December updates :o)

So again I have disappeared on you. . .and again I return. The morning sickness is still raging and I'm just praying that what the doctors tell me is true. . .which is that it should go away between 14 and 16 weeks. I'm doing my best to hang in there and remember that all of my pain and suffering will be well worth it in the end. I feel like I'm getting bigger by the minute but thankfully thanks to the belly band I have I am able to convert my regular pants to maternity pants for the moment and my shirts are just a little bit tighter due to my ever expanding belly. Well to catch you up on the baby's development since the last time I have posted. . .

At week 12 the baby is the size of a plum. . .

During the 12th week my husband and I went for the first trimester screening where the measure the spinal fluid through an ultra sound to see if the baby is at risk for certain birth defects. This so far had to be my favorite appointment of them all! The baby at this point is fully developed. . .it only three inches though and has a long way to go still. But the baby was rolling around, switching from side to side which my husband blamed on me due to the fact that, that is exactly how I sleep. . .I cant help it. . .I move around a lot! Then the baby decided to lay on its belly. . .which my husband gladly accepted blame for since he sleeps on his stomach. The baby was active the whole time we were there! From moving his/her arms around and kicking his/her legs. . .it was such an amazing thing to see. Then it was down to business for the measurement we came for and the baby did not make it easy on the technician. . .but end result is they said everything looked GREAT!!!!! We still have to wait for the blood work to come in but at this point no news is good news :o) Here and the 2 shots they gave us from that appointment. . .

So here is a picture of me at week 13. . . I must say I feel huge and I have to keep reminding myself I'm not just getting fat I'm actually pregnant!

This week the baby is the size of a peach!

For Christmas I received several gifts for the baby which def. made it feel more real to me. We got some outfits and stuffed animals also. . .I feel so grateful! Hope everyone had a great holiday!!!!

Update

Well its been a while since I've been on here. Things have been tough and the nausea is something to be reckoned with. About 2 weeks ago I had a fun trip to the ER after several days of throwing up. . . dehydration. . .ugh. . .enough said. Still struggling with the whole thing but I'm doing my best to hang in there. So I haven't been keeping up with my belly bump pictures to say the least but here is what has been going on with the baby. . .



Week 9 the baby is about the size of an olive. . .



Week 10 the baby is about the size of a prune. . .


Week 11 the baby is about the size of a lime. . .

And some how this week. . .week 11 I did manage to get a belly bump picture and as you can see the baby bump has arrived :o) So far even though I have been getting very sick I have still managed to pack on 7 pounds. My pants don't fit anymore so I have these "belly bands" which allow me to not zipper my pants (b/c zippering the pants are impossible at this point). So here I am. . .

*~* Week 8 *~*

So on Monday November 23, Eric and I had our first Doctor's appointment. So far everything is great the baby and I are healthy. I also received my big list of things to eat and not eat. . . things to do and not do. . .ect. . . . Although I have been very sick I have still managed to gain 5 pounds. I also got my H1N1 shot and they took like 8 vials of blood. . .jeeze can I keep some for myself? lol Well seeing the baby for the first time was an experience like nothing else. It was almost like an out of body experience watching the screen. I've always dreamed what that would be like but actually living it is something else entirely. Then you see the flicker of the baby's heart and hear that fast beat its like nothing else. To love someone so much already that I haven't met is something so special. So the following 2 pictures are from our first sonogram. . .

At week 8 the baby is about the size of a raspberry. . .

and last but not least the belly bump picture. . .

~*~Week 7~*~

So yes I do realize that I am a little late on my posts but I really had no idea what I was getting into with this whole nausea thing. It really shouldn't be called morning sickness if it lasts all day. That title is very misleading! Ok back to topic so at week 7 the baby is about the size of a blueberry. . .

And the belly pic. . .

~*~Belly Pic Week 6~*~

So this post comes just a little late since nausea and vomiting has now taken over my life. Week 6 so far has been a rough one for me and I'm just hoping this doesn't last forever, and I know that my husband feels the same way (since I've been driving him crazy running around getting me stuff). So here it is my belly pic. . .

So here is how big the baby is, its about the size of a sweet pea! It's getting so big so fast :o)

My First Belly Pic ~~Week 5~~

So here I am at week 5 as my husband kept saying. . . "Here is Jessica not showing". I look the same but I feel very different. From being hungry to wanting tons of sleep the changes have begun.

Baby Names

Baby names. . . a fun, stressful, compromise filled topic. When two people have to come together and pick a name that will help shape a person life it is never easy. For a girl my husband likes the name I've wanted for about 7 years now which is Bella and I like Marie as the middle name. Since Bella means beautiful in Italian and my husband is Italian he has agreed with no argument.

Now on the other hand boys names are another story. Everything that I like seems to draw opposition. . .Aiden, Hayden, Maddox. . . So now we have a few that we are looking at although I know that we will continue to look probably right up until the baby arrives. So in the running at the moment is Austin, Blake, Eli, Alexander, and Logan. (I think Logan is in the lead). This is such a fun and exciting time!

My Life Has Changed

So as I write my first blog post on my journey I am still finding myself in shock. I have always wanted a baby, it has been my dream since before I can remember. So here is how I found myself here today. Earlier this month there were 2 days when I could not stop cleaning and cleaning and cleaning. I'm not the type that just feels like cleaning so I thought it was weird and mentioned it to a few co-workers, who proceeded to say "I bet you pregnant and nesting". That was followed by my response of "No way. . .I'm definitely not pregnant". I also noticed all this month that I couldn't stop eating. Cheerios in the morning, fruit in the afternoon, lunch, more fruit and then more Cheerios.

Now when it comes to my period I am always on time and it's always 28 days. So right before I was due to get my period I felt a little weird so I decided to take a test and it was negative. So I continued on and didn't think anything of it. Then October 27th came and went and nope the P word wasn't here. So on my way home from work on October 28th I stopped at CVS and picked up a pregnancy test. As I watched and waited to see the result the first line came in clear as day but there was a second line that was very faded in the back which would be a positive test. Unsure of the result I took the other 2 tests that were in the box and sure enough all of these tests confirmed the same thing. . . I'm pregnant. I was crying and shaking and the only thing I could think to do was call my little sister Maria. I kept telling her that I didn't believe it and that I needed further confirmation. With her on the phone I ran down the road to Walgreens and got a different brand and I got the digitized version because I didn't want any confusion. Now 5 tests later. . . all were POSITIVE!

As I sat home waiting for my husband to arrive I was a wreck. This was not planned but also not unwanted. I didn't know how he could react. So now I'm here and its 5:00 and he wasn't due home until around 6:30. I couldn't wait so I called him and told him that he needed to come home as soon as possible. He wanted to know why and I just told him that someone called me with some news and I wanted to talk to him about it. So as I sat and waited I threw on Knocked Up and planned how I was going to tell him. Finally he arrived home and I sat him on the couch, made him close his eyes, and place the digital pregnancy test in his hands. He opened his eyes and I think he was in disbelief. I was shaking and crying and I was just at a total loss. I'm still not sure that the shock has set in yet for him or me either for that fact.

I have set up my first appointment and I cannot wait for the day to come. November 23rd will be such a big day between getting all the information and having my first ultra sound. Today was also an exciting day since we shared the news with our parents and siblings. The funniest part is my sister in law is pregnant as well and is due 2 months before me. It's nice to know I have someone to share my experience with who is going through the same thing as I am.

At this point the baby is about the size of an orange seed but I can already tell that my body is going through changes. I am beyond excited for what the road ahead will bring. . .I have so much love for this baby already!