A Birth Story: Bosston Jameason Bell

When I first started my blog I had intentions to post weekly.  As my pregnancy progressed and we encountered a few complications along the way (not only with my pregnancy but with me losing my job), I fell behind on my updates.

Here's a quick update on what happened since my post at 27 weeks.
At week 30 I was diagnosed with mild preeclampsia.
My doc was cautious and had me do two 24 hour urine catch tests to see how things were going.
I skipped directly from my once a month doctor visits to weekly visits.
Our baby was also measuring big so we went for an ultrasound at 32 weeks.
It was confirmed, he was bigger than expected for the coordinating week but everything looked great and were asked to come back in at 36 weeks to see how big his was then (incase I needed a C-Section).
Week 32 we also started non stress tests (NST) to make sure baby was doing great.
The first NST went great.  We weren't as fortunate with subsequent NST's.
At 33 weeks my doc had me get a steroid shot to help mature our son's lungs incase we delivered early.
The next two NST's sent us into labor and delivery for further monitoring.
Both times our son ended up doing just fine and we were sent home.
And this is where my birth story will begin.



On November 6th I went into my regular scheduled doctor appointment.
Everything went well at this appointment.  The NST was responsive and baby was doing great!
My blood pressure wasn't too high and I only had traces of proteins in my urine.
I was given a slip to schedule another ultrasound to see how big our baby was.
The doctor told me that we would discuss delivery options at my next appointment.
We lef the doctor's office that day feeling great and we were getting anxious knowing that our baby would be coming into the world soon.

The day before Bosston was born.

I called and scheduled the ultrasound on our way home and was able to get in the next day.
We left our house at about 12:30 on the 7th to head to the hospital for the ultrasound.
The office was running a bit behind and we were getting antsy.
We finally got in and got to see our baby.
He was measuring in at approximately 7lbs. 13oz.
There was a bit of a worry though...
As the ultrasound tech was monitoring the heart rate, there was a deceleration.
The doctor was concerned a bit and had us move over to another room for yet another NST.
My blood pressure was REALLY high and after a good 30 minutes of monitoring wasn't dropping.
I was told that I needed to go down to labor and delivery for further monitoring again.
I wasn't allowed to walk down the hallway to the elevator either.  I had to be in a wheelchair.
We were a bit frustrated at this point.  Another day and the same stuff.  It consumed a whole day.

We got check in at labor and delivery and I got changed and hooked up to the machines.
My doctor was actually there at that time and stopped in to see how I was doing.
She had said that it she had seen this happen before with the NST done up at ultrasound.
We were all sure I would be going home shortly.
After waiting for at least 2 hours for blood work to be completed we were more than ready to go home.
I needed to use the bathroom so I checked with the nurse before unplugging from the machines.
She left the room and I went into the bathroom.
As I stood up from the toilet to go back to the bed there was a gush of water.  I was shocked.
I went back to the bed and told James that I thought my water just broke.
We paged the nurse desk and told them and expected to see our nurse quickly.
10 minutes passed and the nurse still hadn't come in so James got up and went to find someone.
When the nurse came in she showed me that she had our discharge papers in her hand.
They were minutes away from sending us home but since my water broke, we were staying!
She told me that in all the years she has worked labor and delivery, she had never seen this happen.

It was confirmed, my water had in fact broke around 6:00PM.  I was 2cm dilated and 80% effaced.
It was time for a shift change.  The new nurse, Dennise, came in to meet us and get things going.
My doctor said that I could let things start on their own or they could start me on pitocin.
I was told that after your water breaks, there's a greater risk for infection so I opted for the pitocin.

Panorama of me in bed in Labor and Delivery

At this point James headed home to get our hospital bag.
We weren't expecting a visit to labor and delivery so we didn't bring the bag with us this time.
I think James was a bit frantic/excited.  He was kind of afraid that he would miss something.
He made it back before I really even noticed he was gone. I had contractions occupying my mind.

Things got crazy from here.
My nurse was called into another delivery so I had a different nurse start the pitocin.
They started it off at a 1, the lowest amount they could give me, just to see how it worked.
Not long after I was in a pretty constant pain.
The monitor wasn't really picking up the contractions like I thought they would.
It honestly felt like I had no break to recoup between contractions. It was one directly on top of another.
Nobody ever told me that contractions can cause vomiting...
I got the urge to puke and had to reach for a cup at my bedside before I lost it on the floor.
After that I made sure I had something to puke into (it happened a handful of times before delivery).
I made it about 2 hours before I asked the nurse if she could give me something for the pain.
I was given some phentynol through my IV.
It sucked. I still felt most of the pain but my head was in another place.

I didn't necessarily want an epidural so I was trying to put it off as long as possible.
I was told that an epidural makes your legs feel like it does after getting numbed at the dentist.
I absolutely HATE that feeling so I was somewhat afraid to have that feeling in my legs.
I caved in after about 3 or 4 hours and asked for the epidural though.
So between 9:00PM and 10:00PM I was fairly pain free.
The insertion of the epidural wasn't bad at all.
While the anesthesiologist was doing it though, the nurse asked James if he was going to be OK.
Apparently I was stuck at least half a dozen times before he got it in the right place.  I didn't notice.
James said it was a pretty gross to watch.  Good thing it didn't phase me!

The rest of the night kind of flew by for me from this point.
I was at a 3 when I got the epidural and they kicked up the pitocin to a 3.
At about 11:00PM the baby's heart rate started to drop.
We had 3 different nurse we hadn't seen yet rush in.  James and I were both scared.
They turned off the pitocin, put me on oxygen and made me switch sides that I was laying on.
The baby's heart rate recovered quickly and they checked me again.
The nurse said I was at a 5 and then a 7 saying that I was "melting away" and to get the doc there.
James and I were hopeful that the end was near!

The nurses left the pitocin off (slowing things down again) and left the room.
We had a nurse come in to check on us 30 minutes later and said that the doc was 10 minutes out.
They had someone come in and set up everything that they'd need for delivery.
James asked tons of questions about everything and got a description on everything they set up.
I wanted to listen more but I was still on the oxygen and couldn't hear too well.

After about 2 more hours our original nurse came back in to check on us.
She said that the doc hadn't been called yet but they'd call when we were about ready to push.
We were frustrated because we thought we would have had our baby by this point.
Dennise turned the pitocin back on and told me to page the desk when I felt the need to push.
I don't think it was quite 10 minutes after that when I felt the need to push.
We paged for our nurse and she came in after a few minutes.
She checked me and sure enough, I was 10cm and 100% effaced and ready to push.
She started prepping for delivery and said that my doc was now only about 10 minutes out.

After she got some stuff situated she said that we'd start pushing with the next contraction.
This was around 2:30AM.  Not too much longer and we'd be parents!
Since the monitor wasn't picking up contractions well, I told them when I felt the need to push.
The epidural was pretty effective on the pain but still left me with the ability to move my legs and feel enough of the pressure to know what to do.
The nurse told me that I was such a great pusher and that it wouldn't be too long before our baby came!
After the first several pushes I was feeling like I wasn't going to be able to finish.
Then with the next push I was able to see the top of my baby's head.
My doctor showed up right about then too and told how great I was doing.
Seeing how close we were to being done gave me the extra energy to keep going.
After a few more pushes our little guy's head was out.  The hard part was done!

After about 45 minutes of pushing, our beautiful baby boy, Bosston Jameason Bell was born at 3:16AM weighing in at 7 pounds 6 ounces and 19.5 inches long.
He was immediately put on my belly while daddy cut the umbilical cord.
He was whisked off to be weighed and measured while I got stitched up.
I had some internal 2nd degree tears but nothing too bad.
I kind of giggled because my doc said that it would "burn like the dickens to pee".
Little did I know until the following day that she wasn't joking!

Welcome to the world!

I sat there and watched James as he watched them clean up his son.
You could see how much he already loved his son just by watching.
I finally got to hold my baby boy again.  It is such a surreal moment I was overwhelmed with emotions.  I was overjoyed and so grateful for my two boys.
Not too long after, we were moved to our room and our journey into parenthood began.

Daddy snapping pictures 

Getting cleaned up and tagged

Holding my son

Our lives were forever changed that morning, changed for the better.
We love our little man so much and couldn't be happier parents.
I feel that this experience has brought new light to the relationship James and I have.
I see how much he loves his son and loves me and I'm forever grateful to have that.
I feel like I'm the luckiest girl to be able to share my life with someone who loves us so much.

Little Hand

Little Foot 

My sweet baby boy

Week 27: The size of a head of cauliflower

Being home and blogging has turned out to be a bit more tricky than I thought it'd be.

I feel like there's always so much going on around the house.

I find myself thinking "Ok, today is the day I will update my blog!"

Then the next thought is "I'll just do that tomorrow because I need to scrub the tub today."

I'm becoming a pro procrastinator with my updates - my apologies!  

Anyway, we are nearing the end of my pregnancy!

Only 13 more weeks to go!  Time has gone by so quickly!  

HOW FAR ALONG? 27 weeks - I feel like I look like a blimp in this picture.  I'm sure the horizontal stripes don't help that look much but hey, there's a baby in there!  ;)

  

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: head of cauliflower - weighing about 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches long, legs extended.

 

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN: The dreaded scales.  At least it has been for me.  I'm now up a total of 26 pounds.  Ugh!  I sure was hoping to keep it well below that at this point.  My doc isn't worried about that at all though, which is reassuring!  I was in a bit of a panic prior to my last doc appointment.  I thought that I was going to be scolded on my jump in weight.  My eating habits have stayed the same and I've been exercising.  Doc said that sometimes it's just the way that a woman's body handles pregnancy.   As long as I'm eating right and exercising, there's not much more I can do.
 

MATERNITY CLOTHES? Yep.  Love my maternity pants.  COMFY!!!
 

SLEEP: Eh... could be better.  My back hurts pretty good lately so it's hard to find a comfy position.  Not to mention the need to pee during the night.  Oh, and the lovely pinching and pulling of my abdominal muscles (those that are low and near my pelvis) that scream at me when I decide to roll over.
 

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Just feeling our little guy move.  It's a comforting feeling. :)
 

MOVEMENT: Sure thing!
 

FOOD CRAVINGS: Nothing specific.  I actually find my appetite not as big as it has been.  I eat a regular meal and I feel so full.  If I have a big breakfast, I'm usually lucky to feel hungry come dinner.
 

SYMPTOMS: I consider myself lucky... I haven't really had many pregnancy symptoms up until now so I feel like I don't have room to complain.  It kind of seems that everything hit at once.  Here's the grand list:  Yes, my nose is continually stuffy still.  My back is starting to hurt regularly.  I have heartburn that is great enough to probably singe someone's hair if I am talking to them.  I can no longer see past my belly button and bending over is becoming a trick... try washing your feet in the shower!  I'm sweaty and hot all of the time.  I almost feel like there's no point in showering since I'm sticky and sweaty minutes after a shower.  My ankels swell up like balloons especially with the hot heat of summer AND I LOVE summer!  It's sort of depressing that I haven't been able to fully enjoy summer this year.  ;)  Oh, a really fun one... my poor lady parts feels sore more than not anymore, especially when I'm up and walking.  It feels like I've been kicked in the vajayjay - constantly.  I'm sure that'll just get better and better too (I hope you can sense the sarcasm there).  I'm sure there's more stuff that I could complain about but I think that's about everything that comes to mind at this particular moment.

GENDER: Boy... definitely a boy.
 

FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: It really hasn't been bad for me at all.  I have enjoyed it.  I'm getting to the point of just wanting to have our little boy in our arms though.
 

WHAT I MISS: Sleeping comfortably. 
 

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Holding our little guy!

Week 23: The size of a mango!

Ok, I know I've been slacking on my weekly posts.
Turns out, being unemployed seems to have left me short of more time than I thought.
There's lots to accomplish in a day while not working.
I have a new-found appreciation for stay at home mommies!

Anyway, there's a lot to catch up on so I'll get down to the fun stuff!
PS... I definitely have a baby bump to show off now.  :D

HOW FAR ALONG? 23 weeks.  I had my scheduled anatomy ultrasound in the middle of July.  At this appointment the doctor decided that my baby is definitely ahead of what my estimated due date was.  Therefore, I've officially shaved an easy 11 days off of my pregnancy (granted baby comes on time).  They've moved my due date from December 11th to December 1st.  We are honestly hoping for an end of November baby though.  I know with a 1st time pregnancy that isn't likely but we can sure hope!

 

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: The size of a large mango and weighs over 1 pound now!

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN: I have gained a total of 16 pounds.  I'm more than half way through the pregnancy though and the doc seems OK with that so I am pleased too.  Besides, James has gained more weight this pregnancy than I have so I have something to validate my gain against!  :) 
 

MATERNITY CLOTHES? YES!  Best thing I could have done last weekend, honestly.  My pants were getting tight and uncomfortable.  I can still wear my regular jeans and do the elastic trick to hold them up but it really isn't that great compared to actual maternity pants!  I HIGHLY recommend purchasing maternity pants as soon as you think they're necessary.  Don't hold off on this!  Comfort from maternity pants is amazing when your belly starts to get big!
 

SLEEP: I've been sleeping pretty well.  I turn a lot when sleeping though and have noticed that doing so sometimes causes the sensation of a pulled muscle in my belly.  That usually wakes me up because it's a big ZING near my groin area and up the side of my belly.  Oh, and nightly bathroom breaks (at least twice these days) are necessary.
 

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Feeling the little guy move around so much. :)
 

MOVEMENT: Lots!  We've got a very active boy on our hands!
 

FOOD CRAVINGS: I still claim that I haven't really had any.
 

SYMPTOMS: My nose, still.  I hope that it changes after the baby is born.  Also, I have finally experience dreaded hemorrhoids.  I have NEVER had them before and honestly though I'd get away without experience this issue while pregnant.  WRONG!  They suck.  End of story.

GENDER: Most definitely a boy.  The anatomy ultrasound confirmed this for us 100%.  :)
 

FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: Everything has been great.  I have had a very pleasant experience.
 

WHAT I MISS: A glass of wine!  James bought a couple bottles this past week and it made me very jealous.  He's not even a big wine drinker so I swear he was doing it just to make me jealous.  ;) 
 

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: More baby shopping!  It's harder to do know that our budget it tight though.  I've just got to be creative on our budgeting.  

Week 17: the size of a turnip!

HOW FAR ALONG? 17 weeks

 

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: The size of a turnip - weighs about 5 ounces and is about 5 inches long.

 

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN: After my doctor's visit last week, I'm up 7 pounds.  I wish it were a bit less but I don't think that's too bad for 4 months in.   
 

MATERNITY CLOTHES? Not yet, although when I sit now my pants feel a bit tighter on my belly.
 

SLEEP: Not too bad.
 

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: I THINK I've been feeling him move a little it.  It's hard to tell though because it's pretty subtle still.   
 

MOVEMENT: Above. :)
 

FOOD CRAVINGS: I still don't think I've really had any cravings.
 

SYMPTOMS: Just my nose.  It continues to be super stuffy and I've had the pleasure of experience nose bleeds semi regularly.

GENDER: Boy.  To be confirmed in a couple of week at our official doctor ultrasound.
 

FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: I've enjoyed it so far.  Everything has been great.
 

WHAT I MISS: This week I'm missing my wine.  We're going camping this weekend and I'm making sangrias for everyone.  I'm totally jealous! 
 

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Feeling more distinct movements.

As I'm sure you've noticed, I skipped last week, Week 16.  

This past week has been quite a roller coaster.

The company that I had been working for was closed last Monday.

I had been with the company for nearly 10 years now.

This was unexpected and left me and James scrambling to make sure things were in order.

We spent nearly every hour last week getting things sorted out.

Nothing like being almost half way through pregnancy and suddenly losing all health benefits and pay.

Needless to say, it put a bit of a kink in our plans.

I think we have a plan in place now and though so things will hopefully continue on as planned.

I say think because things are always subject to change at this point!

Anyhow, I should be back to my normal blogging and updates from here on out!  

Stay tuned! :)

Week 15: The size of an apple!

HOW FAR ALONG? 15 weeks

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: The size of an apple - weighs 2 1/2 ounce and is about 4 inches from head to bottom.

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN:  Back up to a total of 5 pounds. 

MATERNITY CLOTHES? Not yet.

SLEEP: Not too bad.  I've had a difficult time getting comfy a couple night though.

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: We found out that Baby Bell is a BOY!!!

MOVEMENT: Nothing noticeable yet but this little dude sure is a mover!

FOOD CRAVINGS: Nothing specific.

SYMPTOMS: My nose has been driving me crazy!  I've had a couple nose bleeds and it always seems stuffy.  I just hope it goes back to normal after baby come!

GENDER: It's a BOY!!!

FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: I'm totally enjoying it. 

WHAT I MISS: I occasionally wish I could have a glass of wine but that's about it.

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Feeling him move!


So since finding out our baby is a boy we've been trying to decide on names.
It's much harder than I thought it would be!
James and I can't seem to agree on any one name.
I'm beginning to think our baby will be nameless until he's born!

I spent some time in the sun over the weekend though.
Found that I will actually burn after 3 hours in the sun while pregnant.
I've never been the type to really burn much.  Just tan.
I now know that if I spend several hours in the sun, I'll need sunscreen.
Lesson learned.

Other than that, this week has been pretty mellow.
Not too much to report on really.
I'm now starting to compile a list of things we will need for our boy.
There are so many choices when it comes to baby gear and such!
I feel like I don't even know where to begin!

Here are a few more pics of our little guy.
Notice how he's spine up in one picture and then face up in another.
We definitely have a wiggly dude on our hands!

Week 14: the size of a lemon!

HOW FAR ALONG? 14 weeks

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: Lemon - measures 3 1/2 inches and weighs about 1.5 ounces.

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN: I'm actually down a couple pounds so up a total of 3 pounds.  

MATERNITY CLOTHES? Not yet.

SLEEP: Pretty good.  I think I've passed the worst of my cold and I'm finally sleeping again.

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Not really sure... it was just an ordinary week for me.

MOVEMENT: None

FOOD CRAVINGS: Nothing specific really.  I've decided that I can always eat a good hamburger though!

SYMPTOMS: I welcomed in the 2nd trimester with some horrible nausea this morning.  I wanted more than anything to just puke but couldn't.  I have also noticed the muscles in my belly more.  They are tight and have often hurt a bit... all for a good cause though.

GENDER: Not sure yet... soon!

FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: I've enjoyed it so far.  Everything has been great.

WHAT I MISS: Nothing really. 

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Find out the gender!


I've been debating on whether we should find out the sex of the baby before our 20 week ultrasound.
We can go to Fetal Sudios or Fetal Foto for gender determination at 15 weeks.
I'm hesitant because I'm not too sure if they'll really be able to tell.
I'd hate to spend the money on the ultrasound only to have it be a waste.
I know that James is anxious to find out too.  He wants a boy.
After asking him what he wants to do, he doesn't know though.
So the question we are faced with is.....
Find out the gender next week or wait for 6 more weeks to find out at our doctor appointment?

First Year Ignite vs. Britax B-Agile: The Battle of the Strollers!

Ok, the topic of strollers has me not knowing what way to go.
Do I get a car seat/stroller combo or not?
I'm pretty certain I've decided that I don't want/need a car seat/stroller system but I'm not 100% sure.
After pricing things out and doing some research it appears that it MIGHT be cheaper to go separate.
I say might because it depends on what brand you're looking at and how much you're willing to spend.
I personally don't wanting to spend a fortune on something.  Money doesn't grow on trees, you know.
If I can find something cheaper and is just as functional, durable and has the same safety features as the pricey brands, I'll take cheap over brand!

Now that being said, I've found two strollers that I have interest in.
First is the The First Year Ignite Stroller.

 

This one costs $45.69 through Amazon.com right now.

It's lightweight (only weighs 14 pounds), easy one hand fold.

It has excellent customer reviews. Major plus in my books.

It's good for your little one up to 50 pounds and has multiple recline positions.

It has taller handles so you don't find yourself reaching down to push it.

It's equipped with a 5 point harness to ensure you baby is safe.

For less than $50.00, I don't think this is a bad find at all!

The next stroller is the Britax B-Agile.

This ones goes for $188.99 on Amazon.com right now.
It too, is lightweight (weights 16 pounds) and also features an easy one hand fold.
This one has great customer reviews as well.
It holds your little one up to 55 pounds.
This one is offers the option for the click and go system for car seats (although sold separately).
You also get the 5 point harness here.



Yes, there are features that I didn't touch on with both strollers.
The main points listed here are what I'm really looking for in a stroller.
I want something lightweight and easy to maneuver.
I also want it to be something that will last a while.
I find the car seat/stroller systems big and bulky.
I don't think I'd want to push one of those strollers through the mall.

Honestly, for the price point I'm definitely leaning more toward the first option.
I really like the second one too, but I don't know that I want to spend almost $200.00 on a stroller.
With both having great reviews, I don't think I can go wrong either way.
It's just going to be a matter of money I think.

So many decision to make when it come to a baby!
So much fun though!  I can't complain about that!

Week 13: The size of a medium shrimp

HOW FAR ALONG? 13 weeks

Excuse the crappy picture... I was in a hurry so it's blurry.

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: Medium Shrimp - about 3 inches long and weighs nearly and ounce now!

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN: Ugh... 5 pounds.  I know weight gain is inevitable but I feel I jumped up that 5 pounds in a hurry... is someone messing with my scale??  LOL  

MATERNITY CLOTHES? Not yet.

SLEEP: I'd be sleeping like the dead if it weren't for this stupid cold!  I am so stuffed up!

BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Actually being able to feel a little "bump" (or hardness) in my belly.

MOVEMENT: None

FOOD CRAVINGS: I have realized my food of choice is definitely a good hamburger.  I could eat one every night, seriously.

SYMPTOMS: I had my first puking incident.  I think I blame the prenatal vitamin though.  I usually take it after I've eaten but I took it prior to breakfast on Sunday and ended with breakfast in the toilet.  YUM! ;)

GENDER: Not sure yet.  Still hoping on a boy.  We will likely find out come 15 weeks though... soon!

FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: I'm feeling a bit bitter toward it since I can't take any good drugs but other than that it's been great!

WHAT I MISS: Nothing really. 

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Finding out the gender!


I recently came to a weird realization...
I don't like (or hearing others) calling the baby "it".
Understandably, we don't know what the gender is so "it" seems fitting.
It just bothers me because it's a baby, my baby.
So instead of calling the baby "it", I call "it" baby (until we find out the gender).

I think this realization came to when while having a conversation with James last week.
I told him that it seemed like everyone would look at my belly while talking to me these days.
It feels semi awkward.  Yes, I'm pregnant but you can still look at my face.
I human nature I suppose.  I sure hope that I haven't made other feel weird when they were pregnant!
Anyway, James' comment to my self conscious belly issue was this...
"What to you expect?  There's SOMEONE in there."
Ha!  Someone.... I do have a little someone growing inside me!
This someone isn't an "it".  It's a baby.  My baby.
I truly think that put a whole new perspective on pregnancy for me!
I love my little SOMEONE.  :)

12 Weeks: The size of a lime

HOW FAR ALONG? 12 weeks

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: The size of a lime - weighs 1/2 ounce and is over 2 inches from head to bottom

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN: The scale has jumped this week... I'm up 4 freaking pounds.  I partially blame it to the birthday festivities and the holiday weekend. Back to healthy eating!
MATERNITY CLOTHES? Not yet.
SLEEP: Pretty good... minus the past couple days.  I've had a lovely sore throat.
BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Hearing the heartbeat at the doctor's office!  Such a great sound!
MOVEMENT: None
FOOD CRAVINGS: I haven't really had any... I don't think.  Although a new favorite thing is Dill Pickle Potato Chips.
SYMPTOMS: My nose has been driving me crazy!  I don't know if I can blame allergies or pregnancy most.  It's so stuffy 24/7 and there's nothing I can do to stop it.
GENDER: Not sure yet.  Still hoping on a boy.
FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: I've enjoyed it so far.  Everything has been great.
WHAT I MISS: Nothing really. 
WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Finding out the gender!


I have to say, it was nice going to the doc this week.  We got to hear the heartbeat.
It was a relief to hear the doctor say that everything is great.
She got me excited what the next weeks to come.
At our next appointment we could do the testing for downs syndrome & neural tube defects.
We aren't sure that we even want to do that though.  We have a month to decide.  
We will be able to schedule our next ultrasound appointment too.
It probably won't be too long afterwards that I will be able to feel the baby move too.
So many things to look forward to.
In the mean time, I hope I can rid myself of this cold/allergy issue in a hurry!

iBaby Monitor

As of today I'm officially 12 weeks pregnant. 
I am holding off on my weekly update until Thursday.
I have my 12 week appointment then and will include word from the doc. :)

In the mean time, I have come across another item that I'm considering for baby.

The iBaby Monitor

James and I came across this while at the CES show in Las Vegas in January.
With both of us being iPhone users, we were immediately sucked in.
Pretty nifty, high-tech device! 

This will link to your iPhone, iPad, iPod or computer so you can see your baby at any given time.
The monitor pivots and rotates to follow your baby's movement.
You are able to remotely control the camera from whatever device you're using.
Baby's cry or movements can send alerts to you.
It retails for $199.95. 
You can read more about the device HERE.


I can't decide if I'd really utilize it much though.
It comes with a whopping price tag for something that I'm not sure if I'll really use.
My sister told me that she hasn't even thought of needing to buy one for her baby.
Her house is smaller than mine though.
Her baby is always a room's reach away (for the most part).
My baby will have a bedroom upstairs.
Most of the living is done on the main level and the laundry room is in the basement.
It'd be nice to have tabs on baby while doing laundry.
Not to mention to have the piece of mind when we leave baby with a sitter.

Lots of little things to think about.
I think I'm definitely leaning more toward purchasing one.
I have several more months to still decide though!

Week 11: The Size of a Fig

HOW FAR ALONG? 11 weeks

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: Fig - Just over 1 1/2 inches long.

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN: No gain yet.  Still maintaining. 
MATERNITY CLOTHES? Nope.
SLEEP: I have been sleeping pretty well.  The nighttime bathroom breaks seem to be minimizing.
BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Eating ice cream and not feeling guilty about it!
MOVEMENT: None
FOOD CRAVINGS: Carbs.  Bread, pasta, chips, crackers... anything with lots of carbs.
SYMPTOMS: Feeling pretty good.  I'm not too tired anymore.  I have a terrible gag reflex though.  Even brushing my teeth can trigger it.  LOL!

GENDER: Not sure yet... we will likely go to Fetal Studios to find out at 15 weeks.
FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: I've enjoyed it so far.  Everything has been great.
WHAT I MISS: Nothing really this week. 
WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Still having the heartbeat confirmed by my doc.  Next week!

Yesterday was my birthday and I got spoiled.  

There are two things I'm most excited about.

1st is my new ice cream/frozen yogurt machine.

Who doesn't love ice cream or frozen yogurt!?  

I figured I can make my own low fat or fat free frozen yogurts with whatever mix in I choose.

A healthy little treat on a warm summer evening.

I can't wait to try it out tonight.  

I'm thinking peaches or blueberries. :)

2nd is my new body pillow (specifically for pregnant women).

My sisters got this for me but it's not here yet.

It's a Sleeper Keeper (purchased from Walmart).

I can't wait for it to get here - not that I'm having a hard time getting comfy yet.

I think it will help a ton once my belly gets bigger.

I'm a major belly sleeper right now.  That will soon change.

When sleeping on my side, my hips begin to hurt.  

Hopefully this will solve the side sleeping dilemma. 

I will post once I've had a change to use it to let you know what my thoughts and feeling are. 

Baby Must Have?

As a first time mom, I'm faced with the many options when it comes to baby.What will be functional or what is a waste of money?
I came across the Arm's Reach Bassinets (you can check out their website HERE) in a magazine.
I'm intrigued but not quite sure whether or not I want to spend the money on this.

It's totally fascinating though.
Take a look at this picture... it says it all.

Baby sleeps in their own space but is conveniently along side you for feedings throughout the night.
My dilemma... I don't necessarily want to co-sleep.
After the first few months I plan on putting baby in his/her own room.
I also don't plan on breast feeding.  The plan is to exclusively pump (a huge topic for another day).
I have a lot to consider before buying one.
If I buy this and then a crib for baby's room, I'm in a good chunk of money on furniture already.
Right now, I'm leaning more toward getting a crib for baby's room and using something else until baby is big enough to go to his/her own room.

This is probably the one I would choose if I buy one.
It's the Original - Natural Liner.
Arm's Reach offers few different colors as well as different models.
Mini models, Cocoons and even those that are more like a crib.
Check out their website for more info (http://www.armsreach.com/).

Arm's Reach also offers something that caught my eye... being a doggy lover.
This!!

My dogs currently hog up a lot of the bed - yes my dogs sleep with me.
I love cuddle time at night with my doggies.  
It'd be nice for them to utilize their own space instead of all my mine though.
I don't know that my dogs would even use this, but I think it's a great concept!

10 Weeks: The size of a kumquat

HOW FAR ALONG? 10 weeks
DUE DATE:  December 11, 2012

THIS WEEK, THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: Kumquat - a little over an inch long and weighs less than .25 ounces

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN: ZERO!  Still maintaining. 
MATERNITY CLOTHES? Not yet.  I think since I lost some weight prior to this pregnancy I have some room to grow in my regular clothes.
SLEEP: I have actually been sleeping pretty well the past few days.  Best sleep I've had in a while.
BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Hearing the heartbeat.  Didn't expect to hear it yet.  (story below)
MOVEMENT: None
FOOD CRAVINGS: I've wanted a big hamburger and a pickle with ranch all week!
SYMPTOMS: It's been a good week.  I think I've noticed my uterus growing.  It hasn't been cramps that I've felt... more like a slight tingling sensation.  It's hard to explain.  I also want to chop off my nose.  It's always stuffy these days and there's nothing I can do to get relief.  I think I partially blame my allergies too but my sis said that her pregnancy did the same thing to her.
GENDER: Not sure yet.  Still hoping on a boy.
FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: I've enjoyed it so far.  Everything has been great.
WHAT I MISS: Nothing really this week. 
WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Having the heartbeat confirmed by my doc.  Two more weeks.  :)



The best moment of the week was hearing the baby's heartbeat.
I told you last week that I bought a cheapo fetal heart rate monitor.
This one here:

It ended up being better than I expected.
The night that it came in the mail, James and I sat down to see if what we could find.
We didn't have any luck but we weren't expecting to really hear anything anyway.
I was only about 9 weeks along (about 10 if we go by the measurements the doc took).
The next morning I thought I'd give it a whirl again and to my surprise, I heard the little heartbeat!
It wasn't easy to find and once I found it, it was hard to keep locked in on.
I have found that I have to hold the doppler really low, like maybe an inch from my pubic bone.
I always seem to find the heartbeat toward the left side too.
I've now been able to find the heartbeat 4 times and share with James and my family.
My niece, Braeley LOVED hearing it.  She didn't want to stop listening.
I'm sure I sound pretty crazy to some of you but honestly, I don't care.
It brings me a little piece of mind to know that my baby is still growing inside.
I'm still anxious for my doctor appointment though.
Once the doc has confirmed the heartbeat I think I will feel that much more assured. 

Chocolate Waffle Ice Cream Cake

With yesterday being Mother's Day and I decided that I wanted to make a different dessert to share.
I got an itch to make an ice cream cake.  You can't go too wrong with cake and ice cream in one! 
I started searching online for a good recipe.  I found several but nothing that I liked too much. 
I found one that I was going to settle with. 
It used store bought ice cream sandwiches as the cake and ice cream and then had a layer of whipped cream and toppings of your choice (things like crushed up candy bars and such). 

I started thinking about what I could do differently to make the ice cream cake more of what I wanted. 
That's when the idea came to me!

A little background first...
As a kid, my grandma would occasionally make us chocolate waffles.
She'd serve the chocolate waffles to us with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.
Talk about wonderland! 
It's been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember.
It's really simple to do and adds a little something extra to ordinary cake and ice cream.

So, taking our family tradition as inspiration I decided to use chocolate waffles in my ice cream cake.
Here's the SIMPLE recipe if you'd like to try this too!

1 box chocolate cake mix (or brownie mix - which is what I used this time)
1.5 quart container of ice cream (I used Vividly Vanilla)
16 oz whipped cream
Toppings of your choice (I used strawberries* and chocolate sauce this time)

1.   Make the brownie or cake mix as directed on the package.

2.   Warm up waffle iron as normal and make sure to use cooking spray so your "waffles" don't stick.
3.   Cook "waffles" as normal.  When doing brownies, cook time is increased.  Use best judgement.
      I was able to get 12 waffles out of the brownie batter and it worked perfectly for my 9x13 pan.
4.   Let "waffles" cool before putting the cake together.
5.   Layer "waffles on the bottom of 9x13 baking dish.

 6.    Put down a layer of ice cream and then whipped cream.

7.    Add your toppings.

8.    Add another layer of "waffles" and sort of press them down.

9.      Next is another layer of ice cream and then whipped cream.
10.    Now complete with your final layer of toppings for your finished ice cream cake!

Super easy and it was mighty tasty. 
The only thing I'd do differently next time is use different toppings OR putt the strawberries on as I serve the ice cream cake.
*The strawberries look pretty but once you freeze them they are hard and aren't easy to eat. 
I was worried about that from the get go but thought I'd give it a whirl.  
Now I know.  :P  They taste still great though! 
Definitely going to be something I make again!