14w1day (Welcome to the Second Trimester!)

From Babycenter:

How your baby's growing:

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.

How your life's changing:

Welcome to your second trimester! Your energy is likely returning, your breasts may be feeling less tender, and your queasiness may have completely abated by now. If not, hang on — chances are good it will soon be behind you (although an unlucky few will still feel nauseated months from now).

The top of your uterus is a bit above your pubic bone, which may be enough to push your tummy out a tad. Starting to show can be quite a thrill, giving you and your partner visible evidence of the baby you've been waiting for. Take some time to plan, daydream, and enjoy this amazing time. It's normal to worry a bit now and then, but try to focus on taking care of yourself and your baby, and having faith that you're well equipped for what's ahead.

From Alphamom:

Your Baby:

• Is about the size of your fist, unless you have giant man-hands or something, so maybe I should just compare it to a peach instead.
• Has a strong, whoosh-whooshy heartbeat that can usually be found pretty easily now with a doppler. It’s much faster than yours (between 120 – 160 bpm), and sounds vaguely like a washing machine.
• Has probably started sucking its thumb.

You:

• Should be noticing a definite decrease in some of the more crap symptoms from the first trimester, although fatigue and nausea do tend to stick around a little longer for some women.
• Probably aren’t as bothered by breast tenderness anymore, although your boobs will continue to grow in size in the weeks and months ahead. Reassess your bra size periodically and make sure you aren’t mashing the girls into something you’ve outgrown.
• If this is your first pregnancy, you may FINALLY feel like you’re starting to “show” with a little belly pooch.
• If this is your second (or third or fourth or etc.) pregnancy, you’ve probably been in maternity clothes or been rubber-banding your pants for a few weeks already, so pffft.

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Me: Magic Nachos strikes again! The boys wanted Moe's for dinner last night, so off we went. I still really don't have an appetite yet, but I am not one to turn down queso in any form, nausea be damned. Felt typically very full the rest of the evening, but then this morning..... I.did.not.throw.up.once..... Success! It has become part of my morning routine, this whole dry-heaving in the shower business, but not today! Never would I have thought that one could become accustomed to throwing up every single day for months on end, but then all of a sudden it's just routine. Luckily it's mostly restricted itself to the mornings, or when I am home (knock on wood). Early on I truly feared what would happen if I got suddenly ill at work. The ladies' room is at least a minute dash down the hall, and if I couldn't make that, well the cubicles I am surrounded with are so quiet you can hear conversations from 100 feet away. Not the best cover for a gal trying to be discrete for a few months.

Like I mentioned previously, I went ahead and told my team at work the Big News. Today I went ahead and posted one of the U/S from Week 11 on the outside of my cubicle. I figure that's a way to announce to everyone else that I work with, so no one has to speculate. If someone sees the printout and wants to barge into my cubicle with Congratulations and Silly Questions, I'll all for it.

And today I made the Big Announcement on the biggest platform of all: Facebook. I hemmed and hawed over some cute and witty way to announce, but I just went with the old jar of Prego standby and my due date. It's kind of an old joke, but several commentors said they thought it was cute. So now every0ne knows!

I ordered a pair of maternity knackis and a maternity dress on clearance from Target and they finally arrived the other day. Had to order them online, as the selection at the nearest store flat out sucks. Sorry, hate to be disparaging, but it really does. The dress will probably be more appropriate for the later months, though I could wear it now if I wanted to (it has pockets!). The pants however, I may start writing love letters to. They fit perfectly, look good, were reasonably priced (kinda, depends on whom you are talking to) and are so comfortable. From what I've read, alot of pregnant women eschew the idea of maternity clothes and hold off and try all the little tricks to stretch their regular clothes as long as possible. But I'm thinking, if the symptoms are kicking your arse as it is, why not do everything possible to try to be a little bit more comfortable? If it involves lots of stretchy material over my abdomen, sign me up! Time to order moar!

13w4days

Slacker blogger am I! But no apologies here, I just may have actually done some actual work for a change. And even threw in a field trip (with lunch stop at Rickey's in BSL, shrimp po-boy OMG I can't believe I ate the whole thing) over to Harrison & Hancock counties

Technically I still am in the 13th week. So, What's Going on in There?

From Babycenter.com:

How your baby's growing:

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 (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

How your life's changing:

This is the last week of your first trimester, and your risk of miscarriage is now much lower than earlier in pregnancy. Next week marks the beginning of your second trimester, a time of relative comfort for many women who see early pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness and fatigue subside. More good news: Many couples also notice a distinct libido lift around this time. Birth is still months away, but your breasts may have already started making colostrum, the nutrient-rich fluid that feeds your baby for the first few days after birth, before your milk starts to flow.

From Alphamom.com:

Your Baby:

• Is about three inches long, the size of a jumbo shrimp, or a very small ramekin of tartar sauce.
• Has his or her own unique fingerprints already.
• Has intestines on the INSIDE of his or her body. (They start developing outside the body, in the umbilical cord, and then sort of…migrate up to their proper home around 13 weeks. I know. Biology is WEIRD, dude.)
• Will look less and less like a Big Giant Head and more and more proportionate as the next weeks tick by.

You:

• Are probably not puking anymore? But don’t freak out if you still are? I generally feel iffy until around week 16, although right now I’m only suffering from the occasional dry heave (on Tuesdays. Every damn Tuesday.) and have actual full days where I want to eat everything in sight because it’s all so gooooood.
• Are probably not as tired anymore? Unless you are me? I still can’t seem to get enough sleep or make it through the day without a catnap. Although maybe I am just very lazy.
• May start glowing soon, like everybody always talks about. The “glow” is actually just hormonal changes in your skin’s oil production, but it seems most people find it dewy and lovely instead of…ew, gross, oil.
• Your hair and nails might be changing as well — a lot of women stop shedding hair during their pregnancies, leading to very thick heads of hair that may also grow faster. Fingernails tend to get stronger and longer as well, which I can personally attest to BEING AWESOME.

Oh and this too is pretty neat (I was wondering where on earth my internal organs were going to go):

You! The Experience. Make room for baby.

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Me: Nausea continues, but has become, maybe, slightly, less? Still dry-heaving nearly every morning, but it's kinda comforting in that it's not an entirely bad experience (hence the dry part) and I usually feel better afterwards. As long as I've also had some breakfast tea and lay/sit down every 10 minutes or so. And thinking positive thoughts like paddling through some cool northern lake in the fall at dawn. And as long as I'm having a good hair day and pick out the perfect, comfortable outfit with ease AND make it to work at a reasonable hour. See where I'm going with this?

Tiredness continues; can't seem to get away from that. Our cool, dark master bedroom with the wind tunnel of fans has become my sanctuary.

Showing? I would say so, depending on what I am wearing. At work not so much, as I'm usually in drapey cardigans and what-not. At home however, I throw on pajamas as soon as I get home, usually a more form-fitting tank top, and as soon as Dear Sweet Hubs sees me, he usually points out that I'm 'showing'. It is a nice feeling.

The bleeding has started up again, but it's sporadic and more on the side of 'heavy spotting'. I'll mention it at my next appointment, but I'm not ultra-concerned.

Now that I'm sleeping on my side more, hip pains have taken over. I don't know if it's pregnancy, -widening of the hips- related, or just laziness and I need to nap all the damn time- related. Just hurts.

I called a group lunch for my team at work last friday and finally made the Big Announcement. I received several Congratulations and many questions were asked, so it was nice. Though I can now start a running tally of 'Dumb Things People Say to Me' (Are you excited? Was it planned?). This week will be FB, and then the world will know!

12w4days

So, I'm beginning to feel somewhat like a toddler. Why, do you ask? Well, I:

1. Need to snack all day long, usually preferring snacking to meals entirely. (to ward off nausea)

2. Need to nap mornings and afternoons. (Which only happens on the weekends; damn you, Adult Life).

3. Am now wearing pull-up britches, as in no zippers, buttons or flys. I went shopping this past weekend (and wore myself out shopping for so long and went home and promptly threw up from exhaustion, yea good times) and acquired 4 pairs of maternity bermuda shorts/capri pants. I don't think I'm showing that obviously, they just makes things oh-so-much more comfortable. No need to unzip and hide at my desk all day.


All of this is not necessarily a bad thing.... just kinda odd and funny. Thankfully no temper tantrums to report as of yet.

12w1d

Babycenter.com says:

How your baby's growing:

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.

How your life's changing:

Your uterus has grown to the point where your healthcare provider can now feel the top of it (the fundus) low in your abdomen, just above your pubic bone. You may already be into maternity clothes, especially if this isn't your first pregnancy. If you're still fairly small and not yet ready for maternity clothes, you've no doubt noticed that your waist is thickening and that you're more comfortable in loose, less restrictive clothing.

You may begin to feel heartburn (also called acid indigestion), a burning sensation that often extends from the bottom of your breastbone to your lower throat. Many women get heartburn for the first time during pregnancy, and those who've previously had bouts of heartburn may find that it gets worse. During pregnancy, the placenta produces a lot of the hormone progesterone, which relaxes the valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach. Particularly when you're lying down, gastric acid can seep back up the pipe, which causes the uncomfortable burning sensation. For many women the problem doesn't begin (or get worse) until later in pregnancy, when your growing uterus starts to push up on your stomach. The discomfort may range from mildly annoying to intense and distracting.

Alphamom says:

Your Baby:

• Is about two-and-a-half inches long. So still in the lemon/lime range. Comparison reruns! Sorry about that.
• Already has pretty much every structure, organ and system needed for life by this point. Everything will continue to develop and mature, but your baby really is a perfect little miniature human being.
• Reproductive organs are distinctly male or female. A 3D ultrasound could possibly make a pretty good guess at the sex now.
• Can officially be Bugged By You. Reflexes have developed, so if you push on your uterus, your baby will squirm and move in response. You can’t feel it, but it sure is fun to imagine getting flipped off by your fetus.

You:

• Are you feeling better? I hope you’re feeling better. I keep thinking I’m feeling better and then I’m not. And then I am again! And then I smell whatever it is that you’re eating over there and BLEH.
• Have a big-ass uterus now — too big to remain all low in your pelvis. It’ll sort of grow and migrate upwards during the second trimester. Pros: you won’t have to pee so much. Cons: your baby will better be able to land many, many karate chops to your internal organs.
• Are probably in some maternity clothes now, especially if this isn’t your first pregnancy and/or haven’t lost weight due to morning sickness. The whole waist-butt-thigh region is spreading, and it’s best to just go with it and be comfortable.

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Me:

Roger that with the heartburn. Pre-knockedupness, I got heartburn once every, five years or so. Which I was pretty grateful for, being that it's not just uncomfortable like indigestion, it is painful. PainfulOwOwOwStabbyStabStabStabbyMakeitStopfortheloveofGawd. It reared its ugly head after dinner last night, and I really hope that it doesn't become a regular thing.

Nausea: Still all about the same. Minor hacking in the shower every single morning. Have to snack all day long to keep things tolerable. Food in general still does not ever sound appealing, but still have to force myself to eat, as an empty stomach is even worse. We have been eating our weight in fruit, especially grapes, and I have discovered these ginger crisps that are *fantastic*. They make me feel normal for a whole half hour.

Energy: Getting ready in the morning now takes that much longer, due to having to lay back down for a few minutes a couple times and sitting down with my tea and grapes to get my digestive system to cooperate so I can function. If my car was closer and if I didn't have to 'de-sahara' it due to the heat, I would be taking a few more catnaps at lunch time.

Clothing: Finally ordered a pair of maternity pants and a dress on clearance from target. The only pants that I can wear all day without undoing the zipper are the ultra-stretchy ones. Will have to head to Academy this weekend to invest in some more comfy non-work clothes.

Oh yeah, and the bleeding has stopped. Thank gawd!

Will the worries never cease?

Well, you know what I mean. Surely a much wiser person than I would tell me: "Welcome to Parenthood".

The day started out so well, last Friday. It was Engineer Day, the equivalent of a company picnic. I had volunteered to help out and was assigned an 11-12 shift at the food tent. So I slept in, read in bed before getting up, got up and made breakfast, cleaned some house, took a shower and got dressed at a leisurely pace. I remember thinking, Gosh this is so nice, I wish everyday could be like this....siggghhhhhh.... ahhhh......

So I drove out to the park and showed up for my shift. I ended up being the person handing out the condiments for the hotdogs and hamburgers; the cheese, lettuce and tomato. An easy job, which I enjoyed because I was on my feet, helping people and was busy. Which is just a few of the reasons why I think I belong in the medical field. Someday...... Anyway, I was done with my shift and was perched on the edge of one of our tables under the tent, enjoying my hotdog and slice of pizza. Then I started to notice something quite subtle going on in my britches. Little gushes, if you will. I was thinking, Well that's kind of odd... some discharge? Surely I'm not wetting my pants but you never know with pregnancy..... And then I start trying to figure out how to assess the situation. Then noticed there were bathrooms at the park we were at. I was just about to head on over there, through the crowd of my fellow employees, when I decided to glance down at the front of my light-colored pants first. And then I saw it.

The front of my pants was soaked through with blood. This was middle school mortification all over again, topped with Fear. Anxiety. and Terror. I dropped everything and speed-walked over to my car and prayed that no one was paying attention. Of course I run into a fellow volunteer in the parking and he makes a comment about me booking out fast, and I try to sidestep him and laugh and continue on. What do you say to that? Sorry but I'm 11 weeks pregnant and suddenly bleeding and need to get the hell out of here!!

So I fly home, but somehow manage to catch nearly every light along the way. Praying and hoping and trying to remain positive. I get home and assess the damage; its bright red and soaked through my underwear and pants. This is definitely not spotting. I call my Doctor's office, and while I love Dr. Smiley, trying to get through their phone system is downright awful. It seemed like it took half an hour before I finally get through to the triage nurse. I tell her all what happens and she says it's best for me to come in and get che cked out, and Can I be there in 45 minutes? You know it. Of course being that it's Friday, Dr.Smiley's office is closed so I will have to see another doctor, the only one that sees patients on Fridays. I get there at 1, and my appointment is at 1:30. When I arrive at the office, they won't even let me go back to the Doctor's waiting area (there are several doctor's in the practice and they all have their own waiting areas) because they weren't back from lunch yet. So I have to sit and wait till then. And stew and not have a panic attack.

Finally at 1:35, they let me go to the Doctor's waiting area, with several other patients. Over a period of about 45 minutes, I get weighed (and have to go back and sit down), submit my urine sample (and have to go back and sit down) , and finally get to sit down again with the triage nurse and tell the tale yet again. She sends me straight over to the Ultrasound office, and I get to see the nice lady again that always compliments what I am wearing. She starts with the external scanner on my belly and immediately she finds the wee tot and the heartbeat. GloryHalleluiahThanksbetoBabyJeezus. I was trying beforehand to prepare myself to hear those most-feared words "I'm not seeing a heartbeat". But how do you even begin to do that?

And then it was okay. The detail on the monitor was much better than last time; you could see every last bone of the spine, the beginnings of fingers and toes, and she/he was even moving around alot, like flipping from side to side, trying to get comfortable. She gave me another set of printouts and a cd, but the printouts are never as good as what you see on the monitor big screen. She also does a brief internal scan and both of the technicians seem to be interested in what is on the screen. She says she thinks I may have some blood clots.

Then I get sent back to the other doctor's waiting room. And waited and waited and waited. Finally I get seen around 3:45-ish? By this point I had even became tired of things on my phone, the magazine within my reach; and started chatting up the lady next to me, which I never, ever do. I meet with Mr. Other Doctor in his office after he reviews my U/S. He is alright, but I'm glad he's not my regular doctor. He says that it's most likely leftover implantation bleeding, and on the U/S I have some old blood or clotting between the uterine wall and the placenta. And that I will probably continue to bleed. And I could come in anytime I see fit if I become concerned about the level of bleeding, but that it's entirely up to me.

So here I am, 11, almost 12 weeks pregnant and wearing a 'feminine product' of all things, because the 'heavy spotting' continues. But at least I know all is well.

And then there's this one...

Which makes me want to claw my eyes AND ears out, simultaneously. Really Samsung, this is what you come up with? You could drop a 10-foot python in my lap and I woulnd't react like this nitwit.

DQ, Oh so witty!

Despite the fact that they are blatant knock-offs of the former Old Spice commercials, the new Dairy Queen commercials always make us laugh:

11w1day

Had just a little bit of a scare at yesterday's appointment with Dr. Smiley. Last appointment was the U/S, and this time he said we should be able to hear the HB with the external Doppler.

So he gets out his wand with the microphone thing and proceeds to press around on my abdomen. And circled and circled and circled and circled. Nothing. My slow, steady HB would show up periodically, but no quick thundering hoof beats. Just static. Finally after what seemed like an eternity (maybe like 5 minutes), I broke the ice and asked if we should be hearing something by now. He says that it's like finding a needle in a haystack and that we really only had a 75% chance of hearing the HB with the Doppler between 10-12 weeks. Finally he gives up and says, Ok we're going to cheat and send you back for an U/S.

So the nurse walks me back to the U/S office, but alas they were closed for the day as it was already around 5:45 at this point. So back to his office we go. They make some phone calls and verify that they really are closed. Dr.Smiley says, Well we have little old machine here, Let's give that a try.

After struggling for a minute to get the thing to boot up, he gets it to power on. The machine looked positively archaic compared to the fancy-schmancy high-def wide screen machine over in the U/S office. He gets out the wand again, squirted more goo and we just see blurry on this tiny 4 x4 screen. Finally he locates the wee tot and points out the teeny tiny flickering heart beat. Hallelujah. Considering the size of the screen and the size of what it was measuring, I could barely make out anything, but I was relieved to hear that all was well.

Next week I'll finally be into the Second Trimester, and have the go-ahead to let the cat out of the bag. I think I'll wait till 13 weeks to make the big announcement at work; however it is getting harder and harder to hide as my belly is a-poochin' out. Right now am working on how to make the announcement to the in-laws. Our next get-together should be on Father's Day, so may do it then!


From Babycenter:

How your baby's growing:

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.

How your life's changing:

If you're like most women, you're feeling a bit more energetic now and your nausea may be starting to wane. Unfortunately, you may also be suffering from constipation (caused by hormonal changes, which can slow digestion) and heartburn (hormones again, relaxing the valve between your stomach and esophagus). Just remember, all this discomfort is for a good cause.

Don't worry if nausea has made it impossible for you to eat a wide variety of healthy foods or if you haven't put on much weight yet (most women gain just 2 to 5 pounds during the first trimester). Your appetite will likely return soon, and you'll start to gain about a pound a week.

And from Alphamom:


Your Baby:

• Is the size of a small lemon or large lime. With a twist! Yeah, we’re done with the bean and nut comparisons and have moved onto fruit. Next stop, small household appliances!
• Is officially a fetus, and is downright human-baby looking with non-webbed fingers and toes, although s/he needs a lot more cooking and fattening up.
• Is moving and kicking and dancing and even hiccuping, although you won’t be able to feel the acrobatics for a few more weeks (sometime between weeks 16 and 20).

You:

• Please, it’s just all more of the same. The pregnancy books are all yapping about how much better and less sick/exhausted/crabby we should be feeling by now, and I spent a very productive morning hurling several particularly annoying tomes at the wall.

So somewhere between a fig and a lemon?

10w6d

That's 10 weeks, 6 days for those whom don't speak the crazy prego language!

Tired. Tired. Tired. Tiredness.

Nausea still comes and goes, but seems to be a bit...less. (knock on wood!)

I can't hardly eat at all like I used to pre-pregnancy. I was doing pretty good doing the low-carb thing; maintaining and/or losing weight, no migraines in sight, less headaches, improved skin, just generally felt better. Then I get knocked up and I all I want are things I ate alot as a kid, which are oddly comforting. Grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup. Hotdogs. Plain Cheeseburger happy meals. Cereal. French fries.

I don't think I've had any full-on 'cravings' yet; at least not the must have this now kind. They generally feel like Hmmm this sounds good now (or at least not nausea-inducing). But I will have to admit that yesterday for lunch, I wanted the fabulous orzo pasta from The Mediterranean Sandwich Shop, but not the hummus that I usually get with it. So I may or may not have went to the Mediterranean place first to get some orzo to go, and then hightailed it over to Mostly Muffins for my regular turkey sandwich. Tee hee. Tra la la.

I woulnd't say that I've 'popped' or 'showing' yet (at least fully clothed), but it is getting harder and harder to button various pants or bermuda shorts that are workplace regulars for me. But Dear Sweet Hubs did say 'Wow you're looking pregnant' one day after I had stripped down to my undies to cool off after work one day. The belly is making an appearance, but I'm doing my best to keep it under wraps. For the meantime it does appear to be just too many cupcakes.

The heat index has been hovering around 100 degrees every single day since we headed into June. These are not fun times. AC is a god-send.

I have another checkup today, where Dr. Smiley said we should be able to hear the heartbeat with the external doppler. Every healthy appointment checkup takes away just a little more anxiety for me....

So Not Cool (literally)

And it's only June. Does not bode well for the rest of the summer year.

What's going on in There- 10 Weeks

From Babycenter.com:

How your baby's growing:

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

How your life's changing:

At your next prenatal visit, you may be able to hear your baby's rapid heartbeat with the help of a Doppler stethoscope, a handheld ultrasound device that your practitioner places on your belly. Many women say that the beating of their baby's tiny heart sounded like the thunder of galloping horses and hearing it for the first time was very moving.

Before you got pregnant, your uterus was the size of a small pear. By this week, it's as big as a grapefruit. You may or may not be ready for maternity wear now. Even if you're not there yet, your regular clothes are probably feeling uncomfortably tight and your blossoming breasts are straining the seams of your bra. The thickening in your midsection is most likely due to slight weight gain and bloating. If you're between regular and maternity clothes, pants and skirts with forgiving elastic waistbands (or low-rise waistlines that sit below your belly) will provide some much-needed comfort.

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Me: Well we've all heard about last weeks disaster. Got to back off the carbs, I suppose to avoid the one-two punch of a migraine + morning sickness. Not that I'm back to my low-carb diet by any means, I might just be shying away from purely a Cheerios and english muffin diet. Tiredness and continual low-grade nausea is the name of the game this week.

I can only spend small snippets of time imagining how my/our lives are going to change come this December; otherwise it just gets overwhelming. Sitting on the bench in our master closet, deciding what to wear in the morning, I envision an almost one-year-old crawling across the carpet towards me and using my knees and ankles to pull themselves up. I think about what color I want the nursery to be (have no idea at this point). Names. Delivery. Baby toes.

It still blows my mind that there is another person inside of me; it still blows my mind. Makes you feel very... mammalian. Sure, millions of women have done it since the dawn of time but it certainly means more when it happens to you.