16 Weeks

So yesterday around lunch time, I felt a weird thing/movement/flutter in my stomach.  I've never felt it before and haven't felt it since. I'm not saying it was the baby, but I'm also not saying that it wasn't.....From the things I have been reading about pregnancy, it very well could have been the baby.  I guess I will know for sure in the coming weeks. Just in the last couple of days my belly has started to poke out! So, I guess I look more like pregnant girl than just a girl that has been eating too much cake and cookies :)

16 week belly

I was telling CJ yesterday that I couldn't believe that I was already 16 weeks, in just 4 more weeks, I'm going to be halfway!!!  Time sure has flown by!  From looking at this picture (I'm trying to suck in as best as I can, which, by the way, is pretty much impossible right now!!) I'm afraid that my belly is just going to get HUGE!!! I was really hoping I would possibly carry my babies like my sister- but then again the reality of me having 5 pound babies like my sister did, is pretty much non-existent- I guess my reality now is that I am just going to have 8-9 pound babies!!! That is such a scary thought, I don't even want to think about it at this point!

Drum Roll Please....It's a....

Well, as promised, an update about my Dr. appointment today.  But, first, I will start with last night- I hardly  slept at all last night.  I kept having dreams that I was at my appointment and right before they told us the sex of the baby, I would wake up!!  When I told CJ about my dreams, he said that it was a sign that we weren't going to find out today.  I was really trying not to get my hopes up, because really, I'm only 15 weeks along, what are the chances???  Pretty slim I think.

Anyway, we went to the appointment. (This, once again, is mostly just so that I can remember)  They took my weight (which I have only gained 1 pound since last appointment- which she didn't say was good or bad. I thought it was good :))  I'm terrified to gain TOOO much) and blood pressure, which was the exact same as last time- normal.  They went over my symptoms to see if any had changed since the last time, she recommended I take Zantac twice a day to prevent my heartburn since I still have it pretty much every day, especially at night when I lay down to go to sleep.

Now, the best part.  The ultrasound part.  :) The baby was at least twice as big as last time!!!  We saw it's eyes, nose, mouth, spine, ribs, hands and feet.  We saw and heard the heart beat (which was in the 150's again- the first ultrasound the heart rate was in the 160's) The baby was sucking on it's fingers, putting it's hands by it's face.  It was moving all over the place!!  It just melted my heart and I seriously had to hold back the tears!  She tried to get the ultrasound to go between the legs, but baby was NOT cooperating...and it was pretty fuzzy- she said that since it's still so little it's hard to tell....so, baby is still an "It" for another 4 weeks!!! But she tried!!

15 week ultrasound- it actually looked like a little human!!!

So, next Dr. appointment I had instructions to eat an hour before my appointment, so when they did the ultrasound the baby would be awake and feeding and should be moving a lot; making it easier to get a good shot between the legs!  Unfortunately, my doctor doesn't have a 3D ultrasound, there is a place here in town that does it, but I checked the pricing and for them to verify the gender, and to get 2 black and white photos was $100!!!!  I can't convince CJ to do that though, so, hopefully next time- they will be able to tell us. She said if it's a boy and can easily verify that it's a boy, they will tell us, but if they think it might be a girl, they check a couple of times just to make sure, so, if it's a girl- I may not know for sure until I'm at least 23 weeks!!! Ugh! The anxiety and anticipation is going to kill me!!   It also drives me nuts that I have NO, ZERO, ZILCH intuition of whether it's a boy or girl.  I have had dreams that it was a girl...and I have had dreams that it was a boy, so I honestly have no clue!

So, I have always loved sour things: rhubarb, goose berries, lemons, sour patch kids, lemon heads....anything sour, I will eat it.  CJ was really disgusted when he saw me just eating a lemon.....with salt!  MMM, it was so delish and just goes to prove that I am my mother's daughter!  :)  Just looking at this picture makes my mouth water!!!

It's been a LONG time....

Well, there have a been a few things going on since the last time I blogged...one VERY exciting something has happened.
That's right, CJ and I are going to be parents!!!  I mean, I know that we are already parents to our dogs, but we are actually going to be parents to a little human being!!  We are over the MOON excited.

I guess I will start out telling a little bit about how we found out the exciting news.  Some may find this boring, so you can skip it if you would like, I don't mind.  :)   The last week in August, every time I went to the gym, I would come home SOOO exhausted, like drop dead tired.  I was only a week late, which has happened before and I only had one more pregnancy test and I really didn't want to waste it like I had a few times before.  Well, on August 31st, I was babysitting my nephew and I was really looking forward to all my family traveling up here to Boise for our Annual Larsen Family Reunion.  Braden and I went to a couple different stores and because he was good, I took him to the Dollar Store to pick out a treat.  While there, I decided to buy a pregnancy test- I would use that one and not feel bad if I wasted it since it was only  $1.  We headed back to my house and, of course, CJ wasn't there, he was at the gym and running errands.  I was going to wait for him to get home, but I couldn't stand it, I just had to know.  So of course I took it, went downstairs and got Braden's lunch together and went back up- preparing myself to be disappointed, again.  And....it was positive!! WHAT?!?!?!  I didn't know whether to cry or jump up and down for joy. I did silently thank Heavenly Father for trusting and allowing me to have a child.  I immediately text CJ to see where he was- he said he was getting gas- so I told him I was going to send him something....and this is what I sent:

Two lines means positive, right Daddy????

He immediately calls me and asks if I'm serious.....Um, Yeah!!! Dead serious!!!  He came right home....and we only had a few minutes together to be excited and talk about when we would tell our families.  Chris, Lacey and Connor got to our house shortly after,  I was SOOO excited and wanted to blab the news, but I kept quiet.  Anyway, to make a long story short, we enjoyed the family reunion and spending time with my family.  CJ and I discussed only telling our immediate family- it was perfect timing since my parents and brothers and sister were all here, I could tell them all in person- we didn't want to tell everyone because we waned to make sure everything was ok- going to the doctor, waiting the dreaded 10-12 weeks to tell everyone.  I did tell a couple of my close friends soon after because I was excited and they knew that we had been trying for awhile.  So, I was able to tell my whole family in person, of course, they were all excited for us.  We told CJ's parents over the phone.  CJ freaked his mom out by saying "I need to tell you something, are you sitting down?"  But they are super excited for us too.  We are really looking forward to the adventure of becoming parents and learning new things.

7 week Ultrasound: Just a blob :)

 My due date is May 8, 2013-  My parents-in-laws anniversary!!!  Ginger was SOOO excited!! May is a busy month for birthdays in my family..... :)

8 Week Belly- yeah it's mostly just my chub that was there to begin with

11 Week Ultrasound: Starting to look more like a mini human-although there are still alien qualities....

12 Week Belly- still can really only see the before chub haha

I will be 15 weeks along on Wednesday and have a doctor appointment on Friday....I'm SOOO excited to see the ultrasound for this week and to see how much the baby has grown.  There is a chance they may be able to tell if we are having a boy or girl, if not, it won't be until my December appointment..  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will be able to tell, it's driving me CRAZY not knowing!!! 

Just a bit about my pregnancy so far (this is mostly just for me to remember)  I was VERY sick the 1st trimester- I never actually threw up because I won't let myself.  Ever since I was little, I HATED throwing up, and I mean HATED it (Even ask my Mom if you don't believe me!)  I do everything in my power not to, I can't relax enough to just let it happen. I was nauseous, ALL THE TIME.  The only time I didn't feel sick was when I was eating.  I did dry heave, a lot.  I did gag, a lot- especially brushing my teeth.  I couldn't wear my retainers at night because they would make me gag.  I had and still have insomnia if I don't take something to help me sleep. There hasn't been any sort of food that makes me sick, but during the 1st trimester, NOTHING sounded good to eat, I pretty much lived on Cheerios and Saltine crackers. I have pretty much had heartburn everyday from the beginning....not fun.  My lower back has been hurting, like sometimes a shooting pain- My mom said she also had it in the first trimester of pregnancy- it has been feeling better, but when I went to the gym the other night and took Body Flow, it flared up again, making it uncomfortable to walk and lie down.  I hope it doesn't last the whole time, that would be no fun.......The last couple days I have been craving Oranges....so I bought a bag of clementines and have been eating them almost nonstop- They. Are. Delish!  

The last week or two I have been feeling better, no nausea, no gagging, no dry heaving.  Yay!

I am really looking forward to feel my baby move, I think that will make everything even more real for me, to really KNOW that there is a precious little baby growing inside me.  Anyway, after my appointment on Friday I will post the ultrasound pic and post if they were able to tell what the gender was or not. Until then, cheers!  :)