Hello Second Trimester!!!

Short & sweet this week!

Here's the bump...

And here are the latest stats...

How far along?  14 weeks ... I'm in my 2nd trimester!!!

Baby is the size of a: lemon 
 
Maternity clothes? Not quite yet but finding pants that fit is a bit challenging!

Symptoms:  Still the occasional gaggy/pukey feeling (better describes my "morning sickness" in my opinion), increased appetite but a general aversion to lots of foods, indigestion, increased urinary frequency, fatigue, mood swings.

Sleep:  Slightly improved ... maybe getting up to pee a little more this week.

Best moment this week:  Nothing too crazy happened this week so I'm going to say getting my hair cut with includes a heavenly shampoo with head, neck and shoulder massage.  And I got to share my good news with my hairdresser who is so excited for us.

Miss Anything?  Fruits & veggies (not that I never eat them but it's just not quite the same)!

Number of times I get up to pee each night:  Still an average of 2.

Food cravings: I think Chick-fil-a might be edging its way on this list.  And Oreos!

Anything making you queasy or sick:  It's still pretty hit or miss.  For example, when I opened the refrigerator on Monday and smelled the leftover pizza contained therein, I thought it smelled amazing.  Then, the very next day, I opened the refrigerator and gagged from the pizza smell!  So confusing & frustrating!

Have you started to show yet?  In general, I don't think so but then I look at the picture above & I guess I do indeed have a little bump!

Gender:  Nope! And to be super honest, I'm kinda getting sick of people asking me, "Are you going to find out what you're having?"  "What do you want?" And people telling me, "I think it's a girl." or "I think it's a boy."  I know, I know, I have to get used to this sort of thing but I'm also allowed to vent on my blog!

Mood: Good!  I'm not sure if The Bean would disagree but I think overall, I've been very positive and in a good mood this week!

Looking forward to:  Having a bump and even though it's several weeks off yet, feeling baby kicks!

What the baby is up to this week according to Babycenter.com: 

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

 Luke 1: 46-49
And Mary said:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.^"

The Bird is 13 Weeks Pregnant!

Nothing too exciting to post about this week. I have been off 6 out of the 7 days and I've filled my days off with some fun activities. Tuesday, I went to Charlottesville (well, Palmyra, to be technical) to visit my co-worker, Sarah, and her 5 week old baby, Abel. It was the first chance I've had to meet Abel and see Sarah since she had him. We had a very nice visit and I got my fill of baby cuddles. Last night, we had Jeff's sisters, Mom, and niece and nephew over for dinner. This was the first time we've had anyone over since I got pregnant (besides when my family came to visit in July). I'm so glad I'm finally feeling up to being a hostess again! Today, I met my sister-in-law, Robin, and her kids, and our friend, Leanne, and her kids at Riverside Park for the kids to play.  They have a "sprayground" that was a lot fun for the kids and a great way to cool off in this warm weather!  I got a bit of a sunburn but it's not too bad so I'm just glad I got some sun!  Tonight, Jeff & I went out for dinner and it was a nice little ending to my time off.

As I mention below, the highlight of my week has been feeling well enough to work out 6 out of the 7 days!  I bought 3 DVDs off Amazon and they, combined with the gorgeous weather we were having, served as excellent motivation for me to get back to working out consistently.  One DVD is Pilates which is the majority of what I was doing pre-pregnancy.  One is a general low-impact aerobic-type workout with use of a resistance band and a lot of other techniques.  This one is no joke but I also like it because it's split into the three trimesters and there's an express option (which in my opinion is the only option, for now).  Hehe.  The third DVD is prenatal and postnatal yoga.  I've never been too big on yoga and I've only done this one once.  I'll have to give it another try to see how I really feel.  In addition to these 3 DVDs, I've taken several walks, mostly after dinner with my hubby.  I really LOVE it when our schedules and the weather allow for those walks!

Lastly, what has been consuming most of my free time this past week is reading and thinking about what kind of birth experience I want to have.  As long as I can remember, I've been wanting to have a natural birth.  The question now is where would my ideal birth take place?  This decision would effectively decide for me who my care provider is, as well.  I've been getting all my prenatal care at an office affiliated with our local hospital who is made up of all midwives.  I've been to both of the major OB offices in Lynchburg, and this is definitely my preference between the two.  I am considering, though, the option of a birthing center or homebirth.  Since the midwives I've been seeing only deliver at the hospital, I would have to find a different midwife (or wives).  I won't go into much more detail about this now but I have been reading "Your Best Birth" in the meantime, trying to make sure I'm informed on all levels and just trying to figure out what I really want.  I'm sure there will be more on this in the weeks to come!

Here's what my bump is looking like these days--  

How far along? 13 weeks

Baby is the size of a: pea pod or peach

Maternity clothes? Still no!

Symptoms: Very rare “morning sickness,” increased appetite, peeing a lot; no headaches this week. Overall, I’m feeling much better! *yay*

Sleep: About 10 hours a night, if I’m lucky. Sleeping pretty well these days!

Best moment this week: Feeling better & working out 6/7 days this week!

Miss Anything? Shopping! There’s just not much point right now!

Number of times I get up to pee each night: Just 2 these days.

Food cravings: Unfortunately, my sweet tooth is back in full force.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nothing consistent but I still get random waves of nausea at unexpected times when I smell something particularly strong.

Have you started to show yet? Maybe ever so slightly but my belly hasn’t “popped” yet.

Gender: Nope, no clue & I don’t really want to until we find out in about 7 weeks!

Mood: Besides crying at anything & everything, it’s pretty much the same as pre-pregnancy.

Looking forward to: Looking pregnant instead of a little pudgy around the midsection.

What the baby is up to this week according to Babycenter.com: Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (about the size of a pea pod) and weighs nearly an ounce.

Psalm 127:3-5  Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/bible-verses-about-children-25-inspirational-scripture-quotes/#ixzz2ckcoYaHr

The Bird is 12 Weeks Pregnant!

I know it's only been 3 days since I introduced this blog and my pregnancy but I have SO much to share so I am pushing myself to write another post and attempting to organize everything I want to convey in a succinct, appealing way!

First, I'll share with you how I announced my pregnancy to my family.  It was Thursday, July 25 and I was 9 weeks pregnant.  My brother was coming to visit from Nashville and it was the perfect excuse for our family (minus one sister) to get together at my house.  I went to my very first OB appointment that morning and had an ultrasound.  This is when we first got to see our little gummy bear.  We had to tell my Mom a little white lie to explain where we were disappearing to for a couple hours and told her we were going to the dentist.  My brother wasn’t going to get into town until pretty late that night and I was a little worried about everything coming together.  Jeff and I went with my sister and her family to a Lynchburg Hillcats baseball game and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.  My brother got into town at almost exactly the same time that the game was ending (well, it wasn’t technically over because it was tied and they were going into extra innings, but we left anyways).  I couldn’t wait any longer; I was just so excited to tell my Mom & brother that I was pregnant!  When we arrived home, I set up the cupcakes I had baked earlier that day complete with decorative owl liners, owl picks, and banner..."Guess whooo's pregnant?" :)

And here is the wonderful video of their reaction to the message in the picture above:
(The password is "baby")



Now for this week's update... I went to an appointment Monday to meet with the midwife and have my first examination.  I did all the standard stuff, chatted with the midwife, and when it was time for her to try and find the baby's heartbeat with the Doppler, AppleSeed was playing a little game of hide and seek.  I wasn't really worried because I had just read that it is not uncommon at this point in pregnancy to not be able to hear the heartbeat (usually because baby is hiding behind the placenta), but the midwife said she would have Amy, the ultrasound tech, do a quick ultrasound before I headed out just to make sure everything was alright.  I was certainly fine with that idea because it meant catching another glimpse of my little AppleSeed :)  Here he/she is.

And here is my 12-week "bump" (I think my belly was bigger last week, hehe).

Last but not least, some info. on mama and baby :)

How far along? 12 weeks

Baby is the size of a:  lime

Maternity clothes? Nope!

Symptoms: Still having occasional “morning sickness” though it is much better than a few weeks ago, fatigue, frequent urination and tension headaches.

Sleep: Poor to fair.  Weird dreams, frequent urination, and headaches.

Best moment this week: Having a surprise ultrasound at my OB appointment on Monday and announcing our pregnancy on Facebook!  Yay!

Miss Anything? Not really!

Number of times I get up to pee each night: Averaging 2 right now.

Food cravings: I really haven’t had any cravings that I didn’t have before I was pregnant (ice cream).  I have a lot more aversions than cravings right now, unfortunately!

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nothing in particular.  I have noticed that I am really sensitive to a lot of smells right now and it doesn’t take much to make me feel queasy (but I haven’t been able to pinpoint anything specifically).

Have you started to show yet? Maybe ever so slightly…it’s probably just my pudgy tummy, though, hehe.

Gender: Not a clue!

Mood: Crying at almost everything, easily cranky, the usual!

Looking forward to:  The “morning sickness” going away soon *fingers crossed*, starting to show, and everyone knowing that we’re pregnant!

What the baby is up to this week according to Babycenter.com:
The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.
Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.


Psalm 139:13-16
"For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.  My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.  And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them."

The Bird & The Bean are Having an AppleSeed!

Bird = Mary     Bean = Jeff     Appleseed* = BABY!   

*Explanation to follow


After over a year and a half of trying to start a family, Jeff & I are THRILLED to announce that we are pregnant!

Our little one, whom we've nicknamed "AppleSeed" is due February 27, 2014.  When we found out we were pregnant, on June 24th, our baby was the size of an apple seed.  So, it stuck :o)

We had our first ultrasound at 9 weeks & got to see our little gummy bear for the first time.  We also got to hear its heartbeat and it was one of the greatest moments of my life!  Here he/she is!

Now, I'm almost 12 weeks & our baby is just about the size of a lime!  I don't really have a bump yet but I figure I have to start taking pictures at some point! Here is my 11 week belly pic:

How far along? 11 weeks

Baby is the size of a:  Fig

Maternity clothes? Not yet; just have to unbutton my pants after eating a lot :o)

Stretch marks? Nah

Symptoms: Fatigue, moodiness, and occasional “morning sickness”

Sleep: Not too well.  I have very vivid dreams and get up to pee more often than before I was pregnant.

Best moment this week: Telling my grandmother that I’m pregnant on her 80^th birthday!

Miss Anything? I just don’t enjoy food like I used to :o/

Number of times I get up to pee each night: 2-3 depending on how long I get to sleep (which is 10-12 hours these days).

Food cravings: French Fries

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Not particularly but I don’t enjoy fruit like I used to and just this week I sadly discovered that I might not enjoy Chipotle like I did before I was pregnant :o(

Have you started to show yet? Nope

Gender: Too early to tell!  And I don’t have a feeling either way!

Mood: Unfortunately for Jeff, I am quite moody these days.  When I’m hungry, I get super cranky.  I cry at ridiculous things.  All the usual things :oP

Looking forward to: Feeling better!

 What the baby is up to this week according to Babycenter.com:

Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.

She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.


1 Samuel 1:27
"For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him."