Week 20: 03/19/15 - 03/25/15

My Cute Little Alien

Milestones this week:

• 03/22 Husband was able to feel Rook's kicks for the first time!

This week I...

Was able to feel my sweetie from the outside of my tummy. His kicks are finally getting big and strong enough that you can feel my tummy moving when you place your hand on it at the right time! This was such a fun, but weird, moment for me and Brian. It was one thing to feel his little flutters from the inside, but feeling those bumps and pushes from the outside was so cool, in a kind of weird way! There is actually a tiny life inside of me, moving and pushing and growing. How cool is that?

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: +1.0; Pregnancy - 7.0
• Symptoms: Fatigue, Round ligament pain, Light cramping
• Cravings: Ice cream, Cheetos, Salad
• Baby Bean's size: Artichoke
• Baby's length: 6.46 in
• Baby's weight: 10.58 oz

Tip of the week:

Week 20, yay! 20 weeks is a super exciting week to hit, at 20 weeks I am officially half-way through my pregnancy! This is such a relieving week to hit too, after 20 weeks, if something goes wrong, there is a lot more that can be done to keep baby healthy and happy, not to mention in less than a month at 24 weeks, your baby would have a chance at life if, heaven forbid, you were to have a micro preemie. My tip for this week is celebrate! You're halfway! (:

Week 19: 03/12/15 - 03/18/15

His sweet little fingertips

Milestones this week:

• 03/13 My 20th Birthday
• 03/18 20 week U/S

This week I...

Got to see my sweet little Rook at my 20 week anatomy scan. He was very energetic, he kept raising his little arms above his head and kicking his legs. It was hard to get good pictures, but I got a few cute ones! He's still a boy, not gonna lie, I was a little worried that my 17 week scan was wrong! I loved getting to see my baby boy today, I could have spent all day staring at his sweet face and cute little feet and hands. (:

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: +0.6; Pregnancy - 8.0
• Symptoms: fatigue, heartburn, mood swings
• Cravings: Cheeseburgers, Ice cream
• Baby Bean's size: Mango
• Baby's length: 6.02 in
• Baby's weight: 8.47 oz

Tip of the week:

Ahhh hormones. Hormones can really get the best of us during pregnancy, it's almost scary how fast we can go from happy, to crying in a huddled mess, to screaming at our SO over nothing. There's not really an easy way to handle them, other than to step back and breath. Try to remember that you're hormonal, it can make things much easier when you just acknowledge that you're being a little crazy! For example, I got into a huge fight with my husband over plans changing that he had absolutely NO control over. For whatever reason, my crazy hormonal brain needed to blame someone, and as my other half, my husband is usually the poor victim in these moments. I finally had to step back and realise how ridiculous I was being. Now we can laugh at it, but at the time, it was practically World War III. My advice, for the sake of your marriage/relationship, and for the sake of your precious baby, try to keep the crazy in check, and when that's just not possible, make sure you make it up to your SO like crazy later! You definitely need him on your side ;D

Funny Mistakes First Time Parents Have Made

I came across this article and thought I would share the stories with you guys (: I'll post a link to the article at the bottom!

"When Gaby was a newborn, my mom stayed with me the first two weeks, on the day she left, I gave Gaby a bath and cut her nails. But I didn’t know that you had to separate the nail from the skin. I made my first cut and she started bleeding. I panicked and called 911. The paramedics came to my rescue and assured me my baby was fine."

I'm pretty sure I'll call the paramedics over a few nothing moments too! I tend to panic over little things, I know my poor husband will have to talk me out of calling 911 on more than occasion.

"When my son was 6-weeks-old and sound asleep in the Ergo carrier, I was in a bodega reaching for a coconut water and when I opened the refrigerator door, a 16 oz. can of beer fell from a high shelf and whacked him on the back of his tiny head. He woke up screaming. He was fine, of course, but I thought I killed him."

I once was babysitting my little brother when he was about a year old and I left the baby gate open on accident, and while crawling and curious, he fell down the entire flight of stairs and was quiet for a second before he started crying. That quiet second felt like an hour, I was sure I had killed the poor kiddo, and the relief when I heard him cry was overwhelming!

"I didn’t realize I was supposed to change my son’s diaper while we were in the hospital," says Jennifer Spitz. "The nurse came in to check on us and said, ‘Wow, he’s got a very full diaper. Do you know how to change him?’ Yes, I did…but I thought the nurses took care of that kind of stuff. Thank goodness I had amazing nurses. We all laughed!"

I can't promise I would have realised I was supposed to change his diaper in the hospital either, glad I read this one! ;D

"My husband was so tired one night that he reached into the laundry basket for a blanket and ended up swaddling the baby in a pair of his [clean] boxers,"

Hey, if it's cloth and clean it works, right?

"I didn’t know when to take those baby hand mitts off my daughter Maddy’s hands — and I was scared she would scratch her face. So Maddy wore those cotton mitts for five months. She was able to sit up, but was still wearing newborn mitts. I remember removing them and she was in shock that she had hands!" 

I've so many babies in passing with scratched up faces, one time a saw a young baby who look like he fell into a thorn bush. I'll probably use mittens more than the average momma, but not so much my Rook doesn't realise he has hands!

"Our daughter’s first night at home was as to be expected: She cried and wouldn’t sleep," says Rob M. "I wanted to give her a binky, but my wife was scared to let her have it in the bassinet. So, she called her OB-GYN at 3:00 am. The doctor was, like, ‘Are you serious? Give her the binky."

I can DEFINITELY see myself doing this! I'm pretty sure my OB, mom, and husband won't get any sleep the first few nights we have Rook home, either.

"I didn’t know how to fold up my designer stroller, so I cried in the parking lot of Babies R’ Us and called my dad to help me. He couldn't do it either. A staffer had to give us a tutorial in the parking lot. Once it was in the car, I was scared to use it."

I've already had a moment like this, I was trying to set up a pack n play for the first time, just to see what it looked like set up, and I could not for the life of me get it set up! I finally got it, after about 45 minutes, a hurting back, and pinched fingers! I'm a little scared to set it up in the future, I can just see myself at thanksgiving or a family get together, with everyone watching me struggle to get it set up, offering pitying looks and advice.

Here's the link to the article I got these off of, and if you really enjoy reading them, here is a link to a forum with a bunch of people's first time parenting stories! (:

Bonus story: "I woke up in the middle of the night to hear the baby crying in the other room. I knew she needed to nurse, but I was so exhausted and so sleep deprived, I just sat there petting the dog, thinking I needed to nurse but couldn't remember how I was supposed to nurse a dog. I knew I didn't want to, and I knew I wasn't sure how, but I just remember thinking that I needed to nurse the dog."

After reading my original post, someone told me this story about trying to nurse the dog. Per her request, I kept names out ;D

Happy and Healthy 9 months!

Recap of weeks 16-18

Week 18: 3/05/15 - 03/11/15

Milestones this week:

• 03/10 Very first surprise, unsolicited tummy rub

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: -4.5; Pregnancy - 12.6

• Symptoms: fatigue, dizziness, heartburn

• Cravings: Mexican food

• Baby Bean's size: Sweet Potato

• Baby's length: 5.59 in

• Baby's weight: 6.70 oz

Tip of the week:

 Ah, the unexpected belly rubs. This past week I received my first, and although I'd heard that you WILL receive those hands on your stomach from even complete strangers, I didn't quite believe it! My first "surprise rub" wasn't from a complete stranger, but it was from someone I've only met a handful of times and am not exactly close with. I did not exactly do a great job of handling this. I was completely taken aback, and where as I did a good job of not being rude, I think she could tell I was uncomfortable with it. I've decided that for me, personally, I need to just learn to hide my surprise, smile, and pretend like I'm fine with it, because I would gladly let a stranger touch my stomach if it meant avoiding confrontation. If you're the type who has a bubble and is NOT okay with it, my advice would be to avoid the mousetraps taped to your stomach, and just place your hands over your stomach if you're "in danger". If there is someone in particular who seems to always want to feel your stomach, I'd recommend nicely saying something. This is a tricky spot to be in, you don't want to hurt someone's feelings when they're just trying to share in the joy of the little life inside of you, but just because you're sharing your body with you baby, doesn't mean it becomes public property!

Week 17: 02/26/15 - 03/04/15

Milestones this week:

• 02/28 We officially found out it's a BOY! Baby boy Rook!

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: +0.5; Pregnancy - 8.1

• Symptoms: fatigue, dizziness, heartburn, back pain

• Cravings: Burgers

• Rook's size: Pear

• Rook's length: 5.12 in

• Rook's weight: 4.94 oz

Tip of the week:

Who would you bring to the gender scan? The amount of people you can bring to an anatomy or gender scan it it's through your OB is usually limited, the imaging center my OB uses has rooms so small there's only room for maybe my husband and one other, it at least one of them is standing. If you're choosing to pay for a private ultrasound to find out sooner, you can have your own little gender reveal party right there in the imaging center! I do have to say this; if you are going to pay for a private ultrasound, which we did, and I'm glad we did, then you should research the company. Mall kiosks? Bad idea! however, there are imaging centers that will let you pay for a private ultrasound, but also work with doctors. Just make sure wherever you go has proper training and licensing. For my 20th birthday, my grandma paid for me to have a gender reveal ultrasound at 17 weeks! I researched and found a place in Kansas City, Prenatal Imaging Center, LLC for those interested, and for $100 I could invite as many people as I wanted for a 2D gender scan. Since there was plenty of room, I went a little crazy and invited several people. In total, it ended up being me, my husband, my mom, my 16 yo sister, my 14 yo sister, my 3 yo brother, my grandma, and my MIL. My older sister, and my husbands older sister were invited, but the day we went the weather was bad so neither could make it. I was worried I'd regret inviting so many, I don't like how my tummy looks, and it's always awkward when they have to yank your pants way down and undo the button/zipper, but in the end, I was thrilled with who was there! My toddler brother, who I was especially worried about being there, did great! He was so excited to see "Abadoo's" baby. In the end, my advice is this; for a lot of women, this is a special moment they want to share with just their SO, but for others, like me, it can be a really fun time to have a little party. If you're in the second group, push your insecurities aside and invite as many people as you can! I ended up wishing I'd invited my dad and FIL, and some good friends as well!

Week 16: 02/19/2015 - 02/25/2015

Milestones this week:

• 02/25 Got the chance to see my Bean on ER ultrasound

• Admitted to the hospital for pneumonia :( 

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: -4.6; Pregnancy - 8.6 (hospital food = blech!)

• Symptoms: fatigue, dizziness, heartburn

• Cravings: Mexican food

• Baby Bean's size: Avocado

• Baby's length: 4.57 in

• Baby's weight: 3.53 oz

• Baby's heart rate: 150 BPM

Tip of the week:

Let's talk about the importance of a healthy diet! I really learned how important eating right (and eating enough) is this past week. I had been passing out for the past couple of weeks, and doctors weren't sure why. I'd always say I had when any doctors asked if I'd been eating, because I honestly had been eating some. None of them bothered to ask how much I'd been eating, until frusterated that we couldn't figure out what was going on, my OB asked. I am TERRIBLE at eating consistent meals, it's rare I ate breakfast before getting pregnant, and while pregnant my appetite has gone down to 0, so I've skipped lunch and/or dinner here and there too. I didn't think much of it, because I wasn't ever hungry and I'd make sure to eat something every day, even if it was only a few crackers or an apple or something. Turns out I wasn't eating enough, and technically, since I was averaging less than 600 calories a day, I was starving myself and didn't even know it. My OB made me start tracking what I ate and focus on eating at least three meals a day, and lo and behold, I stopped passing out! I guess long story short; even though you might not feel hungry, make sure you eat!

Happy and Healthy 9 months!

Recap of weeks 12 - 15

Week 15: 02/12/15 - 02/18/15

Milestones this week:

• 02/14 Valentines Day

• 02/14 Sister-In-Law's engagement

• 02/18 Officially decided on our boy name

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: -1.0; Pregnancy - 4.0

• Symptoms: fatigue, dizziness, black outs, heartburn

• Cravings: Ice Cream, carrots

• Baby Bean's size: Apple

• Baby's length: 3.98 in

• Baby's weight: 2.47 oz

Tip of the week:

You've probably been considering names for awhile at this point, names can be tricky! You want to find a cute name, that won't be considered weird, that they'll be able to use as a grown up, and they won't be made fun of for, and everybody likes. I've decided this, especially the "everybody likes it" part is nearly impossible. But if you find a name that your S.O. love, that's what really matters! Of course you want to be careful not to name your child something that, where as it may be cute when they're little, wouldn't be so cute when they're older. I won't list examples, because I saw an article on this topic and their example name was just similar enough to the name we have picked out it made me worry, until my mom pointed out that as an adult, the name we have would be a very strong, sturdy name. I don't want to list what you shouldn't  name your baby, I just want to point out that you might want to consider what it will be like for them when they're older!
I've known what I'm going to name our first (and second!) girl practically since we got engaged, so the girl names were easy! Our boy name? way more difficult. The girl names we had picked out were Aletha Faith for first, Aletha is my great-grandma's first name that I've always loved, and Faith is my husband's grandma's first name. For the second we had Willow Louise picked out, after my late grandma Willoscene Louise. For a boy we tossed around a lot of names, initially I wanted to name him Ethan David, until someone pointed out how close "Ethan and Allie" was to "Ethan Allen" (the store) if we had 1 boy and 1 girl. Silly reason to decide to change our boy name? Yes, but enough of a reason for me. We were pretty set on David being in the name after my husband's middle name and my father-in-law's first name, but I didn't really want it as a first name because it's so common. We discussed Liam, Bryce, Moses, Noam, and Zane, but none of them were it. After what felt like forever talking about it, we were walking through Target looking at all the onesies that said stuff like Daddy's Rookie and Rookie of the Year, and my husband mentioned offhand, "wouldn't it be cute if we named a boy Rook, and called him 'Rookie' while he was little?" And that was kind of our Ah-ha! moment. That was our name. Obviously we didn't decide right that moment that we for sure wanted Rook, but we thought and talked about it a LOT after that. After talking to several family members, friends, etc, we were sure that was the name. Yes, it is unusual, and yes, we received a few negative comments, but the positive comments far outweighed the negative!

Week 14: 02/06/15 - 02/12/15

Milestones this week:

• Began wearing (some) maternity clothes

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: -1.0; Pregnancy - 3.0

• Symptoms: fatigue, dizziness, black outs

• Cravings: None really

• Baby Bean's size: Nectarine

• Baby's length: 3.42 in

• Baby's weight: 1.52 oz

Tip of the week:

How to keep the stress down. This one is so so tricky for me, I tend to stress over everything. My biggest problem was, relaxing, or taking a bath, or watching tv, didn't help. All I could do was sit there and think about what could go wrong with my baby, not to mention all the everyday things I stress over. I finally had to start focusing on a healthier way to relax. If you're able, I'd recommend walking or light exercise, but focus on your breathing, or what you're doing. Don't let your mind wander to all the scary places! This wasn't really an option for me, thanks to a history of seizures, I'm not able to go out on my own. Reading is also a good way to relax, or picking up a hobby! One day I spent 4 hours making a huge paper chain counting down the 200+ days until my due date to help me relax! I tried painting, which was fun, but supplies can be expensive. Another good way to relax and just to enjoy your pregnancy? Start your own blog! If you do, let me know and I'd love to read it. (:

Week 13: 01/30/15 - 12/05/15

Milestones this week:

• 01/30 Start of my second trimester

• NO MORE MORNING SICKNESS!

• 02/04 Sister-in-law's 22nd birthday

• 02/04 Twin siblings 3rd birthday

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: +1.5; Pregnancy - 2.0

• Symptoms: Morning sickness, fatigue, dizziness, 

• Cravings: Veggies. Any.

• Baby Bean's size: Lemon

• Baby's length: 2.91 in

• Baby's weight: 0.81 oz

Tip of the week:

All of our bodies will react differently to pregnancy. Don't worry if you are experiencing symptoms differently than everyone else! Some women feel their baby move at 10 weeks; others don't feel theirs until 25+ weeks. Some women gain 70+ lbs throughout her pregnancy, and I've heard of women losing 50+ lbs during her pregnancy. Some women have horrible symptoms and almost every one imaginable, where as others might not have any, or will only have a few. If you're really worried about it, you can always talk to your OB, but I wouldn't let it stress you out! The best thing for you and your baby is calm and happy thoughts. If you are one of the women who doesn't experience many symptoms, consider yourself lucky! The morning sickness for me was manageable, but the blacking out and dizziness? I definitely could have done without!

Week 12: 01/23/15 - 01/29/15

Milestones this week:

• I finally started to show, and more than just bloat! 

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: +1.0; Pregnancy - 3.5

• Symptoms: Morning sickness, cramps, fatigue, dizziness

• Cravings: Chipotle burritos, with lots of sour cream!

• Baby Bean's size: Passion Fruit

• Baby's length: 2.13 in

• Baby's weight: 0.49 oz

• Baby's heart rate: 172 BPM

Tip of the week:

Let's talk medicine. Is it safe to take medicine while you're pregnant? Some, but obviously not all. Ask your OB for a list of safe medicine on your first visit if (s)he doesn't give you one anyway. You could always look it up online, but that gets tricky because so many opinions are out there, it's hard to weed out the cold, hard facts. I will tell you this; if it is illegal, even if you think or you've read that it helps or is "safe" during pregnancy, avoid it. Many of you have probably clued into what I'm talking about. I know a lot of women think that marijuana is more beneficial than harmful, and some of you might not like what I have to say, but it sickens me when I hear women claim that. There is a toddler girl in my life that I am very close with, who has a whole myriad of medical issues, to the point she has nursing and cannot leave the house, a cold has sent her into the hospital before. She was born prematurely with marijuana in her system, and you could argue that all of her medical issues are due to being born prematurely, but even if that's the case, her birth mom went into labor so early because of self-medicating. There is no worse feeling than seeing her sweet little face crumple when she can't go "bye-bye" with her adopted momma. She loves to sing and laugh, but thanks to medical issues, can only easily do so 30 minutes twice a day when we have her connected to the proper equipment. Sorry if I'm on my soapbox, I just feel very passionately about spreading the word; Marijuana is NOT harmless and victim-less! Your worst victim could very well be your sweet baby!

Happy and healthy 9 months ladies!

Recap of weeks 8-11

I don't have any pictures for weeks 8-11, so here are some pictures of baby stuff we've bought so far (:

Week 11: 01/16/15 - 01/22/15

Milestones this week:

• I really felt my baby moving this week! First week I've been confident it was baby I was feeling (I had weird feelings before that I wondered about, but wasn't positive it was my Bean until this week)
• OB appointment this week

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: +0.5; Pregnancy - 4.5
• Symptoms: Morning sickness, cramps, fatigue
• Cravings: Hot Wings, Potato Chips
• Baby Bean's size: Brussels sprout
• Baby's length: 1.61 in.
• Baby's weight: 0.25 oz

Tip of the week:

Especially for a first time mom, the horror stories you can dig up on forums and baby apps can be TERRIFYING. I'm trying to keep my blog positive and not talk about worst case scenarios for that reason, not only for my readers, but for me! The absolute worst are the miscarriage posts. It seems like they're all over in baby apps and groups, and this was a huge struggle for me at first! My thought process was along the lines "miscarriages are so much more common than I thought! Half these posts are miscarriages, it must be likely that it'll happen to me too!". I just want to remind you all that, when a momma is in mourning, she will seek comfort from others (as she should! And we, as fellow mommas, should be supportive and positive for her) but in the process of seeking comfort, she will be way more likely to post a comment or post talking about her loss than a woman with a healthy pregnancy. We see 5 posts in a week talking about loss, but what we don't see are the 2,000+ posts from women with a perfectly healthy and happy pregnancy that week. What are you more likely to post, "Please help me mourn my loss" or "Everything is going A-OK"?

Week 10: 01/09/15 - 01/15/15

Gorgeous Afghan my super talented sister crocheted for baby!

Milestones this week:

• Not really any milestones this week!

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: +0.5; Pregnancy - 5.0
• Symptoms: Morning sickness, bloat, cramps
• Cravings: Ice cream, Hot Wings
• Baby Bean's size: Kumquat
• Baby's length: 1.22 in.
• Baby's weight: 0.14 oz
• Baby's heart rate: 188 BPM

Tip of the week:

Ahh, jealousy. It's so easy to be jealous of other mommas who get to meet their babys sooner! I know several women whose due dates are before mine, and when you see those posts marking milestones a month, or several months away from where you are? It is so easy to be jealous! Just remember, ever momma pays her dues. Yes, your old next door neighbors daughter is due 6 weeks before you, but just because it seems like her due date is so much closer, she probably went/is going through the same thing you are with due date jealousy, over someone else! It's all a matter of having patience and taking cares of you and your baby. Your baby has the perfect timing for them. Your baby wouldn't even be the same little person if they had a different due date. And your time will come. Just don't get wrapped up in "competing" with those who have near-by due dates to yours!

Week 9: 01/02/15 - 01/08/15

Baseball hat and diaper cover (from my mom), Bibs (picked out by hubby), Sunglasses/Rookie socks

Milestones this week:

• First ultrasound in the ER (no prints):
• Heard heartbeat (188 BPM!)
• Bought first maternity clothes (Old Navy's maternity section was way better than I expected. For about $50 I was able to get several tops, two belly bands, and a really cute dress!)

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: -2.0; Pregnancy - 5.5
• Symptoms: Morning sickness, bloat, fatigue
• Cravings: Ice cream, Clementines, Hot Wings
• Baby Bean's size: Cherry
• Baby's length: 0.9 in.
• Baby's weight: 0.07 oz

Tip of the week:

When you're in your first pregnancy, it can be scary! Honestly, there are a lot of changes I was NOT prepared for. I knew slight cramping was common, I didn't realize how severe the cramps would be! I ended up in the ER during week 9 with severe cramps, and where as when we were making the decision to go the thought process was "We're being cautious, just double checking, cramps this bad CAN'T be normal, right?", when we were sitting in the ER being told it was common, we just felt silly. As an expectant mom, your every little instinct is to protect and check on the little life inside of you. That being said, be careful not to jump to the worst case scenario too quickly. I had myself convinced, and convinced my hubby, that something was wrong, when everything was totally normal. I'm not saying to ignore the big scary symptoms that don't feel right; if you think something is seriously wrong, at least call your OB and maybe see if you can get in to see him/her soon, however, take into consideration with your first pregnancy that everything is different, and honestly, every symptom can be scary when it first appears!

Week 8: 12/26/14-01/01/15

MU/KU car seat cover (from Brian's mom), blue afghan (from my mom), receiving blanket & baby book (from my grandma)

Milestones this week:

• New years! No other milestones :(

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: -1.5; Pregnancy -3.5
• Symptoms: Morning Sickness, moodiness, and as you can tell by the picture, major bloat!
• Cravings: Ice Cream, Clementines
• Baby Bean's Size: A cranberry bean
• Baby's Length: 0.63 in.
• Baby's Weight: Less than 0.04 oz

Tip of the week:

Ugh, my fatigue hit this week! The fatigue is terrible, it hit me hard. There were literally days I took 6-7 hour naps! This is one of those symptoms you kind of just have to ride out. My best tip? Be careful not to over do it. Take it easy, if you feel like you need to sleep, and if at all possible, take a nap. Exhausting your body is not good for you or your growing baby. My husband was AWESOME when this hit; he'd do most of the chores, he'd make sure I got to rest, he'd help cook dinner.. Don't force a double load on your probably already stressed husband, and make sure he knows how much you appreciate him, but don't be afraid to ask for a little help! Even ask your parents, or family, if it's just too much. They're probably so excited for their growing grand baby/family member they'd be glad to help. Make sure you give out big thank-yous to those who do help!

Bonus tip:

If you want a good baby app for communicating with other expecting moms, I definitely recommend the BabyBump app! the women on there are so helpful and it's a great place to look for advice or just to talk about your baby. If you want a good app to track stats and see weekly baby updates, search for Ovia Pregnancy!

Recap of weeks 4-7

So since I didn't think to start this blog until today, I wanted to kind of recap my pregnancy so far, 4 weeks at a time. Luckily, I've been so excited, I've kept pretty good track of everything!

Week 4: 11/28/14 - 12/04/14

Milestones this week:

• Found out I was pregnant on 12/03, in a gas station parking lot during lunch break. Feelings? I was Scared. Shocked. Ecstatic. 
• Told our parents on 12/04. We were too excited to come up with something cute, or to wait, although we talked about waiting until Christmas! Feelings? His parents were very surprised, and I couldn't quite read their reactions. My parents were thrilled!

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: (+/-) 0; Pregnancy: (+/-) 0. I'm pretty self conscious of my weight, so instead of the actual number, I'm just going to post how much loss/gain for the week, and how much loss/gain for the pregnancy
• Symptoms: None! (other than my missed period)
• Cravings: Ice Cream, Potato chips
• Baby Bean's size: Poppy seed
• Baby's Length: 0.014 - 0.04 inches
• Baby's Weight: Less than 0.04 oz

Tip of the week: 

Just because you've convinced yourself you're not pregnant doesn't mean you aren't! I took 5 pregnancy tests and went to the doctor to confirm because I just did not believe it! It literally wasn't until I saw my Bean at 9 weeks until I truly believed I was pregnant.

Week 5: 12/05/14 - 12/11/14

Milestones this week:

• 12/05, went to Buy Buy Baby and bought first onesie.
• 12/08, announced to friends and posted on Facebook. (Yes this was early to announce, and yes we got a lot of negative feedback for announcing so soon!)
• 12/10, got to experience one of the great joys of pregnancy for the first time: morning sickness :(

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: (+/-) 0; Pregnancy: (+/-) 0
• Symptoms: None!
• Cravings: Ice Cream
• Baby Bean's size: Peppercorn
• Baby's Length: 0.05 inches
• Baby's Weight: Less than 0.04 oz

Tip of the week:

Take a couple of things into consideration when deciding when to announce! If you're sensitive about what others say/think of you, you might want to wait longer. If you're just so excited you want to announce immediately, go for it, girl! We announced almost immediately and received several rude comments about our timing (ex; "You know you're supposed to wait until 12 weeks", "Jeez, needed the attention huh?",  "Now you've doomed yourself to a miscarriage by announcing so early") which absolutely shocked me! I mean, out of all the things to criticize, you're going to criticize our timing on announcing? but a few positive comments about it too (ex; "I love that you guys are so excited! I wish I had announced sooner!") but when it all comes down to it, who cares? It's your baby. It's your pregnancy. If you want to tell the world immediately, do it. Yes, you might receive a few rude comments, but in the long run, I'm glad I told early. On the other hand, if you're high risk or worried about what others will think, or you just want to enjoy it just you, your hubby, and maybe a few close relatives/friends? Wait a few weeks! Two of my friends didn't announce their pregnancies until 20 weeks and 22 weeks, and more power to them! I could NOT wait that long. 

Week 6: 12/12/14 - 12/18/14

Milestones this week:

• 12/12 I officially started my OTC prenatals, along with Folic Acid
• 12/18 My first doctors appointment! (Thanks to a history of seizures, my OB and primary decided it was a good idea to get me in sooner!)

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: - 1.0; Pregnancy - 1.0
• Symptoms: Morning Sickness, slight moodiness
• Cravings: Ice Cream, Pizza
• Baby Bean's Size: A Pomegranate seed
• Baby's Length: 1/8 in.
• Baby's Weight: Less than 0.04 oz

Tip of the week:

Do NOT get too wrapped up in reading the internet horror stories! I got caught up in lots of "oh my goodness! I did ____ and now the internet is telling me I hurt my baby!" moments. Seriously. Yes some things cause risks, yes there are things you need to avoid, no this list does not include almost everything imaginable. If you're seriously wondering if something is safe or not, my advice is to avoid it until you can ask your OB, or even your mom or a close friend who's been there. Just because one website claims you're baby will be born missing half his/her heart if you drink even one soda during your pregnancy doesn't mean it's true! Use some common sense, but don't be so scared you refuse to touch anything other than water!

Week 7: 12/19/14 - 12/25/14

Milestones this week:

• Christmas! Received first gifts for my Bean

Stats this week:

• Weight: Week: -1.0; Pregnancy -2.0
• Symptoms: Morning Sickness, slight moodiness, headaches
• Cravings: Ice Cream
• Baby Bean's Size: A small Blueberry
• Baby's Length: 0.5 in.
• Baby's Weight: Less than 0.04 oz

Tip of the week:

Bloat does not equal baby, but it is caused by baby, so in my mind, if you want to call it your bump, whether or not it actually is a bump, go for it! If nothing else, it makes dealing with bloat more fun if you consider it your bump. But, before you go announcing to the world or posting on social media about how big your bump is, you might want to consider that a lot of people won't consider it bump, so if you do advertise it then be prepared for negative comments!

Bonus tip of the week:

Christmas is so much fun if you're pregnant over it! Don't be disappointed though if family and loved ones tend to forget a gift for your unborn sweetie, just because (s)he's probably your whole world at the moment doesn't mean your family necessarily feels the same. Be surprised and grateful by their acknowledgement of your growing addition; don't be hurt or upset if they don't mention it! Pregnancy hormones can make for lots of hurt feelings, so be careful about what you expect so you're not let down or hurt by something others would consider innocent!

Old Wives Tales and Myths

1.   "Rumor has it that if you are carrying your baby high, it's a girl. Carrying low? Stock up on blue."

• This pointed to Girl for me! I've had several people, including my OB, tell me I was carrying high. 

2. "Legends say that if you are having a little girl, she'll steal your beauty. So, if you've got acne and other not-so-pretty skin blemishes, you've got a little princess coming your way. Dry hands and cold feet are signs of a boy. So, if you've got these ailments, break out the baby blue."

• Pointing to a Boy on this one for me! I've had dry, clear skin, and freezing feet my whole pregnancy,

3. "Take off your wedding ring, tie it to a piece of string, and hang it over your belly. If it swings in a circle, you are promised a boy; back and forth indicates a girl."

• Girl on this one, my ring definitely swung back and forth.

4. "Your baby's heart rate might be an indicator of its gender. If your little one's heart rate is under 140 beats per minute, you're having a little boy. If it's over, get ready for your little girl!"

• This one is also Girl for me. My baby's first heart rate at 9 weeks was 188, and the last time I got to hear it at 17 weeks, it was 155.

5. "Craving sweets? According to some, that means your going to have a little girl. Salty and sour cravings indicate a boy."

• This one is tricky. I've MEGA craved ice cream, specifically Cold Stone's Cake Batter (YUMMY), my whole pregnancy. Other than ice cream, though, and the occasional fruit, I've only craved salty and spicy. So I'll call this one Inconclusive. 

6. "Chinese birth charts use your age at conception and the month you conceived to determine the sex of your baby."

• The Chinese were wrong this time, at age 19 (20 according to the Chinese year) and conceiving in November, it claimed my bean was a Girl. Want to try the Chinese birth chart for yourself? Try it here!

7. "Has your spouse been indulging in your pregnancy cravings, too? If your hubby packs on a little sympathy weight, the tales say you're in for a sugary-sweet little girl."

• Another one pointing to Girl. My hubby has gained at least 10 more lbs than I have so far. Sorry, dear!

8. "Morning sickness means pink. If you're stricken with a queasy stomach during your first trimester, think ribbons and bows. If you sail through your pregnancy with little to no morning sickness, it's blue all the way."

• This one pointed to Boy! My grandma called this one; we took a poll on the way to my gender scan, and she was the only one going (out of me and 7 others) who thought it'd be a boy, and the reasoning she gave was that I didn't have much morning sickness. Guess she was right!

9. "If you are really moody, you are having a girl since you have extra girl hormones in you. Your pregnancy will make you smile and be more happy if you are having a boy.

• I have definitely been moody (once again, sorry dear!) so this one would point to Girl.

10. "If you have dreams that you are having a boy, you will have a girl. If you dream about having a girl, it will be a boy. Dreams show the opposite of what you are having."

• This one was Boy for me. I've had plenty of dreams of having a girl. However, just last night I did dream I was having a boy!

11. If a pregnant woman prefers to lay on her left side, she's having a boy. If she prefers resting on her right side, she's having a girl."

• Girl again. I can't sleep unless I'm laying on my right!

12. "71% of the time, the mom-to-be knows what she is having."

• Girl again! Way off on this one, I was 98% sure I was having a girl! I was so convinced, there were several times I would have bought pink if I would have had the money at the time. Don't get me wrong, I honestly really really wanted a boy, I just had a "gut-feeling" it was a girl. I would have been thrilled with a little princess too!

13. "If your areolae (the part around your nips) have darkened, it's a boy. If they have not, it's a girl."

• Girl. I won't go into detail, it's pretty self-explanatory!

14. "When a pregnant woman craves meat and cheese, count on a boy."

• Once again, Girl. I honestly have had trouble getting enough protein in, because all I want is salad, veggies, ice cream, and french fries! I've had to force myself a few times to eat meat, cheese,  or drink milk at times for all the goodness they contain for my baby.

15. "If you are having headaches, you might be carrying a boy."

• Hey, finally another one pointing to Boy! I've had crazy headaches, especially during my first trimester. Although my blood pressure was pretty high during my first trimester, I was even put on meds for it, so I'm pretty sure that's the cause of my headaches!

16. "It is said that when you can only think of specific names for a boy or a girl, you will have that particular baby."

• This one definitely points to Girl for me! My hubby and I have known our first daughter's name will be Aletha Faith, Allie for short, since we got engaged. Aletha after my great grandma, Faith after his grandma. We've even known our second future daughter's name will be Willow Louise, after my late grandma, Willowscene Louise) since I found out I was pregnant! But for a boy, we'd "settles" on Ethan David and David Randall, as well as throwing around a few other names before finally deciding on Rook David about a month ago. David is my FIL's first name, and my husband's middle name, so we knew we were incorporating it in our first son's name since we got married!

17. "If your face gets fuller, it means you're having a girl."

• I think this one points to Boy. My face has stayed about the same, but I've lost a lot of weight with my pregnancy so far, enough that normally it would make my face look thinner, but technically my face does not look fuller, so I'll chalk it up to boy. 

18. "Get baby advice from a nephew or friend's little boy. If a toddler boy shows interest in your belly, you'll have a girl. If he ignores you, it's a boy."

• Unlike most expecting mommas, I have a 3 year old brother. He has definitely shown lots of interest in my belly. Just the other day he found two matching dinosaurs, kept one, and set one on my belly so "baby Rook play too". So this one points to Girl!

19. "If your age and year of conception are both even or both odd, it's a girl. One even, one odd means a boy."

• This one would point to a Boy for me! I was 19 in 2014, so one odd and one even. 

20. "A child tends to be of the same sex as the parent who is less stressed at the time of conception."

• I am the biggest worry-wart alive, I stress over every little thing, and at the time of conception I had just started a new job. My husband, on the other hand, is usually one of the calmest, most level-headed people I know. I definitely need him to balance my craziness out! So if this old wives tale is true, all of my babies will end up being Boys ;D

21. "If you eat the ends of bread, it's a boy. If you only eat the middle of the loaf, it's a girl."

• This is another one pointing to Girl for me. I have not been able to stand the ends of bread lately, but I used to love the "crust pieces"!

22. "You can find out the sex by going off of your parent's kids and the order. If you are the first born, you will have what your mother had but with her second child. If you are the middle child, you will have what she had, but starting with the third child. If you are the last child, you will have what your mother had in the exact order."

• My mom only had girls biologically, so not matter what order I was in, it would point to Girl! My parents adopted three more, two girls and a boy, so biologically I'm the middle child, in my family I'm the second oldest.

23. "Add your birth month, birth day, and age at conception, for example; if your birthday is January 1st, and you're 25 at age of conception, it would look like this: 1 + 1 + 25 = 27, 2 + 7 = 9. If the final number is even, it's a girl. Odd and it's a boy."

• So for me, 3 + 13 + 19 = 35, and 3 + 5 = 8, which points towards Girl, once again!

Conclusions?

Boy: 7 - 31%

Girl: 15 - 65%

Inconclusive: 1 - 4%

So there we go! Since I already know my baby bean is a boy, I definitely won't put as much faith into these my next pregnancy. It's embarrassing how much I believed these before I found out my sweetie is a boy. I can be kind of gullible!

Bonus Tip;

If a pregnant woman tells you she just found out what she's having, even if you're pretty sure she was wanting the opposite, NEVER say "Oh I'm sorry". Since I was so sure I was having a girl, a lot of people assumed I wanted a girl. Three separate people offered condolences when I told them it was a boy, which honestly, probably thanks to all my pregnancy moodiness, kinda stung!

Who am I

Hello!

Welcome to my blog! I will attempt to make this entertaining and not painful to read, however, I'm not usually good at either of those. Who am I? My name is Bailey, I was married in October, 2014 to Brian, the love of my life. I found out I was pregnant in December, and my new hubby and I have been anxiously counting down the days until we get to meet our little sweetie.
I enjoy writing, I really do, although I'm not very good at it, but mostly, I just wanted somewhere to write down all my thoughts and exciting moments throughout the second half of my pregnancy. At the start of this blog, I was 18 weeks and 5 days pregnant. My due date is August 6th, 2015, although I (like most expectant moms) am hoping my sweet bean will be here a few weeks earlier. I found out on February 28 that my little bean is a boy! Despite having a "gut feeling" that it was a girl and a lot of old wives tales pointing to girl.
A little more about me. I am Christian, I apologize in advance if any of my viewpoints offend anyone. I'm usually pretty easy going and accepting of others and various viewpoints, but there are a few topics I feel very strongly about that may come out occasionally. I met my husband in September of 2013, we started dating October 18th, 2013 and were engaged on New Years Eve 2.5 months later. We were married on our 1 year anniversary, October 18, 2014, and found out we were expecting a month and a half later! I couldn't be happier, I absolutely love my life and love where I am.
I grew up with two loving parents, a younger sister, and an older sister. When I was 13, my parents adopted the cutest little 9 year old girl from China, and then they started fostering 5 month old boy/girl twins in July of 2012, who they adopted in august of 2014. I have tons of extended family supporting us, and I feel like I'm pretty close with a lot of them!
My husband grew up with two loving parents, and two older sisters (one quite a bit older, 13 years older I believe). Both of his sisters are engaged, the oldest to be married in April (once again, I believe, not positive on the exact date) and the other to be married June 27.
All-in-all, by the time my sweet baby boy is born, he will have 1 great great grandma, 3 great grandmas, 1 great grandpa, 4 grandparents, 3 uncles, 7 aunts, and 0 cousins, although I imagine my 3 year old siblings will feel more like cousins to him then aunt/uncle! Sounds like a pretty big family to me, and I couldn't be happier for him to have that!
My husband works as a Marketing Assistant, and I'm currently in school to be a dental assistant. I should graduate June 3rd, and plan on working immediately, even if part time.
Our plan at the moment is for me to work part time after my sweet boy is born, and on days I work either look into a preschool, or my dear stay at home momma has volunteered to babysit any days needed.
I plan on posting about once a week, either Monday or Tuesday, with maybe a few more posts scattered here and there between.
Thanks for reading my ramblings (: - Bailey

PSST - Here's a list of acronyms I might use and their meanings!

Nothing irritates me more than when I can't figure out what an acronym means, and yes I realise that a lot of these are common, but since every woman with pregnancy has pregnancy brain and completely blanks on stuff here and there, here's my cheat sheet:

BIL - Brother In Law

BPM - Beats Per Minute

DH - Dear Husband

ER - Emergency Room

ETC - Et Cetera/And the rest

EX - Example

FIL - Father In Law

IN - Inches

LBS - Pounds

MIL - Mother In Law

OB - Obstetrician 

OTC - Over The Counter

OZ - Ounces

SIL - Sister In Law

SO - Significant Other
U/S - Ultrasound

YO - Year Old