and it's webbing between the fingers and toes are disappearing. By next week, the baby will already be the size of a lime; they grow so fast! 

Exactly 1 week from today my family and friends will be able to experience all this and watch me grow in person. Can't wait to see you all! xo

The Official Ultrasound

As you know, I've already had an ultrasound, but it was for some mild spotting I was concerned about, so besides the ultrasound we didn't go over much. Today, it was the real deal.

Of course, as usual, I went in terrified - don't ask me why, I don't know anymore. Marieke was my midwife doing the ultrasound today; she asked me to lay down and spread eagle it. Okay, she didn't say that ,but you get the point. Since it's early, this ultrasound was internal, but I already had one before so I knew how it was. THERE IT WAS! It was MUCH bigger than last time (double, actually) and I could see it's little heart beating. Relief. Everything was perfect, even it's little arms and legs. Then, it was moving around! IT MOVES! It's so strange to know that there is some moving inside of you and it has it's own heartbeat. 

She printed us out a sonogram and stored some other pictures on a USB drive for us. We were asked a million questions and I asked her a million as well.

Even though everyone kept telling me I wouldn't have another ultrasound before I went home, I do. Exactly two weeks from today (July 1) we will have our 11 week ultrasound. That's also my birthday! Then, two days later, we take off for Pittsburgh!  HOLY CRAP, CAN THESE COUPLE WEEKS BE ANY MORE EXCITING?!

My symptoms are, of course, fatigue and overall loss of appetite. It has, however, been getting better in the past two days. I'm not fully back to normal, but at least I can eat more than goldfish. To put it bluntly, I'm constipated. I always say "digestive issues",but that really doesn't capture the sheer horror of it. I've been constipated from the beginning - it's terrible & it makes me look 6 months pregnant because my belly starts poking out and is round and hard. I've been trying to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! I still don't have sore boobs. I NEVER get sore boobs, even with PMS. I'm immune, I suppose.

Aversions: chicken nuggets, most meat (except ham), and coffee.

Cravings: I go through day-to-day "cravings", but I'm mainly eating whatever sits well. Sour candy is my saving grace for nausea.

2 months!

8 weeks, in case you didn't know ;)

The baby is the size of a raspberry, is developing finger and toes on it's little paddles, has a proportionate head to it's body and is growing the brain and nervous system.

If you follow me on Facebook, which you probably do if you're reading this, you probably have an idea of how I'm feeling. I'm exhausted. Pure torture. It's not, "Yawn, I need a nap..." kind of feeling, it's more of a "I'm not in control of my life anymore and I'm pretty sure I'm hallucinating" vibe. When I get super tired, I get nauseous. That's what I was trying to explain on my status yesterday. I'm fine when I'm well rested, so I more so need tips for perking up. Unfortunately, sleep is my best option as well as just sucking it up until my 2nd trimester. My appetite is somewhat nonexistent, although I'm so hungry. It makes no sense and I would never have understood before I got pregnant. Right now the only foods that don't gross me out are sour candies, potatoes (only roasted, mashed makes me queasy now), Spanish rice and crackery foods, but they're even beginning to disgust me now. My current craving is French toast. 2 days ago I kept thinking about them and the craving only got stronger. Luckily, my friend Heather is picking me up some at the commissary. Chicken nuggets still repulse me in every way possible; I even hate making them for the kids. When the breading touches my hand, I wanna puke. It's one of those pregnancy things you can never understand until you experience it.

My hormones are also RIDICULOUS. Erik doesn't know whether to laugh or hide. If I'm not an irritable beez, I'm crying. He mentioned Vandenberg (our previous base) and I cried. I'm tired, I cry.

Pregnancy is such a strange and beautiful thing.

I'm considering investing in a body pillow seeing as how sleeping has become harder. I obviously do not have a big belly yet, but somehow I feel like it. Sleeping on my stomach hurts and sleeping on my side makes my arm fall asleep and belly feel yucky (I don't understand either).

Sorry, not much to update other than my symptoms. I'm hoping that the extra rest when I'm done babysitting will help. As soon as I'm done I'm heading home and will be able to sleep and relax - I'm coming for you, Pittsburgh!

P.S. - still pretty sure I'm having a girl.

7 Weeks & Our First Ultrasound

As of yesterday, I am 7 weeks pregnant, and I sure do feel pregnant. I've been suffering from nausea everyday. It's not debilitating, but it's uncomfortable and doesn't allow me to eat. Food is repulsing; I can eat crackery foods and occasionally a few bites of something else, but I'm generally always hungry. I can't wait to feel normal again. Also, I feel like the most exhausted person in the universe. I wake up and I'm ready to go back to bed. I'm too tired and weak to even walk around the house. I save every ounce of energy I have for tending to the kids, but otherwise I've grown roots into the couch. I also still have digestive issues as well as some serious irritability. Sorry everyone. Second trimester, you can't come soon enough!

So, I had my first ultrasound two days ago. Originally, my first ultrasound was on June 17, but I had a concern about some mild spotting and wanted to get checked out to ease my mind. When Erik and I walked into the midwife's office, we felt immediately comfortable, she was wonderful! She told us that she couldn't promise that she would get a definite answer or not, but she would tell us what she saw. Erik sat behind the bed, stroking my hair while we waited to see our baby. Immediately we spotted a fast little heart, thumping away on the screen above and we grabbed hands. It was the most incredible experience of our lives. Our little blueberry-sized baby had already begun to sprout arms and legs, was the perfect size and positioned perfectly. She pointed out the head and yolk sac to us making it all a reality. Erik and I made a tiny human and now it's growing inside of me, perfectly healthy. She gave us a USB drive with 6 photos on it to take home.

We left the office with not only relief, but more love in our hearts than we entered with. My mind has been eased, but unfortunately the symptoms have not. I'll "suffer" for our little baby any day. 

Our next appointment is still on June 17, and if all is great and healthy, we are going to release our announcement photos that we took a few days ago and proceed to tell the world. Erik and I can't wait to share this excitement and love with you all!

6 weeks!

I look terribly large here. I need a waist belt!

There's something about this milestone that has me excited! My baby still looks like an alien, and is the size of a sweet pea, but it's growing rapidly. :) My symptoms are still the same (belly issues, fatigue, and a hunger that can't be satiated) although, I do have a new craving: chicken nuggets. Words can't explain this need. I though it was a one time thing when I ordered a 20 piece chicken nugget at McDonald's, but it wasn't. It's everyday now. I've been chugging water like a mad woman, but it's not fun when I'm feeling nauseous. Oh, forgot about that! The nausea has reared it's ugly head. It comes in waves and just makes me feel yucky, but I have yet to get sick. Hopefully this is the worst of it. 

In other news, my first ultrasound has been scheduled with the midwife! June 17! I'll be two days shy of 9 weeks. Erik and I decided that if the baby is 100% healthy (which it will be, of course) then we will share the news immediately. The reasoning behind this is that I will go to Pittsburgh soon after and be there a month, so by the time I come back and have another ultrasound, I'll be in my 2nd trimester anyway. I can't wait to share the news! Staci Kennedy is photographing our pregnancy announcement photos on June 3. I can't wait to see how they turn out and share them with everyone after our appointment, along with our first ultrasound.

Our First Appointment

Erik and I went to have our first "prenatal visit" today, although it was actually just a sit down. After our arrival, we got seen by Dr. Dunk, the same doctor I had to get my Mirena removed, so that already set the mood comfortably. He congratulated us and asked me the date of my last period; he confirmed our due date of January 22. He told us we had no need to take a test since my lack of period, symptoms and 5 positive pregnancy tests was enough proof that I was expecting. Of course, typical OCD Courtney-style, I came with questions via my Ipad. 

What I learned:

- I can't clean the cat box. (Yay!)

- Cant eat raw meat.

- I can enjoy my morning coffee (just a cup or two)

- I can continue to workout, just must listen to my body.

- My cramping was normal.

- I need to stay off the Internet. (It paranoids me)

- I'll be seeing a midwife from this point forward.

He pretty much said nothing I didn't already know because of my obsessive researching. The appointment may have been somewhat pointless, but it did somehow subdue my anxiety. I am feeling comfortable and ready to take on this pregnancy. I even got a nap in followed by a full body strength workout. I've been pinning pregnancy workouts all evening onto my Pinterest. I'm loving that I can continue to stay active!

So, tomorrow I will call and make my first appointment with my midwife which is supposed to be somewhere between 8 and 10 weeks. I go home at 12 weeks, so I'm hoping to have an appointment right before and after. We will see what the midwife says.

As always, I'll keep you updated! Can't wait to make this public and share our joy further! :)

Symptoms: mild pinching on left side, frequent peeing, fatigue, stronger sense of smell

Cravings: pizza, pickles (so cliche, but so real)

Aversions: nothing as of yet