38 & 39 Weeks!

I decided to combine my 38 and 39 week posts so that by next Wednesday (my due date) the updates would be current.

My life these days consists of going to work (still working full time), OB appointments and trying to get rest every night.  I have been feeling pretty tired after work everyday so I just try to take it easy when I'm at home. 

I still don't feel a sense of urgency even though my due date is a week away--but I do feel anticipation, of course. I have a feeling this little girl will go into June (though if I don't go into labor before 41 weeks I will be induced because of the aforementioned clotting issues).

Maybe I don't feel a sense of urgency because I haven't been making any progress at my weekly checks...but then again I've heard of women not being dilated at all and then going into labor the next day. Everyone is so different when it comes to their labor experience so I suppose it's possible I'll have the baby by my due date but I just have a feeling she will be late.

I did start packing my hospital bag with all of the essentials so I know if I went into labor I could quickly throw in a few extra items and be ready to go. Plus, we don't live far from the hospital so my husband could always go home and get anything I needed. I've heard that most women over-pack for the hospital anyway so I'm trying not to pack too much since I'll probably be in a hospital gown most of the time. 

Having said that, I did pick up a few new sleep shirts from Victoria's Secret because I have worn out my Target and F21 sleep dresses and sleep tees during my pregnancy. I was using creams and oils on my belly every night and wanted to wear-out the stuff I already had instead of wearing nicer stuff. I love the Gilligan O'Malley line from Target, but those sleep dresses fall apart after like six months of wear (this was happening with my sleep dresses before I was pregnant, so not due to pregnancy, pretty sure it's a quality issue).  They wash okay but they tend to just start looking drab and the ones with lace start to rip all over the place---I've already had to throw one away that I didn't even get to wear into pregnancy. 

I purchased three sleep shirts from VS---two for post-baby and one to wear at the hospital.

This is a cotton one from the Mayfair Collection and I also got it in a blue and white small gingham print.  They are so comfy and nice and long. Plus, since I'll be hanging out at the house all day feeding, changing and tending to a newborn, it might be nice to wear something that's somewhat cute and also is easy to breastfeed in (yay for buttons!)

The third one I got is the Sleepover Cotton Sleep Tee---this one is SO soft and feels amazing on.  It's lightweight and I got this one to wear after delivery (after showering, obviously) with a nursing bra. The buttons will be convenient for breastfeeding and the soft fabric will lovely for mom and baby. Plus, it's black... so I'm not worried about stains or anything.

It felt nice to buy some new PJ's after wearing ratty ones for the last few months.  It's kind of like wearing nice workout clothes...nice PJ's won't make you sleep better (umm...especially with a newborn), but you'll feel good putting them on and I'll take any feel-good I can get postpartum.  I realize the baby is probably going to spit up all over me too, but oh well, that's life with a baby!

How did YOU feel one week before your due date?  Did your baby arrive early, right on time, or late? Please share in the comments!

How far along? 39 weeks today! Whoa.

Total weight gain/loss: I've gained 30 pounds so far and will probably gain a few more, who knows! 

Maternity clothes? Same as last week---lots of maxi dresses and my GAP maternity skinnies with Liz Lange tanks and non-maternity loose tops and tunics. I pretty much just want to wear sweatpants everyday, but I can't show up at work like that, haha.

Stretch marks? Still none. I'm using Belli's Elasticity Belly Oil and Mustela double-action stretch mark cream in rotation. 

Symptoms: I'm feeling tired, lots of pressure, having Braxton Hicks contractions occasionally and overall I feel uncomfortable and sometimes crampy at night. I'm ready for baby girl to make her arrival.  

Sleep: I wake up a lot to pee and most nights I wake up around 3-4 a.m. and can't get back to sleep again for an hour or so. They say it's your body's way of preparing you for all of those night feedings...

Best moment this week: Realizing that we will meet our baby soon and celebrating with friends at my work baby shower:

Miss Anything? Being comfortable

Movement: Some days she is partying in there and other days I feel less movement now that she's running out of room.  

Food cravings: Subway, honey nut cheerios, ice cream, fruit (I am eating tons of it lately)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really

Have you started to show yet: I feel huge!

Baby is a: Girl!

Belly Button in or out? Out

Wedding rings on or off? Still wearing faux bands

Happy or Moody most of the time: I feel happy and also anxious and excited to meet our baby...just overall feeling anticipation

Looking forward to: A spa/pool day with Candice to celebrate my 30th birthday!  We decided to celebrate this weekend since I could go into labor by my birthday (crossing my fingers!)

I found Lulu in the nursery hanging out on this lamb mat---don't worry, I haven't washed it yet and it will be washed before the baby uses it! I have to remove that tag too.

Speaking of my birthday, this was an early birthday gift---a Nespresso machine to use during my leave to make delicious lattes. So many of you recommended this espresso maker and we absolutely love it, so thank you!

Thank you for reading and for all of my pregnant readers, please feel free to check-in below as well and let me know how your pregnancy is going :) 

37 weeks! FULL TERM

I was so blown away by all of the thoughtful and sweet comments on my last pregnancy update post---thank you so much to all of you who took the time to leave a comment or email me about your breastfeeding experience. It was so nice to hear from mommas in similar situations to me and I'm so glad to have gotten so much encouragement and support from so many of you. A million thanks!

I'm two weeks out from my due date today and emotionally I'm in a place where it all feels really surreal.  The birth of the baby still feels far away (it's not!) and for some reason it's so hard for me to picture this beautiful life growing inside of me actually being in my arms soon.  

I think that if you've always wanted to be a mom, you kind of picture what your life might be like with a baby but now that it's so close, it's hard to actually imagine the moment where I'll first see her face and hold her tiny little body.  I am so excited and have so much anticipation for that incredible, life-changing moment, but like I said, it feels very surreal. It doesn't help that I was watching Holly Madison's E Special about the birth of her baby while writing this post...definitely teared up a little when the doctor placed her baby on her chest after birth. 

In terms of being prepared for our little arrival, the nursery is done, but I'm going to post the photos after her arrival because her name is in there.  Speaking of the name---I've gotten a lot of questions about it. What I can tell you is that we've had her name picked out for about four years now. I've kept a list of baby names we love on my iPhone for a long time and when we found out it was a girl we knew immediately the name we were going to choose.  We've been calling her by her name since we found out she's a she and we already have about 17 nicknames for her (yep, we're those people!) 

All of the newborn and 0-3 size clothing is washed and most of the essentials have arrived at our doorstep (thanks, Amazon!) We've assembled the pack n' play, swing, bouncer, etc and our carseat is being installed this weekend. It feels good to have most of the major items taken care of. 

Some of her clothing--I have it all divided by size. Up until last week I only had about four pieces of newborn and 0-3 clothing so I ordered more online and my mother in law got us some awesome stuff as well. Everyone told me to buy bigger sizes and then I realized I didn't have anything for her to wear those first few months.  I kept the tags on the larger clothing like a lot of you recommended in case she outgrows it before she has a chance to wear it. I made little sizing tags out of scrapbook paper (you can see them above) to divide up all of the sizes too.

I know babies need to be changed a lot when they are little so I also have some simple/plain onesies in newborn and 0-3 sizes in her dresser.

I got this cute little hanger thing at Marshalls Home Goods and I had my husband install it in her closet to hang all of her hooded towels from it. I got each towel as a gift at my baby showers so they are extra special!

Also...how cute is this hat? (from The Tiny Toppers on Etsy.com) I bought it for her newborn photos!

I still haven't fully packed my hospital bag but it should be done soon...usually I'm so prepared for everything but I guess the whole "so surreal" feeling has kept me from having a strong sense of urgency. I figure if I went into labor early I could just toss most of what I need into my hospital bag and go.

In terms of how I'm feeling these days...it is what it is, ha. My hands and feet have swollen up a bit, my back hurts, almost all positions are uncomfortable to sit in and I'm still feeling a lot of pressure down low---but hey, two weeks out, I can't really expect anything else.

I'll find out at my OB appointment on Thursday if I've made any progress---last week the baby was low and my cervix was softening. My OB won't let me go past 41 weeks so I will definitely have the baby sometime before June 5th.  

How far along? 37 weeks (I do these a week behind as a recap of the previous week, so I'm actually 38 weeks today).  

Total weight gain/loss: I've gained about 27 pounds now. 

Maternity clothes? I am still wearing non-maternity tops (aside from the Liz Lange tanks) and maxi dresses and my GAP skinny maternity pants. Ladies who are thinking of becoming pregnant one day---hang on to all of those looser tops and tunics you bought because they will get you through your entire pregnancy.

Stretch marks? Still none. I'm using Belli's Elasticity Belly Oil and Mustela double-action stretch mark cream in rotation. 

Symptoms: Pretty much what I mentioned above. Overall general discomfort. The other night I woke up a lot and had cramps that radiated down through my thigs and legs. It was awful.

Sleep: It's been okay. During the work week I tend to sleep better than on weekends.

Best moment this week: Feeling like things were getting done for the baby. Everything is ordered and organized. It's all coming together and that's a good feeling.  I also had a good NST test so positives all around.
 Have you told family and friends: Yes!

Miss Anything? Being comfortable

Movement: She has been pretty active lately. It's so tight in there though. Hopefully she will see the running out of space as a cue to let us welcome her into the world :)

Food cravings: Subway, candy, ice cream

Anything making you queasy or sick: Just eating large portions, so I'm trying to eat small portions very often

Have you started to show yet: All people ask these days is when I'm due.

(this was actually taken today, at 38 weeks)

Baby is a: Girl!

Belly Button in or out? Out

Wedding rings on or off? I finally stopped wearing them this week. I just wear a thin, faux band now.

Happy or Moody most of the time: I feel emotional but overall happy.

Looking forward to: My OB appointments, seeing my maternity photos, meeting our baby SOON!

Thank you for reading and for all of my pregnant readers, please feel free to check in below as well and let me know how your pregnancy is going :) I also welcome everyone's advice and comments about pregnancy!

35 Weeks!

Today marks the 36th week of my pregnancy and it feels surreal to know that today, May 1st, will mark the baby's birth month (unless she's late and arrives in June). It has been such a pleasure to document each week and share my thoughts and feelings with all of my wonderful readers. I love reading your feedback and reading about your own pregnancies too. I also appreciate all of the product recommendations many of you have provided on my Facebook page!

I've had a pretty smooth pregnancy which I'm so thankful for but these last couple of weeks have definitely been a challenge. I finally get what people mean when they talk about how rough third trimester can be.  That home stretch seems to bring with it a slew of symptoms---constant pressure, Braxton Hicks contractions, constant bathroom visits, discomfort while sitting/standing/walking, lower back aches, cramping, waking up at 3 or 4 a.m. and not being able to sleep again..the list goes on.  Fortunately, it's such a small amount of the pregnancy that's on the rougher side and it's all worth it for the baby.

April was a really busy month for me professionally---tomorrow I'm filming a story with a national media outlet that I've been planning with producers for nearly a year, so seeing that finally come to fruition is really exciting.  The crew is flying in from New York and I have a super early morning tomorrow so I'm heading to bed early to get some rest.  I had maternity photos taken today and all of the standing and positions have really given me some lower back pain so I'm trying to take it easy since I'll be with the crew for 12 hours tomorrow. After this week, I'm ready to slow down a bit for the rest of my pregnancy. 

In other updates, the nursery is almost complete and I've also washed some clothes and blankets and my husband assembled some of the baby items we still had in boxes.  I realized when I was washing clothes that I literally had maybe five pieces of newborn and 0-3 month baby clothing. I was buying everything in larger sizes as so many people recommended, so I had to order some footed sleepers and onesies in 0-3 month sizes so the baby would actually have clothes to wear when she was born. Every mom has recommended the footed sleepers with zippers to me so hopefully they will work out!  BTW---I used the code GAP35 at checkout to get 35% off of all of my Baby Gap purchases. Not sure how long it's valid for but check it out if you're looking to buy some cute baby stuff.

I'm also in full-on nesting mode. I decided last Sunday while half-asleep on the couch that suddenly I had to spring into action and rearrange my kitchen cabinets. Totally had the husband get a step ladder so I could go all organization-freak on the cabinets. I've just been really into organizing lately, which is not unusual for me---but the unstoppable drive to organize is kind of hilarious. My husband was like "are you serious right now with this cabinet stuff?"

Speaking of cleaning an organizing, we finally hired a maid/housekeeping service.  When I first moved to Houston, I have to admit I was completely stunned to find out that a large majority of the people I met had maids or cleaning services. Even single people and married people with no children. It was definitely not the norm where I grew up and I admit I didn't "get" why people would pay someone else to clean their house when they could clean it.  I'm a weirdo who likes to clean, but admittedly, it was getting hard to keep up with it all as I got further along in my pregnancy--- just the physical nature of it and also not wanting to use certain cleaners (chemicals).  

My husband has been so awesome during pregnancy and has really gone above and beyond with pitching in---but we always knew that once we had a baby, family time would be our largest priority and to be honest, we were spending hours every weekend cleaning/maintaining the house. 

Once the baby is here we want to spend all of that extra time with her, especially since we will both be working full time, so this is a great choice for our family.  Plus, I totally get it now---coming home to a clean, sparkling home after a long day is an incredible feeling.  We are going to have our home cleaned every two weeks. It will be nice to have the extra help while I'm on leave too, since just adjusting to life with a new baby can be challenging enough without having to worry about cleaning your shower (and everything else, too).

One more thing---I got my hair done last weekend. I just added a few more ombre pieces to the underneath part of my hair and around my face. I am really happy with out it turned out! I also noticed that since I've been growing my roots out during pregnancy (I used to have them colored darker than my natural color) that I seem to have some light pieces through the top and especially in the front that appeared out of nowhere. I think it has to do with pregnancy hormones because I don't have the top colored.

How far along? 35 weeks (I do these a week behind as a recap of the previous week, so I'm actually 36 weeks today).  Just FOUR more weeks to go! EEEPPPP!

Total weight gain/loss: I will find out for sure at my 36 week appointment on Friday. I am feeling more discomfort and the baby is definitely larger so I know there is weight being put on each week.

Maternity clothes? I still live in my GAP maternity skinnies for work and maxi dresses on weekends. Also love love love long, stretchy tanks (Liz Lange for Target and Lululemon cool racerbacks) and my Tory Burch Reva flats. They've been great during pregnancy.

Stretch marks? I'm continuing to use Belli's Elasticity Belly Oil, Mamma Mio Tummy Rub and Mustela double-action stretch mark cream in rotation. I am literally waiting for the day to see a stretch mark where my belly button piercing holes are, I just have a feeling about it with how tight it is. It's all worth it though for a precious baby.

Symptoms: Just the ones I mentioned at the beginning of my post, same as last week basically.

Sleep: Not great these days. Waking up randomly in the middle of the night and not being able to fall back asleep is becoming a regular occurrence. 

Best moment this week: Getting a good report on my fetal monitoring this week, hanging artwork in the nursery, getting more and more done for the baby.

Have you told family and friends: Yes!

Miss Anything? Being comfortable

Movement: Baby girl has been active lately---her kicks and movements feel more intense as she gets larger and larger. I will find out at my ultrasound how big she is (approximately).

Food cravings: Honey Nut Cheerios with milk, Subway, sweets in general

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Have you started to show yet: Oh yes, round and proud!

Baby is a: Girl!

Belly Button in or out? Outie but flat.

Wedding rings on or off? On---getting tight though---noticed that this week

Happy or Moody most of the time: all over the place, to be honest...I can go from happy to crying to stressed to excited....


Looking forward to: Breastfeeding and infant care classes this week and next and my 36 week OB appointment.

Thank you for reading and for all of my pregnant readers, please feel free to check in below as well and let me know how your pregnancy is going :) I also welcome everyone's advice and comments about pregnancy!

24 weeks!

I know I touched on this last week---but I really love pregnancy. I feel blessed that I've been feeling so good these last couple of months.  I have a feeling I'll have a symptom pile-on in third trimester, but that's okay. I'm just trying to enjoy the experience as much as possible. I even joked with the husband that I'm not sure I can ever sleep without my Snoogle again (though, I do love stomach sleeping so it will be nice to be able to do that again).

Being just 4 months away from my due date is both exciting and kind of surreal. I often see people with their babies and I think to myself, wow, we will have one of those amazing miracles soon. Sometimes, I get a little emotional about it.  

Me as a baby:

How far along? 24 weeks (I do these a week behind as a recap of the previous week, so I'm actually 25 weeks today). 

Total weight gain/loss: I found out that I've gained 10 lbs. so far at my 24-week OB appointment. Must be all those Thin Mints, haha!  I feel good about my body right now and love watching my belly grow. It's hard to predict how you'll feel about your body as it's changing, but I've been really happy and comfortable (and, this is totally cheesy, but I am just so in awe that my body is growing a human life).

Some of you have asked about my workout routine and the truth is, there isn't one.  I had always wanted to maintain a workout routine during pregnancy, but when my OB encouraged me to slow it down in first trimester and I was so sick (and exhausted) every night, the last thing I had the energy for was going to the gym.  I wanted to start working out again in second trimester, but it hasn't happened. Starting a routine now, even a low impact one, just hasn't been on the priority list. I try to walk during the day and on weekends I plan all of my errands to involve lots of walking and I'm still cleaning the house like usual (which counts as a workout to me!) I'm feeling good and that's all that matters. 

Maternity clothes? Still wearing maternity pants and regular tops and blouses. I'm eager for the weather to warm up so I can wear dresses more often.

Stretch marks? Not yet. I'm continuing to use Belli's Elasticity Belly Oil, Mamma Mio Tummy Rub and Mustela double-action stretch mark cream in rotation, at night only.

Symptoms: I am waking up most nights to pee now and I have some occasional very minor pain/discomfort from sleeping on my left side and the pressure it puts on my butt/thigh on my left side.

Sleep: Still using my Snoogle and sleeping well most nights. Just waking up to pee once or twice, but I usually go right back to sleep.

Best moment this week: Making it to 24 weeks and having a good 24 week appointment. It was also awesome to purchase our stroller. 

Have you told family and friends: Yes!

Miss Anything? Not really

Movement: I am feeling baby girl a lot more now. Throughout the day on and off and in the evening and at night/early morning too. Some days she is more active than others.

Food cravings: THIN MINTS. God bless the Girl Scouts of America.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.


Have you started to show yet: Definitely! The photos in this post are from 23 weeks, but we attended a wedding reception over the weekend and my belly has definitely popped more. 

More recent:

 

Baby is a: Girl!

Belly Button in or out? Still in, but definitely shallower by the day

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy

Looking forward to: Painting the nursery and just preparing for baby in general.  I'm also excited to take all of the classes we've signed up for, but those aren't until April.

Thank you for reading and for all of my pregnant readers, please feel free to check in below as well and let me know how your pregnancy is going :) I also welcome everyone's advice and comments about pregnancy!

*The photos in this post were taken by Allen Kramer---he is a photographer at my workplace and we took these photos for fun because they got a new studio space and they were testing out all of the lights in the new studio :)

15 Weeks!

Week 15 was pretty good!  My goal for the coming weeks is to try to get back into Bar Method classes again. I have to learn the modifications for pregnancy via their DVD, so I haven't been as motivated as I'd like to be. I try to walk a lot on weekends as I do my errands but the weather and darkness outside has kept me from wanting to walk after work.  If you have any tips for how to get motivated to be active during pregnancy, please let me know what worked for you!

How far along? 15 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Not sure, my 16 week appointment is tomorrow. I imagined I've gained a few pounds but not sure as I don't have a scale at home. 

Maternity clothes? Not yet, but my pants are getting a bit snug throughout the day.

Stretch marks? Not yet (still using Belli's Elasticity Belly Oil at night and Mamma Mio Tummy Rub during the day)

Symptoms:  Occasionally I get stretching type pains/sensations in my uterus. If I'm on the couch in one position for too long I'll sometimes get a very brief sharp pain as I stand (this has actually only happened twice).  I still get pretty bloated throughout the day. My skin is still more oily than usual and I am still dealing with blackheads. My nipples are still sensitive/tender as well.

Sleep: Still using my Snoogle.  I sleep on my left side most of the night and on my right side for portions of the night when I feel like I need a change to get back to sleep. I sleep pretty well but some nights I do feel a little restless...luckily that does not happen very often.

Best moment this week: Booking our u/s to find out the sex of the baby! We will announce it at Christmas. It was also great to have enough energy to clean the house this past weekend. I know that sounds lame, but I love a clean house! I also have my 16 week appointment on Thursday so I always look forward to those.

Worst moment of the week: Realizing how much work it's going to be to clear the entire baby room out (which is now an office/random room) and wondering where that furniture will go...maybe Craigslist...

Have you told family and friends: Yes!

Miss Anything? Sleeping on my stomach, working out regularly (and having the motivation to)

Movement: I hope to feel baby soon!  It is so hard to tell if little sensations are gastrointestinal or not...can't wait for a moment where I know for certain. The other night I had what felt like a piece of popcorn "popping" in that area but it was so light...it's just really difficult to tell if that's the baby or not.

Food cravings: cuties clementines (cannot stop eating them), tomato soup, grilled cheese, gingerbread cookies, cereal with milk (for dinner).

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really...though sometimes being at the grocery store with all of the smells combined makes me feel a bit queasy. I still get very light nausea when I am hungry, which is not very often since I eat all.the.time.

Have you started to show yet: I wasn't at 15 weeks but my belly is definitely starting to grow and not just with bloating!  You'll have to wait for my 16 week update for that. Last weekend on Facebook I asked you all when YOU started to show because I was starting to get worried when I took some 15 week photos.  But many of you assured me that you didn't show until 20 weeks---or beyond!  I think due to my height, long torso and the fact that my stomach muscles were pretty tight before I got pregnant, it may just take my body a little longer for my belly to pop---but now that I'm 16 weeks as I write this, I can tell it's happening.

(Taken at about 15 weeks, 3 days- my stomach is MUCH bigger now 

at 16 weeks, I couldn't believe the difference!)

Gender prediction: I think it's a boy, H thinks it's a girl. 50/50 chance of being right ;) We will do the big reveal Christmas day!

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Feeling the baby move and finding out the sex of the baby in the next couple of weeks.

Thank you for reading and for all of my pregnant readers, please feel free to check in below as well and let me know how your pregnancy is going :) I also welcome everyone's advice and comments about pregnancy :)

PS- I really need to start taking regular belly shots (like full head-to-toe).  I really wanted to document that and I have been slacking on doing more formal photos.

14 Weeks!

I am so excited to be starting my weekly pregnancy update series!  I wasn't sure what made the best sense when it came to doing these, but after some feedback on Facebook, it seems like it would be best to summarize the last week (so do these one week behind).

I am starting with week 14 and will update every Wednesday since that is when I switch over to the next week. So technically, today, I am 15 weeks pregnant, but this post is a summary of 14 weeks.

I will also do bump photos because I think it will be fun to document the progress of my growing bump. 

(a little over 14 weeks in this photo)

How far along? 14 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: The last time I weighed myself, I weighed the same or a pound or so less than my pre-pregnancy weight. Because I stopped working out my entire first trimester, I lost a lot of muscle mass that I had gained working out with my trainer. I have a 16 week appointment next week, so I'll see if I've gained by then.

(14 weeks, 6 days---this was taken after being at work all day and eating all day 

so I'm more bloated than I am in the morning)

Maternity clothes? Not yet, my regular clothes still fit---though as I get bloated throughout the day, I do start to feel like I want to unbutton my pants

Stretch marks? No (I use Belli's Elasticity Belly Oil at night and Mamma Mio Tummy Rub during the day)

Symptoms:  I still have occasional nausea at night, but it is much less intense and starts much later in the evening than it used to. I am still tired some days (okay, most days), but it is getting better and I can feel myself becoming more energized and productive. Occasionally I get stretching type pains/sensations in my uterus and of course, the bloating.  I've also noticed that my vision seems to be slightly worse than before, but my OB said that is common.

Sleep: Ever since I got a Snoogle, sleeping has been so much better. They really make a world of a difference. My OB/GYN told me to try and sleep on my left side as much as I can so I sleep on my left side most of the night and take breaks to sleep on my right side throughout the night.

Best moment this week: Deciding that we are probably going to go ahead and book an u/s for about 17.5 weeks to find out if baby is a boy or girl before Christmas.

Worst moment of the week: Getting read-ended by a driver who wasn't paying attention (I was fully stopped at a red light for a minute and she just drove right into me).  I called my OB/GYN the next morning and they had me go to the women's assessment center at the hospital because I am RH negative. I had some blood work done, an ultrasound (got to see baby!) and they gave me the Rhogam shot early as a precaution (I would have gotten it at 28 weeks anyway).  Thank God everything is okay. I do feel a little anxious driving now that I have precious cargo.

Have you told family and friends: Yes!

Miss Anything? Sleeping on my stomach, sometimes coffee, green tea, turkey sandwiches

Movement: I don't think so, it's still very early. I have a posterior placenta which means I may feel movement earlier, but it's hard to tell with a first pregnancy what to expect. I've had a couple of moments where I wondered if a slight fluttery/bubbly feeling in my stomach was movement, but it's hard to tell. 

Food cravings: cuties clementines, veggies (carrots and broccoli) with ranch dip, tomato soup, grilled cheese, kiwis, cereal, frozen yogurt.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I used to sometimes get nauseous at the sight of salad, but that is slowly going away.  I can't think of anything in particular that makes me feel queasy other than chicken that is really dry. I can't even look at it, let alone eat it.

Have you started to show yet: At night when I'm bloated, I swear I have a bump! No one in real life would notice though. If I ever tell anyone that I'm pregnant they look at my stomach and look back up at me with a confused expression. LOL. I am definitely not showing yet.

Gender prediction: I think it's a boy, H thinks it's a girl. BTW, I know it's the sex of the baby and not the gender, but I'm using the standard format of this weekly survey.

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Feeling the baby move and finding out the sex of the baby and 

Some ladies have asked for an update on my skin/skincare routine since I've been pregnant and I decided I would cover that in a separate post.

I am so happy to be starting my second trimester!  Mommies and moms-to-be, please feel free to share your experiences in the comments below. I love hearing your feedback about your pregnancies and what you experienced :)

PS- HUGE THANKS to all of the amazing women who have emailed and messaged me messages of congratulation---I promise I am working on responding to my emails eventually but it's been tough to get to them all---just know I read (and love and appreciate) every single email and message!