Bumpdate: Week 18

How far along? 18.5 weeks 

Total weight gain: 12 lbs

Maternity clothes? This week I have been particularly uncomfortable. Can't find a way to sit comfortably, None of my clothes feel comfortable. Merv decided this week that any type of clothes touching my stomach is simply unacceptable which is just lovely, let me tell you. So this week has been mostly huge t shirts and sweat pants. I havent gone out much so its worked out well for me. 

Sleep: Still working on gymnastics by night, and karate by day. This kid is some kind of wonderful. But sleep isnt part of the vocabulary. So I snuggle in, wait patiently for a weak moment and fall asleep as fast as possible. Its all about being faster than the ninja baby inside me. I havent mastered the science yet, but Im pretty close. 
New this week: Nic felt Merv kick for the first time this week. Nothing drastic or stomach altering, haha, but he felt it. We were watching White Collar and it was after 10pm so Merv was currently working on the Gold Medal vault, and I felt a little something from the outside. I slowly moved his hand over and sat really still, and he felt it. He was so freaking cute. He flipped out a little followed by, "hey buddy!" It was was a pretty great moment.  

Best moment this week: Planning our gender reveal ideas! We are telling all the people closest to us differently so we have gotten to go through a lot of ideas. But sorry Facebook, you all wont know until much later. Our family will find out next week, but you all get to wait until the following week. hehe, its part of the fun. 

Miss Anything? Having energy. I went from dancing 5 to 6 days a week and being able to go for hours on end to needing 12 hours of sleep to feel remotely awake. I miss having energy haha. Itll be worth it, but I would love to be able to take wake up feeling rested. And I miss being able to go up the steps and being able to breathe. I get very winded very fast and the steps are the worst. But again, its all worth it :)

Food cravings: Mangos! I could eat 5 a day and not be sick of them. And the root beer floats have stuck around this week. Usually the cravings last about a week and Im on to something else, but man I want a root beer float right now. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Changing diapers. We have two kids in the daycare still in diapers, and the poopy diapers get me every time. My mom claims it is easier when its your own kid, and man I hope she is right haha. 

Wedding rings on or off? On! 

Looking forward to: Our gender scan, and fall! We have a lot of fun stuff coming up this fall! But first, we get to find out if Merv remains a Merv or becomes a Mervette!! 

And thats the bumpdate! 

Bumpdate: Week 17

How far along? 17.5 weeks 

Total weight gain: 10 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yup. I broke out the leggings this week. With the fall weather making its way into the world, leggings and boots have become my new favorite. Preggo leggings are even more comfortable than regular leggings. It makes my heart happy. Ive also taken to wearing Nic's dress shirts with sweaters over them this week. Its a pretty good look on Merv. 

Sleep: It depends on the night and how hard Merv is practicing the new found gymnastics tricks. Boy or girl, this kid is going to be a gymnast. Or a ninja. One of the two. But regardless Merv prefers to practice at night. I usually sleep at least 5 hours without getting up to pee or Merv sticking the landing. 
New this week: We have officially changed doctors and I am completely confident in the decision. I havent even been seen in office yet and I already feel a million times more comfortable than I have in this entire process. They have been so accommodating and have worked so hard to make sure its a smooth transition. And I am so excited that I get to deliver at Magee. The facilities are just unsurpassed. 

Best moment this week: This past Sunday at church, Nic lead a song for the first time since being on the worship team at New Life. Its been so awesome seeing him lead again. Now Merv is a huge fan of music. The first time I felt movement was while music was playing, there's a constant stream of tumbling while music is playing in the car. On Sunday during worship, Merv was grooving ever so slightly through most of worship. But then it came time for Nic to lead his song and as soon as he started singing, Merv flipped out. It was obvious that Merv recognized Nic's voice. It was a pretty awesome moment. 

Miss Anything? Being able to sleep on my stomach. I really miss being able to sleep without my arms falling asleep. haha. I really like to sleep on my stomach, always have, but Merv doesnt appreciate being squished. I mean I wouldnt either.

Food cravings: It changes weekly. Or sometimes daily. Im still in that place where I have to eat what sounds good or I dont really eat all that much. This week I have been craving root beer floats. Caffeine free root beer and vanilla ice cream. I only do that in moderation. Because Im trying to avoid large amounts of sugar, but once in a while doesnt hurt. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: If I eat too much I feel sick. If a smell something spicy I feel sick. If I smell something random that I dont smell often I feel sick. Its become the new normal lol.

Wedding rings on or off? On! 

Looking forward to: Our gender scan! We have made the appointment to coincide with our first appointment at our new doctors office, and oh man are we excited. We both have a gender we are hoping for, so we will see who wins haha. But either way we will both be more excited than we know how to handle. This is the most intensely awesome time in our lives. Im loving every minute. 

And thats the bumpdate! 

Bumpdate: Week 16

Today Im posting for week 16 instead of week 15. Nothing really changed or impacted week 15 at all so I decided to just put all my thoughts into my 16 week post. 

How far along? 16.5 weeks 

Total weight gain: 9 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yup. Still going. And I officially accepted it this week. If I want to wear a t-shirt they dont come out of my drawer. They come out Nic's. And I own one pair of normal sweatpants that still fit. So its only maternity clothes at this point. Lots of preggy jeans and tight tops to show off my bump. I like my bump. Its my buddy.

Sleep: Im still sleeping a solid 5 hours before I get up to pee. But the random vivid dreams have kicked in this week. And they are always full of people I have known in the past or know now. Its really weird and makes sleeping a lot less peaceful. Im not a fan of it at all. We thought that it might have been from taking my prenatal vitamins after dinner which is is usually sometime between 6 and 7pm. But I took them earlier in the day yesterday and still had the same dreams. So I think its just the dreams that come with pregnancy.
New this week: I have a lot of belly cramps this week. Just kind of feels like things are stretching and pulling and tugging. So I am just making sure that I am eating often and drinking tons of water and spending a lot of time sitting down or relaxing. My doctor told me that cramping can be caused by dehydration, so I drink an average of 8 bottles a day. 

Best moment this week: I felt my first little flutter. Which over the course of the week has escalated into lots of flutters that are keeping me up at night. 

Miss Anything? I would say eating normal size meals. I miss the normal meals. I have been eating small all day long, but to eat anything big makes me feel gross. 

Food cravings: Frosted Flakes. Lots and lots of Frosted Flakes. I have never liked Frosted Flakes ever in my life, but for some reason Merv loves them. And Pomegranate juice. I could drink it everyday. And grilled cheese and tomato soup. Oh my its my favorite. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still smells. Lots and lots of smells. I miss eating what I like and wearing the perfume I like and being able to use lotion without gagging haha. But itll be worth it. 

Wedding rings on or off? On! 

Looking forward to: We made a decision this week to change doctors so that we could birth at the hospital that we wanted to. So that appointment will be in a few weeks, which will also coincide with our Gender Scan which we are also excited for. Im just excited to get settled in to a routine with a doctor I am actually comfortable with and also to be confident in who will be delivering our baby.

And thats the bumpdate! 

You make beautiful things...

So today Ive been thinking a lot about change. Not in the typical life is constantly changing kind of way or how we never stay in the same place for long and how we never seem to know exactly where we are going next. Not in the constant state of growth kind of way. Not any of that. But in the way that this is exactly how God designed for it to be. His design is ever changing. And its beautiful...

Every aspect of God's creation is changing. The seasons come and the seasons go. The flowers bloom, knowing that their life is short and that their beauty is fleeting. And the next time that they bloom, their entire identity will be different than it was today. New life is born, new life grows, that life is ever changing. Because God designed it that way. Nothing in this world is constant. Except for my God. He never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever and his creation is truly a masterpiece. The ocean stops at a line, butterflies don't fly, they dance. The sunset is his artwork that he put on display each evening. He creates life that only he could create.

As God's most precious creation is growing inside of me, I can't help but think of the aw and wonder that is God's art of change. Not one day since this miracle has been in existence has it been constant. Each aspect of this little person is a miracle. And those miracles change each and every day. The pulls and the tugs. The tumbles and the aches. There is a miracle dancing inside of me. A living breathing miracle that only I can feel. And its always changing. And its beautiful...

Like a song in the rain. Like a melody that only I can hear. God's design is displayed in me. He make's beautiful things....

Until next time...

Bumpdate: Week 14

Sorry for the delay people!! It has been a very busy week and a half. I know Im posting week 14 at the beginning of week 15, but forgive me this once. I will do my best to be more prompt in the future :)

How far along? 14.5 weeks 

Total weight gain: 7.5 lbs

Maternity clothes? The maternity clothes are still in full swing and I officially have a bump. Nice round little Merv. All normal clothes, including t-shirts, are mostly all too tight, give or take a few, and none of my normal pants fit anymore. According to the doctor this week my weight gain is right on track so I dont have any excess weight gain and Merv is growing rediculously well.

Sleep: I have slept really well again this week. I still get up occasionally to pee, but other than that I have been sleeping really well. We got me a Snoogle pregnancy pillow this week too so I have learning to sleep with that so rolling over on my stomach hasnt been as difficult this week. I have been having a lot of spy related dreams though. I think that has more to do with the fact that Nic and I have been watching White Collar before we go to bed at night and thats all things spy and awesome related, so I think the spy dreams have everything to do with our current obsession and less to do with Merv. But if Merv is secretly a spy in there and is preparing me for the awesomeness of the future, then so be it.  
New this week: Im really really tired. I have been tired the whole 14 and some change weeks but but this week especially I have been napping a lot more and the naps last longer than they have in the past haha. Other than that, everything is pretty much the same as last week. 

Best moment this week: We got to hear Merv's heartbeat for the first time. Coolest, most blind blowing experience of my life. We didnt get a sonogram yet, but we will the first week of October, which will also be our gender scan, so thats awesome, but dude hearing that heart beat was so amazing. The doctor also said that we have a little tumbler ninja baby in there. As soon as she pressed on my stomach with the doppler, Merv kicked her right where she pushed. And she could hear how active and rolly Merv was being the whole time she was measuring the heart rate. Proof that this kid is mine and Nic's for sure haha. The heart rate measured in at 154 which according to the old wive's tales means its a girl, but I guess we will see soon.

Miss Anything? Not really this week. Im pretty happy with my life at the moment. I miss Ash. Does that count? 

Food cravings: This week it was honey BBQ boneless wings from Applebees and bakes potatoes. And cereal. All of which Im good with haha so thats what we got me this weekend and we have been stocked up on cereal so that hasnt been an issue. Particularly granola cereal with Almond Milk. I went through 2 boxes in like 4 days. Bad I know. But hey, I keep it down and it tastes good and its organic. And Nic helped, so I didnt eat that much by myself. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still smells. This week it is the smell of humus. Cant handle it at all. And the smell of my lotion still gets me everytime. I put it on right before bed and then just go to sleep so that I dont have to think about or handle the smell at all. It seems to be working for me. 

Wedding rings on or off? On! 

Looking forward to: Feeling Merv move. I really can't wait for that. According to the research Ive done, with first time pregnancies you may not feel any movement at all until week 23 but for most it happens between 15 and 19 so I am just waiting patiently to feel that little life inside of me move around. 

And thats the bumpdate! 

Bumpdate: Week 13

How far along? 13.5 weeks 

Total weight gain: 6 lbs

Maternity clothes? I am now wearing pretty much all things maternity. Yoga pants are even starting to feel uncomfortable. My wonderful parents bought me two pairs of maternity jeans for my birthday which are rediculously comfortable. Never thought I would ever say that I prefer maternity jeans to regular jeans, but I am proudly saying that today. I love those jeans. Maternity tops are also starting to look cute instead of unfitting. Which is nice. My bump is officially a bump. Nothing huge or impressive, but people can straight up tell that I am pregnant not chubby haha. its actually kind of nice. 

Sleep: I have slept rediculously well this week. I sleep on average 6 hours before I get up to pee, and honestly I think that the waking up at 6:45 every single morning could also have something to do with the fact that Nic is working now. I am always paranoid that he will not wake up on time and by that time the light is coming in the windows so I always check my phone and by the time the actual time registers in my mind, I realize I have to pee haha. So I think thats whats going on there. 
New this week: Im not sick anymore!!! I get some nausea at random times, or if I eat too much, but I am hoping and praying that the full days of laying perfectly still feeling like complete and total crap are over. 

Best moment this week: Getting my diaper bag! I have had my eye on the Make a Change Baby Bag by Vera Bradley since the very first time that Nic and i had a pregnancy scare in December and I started looking at stuff to try and be excited haha and I have dragged Nic into the Vera store at the South Hills Mall every time we have been there since we have moved here to look at that bag. So last night after we went out to dinner for my Birthday, my parents and Nic and I all went to the mall for me to return something and to spend my birthday money from my Aunt and Uncle and my brother. We ended up in the Vera store and they just happened to have my bag in the exact pattern I was looking for. I picked a pattern that is very pastel and just looks like a baby bag. Its perfect. So I was completely prepared to pay full price but I went up the register and the pattern that I chose was one of the patterns that they were retiring which got me a 30% discount and I mentioned it was birthday which got me another 30% off. I ended up getting that bag for the same price as the cheap bags at Babies "R" us. It made my day.

Miss Anything? Being able to wear normal clothes. I never realized how much I enjoyed looking cute haha. But Ill be back to normal cute looking clothes soon enough. 

Food cravings: Still changes daily. Ice cream is consistent haha. But Im starting to get my appetite back which is awesome. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still smells. And the smells that bug me change every day. Last night we discovered that I can't handle the smell of the new lotion we just bought me to help avoid stretch marks. Awesome. I know. 

Wedding rings on or off? On! 

Looking forward to: Still our 14 week appointment. We should get a sonogram this time, and we will get to hear the heartbeat and see our little Merv. We are so excited about that!! 

And thats the bumpdate! 

Bumpdate: Week 12

How far along? 12 weeks 

Total weight gain: 6 lbs

Maternity clothes? I have officially started wearing maternity pants. Im still wearing most of my regular blousy shirts at this point but a few of the maternity tops have started making their way into my regular wardrobe. My bump is noticeable at this point, but still not quite big enough that the maternity tops look cute yet. We are definitely getting there though. 

Sleep: Still depends on the night. I still get up fairly often to go to the bathroom, but this week the more frustrating night time experience lately has been learning to not sleep on my stomach. No matter how I fall asleep I still wake up fairly often on my stomach and flip myself over. 
New this week: My tummy is starting to feel heavy. Like rolling over in the middle of the night it feels heavy under me as I turn over. Its a strange feeling.

Best moment this week: I slept through the night for the first time in 8 weeks this week. It was a truly glorious feeling. I slept from about 12:30 until 7:30 without getting up. It was so amazing to wake up feeling rested. Im looking forward to the end of this week when the second trimester moves in and little Mervin moves up and I can use the bathroom every hour instead of every 20 minutes haha. 

Miss Anything? Being able to eat 3 meals a day and not feel sick in between. I think the hardest thing has been not being able to just eat when I am hungry and that be it. I have found that if I get hungry at all I get sick, and then I have to eat even if I feel sick which makes it super hard. 

Food cravings: Still changes daily. I havent had anything really consistent. We just usually make a trip to the store whenever I figure it out. Today its spaghetti so the pot of sauce on the stove downstairs is smelling absolutely amazing right now. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Random smells. Like today it was the smell of our bedroom. Doesnt smell any different than yesterday, but made me gag hardcore. Yesterday it was the smell of the refrigerator. Not sure what was in there but I couldnt open it. So smells. Smells make me sick.

Wedding rings on or off? On! 

Looking forward to: Our 14 week appointment. We should get a sonogram this time, and we will get to hear the heartbeat and see our little Merv. We are so excited about that!! 

And thats the bumpdate!