Halfway to Baby Becker

21 weeks tomorrow!  It's crazy how fast time is flying by.  I went for my 20 week appt yesterday and everything seems to be progressing nicely.  They say baby man is around 12 ounces which is right where he needs to be.  I've been feeling him moving around a little bit, but not much.  It's just little flutters in my stomach.  I'm excited to really feel him moving in there! Mike is ready too. :-)  When we go for the ultrasounds (weekly until 24 weeks - due to me having mild lupus, they have to check his heart weekly to make sure it's growing and functioning properly - so far, so good!), they say that he is a wiggle worm.  So, I'm going to bet we'll be feeling him soon.

20 weeks - July 13, 2012

I actually got Mike out to do some nursery shopping last weekend.  If you know Mike, then you might guess that this would be tough.  Well, he was such a trooper and I'm so thankful for that.  We bought a dresser/changing table from Ikea and we also ordered the crib from Babies R Us.  I also grabbed a few things to try out...a super cute owl crib bumper, a small accent rug and some drapes.  Oh, I also talked him into letting me stop at about 5 different places to accumulate way to many paint sample cards.  Talk about "Fifty Shades of Grey"....well, that's exactly what I came home with.  After taping them all up on the wall and staring at them for about 3 days, I've narrowed it down to about 6.  Whew! I'm getting there.  I asked Mike if we could go this weekend to get 3-4 actual paint samples to try on the walls.  His response: "No, just pick one and that's what we are painting the room."  Haha, typical Mike.

We also started the registry process, which is extremely overwhelming.  We went for a few hours one day and I haven't done anything since.  I'm hosting a bridal shower next weekend and once I get through that, I'm going to get focused on rounding out the registry.   Have I mentioned how fast this is flying by?  Oh, and how much stuff I have to do in between?  Oh, and that I'm swamped at work?  Par for the course, I suppose.  Anyways, here is a sweet picture of the daddy-to-be practicing with a stuffed monkey.

How Far Along: 20 weeks, 6 days

Weight Gain: +13 lbs

Size of baby Noah: a pomegranate, weighing in at about 12 oz.

What I miss:  a good night's sleep...but I guess I can kiss that goodbye for quite some time.  I've been getting up at least once (in the very early a.m.) to pee.  And my legs have been cramping up quite bad when sleeping.  They say you should sleep on your left side while prego...well, I'm trying so hard and it's just not comfy.  I gave in yesterday and ordered a pregnancy pillow that will fit under my belly and between my legs.  I'm hoping that brings some relief.

Coming up in the next week or so:  choosing and buying a glider for the nursery, ordering the crib bedding, hosting a bridal shower (which consists of quite a bit of shopping and crafting to get ready)

For the most part, all is well in the pregnancy department.  No cravings really.  I'm eating exactly how I was pre-pregnancy.  And I've been walking or going to the gym at least 4 days a week.  Little mama is feeling good! (and thankful for it!!!)



Beachin It

This weekend, I headed to Nags Head for a few days of relaxation on the beach with the family.  Mike's brother, Erik, had flown in and they were having some 'guy time'. 

What this really meant was that I would have my picture taken in a bikini for the first time, which could be a little scary.  I have to say I'm feeling pretty good so far with how my weight is progressing.  Although, I do feel that my belly has seriously 'popped' in the last week.  I will weigh myself Thursday for my weekly weigh-in and I'm a little nervous that it will have gone a little overboard this week.  Oh well, back to the gym today.  I need to be consistent with my walking and exercising to make sure both of us stay healthy.

How Far Along: 19 weeks

Weight Gain: +12.5 lbs

Size of Baby Becker: a mango, weighing in at about 8.5 oz (really picking up speed in the growth department)

And the biggest reveal is Baby Becker's gender.......

WE'RE HAVING A BOY!!!!!  So, Noah Justin Becker is on the way....

Settled Down

Well, things have settled down for me. The pregnancy has gotten easier over the last few weeks and I'm feeling pretty good.  I've moved on to the 2nd trimester...16 weeks in...crazy how time flies.  In just a little over 5 months, baby Becker will be here with us.  That is nuts to think about.

The belly is definitely more defined now.  I even went shopping yesterday for lots of stretchy items.  I didn't hit up the maternity stuff yet - just went for the comfy clothes.  Our first stop was TJ Maxx and I found some great maxi skirts, tried them on, was really excited - go to register to pay.......wait for it.....I had handed the fitting room lady the wrong stack of clothes (the ones that actually fit).  So, now I'm at the register with 2 skirts that are too big.  I run back to the fitting room and the lady says the stuff has already been taken back out.  I go to the rack....nothing in my size...I frantically ran around the store looking for someone with a cart full of clothes...nothing.  Seriously??  If it weren't the fact that Mike was there with me, (and I would've been really embarrassed and felt like an idiot), I would have broke down in tears. That's how frustrated I was.  None of my current pants and shorts fit - finally I go shopping and find some nice summer skirts and then this happened. Ugh!  Next stop was Old Navy and I found some skirts so I was able to regain my composure.  Whew - that was close!

16 weeks - June 15, 2012

How Far Along: 16 weeks, 3 days

Weight Gain: +7.5

Size of Baby Becker: an avocado, weighing in at about 3 oz

Food Cravings: french fries; not all the time but Saturday night after we had eaten dinner and I had a brownie for dessert, we were relaxing and watching a movie...cut to the part where I say "mmm, I want some fries... like waffle fries from Chick Fil A".  Mike: "go eat an apple"  Me: "ha, yea right. Ride with me. I'm going to get fries"...off to Chick Fil A we went at 9 p.m. so I could get some fries.

Food Aversions: none to report

Signs of Pregnancy:  bigger belly and very sore boobs (ouch!)

Tales from the Prego Crypt

At 12 weeks, we announced to the world (ok, just to the people we know) that Nugget is on the way.  Apparently we aren't celebrities so the world really doesn't care about our lovechild. 

Anyways, I've managed to make it through the first trimester.  Gracefully? NO  With ease? NO  But I made it.  I'm now finishing up week 14 and the last 2 weeks have been really good.  Can't complain.  Well, except for those extra pounds that snuck up super fast.  The problem with these extra pounds is that they don't look like a prego belly - they look more like a muffin top or a one-too-many-burritos belly.  Just some extra fat around the middle.  Pretty, I tell ya.  I'm working on accepting this new fat and not cringing every time I look in the mirror.  Easier said than done.

May 18, 2012 - 12 weeks (+4 lbs)

How Far Along: 14 weeks, 6 days

Weight Gain: +7 (no longer fluctuating, just going up, up up)

Size of Baby Becker: a lemon, weighing in at approx 1.5 oz

Food Cravings:  I've really been wanting grapefruit juice but have yet to get any. Other than that, no real cravings right now.  I did make a chocolate cake over the weekend and I eat a piece (or 2) every single day.  Not really a craving - I just really hate to waste food. :-)

Food Aversions: Doing better with this too; eating more fruits and veggies. They no longer disgust me like they did before.

On another note:  I just finished reading the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. I hear pregnancy hormones are bad - well, just try reading about Christian Grey.  I'm in love.  And I now need therapy.

Welcome to CrazyTown, USA

I had a particularly rough day at work.  One of those days where everyone is clearly an idiot (except me, of course). I was huffing and puffing and throwing crap around my desk when the phone rang.  It was Kris - she asked how things were going.  I told her EXACTLY how things were going - in not so pleasant terms.  She kept asking questions..."like what?", "who would do that?", "what did you say?". Now that I look back on it, I do believe she was trying to provoke me.  Her quiet giggles when I answered each question with a shout probably should have tipped me off.  Finally, she literally busted out laughing.  My exact words, "Stop laughing or I'll punch you".  I mean, where does this stuff come from?  Nugget probably thinks his mother is a lunatic. Actually, I think I might be.  I blame Nugget.  Wondering what Nugget looks like....

Ha! Let's hope Nugget doesn't look like this or I'll probably try to eat him/her.

Some facts:

How Far Along: 10 weeks on Friday, May 4th

Weight Gain: +2 (still fluctuating)

Size of Baby Becker: a prune, weighing in at about .14 oz (this makes me think of constipation - which is a lovely side dish to being prego)

Food Cravings: carbs is my food group of choice

Food Aversions: still coffee, still not loving my veggies (took the tomato off my turkey sub, forced myself to eat green beans that I cooked with dinner - weird). Oh, and I cannot eat our favorite peanut butter choc chip frozen yogurt. It disgusts me.

Signs of Pregnancy:  as if the food aversions and above-mentioned violence aren't enough proof??

Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

(**this was around week 10, first week of May )

Oh, you want to be a millionaire too? Yes, of course that would be nice.  But this post really is about dinner last night.  I know, I know.... everything is about food.  I'm actually quite sick of food, sick of thinking about food, sick of eating food.  I'm hungry and I like to eat, but then afterwards, I just feel gross.  And then I think about what I'm going to eat next. Disturbing.

Mike worked late last night and said he would stop at Outback on the way home to pick up dinner.  Great! I got grab a bag of chips (hey, if 6:00 hits and dinner isn't in front of me, I panic) and pull up the menu online and here's what went down...(talking to myself, of course)

Me: Definitely cheese fries and a house salad (that's common for me)
Cheesy Game Show host (in my head, obvs): is that your final answer?
Me: No, definitely not.
Me: hmmm, steak with side of cheese fries and house salad.  Yea, that sounds great.
Me: oh wait, that No Rules Pasta looks really good.
Game Show host: is that your final answer?
Me: No, no, no. Hold on a freakin minute.
Me: A burger with side of cheese fries. Yum!
Me: I should just stick to the salad and cheese fries.
Game Show host: is that your final answer?
Me: I need to phone a friend.
Me (calling Lani): hey, this is really important. I don't know what to order.  Here is what sounds good to me (proceed to go over all of the above)....but then it doesn't really sound good either. What do I do?
Lani: (laughing at me and clearly busy enough with her 2 month old child to not have to deal with me) You can't go wrong with the steak and cheese fries. But I prefer the alice springs chicken - maybe you should get chicken.
Me: (after a lot of debating) ok, thanks. I can do this.  I'm getting hungry. I need to order. Bye.
Me (calling Outback): outback special with a side of cheese fries and a house salad.  How big is the side of cheese fries? I mean, is it a good amount?  (yes, she says, it is) Ok, because I'm pregnant and I don't want them skimping on my cheese fries. (she laughs but assures me she will check it herself to make sure they don't skimp).
Me: (wondering if it's too much to ask for them to toast the bread before they pack it up -have you noticed they don't put the bread through the breadwarmer for takeout? - yea, this annoys me. I decide to just leave things how they are).

Whew, finally dinner is ordered.  I mean, seriously, did I mention I've turned into a full blown lunatic?

I ate all of the cheese fries, half of the steak, and about 3 bites of salad.  I usually eat the whole salad before starting on anything else.  Nugget doesn't like veggies.  Have I told you that before?

Weeks 5-8 of alien baby

hello, pregnancy.  Goodbye, Kelly.  Oh, a baby is growing inside of me.  Oh, it's a miracle.  Oh, I must be glowing.  Yea, if by glowing, you mean glowing green.  This little nugget has made its presence known.

Week 5 started with a flight to Spain - super excited about this vaca.  Feeling great, can't wait.  How quickly things change.  Almost immediately upon departure, I start feeling queezy and nauseous.  I never did get sick, thank goodness.  Not one day on our 10 day trip to Spain did I feel great.  I loved Spain, I loved that we were there together and with our friends, John and Leah.  What I didn't love was the exhaustion that had taken over, the nausea that never seemed to leave, and the hatred of all foods presented to me.  I pretty much took a 2-3 hour nap every single evening.  I say evening because those Spanish people do everything late...dinner usually starts after 9:00 p.m.  One day at the train station, I got McDonald's for lunch...oh how delicious it was and it worked for Nugget too. Yay!  Then, on another night, I woke up from a nap at 10:15 p.m. (Mike & John were out drinking while us girls napped).  I called them and requested dinner to be delivered ...McDonald's was the only thing that would do.  So, there Leah and I sat at 11 p.m. eating Mickey D's in Barcelona.  It was divine.

Fast forward to the 2 weeks after we return home.  Pure misery.  Imagine having the flu (minus the vomiting... again, thank goodness!) all day everyday for 2 weeks...or a constant hangover (without alcohol, obvs, since apparently you can't drink while prego).  Just kidding, I know you can't drink while pregnant....not once in these 3 weeks did I even consider wanting to drink...nothing sounded worse actually.  Nugget is in charge of this body, clearly.  Nothing sounds good to eat, everything sounds good to eat, I'm not hungry, I'm starving. This seriously causes concern of being borderline psycho.  If I don't eat, I feel terrible.  When I do eat, I feel terrible. Ugh! The rate at which I can go from not hungry to starving is alarming.  And to make things clear, if this hunger mode hits, you probably want to get out of my way...or get me food asap.

Working became extremely hard.  I felt sick all day everyday.  Everything took me 3 times as long to get done. I found myself staring at the computer screen. Very frustrating - feeling like such a slacker. Anyways, enough of that.

April 20, 2012 - 8 weeks

I thought it would be fun to be up some facts along the way:

How Far Along: 9 weeks on Friday, April 20th

Weight Gain: +1 (it fluctuates so who freakin knows)

Size of Baby Becker: an olive, weighing in at about .07 ounces

Food Cravings: Depends on the moment but french fries typically sound promising. Oh, and bagels.

Food Aversions: Coffee (haven't been able to drink it since week 4), veggies aren't appealing either