17 weeks

How far along? 17 weeks (baby is 5 inches long & the size of a turnip)

Symptoms: not too many that are bothersome. The heartburn is better, the nausea is still gone & I still love to take my afternoon naps!

Weight gain/loss: +1 lb for a total of 7 lbs gained - ugh, creeping up the scale!!

Maternity clothes? a few - the shirt in the pic above is a maternity top & is SO comfy. It is one that I ordered from Motherhood Maternity last week & I am thinking I might have to order another one in a different color!

Sleep: no problems falling asleep but still struggle to fall back asleep after the 4am bathroom call.

Food cravings/aversions: still eating a lot of salads & loving the carbs

Movement? yes, feeling more & more of the little "flutters" - especially while laying on my back

What I miss? sleeping all the way through the night

Best moment(s) this week: spending the weekend with my mom

What I'm looking forward to: seeing Baby T again at our 20 week ultrasound on Sept 21st

Next Appointment: Thursday, Sept 6th - 18 week appointment with my OB

Milestones: Baby T's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, the umbilical cord is growing stronger & thicker, baby can move his/her joints & the sweat glands are starting to develop.

16 weeks

 

How far along? 16 weeks (baby is 4 1/2 inches long & the size of an avocado)

Symptoms: Feeling pretty good. Experiencing more frequent heartburn but that is really it as far as symptoms go.

Weight gain/loss: +1 lb (total of 6 lbs gained)

Maternity clothes? not yet. Got my package from Motherhood Maternity this past week & love the 3 things I ordered. Can't wait to wear them this fall :)

Sleep: the middle of the night "pee-fests" have decreased greatly which I am thankful for. Received my Snoogle in the mail this past week & not sure if I love it or not. Still trying to figure that thing out. However, I have busted my hubby a few times curled up with it so I'm thinking he may like it more than me - lol :)

Food cravings/aversions: been craving salads this past week for some reason!?

Movement? still feeling little "flutters" while laying on my back at night so I think this just might be baby moving around

What I miss? ice cold beer/wine - especially during my birthday celebrations this past week

Best moment(s) this week: celebrating my 40th birthday with all my close friends.

What I'm looking forward to: seeing my mom at the end of the week. She is visiting us from South Dakota for the weekend. Lots of fun stuff planned!

Next Appointment: August 23rd- AFP (alpha-fetoprotein) blood draw to see if the baby has a neural tube defect such as spina bifida or anencephaly.

Milestones: Baby T's legs are much more developed, the head is more erect than it has been & the eyes have moved closer to the front of the head. The ears are close to their final position & the toenails have started to grow. Also, Baby T's heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day & this amount will continue to increase as baby continues to develop.

15 weeks

How far along? 15 weeks (baby is 4 inches long & the size of an apple)

Symptoms: Feeling pretty good. Experiencing more frequent heartburn but that is really it as far as symptoms go.

Weight gain/loss: 0 lbs (still a total of 5 lbs gained)

Maternity clothes? not yet. Just using what I already have in my closest which seems to be working out so far. I did order a few things for fall that were on sale at Motherhood Maternity yesterday so looking forward to getting those in the mail.

Sleep: still sleeping pretty good. I ordered a Snoogle mini body pillow to help me not roll onto my back (which I do all the time) so that should arrive early this week. Hoping it works!

Food cravings/aversions: not really "craving" anything. Still steering clear from coffee & Mexican food & still have a weakness for potatoes - especially mashed!

Movement? This week I noticed that when I am laying on my back at night, I think I can feel Baby T moving. I can sometimes feel little flutters above my pubic bone so I am thinking this is baby? Or maybe it is gas...who knows??

What I miss? an ice cold beer & reading on the patio. It has been way too hot here to enjoy doing anything outside.

Best moment(s) this week: pre-birthday celebratory dinner with my girlfriends & a surprise appearance by my bestie Deanna who lives in Austin, TX :)

What I'm looking forward to: celebrating my 40th birthday this week - all kinds of social gatherings planned for the week :)

Next Appointment: August 23rd- AFP (alpha-fetoprotein) blood draw to see if the baby has a neural tube defect such as spina bifida or anencephaly.

Milestones: Baby T is busy moving amniotic fluid through the nose & upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in the lungs begin to develop. The legs are growing longer than the arms now, & baby can move all of his/her joints & limbs. Although the eyelids are still fused shut, baby can sense light & the taste buds are being formed. If I were to have an ultrasound this week, we would be able to find out whether the baby's a boy or a girl! Unfortunately, that US isn't for another 5 weeks :(

Results

The nurse called today from the Perinatologist's office with my lab results from the MaterniT21 test. Unfortunately, I was away from my phone so she left a message. I was SO nervous listening to that message that I had to play it twice just to make sure I heard the information correctly!

NEGATIVE!!!

For Down's AND Trisomy 13/18!

Thank you God - I couldn't feel more blessed. One more hurdle crossed...

14 weeks

Goodbye 1st trimester....HELLO 2nd trimester :)

I went to see my OB this afternoon for my 14 week checkup. She did the usual - checked my urine for glucose which there was none & my blood pressure which was low so all checked out ok. She said my weight was right where it should be so that is good. I got to hear the heartbeat also which was ticking away at 148 bpm. I will never get tired of that sound!! She also gave me the "go-ahead" to resume "intimate relations" with the hubby so I know he will be one happy camper when hears this :)

So, all in all things are going really well & I have no complaints. And without further ado, here is the update I know a few of you have been anxiously awaiting...

*I didn't have time to take my usual pic this week but this is from Saturday evening which shows my "baby bump" pretty good. I went with my friend Jilly to the J-Lo/Enrique concert & it was a fabulous time!

How far along? 14 weeks (baby is 3 1/2 inches long & the size of a lemon)

Symptoms: The nausea is gone & my energy is back! Woo hoo - glad to finally be feeling back to myself. However, I'm not really crazy about these DD's I am carrying around ;)

Weight gain/loss: +2 lbs (for a total of 5 lbs gained)

Maternity clothes? not yet. I did however buy my first maternity t-shirt at Kohl's this weekend but it is still a little too big to wear yet. My sister also sent me some maternity tops for the fall, a pair of jeans & a pair of shorts to wear which all fit pretty good. I also went through my closet & pulled out what clothes I could wear as "maternity" clothes (tunic tops, sweaters, leggings, etc) & mix/matched some outfits for the fall. I was surprised at how many outfits I actually do have in my own closet that will work!

Sleep: no problems other than still waking up to pee at 4am & not being able to fall back asleep. Will this ever end??

Food cravings/aversions: now that I am feeling better, I am trying to eat less of the "comfort" foods & add healthier items into my diet. Still can't give up my potatoes though!!

Movement? none yet

What I miss? honestly?? my "C" cup boobs - lol :)

Best moment(s) this week: seeing my girlfriend Desiree & leaving behind the 1st trimester

What I'm looking forward to: feeling the baby move

Next Appointment: August 23rd- AFP (alpha-fetoprotein) blood draw to see if the baby has a neural tube defect such as spina bifida or anencephaly.

Milestones: Baby T can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, & suck his/her thumb! Facial muscles are getting a workout as the tiny features form one expression after another. The kidneys are producing urine, which is released into the amniotic fluid around him/her. An ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, is starting to develop all over his/her body. The liver starts making bile this week & the spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells.