19 Week Update

We know the baby's gender! We had our anatomy ultrasound this week and it was absolutely amazing. Baby H is weighing at 11oz. and a few days ahead of schedule. Everything looked perfect and we got some pretty amazing shots of our little October pumpkin (see pics below). We're sticking to the baby shower invitations as our "gender announcement" so as soon as those are in the mail this weekend, we'll do the big reveal on here and on facebook. We can't wait to officially share the news!!

Right now, the baby is the size of a large mango and about 6 inches in length. Between this and next week, the baby will grow significantly. I'm feeling him/her kick around all day now and it's a pretty amazing feeling.
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New this week: Well, I already said it, but we know what Baby H is and that's been pretty incredible. After months of thinking about colors for the nursery, names and what sport(s) this little one will play, we finally have so many questions answered! We can't wait to share the news. 

How I'm feeling: Still pretty amazing. I started a prenatal yoga class that has helped to stretch out my back and hips. I'll continue to go to this since it was recommended by my Doctor and many friends who just had babies. I'm having a lot of hip pain at night and if I'm on my feet too much during the day - I read this is from a hormone called relaxin, but there is NO RELAXIN' that this stuff causes!! It should be renamed "wake-your-ass-up-in"

Food: My food highlight of the week was a cannoli cake that we had at Larissa & Mike's house on Sunday. We picked it up from a fresh food market in Holmdel, near their house, but it was the perfect balance of icing to cake to cannoli filling. Yum! 

Movement: Yup! And lots of it now :)

What I miss: Still wine. And maybe a beergarita now that the weather is nice. 

Most looking forward to: The baby shower invitations going out this weekend with the gender reveal in them!!!

18 weeks & Project Nursery

Baby H is 5 1/2 inches long now and over 7 ounces! That is as long as a bell pepper. The baby is moving it's arms and legs - which I can finally feel little flutters of when I'm laying down or sitting still on the couch. The genitals are fully formed and in just a week and a half, we'll know which ones they are!! We decided to tell the "world" what we're having via my baby shower invitations, which my darling Sister will be mailing out in mid-June. This will give Kevin and I a few weeks to enjoy our little "gender secret" together before sharing it with our friends and family. After that, the news will be free to share :)

PICS FROM THE WEEK

Long Branch Boardwalk 5/19/2012

Project Nursery: crown molding! 

Kevin LOVES to mess with the dog (with the miter box)...

...but he apologized afterwards. 

After!!! (with a beautiful vacuum job)

After :) He did such a great job!! 

New this week: My bump is looking more and more like a baby and less like I had too many donuts. Kevin and I had an appointment with our OB this past week and we were able to hear the heartbeat. I heard it 4 weeks ago but Kevin was at work so this was his first time hearing it - it was really special!!

How I'm feeling: Amazing. Tons of energy but that is leading me to want to make so many changes around the house - poor Kevin has a new project every weekend. But all of my "mommy friends" keep saying to get it done now while the energy is still there!

Food: I've always loved dessert but this pregnancy is making me look forward to it even more! There is an awesome Italian market in Robbinsville, NJ that we discovered with amazing desserts so Kevin and I picked up a few for the weekend on Friday night and they seriously made me so happy. I'm working really hard to eat a ton of fruits and veggies too, now that I can stomach all the good organic and fresh foods again.

Movement: As of last week, I started feeling little "flutters" and they've been pretty consistent throughout the day. My OB said that by 24 weeks, Kevin will be able to feel them from my belly and we're really looking forward to that.

What I miss: Wine. And as I was looking through the new Crate & Barrel catalog last night, Kevin promised that as soon as I can have wine again, he'll surprise me with new wine glasses :) Cha-ching!

Most looking forward to: May 29th - the anatomy scan where we find out the gender!!

Baby Update: 17 weeks

Baby H is now 5 inches long and the size of a turnip! I, myself had to look up what a turnip looked like but here it is:

New this week: Holy tummy! From week 16 to week 17, my stomach rounded out and grew a whole inch (yes, I'm measuring my waist circumference)! Sitting/laying certain ways has become uncomfortable but I'm really happy about that because I can finally feel the baby growing.

How I'm feeling: Great. I have a lot more energy during the days and am so happy to actually feel like doing things again around the house again. They say that the second trimester is the best, and I definitely understand why!

Food: Peanut butter has been a pretty consistent craving for me throughout this whole pregnancy but I REALLY love it when it's mixed with banana! Now that the weather has been nicer, I'm back to my one-a-day peanut butter/banana smoothies. They are so good with almond milk and a few ice cubes.

Clothing situation: Work clothes are starting to become a problem. I really need to invest in work maternity clothes but I'm still trying to drag out my work dresses before making the plunge. I have about 5 that I rotate through so as long as I don't see the same people twice a week, I'm still good.

Movement: I felt the baby move on Sunday!! I woke up to a fluttering around 8am and tried to feel it again, but it had stopped. The feeling was like butterfly kisses but I'm sure it was the baby. So cool!

What I miss: White wine. Mmmmmm.

Most looking forward to: We have an appointment this Friday and I cannot wait to hear the baby's heartbeat again. I'm seriously counting down the days this week!

16 Weeks

Baby H is about 4.5 inches long now and still the size of a large avocado. The next four weeks are a very exciting time for our little pumpkin - he/she will double in weight before we see him/her again on our 20 week "anatomy scan". We decided to find out the gender, which was a very tough decision, but we're so excited to know if we're expecting a little cheerleader or a little football player (pee wee football; let's be serious...Kevin and I don't exactly have the structure to produce an NFL hopeful).

Highlights of the week: Our birthdays were this week! Mine is May 1 and Kevin's is May 2. Facebook, phone calls, and texts made us feel very loved this week. We were able to enjoy a wonderful dinner in NYC with Kevin's Dad on Thursday night and yesterday we had a great family bbq with my Mom, Dad, Sister, Marc and Kevin to celebrate. My dad's Birthday is May 5th so we had three birthdays to celebrate and it was a lot of fun. Here are a few pics from the bbq:

New this week: Bump alert! This was the week where I definitely started showing.

How I'm feeling: Great! Tons of energy during the day (not so much past 8pm) and I even stayed out past 11pm three times this week. That's a real accomplishment for me during this pregnancy.

Food: Yum! I look forward to all meals now but you still can't convince me to have a plain piece of chicken. For some reason, I just can't eat it plain. Mixed into a salad, taco or casserole however, is fine. Wonder if that strange avoidance will remain?

Clothing situation: Maternity jeans are amazing. I invested in a pair this week and they've made me very happy.

Movement: Still nothing!

What I miss: Oh sushi. That might be my "first meal" after delivery! I long for a Spicy Bad Girl roll from Illuzion in Hoboken, NJ.

Most looking forward to: Our 20 week "anatomy scan" where we'll find out the gender!!