18 Weeks

18 weeks!  I tried out a dumb idea this week and don't plan on doing so again.  On Sunday I woke up sick but rather than throwing up, I went straight upstairs to eat.  I was hoping that maybe I felt so sick each morning because I had an empty stomach but that wasn't the case.  I didn't throw up what I ate but I felt even worse the rest of the day because I never got it out of my system early on.  I would much rather get the throwing up over with and feel a bit better throughout the day.

As far as food goes this week, I was really into cold cereal again.  If I can't find anything that sounds good then cereal is a safe fallback option for me.  I'm pretty sure I ate cereal for breakfast and dinner several times this week.  I should probably look into some less sugary cereals if I'm going to keep this trend up!  Turkey sandwiches were my go-to for lunch.  Yes, I eat turkey and no, I don't worry it's bad for Austin.  My doctor has told me it's just fine to eat lunch meat and his opinion is the one I value most.  

Headaches appeared with a vengeance this week.  I've dealt with constant headaches for years but they have been much better since I gave up caffeine last summer.  I was hoping the cause was mostly soda but obviously that's not the issue right now.  I know pregnancy can cause headaches but hopefully they don't last too long.  I try not to take too much pain relief since I'm pregnant so I've mostly been dealing with them on my own.  Fingers crossed they don't stay around forever!

Still no super strong movement but I'm definitely feeling lots of things here and there that I'm pretty sure are small arms and legs!  I woke up in the middle of the night one night this week and had my hand on my stomach and I swear I could feel him moving all across my hand.  I have no idea if it was real or if I was dreaming but I like to think it was real :) I'm hoping/thinking that within the next two weeks I'll feel something more convincing!

For many years (probably 10+) I've dealt with a breathing issue that causes shortness of breath and makes me feel like I often can't take a full, deep breath.  I saw an internist several years ago but nothing really came of it so I just put it on the back burner and dealt with it.  The issue seemed to come and go over the years but for the past 2ish years it has come on stronger and bothered me more.  After constant badgering from Logan and my family, I finally mentioned it to my OB and he referred me to a pulmonologist.  I went this week and I am SO glad I did!  My lungs sounded great and I was oxygenating at 100% but the results of the PFT (pulmonary function test) were quite telling.  They tested me once at the beginning of the appointment and then they gave me an Albuterol treatment and tested me again a few minutes later.  According to the doctor, the results of my PFT were significantly better after I was given the Albuterol treatment so she diagnosed me with moderate to severe asthma.  It is so nice having an answer!  I definitely noticed a difference in my breathing after the treatment so that was great.  I will be treated with two different inhalers and will go back in a month or so as a follow-up to see how it's going.  After my appointment I was doing some research on asthma and pregnant women and I read something that made me so excited!  It said that it is not uncommon for untreated asthma to lead to high blood pressure/pre-eclampsia in pregnant women.  I'm hoping that untreated asthma lead to my pre-eclampsia with Eli because then I'd be less likely to get it this time since I'll be treated.  Thank goodness for doctors!   

As for the nursery, they were able to get a lot done last Saturday!  Now that Logan has started school they will likely save the work for just Saturdays rather than also working on weeknights.  The framing is finished and so is all of the electrical!  I think the plan tomorrow is to put in the insulation and install the HVAC.  Drywall isn't too far out and I know it will start to feel much more complete once that happens!  (**We are going to paint on our own but want to hire the taping and mudding out.  If anyone knows someone that does taping and mudding but doesn't charge an arm and a leg we'd love to get their info!**)

We're pretty excited for our anatomy scan next week!  I can't wait to see how much baby Austin has grown and of course make sure he is developing well!

Weight: 131.6 (This week: +2.2 | Total: + 10.8) Umm...that's not okay...haha.

18 weeks down, 22 to go!

Birthday Week!

Last week was birthday week in our home!  Eli (would have) turned two on Sunday the 4th and Logan turned 25 on the 6th.  It has been a fun week with a few tearjerker moments and a lot of opportunities to remind ourselves how much we have to be grateful for.  It's definitely good for me to have those reminders during tougher times like these.

I can't believe my baby would be two.  Eli's first birthday wasn't too crazy for me to wrap my mind around but I really have a hard time believing he would be two.  I would give anything to see him running around, learning to talk, playing sports, and who knows, maybe even potty training!  I know we would have had so much fun this Christmas as he understood a bit more who Santa was and probably cared more about the presents than the wrapping paper and boxes.  Thinking about all of those things is difficult, of course, but I try to remind myself that we will get to see those things, we just need to wait awhile.  Obviously we would give anything to have Eli here with us but there have absolutely been moments that we've gone through something difficult unrelated to his passing where I knew he was with us and was so grateful to have him on the other side because I know he can work miracles where he is that he wouldn't be able to perform here.  We will continue to cherish having such a perfect guardian angel and do our best to remember that we will get back all of this lost time with him.

It's hard for me to know how much to celebrate the birthday of a child that has died so the last two years we've just played it by ear and done what feels best.  I would assume some years we'll make it a big deal while other years we won't do too much.  Last year was definitely tough and felt pretty somber so I wanted this year to be as fun and happy as possible, even if we didn't go all out.  I feel like we accomplished that!

When Logan and I were with the Jorgensens on New Year's Day, a lot of my family went to visit Eli and sing to him.  They sent us the sweetest video of them singing and it made me so happy but I also shed a few tears as well.  I'm sure he was right there with them!

On Eli's actual birthday we went over to my parents' for a delicious dinner and had a mini party for our boy. We sang Happy Birthday, ate a yummy cake, and of course had to open a present.  Last year my parents got me and Logan each a special gift from Eli and this year they gave little Austin an adorable outfit from his older brother.  Hopefully Eli doesn't mind giving rather than receiving on his birthday :)

I initially loved the the thought of Logan and Eli having their birthdays just two days apart but now it makes me nervous that Logan's special day will get lost in the remembrance of Eli.  I'm determined to make sure Logan has a HAPPY birthday each year so I hope that was the case this year!

Logan had never eaten at PF Changs so we went there for dinner and he loved it!  The highlight of the dinner was definitely the Banana Spring Rolls Dessert.  It is to die for!  The ice cream is coconut pineapple and it is heavenly.  Add fried bananas topped with their caramel/vanilla syrup and fresh fruit and you really can't get any better!

Logan claims he felt very spoiled on his birthday so that made me happy.  Everyone from his co-workers to both of our families and friends made him feel extra special, just like he deserves!  Happy 25th, Rico!  I sure love you and hope you had a special day!

17 Weeks

Week 17 was just dandy!  Nothing out of the ordinary happened so I couldn't be more pleased about that.  I continue to have a tough time getting my nausea under control throughout the day so hopefully I turn the corner soon.  I've tried several different tricks that people have been kind enough to share with me and none of them seem to hit the spot so I'm guessing it will be like my last pregnancy and I just need to wait it out.  I know things could be way worse so I truly am grateful that this is my biggest concern right now! Quick story: A man that works across the hall from me came into our office a few days ago and we started talking about my pregnancy because his wife is pregnant too.  He asked me if I get sick and I said: "Yeah, I do, it's super crappy."  He then proceeded to tell me that his wife also gets sick and that she had to have a PICC line placed because she lost so much weight during her first trimester from throwing up.  After that I was determined not to complain about my nausea anymore!  I quickly backtracked and told him that compared to her, I have it super easy.  I honestly am grateful my "morning" sickness isn't worse than it is!

As far as food this week, I loved wheat toast with peanut butter!  I'm not usually a big fan of wheat bread but it's way more filling than white bread so my stomach definitely liked that.  I've learned this week that I need to do a better job of not studying my food before each bite because the longer I stare at it, the more likely I am to find something wrong with it that makes me sick and then I can't finish eating.  My goal from now on is to just eat without looking down.  We'll see how it goes!

Movement is still about the same this week.  I'm definitely feeling things here and there but nothing that is definitive kicking quite yet.  Hopefully sometime in the next couple weeks that changes!

I am very, very blessed with an amazing job but it becomes more and more difficult to go every single day. Sitting at my desk all day makes me that much more excited to stay home and be a mom.  I'm trying to have a happy attitude at work for the sake of my co-workers and myself because I still have several months left but I may or may not make a paper chain pretty soon to count down the days!

The nursery is coming along very nicely and I am so excited about it!  Matt and Logan started the framing last Saturday, which will likely be one of the biggest (if not the biggest) jobs.  Each wall had to be framed as well as the ceiling because we're dropping it down to cover some plumbing and they also had to frame in a closet so it has been pretty time consuming for them.  They worked so hard on it several days this week and it looks awesome so far.  They should be able to finish up the framing tomorrow and then start on the electrical.  It's starting to feel more real!

Weight: 129.4 (This week: +.4 | Total: +8.6) I feel MUCH better about my weight gain this week compared to the last couple.  I didn't really change anything up with my diet so I'm sure I just needed a little extra weight the previous two weeks.

17 weeks down, 23 to go!

Christmas and the New Year!

What a wonderfully special time of year!  I don't think anyone could say enough how magical Christmas is.  The spirit in the air is nearly tangible and I love the excitement it brings to everyone.  As always, our Christmas was fabulous!  We have been blessed to spend a lot of time with our families and enjoy everyone's time off before reality sets in again.  About a week before Christmas I was reading my friend's blog and she was talking about how she and her husband were going to do a Sub for Santa in honor of their precious four year old daughter who passed away this year.  I loved the idea and couldn't get it out of my mind.  It didn't feel right not doing anything for Eli so I ran the idea by Logan and he was right on board!  Despite it being so close to Christmas, we were able to find a little boy in need of some new clothes so we went shopping and fell in love with the outfits and shoes we were able to find for him.  I loved the experience of being a tiny light to this little boy and can't wait to continue the tradition each Christmas!

Christmas Eve was spent at my parents' this year and it was so much having our entire family together!  We ate a delicious dinner, listened to my grandpa read about the Savior's birth, sang songs, opened a few presents, and attempted to get a picture of all of the kids in their PJs.  They may not all be looking but at least we got something!

I like to tell myself that Eli is standing right there with them to bring the number to 13 :)
Left to Right: Nathan (6) Liam (6 Mos) Ben (4) Adam (4) Lily (2) Tanner (8) Will (10) Sterling (10 Mos) Amelia (2) Klara (6) Mady (9) James (6.5 Mos)

On Christmas morning, Logan and I woke up around 8:00, exchanged gifts and stockings, got ready for the day and headed over to my parents' to begin the festivities.  My mom always puts on a brunch so we enjoyed her delicious breakfast casseroles and hung out with the fam for the rest of the afternoon.  Around 4:00 we made our way to Logan's aunt and uncle's for their yummy Christmas dinner.  We spent the rest of the evening with Logan's family which was a great way to cap off a great Christmas!  I managed to take one measly picture.

Slowly but surely I'm starting to look pregnant!

A couple days after Christmas we took advantage of Cheryl being in town and went out for  a girls' day!  We started by getting much needed pedicures and then did what girls do best--shop!  We went to a couple stores and then made our way to the mall.  Not a ton of purchases were made but it sure was fun to look around and imagine what it would be like if I could afford to dress my kids in clothes from Janie and Jack!  They have the most adorable baby boy swim suit and shirt that I wanted soo badly but together they would have been like $60!  Insane.  We went to dinner at the delicious Brio and I'm pretty sure everyone loved what they ordered so it was definitely a success!  The part of the night we were all looking forward to the very most was seeing Into the Woods!  Cheryl sent us a text over a month ago saying we should see it when she was here so it had been on our schedule for awhile.  My mom and Cheryl bought tickets a couple days early so we'd have good seats but when we got to the theater and she swiped her card it wasn't able to find the tickets.  LOOONG story short, she accidentally bought tickets for the previous day.  We were super bummed but couldn't stop laughing at the situation!  Unfortunately the movie was sold out but the nicest man gave us movie passes to come back another time so we sat at a table to eat our treats and laugh a bit more.  We ended up getting home earlier than anticipated but the day was still a ton of fun!  Thanks for everything, mom! 

I'm not sure why this picture is so fuzzy...

We spent New Year's Eve/Day with Logan's family this year and they planned a great couple days for all of us!  We went to dinner and a movie on New Year's Eve and then we all went home around 10:00 because we're old and boring like that and we had to be up early the next morning.  As I've mentioned in previous posts, Logan's sister and her husband own a cabin up in Oakley so they rented snowmobiles for New Year's Day and it was tons of fun!  Because I'm pregnant I didn't want to take any unnecessary risks so I only rode one from the car up to the cabin but throughout the day everyone else was able to go out and ride for hours.  Logan was in heaven!  If you know him, you know that he loves anything like that.  He could have stayed out all day!  While people were out on the snowmobiles or sledding, those of us inside hung out by the fire to keep warm, chatted, and played games.  Hopefully next time I won't be pregnant so I can go out as well!

It was chilly!  -15 when we got there...

 

Our holiday season truly couldn't have been better!  Logan and I feel so blessed to have two amazing families that do so much for us.  Until next time!

16 Weeks

Another week down!  One positive thing about doing weekly blog updates during this pregnancy is that I feel like I'm posting all the time so in that sense the weeks go by pretty fast!  Everything is still going well and feeling normal so once again there's not too much to report.  My nausea is still hanging around but it's nothing unbearable.  I throw up first thing and feel much better, then I feel a bit nauseated until 10:00am or so and from then on I feel pretty good until I go to bed.  However, the last couple days I have thrown up two times and felt pretty sick most of the day so hopefully that's not a new trend.  If nausea is the worst of my worries then I consider myself quite blessed!  Gum is still my best friend and I probably go through each pack way too fast but it helps a ton so I'm sure it'll be around for awhile.  Another odd thing that helps my stomach quite a bit is briefly chewing a piece of gum and then dropping it in a water bottle and drinking the minty water.  Sounds nasty, I'm sure, but it helps a lot!

As far as food this week, I've been most satisfied by anything that's really bland.  Things like cold cereal and sandwiches have sounded way better than a hot cooked meal for whatever reason.  I've eaten Italian food a few times lately and the garlic hasn't been very nice to my stomach at all so I think I'll stay away from anything like that for awhile.  I also prefer making my own food right now so I can guarantee there aren't any hairs in the vicinity.  I've come across a few lately and it has nearly been the end of the world for my stomach.

I still haven't felt any strong movement but I have had several more moments where I've felt something that I think was him kicking but I couldn't be sure.  A few nights ago I actually woke up because of a Braxton Hicks contraction which kinda surprised me.  It didn't hurt at all and went away as soon as I rolled over but I was surprised it was strong enough to wake me up.  I felt them a ton during my pregnancy with Eli so I won't be surprised if I feel them a lot this time too.

The current plan is to begin work on the nursery this weekend and I can't wait!  Logan's sister's husband is a master handy man and is going to do nearly everything to turn our storage room into a completed bedroom.  I'm sure it will take awhile to finish but I can't wait until I can start decorating!

The holidays were tons of fun but I'm so excited to be in the new year!  Having this baby seems so much more real now that we're in 2015!

Weight: 129.0 (This week: +2.0 | Total: +8.2) Yeah, 2 pounds in one week and 3.6 in the last two weeks is not my ideal.  I'm a bit surprised I gained that much because I'm really not eating that bad.  I don't drink soda, eat fast food, eat too many sweets, and my portion sizes definitely aren't too big because I still don't have a huge appetite.  My body must think it needs the extra weight right now!

16 weeks down, 24 to go!

15 Weeks

It feels good to be 15 weeks!  Not much changed from a nausea standpoint this week.  I still throw up most mornings but feel quite a bit better as soon as I do.  I get the occasional wave of nausea throughout the day but as long as I keep food in my stomach and stay away from too much crap I feel pretty good.  One thing I've made progress with this week is drinking water.  I was really good at drinking a lot of water early on but when I got so sick I had no desire for water at all so I had to force it down.  It has sounded much better lately and stayed in really well so I've tried to get back up to a healthy amount of water each day.  Red sauce is still a no-no and likely will be for my entire pregnancy at this rate, I just hope I enjoy it after I deliver!  Food choice of the week: A bagel and cream cheese.  I'm sure I won't want anything to do with bagels next week! ;)

During my pregnancy with Eli I didn't get any stretch marks on my stomach at all but I had them all over my chest.  I never stressed about them and didn't really care if I got them or not.  I've always figured that's just part of pregnancy!  I noticed one day this week a tiny red line, about 1/2 inch long, near my belly button that looks similar to a stretch mark but I'm nowhere near big enough for one I would think.  It will be interesting to see what it turns out to be.  If stretch marks are the price to pay to get our babies here then I'll gladly pay it!

Emotionally, I feel like I still handle myself pretty well while at home or with family and friends but work is becoming more of a struggle.  I try really hard to have a good attitude but little things tend to bug me lately.  I think I'm getting way too excited to stay home and be a mom!  A few people have asked so for those that are wondering: My plan this time is the same as last time.  Work as long as I possibly can and then after I deliver I'll no longer work in the office but I will do a small amount of work from home.  It will be perfect and I can't wait!

My appointment on Monday went really well!  Man, early appointments are the greatest.  Our doctor walked in right behind us and we were finished in just a few minutes.  Baby Austin's heart rate was perfect at 164 and everything else looked/sounded just as it should!  At my first appointment four weeks ago they did the typical OB blood work and a few odd things showed up on the results.  For some reason my blood has several different antibodies that are typically seen in someone who received a blood product (which I never have).  It's nothing to worry about right now because the numbers aren't too high but they will repeat the blood work at my next appointment because if the antibodies keep increasing it can be dangerous for the baby.  I'm not going to let myself worry until there's something to worry about but it sure would be nice to not have that on our minds!

Christmas was wonderful!  More to come in a later post but it couldn't have been better!

Weight: 127.0 (This week: +1.6 | Total: +6.2)

15 weeks down, 25 to go!

14 Weeks

Nothing too out of the ordinary happened this week but that's a-okay with me!  My physical health was pretty unpredictable which had its pros and cons.  Obviously I loved not being sick all the time but it was tough when it would hit me out of nowhere.  Up through Tuesday I noticed major improvements with my nausea.  I was throwing up right when I woke up but never again for the rest of the day and I also wasn't feeling too much sickness throughout the day either so that was great.  Unfortunately Wednesday came around and I threw up first thing but still didn't feel very good afterwards which is uncommon.  I felt pretty crappy leading up to lunch and ended up throwing my food up about an hour after I ate it.  It was a bad one too...I made it to the bathroom at work but it came out so fast my face was covered in it :\ Thankfully I had a toothbrush in my desk and was able to wash my face in the sink at work.  Thursday was good and bad.  I woke up and felt a small amount of nausea but not to the point I needed to throw up.  Not throwing up is obviously good but then I just felt like I needed to throw up most of the day but it never came.  I'd almost rather throw up and get it over with but I'll take what I can get!  

I think I've mentioned this like five times already but I need to say it again: Red sauce is still repulsive to me.  The sight or even the thought of it makes me have to throw up.  For some reason I was really into scrambled eggs this week.  They always sounded delicious and I felt extra satisfied after eating them.  Cereal often sounds really good too so I eat that every morning for breakfast and occasionally for dinner as well.  I can't wait until I actually enjoy eating again!

My tummy is slowly (but much quicker than last time!) starting to show more and more! Someone actually came up to me at church on Sunday and made a comment about it showing more.  I'll take it!  Hopefully it's not too many more weeks before I actually look pregnant!  Still no true movement yet but I wouldn't expect it this early.  I've felt a few more fluttering type sensations but I'm still not convinced it's baby over gas.  I can definitely tell my body is going though pretty rapid changes inside.  I swear I sometimes feel my uterus and ligaments stretch and expand right as it's happening.  It's pretty amazing what our bodies can do!

I have an appointment on Monday so I'm excited for that!  It will be fun to hear baby boy's heartbeat and check on everything else as well.  This week is going to be so much fun with my brother's family coming in town from Minnesota TOMORROW and of course Christmas on Thursday!  This truly is the most wonderful time of the year!  I hope everyone has a fabulous Christmas!

Ps...I can't believe how fast my fingernails are growing!  I really don't remember them growing so fast last time.  It seems like they're ready to be cut every few days!

Weight: 125.4 (This week: -.2 | Total: +4.6)

14 weeks down, 26 to go!