18 Weeks

Weekly Survey

How far along?: 18 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: + 13ish pounds

Sleep: I’m probably not going to bed as early as I should be: ( I really need to try harder to get my 8 hours of sleep! Although I’m not as EXHAUSTED as I was during the first trimester, I think staying up too late and getting up too early is making me ALMOST as tired as I was then: (

Best moment(s) this week: Ultrasound!!! Ultrasounds are AMAZING, and I can’t believe that people have babies without them! The way I felt when I saw the profile of the baby is indescribable, and it was a moment I’d been waiting for. I’ve felt so normal for most of the pregnancy that it has been a little hard to really believe that I’m having a baby – until I saw him on the screen!

It also took my breath away as she pointed out his parts: 2 kidneys, spine, thigh bone, abdomen, four-chamber heart, brain, nose, lips, feet, hands, etc. I felt a new sense of relief to see an image that looks like a baby and that is measuring like he's supposed to so far!

Look how he has grown…

6 Weeks/4 Days

8 Weeks/2 Days

(The day after Father's Day!)

17 Weeks/6 Days

Movement: I don’t know if I’m feeling anything or not! I thought I was…but now I’m just not sure. Ha. I hope to feel something for sure soon: )

Symptoms: I feel pretty normal right now!

Maternity clothes?: I continued to avoid maternity clothes this week! I wore skirts, dresses, and my bellyband.

Stretch marks?: Nope!

Food cravings: Let’s just say that if you come to our house you really should NOT eat the cottage cheese. Someone may or may not be eating it straight out of the container; )

Food aversions: Nope.

Healthy eating?: I’m drinking more soda than I really want to be, but I’m eating pretty well throughout the day. Our dinners have been kind of unhealthy lately, but I’m hoping to start cooking some meals on the weekend to help us through the week!

Exercise: I think I’m still working out the same amount of time/week, so that is good! Two LONG runs, body pump X 2, walking, biking at the gym, two kickball games…

Gender: BOY!!! We had a great time sharing the news with our family! My sisters both said they thought the baby would be a boy…and they were right!

I still am not sure how the technician could tell that this shot...

...means that the baby is a B-O-Y!

Labor Signs: No!

Belly Button in or out?: In

What I miss: Hmmm. Diet coke! I tried a caffeine-free fountain diet coke, but it did NOT taste good at all: ( I even poured it out: ( I think it was actually a problem with soda machine, but it was enough to make me not want to try another one!

What I am looking forward to: Another sonogram – around 28 weeks!

Weekly Wisdom: I'm EXTRA grumpy, so I really have to try EXTRA hard not to become frustrated/annoyed/etc. I'm trying to take some deep breaths when I'm feel overwhelmed or mad for no reason!

Milestones: Sharing our news with Callie...

What I’m Smiling about This Week V. 7

- When Natalie and I were running on Saturday, I heard my name…and my favorite student, Emma, jumped out of a car to give me a hug. She left for KSU last week, and we didn’t have time to meet up before she left. I was SO excited to see her!

Emma/Lauren pic from one of my last days of teaching!

- Wednesday was Grandma's birthday! We spent time with her, and then we went out to dinner in her honor.

- I FINALLY cleaned our bedroom!

- We went to a wedding on Saturday – SO fun: ) Congrats, Toni and Jason! It was fun to see old friends, and we took some funny photo booth pics…

Sam and Lucy

Group shot!

Photo booth fun; )

- I’ve had some time to read this week!

- It looks like it should be cooler in no time!

17 Weeks

Weekly Survey

How far along?: 17 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: + 12ish pounds (yikes!!)

Sleep: …and the nightmares continue : /

Best moment(s) this week: Receiving the first baby gifts - from Aunt Jenny and Uncle Tim!! Thank you!! 

They are SO cute: )

Movement: About the same as the last two weeks – and REALLY hoping to feel more soon!

Symptoms: not really…aside from the weight gain and rounding belly!

Maternity clothes?: I’ve been wearing dresses and my belly band a lot! I’m trying to postpone the need to wear my maternity clothes because I’m sure I’m going to be sick of them FAST once I start wearing them.

Stretch marks?: No – but I need to do a better job of putting on my cocoa butter lotion!!

Food cravings: cottage cheese and tomatoes, Mexican food, root beer floats (diet root beer + sugar free ice cream!)

Food aversions: No!

Healthy eating?: For the most part! I think I’m eating too much at dinnertime, but I do well throughout the day. I’m not sure what I’ll do once summer ends and there aren’t as many fresh fruits and veggies!

Exercise: Still feeling good! Two kickball games, BodyPump twice, run/walk with Natalie X 2, walk/jog with Callie, DVD, walking, etc.…

Gender: We’re hoping to find out during Week 18 or 19 - SO soon!!

Labor Signs: Nope.

Belly Button in or out?: In

What I miss: Knowing my clothes will fit! The night before work, I set out my clothes for the next day. If I go to the gym first thing in the morning, I don’t try on my clothes until I’m a few minutes from work. I don’t have time to change, so I just hope that my clothes will fit each day!

What I am looking forward to: Our doctor’s appointment during Week 18!

Weekly Wisdom: Trying to write down EVERYTHING I eat and drink really helps me see what I’m putting into my body.

Milestones: I printed a gmail calendar with the fall KU football and basketball schedules – now we just need to plan when we’re going to paint the nursery, buy furniture, put furniture together, attend baby classes…

What I’m Smiling about This Week V.7

-      I had a rough week at work – but somehow the week went quickly!

-      Nick and I FINALLY cleaned the house!

-      I started the new book club book, The Red Tent, and I think I’m really going to like it: )

-      Paul, Anne, and Lucy came over for dinner (carnitas, corn salsa, cilantro lime rice, guac…) on Saturday. We had a great time!

Lucy is SO cute: )

-      I feel good overall: )

-      Natalie and I got in TWO runs this week!

-      Callie has been SUPER sweet lately! We’re hoping her good behavior continues!

She decided she doesn’t like spinach!

-      I had a nice visit with Grandma, Grandpa, and Mom on Friday. It was good to see everyone!

-      We won our kickball games and will play for the championship on Sunday!

16 Weeks

Weekly Survey

How far along?: 16 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: + 9ish pounds

Sleep: I think I’m sleeping well overall – but I’m still having crazy dreams/nightmares: (

Best moment(s) this week: spending some time thinking about the nursery!! (I’m OBSESSED with pinterest right now - SO many cute ideas!)

Movement: Not much…but I think a little bit at night when I’m REALLY still.

Symptoms: a little dizzy sometimes, hungry All. The. Time.

Maternity clothes?: I wore my bellyband a lot this week, so I was MUCH more comfortable!

Stretch marks?: No!!

Food cravings: cottage cheese and tomatoes

Food aversions: Nope!

Healthy eating?: I had a pretty good week with LOTS of fruit and vegetables!! I also had some organic spaghetti o’s from Natalie because I told her about the day I ate a tuna sandwich and spaghetti o’s with meatballs – HA!

Exercise: Yes! Kickball, BodyPump twice, run/walk with Natalie, walk/jog with Callie, DVD, walking, etc.…

Gender: Coming soon!?!

Labor Signs: No!

Belly Button in or out?: In

What I miss: sipping a cold summer brew with my hubby while doing work in the yard; )

What I am looking forward to: decorating the nursery!!

Weekly Wisdom: Having a helpful husband makes everything easier!

Milestones: Some think that babies can start to hear sounds as early as 16 weeks - crazy!

What I’ve Been Smiling About Lately! V.6

- I had lunch at Rudy's with Mom, Claire, and Grandpa. Mom, Claire, and I also went to Made (a new store!) and had mini cupcakes!


- I remembered to pay the bills! The middle of August snuck up on me, but I realized it just in time!


- Nick and I went to Lowe’s and Nebraska Furniture Mart to look at ways to organize the garage and to check out some different nursery sets.


- Natalie and I got a run in early Tuesday morning!


- Book club was SUPER fun this month! I stayed until almost 10 - WAY late for me!


- Nick and I finally did some yard work! This is what it looked like before…YIKES!


- I talked to Lisa for almost 2 hours! SO good to catch up; )


- Tiffany and I had lunch downtown…and Tiffany treated me to a mini cupcake: )

- We won our kickball games and are moving to the next round of the tournament – yay!

Baby A is on the way!

It is time to share our news - Baby A is on the way! Clever, I know; ) Ha!

I am still in disbelief that our lives have changed forever, and I am truly looking forward to this new chapter! Nick and I met 13 years ago this month, and sometimes I really can't believe that the dreams we talked about as teenagers are coming true - it makes me a little emotional just thinking about it!

Nick's Graduation '99

(18 and 16)

Our Wedding '09

(28 and 26)

Vacation '11

(30 and 28)

I have quite a bit to say, but I can already tell that this will be the longest post ever, so I will just post the fun surveys below that I found while looking at baby blogs! I'll try to keep up with the second survey each week to help me remember this journey! (I will post my other thoughts soon!)

All the DetailsAbout the mommy –

• Name: Lauren
• Age: 28
• Is this your first child?: Yes!

About the daddy –

• Name: Nick
• Age: 30
• Is this his first child?: Yes!

Finding out –

• What day did you find out you were pregnant?: Thursday, May 26, 2011
• How did you feel when you found out?: I was shocked! I kept saying, “What are we going to do?” over and over while I chugged water to take a third test. It doesn’t even really make sense that I was saying that because I was hoping to be pregnant soon – I was just totally surprised it happened so quickly and hadn’t expected to see a positive test so soon! I think I prepared myself more for how I’d feel about a negative test than a positive test!
• Who was with you?: HA! For the first two tests, it was just me; ) I took one and couldn’t tell if the plus was really a plus (Looking back, it was OBVIOUSLY a plus, but I just couldn’t believe it!). I didn’t tell Nick I was going to take it because I really didn’t think I was pregnant. I was in the worst mood EVER and just feeling kinda funny, so I took one. After the first one, I fibbed and told him that I needed to go to Target to buy a dress that was on sale (I did want the dress, but it was after 8pm, and I never go anywhere once I’m home from work!), so I chugged water to and from Target, where I bought four more tests (and the dress!). I took the second one (two dark lines = pregnant!) and walked downstairs to tell Nick…
• How did the daddy react?: He was wide-eyed! He said something like, “What do you mean?” We hugged for a minute (and I was shaking like I did after he proposed!), and he said he could feel my heart racing. We sat down on the couch while I told him the whole story, and I continued to drink water so that I could take the third test. Nick calmed me down and helped me think about what to do the next day (i.e., call the doctor, try not to freak out…). As we went to bed, we were really just in shock - I didn't even really cry! I left the bathroom a mess for a couple of days so that I could remind myself that I was definitely pregnant.

Bathroom disaster...I wasn't kidding!

Telling the grandparents –

• How did your parents react?: We had my parents over for fondue – a family tradition! We wanted to tell them before dinner, but Dad put his first piece of beef in the oil before we had a chance! Nick was totally weird throughout dinner because our plan was thrown off – ha! He told them the news while we were visiting in the living room before dessert. Dad’s response – “I told you!” to Mom! I still don’t know what made him think that I was pregnant, but he was right! Somehow, I managed to only tear up a little bit – it definitely helped to have Nick share the emotional news! They were obviously excited, and they seem to be more and more excited as time passes! They will be such good grandparents: )
• How did his parents react?: We told Nick’s parents soon after we found out while Nick’s sister and brother-in-law were in town. Nick’s parents were thrilled, and Judy told us she is convinced we’ll have a girl because she had been talking to one of Nick’s cousins that day about all of the little boys in the family. They talked about the need for a girl, and Judy mentioned that there was still a chance that Nick and I could have a girl some day! We’ll see; ) 

About the pregnancy –

• When is your due date?: January 28
• How far along are you right now?: 15 weeks/4 days!
• Have you had an ultrasound?: Yes - 2!
• Have you heard the heartbeat?: Yes – once at each ultrasound and once with the doppler.
• Sex of the baby: ?!?!?
• What do you want - boy or girl?: Doesn't matter - a healthy baby!!!

About the birth –

• Who is going to be with you?: Nick 
• Are you going to video tape it?: Absolutely not!
• Natural or medicated?: TBD
• Do you think you will have a c-section?: If I need to…
• Do you think you will cry when you first hold your baby?: If I’m in shock, maybe not right away…but I’m guessing that I will cry for days before and after the baby is born because I cry about everything.
• Do you know what you will say to the baby when you first hold it?: Hmmm. I haven’t even thought about it! Probably nothing witty!
• Are you scared about the labor?: I’m not sure yet. I’ve had enough friends have babies to know that there is no telling what can happen. I know I will make it through it and be happy that I did!

Names –

• Do you have a name picked out?: Nope! I have some ideas…but we haven’t even discussed names yet!
• Is your baby going to be named after anyone?: Maybe... 
• Did the daddy help pick the name?: He will – I think that it is important for him to really like the name, too!

Other random questions –

• Where was your baby conceived?: HAHAHA. TMI alert…at home! Shocker!
• Have you felt the baby move?: Maybe. Sometimes I think I feel a little something when I’m absolutely still, but I can’t be sure just yet!
• What was your first symptom?: Looking back…EXHAUSTION, CrAzY dreams/nightmares, and one REALLY bad mood (that led to me taking the first pregnancy test!)!
• What is the baby's room theme?: TBD! We are hoping to start planning this weekend! Nebraska Furniture Mart here we come!
• Are you ready to be a mommy?: I sure hope so!
• Is your husband ready to be a daddy?: Yes – he will be great: )

Weekly Survey

How far along?: 15 weeks

12 Weeks

13 Weeks

14 Weeks 

15 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: + 8ish pounds

Sleep: MUCH better than the first trimester!

Best moments: hearing the heartbeat at 13 weeks/4 days; sharing the news with family, friends, work; buying some maternity clothes

Movement: Maybe a little when I’m REALLY still…

Symptoms: tired, HUNGRY

Maternity clothes?: I just bought some on Saturday! I LOVE the jeans I bought – and I hope I continue to love them once I start wearing them! I bought basics: 1 pair of jeans, black/gray/white/brown/red stripe shirts, 1 sweater, and a bellyband. Most of my bottoms are too tight, but I can button most of them.

Stretch marks?: Not yet!

Food cravings: cottage cheese

Food aversions: Nope!

Healthy eating?: I’m trying! I feel like I’m constantly eating, but I’m eating small meals and trying not to eat too much; ) I'm on a fruit kick, and I've been enjoying cottage cheese with fresh tomatoes from a family friend!

Exercise: Yes - I even ran a 10K on Saturday!

Gender: Don’t know yet!

Labor Signs: Nope!

Belly Button in or out?: Innie!

What I miss: watching the end of tv shows (because I always fall asleep!)

What I am looking forward to: reading to baby

Weekly Wisdom: It is hard to find something to drink besides water! I will sometimes have apple juice + water or Sprite Zero + orange juice. NOTHING can replace coffee and diet coke!

Milestones: reaching 13 weeks and sharing the news!