Week 35

Everyone has told me that fetal movement should be slowing down around the last few weeks of pregnancy but it has so far been just the opposite. I feel Kendrick all of the time and I LOVE feeling his little knee or foot brush against my hand when I put it on my belly. I think he has moved more this week than any other week in pregnancy.

I don’t know if this is a prego thing or not but my hair has been amazing. I can easily go 4-5 days without washing it and not have it even begin to look oily. It could partly be because of winter but I have NEVER been able to go that long before and still have it look so good. I wish I could remember how many days it had been in the picture but the fact that it was in a pony tail means it had probably been at least 3. I hope it is something that doesn’t change after pregnancy.

So my milk (colostrum) has started to come in. I think it came at the very beginning of this week. It is hard to remember exactly. Luckily I don’t have to wear a pad or anything but when I put on lotion it will leak. It is kind of freaky having my body change without my little man here but It is good to know that I will be able to feed him when he arrives. Nate and I have taken a breastfeeding course and I feel a lot more confident with that method of feeding now that we have more information on it.

 

Week 34

I woke up Thursday morning just super excited to be having a baby. I think it is all becoming more and more real knowing that Kendrick will be full term in just 2 short weeks. My midwife didn’t help my excitement by telling me that I’m 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. I can’t help but feel like I am one cm closer to meeting my little man. I am finally past my fear of having Kendrick early. I feel far enough along now that I think I will go full term (at least 37 weeks). My contraction/ Braxton hicks are a lot better than they used to be. I still get them often but they are more sporadic that I’m thinking my water will break before they are a constant 5 minutes apart and worth going into the hospital.

Nathan has been such a wonderful husband that I just keep hoping I luck out with a little miniature Nate. I hope our little man gets lots of Nate’s qualities. I have been really looking forward to having a boy! I love the idea of having a boy first just for the big brother roll. I always looked up to my oldest brother so I’m glad our future kids will have a brother to look up to too. I am also a fan of the simplicity of a boys outfit. All you need are adorable hats or shoes and the outfit is complete.

Whelp I am too tired and sick to think of what else is new for week 34. Mainly just excitement!! Happy days are ahead and Nate and I are living up the last few weeks of it being just us.

Week 33

This has been Kendrick’s growing week. I have had sooo many people comment without hesitation on my belly. I have been wearing shirts that weren’t made for pregnancy and I swear that in one day from morning to night the shirt went from fitting me to being too small. Sadly my belly isn’t the only thing growing either. I have been unable to find a bra that is comfortable enough to last me a day at work. I have switched over to nursing bra’s just because I knew I would be needing them eventually and I’m busting out of my old ones. When I have back pain I almost want to blame it on the growing breasts more then the tummy but I’m sure it is a little of both.

I found out what it is like to be pregnant and have crazy dreams. I have had a few dreams now where I wake up and really don’t want to think about how I could have possibly dreamed what I did. There is absolutely no logic in my dreams and they make no sense whatsoever. I’m super lucky that I can still sleep through the night though and so I’ll take the weird dreams as long as they come with all the REM’s.

Can you tell a difference just from last week or is it all in my head?

Week 31 and 32

I have been too busy to blog the past week with Thanksgiving so I thought I would just combine the weeks. I have been eating LOADS of sugar. Nathan and I have had a brown cow (cookies and cream ice cream with chocolate milk) almost every day of the week. I have had a lot of comments on how much I have grown in the past week so I will have to get pictures of week 33 up soon for the ultimate comparison. I think my sugar eating is really paying off on the weight gain.

I had an ultrasound and midwife appointment this week. I can finally say that I have passed my birth control weight.. It only took me till my 32 week but I finally did it by 2 pounds. I really really hate birth control and pregnancy has been a breeze compared to what I experienced on that unnatural drug.

My placenta was measured at the ultrasound and is only about 2.2cm away from my cervix. My midwife feels confident that I should be fine to deliver vaginally but I have a higher chance of possible bleeding. The worst that could happen is that I would have to have a C-section but at least I can try for a natural birth.

This picture was taken during a contraction so you can see just how round and tight my uterus gets.

Thanksgiving day picture taken before the big meal. (A day before week 32)

Week 30

This week Kendrick has really been a kicker. He is constantly on the move and making me smile. His little foot is either in the triangle between my ribs or kicking my right rib. It is fun to feel his limbs but I wish that I could feel them somewhere other than my rib. I don't think he has kicked my left side ribs once and I find that a little odd. He must have found his comfort spot and isn't willing to give it up :)

I felt hiccups for the first time this week. My sister-in-law explained what it should feel like and then I was finally able to notice. Thinking back on it I don't think that Kendrick has had them very often but I look forward to paying closer attention now that I know what it feels like.

So I have been adding some sugar back into my diet. I am trying really really hard not to get carried away with it. I am working on just enjoying one treat a day. I went to a midwife appointment and I had lost weight and I really don't know how to gain without the yummy sugar. My goal is to just be careful about not getting carried away through the holiday season but hopefully I will be able to enjoy a treat here or there. I may just work on increasing my protein as much as possible rather than go down the sugar route, but we will have to see what my body and Kendrick like more : )

Only 9 more week until I get to meet the little person growing in me.. So excited.

p.s. The Hypnobirthing classes have been going great! Yesterday we talked about fears and I think that a small baby is my fear. The only baby dreams I have are of Kendrick coming early (Tuesday Nov 22 to be exact). I think I have dreams of Kendrick coming early because I'm scared of him being small. I just need to get past my fear of having a tiny baby because even if Kendrick does come on his due date I know that an 8 pound baby is tiny and that freaks me out. I still just can't believe that I am going to be a mom. Being responsible for a tiny person is really a big step in life and I hope that I can handle this step in my life.

Week 29

Little Kendrick was spoiled and loved this week. We had another baby shower and were blessed with good company, food, and presents. It felt so odd to be opening presents for little Kendrick when he isn’t here to enjoy it, but I sure do enjoy his gifts. We got lots and lots of children’s books which I just couldn’t resist reading and enjoying now.

We had our final research study appointment yesterday and I can hardly believe that we made it to this point. We had an ultrasound, exam, blood drawn, many pokes all for the very last time at the U hospital. I even had to wear the sleep monitor last night and I felt more pregnant in my first trimester wearing it than I did last night. I still feel like I am living in a dream with this whole pregnancy and yet I have a movement in me reminding me of just how real everything is. I hope I start feeling like a mom sometime soon and that I don’t have to wait until Kendrick is here in order to feel like he is mine.

 

Look at Kendrick’s giant foot. I’m hoping it means he will be tall and not just have big feet!

Is this picture not super creepy and look like a toddler is growing in me? (He is an ounce away from 3 pounds)

Praying hands in front of the face :)

Week 28

This week has been full of appointments and guessing games. I have been scared to eat many foods because I didn’t want my stomach to hurt again. I am eating a bland diet while trying to gain weight and it isn’t easy. Before last Friday I would eat just about anything that sounded good and now almost NOTHING sounds good. I just have to start cooking something and hope that I’m in the mood by the time it is done cooking (which usually I am : ) ).

I wish that I had something significant for this week to mention but it seems like a basic week. I still have braxton hicks/ contractions a lot of the time but I’m not too worried about it. I think that they are sporadic enough that unless I start dilating I won’t be going into labor anytime soon.  In fact night time is when they come on strong and often so I’m going to make a prediction now that when I do go into active labor it will be at night.

I almost forgot to mention that I started the Hypnobirthing classes this week. I am really excited about incorporating it into my everyday life. The instructor did a guided hypnosis at the end and I am pretty sure Nathan fell completely asleep, but I’m thankful for his support anyway. I think that it is going to be a good method of birthing for us.

 

Adventures!

I'm not really sure how detailed to be on all of our adventures this weekend so I'll just type until I get sick of it... On Friday I started having stomach pains which is sadly pretty normal for me. I didn't think much of it until they suddenly changed and I could no longer help members at America First without completely messing up the transaction. All I could think about was the pain in my stomach so I finally broke down and decided it would be worth going to a clinic to have them check me out.

After many many tears and the clinic turning away a pregnant lady Nate and I finally decided to go to the ER. I felt really stupid being there because I always picture it being for only people who are on the verge of dying any moment but at the same time I could no longer walk without wanting to barf from the pain. I was in so much pain that I basically just laid down wherever there was a brief moment of waiting. My pain would go from a 9 to a 3 just by laying down so it was worth people judging me on the gross hospital floor.

I learned that being pregnant in a hospital means that NOTHING comes before the baby. The ER wouldn't even touch me until labor and delivery had checked me out and made sure everything was okay with the pregnancy. I ended up in labor and delivery for 4 1/2 hours and never even found out why I was having pain... it was a bit odd and relieving to know that they care as much about my unborn child as I do :)

So the adventures of L&D started with a really kind nurse (Karren) hooking me up to a heart beat monitor and contraction monitor. Luckily Kendrick has had a strong heart from day one because Karren said it is usually really hard to hear the heartbeat on the hookup that they had at only 28 weeks. (His heart was heard almost the entire time we were there without a single problem).

Well, naturally my braxton hicks (contractions) started up as usual and freaked everyone out. I tried to tell them that I have been having braxton hicks for a couple of months but I don't think they took me seriously. My stomach pain was on the bottom of the list of importance while they can test after test to try and see why I was having contractions. I was a really confused about why they were worrying so much when it was so obvious to me that my pain had nothing to do with a contraction. I don't think I really understood how many I was having until Karren told me that I was having more contractions than another lady whose water broke at 2 and had been in the hospital all day. I even had some that were only 2 minutes apart and I guess the worry was that they didn't want me to deliver that night. Honestly they are so normal to me that I have to consciously think about it to tell if I am having one.

Well they finally got the bright idea to hydrate me because I hadn't had anything to eat or drink in hours. Once I had a liter of fluid in me the contractions settled down enough for them to feel comfortable enough to send me home. I was given some Maalox that helped with my stomach pain and told to get a bland diet and call on Monday to see what I should do next.

I still had stomach pain throughout the weekend but nothing in comparison to the pain I felt on Friday. I called my midwife today and told her about the weekend and she wanted to see me again today. She did a couple more tests, and checked Kendrick to make sure he wasn't breached (he wasn't :) ) I now have a list of things that I get to do over the next couple of weeks while they keep monitoring my contractions and stomach pain. Luckily I get to see a gastroenterologist tomorrow so the adventures are still in the beginning stages.

I don't mind the extra midwife visits, ultrasounds, and hearing Kendrick's heartbeat but I DON'T want to deliver early. I think some of the nurses wanted to make bets on when I would deliver after I left the hospital and I hope that the latest date wins!

Week 27

I feel like each week just gets better and better. I have yet to hit the point where I hate pregnancy but I am sure the closer I get to my due date the more likely that might happen.

My belly is just big enough that I can make an outie belly button on demand. It makes me laugh every time. Nate always gets mad saying that I need to stop messing with the "baby timer" because if it hasn't popped then it isn't time for Kendrick to come. I just find it so fascinating that my belly button can change.

I am still hardly looking pregnant enough for people to tell. I feel good and prego but people are still shocked when they hear that I am pregnant... and then I have to hear all their stories about someone else who is pregnant and looks less pregnant than me.. kind of awkward at times.


I am loving the kicks and movements. I am finally to the point where I can feel Kendrick throughout the entire day. For the most part he is mellow but with each day the kicks are getting stronger and harder. I love that my little man is growing so fast.

(Our baby is about 2 1/2 pounds this week)

Week 26

I have LOVED this week. I can finally feel the bones/ limbs/ structuring of baby Crow. There have been a couple times where I could literally push Kendrick in order to relieve the pressure where he was curled up. His kicking is so strong now I just love watching my tummy make giant waves as he kicks and moves. I feel like there really is a little person in me and not just cells dividing that are making me fatter.

I love talking to Kendrick and having him kick back in response. There was one night where I would tap my tummy and then he would Kick my hand.. I felt like I could have done it all night and still been giddy about the whole thing.

On Thursday I finally had someone ask if I was pregnant. It made me self conscious and happy at the same time. Kendrick is making his appearance into the world now… no more hiding. My only hope is that I am tall enough to scare people away from ever putting their hand on my tummy. I don’t mind sharing my baby bump with family and friends but I am not too excited about baby happy ladies putting their hand on MY belly. We shall see what the future of getting bigger holds.

Front picture for Jessica

Can you smell how close I am to the end of my pregnancy LOL…

My sugar addiction..

So I just LOVE sugar. I pretty much think it is the best thing ever. I think I love food in general because I also love my fruits and veggies, but I crave sugar more than most. This isn't a pregnancy thing just a Melanie thing.

I have been reading some childbirth books that say that you have to get rid of fear in order to have a pain free childbirth. The only fear that sometimes comes to mind is that I might not be able to have the willpower to stay focused during labor without drugs. That is why this post is about sugar. It is a major part of my diet and I decided today that if I could eliminate it from my diet than I could do anything I set my mind to... including delivering a baby naturally.

I have confidence that I will be able to handle the pain because I have broken an arm and had my wisdom teeth pulled without feeling any pain from either incident. I personally think that I have a high pain tolerance and if I can keep focused on the end result I know that delivering a child naturally is possible.

This post may not make a ton of sense because of how tired I am, but basically I am going to cut out sweets from my diet until I give birth. I need to be able to make it through Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas without gaining more weight than what is necessary and I need to know that I can do something hard. Not eating sweets is going to be something that will be really really hard for me mentally. If I can go three months without sweets I will have more confidence that I can put my mind to anything.. like having a baby.

Wish me luck because the first week is always the hardest!

Week 25

I realize that I am a day early in posting this but I just had to say ONLY 99 DAYS UNTIL KENDRICK SPENCER CROW IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE!! We are down to 2 digits now and I can hardly believe how fast time is flying by.

This week has been pretty basic. There are times Kendrick stops me in my tracks and makes me take a moment to smile because I realize the crazy movement in my belly is just him. My favorite thing that Nate does is say "Kendrick I am your Father" to my belly in the Darth Vader voice. It makes me laugh every time and also appreciate the fact that we are not naming our baby Luke. I am determined to start reading books to Kendrick this week. I want him to love reading/ listening to good books so I'm hoping that if we start the habit while he is in the womb he won't be able to resist : ) The library is going to be my favorite walking to, through, and from once Kendrick is here so I hope he can enjoy it as much as I do.

This week I am on a hunt for a Hypnobirthing class. I want to start as soon as possible but I am still having a hard time justifying the money. It is about as expensive as an epidural so as long as I follow through with everything than I guess it all evens out.. except insurance pays for the epidural and I pay for the hypnobirthing : (

No pictures this week... just imagine my belly and behind bigger and that should be enough of a image.

Week 24

I had to post the t-shirt picture because I was excited to prove that I am finally big enough to show through a normal t-shirt. Kendrick has grown and grown this week making jeans and big meals very uncomfortable. He is kicking so hard! I would have posted a video of my tummy that has him doing karate kicks but I couldn’t figure out how to edit it. I am continually surprised at how hard he can kick now. There are times where he will flip in my tummy and it makes me feel like I am on a roller coaster ride where you get the sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach from going to fast. My all time favorite thing is to have Nate put his hand on my tummy and have Kendrick kick his hardest to show off for his daddy. I still can hardly wait until they get to meet! Only 15 more weeks!!

I have been loving my sleep the past few weeks. I am usually in bed before 10, and amazed if I can last longer than that. The discomforts that come at night are bunches and bunches of leg cramps. I don’t have to get out of bed yet in order for them to go away, but I feel like when I’m stretching my foot to get rid of one, there are five more that form. I am not a fan of them, but I’ll take it over the no sleeping phase :) Only 3 more weeks until I’m in my 3rd trimester and onto all new symptoms and changes!

Ultrasound and Midwife Visit

I no longer have placenta previa :) At least I don't have to go on bed rest anyway. As long as the placenta is no longer covering the cervix I'm good to resume normal activities which makes me really really happy. I have to have another ultrasound at 32 weeks just to see how many centimeters away it is from the cervix, but I am hopeful. It just has to move at least 2 centimeters away in order to be able to deliver vaginally and it has already moved 1.02 so I crossing my fingers that it keeps on moving.

Kendrick looked great. The fluid in his brain disappeared liked they hoped would happen and he is one shy, reserved, stubborn boy! The best pictures we can get of him are of his heart and occasional foot. He buries his face either by curling into himself or with his arms making an X over it. With how often he flashes his heart around I really think he is going to be one open and loving boy. It is just a few short months until we get to know for sure.

I had to get a flu shot at my appointment today and I was kind of bummed about it. I hate shots and I have avoided the flu shot for many many years with the luck of never ever having the flu. Apparently the flu can be much worse when pregnant so I don't think I will regret it. At least I will have sympathy for Kendrick when he has to get his every year :) I will make sure to buy a soda pop for him to put on his arm just like my ma did when I was little. Sweets always seem to make things heal faster!

Prego Mel out..

Week 23

I am having a harder time knowing what to write because other than getting fatter by the minute I'm pretty much just my plain old self. Kendrick is kicking me a ton now and it seems that with each day that passes he can kick harder and harder. I am still in love with the idea of being pregnant and can't really imagine that in a few short months I will be a mom 24/7.

I am waiting for the motherhood thoughts to kick in and scare me but I have yet to have that happen. I think I worried enough about being a mom before I was prego that now all that is left is excitement. I know that I still have a lot to learn about being a mom but I figure there is no reason to freak myself out now when I have tons of years to practice and learn.

Tomorrow is my ultrasound and midwife appointment... which I am both excited and nervous about. It seems kind of odd that in a few hours I could be placed on bed rest if my placenta hasn't moved. I'm hoping for the best and super excited to get another DVD of my cute little man :)

Week 22

I have the very very best husband in the world. This week I just want to brag a little about how great my life really is. I have been starting to get more of a baby bump with each day that passes and Nathan has been nothing but supportive. He somehow manages to make me feel prettier pregnant than I ever thought was possible. I have moments of not feeling so great about my unpredictable body and this was a note he left me on a blog we share...

Gal,

You have the most perfect body ever!! I cannot even begin to fathom how you don't just adore how you look and how you can get my attention all the time with your cuteness.  You really are the most beautiful girl I've ever talked to.  I don't know why you worry about it.  You are gonna be the cutest lil pregnant gal ever!! I can't wait to show off your cute belly when we go places.  Thanks for keeping up with the blog!  I'm excited for my birthday and all the upcoming adventures.  Love you! Love, Nate

He even mentioned yesterday that he hopes my tummy doesn't instantly flatten back out because he just thinks it is sexy to know that his child was growing in it. I don't understand his logic but I sure am thankful for his efforts in making me feel like a million dollars. I am so lucky that I don't have expectations to live up to! I am trying hard to love my body through the changes and I can honestly say that I rarely succeed but I am so super lucky that I have a husband who makes it easier to love myself. With Nathan around I know that it will be easier to watch the scale go up so that we can have a very healthy baby boy in just 17 weeks!!

Week 21

This week has been kind of interesting. I figure I am mainly writing this blog for myself so if I am ever too open about things just feel free to not read my posts. My uterus has been going crazy this week. The last four days have been terrible because I almost always have a tightening in my uterus... day, night, and any time in-between.

I have tried drinking a ton of water, taking a bath, and laying down which so far do the exact opposite of relaxing my uterus. I finally went in and saw a midwife to make sure everything is okay and she did a few different test which have so far all come back negative. I think my uterus is just excited to finally have a reason to work out. Hopefully it won't mean that I have a pre-term baby because I am still loving my pregnancy and I want Kendrick to be able to grow as big as possible so that NICU does not have to be an option.

When I had a dream about having a small baby boy I really thought it was the first baby dream that all women have.... I'm really hoping my dream doesn't come true...

The other crazy thing about this week is that I have all of the sudden finally really started to show. On Tuesday I felt like my skirt was getting tighter and tighter as the day went on. It is kind of funny because I feel like I was bigger at the beginning of the week than I am now. A few people have commented on my belly, so hopefully it is Kendrick growing and not just the yummy Oreo cookies that are so hard to resist. 

First Baby Shower

Kendrick and I had our very first baby shower full of fun surprises. It was a combined shower with my cousin who is due next month. I felt funny getting showered with gifts when I am hardly even showing but it was still so fun. I liked having the combined shower and my cousin who is also having a boy, so it was great sharing the experience with her.

The shower was on my mom's side of the family and we had homemade cafe rio, desserts, and gift opening. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family and I can hardly wait for Kendrick to meet everyone. He is such a lucky boy!

Week 20

I threw-up for the very first time in pregnancy. I took a new prenatal pill on an empty stomach like I do most mornings but the new pill must have not liked me much. I won't be experimenting with pills anymore :)

This week has been crazy for braxton hicks. Nathan and I went on a camping trip over the weekend and something about the mountains really had me going. Any time I would wake up in the middle of the night I would have 2-3 braxton hicks just a few minutes apart. I got them for about an hour straight in the morning when I woke up too. I didn't have any throughout the day so I tried not to freak out. My midwife said braxton hicks are harmless as long as they are 10 minutes apart but I know for a fact that they were usually less than 2 minutes apart. Since we have been back I usually only get a couple around 4:30 in the morning and then a few when I wake up so hopefully it really is/was nothing to worry about. At least now I know that mountain air will start contractions if I happen to be late with Kendrick.

We ordered our first pair of cloth diapers. I decided to try out the g diapers. I got a newborn bundle that came with 12 tiny diapers, 6 small diapers, and then 80 disposable inserts. I am really excited about trying cloth diapers and seeing what I think about them. I am pretty sure it will be awesome as long as we don't have too many blow outs with Kendrick.

Prego Woman Out...

Doctor Notes

Today at our 20 week ultrasound they told us that I currently have placenta previa. It isn't a big deal right now because as the uterus expands the placenta should move with it. Lucky for us we get another ultrasound at the end of the month :) If the placenta hasn't moved away from my cervix by then then I will probably be on bed rest. There is a 90% chance it will move so we aren't really too worried. We'll wait till the next ultrasound before we start worrying about it.

We were also told that there is a small cyst in Kendrick's brain. It too should disappear with time because it is mainly caused by too much amniotic fluid or something of the sort. It is one sign of down syndrome though so they have to watch that too to see if it changes over time. We could do a test to see about down syndrome but we don't think it is worth it. It won't change anything about the pregnancy and a ultrasound in the third trimester might be able to determine if the cyst has changed. The tests are based on statistics not diagnosis so I think I would rather know that it is a possibility then get a false/positive.

I really liked the doctor that helped read the ultrasound. Overall, Kendrick is one healthy babe. He has all of his main bones and a stubborn personality with wanting to cooperate. His heart and stomach were the easiest to see on the ultrasound and I can already tell that he will have a big loving heart with just about anyone. He always places it front and center so that anyone can see or just hear it if using the heartbeat monitor. Last time he had his heart checked the midwife told me she could hear both chambers shutting because of how close she had the monitor to the heart.

I sure am excited to meet our little guy. I love seeing him during ultrasounds and consider myself lucky that we get a couple more. Usually after the 20 week ultrasound if everything looks great you don't get to see your baby again until it is born so I think we are pretty lucky.

Week 19

I am finally sleeping like my old self again and it is wonderful Whatever kind of stomach problems I was having last week have almost completely disappeared this week, and I am one happy gal. I can feel Kendrick move at least once a day but usually more and I still smile every time. It almost reminds me of a muscle twitching more than a butterfly feeling but however it is described it is still amazing to know that a little person is in me, growing, and moving.

A new symptom this week are calf muscle cramps. I only half wake up in the middle of the night with them and I can usually get them out by flexing my feet.  I also half wake up with a lot of Braxton hicks. They don’t really hurt yet but I don’t know if I should be having so many this early on. I am really hoping our little guy doesn’t come early because I don’t care how uncomfortable I get I think it is worth the wait to have a healthy baby. I have been reading a book where it says to write down my ideal birthing story so I am hoping to do that sometime this week. The mind is a powerful thing so if I think it and dream it then just maybe everything will all go well with delivery.

Today we get to see Kendrick for our 20 week ultrasound and I am so excited I can’t really think of anything else so that is all for this week

Week 18

I am always amazed at how much can happen in just one week that it worth documenting. Last week I forgot to mention that I accepted another research study to be a part of, so I am now in four total. I love being a part of different studies! We get paid to do the simplest things and it will help other women in the future. We got our first check in the mail yesterday and even though it was a small amount I still was super excited to have a little mula to go towards Baby Crow. I will write more on the specific study I am doing when I actually have to participate.

This week we choose our name for Baby Crow. I realize that we still have many months to change our mind but I LOVE the name right now and I don’t see myself changing my mind so we are going to name him Kendrick Crow. We are still trying to decide on a middle name. We don’t know which side of the family to pull the middle name from so it has been hard coming up with one. I love Kendrick because we can call him Kenny (My fav) or Rick for a nickname. The only problem with the name is that it is kind of difficult to say the end K with the beginning C in Crow. I have decided that I don’t care  enough to let it stop me from using it so I wanted to make sure I blogged about it on the week we found it. We came up with the name from a baby name app I put on Nate’s Ipod. I wouldn’t let Nate go to sleep until we found a name and once we found Kendrick I was satisfied. I am really excited about it so no mean comments please!

My stomach has been acting up this week. I have still been able to have milk products but because of my acid pill that I have to take most foods that are high in proteins make me really sick. I bought a ton of protein bars, and jerky because I am supposed to have protein but I always get really sharp stabbing pains that last hours when I eat it. I will probably have to take another pill with my acid pill so that my body knows to still break down food and not just stop all acid production : (

I have failed to write about food cravings most of this pregnancy so I thought I would fill in that info. I have yet to have a craving where I just have to have a certain food. For the most part I eat almost exactly as I would as if I wasn’t Prego. The only difference is that I now eat boring and “yucky” flavors like grape and lemon first. I used to love the fun artificial flavors like apple, peach, and watermelon, and now I love cherry, grape, lemon, and just basic boring flavors. I surprise myself every time when I go for the opposite flavor that I usually would. Other than that I don’t think much else has changed.

We got a sweet little white cradle this week from a neighbor that it moving. It currently has pink bedding but I’m planning on having my ma help be change that. I wasn’t originally planning to have a cradle or bassinet because our apartment is so small but it was so sweet that I just couldn’t pass it up. It is white and has a pin in the side of it that makes it stay in one spot or if you pull it out then you can make is swing. Kendrick is going to look adorable in it. After we get our carpets cleaned I can set it up and will post some pictures.

Can you see Kendrick growing?? I’m not so sure I have changed too much lol except tights are extremely extremely uncomfortable to wear!!

 

 

Week 17

Other than the week where I first found I was pregnant, this has been my favorite week in pregnancy. I felt baby Crow kick for the first time on Monday and it was AMAZING. I went to a yoga class and was laying in Shavasana (aka final relaxation) when I could feel a tiny little kick in the bottom right corner of my uterus. Baby kicked 5-6 times and I just happened to be paying close enough attention to my body to notice. I couldn’t have planned a better way to feel a kick for the first time. I have felt it a few times since but it isn’t everyday, and it always comes when I least expect it.

The other reason this week has been so amazing is because we found out the gender of baby Crow. On Thursday night we had our 2nd ultrasound and baby Crow cooperated perfectly. WE ARE HAVING A BOY!! Our final guesses switched from the last time we thought we might find out. I was guessing girl and Nate was guessing boy. We really couldn’t be more thrilled. We have already been offered a ton of boy clothes, car travel system, stroller, and a baby bath. Baby is getting spoiled fast and all he has to do is grow. 

Again don’t mind the tank top. I am going to attempt to take pictures on Sunday so that I have a better shirt on, but if it throughout the week the tightest shirts I own are tank tops…

Opening the mouth to blow kisses…

Already looking squished poor guy.

Close up of the heart.

MALE! If you know where to look it is very obvious!

Baby Crow had his arm behind his head in a recline position almost the entire ultrasound.

Week 16

This week has been amazing. I am determined to feel the baby kick before week 20 so I have been trying all sorts of odd techniques. I held a flashlight to my stomach and have tried laying down after eating and poking my belly to see if I could feel anything. I sometimes take long moments to reflect on my tummy and see if I can feel anything flutter. I don’t think I am far enough along yet to feel anything but it is fun to be wishful and know that in no time I’ll be able to feel baby all of the time.

The best part about this week was feeling my stomach change overnight. I woke up one night and brushed my hand across my stomach and was shocked by how I could feel a definite bump. My uterus was hard which made it stick out and I could feel it for the first time. I have been feeling very much pregnant ever sense that night. I almost wish that the picture below was taken after that night because I really have changed in just a few days but week 17 will have to show the big difference.

Nate and I are celebrating our 2 year anniversary today and I must say we are one happy couple. This will be our last anniversary without having to find a babysitter but we have had 2 lovely years together and we can’t wait to add a baby to our happiness. Life is soooo good right now!

Gender dreams!

I have had three specific dreams with knowing the gender of our baby. The first two were with us having a boy. The second dream was kind of interesting because he came at 24 weeks without having anything wrong. He was extremely small, but I was able to take him home immediately and not ever have to deal with the NICU. Although it would be nice to not have any complications I still don't want to dream about our baby coming that early.

The third dream has been on my mind all week. I had a beautiful little girl. I was somehow drugged during the labor and delivery so that I couldn't remember a thing and then it continue to affect me to the point where I couldn't ever remember the name of our baby. I felt like a vegetable just watching life happen around me. All I knew for certain was that I had such a beautiful girl and that Nate was a perfect dad to take care of her while I was helpless.

After my third dream I have been hoping for a little girl more and more. I haven't really cared up to this point but I remember the bond that I felt with the little girl in my dream and I can't help but wish for a little girl now. We should hopefully find out on the 18th which is more exciting than Christmas!! For now we wait and get excited that I should be able to feel the baby kick almost any day now. Hurray!

Week 15

The best part about this week has been adding dairy back into my diet. I haven't been able to have dairy every since I went on birth control until this week. I have eaten ice cream and had graham crackers and milk without feeling extremely sick afterwards. It has been amazing and I hope it is something that will last even after the pregnancy.

I would choose being pregnant over being on birth control every day. I never knew just how normal it would feel to have a baby growing inside me. If it wasn't for the lack of sleep I would say that being pregnant is better for my body than not. It has been a very easy adjustment.

The other best thing that has happened this week is that we got our crib and attempted to set it up for family night. It took days to get all of the right screws and bolts that were  missing but we are happy with the final product. A little shoe polished shined up all of the scuffs that were on it and we couldn't be happier.

I can't remember if I mentioned running last week but this weeks running has been interesting. I feel like I have to pee almost every time we go. It is so hard to have a baby bouncing on the bladder and I'm assuming the further along I get the harder it will be to not pee my pants while running. I was planning on having restroom breaks routed into our driving long distances when I got further along but restroom breaks during a short mile run seems kinda crazy. Hopefully remembering to use the restroom before we run should solve the problem.

This week has been full of adventures because I was also offered a job at America First in West Valley. I am really excited about it and I start training on Monday. They don't currently know that I am pregnant so I have no idea if I will be able to stay after the baby comes but the plan is to try and work up until I deliver and then work enough hours after that I can stay on their insurance. Life is full of twists and turn so we will just have to see which ones Nate and I get to take. Peace!! 

Week 14

This week has been my running week. Nate and I started a new goal to run just a mile a day. I figure it's realistic to stick with even while I'm prego. The picture above is just after a run so ignore the red face and tank top :)

This week has been pretty uneventful. I didn't sleep for a bunch of the first part of the week but the last few days have been better and I am starting to feel like myself. On Sunday I felt like I really started to stick out just a little. It seemed like in one day I had a little tummy. I am so excited for our growing little bundle of joy.

Week 13

This week has been a very exciting one! Nate and I were able to see our baby for the first time on his birthday and it was amazing. I couldn’t stop laughing and the technician was really bugged that she couldn’t get a very good picture because of my uncontrolled laughing but I didn’t care. I was disappointed that the tech didn’t even look for the gender and didn’t record the DVD right so we didn’t get to take home a video of the ultra sound so I think that we are even.

When I went in to do the ultra sound for the nuMom2be study I was lucky enough to only have our little Crow measuring at 13W 1 day. This made it so that it really was possible to be in the study because even though I was 13W 6days if I happened to measure over 14W they wouldn’t have let me participate in the study. I am really happy to see our baby more often so I am glad it worked out. Lucky for us we even got to sign up for a few more studies. They don’t pay much but I think it is worth it for the experience. One of them is a sleep study. I had to wear a sleep “machine’ for a night and have all sorts of  gadgets monitoring me in my sleep. I put a picture of it below trying to act sick for kicks and giggles. It wasn’t super uncomfortable and I only have to wear it one more time in my 3rd trimester.

The lack of sleep I have been experiencing has been week 13 pretty unpleasant. I have been so grumpy because I am so sick from not sleeping yet my body won’t let me sleep. I not only have a hard time getting to sleep but now I can’t stay asleep. I wake up without a reason and then it takes forever to get back to sleep. It has been extremely frustrating and I have not been a pleasant person because of it. For week 14 I am going to try Benadryl because I can’t keep going without sleep.

 

My sister, Tine took this picture right when I woke up.

I absolutely love the profile in this picture.

The average measurement was around 6.95cm

The spine is best shown in this picture.

Week 12

I really don't have anything new to report but I figured that I would keep up with the tradition of at least writing a little note. Nate and I are hoping to find out the gender on Thursday (Nate's Birthday) so I thought for this week we would both put in our last guess on what we think we are having...

Nathan: (Mel's interpretation) A girl, but I think he secretly wants a boy first :)

Melanie: I keep picturing that we will see a boy on the ultrasound but every time I think of bringing a baby home I think girl. I don't think there really will be a mix up I just can't make up my mind. Most family members are thinking boy, but if I follow my mom's same pattern and am less tired with girls than I am definitely having a little girl. For the purpose of this blog i will make a final decision and say boy.

I will post another picture for the 13th week and I will be sure to write if we get to know the gender. I can hardly wait to find out who is growing in my tummy!

Week 11

I have hated pictures sense age 3 and my dislike has not changed in the slightest. I am posting pictures for the sake of documentation on the baby. I am smiling out of happiness of being pregnant and not because of the picture, I want to make that clear. I am also wearing the tightest shirt I own so that hopefully my belly shows so no judgments please!

I realize that I am posting slightly early but I don’t think things will change too much. I have finally been sleeping relatively normal. I feel like my old sleeping self. I have started to take half of my prenatal and night and the other half in the morning and it has helped a ton. I have at times forgotten that I am pregnant because I no longer have any symptoms other than my jeans feeling slightly tight. I can hardly believe that I am done with my first trimester, only a few short months left until I get to hold a baby all day:)

Week 10

I have felt my very best this week. I have been able to sleep at night and even take naps in the day. Tonight seems to be different though :( so I am updating the blog. My food frenzy is finally calming down. I think that it had to be my prenatal meds that have thrown my body for a loop because I forgot to take them with me on my trip down to Mona and the week could not have been more perfect: I rarely felt nauseous in the morning, I slept perfect, and all of the other crazy pregnancy symptoms like dry eyes vanished. I took the prenatal vitamin right before I went to bed thinking nothing of it... and now I cannot sleep again. I doubt it has caffeine in it but it might as well because there is no way I am going to bed any time soon.

 Next week I think I will start posting pictures. I have noticed my pants feeling kinda tight but I still feel fat  more than pregnant. Hopefully one more week will convince me that I'm not fat and give me the confidence to post some pictures.

Baby Crow says, "In case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!" (Truman)

Week 9

This week I have been on a food frenzy. If I see food than I instantly crave it and at the same time nothing at home sounds very good (fast food sounds disgusting too). My main cravings are veggies, noodles, and any type of sugar... like a Snickers sounds sooo good. The worst part about this week is that I almost always feel starved. I can't eat a lot at a time so if I go too long in-between meals than I feel like it has been days since I ate last. I would say from 10-2pm is the worst time of day because nothing really sounds good to eat but I feel like I have to eat the entire 4 hours to not feel sick or starving. It has been an interesting adventure.

Surprisingly I still fit into my smallest sized jeans but my bras are at the point where they must go. I love the reason for my body changing, but it is so weird to get used to. I know that in the end it will all be worth it and I just have to love myself through the process. I am so excited that week 10 is already here and time is flying by. Happy Days!

Week 8

On Friday (the first day of week 9) Nate and I got to go to our first Baby Doctor appointment. I was so surprised at how long it took! I was told that it would be our longest appointment but 2 hours still seemed like a long time when our Midwife cut out part of the testing I had done in May. My veins are still shy to needles. It took a couple pokes, and some modifications in order to work with 4-5 tubes of blood rather than the original 7 that was wanted. I am so excited for my blood to start increasing :)

The best part about our visit was the heart beat!! It was so neat hearing a heart of another human inside of my body. The pulse stayed in the 160's so we will have to see if it is a boy like everyone is saying. At this point I am just happy to have a little person in me with a heart beating!

I have no new pregnancy symptoms. I had food poisoning for 24 hours because I was extremely stupid and ate muffin mix that had a raw egg (not processed) in it. It taught me to think before just putting anything in my mouth. In fact I have once again started a food journal so I can make sure I am feeding our baby with all the right nutrients. I find that I eat more vegetables and less sugar if I write down what I am eating.


Only 216 days until the expected due date of our baby!!

Week 7

Well Nate and I went and got a free pregnancy test on Tuesday and I am still Pregnant so Yippy!! We have no idea when we will be able to do our first doctor's appointment because we are still trying to figure out insurance. I currently have student insurance but come August I will either have to take fall classes or get on Medicaid so it is all very confusing right now. Plus Nate will be gone for a month or so making the appointment even harder to schedule.

Nate is leaving me this Sunday to do a pharmacy rotation down in Mona. I get nervous/sick just thinking about it. I have not been able to last more than one night without him and he is leaving for a month! I will still see him but not nearly as often as I would like. I like my hubby and I don't want him gone for so long. I am so glad he will rarely have to travel for work because I would not be a very good military, pilot, travel agent wife!!

Well, this week has been pretty average. I have not thrown up but I get nauseated in the morning and especially when I work out. Nate and I spent a lot of time with his extended family and it was hard to not accidentally spill the beans. Hot tubing was soooo tempting! There is no way I could have kept the secret if I was throwing up.

My favorite thing about the pregnancy so far is my new hands. I finally have hands that you can see the veins in and that aren't dry and purple. They are still cold but I am hoping even that will fade with increased blood flow.

My sister-in-law let me watch her newborn overnight for their 4th anniversary and I couldn't be happier. I had a blast!! I felt like I was getting spoiled because of how special it felt to have a newborn in our house. William was the perfect baby and made me more excited to be a mom. I kept on telling him how he was going to have a cousin in a few months. I hope he keeps my secret lol.

Well, I am now onto week 8 and very excited to be one week closer to a spirit from heaven.

Mellie

Guesses

My guess is that we are having twin girls, and Nate is guessing that we are having just one boy. We would be happy with either gender and really do not have a preference but are just guessing. What is your guess?

Welcome to the Gerber Generation!! Week 6

In April I couldn't watch a single Gerber baby commercial without either crying or finding something else to do. I just finished listening to to one and all I could do was smile, because I now feel welcomed to the Gerber generation.

I am so excited to be pregnant that really I don't know how Nate and I haven't told anyone yet. In fact I have had to send him texts like "Guess what I have a secret I can't tell anyone but I couldn't help myself and I just have to tell you that I AM PREGNANT!!" It has been the only way to get some of my excitement out without spilling the beans.

The last weekend of April I had the opportunity to hold 3 precious little babies for a few hours at a time and I loved every second. I am so lucky to have so many people to lean on who are experiencing the new life of being a mother. My sister-in-law Jolene has been an amazing example to me on the type of mother I want to be someday. She has filled me in on all the trials and joys that come with being a new mom and it has helped me know what I am getting into with the confidence that I can/will be great. I am so excited!!

Well, an update on what happened during my 6th week of pregnancy is kinda boring. I have had all of the same symptoms as week 5 with not much new but possibly just more intense. I sleep even less, have super dry eyes, have had slight abdominal cramping, and I get the occasional nausea if I don't eat very much in-between breakfast and dinner. I am convinced that I can already see a slight slight bump but it might just be that I just want there to be a bump so I am looking for anything.

I have enjoyed poking the baby(ies) and bugging Nate that we are going to have twins. I have never dreamed of having twins but until an ultra sound tells me different I am going with it. I have been having a feeling that I will have twins and I can't even blame it on the pregnancy because it started before I ever became pregnant. Does every girl think this way or is it just me? Either way I am excited. 

Week 5

This week I have been able to smell everything. I have had to consciously bite my tongue so that I wouldn't give away my pregnancy by claiming a smell that was too far away for anyone else to smell. I have been so surprised on how many things I can smell before seeing. Early this morning while I was getting ready I kept on smelling something sweet when I walked by my dresser but I couldn't pin point the smell. I discovered later that there was a candle for decoration I had forgotten about and originally thought was odorless but was overwhelmed by the immense scent that it was putting off. It has been an amazing discovery to have a powerful smelling nose and to be smelling the world differently.

This may be too much information but because I am writing for the purpose of creating a memory I am going to say it anyway. My breasts have been extremely sore. It sometimes hurts to have water from the shower hitting them. They already feel like they are huge and I am barely even pregnant!!

I still have all of the same symptoms from last week with the sleeplessness increased. I toss and turned all week and never once was able to sleep past 6:30am. I cannot even nap throughout the day for more than a few minutes. I don't know if it is a good or bad thing. I have been able to work out and have time for homework before my 9am class but I really miss uninterrupted 8 hour nights. Now is the time to live up the sleep before our baby (ies) come and yet I can't. It is frustrating and really nice all at the same time. This week has flown by and I am amazed at how quickly things change. I'm onto week 6 with the hope that I am one of those girls that doesn't get sick when pregnant :)

... I almost forgot that I have also had extremely dry eyes and abdominal cramping. 

Timing.

Timing is everything in my life. Things always seem to follow into exact alignment with what I am capable of handling. I was always so scared of college, marriage, and having a baby. I would always freak myself out thinking about each one until I reach the major turning point in life and then I could never ever be more calm. The day I moved into my first apartment away from home I felt like I was home. The day Nathan proposed there was not an ounce of me that would have said no. Being pregnant right now is the happiest I have ever been in my entire life.

I feel like my life is in complete balance and I am not scared to take on risks or explore the world. I feel like if I had gotten pregnant any sooner than I would still be nervous about things but the timing could not have been more perfect. I have an outstanding man, family, and Heavenly Father that make me feel confident in where my life is headed. Life is GOOD :)

Crib mishap!

Nathan and I have been looking on KSL for the perfect crib for a few months now. We have found a few good deals but we have only called 2 people that had stealer deals. The second person we called had not sold the crib and we told them that we wanted it. Nathan had to work the next couple of days and then the people selling the crib were going out of town on the weekend so we told them that we could pick it up the following Tuesday...

Yup they sold it to someone who came and picked it up before their vacation. It was so disappointing because it would have been possible for me to get the crib without Nate the week before but we wanted to go together because it was a far drive. We still have 8+ months but it is hard to find a steal on KSL when there are so many cribs to browse through. We will just have to be more on top of the ball next time.

Week 4

Well I found out that I was officially pregnant on the 17th of May. I was 4 weeks and 4 days pregnant and my HCG was still extremely low. I have had a few pregnancy symptoms so I want to get in the habit of writing every week.

The weirdest and most unique symptom is my burning hips. It feels like a burning charlie horse right in the center of my hip. I have yet to find a stretch that will make it go away. The intensity of the pain varies but I notice it most early in the morning and right before bed.

I have had a few headaches but I know it is just because of the hormones.

I have already had to pee a bunch. I can hardly make it though my 3 hour classes without racing to the bathroom. I have also increased my water intake so it is hard to tell if it from drinking more or because I am pregnant. I think it is because I am pregnant!

The last symptom is that I have not been tired at all. I am lucky if I can stay asleep for 7 hours. I usually can't sleep during my period because of the hormones so I am assuming it is the same thing. In the beginning of the week I couldn't fall asleep (which is usually really easy for me) and now I cannot stay asleep. On Thursday I woke up and got completely ready for my class before I realized that it was barely even 6 in the morning. I must have looked at the clock wrong when I first woke up but my body was all done sleeping that I didn't even notice the hour lost. I have been trying to force myself to go back to sleep when I wake up but I can't ever make it past 7:30.  

I am determined to love every phase of this pregnancy. I cannot say that I am not excited for January to come, but I would be lying if I said I wish it was January. I want to experience the next 8+ months. I want to be able to feel our baby (ies) growing, and love all the changes that are going to happen. I think that having a baby inside of me is almost as special as holding a baby. I know how fast time flies by and I don't want to miss a second!

Teasers

This past week has been an interesting one. It all started last Wednesday with me spotting. I instantly assumed it had to be my period and did not bother to get my hopes up on anything else. I usually spot before and after my period so I was satisfied with being disappointed that this month was not going to be my successful pregnant month. I waited a few more days only to discover that I still wasn't bleeding and this did seem odd. I had normal cramps and mood swings so I still didn't even slightly get my hopes up. I did however take a few pregnancy tests only to have all 3 (different days) come back negative. I decided that it was a good excuse to go and see an Obgyn. I had been meaning to go for awhile because of how irregular my periods were but the spotting for a week had pushed me into doing it sooner.

I went in to the student health center on Monday and had a whole routine checkup. The nurse did not suggest that I get a pregnancy test because all of the home pregnancy tests had been coming up negative so instead she ordered a blood test to see my platelet count. I had just had a similar blood test done in January that came back regular so I was slightly annoyed by her not doing the pregnancy test in addition to the other blood work. I have extremely small vains that go flat and roll when I try to give blood so the less times I have to give it the better. In fact they had to poke me 4 times before they were successful. Luckily I had my hubby to support me because I hate giving blood.

On Tuesday I got an e-mail back saying the my platelet count was normal. I was relieved but still spotting and slightly worried. I decided to take another pregnancy test and it kind of showed up positive :) I am still really hesitant to admit that I really am pregnant because the second line that showed up to confirm that I was pregnant was really faint. I have been resisting the urge to continue peeing on sticks because I still have not started my period and even a faint line is better than no line. I couldn't be happier! I truly know that being pregnant is a miracle and I don't want to take any stage for granted.

I have been frustrated with the uncertainty of everything but will take the forced patience/teasing over not being pregnant. It only took us a couple of months to get pregnant and I still feel like I am the luckiest person alive to be blessed with a baby. I never want to forget how lucky I am. I have the most wonderful husband in the world and I will soon have the most wonderful little family. I am on top of the world and loving the view!

Mellie

Feelings I have never felt until today.

Today I woke up over an hour before my alarm clock with anticipation. I forced myself to not look at the clock until at least 5:30 and then tried to keep my excitement to myself for the remaining half hour. I couldn't find sleep but it was not hard to daydream. I was picturing myself as a mother. Wondering what it would be like to have a baby in me. Pondering just how my life could change in a moment and that it would never be the same... Sadly my daydreaming didn't come true.

I crawled into bed just minutes after 6am and snuggled up to my Husband and told him I wasn't pregnant. I instantly fell back asleep numbing any pain I felt. I wished I could have slept forever but an hour is all my body would allow. I had to move on with life and I knew that, but today I didn't have to do it happily. I was sad... really really sad. I thought that I wouldn't let it get to me. That I really was still too scared to be a mom, but I was wrong. I want to be a mom. I have known that sense I was 5. I have never dreamed of being anything else.

I realize that it is only month 3 of many months ahead and that maybe I am being a little ridiculous. Somehow I don't care. I hurt no just the same. I can't stop crying no matter how crazy I keep telling myself it is to be sad when there are more months and more try's. I have tried to numb myself in every way possible but pain always creeps in. If I numb the emotional pain my body gives me physical pain (which is so unfair). I have tried starving myself, overeating, watching anything possible, and reading to distract myself from being disappointed but none of them have worked. I am just sad. I want to be a mom and it scares me that I haven't got pregnant.

I have had dozens of friends who get pregnant without even trying or planning, and I was hoping I would fall under that same category. I realize now that every baby truly is a blessing and a miracle. I guess I just assumed I could sail through one happy moment in life to the next without having to truly feel pain. Today pain has a new meaning to me. A quote I have had on my wall for months finally makes sense...

        "Just as a man does not really need food until he is hungry, so he doesn't desire the salvation of Christ until he knows why he needs Christ." - Ezra Taft Benzon

Today I need Christ. I need to know that someone else understands my pain. That my longing is noticed even if my waiting time has been short. I may not be able to stop crying long enough to write this post, but I know that I will eventually stop crying. I know that the Lord has something amazing planned for me even if it isn't right now. I know that my Nathan and I will get to have a family sometime in the future, and that the happiness that lies ahead will be worth every tear drop. For now I must enjoy the little moments I get to have now.

I get to have a husband who loves me more than I have ever been loved. He is currently sleeping on the couch because I was too sad to move from the couch and go to bed. He chose to sleep by me on a two person couch just because he didn't want to leave my side. He has wiped away many of my tears today and I couldn't be more grateful. I love him more and more every second. I know that he will be the best father in the world and that our children will never ever go unloved. I am blessed even when I am sad and so I blog, hoping this long post will somehow help me to sleep rather than cry.

.....Just a side note... It is completely unfair that a girl has to find out she is not pregnant on the day of her period. How mean is that to have super high hormones running through the body on a day that is already guaranteed to be emotional? I find that a bit unfair!