40+4

We made it! Andddddddddd we're still pregnant... haha.

Ravenna is officially the size of a small pumpkin!

And she is still getting bigger every day, as am I :-O. It doesn't help that all I am craving these days are sweets, sweets, and some more sweets! I did reach my goal for 40 weeks of a 35 lb weight gain, but now feel worried as I go past this goal as I continue to be pregnant!

Don and I are getting impatient, waiting for our little bundle of joy to arrive. We have had a few false alarms over the past week and a half. I've found it's difficult to really know what is going on with my body, considering all of the new feelings I am having. I've had an increase in the frequency of my Braxton Hick's contractions, which made me question on a few occasions if I was in early labor. Unfortunately, I wasn't, and I'm still continuing to Braxton Hick's it up. In addition to these contractions, Ravenna really loves to head butt my cervix at night time, which feels ever-so-splendid. The only way I can think of how to describe it is feeling like I am momentarily being stabbed in the vagina! Not a pretty depiction, but accurate :) I've also had a lot of dull pain in my upper thighs, which I read can be caused by the baby dropping into the pelvis and pushing against the nerves. She is still as active as ever and with her size she can really jostle my belly around now.

We went to the doctor yesterday, hoping to hear that labor was near and that we had made a lot of progress since our last appointment which was almost two weeks before. We learned that I'm now 2 cm dilated and my cervix is still 75% effaced. It was a disappointment, but we're trying to remain positive. If Ravenna does not make her arrival by Tuesday, we have an ultrasound scheduled to check fluid levels, Ravenna's size, and her overall well-being. It will be crazy to get to see our baby in all of her glory in the ultrasound images! We haven't had an ultrasound for 5 months, so I'm sure she has changed quite a bit since then! After that we'll have a non-stress test before our appointment on Thursday. My understanding about this test is that I'll lay there for about 20-30 minutes while they use external monitoring to see how the baby is doing. If Ravenna is still being stubborn by Monday, the 16th, we will go in that evening to prepare for being induced the morning of the 17th. So at the very worse, we only have 10 more days! Of course we're hoping that we will get things naturally rolling before this date, but ultimately what matters to us is that our baby is healthy no matter what way she decides to enter this world.

We know that she will be more than worth the wait!

If anyone knows any hints/secrets of how to naturally induce, we are up for suggestions! I've been drinking raspberry leaf tea like crazy, loading up on fiber and spicy food, and walking all of the time. Someone at the Puyallup fair suggested that I walk around my living room on all fours, arching my back like a cat (meowing is optional). Sounds insane, but I do plan on trying it today! We'll see if she was just pullin' my chain or not!

38+4

38 weeks pregnant -- size of a leek (around 6.8 lbs and over 19.5" long!)

Notice that someone else wanted to sneak into the photo!

My third trimester is continuing to go really smoothly. I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend these last days of my pregnancy resting and relaxing at home. I definitely think this has helped me cope much better with this trimester comparative to my other two. My body is feeling really great. I still struggle with having a normal sleeping pattern, but I've been managing to make it work just fine. I feel well rested and relatively pain-free. My only real complaint is that my hands and feet are still swollen and uncomfortable. I have been living in my Birkenstock's because they are my only shoes that fit, but I'm hoping that after Ravenna is born my feet will go back to their normal size which will allow me to be reunited with the loveliness that is my shoe collection! I also can't wait to wear my wedding rings again (fingers crossed that I won't be forced to have them re-sized)! I've been having some crazy cravings for Crispix, of all things! And I also can't get enough sweets! I really need to cut back but I have no self-control! Yes, I will admit I consumed a whole tub of frosting... haha.

Overall, life is good. Actually, life is great.

I cannot believe that we have less than one and a half weeks left until our expected due date. It is so exciting! We can barely contain ourselves :) My "push pack" is ready to go and we are just waiting for the first signs of labor! As of last Monday, I am 1 cm dilated and 75% effaced (I need to get to 100%). I am happy with the progress I am making and look forward to getting checked again tomorrow at my appointment to see how much things have changed in just a short week. I am hoping I have made even more progress on my dilation, so that when labor actually comes I am starting out closer to the finish line!

Since my last post, Don and I celebrated our "babymoon". Basically our last hurrah before Ravenna is born. We spent the day in Seattle treating ourselves! We started at our favorite breakfast spot in Pike's Place Market, Crepe de France, and then spent the afternoon wandering through Seattle, enjoying one another's company. Next, we pampered ourselves to fantastic massages at Ummelina! It was really interesting because I actually was able to get a massage lying face down because they had a special pillow that catered to my belly. Basically, my chest and lower body were supported while my belly stuck out of this hole. It made for a really satisfying massage because the woman was able to apply more pressure on my back! I was very happy. Afterwards, we went to Poppy in Capitol Hill. If you live in the area and you haven't tried this restaurant, it is a must! They serve you a platter that has 6 or 7 innovative small dishes on it. Don and I both ordered different things and spent the evening sharing and tasting all of our delicious little delights! I can't wait to go back in the future. We ended our "babymoon" at a drag show, which was definitely a blast :) and perhaps a first for a woman who is 9 months pregnant! The following day we got pregnancy photos at Yuen Lui. I had found a really great Groupon for a sitting for $30! I couldn't say no to that deal! We got a ton of pictures taken, but at the end we could only get prints of one (unless we wanted to shovel out the big bucks for more!). Here is the picture we ended up choosing:

In other baby news, I finally took some snapshots of Ravenna's nursery. For those of you who aren't on Facebook, here they are:

Some other details from her nursery (the gummy bear is her nightlight!):

Now, just waiting for Ravenna to fill it!

34+6

34 weeks pregnant -- size of a cantaloupe (about 4 3/4 lbs and almost 18" long!)

Whoa, this third trimester seems to be racing by! We have just over 5 more weeks until we get to meet our sweet little girl and that's only if she reaches a "full" full term; we might be saying hello to her even sooner! Which means I need to get to work on packing our hospital bag, finding a pediatrician and pre-registering for the hospital!

Don and I talk daily about Ravenna and revel in our excitements and share our fears of childbirth, parenting and beyond. At times we feel completely ready and in other moments, we feel overwhelmed. It is such an interesting journey, but I couldn't ask for a better partner to go on this journey with. Don is going to make an incredible father and everyday I feel like I have won the lottery! 

I am continuing to feel pretty well during my third trimester, but I must admit I am still looking forward for the pregnancy to be over and to have my body back! My hands ache like crazy and my feet and legs itch. My back bothers me, but not as much as I expected it to considering all of the additional weight. I do feel discomfort in my lower ribs when I sit up for a prolonged period of time, but this can be alleviated by simply changing positions. I read that the cause of this minor pain in my ribs is that my uterus is pushing up against them. In fact, my uterus's volume has expanded to 15 times its original size, so you can say it definitely has its fair share of real estate inside my abdominal cavity right now! Our visits to the doctor have been going extremely well. With that said, the last time we went to the doctor we brought up some red blood blister like things that were forming on the lower region of my linea negra (the dark line on my stomach). She said that this was my first sign of a stretch mark! Oh no! I suppose if that's the only battle scar I get from the pregnancy though then I am in pretty good shape! Ravenna has been getting so strong that sometimes her movements are alarming. It is especially uncomfortable when she decides to stretch out and her little feet push up against my right side. Her hiccups sometimes keep me up at night, but I know that I will soon miss feeling these little rumblings and tumblings inside of me. They make me feel bonded to her and it is fun to be able to talk to other people while feeling her because I feel like I have my own little special secret!

On the home front, we are doing wonderfully. Our house is in order and we are feeling great. I plan on posting pictures of our home once the finishing touches on Ravenna's room are made. We only have a few more items left to purchase for baby Venna, which is such a sigh of relief. Preparing for a baby has been an extremely expensive endeavor and we are so grateful for all of our family members and friends that have helped us along the way. It has truly made the difference and we are very appreciative of the financial support that we've been provided with. It feels great to be thought of! We loved our baby showers and we felt so special that so many people wanted to share in on the excitement of our daughter's impending birth. Here are a couple of pics from the shower:

32+1

32 weeks -- size of a jicama

I have officially started my 8th month of pregnancy! I'm on the home-stretch now! Less than 8 weeks to go!

Fortunately, my results from my 3 hour glucose test came back negative, so I do not have gestational diabetes! What a relief! I can continue to enjoy sweets and carbs and I do not have to prick myself! All of which is fantastic news!

I have been very much enjoying having time off. I initially felt overwhelmed with the amount of free time that I had, but now I am settling in to a more lazy routine. I have been feeling really well recently and have been lucky to be plagued by very few pregnancy symptoms. However, my fatigue that had gone on a hiatus during my second trimester is now back. Thankfully, I no longer have to work, so I can welcome with open arms nap time! Other than fatigue, I have been continuing to experience an uncomfortable rash on my upper thighs and on my knees. I don't think that I have mentioned this before, but I have had it for a couple of months. I plan on asking the doctor about it on Friday. I heard that this is common due to hormonal changes, but there still is some concern that it could be something more serious. In addition to fatigue and my rash, I have had extremely swollen feet and fingers (the extreme heat is definitely not helping!) My wedding rings have had to take a leave of absence and for the first time, I couldn't fit my feet into one of my pairs of shoes! My feet were simply too swollen to get in them! hahaha, I am becoming a blob!! As a result, I've made a better effort lately to take time to put my feet up and have seen that it truly makes a difference in my sausage toes. Lastly, my weirdest pregnancy symptom is my tongue... I just recently developed geographic tongue! There's no harm in it, but my tongue just looks all splotchy and funny! I won't be making any funny faces with my tongue sticking out any time soon! Geographic tongue is another consequence of hormonal changes. I read that like most of my symptoms, it will disappear after pregnancy when my hormone levels return to normal.

Our home is still slowly coming together. We continue to be extremely busy and try to fit in what we can. It is looking pretty good, but still needs some fine-tuning :) We are hoping to finish up the last details in the next couple of weeks, but I am really happy with our progress. We love living here and can't wait for Venna to arrive and make it even more complete.

My baby shower is this coming Sunday. I am really looking forward to it! It is going to be wonderful to celebrate Ravenna's impending arrival with friends and family. Venna has been movin' and groovin' in anticipation!

Recently, on the 6th of July, Don and I celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary! Look how far we have come in just one short year!

30

 Week 27 (Ravenna is as long as a hothouse English cucumber!)

Week 29 (Ravenna weighs the same amount as a butternut squash)

We have had a very hectic last couple of weeks! We are fully moved into our new home, with all of our new furniture assembled (still waiting on two chairs though). However, we definitely still have quite a bit of tidying up and cleaning to do to make it perfect. Although, I've had the last couple of days free, I've been dedicated to taking a moment to relax and not worry about chores! I plan on finishing up the home and making it picture perfect in the coming weeks and promise to post pics in one of my up-coming blogs!

I had my last day of class on Thursday! It feels wonderful to have finished my first year of teaching and boy, I must say it was one adventure! Finally things feel like they are calming down and it is such a relief. We had our first weekend this past weekend where we had no responsibilities or commitments! It felt so good to just be able to focus on our home and each other, without having to run all over the place. We lounged around watching a couple of movies and even played a board game! Don also cooked me multiple delicious meals! Don has recently taken to the kitchen. I've been calling him Donny Flay. He has been very dedicated to trying new recipes in preparation for Ravenna. I try to remind him that she won't be able to eat this food when she pops out, but I must admit, I don't mind all of the delicious food that I am getting to enjoy in the meantime!

We had our first baby class on Friday of last week. It was a very positive experience and we learned a lot. It was a great opportunity for us to start thinking about the labor process and preparing ourselves for this adventure that we're about to embark on! In addition to learning more about what to expect in labor, we got to watch a V-back (vaginal birth after a previous c-section) natural birth . Both Donald and I must be the lamest people ever because we both started crying while watching! Although we had both seen live birth videos before, it was definitely a different experience knowing that this would be us in just a few short months. Watching this video also made me feel like natural birth was something that I could realistically do. Yes, it looked incredibly painful, but it looked manageable with the support of loved ones. This doesn't mean that I am closing the door completely to medication during labor, but I think that I am going to go into the hospital with the mindset that I can do a natural birth and use medication as a last resort dependent on my specific labor. Another thing that I really liked about the class was how much they emphasized the important role of the father during the labor process. Don learned massage techniques to use during labor to help me cope with the pain and yes, I plan on making him use his newly acquired skills throughout the entire labor! We were also given a tour of the birthing center. The birthing room was spacious and the after birth room was nice as well. I have been very impressed by Overlake so far, and really look forward to giving birth at this hospital.

In other not-so-pleasant news, I did not pass my 1 hour glucose test. Basically how this initial test works is that I fast for two hours and then drink a 50g glucose beverage. An hour later they draw my blood and test it for my glucose levels. The nurse said that my levels were at 147 and that the cut-off level was 130. As a result, I had to go in for the 3 hour glucose test. I took this test yesterday. I had to fast overnight and then go in in the morning on an empty stomach. They immediately drew my blood and then I had to down a 100g glucose beverage in 5 minutes. It was disgusting and made me feel very nauseous. After I drank the beverage, I got my blood drawn every hour on the hour for the next 3 hours. I couldn't leave the facilities and could only drink a very small amount of water. You can imagine how starving I was by the time I left! Each of the four blood draws has a specific glucose level that I should be under. If I fail two or more of the four blood draws, then I have gestational diabetes which affects about 4-7% of all pregnant women. Joy! I am now nervously awaiting my results, which I suspect that I will hear by Friday. I feel upset, discouraged, and like I did something wrong, however everyone reassures me that I didn't and that it is just something that happens. We shall see. I'll keep you all posted.

27+2

Hello everyone! It has been quite some time since I have blogged and for that, I am sorry. We have had a crazy last couple of weeks. Donald and I got sick over two weeks ago and I am still not feeling back to normal. I caught what I think was a cold from Don, which developed into a sinus infection. Supposedly, it is common for pregnant women to get sinus infections because they are already struggling with congestion. Fortunately, I had a four day weekend so I was able to rest and somewhat recover. However, I was definitely sad to sacrifice my entire long weekend to this sucker! Not only had my nose transformed into a snot factory, it felt like someone had literally punched me in the face! I felt an incredibly intense pressure around my eyes and nose and my entire jaw ached. To accompany all of this joy, I also had a wonderful headache. On that Friday, I slept almost the entire day on-and-off, just because it felt better than being awake. The worst part about it is that I could barely take any medication! I did succumb two nights to Sudafed, but I limited myself to one Sudafed a night. I can also only take 6 Tylenol in one day, which blows as well. There are days when I love pregnancy and revel in all of its splendors... though these were not some of those days. To try to help me sleep (it was challenging with all the pain and not being able to breath), we got a humidifier. I think it actually did help me sleep better. I am still sleeping with it on. I also used a neti pot for the first time. To use a neti pot, you basically pour this warm saline mixture into one nostril and all of the nastiness comes out of the other nostril! It is gross but in some way gratifying! And it helps you breath clear for all of 5 minutes which sadly, is worth it! Come Tuesday, I still didn't feel up to teaching, so I actually extended my weekend to a five day weekend! Luckily, I am feeling much much better now. However, I still look forward to feeling a 100% again and hope that comes soon.

In addition to fighting our illnesses, we have been packing up our entire house! I even packed up our SD card reader, so unfortunately I can't post this week's pregnancy picture. You all will have to wait in suspense until it is unpacked on the other side! We got the keys to our new place on the 1st (last Saturday) and have been slowly moving into our new home. We have been moving over boxes (nearly all of them are over to the new place now), but the big ticket items (our furniture) won't be moved until this Saturday. We also painted Ravenna's room, and by we, I mean Donald and my Mom. I was exiled from the painting room. My painters did an exceptional job though! It is a beautiful, bright and cheerful mint green (Pantone Bay). I am in love with the color and could not be more excited to finally get to start setting up the nursery! We have purchased a crib with a crib mattress and plan on getting a modular bookcase, a glider and a changing table as well. We've decided we didn't want to cramp the room space with a dresser and have opted for a closet organizer instead. I figured that her clothes are so small that we can easily fit all that we need to into her closet. It is so awesome to finally feel like we can prepare for Venna's arrival! We can't wait to be fully moved into our new home and for all of the joys it will bring us.

Other than this big news, I am struggling more frequently with heartburn. I get heartburn after lunch everyday around 5th period. It feels like lava right behind my sternum and makes it incredibly uncomfortable to teach. I am sooooo looking forward to summer starting and getting to actually deal with heartburn when it strikes and taking naps when I am exhausted, instead of always having to power through! ONLY TEN MORE DAYS!!!!!

23+6

23 weeks pregnant -- weight of a mango

This week Ravenna is tipping the scales at just over a pound. Her cute little body stretches to a length of more than eleven inches. My uterus is also now the size of a soccer ball! Holy moly! No wonder I am starting to show! As you can see from the picture, I am starting to look more pregnant, which is definitely a welcome change. I have gained nearly 20lbs since the start of my pregnancy :-0, which is crazy to think about! Just compare my pictures from Week 23 to Week 7! It is crazy how much this process can completely transform a woman's body. Fortunately, if I continue to gain weight at this rate (about a pound a week), I will end very close to where I had originally hoped for (35 pounds). We are taking bets on when my belly button is going to pop. It is getting pushed farther and farther out by the day!

According to BabyCenter, Ravenna is able to feel my movement now so Don and I have been trying to dance when we can. Also, her cochlea (the inner ear mechanism that houses all the components of hearing) is fully formed, which means she hears what we hear but simply a muffled version of it. I feel sorry that she has to listen to her mommy's terrible singing voice now!

The latter part of my second trimester has definitely proved to be a lot more enjoyable than earlier in my pregnancy! I feel happier (probably due to not feeling so sick) and more energized (although not entirely back to my old speed!). Although despite the improvements, I still have some pesky symptoms of pregnancy! In the past week or two, I have been dealing with foot pain and edema. I think the swelling is a result of the heat and I've read that foot pain is likely a result of my weight gain causing the pressure on my feet to shift. I also presume my foot problems are definitely not helped by being up and about all day for teaching. My feet are screaming in agony by 2nd period! I must say that a foot massage has never felt so good! Other than my feet sorrows, my only other recent unpleasant symptom that I've been feeling is that I think I may be getting a bladder infection. This sensation just started today. I researched that bladder infections are common for pregnant women because of the growing uterus pushing on the ureters restricting urine flow and the increase in glucose in the urine. Luckily, Don and I just made a trip to Safeway to get a jug of cranberry juice which I plan on downing over the next couple of days to hopefully ward off the infection!

Update about my blood pressure since last post: during my last visit, my blood pressure proved to be completely normal! It was at 110 over 60. What a relief! I was really stressed that it wasn't going to be normal and that it would complicate the pregnancy! Fortunately, we do not have to worry about that right now. My next appointment, which is at the end of May, will test for gestational diabetes and anemia.

Other exciting news in the world of pregnancy: I finally got some pregnancy tea! So yummy and such a treat to have something warm to drink in the morning :) (Maybe not the same kick as coffee, but I'll take what I can get!)

22+2

I just had the hugest craving for browned butter and mizithra spaghetti from the Spaghetti Factory and after eating a whole plate of it, I am feeling stuffed! Since I am feeling so full and lazy, I thought I would update my blog!

Things are going well here on my end. I am finally getting into a stage where I am actually enjoying pregnancy. I am feeling Ravenna kick like crazy, which definitely continues to make this whole experience seem so much more real. In fact, she is kicking right now! I think she is trying to say "hi" to everyone! Friday was my birthday and I got the best birthday present ever: Donald was able to feel Ravenna for the first time! (Not exactly true, because he felt it once before but he didn't believe me that it was her kicking! He told me I was just gassy!) This time though she kicked hard enough that he couldn't deny it! It was a magical experience to get to share that with someone else. We are so ecstatic to be becoming parents and are so thankful to be on this journey together. We love spending our time sharing our hopes and our fears of having a new child. Even more exciting than FEELING her kick, on Sunday we SAW her kick for the first time. It just looks like little spasms in my belly and Donald agreed that it is like popcorn popping. I like to just have quiet moments where I lay and Iwatch my belly and see her dance around. It is so cute and makes me giggle! Ravenna especially loves when her daddy reads her nighttime stories -- this is her favorite time to do martial arts!

In addition to having Ravenna kick for Donald on my birthday, I received a new body pillow from my mom! It has made sleeping so much more wonderful! I still don't enjoy sleeping on my side nearly as much as I like sleeping on my back, but having the pillow has improved my sleep drastically! It has the best fuzzy cover on it too, which makes me feel like I'm hugging a giant version of the dog. What could be better than that! I also got some really beautiful maternity clothes from the Bushells and Mom/Matt. They are really comfortable and it is refreshing to have things in my wardrobe that actually fit. My belly is continuing to grow and it is fun to finally be at a stage where I can feel like I can show it off instead of just looking like I ate waaaay too much! On top of these awesome presents I received, my husband treated me to a couple's massage at Ummelina. It was sooo relaxing. Afterwards, we got to take a shower to rinse all of the body lotion/oil off. The shower was incredible and had shower heads on all sides and you could control the temperature down to the very degree. I fell in love with their face wash, but unfortunately it cost 80 bucks for the set! I also drank pregnancy tea there that was very yummy. I plan on going to Teavana soon to see if they sell any pregnancy teas that I can indulge in.

In other exciting news, we signed the lease on a house that we are going to rent which sits right between Covington and Kent. It is 4 bedrooms and 2,000 sq. ft. We are looking forward to the extra space for our growing family! Although I am sad to be leaving our current townhome, I feel ready for this next step in our lives. We realize that this is farther away from our friends, who mostly reside in Seattle. However, we made the realization that it would be unlikely for us to find a place that fit our needs and desires as much as this home did and we also accepted the fact that our lives will be changing dramatically in the coming months and consequentially, we won't be commuting to Seattle like we used to anyway! I can't wait to get the keys because it means that we can finally start preparing physically for Ravenna to be here! We've (well mainly I have!) been searching for the perfect bedding for our little baby girl. We have also picked out a nursery set that we are anxiously waiting for to go on sale! We are thinking of painting her room a mint green. We think it is a fun, bright color and both of us aren't too keen on painting a color that is too "girly". I want her room to be bright and playful!

Another decision we've come to in the past weeks is that we have decided to do 100% cloth diapers and cloth wipes. We have talked about it at length and have come to the conclusion that this is the best/right choice for us. Our decision became easier when we came across this brand, Charlie Banana, which makes what they call 2-in-1 diapers. Basically these diapers mainly serve as normal cloth diapers using washable inserts, but can become like disposables simply by switching to disposable inserts. This is perfect for going out of the house or if people are watching Ravenna who aren't comfortable with using cloth! I love the duality of them! I have done a lot of research on these diapers and they have received exceptional reviews. People recommend getting the one-size adjustable versions over the sized versions (S, M, L, XL) because this eliminates leakage. The only major hurdle of cloth diapers is of course that all of your diaper expenses are now upfront! They aren't spread out over two years like they normally would be! However, we know that in the end using cloth diapers will prove to be much more economical. We will need to get somewhere between 24 to 36 diapers. They are sold in sets of 6. If you are looking to help us out in our baby adventures, this would be the perfect thing to gift us! They sell Charlie Banana diapers at Target and again we are looking at the one-size versions.

Only 18 more weeks until we meet our beautiful baby girl!

20+6 (based on new due date)

20 weeks pregnant -- size of a banana (Don says I looked super Asian in this picture! But hey, I took the picture at 5:30 in the morning -- what do you expect?)

I apologize for the delay in posts. We have had a very busy couple of weeks. The week before last was my Spring Break and during this week I am happy to say that I finally overcame the majority of my nausea. I still have had bouts here and there, but I definitely am feeling a lot better these days which is an incredible relief. I was really starting to worry that I would be in a state of misery forever!

Although I have conquered the nausea, all is still not rainbows and unicorns in the pregnancy world. To replace my nausea, I have gained some other not so pleasant side-effects, however they are seemingly much more manageable. Unexpectedly, when I was in Arizona during Spring Break, I got pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel. Basically my body was retaining a ton of fluid due to the increased heat and as a result was creating pressure on the median nerve that runs through my wrist. As a result, I had a lot of discomfort/pain in my wrist area. I kept telling Don, "There is something wrong with my wrists... They feel weird." The next day, on my BabyCenter App on my phone the entry focused on pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel! The unexplainable feeling was finally identified! My sweet husband tried to rub them to relieve the pressure, but I didn't find relief until a day or two after returning to Washington. Hopefully this isn't a sign of what is to come for me this summer. Another wonderful symptom I've now had the pleasure of experiencing is heartburn. Pregnancy causes muscles to loosen throughout the body, including the one on the top of your stomach. In combination with a growing uterus applying pressure on the stomach, this causes acid to escape up into my esophagus, also known as heartburn. Like the carpal tunnel, I didn't really know what this feeling was at first. It was just a huge discomfort in my lower throat and upper chest. It felt like a burning sensation or as if I had air stuck in my chest. It got so bad one night that I thought I might throw up! I noticed this symptom most when I consumed spicy food, so I plan on limiting spice in my diet which completely stinks! I love spicy food, but I must admit, I much prefer feeling good!

Other things that are changing about my body is my belly AND my belly button. I definitely have developed a baby bump over the last couple of weeks and even though it isn't huge yet, it has already affected my belly button! My belly button was squished inside (it looked kind of like a butt), now it is all spread out!

Last Friday, we had our 20 week ultrasound. The nurse found that my blood pressure was really high which has been very worrisome to me since the appointment. I know it couldn't have been helpful that I ate the saltiest thing I could possibly eat an hour before my appointment, but I still worry that it might not have just been a blood pressure spike and that this might be something that will negatively affect the pregnancy. Fortunately, I go into the doctor next Friday, which will hopefully give me more clarity on this situation. In the interim, I plan on working harder to eat healthier, well-rounded meals. I need to work even harder to introduce more vegetables into my diet! I have been eating tons of fruit, protein and dairy, but I am still lacking the proper amount of vegetables. As far as the actual ultrasound goes, it was incredible! It is such a remarkable experience to have the opportunity to watch the little life-form that is growing inside of me move! Don and I were also very privileged to have our mothers share in on this experience with us. The doctor measured all of the various parts of the baby and made sure that everything looked normal. He even predicted how big the baby would be when it is born! He said that it will be around 8 pounds! He also moved our due date forward two days to September 4th.

Our doctor put the gender of our baby into an envelope. One of Don's coworkers was given the duty of filling the pinata with either blue or pink candy based on the information. The following day, our friends and family gathered for our Gender Reveal Fiesta! Our guests dressed in pink or blue to represent their best guess as to what wonderful joy would come into our lives.

We broke into the pinata to reveal pink candy! We couldn't be more excited for Ravenna Joy Bushell's arrival this coming September!

My last exciting news to share is that I finally think that I have for sure felt the baby! It feels a little bit like gas or like popcorn popping inside of my lower abdomen, below my belly button. I started noticing it on Sunday night (not knowing really what it was) but was pretty certain of what the sensation was yesterday because while I was sitting, subbing for another class, I felt three spread out "pops" in the same place that were very distinctive. After that, I focused on the sensations in my belly and found that I felt it throughout the rest of the day! The feelings are generally on my left side of my abdomen, but I have felt some on the right too. Don tried to feel it while he was reading to Ravenna in bed (we bought two board books that we are alternating reading each night to her), but he wasn't able to feel her kicks. I am hoping that she will get strong enough in the next week or two for Don to feel her too!

Needless to say this has been such an amazing past week and has definitely made this whole process feel more real to us!

18

I am 18 weeks pregnant today. My baby is the length of a bell pepper and now weighs in at about 7 ounces. It is insane that I have something inside of me that is that large! Everyday Don and I marvel over the idea of creating a human life.

This week I have started feeling ever-so-slightly better, although I am still struggling daily with nausea. I eat about 3 preggo drops every morning, which seems to subside the nausea when I get to work. I am also trying to eat continually throughout the evening (when my nausea is the worse) to see how that affects my stomach. My nurse said that my nausea could be linked with low blood sugar, which is a consequence of waiting too long between meals. Our neighbor recommended eating a spoonful of peanut butter before bed and drinking a glass of whole milk. (She is pregnant too! Just over a month ahead of me!) I am going to try this to see how this helps. However, it is probably not the best that I am allergic to peanut butter and I am lactose-intolerant... Haha, but it is worth a try! At the very least it can help my waste-line :).

The last few nights I have started trying to sleep on my side. I have read that sleeping on my back (my sleeping position of choice) can  reduce my circulation and consequentially the circulation of the baby because my blood vessels can become squished due to the added weight on my belly. I haven't been getting as restorative of rest because I am consciously having to focus on sleeping on my side, which isn't natural for me. It also makes it a lot more challenging to keep Leo (my eye pillow) on my face, which for those of you who know me know that Leo is essential to my sleep! Hopefully with time, I will become more and more comfortable with this change. In addition to tossing and turning from side-to-side, I have been dreaming like a crazy person! I have been having the most vivid dreams ALL night for the last two weeks. I think I wake up more exhausted because I am so busy on my wild, imaginary adventures.

I may finally be starting to get a real preggo-belly, but more likely than not it is just in my head! The doctor said I appear to have really strong abs, which is keeping me from showing and she said I might end up not showing much at all throughout the pregnancy. Donald laughed though! I guess he wasn't in agreement about my abs :) We are hoping that in the next few weeks I will start looking the part of a pregnant lady!

Inside of my tummy, I have been feeling a lot of strange feelings! I am wondering if this is the baby kicking and moving about, but it is difficult to tell because I have NO idea what I am feeling for. I don't think I will be able to identify it until I can actually feel the movements with my hand!

In other exciting news for the week, yesterday I was having a case of the itchy boob! At the end of the day when I was getting ready for bed, I noticed a 2 inch long bright red, blotchy spot on my left breast! I am not sure if this was the cause of the itch or this was a result of the itch! It doesn't look good though, but hopefully it will heal soon. Don thinks it is a blood blister from itching. Fortunately, it wasn't itchy today though, so that is a positive sign.

Current things I can't get enough of: grapefruit and seafood (I have to limit myself on this though!)

16+5

 This was at 7 weeks -- the size of a blueberry

 This was at 12 weeks -- the size of a lime

Now, at 16 weeks -- the size of an avocado

I've officially gained 10lbs since the start of my pregnancy. I might be a pound or two over where I had hoped to be, but overall I am happy with the progress I am making. The books I have read have recommended that I gain about a pound a week from this point on in my pregnancy. My ultimate goal is to gain less than 35 pounds, but I will be okay if I end up gaining a little bit more than this. I must admit, it is crazy looking at these pictures and already seeing the changes in my body. I can't wait for the extraordinary changes that are yet to come and to finally be recognized as a pregnant woman!

I *think* I may be feeling mildly better this week. I have been gagging less frequently and get this, for the first time in a very long time I can walk up the stairs and the scent of our house doesn't make me gag! Hey, I will take whatever progress I can get -- as silly as it may sound to you! It was also extremely helpful that my husband completely cleaned out our fridge last week. It has made going to the refrigerator an incredibly more pleasurable experience and one that I no longer have to hold my breath in order to do! (It wasn't that nasty!!! I just have a very sensitive nose!) Despite this progress, I have been struggling with headaches and back pain. All I can take to combat headaches is tylenol, which honestly doesn't help much, so I usually end up trying to sleep off the pain. As far as the back pain, I have experienced this same back pain before on-and-off throughout the pregnancy. However, when it does decide to strike, it is brutal! It is especially lovely when I am kneeling down frequently to talk to students at their desks. They probably think I am some old woman when I try to stand up! I've read that the lower back pain that I feel is most likely the result of the loosening of the joints and ligaments that attach my pelvis to my spine.

I've also been feeling some strange feelings in my tummy over the past few days. I wonder if these might be the first signs of the baby fluttering or... it could just be indigestion!

We are starting to really look forward to finding out the gender of our baby! We will be finding out in almost a month from today. We have names officially picked out for either gender, however we don't plan on revealing these until the baby is born or perhaps, if you are lucky we will make this public at the gender reveal as well! Our thoughts are that it will be easier for everyone to accept and love our name selection when we actually hand them the baby and say this is _____. At that point, no one really has the opportunity to pass their judgments because they have to love the name regardless!

15+5

Although everything I have read has promised the second trimester would bring renewed energy, nausea relief, unicorns, and rainbows, I have yet to feel any of these things!  As much as I have crossed my fingers and hoped and prayed for the nausea to desist, it has yet to say goodbye to my pregnant body. I actually threw up for the first time this week. Luckily it was just in my mouth. Not sure if that is something to feel lucky about... but I was definitely surprised! Needless to say, I am quite concerned about what the future of this pregnancy entails as I continue to feel my tummy turn into the wee hours of the night. At my last visit just before my 14th week my doctor appeared visibly concerned that my nausea hadn't lightened up. However, she said that some women take about a month longer to feel relief, which matched what I had read, but by 16 weeks I should be a-okay and in the clear. As the 16 week mark fast approaches (2 days away), I can't describe my emotions in a better a word than fear! Why am I not feeling this relief that I have been promised?! My doctor continued to inform me that if I still feel nauseous at 18 weeks, I can say hello to what will be my new loving and dear pregnancy friend, morning sickness, because it will take permanent residency in my body throughout the rest of my pregnancy until I pop this little bugger out. Will I seriously be in that remarkably small percentage of women who simply don't feel relief from this disgusting feeling? Please say it isn't so!

My other most frustrating pregnancy symptom is the constant constipation! Oh my goodness! Is it so much to ask to just be able to go to the bathroom like a normal person?! You would think that the bird seed I eat every morning (as Donald so lovingly calls it), my constant water intake and fruit consumption would serve me some type of benefit, but no, my poop is too stubborn. I know that neither of these things are very pleasant to read about, but I must admit it feels pretty good to get my complaining out! It is funny that when we were planning pregnancy, I had this incredible romantic idea in my head. I had not considered the negative toll on my body that would coincide with this huge decision. In no way do I regret our choice to get pregnant, but I wish I would have had a little bit more foresight to prepare myself!

Amongst all the unpleasant symptoms, I have many things to be happy and thankful for. This week my mom treated me to a food I have been craving for over a month: homemade macaroni and cheese! My mother also spoiled me with my first maternity clothes. I am a new lover of the belly band which accommodates my ever-expanding waste-line! (However, I must admit it is weird not buttoning my pants, but oh-so comfortable!) Also, my lovely husband surprised me with flowers today which was a wonderful gesture to come home to. What keeps me going through these difficult times is my loved ones' constant support. I am so fortunate to be surrounded by people who genuinely care about my well-being and are fully invested in my pregnancy.

14+5

I decided to start a baby blog to monitor trends in my pregnancy, to vent about the challenges and to revel in the excitement of making a tiny little person.

I am nearing my 15th week and I have to admit that I am extremely disappointed that I am not feeling the relief from nausea and fatigue that I had expected to arrive after my 12th week of pregnancy. I have felt nauseous EVERYDAY for the past 3 months and lately it feels like the nausea is getting worse. Although I have been fortunate to not throw up yet (which I cannot emphasize enough how extremely thankful I am of this), recently I have been gagging much more frequently and at times I feel that if I were to allow myself to, I could easily vomit. I especially struggle with all of the smells from the kitchen -- opening the fridge never ceases to be gagfest 2013. I read that women who have a history of migraines often feel more nausea and I also read that women who feel more nausea in their first trimester are 50% more likely to have a girl! So perhaps either or both of these two things are the cause for continual nausea. Overall, I can sum up my feelings by saying, I am sick of being sick! It really is taking a toll on me and I am starting to feel frustrated and emotional (go figure) about not feeling any progress. From all of my readings, the second trimester is supposed to be a time of renewed energy and health, so hopefully I will see this side of it soon! In the meantime, I am taking refuge in carbs. They are the only thing that help the nausea, besides sweets and lemonade! Bring on my preggo bump with all those extra calories!

Our baby, the size of a lemon now, is starting to make its first appearance on my belly. My bump is small, but beginning to be noticeable. Some days, I love it, other days, I feel like it just makes me look fat! I am looking forward to when it gets bigger and is very obviously a pregnancy bump instead of it just looking like a questionable beer belly. One way that I know that it is the baby though is that I can't suck the bump in! Although this may seem like a "duhhh", this is very strange to me. I will stand sideways and look at the mirror and try to suck my tummy in and it literally looks identical to it being "un-sucked"! How weird! I can't imagine what it will feel like when I have a full-grown baby inside of me!

Despite my sickness frustrations and my belly blues, Don and I are so excited for our new little family member to arrive in less than 26 weeks! We recently bought a new book about the first year of life and have been reading to each other about breast-feeding, introducing the baby to our pets, essential baby buys, and other important/valuable information. Don also makes an effort to regularly talk to the baby, which is endearing and entertaining. I will be the first to admit that Donald has definitely been my life-saver over these trying weeks and has been so kind to cater to my needs and so flexible with my limitations while not feeling well. He has cooked me endless meals and helped with chores that are normally mine and also has been forgiving to the chores that I haven't had the energy to accomplish recently. I do feel guilty about the loads of laundry piling up and the small messes scattered about the house (which at times seriously stress me out), but I am lucky to have someone who is understanding and patient. I cannot begin to express how thankful I am to have such a loving and dedicated husband! I am so incredibly lucky to be starting a family with this man. He is going to make the best father -- I have no doubt in that.

Okay, this is all for now. I will do my best to write at least once a week or perhaps more if the mood strikes me!