23 Weeks - Goodbye Office HELLO Nursery!

How far along? 23 weeks. I missed the boat on 22 so just imagine this same post but slightly less pregnant and a week earlier.

Baby size? More than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound

What's going on with the baby? She's forming little nipples; her face is fully formed and just needs some extra fat to fill it out; she's listening to my heartbeat, and voice (sorry girly, this is just the start of the terrible singing in the car that you will be forced to hear for the next 16 years or so)

Total weight gain/loss: I can still see my feet. So there's that.

Maternity clothes? Score of the week: Found a maternity Giants top to last me through the season!!! Which is great because plan B was to wear a bra and paint my belly black and orange every game.

"Giants SF Fan on Deck"

Stretch marks? None yet.

Sleep: Not bad lately, I switch off every few nights with the Snoogle pregnancy pillow, which takes up way too much of the bed and I wouldn't be surprised if I came home one day to find that my husband had buried it in the yard.

Best moment this week: Joe finished his Structural Engineering Licensing exams!!! Two days and 16 hours of tests later, he was little worse for wear but he survived!!! This means he no longer spends the weekends studying AAAAAND we get to start working on the nursery! Bless his heart, the day after his tests were over, Joe let me drag him to Ikea first thing in the morning. Of course once we got there and anxiously waited about 20 minutes for the doors to open, I immediately had to run inside and pee. But THEN we started tearing up the place and got a dresser, cubby system and curtains! Several hours and Swedish instruction sheets later, this is what we accomplished...

So long office, Hello Nursery!

A baby could totally live here right? OK we still need a few key things like the crib,  a glider, some baby stuff and oh yeah an actual BABY, but man does it feel good to have a designated room in our house for Baby Girl. I literally wake up every morning and poke my head in there just to make sure it's still not an office anymore. It's not.

Miss anything? Bud Light Lime-a-Ritas. If you don't know what that is, go to your closest Target, search the drink section and do yourself the favor of buying some. 

Movement: All the time. Once in a while we can even see my stomach pop up a tiny bit when she gets a real good punch in. Still light enough that it's adorable though and I love it. I'll probably be cursing those words in a couple months when I have the bruised ribs to show for it.

Food cravings: Strawberry Carnation Insant Breakfast. mmmmmm...

Anything making you queasy or sick? Windy car rides while I'm passenger. But that did it to me even before I was pregnant.

Have you started to show yet? Yup. 

Gender prediction: Baby Girl

Labor signs: Nada.

Belly button in or out? In. 

Wedding rings on or off? On. And for the record, my ankles are still, in fact, ankles. My biggest fear at this point is the day I wake up to cankles. I'll keep you posted on that one as I'm sure you're on the edge of your seats in anticipation for when that happens. Jerks.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy. Like, obnoxiously happy. It's disgusting :D

Looking forward to: More kicks, a bigger belly, and our 24 week check up this week. 

21 Weeks - Hearts, Hiccups & Hunger Fits

How far along? 21 weeks

Baby size? 10-1/2 inches from head to heel

Total weight gain/loss: Not gonna lie, the number on that scale is definitely creeping up there, but I'm trying to remind myself that as long as baby is healthy that's all that matters. 

Maternity clothes? Ah-yup. And one thing I've noticed is that maternity pants don't have zippers (or buttons for that matter) since they have elastic waistbands. Well, after 4 more months of this I'm almost positive that when I go back to normal pants I'm guaranteed to forget to zip my fly pretty much all the time. Fabulous.

Stretch marks? Thought I found one this morning, but thankfully it was just a sheet imprint from bed.

Sleep: Insomnia starting around 3:30am is back with a vengeance. The other night I woke up Joe to see if he'd like to suffer through it with me. He of course had no interest in anything of the sort but he was sweet enough to say that if I was still up by 5am, he'd get up and take me to Denny's. I think I fell asleep around 4:59. Darn, coulda had me an All American Slam!

Best moment this week: One thing I didn't talk about earlier was that the anatomy scan revealed that Baby Girl had only 2 instead of 3 blood vessels in her umbilical cord. Normally there is one vein pumping blood in and two arteries pumping it out, but Baby Girl only has one artery. Apparently this happens with about 1% of babies and its not generally a problem, but it does raise a flag to check that the heart and kidneys are developing normally, which they were from what the anatomy scan could tell. We were, however referred to a pediatric cardiologist to get a fetal echocardiogram where they would get a more in-depth look at Baby Girl's heart. We semi-nervously went to the appointment and after staring at a million different views of our little girl's heart pumping on the ultrasound screen for about half an hour the doctor said everything looked great!!! Plus Baby Girl got the hiccups during the echo, which is  just about the cutest thing ever to see and feel at the same time. 

Miss anything? My core strength. Between baby belly and lack of a core workout, I grunt like a 90 year old man anytime I have to get up from lying down.

Movement: Yes Indeedy. Our new tradition is lying down in bed at night and feeling her ninja kick-attacks. 

Food cravings: Why yes I would like fries with that. And a pickle. And some Frank's Red Hot. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? The fact that Kim Kardashian is pregnant at the same time as me. Oh you mean food-wise? No, not really.

Have you started to show yet? Sure have. 

Gender prediction: It's a Girl!

Labor signs: Nada

Belly button in or out? In, but ominously stretching. 

Wedding rings on or off? On. 

Happy or moody most of the time? Mood Swings? More like Food Swings. I'm worse than a child when it comes to my hunger tolerance. Joe's starting to learn that from the moment I say I'm hungry, we've got about 7 minutes to find something for me to eat or I'll turn into the Incredible Hulk.

Looking forward to: Breaking ground on that nursery of ours. Joe's huge test is next weekend which means I'm free to go baby room crazy immediately after it's over. I've been bottling it up for 21 weeks now and MAMA NEEDS TO NEST!!! Just kidding. kind of. 

20 Weeks - Half Baked!

How far along? 20 weeks. Halfway Baby!!

Baby size? 6-1/2 inches from head to bottom, 10 inches from head to heel, and 11 ounces

Total weight gain/loss: One MEELLION pounds. Or at least that's what it feels like.

Maternity clothes? You betcha.

Stretch marks? Not yet, but I'm mentally preparing myself to earn my tiger stripes :)

Sleep: Still up a couple times a night, but not staying awake for quite as long each time. Hopefully that means I'm a little less crabby these days. You'll have to ask my husband if that's true or not though.

Best moment this week: The 20 week anatomy scan! Found out our baby is doing great and SHE is a beautiful baby girl! Woo hoo! Oh and it was my 29th birthday too. But for the first time in my life, I could have cared less about my birthday because this little girl has kind of over shined everything up until this point :) I'm very obviously OK with that.

Miss anything? I hate to say it, but jogging. I haven't gone on a real run since finding out the news that I was pregnant and now it's too uncomfortable to do anything more than a brisk walk. Even that takes it outta me!

Movement: I feel our little girl poppin' and lockin' several times a day now. It's really cute, and it's almost guaranteed to happen every time I drive to/from work.

Food cravings: You name it, I want it.

Anything making you queasy or sick? I gave it another try and Milk seems to be okay now! A glass of milk at night with a homemade cookie (Joe's learned how to make a batch of two cookies at a time) and i'm not queasy! Although I've made the stipulation that all milk I ingest must be with cookies.

Have you started to show yet? Yep! Thank goodness! Unfortunately it's not just in my belly. I think my butt is competing with my belly size. 

Gender prediction: GIRL! Ok, not really a prediction anymore but let's all have it in writing that I WAS RIGHT!!! I knew she was a girl. Momma's intuition!!! 

Labor signs: No...and it better stay that way, I'm only half way done cooking this little chica!

Belly button in or out? In. But not quite SO in. Uh oh...

Wedding rings on or off? On. Hoping it stays that way.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy, elated, excited and SMILING!

Looking forward to: Wow, up until this point it was finding out the gender. I guess now I'm just looking forward to whatever else this little girl has in store for us! 

Boy or Girl - Drumroll Please, It's A...

GIRL!!!!! We're having a beautiful Baby GIRL!!! AHHHH!!!!!

OK OK everyone stay calm and refrain from buying every single baby girl hair accessory in stock at target. At least, that's what I keep telling myself. Joe and I are beyond elated by the news and almost every moment that goes by, we think of another thing to look forward to once our daughter arrives - tea parties, ballet recitals, GIRL SCOUT COOKIES, beauty salon with daddy, dress up, barbies. Did I mention girl scout cookies? And in case you're wondering, this little girl will also be playing soccer/baseball, swimming, riding bikes, snow boarding, wake boarding, skate boarding, any kind of boarding really, and whatever else her little heart desires. You better believe her mommy is going to encourage her to do anything boys can do, except she'll look better doing it.

I know it's cliche but we're so in love with our daughter already and she's only half way cooked. I'm not sure how we're going to handle meeting her for the first time in 20 weeks without exploding with love and adoration. For reals, get a mop.

We had our 20 week anatomy scan ultrasound this past week and it went great. They counted 10 fingers, 10 toes, 4 heart chambers, 2 kidneys, and zero boy parts, so baby girl it is! The technology for these ultrasounds is pretty amazing and they even measured her height and head size to be the exact right size to the DAY of how far along she should be in development. Right on time, just like her mama. I tried my best to persuade the ultrasound tech into telling me that she had a smaller than average head circumference and narrow shoulders (to build my confidence that labor won't be what I'm dreading it to be) but to my dismay, he said she's right on schedule to be just as big as every expectant mother fears on delivery day. Joking aside, she's perfect. And we have the photos to prove it.

Profile

3D Head Shot

Do you see the attitude in her already? Hand on forehead like, "Ugh, more pictures? Can't a girl just get a little beauty rest in here without this camera in my face all the time?" Sorry kiddo, better get used to the pictures, it's only going to get worse when you come out and meet us.

Announcing the gender at work was fun for both of us. As soon as I got into work the next day I proudly hung Baby Girl's first onesie on the wall at my desk.

SF Giants'  Newest Fan!

Baby Girl's going to be a Giants fan incase you hadn't noticed.

Joe had a different idea to break the news to his office (which is all male by the way but almost all of them have daughters) That morning he brought in donuts to share with the guys...

"It's A..." on the front

Pink donuts inside. mmmmm

I'm not sure if they guys congratulated him for having a daughter or for bringing in a dozen donuts, but we'll take it either way.

Hurry up and get here Baby Girl, you've got a lot of people anxiously waiting to fawn over you.

19 Weeks - Movement!

How far along? 19 weeks

Baby size? 6 inches long (head to bottom), 8-1/2 ounces

Total weight gain/loss: I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours.

Maternity clothes? Yes please! And I think I've officially retired the "demi" maternity pants that come up half way (about belly button height) because it cuts into belly space too much. I've initiated a new over/under rule. Pants must come up over or under my baby gut. 

Stretch marks? Nope. But only time will tell with this one! I've been using this Burt's Bees Mama Bee lotion, which I still find hilarious every time I use it. "It puts the lotion on it's belly skin!!!"

Sleep: Still up a couple times every night, using a different arrangement of wedged, hugged and propped pillows every time. I'm pretty certain Joe will be sleeping on the floor by the time I'm ready to pop because the bed will be filled with pillows and me.

Best moment this week: MOVEMENT!!! This time I'm sure it was! It mostly happens when I'm sitting and more so when I'm driving - baby hates my commute as much as I do. I feel these adorable little "knocks" in my lower belly. The ultimate greatest part about this happened Thursday morning. 6 am Joe was getting ready to leave for work while I was being lazy still and lying in bed. I had been feeling the "knocks" especially high that morning, about 2 inches below my belly button, so when Joe came to kiss me goodbye I told him to put his hand on my stomach. well BOOM! baby gave dad a BIG high five and Joe felt it!!! His facial expression was priceless. This early in the pregnancy, feeling baby move from the outside is super rare and I think that was the only time it was strong enough to do so, but this kid definitely just wanted to say hi to dad. That was the most incredible thing so far of this whole pregnancy. Joe just made contact with his child for the first time. Swoon.

Miss anything? Runny egg yolks on my toast. mmmmmmm...

Movement: Ah-yup!

Food cravings: Anything and Everything. Really, it's more like what am I NOT craving?

Anything making you queasy or sick? Still milk. bleh.

Have you started to show yet? Yep, a little bit! I must have had my baby Wheaties or something cause my belly grew quite a bit this week. Hooray! I will most likely curse these words at 9 months, but I cannot WAIT to get a huge baby bump! 

Gender prediction: I still think girl, but we'll have to wait a few more days because we find out THIS WEEK at the anatomy scan!!! AHHHH!!! Finding out the sex of the baby just seems like it will make everything that much real and amazing. I am soooo excited to have a girl. or boy. or girl. or boy.

Labor signs: No! sheesh.

Belly button in or out? In.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy!!! It's crazy how much feeling the baby move brightens my day.

Looking forward to: Feeling more movement and finding out the sex of the baby this week!!! Also I'm just praying that everything looks good in general at the anatomy scan. They count fingers, toes, chambers of the heart, all of it!!! and make sure baby looks good in general. This will be the last big photo shoot for this kid until he/she comes out to greet us!

Half of that is baby, the other half must be pizza from last night.

18 Weeks!

How far along? 18 weeks

Baby size? 5 1/2 inches long (head to rump), 7 ounces

Total weight gain/loss: There is no way I am comfortable enough to post this. Get over it. I am.

Maternity clothes? A few of my girlfriends were amazing and lent me their old maternity clothes, which is awesome because most of my regular clothes are not "agreeing" with my body these days. I also broke down and went to the Motherhood Maternity store for some jeans and black work slacks. I literally teared up with happiness when I walked in that store and realized everything in there would fit me. On the other hand, my recent Target and Kohls shopping trips left me crying for an entirely different reason when I realized what a small and terrible selection they both had. 

Stretch marks? Nada, but my belly still hasn't "popped" yet either.

Sleep: I'm up 2-3 times a night to pee and at least one of those times it takes me at least an hour to fall asleep. This must be some evil way of preparing me for nightly feedings when Baby G arrives.

Best moment this week: Anything that involved eating?

Miss anything? Salmon sushi and wine! Obviously these are minuscule sacrifices in the scheme of things but MAN I miss me some wine.

Movement: Twice this week I thought I may have felt the baby move, but then again everything I've read says that it could also just be gas. Who knew our baby would so closely resemble a fart. Classy.

Food cravings: In-N-Out, Donuts, Pad Thai, Lucky Charms, PB&J, Ice Cream... so basically nothing out of the ordinary.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Milk. For some reason any time I drink a glass of milk, I want to hurl. So soy milk it is!

Have you started to show yet? Kind of? But it really depends on what I'm wearing. I still think I only look like I just ate a gigantic burrito. at 5'-8" I'm a little taller than you average bear girl so I've got more space in my torso for baby to spread out. And yes, I am jealous of all preggos with bigger and more "legitimate" baby bumps than me. Belly envy - it's a thing.

Gender prediction: I think girl. (which probably means boy) But we find out in a couple weeks at the anatomy scan!!!

Labor signs: Nope. And it better stay that way for at least 19 more weeks

Belly button in or out? In. Like, REALLY in. I cannot fathom what it would take to make my severe innie become an outtie. 

Wedding rings on or off? On. But so much as a really salty meal has always been able to tip that scale, so we'll see how long it stays on. Especially in the heat of August and being a gigantic, swollen 9 months along. Oh lord, what have I gotten myself into?

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy mostly. Unless there is a really sad song on, or a Hallmark commercial. Or dinner isn't ready on time. Or there is traffic. Or my socks don't match. Or it's raining. OK fine, I'm kinda all over the board on this one.

Looking forward to: Starting to create the nursery. Joe's got a huge 16 hour exam in April that takes up almost every weekend and some week nights, so we don't exactly have time to work on the baby's room yet. I'm definitely getting excited and antsy to get that going!!! But once that test is over, Ikea beware. We're coming for you.

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage, Then Comes...

A BABY!!!! We're having a BABY!!! You heard it right folks,  Joe and I are thrilled to announce we are expecting baby Givens to arrive on August 17th, 2013. Pretty crazy huh? And before you go and start subtracting the numbers to nervously question those hundreds of Pina Coladas I had back in Cabo... no, I was not pregnant in Cabo. So breathe easy.

Joe and I found out in December early one Saturday morning when we started the day with this little bad boy...

Honestly, Christmas morning has NOTHING on this. After peeing on the two sticks in the package, we immediately drove to Rite Aid for about 4 more packs and peed on the rest of them. JUST to be sure. Joe peed on a couple too, so we would have a "control" sample. It was official! I was PREGNANT! (And Joe was not.)

Fast forward to 8 weeks along and we were at the doctor's office seeing our baby for the first time. The image was small, but it was there. Our baby! And with that, the most amazing little train-like thumping of the heartbeat! A strong 166 bpm. We were in love. Thankfully so too, cause that first trimester was not all fun and games. Nausea, exhaustion and a whole lot of other crazy things happen to your body during those first 12/14 weeks. But then the glory of second trimester kicks in and you kind of forget about all that. At least that's how it was for me.

SIde note: Ultrasounds have got the be the coolest invention of mankind. Yeah yeah, the wheel's okay and so's that light bulb thing I guess, but neither of those can show you THIS..

Baby Givens - 12 weeks

There's baby waving Hi! Or as we like to consider it, fist pumping. I guess I should stop watching so much Jersey Shore cause TV really is more impressionable that you realize.

What's that you say? You can't really see Baby G in that primitive 2D photo? Oh OK. Well then maybe this will help you...

Baby Givens - 12.5 Weeks

Now if you can't see our little 3D nacho-cheese-covered baby in this picture, you have no eyes. Or just no soul. Head tucked into chest, arms tucked in and legs curled up. SWOON! Pretty nuts that in only 12 weeks, this little one is already looking so baby-like!

So there it is folks. Our big big big news. (Hopefully not that big come time for delivery, sheesh)

Oh and in case you were hoping to see pictures of me getting fatter... er I mean more pregnant and "glowing", here's what you've missed so far...

Where's Week 15 you ask? Well, there isn't one. I was busy that week, you know... gestating! SO LAY OFF ME! ;-) Oh, yeah did I mention I'm a little more moody these days from the hormones? Lucky Joe.

Well, that's about it. I'll try to keep up with weekly updates so stay tuned!!! This is going to be a fun journey... and that's probably nothing compared to the day Baby G arrives.

Excited? Yep. Scared? You betcha. Blessed beyond belief? Nailed it.