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!

Week 9: The Size of a Grape

 HOW FAR ALONG? 9 weeks 1 day

THIS WEEK THE BABY IS THE SIZE OF A: Grape - nearly an inch long and weighs just a fraction of an ounce.

DUE DATE: December 11, 2012
TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN/LOSS: 0 pounds - maintaining right now. :)
MATERNITY CLOTHES? Nope.  My regular clothes still fit a bit loose.
SLEEP: I have been sleeping like crap.  I'm doomed.  I have at least one potty interruption each night.
BEST MOMENT THIS WEEK: Sharing our news with friends and family.
MOVEMENT: None yet.
FOOD CRAVINGS: Sweets right now.  I am craving chocolate especially.
SYMPTOMS: Nothing too horrible.  I get a bit nauseous in the evening and tender boobies.
GENDER: Too early to tell.  James hopes for a boy.  I'm good either way.
BELLY BUTTON IN OR OUT?  In... I think it will remain this way throughout.
FEELINGS TOWARD PREGNANCY: I'm thoroughly enjoy it.  Very excited at this point.
WHAT I MISS: I occasionally wish I could have a glass of bubbly.
WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO: Hearing the heartbeat.
SMELL AVERSIONS: Blood.  GAG!!! (story below)


That pretty much sums everything up in a hurry! 
Not too much more to talk about now.  ;)

I am still a bit nervous about a miscarriage until I can hear the heart beat.
I try not to worry too much but I think it's inevitable.
I will admit, I purchased a cheap-o baby heart rate monitor off of eBay.
That should be arriving today - if the post office is operating like they should.
The device claims to be able to detect a heart rate between 10-12 weeks. 
I'm not expecting to hear anything right off since I'm only 9 weeks along.
I'm honestly not expecting it to work that great, period.
I guess we shall see how it works.  

So the aversion to the smell of blood....
We have two dogs.  Our boxer, Frankie and our doberman, Betty.

Sweet Frankie and Betty sun bathing.

Well, Betty has a blood condition that is common among dobermans.
This makes it harder for her blood to clot and so she tends to bleed uncontrollably if injured.
When we got her ears cropped,  we experience first hand how difficult it is to stop her bleeding.
Problem is Betty likes to play, and play rough. 
James has an electric RC car and Betty LOVES to chase it.
It's great exercise BUT Betty runs after it and usually ends up with scratched up pads on her feet.
They bleed and bleed and the only way we've been able to control it is by wrapping them with coban tape and gauze.
We made a rule that she's no longer allowed to chase the car on the sidewalks or streets.
Well, There's a dirt field near our house that we though would be fun to take the car and the dogs to play.

Betty with a mouth full of dirt after chasing the car.

Apparently the dirt has the same effect as the pavement.
Betty's feet weren't scuffed up nearly as bad but she still bled a bit.
When we got home, I got down on the floor to clean up Betty's wounds and wrap her feet.
I lifted her paw up to see what damage was done and got smacked in the face with the smell.
You know, that strong smell of iron that comes from blood.
Yeah, I gagged.  I had to turn the other way and breath clean air for a minute. 
That's probably the closest I've come to puking while pregnant.
I now know to steer clear of blood!

Exciting News!

WE'RE PREGNANT!

Yes, it's true.  It happened like clock work.
My doc gave us the go ahead to start trying after 2 regular cycles.
2 cycles passed and the magic happened.
I honestly wasn't expecting this to happen so quickly... I was actually shocked!
Two test later and our first doctor appointment down... it's 100% confirmed!

I've been a bit hesitant to announce our big news due to our previous miscarriage.
A week or so back I came across an article titled "5 Common Pregnancy Practices I Wish Would Go Away".
Intrigued, I clicked the link and read on. (The article can be found HERE)
The first "practice" the author discuss is the 12 Week Rule.
We have all heard that things can go wrong in the first trimester.
I'm a prime example.  1 out of 5 pregnancies ends in miscarriage.
The author writes - "I think this sets women up for complicated grieving process should miscarriage happen"
WOW!  I could totally relate to every word that I was reading.
Had I not had so much support from both friends and family, I think I would likely be in a funk still.

I clicked on a link provided at the end of the article to read about "Why I Hate the 12 Week Rule".
(This article can be found HERE)
The website I was taken to is a sanctuary for those going through the same things.
A place where you can go voice your feelings and have support from others.
Great site for others struggling with miscarriage.  Highly recommended.

I was honestly considering waiting until week 12.
I know first hand how great it was to have the extra support though.
I know that I would love to have the same support if something happens again.
I feel kind of needy or maybe selfish saying that but it's the truth.
I don't need the sympathy.  It's just nice to know there's support during tough times.

Anyhow, enough of the doom and gloom - I'm back to My Journey Into Motherhood! :)
I'm excited and nervous at the same time.
I know that there's a possibility of something not working out again but my hopes are high.
I think I worry myself more than needed.
This time around things have just felt different.
I often forget that I am pregnant.  I really don't feel like it - short of being EXTREMELY tired.

My boobs didn't start hurting until about a week ago.  Before it was almost immediate.
I haven't had the same acne problem that I did before.  My skin actually looks pretty great.
Like I said, I have been VERY tired.  Last time I wasn't really tired.
No puking.  I do feel a bit nauseous before I eat in the morning and then again after dinner.
I don't have the want to over indulge when I eat like I did last time.
I have had some CRAZY dreams.  I often find myself wondering where that thought came from!

I was able to lose almost 20 pounds prior to this pregnancy.
(Yes, I still have a ways to go before hit my goal weight and that's now on the back burner)
I don't want to flush all of my hard work down the drain so....
I'm sticking to my healthy ways and I plan on doing so throughout the entire pregnancy.
For the record, I'm not actively trying to lose weight.
The plan is to continuing eating healthy and to continue with my workouts.
I told James the other day that I'm actually a little jealous.
He will be losing more weight and getting buff and I'll just be getting bigger.
All for a good cause though.  I can't complain about that.  :)

I will be back to my weekly blogging - baby talk this time. 
I will keep you updated on new symptoms - the good or the bad.
I will be doing weekly photos too.

The doc says that the baby is measuring about 6 days ahead of what we were thinking.
They are keeping the due date at December 11th for now.
After the 20 week ultrasound measurements, they may or may not move the date to the 5th.
Regardless, Baby Bell is looking healthy.
We saw the little heart beating and could see a defined baby shape growing inside.
Here's what we got to see...

First "baby bump" (or not) photo - 8 weeks pregnant and feeling pretty great!
**Note to self... clean the bathroom mirror!  LOL! ;)