Weekly Update: 21 weeks

Please excuse the crappy picture, we are at the beach and I am sunburned.

How far along: 21 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 13 lbs

Maternity clothes: I am realizing that I might need more clothes before this thing is over.

Stretch marks: Same, nothing new

Sleep: It is not as good as before but I have found more comfortable positions to sleep in lately

Best moment this week: Pretty much everything from the previous post about our anatomy rescan

Movement: Some days not as much as others but still all the time

Food cravings: Nothing particular but fresh fruits always sound good.

Food aversions: Same here, nothing really new

Gender: My little munchkin man

Labor Signs: No way!

Belly Button in or out? No change

What I miss: Not worrying when I do not feel him move every five minutes.

What I am looking forward to: I am looking on getting started with the nursery soon

Weekly Wisdom: Pretty much the doctor telling me that my little boy is perfect was the best news that I had heard in a while.

Milestones: Nothing really special this week.

Measurements: Chest- +.5”, Waist- +.25”, Hips-+.75”

Ultrasound update

So something that I did not share from our anatomy scan is that they found two little things that they wanted to recheck. After the tech did our scan the doctor came in and for 15 minutes kept looking over his heart in silence. It was terrifying!!! She finally told us that he had a choroid plexus cyst in his head and a small calcification in his heart. They informed us they were no big deal, and would probably go away but that they could be soft, (very soft) markers for Down Syndrome. Of course, me the worry wort and a first time mom, freaked out and cried all day. They wanted to recheck them in 3 weeks, which I thought would be forever.

Over the past three weeks, I kept getting reassurance from people that everything was okay. The doctors mom works with, other pregnant women, and my OB told me that he was fine, they just have an obligation to tell me.

Today was the rescan and I was so nervous. First we had an hour long wait in the waiting room. When they finally called us back, the scan took 15 minutes and from what the tech could tell, he looked fine. He weighs about 14oz now, which I do not think accounts for enough of my weight gain. While she was measuring his head I asked if it was big like his daddy. Yep, 80th percentile. C-section here I come! We also caught him sucking his thumb.

The tech took us to a room to wait for the doctor, who was just looking at the pictures and would be right back. 40 minutes later, after he finished his lunch, he finally comes in. Pumpkin is perfect! They could not even find markers from where they saw the things 3 weeks ago. That with the numbers they had gotten from bloodwork and measurements, he is absolutely fine. I am so relieved!

Now to the pictures. Here is his profile shot.

A comparison shot. Ben on the left, Pumpkin in the middle and me on the right. Can you tell who he looks like?

Just for fun, here is Ben a little bit older. This is my favorite baby picture of him. He made me blur out some parts before I posted this.

Here is me.

Whomever he looks like, he is already cute and we love him so much. I can not wait for October to get here (yet I am savoring my sleep while I can).

Weekly Update: 20 weeks

Half baked!!!!

This is an additional picture because some friends say that you can not tell the growth as much in the all black

This is a new feature we want to try, the always changing view from the top.

How far along: 20 weeks, half way!!!!

Total weight gain/loss: 11 lbs

Maternity clothes: My closet seems to be shrinking on me. You would not believe the trouble I have had finding a bathing suit for our trip this weekend.

Stretch marks: Nothing new

Sleep: Crappy! I can not sleep on my belly because it hurts. I am not allowed to sleep on my back anymore. That leaves the sides and that is just okay. Plus, I am constantly waking up on my back and having to turn myself over.

Best moment this week: We went for our OB appointment last Wednesday and normally I am nervous that something will be wrong with Pumpkin, but this time I had felt him kick a few times in the waiting room, so I knew he was fine. The doctor started up the doppler and could not find anything. It took her a few minutes to find his heartbeat because he would kick it and run away. She even thought he was hilarious!

Movement: All day at various times. We have been putting headphones on my belly for him to listen to classical music and everytime a song ends and a new song starts, it startles him. It is so funny!!

Food cravings: Carbs and sweets, but being good this week about getting in my fruits and veggies.

Food aversions: Nothing new here, but still no bell peppers

Gender: A little guy

Labor Signs: Far from that

Belly Button in or out? Still the same but being pushed further and further out

What I miss: Sleeping comfortably

What I am looking forward to: Ultrasound this Friday and beach this weekend

Weekly Wisdom: Our doctor assured me about some things that have been weighing on my mind

Milestones: We are half way there. Sometimes I want it to slow down and then others I cannot wait for October to get here and we get to meet our little man!!!!

Measurements: Chest- +.25”, Waist- same, Hips- same

A Charleston wedding

This past weekend, Ben and I went to Charleston for my friend Brantley's wedding. She was one of my fellow Interior Design girls (there were only 12 of us) so it was a mini reunion or 7 of us.

We had some time to do some exploring since we had never been to Charleston before. We arrived late Thursday night and checked into our little carriage house that we had rented.



The next morning we went and grabbed breakfast at the cafe in front of our house, Wild Flour. We actually went there every morning because we loved it. Funny enough, at my OB appointment this morning, I was flipping through the Travel and Leisure magazine and there was an article about Charleston and they mentioned it and had pictures of this place. That amazed me because it was such a small place!



We started walking, which we always do on trips, but I quickly realized that pregnant me did not have the stamina of normal me, and the heat did not help. We followed two self guided walking tours so that we could get a good view of the city.

Our snack that we got mid day, some of the best hummus that we have ever had.

This is the restaurant that we ate dinner at, Poogans Porch. We had sweet tea glazed salmon with candied lemon and mint risotto, and then fried ravioli with pork and a barbeque buerre blanc. Yummy!!

In the end we walked about 7 miles that day, in the heat. We were definitely sunburned and dehydrated at the end of it.

Me, my ice cream and my sunburn

Saturday, we began our day with sleeping in and then Wild Flour again. We decided to go to Boone Hall plantation because that might be a bit more relaxing than just walking around downtown again. We were right! We walked around the grounds, then did a home tour where we kept giggling at the tour guides misuse of certain architectural terms. We then had a nice riding tour of the grounds.

This might look familiar because it has been on a bunch of TV shows and movies.

Me in the butterfly pavilion

Afterwards, we headed back to our house and got ready for the wedding.

Amanda, Hannah and I after the wedding

7 of us ID girls.

My pumpkin muffin bump.

This was the make your own shrimp and grits. It was the yummiest thing!!!

My husband looks so cute dressed up.



I loved the flowers!!!


This is us after the dancing. My friend Amanda got better pictures of us but they are all on facebook.


The bar that we went to after the reception.


We left Sunday morning after stopping by Wild Flour. We stopped in Columbia to visit our friends, Celia and Ian. We got to see their house, play with their dogs and catch up. We only planned on staying an hour or so, but ended up staying for 4 and getting home that night.

It was a good trip but we are definitely ready for a break. This weekend we have some stuff to catch up on at home, Ben has the East Atlanta Beer Fest and we have a cookout afterward, and then next weekend we are going to the beach for a week.

Weekly Update: 19 weeks

How far along: 19 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: We just got back from a trip and I am pretty sure it is inaccurate

Maternity clothes: Same. I wore a non maternity dress to a wedding this weekend but it only worked because it had a big skirt and high waist

Stretch marks: I hate the old ones but since I already had them, oh well.

Sleep: Still rotating a bit every night

Best moment this week: I love having an identity to our little guy. Calling him by name, starting to shop for him and talking about what we will do with him.

Movement: I feel him all the time and I love it. While we were in Charleston walking around I did not feel him too much but I think it was because I was dehydrated, tired and not really paying attention. I got him kicking that night.

Food cravings: Still not into food but I only want some carbs and sweets

Food aversions: I am not a fan of bell peppers, which I used to love

Gender: My little man!

Labor Signs: Heck no

Belly Button in or out? It is still the same but my belly behind that is getting really firm

What I miss: Not worrying all the time (and yes I know that it will never stop now)

What I am looking forward to: OB check up on Wednesday and ultrasound next Friday

Weekly Wisdom: We met someone this weekend and he gushed over how great having kids are. It made my baby jitters cease for a bit.

Milestones: Nothing really great this week except it is our last week in the teens.

Measurements: Chest- same, Waist- .75”, Hips- .75”