Pregnant After IUI: Week 12

This may be a short post; I'm not really in the mood to blog today...

Baby this week is about 2 inches long: Roughly the length of a plum. Baby's "critical systems are fully formed." Baby will soon be able to open and close hands and toes, if not doing so already. Baby's reflexes are even developing. Now we've reached the stage where baby gains more size, weight, and tissue development. Oh, Baby also looks less like an alien, since the eyes have moved from the sides of the head in toward where they're supposed to be.*

It's so cool learning all this stuff every week. It just blows my mind. Truly God does knit us together in the womb. What a beautiful thing that is.

I am ALMOST done with the first trimester! Apparently, week 12 is not the end, but week 13... so week 14 is the first in the second trimester. Ah,whatever.

This week has been decent. Yesterday I felt pretty rough all day, and today I'm tired, but otherwise it's been good. My body has started regulating the BO issue better. I'm still smelly in the morning, but it's not nearly as bad as it was last week. One of the newer symptoms I've noticed is mood swings. I'm pretty happy most of the time, sometimes I'm almost giddy... but other times, like when I bump my head or can't wake Jon up when the dog is whining, I get inexplicably, incredibly mad. Just like that *snaps fingers.* It really annoys me, actually, because I know there's no real reason for me to be so mad I want to scream and cry, but I just can't seem to help it.

Constipation... I've been eating prunes daily. Might be helping, but so far nothing major. I'm not super uncomfortable all the time, though.

My weight is down 7 pounds since I got pregnant (no idea how) but my jeans don't fit any more. Well, the one pair that does (used to be huge on me!) has a giant hole in the crotch. So I'm going to have to get some maternity pants soon; boo, hiss.

We've slowly been accumulating baby gear. We've gotten a couple outfits from my sisters, I got a nursing pillow for cheap online (I had a coupon code, just pay shipping) that I'm not sure will work (it's pretty tiny), a used pack 'n' play from our church, and Jon came home today with a baby wrap carrier and a nursing cover. I can't wait to go shopping and buy lots of cute things. =] Thankfully, though, we haven't spent much on baby stuff so far.

Okay, not such a short post. I'm off to make some rice to go with our red beans tonight. Enjoy your dinners.




*Info found at thebump.com

Pregnant After IUI: Week 11

Go to your grocery store tomorrow. Pick up an average-sized lime. That's how big my baby is already! Crazy, isn't it? Averaging 1.5 inches long, but still only about a quarter of an ounce in weight. (Okay... thinking about this... are limes REALLY only an inch and a half long? Maybe I haven't seen a lime since I was 5, but they seem bigger than that, in my head... hmmm.) The head is about the same size as the body at this point (could you imagine walking around with a 4-foot-long head? Yikes.) and the skin is sorta translucent... slightly creepy. But still amazing. Tooth buds are forming. Bone and cartilage are continuing to form. Baby keeps on growing! *

My newest symptom is so cute, you guys will flip. I wake up every. single. morning and smell pleasantly like so much BO it's awesome. (//sarcasm//) Guys, I've never really sweat much, and even when I did, applying deodorant once a day was sufficient to keep me smelling like daisies in springtime. But THIS. Oh, it's awful! I can't lift up my arms for fear I'll black out. Even after washing with soap (which I don't typically have to do!) I STILL SMELL. WHILE I'M STILL IN THE SHOWER. It's disgusting. I have to wash my pjs like every day or two. Thankfully, Jon's been sleeping downstairs (he's been sick, and can't breath in a fully reclined position) so he's been spared the pleasure of smelling such a pungent aroma. Hopefully applying more deodorant before bed will help... we'll see. Or, smell, rather.

Otherwise my symptoms are pretty much the same as before. I have good days with energy and motivation when stuff gets done, and I have bad days where I'm slightly nauseous all day, exhausted, and feel like anything other than reading is just too much work for one day. Still constipated. But over all I would say that I'm doing pretty well.

As I mentioned before, Jon got really sick last week with a nasty cold. Fortunately, with the help of my essential oils, I never even got a sore throat. Runny nose, yes, but I think that has more to do with being pregnant, since it's been going on for, oh, about 6-8 weeks, give or take. I'm just SO thankful I didn't get sick.

I think that's pretty much it. Yeah. kthanksbye








*If you don't know by now that the info is found at thebump.com, you should.

Pregnant After IUI: Week 10

Guys, guess what. I am one fourth (1/4, a quarter, .25, 25%, etc.) of the way DONE with this pregnancy already. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!

As for baby:
At just over an inch long, baby is about the size of a prune, but is a lightweight at about 1/10 of an ounce. Get this: vital organs are completely formed and beginning to work! How amazing is that? At 10 weeks! SUCH a miracle! Fingernails and hair are beginning to form. Cartilage and bone are forming, and the "arm joints" (elbows and shoulders, I'm guessing) are already working. And, on top of all that, baby can swallow and kick. What a busy week for my little bear!*

As for me:
I have had a fairly busy week as well, as I'm finally starting to feel better. Like, even good some days. I still have bad days once in a while, and if I'm super busy one day, it'll take a day or two for the energy to come back. But at least things are getting done. I even made dinner the other night! Score! I haven't needed my daily nap, but I'm still sleeping 11-12 hours a night.

Meat has gained some of it's appeal back. Saturday night I went out to eat with most of the family and I got a cheeseburger: The first real meal I'd eaten with meat for weeks. I ate that whole burger. It tasted so good. Then on Sunday I wasn't feeling well, so I didn't eat much (if any) meat, but then Monday and Tuesday I ate some at dinner. It feels good getting the protein.

I've also kind of moved away from wanting the white, simple carbs (potatoes, bread, etc. [As I sit here typing this, I am eating pizza... but shhh. I had a fruit smoothie for breakfast.]). I mean, those still sound okay, but I also want more veggies and fruit. I even had enough energy the other day to get some pickles and fermented carrots going. I can't wait to dig in. So, my diet is rounding out much more than it has been of late.

Constipation has eased up a bit. And I do mean "a bit." But I'm way for comfortable than I was a couple weeks ago.

My nose is still super sensitive, chicken still gives me the heebie-jeebies, my gag reflex is super heightened these days (although still no vomiting), and Jon got a cold ... Sunday? ... and I still show no signs or symptoms of it (huzzah. Although that could just mean that it's getting a good hold in my body before it drags me down...).

I have lost a few pounds (I'm down like 5 lbs since I got pregnant) which is really surprising to me, since I haven't really been exercising, and I feel like I'm eating a TON and most of it is CRAP right now. But hey, I'll take it.

I'm sitting here, trying to think of other symptoms that have shown up or gone away... I do still get some nausea randomly, but it's not all the time anymore, nor as severe. I can't honestly think of anything else. Oh, yes I can. PREGNANCY BRAIN is starting. I can't even think of examples... I misspeak all the time, forget things, get confused... ugh. Haha. Sometimes it's pretty funny, though.

Okay, that's all I can think of to update on for now.

...geez, I never know how to end these things... uh, I guess... kbye.








*Info found at thebump.com

Pregnant After IUI: Week 9

Baby is about the size of a green olive this week (yum) and is close to an inch long. Facial features are continuing to form.* And it keeps getting cuter and cuter!

We had our first ultrasound yesterday... it was the best thing ever! Baby is looking more and more like... well, a baby, but right now it looks rather like an alien-headed gummy bear... which is surprisingly adorable. We were able to see the heart beating, and it was going at about 176 bpm, which I thought sounded high, but the doc said it was perfected normal. We didn't actually get to hear the heartbeat (boo) but seeing it was pretty cool. Our little bear was wiggling, waving, and shaking its hips, being absolutely charming. I am in love.

As far as symptoms go, I felt pretty awful most of last week, but since Friday or so I've been feeling much better. Nausea has subsided quite a bit (although I still have mild stomach upset most of the time), but I've been getting daily headaches, peeing a lot (not abnormal) and THE FATIGUE. Oh, the fatigue. I sleep 11-12 hours a night and nap for about an hour during the day... I am so exhausted all. the. time. It was incredible today that I actually got to the grocery (Festival AND Aldi), bank, and library. Plus I did a load of laundry and put all the groceries away (definitely a bonus, lol). Not to mention writing a blog post and making dinner... dishes may have to wait until tomorrow.

Constipation is still an issue. Still working on fixing that, but I haven't been quite as uncomfortable the last couple of days. I've been able to go a little bit, which is amazing.

I have been low on patience with our pooch... I think because he needs lots of energy and attention, and I just don't have any to spare for him. =[ Sorry puppy. Hopefully soon I'll do better.

On a side note: I heard on the radio today that on Monday, Chicago's O'Hare airport was colder than the temperature at the South Pole that same day. Ugh. It's been so chilly here!

So, there's my week nine. Jon and I have been talking about whether or not we want to find out the gender during the anatomy scan... what did you do? Why? Are you glad you did it that way, or would you change it if you could? We just can't decide!!

I can't wait to meet our little bear! I know I have a long way to go yet, and I'm not wishing my pregnancy away. But I still want to get to know my babe!







*Info found at thebump.com

Pregnant After IUI: Week 8

This week my baby is the size of a raspberry, or about 2/3 of an inch long! Arms and legs are continuing to develop, the hands aren't as webbed, and, get this: Taste buds are forming! I can't believe how intricate it all is, even this early in development. Baby is moving a lot, but being so small, I can't feel a thing. Baby is also growing about a millimeter each day.*

I am exhausted. Stairs wipe me out. I sleep hard all night and need a nap every afternoon, it seems. I have no energy for cooking or cleaning, and Jonny has been so good about it all. He did 2 loads of laundry for me today, AND made me some instant mashed potatoes for dinner.

All I want is carbs. And starch. Starchy carbs are the best. Bread, potatoes, pasta, pizza, you name it. Meat has absolutely no appeal for me, and chicken is downright disgusting. Just the thought of it makes me feel sick. Overly-salty food is a big no no, which is weird, because typically I have a little food with my salt. I'm almost always thirsty, but can't seem to get enough water (if I drink a lot at once, my stomach hurts).

I feel best in the mornings or when I first wake up; as the day wears on I feel worse and worse. Headaches, nausea, irritability. I love sleeping, because I feel the best then. I have not been much fun lately. I think Jon's okay with it, though, because I don't mind when he plays computer games all evening.

Constipation... I have started applying magnesium oil twice a day (transdermally). About 3-4 days after I started that, I had horrible stomach cramps and some diarrhea, which, to be honest, was no fun, but was AWESOME at the same time. I weigh myself every day, and I lost 3 pounds that day, haha. I don't feel like I pooped as much as I could have, and I haven't pooped other than that one incident. But it was better than nothing. I had been applying fennel once or twice daily to my stomach (to help aid digestion), but I haven't the last couple days... I'm thinking maybe I should start that up again, in addition to the magnesium.

My nose is super sensitive. Everything stinks. Especially animals, chicken, and dirty dishes. Ugh, dishes: The bane of my existence. There are always, always dirty dishes in my kitchen... it's so depressing.

I sound rather miserable, don't I? I'm not. I'm uncomfortable and wish I felt better, but I am so excited to be pregnant that I can hardly handle it. I can't wait until we get to hear the heartbeat. This little one is worth so much more. Plus, I'm not actually all that bad. I've read posts on forums of women who subsist on Saltines and Sprite, and throw up after every meal. I have yet to throw up, so I'm doing pretty well. I don't feel great, but I could be a whole heck of a lot worse. My sympathy to those who are.

Continued prayers for a healthy pregnancy, energy for me, strength for Jon, etc. would all be appreciated. Thanks everyone for your prayers to date.

Good luck staying warm this weekend... it's supposed to be brutal here in the midwest.









*Info found at thebump.com