..all because two people fell in love..

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

23 weeks

How Far Along: 23 weeks 5 days



Baby is now the size of: an ear of corn- 8.5 in, 1.5 lbs


Baby's little face is fully formed...minus the baby fat, of course. The next task at hand for baby: sprouting two teeny-tiny nipples!



Total Weight Gain/Loss: I have gained 15 pounds so far.


Gender: Baby Braxton is a little BOY!! Knox Pittman Braxton :)



Movement: He is moving ALL the time, especially after I eat. I cannot wait for everyone to be able to feel him!


What I miss: Being able to drink all the Diet Dr. Pepper I want. I limit myself to one soft drink/day, normally
 only days I work.


Sleep: Getting up every 2-3 hours to pee. Shane has been sleeping in the guest bedroom/future nursery the last few nights because I "sleep in the middle of the bed covered by pillows."


Symptoms: Feeling super full after eating. I have to limit myself to several smaller meals rather than 3 large meals.



Notes: Went to hip hop dance class last night and did well considering a bulging belly. So funny trying to do bicycle crunches with a melon in my stomach! So enjoyed the exercise!! Also, bought several baby items & clothes from a friend the night before her yard sale. And, received lots of adorable maternity clothes from another friend. We are so lucky :)


"To-do" items:

- Clean out & repaint the guest bedroom in preparation for Knox :)
- Start our registry for baby items


Cravings: apples & grapes



Best Moments this week: Enjoying the nice weather :)


What we are looking forward to: Upcoming doctor's appt later this week.

Friday, February 25, 2011

22 weeks

How Far Along: 22 weeks



Baby is now the size of a papaya!


Baby's settling into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.







Total Weight Gain/Loss: I have gained about 11 lbs so far. Not too bad for being over half way!





Gender: Baby Braxton is a little BOY!! Knox Pittman Braxton :)



Movement: He is moving ALL the time, especially after I eat. Shane has been able to feel him kicking a few times. Shane will keep his hand on my belly for 20 mins waiting for that moment when he kicks hard enough to feel. He was sooo excited to feel him!!




What I miss: Being able to sit upright without pressure in my lower belly. AND being able to eat without horrible indigestion!


Sleep: Sleeping good for the most part minus Shane's snoring & having to pee several times a night.


Symptoms: More indigestion!


Notes: We successfully had our "sex party" and it was amazing. So glad we were able to Skype Lellie and Rob in California so that they were able to be a part of the excitement! We are so blessed to have such great friends and family members!! I have more pictures on my camera that I need to upload from the party but here is one that Aunt Rhonda got with her cell phone.





"To-do" items:
- Clean out & repaint the guest bedroom in preparation for Knox :)

- Start our registry for baby items




Cravings: apples and ice cold water





Best Moments this week: Shopping with Ireland and buying super cute maternity clothes. So far I had only bought one pair of maternity jeans and one maternity long sleeve tshirt. I now have a pair of capri's, 2 tshirts, 2 shirts and a dress. I cannot wait for it to get warm so I can wear them!!


What we are looking forward to: A nice, relaxing weekend together!




And here is what I'm looking like: this picture was from last week (week 21)


Thursday, February 3, 2011

19 weeks

Today I am 19 weeks. I am 21 weeks away from my due date.

How Far Along: 19 weeks


Baby is now the size of a mango!


Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil, and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.





Total Weight Gain/Loss: I have gained about 10 lbs so far. Not too bad for being almost half way!


Gender: We go for the "big ultrasound" on Monday, Feb 7! :) We are doing the sex party idea I mentioned a few blogs ago. Sooo excited!!!


Movement: I have definitely started feeling the baby move. I feel several thumps throughout the day. Especially, if my pants are a little too snug ;) Can't wait for Shane to feel the baby move.


What I miss: Being able to enjoy a cold beer on a warm afternoon, like we had this past Sunday!! But it is well worth the wait!!!!

Sleep: Sleeping good for the most part. Shane's mom gave us her sleep number bed and it has helped me sleep so much. If only it would magically allow me to hold my pee until the alarm goes off ;)

Symptoms: Starting to have a little more indigestion that I've been having. I may need to start taking my Zantac twice a day.

Notes: Mom and I went shopping this past week and I officially bought my FIRST pair of maternity jeans. I swear, they were like slipping into pajamas. And yes, I did change into them in the car immediately after buying them. Mom also has been going crazy buying girl clothes b/c they "are too cute and too cheap not to" from old navy clearance (with an additional 30% everything in the store including clearance). I hope it's a girl or we will have alot of returning to do!

"To-do" items:

- Clean out & repaint the guest bedroom in preparation for the little munchkin :)
- Prepare for our upcoming "sex party"


Cravings: Juice, blueberry muffins, frosted flakes.


Best Moments this week: Knowing without a doubt that the movements I am feeling in my belly are from the baby.

What we are looking forward to: Finding out what baby Brax is on Feb 7!!


And here is what I'm looking like:

Monday, January 24, 2011

17 weeks!

Today I am 17 weeks, 4 days. I am 22 weeks, 3 days away from my due date.




How Far Along: 17 weeks!

Baby is now the size of an onion!


Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. His umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints.

Size of baby: 
5.1 in, 5.9 oz






Total Weight Gain/Loss: I have gained about 7 lbs so far. Just hit the 130's this morning. 


Gender: We go for the "big ultrasound" 2 weeks from today! :)


Movement: I'm still unsure if what I am feeling is gas/normal stomach movement or the little one moving around. I'm sure it will get easier to determine in the next few weeks. 


What I miss: Being able to button ALL of my jeans. I have one pair that I can still button but normally don't!!


Sleep: Sleeping good for the most part. I get up to pee several times during the night. I know Shane is not resting at all, poor thing!


Symptoms: The last week my belly has really started to pop out and I am feeling the muscles pulling to help support such a growing bulge.


Notes: Last doctor's appt went really well. Just routine checks; urine, fetal heart tones (150s). Next appt Feb 7.


"To-do" items:
- Clean out & repaint the guest bedroom in preparation for the little munchkin :)



Cravings: Kool-aid, strawberry jello and strawberry popcicles, peaches.


Best Moments this week: Lying in bed first thing in the morning and having Shane rub my belly to see how much the baby has grown since the previous morning.


What we are looking forward to: Our upcoming doctor's appt on Feb 7.


And here is how I'm looking:


Monday, January 10, 2011

Baby Braxton is on his/her way :)

How ironic that my last post was on how we were unsure about how soon babies would be in our future. Well, it has happened. We are expecting our little munchkin late June/early July (hopefully sooner than later.) Counting back, it seems that we got pregnant around the same time as I posted my last blog. How funny!! We are both looking forward to this new chapter in our lives and cannot wait to meet our little baby.

For the past few years we have had a Halloween party at our house where friends and family come dressed up in all sorts of hilarious outfits and this year was going to be no different. We hang out, socialize, eat lots of yummy snacks and indulge in several adult beverages ;) Except for this year, 2 days before our shindig I found out I was pregnant. Not that I had decided on what costume I was going to wear for our party, now that I was pregnant, it made my decision a little harder. Knowing that I was not going to be drinking at this event was going to lead everyone to question my state of pregnancy. Because we all know that "I just don't feel good" isn't an excuse not to partake. So, I figured that I could be clever and use my costume as a way to tell everyone I was expecting. I spent several hours google-ing pregnant halloween constumes but none were exactly what I had in mind. Until I stumbled across a costume of Juno. A movie about a young girl in high school who becomes pregnant. It was a WINNER! I had clothes in the closet that I could use that resembled her attire perfectly. And it was a hilarious way to announce our soon to be baby. It was a hit!!

 

So far, this has been an AMAZING pregnancy!! Very little morning sickness, few mood swings (so far!) and no odd cravings. But it has come with an overwhelming since of fatigue. I can easily sleep 12+ hours, only getting up to pee. Shane tells me all the time, "I cannot believe someone can sleep as long as you do. It must be a record or something." Haha! I am sure its no record but it sure feels good. He also worries that "the baby isn't getting anything to eat when you sleep that long. Is that healthy?" But I make sure to eat enough during the hours that I am awake to cover the multiple hours I spend sleeping. So far my weight gain has been very minimal. I think that is in part to the fact that I am no longer running like I use to and so I am replacing muscle mass with fat. I can definitely tell that my face is a little different and hearing, "aww, Jordan, your face is filling right on out" from people reassures that. I am still as of right now, 15 weeks, wearing my same jeans, with the exception of a few of them having to be unbuttoned and covered with a Bella Band. Which was a wonderful invention!

We have a doctors appointment this upcoming Tuesday to check normal things and then in 1 month we will go for the "big ultrasound." We are planning on finding out the sex of the baby much to the dismay of most all of our family members. We (yes, Shane too) feel that it is going to be easier to plan and decorate if we know what we are having. I have a feeling that it is a little boy but we will see. I may feel that way because all I am surrounded with is boys. Shane, Mas (our boy dog), Josh and Alex (my brothers), Gavin (the baby in the last blog that lives across the street) and 4 boy cousins (only 1 girl cousin.) So, whether its just what is familiar to me or ESP, we will find out shortly. I have been thinking of having some sort of "sex party" once we find out what we are having to tell all of our friends and family. As of right now, I am planning on asking the ultrasound tech to not tell us (and hopefully we will not see) what the sex of the baby is and have her write it down on a sheet of paper. Shane and I will not look at the paper and carry it straight to someone to make a cake, either pink or blue cake batter covered with white icing, and at our "sex party" Shane and I can cut the cake and we all will find out at one time the baby's gender. I think it will be a fun way of announcing what we are having and still give us a little surprise since we aren't waiting 6 more months to find out. Now, just to find someone to make the cake!

I am looking forward to sharing my pregnancy progress with you all and filling you in on the good, bad and ugly that is to come :)

--Jordan & baby Braxton