Chicago Trip 2011

Thanks to the lovely weather in Chicago this weekend, we decided to cut our trip short.  Thankfully, it didn't start raining until the end of the Cubs-Pirates game so we got to stay and watch our team (the Pirates) win!  Steve is convinced it's because the baby is a good luck charm :)

Baby's first Pirates game!

getting rained on at the end of the game

After the game we went to Table 52 (Chef Art Smith's restaurant).  It was a very cool little place that had the feel of eating in someone's house.  Before your meal they bring you deviled eggs and goat cheese biscuits that are SO good! 

Table 52

 



my pistachio crusted chicken

Steve's raspberry pork chop

delicious mac & cheese

12 layer chocolate cake

On Sunday, we had planned to go to the Lincoln Park Zoo and Navy Pier but the weather didn't cooperate with our plans.  We made it to about four exhibits at the zoo before the thunder, lightning and rain started. But we did get to see the stork and her baby, so sweet!!

we thought this was so fitting for the blog!

getting rained on...again

We checked out the forecast for the rest of the day (rain and thunderstorms all day) and decided we might as well come home where it was sunny and dry.  We were happy to get back to our furbabies and even though our trip was cut short, we had a great time!

Happy Memorial Day!

100 Followers and Baby Pokes

I hit 100 followers today- how amazing!  I remember when I started this blog 5 months ago I didn't even know what a follower was or that I would "meet" so many awesome and supportive women.  I just thought I was writing a blog to keep track of things for myself and to keep family informed while we were going through IVF.  It has become so much more than that.

So, thank you to all of my followers who keep reading and supporting me, I appreciate all of you!

Now in baby news...

Steve got home yesterday after the loooongest 3 day work trip ever.  It's so nice to have him home and baby girl couldn't agree more.  We were sitting on the couch after dinner (well, I was half laying and Steve was sitting) and he had his hand on my belly.  We were watching TV and I felt one of the "pokes" I've been feeling the past couple of weeks, Steve's head whips around to face me, his eyes were huge and he said, "What was that?!?!" I said- "You felt that!? I think that's her poking around!"  I will never forget the look on Steve's face, he was beyond happy feeling his daughter move for the first time.  Then he said, "You're never going to get my hand off your stomach now!" The rest of the night we sat there with his hand on my stomach and he felt her a couple more times, every time that same huge smile was plastered to his face ♥

Happy Friday everyone! I'll be in Chicago this weekend but I will try my hardest to keep up with your blogs!

19 weeks....a day early

How far along: 19 weeks! I can't believe it. Wasn't it just yesterday I was hormonal from lupron shots??


Size of baby: She weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato or mango.  Baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.  Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Maternity clothes: Maternity pants and a mix of regular shirts that still fit and a couple of maternity shirts. It's getting harder to find regular shirts that are long enough to cover my expanding belly.

Sleep: Steve has been gone for work this week so that makes sleep even worse.  And I have found if I stay in one position too long I get sore, so there is a lot of tossing and turning going on.

Best moment of the week:  Making it to 19 weeks, Steve coming home from his work trip, and our mini-vacation to Chicago this weekend!!

Movement: I think so but I'm still not 100% sure.  Am I the only pregnant woman who doesn't know what the heck I should be feeling here?

Symptoms: Tailbone pain, bleeding gums, swollen feet and ankles- I am happy to have every single one.

Food cravings/aversions: Mac & cheese has been sounding pretty good but I haven't gone to the store to get any yet...maybe I will tonight.

Gender: Girl ♥

Belly button in or out: Still in but getting shallow.

Stretch marks: Nothing new

What I miss: Pregnancy wise, nothing.  In general, I miss Steve.

What I am looking forward to: Feeling her move for sure, our trip to Chicago this weekend, our 20 week ultrasound, and our upcoming trip to PA in June (for our first baby shower and I get to meet one of my favorite bloggers- how exciting!!)

Weekly wisdom: I won't take one second of my pregnancy for granted.  I was devastated to read that Do I have to be a D.I.N.K. went into labor very early and lost her precious baby boy Gavin.  My heart goes out to her and her husband at this very hard time.  I can't even begin to imagine what they are going through.

Belly pic:  Since my photographer is gone today, this is the best I could do!

Whew! What a Weekend!

Well, we're still here so no "rapture" for us!

Steve and I had a busy but fun weekend full of friends, family and finishing our bathroom.

Friday night we went to a cookout at our friends Bekah and Wesley's house.
great food + great friends = awesome time!
Bekah gave me a box of baby clothes that will be perfect for our little one, along with a few new baby books (you can never have enough baby clothes and books right?)

Saturday I went to a sprinkle shower for my oldest sister, K, that was thrown by my brother's fiance.  K is due July 2 with her fourth baby girl and I can't wait to meet the newest addition to the family ♥
After the shower we celebrated my little brother's birthday with his soon to be in-laws, our family (minus Niki- who was dearly missed) and some of his friends.
great food + great family = another awesome time!

Today Steve and I woke up early and got to work finishing our bathroom project.  We had a tub installed a couple of weeks ago and today we finished painting and we got all of our new accessories.  We LOVE it!! 

Now I'm ready to get to work on the baby's room, or at least getting it cleaned out and painted. 

I hope everyone had a great weekend ♥

18 weeks

How far along: 18 weeks!

Size of baby: Baby measures about 5 1/2 inches long and weighs almost 7 ounces- the size of a sweet potato! She's busy flexing her arms and legs. Her ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from her head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born.

Maternity clothes: Maternity pants and a mix of regular shirts that still fit and a couple of maternity shirts. Most days I just can't wait to get home and put my sweats on!

Sleep: Still not good.  I am having trouble with sleeping on my side- I am a back sleeper and trying to switch has proven difficult for me.

Best moment of the week:  Being 18 weeks pregnant (of course) and planing our trip to PA to see Steve's parents in June.

Movement: I can't tell for sure.  I have felt a couple of "bubbly" feelings that I'm pretty sure weren't gas but I don't know??

Symptoms: Still have the tail bone pain :(

Food cravings/aversions: Rosemary and Cracked Pepper Triscuits are AWESOME!

Gender: Girl ♥

Belly button in or out: Still in

Stretch marks: Nothing new

What I miss: We went to watch some friends play sand volleyball last night (I have played every summer for about 5 or 6 years and this is my first year not playing).  I have to say I really miss it but I know it will be there next year.

What I am looking forward to: Feeling her move for sure, hanging out with family this weekend for my brother's birthday, our trip to Chicago next weekend, our 20 week ultrasound, and our upcoming trip to PA in June :) So much great stuff happening!

Weekly wisdom: Adam and Julia who are about to be (or may already be) proud parents of twins wrote a whole post about what she learned in 37 weeks of being pregnant with twins- it is all so true but my favorite was this:
"Swelling. It is perfectly normal to have feet that look like they came from a manatee and fingers that look like sausages. The only thing that works is to keep your feet up and rest, but that is usually only after the doctor makes you!"

Belly Pic:  Please excuse how I look in this picture, I'm pretty exhausted today.

past...present...future

Steve and I talked this weekend about how much we've been through since we were married and how it's a miracle that we are still standing today and that we got our wish.  We are 17w4d pregnant.

Past...
When you've lost two babies in five months and gone through one exhausting infertility treatment after another you start to lose who you are.  Not a lot of people understand the stress and the feelings of fear and failure that come with infertility- it is vicious.  I know now, after looking back, how depressed I was during that time.  I was in denial, I was angry, I was scared to death that we wouldn't have a baby. I was buried in blood tests, OPK's, RE visits, IUI's, negative pregnancy tests, hormone injections and IVF. In all honesty, when I was in the thick of it I didn't care what happened outside my door except for our visits to the RE's office.  I didn't care about work, I didn't care who I saw, I didn't care if I ever left my house again.  I wasn't myself,  I was in the depths of trying everything I could to be a mother.  When I think back on that time, I thank God for Steve.  He did an amazing job of pulling me back up to the surface from time to time and making me feel normal. He was tiptoeing into uncharted waters everyday and never knew which of my moods he would encounter but he was always there for me with something positive to say. 

Present...
We are pregnant, we are excited, we are grateful.  I'm still trying to get myself back, I feel like I'm almost there.  I'm trying not to be scared every day, some days are better than others. I'm trying to mend all that was neglected during my treatments, but a few things will probably never be the same.  I am healing emotionally and physically one day at a time.

Future...
I don't know what our future will bring... but we've been through a great deal and I pray the best is yet to come.

17 weeks- posted again thanks to Blogger going down

How far along: 17 weeks!

Size of baby: Baby is the size of an onion!  Baby now measures about 5.1 inches long and weighs in at about 5.9 ounces. Her skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. Her umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints.

Maternity clothes: I am wearing maternity pants and a mix of regular shirts that still fit and maternity shirts.

Sleep: I need more of it.

Best moment of the week:  Picking our baby girl's name and we had our Dr.'s appointment this week and she said everything is looking good, which is always good to hear!

Movement: Nope, still waiting...

Symptoms: It seems like I am hungry all the time! And I've been having a lot of pain in my tail bone, the Dr said that will probably continue through the rest of the pregnancy.

Food cravings/aversions: I haven't really been craving anything specific this week.

Gender: Girl ♥ Paige Bonnie

Belly button in or out: Still in

Stretch marks: Nothing new

What I miss: I don't miss anything this week besides sleeping normally.

What I am looking forward to: Feeling her move, I can't wait!

Weekly wisdom: I don't have anything wise to share this week, sorry!

My belly pic must have been deleted by blogger, I'll try to put it back up later.

Mother's day & baby girl's name

For three years, mother's day has been a very sad and emotional day for me.  It has been a reminder of not having my mom in my life and more recently, not being a mom myself.

This year I decided I didn't want to be sad, I wanted to celebrate being pregnant and make the best of the weekend.  So Steve and I went to visit my sister, Niki, and it was just what I needed. We had a Cinco de Mayo party on Saturday with great food and great people. I even got to see one of my best college friends, Beth, and her sweet little girl, Grace.

Niki and I

Beth, Gracie & I

On Sunday I didn't wake up sad but content.  Of course, I still missed my mom and wished I could call her to tell her happy mother's day but I also felt happy. Happy to finally be pregnant and on my way to being a mom. 

When we were making the drive back home, Steve and I were talking about baby names and nursery ideas and we have decided (with 99% certainty) that our baby girl's name will be.....

Paige Bonnie 

We both really love the name Paige and we have planned from the beginning to use my mom's name for her middle name.  We are a little worried about picking a name before we see her but we think this name is absolutely perfect! 

We also came up with some awesome nursery ideas that I will save for another post.

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend! I need to catch up on reading what everyone has been up to!

16 week update

How far along: 16 weeks!

Size of baby: Baby is the size of an avocado!  In the next few weeks, baby will double her weight and add inches to her length. Baby now measures about 4.6 inches long and weighs in at about 3.5 ounces. Tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean she can now pick up your voice (I bet she didn't enjoy the fire drill we just had at work).  Her legs are much more developed, her head is more erect than it has been, and her eyes have moved closer to the front of her head. Her ears are close to their final position, too. She's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

Maternity clothes: I am wearing maternity pants and a mix of regular shirts that still fit and maternity shirts.

Sleep: Not good, I'm tired! We ordered a body pillow and I hope it helps.

Best moment of the week: A girl I work with said she can tell my belly is starting to "pop", that made me happy!

Movement: Nothing yet that I'm sure about.

Symptoms: The smallest things make me teary- commercials, tv shows, reading other blogs- you name it.  My skin is super dry, it always has been on the dry side but now it's really really dry.

Food cravings/aversions: I crave more sweets than I used to (I'm a salty snack kind of girl) and I'm still eating a lot of fruit but other than that my eating has been pretty normal I think.  By the way, we found out that pear/apple fruit is an Asian pear- delish!

Gender: Girl ♥

Belly button in or out: Still in but getting a little more shallow

Stretch marks: Nothing new

What I miss: This week I miss sleep but I am pretty sure my body is prepping me for the baby getting up at all hours of the night so I'll take it!

What I am looking forward to: Feeling her move, I can't wait!

Weekly wisdom: My weekly wisdom comes from The Road Less Traveled this week because I had the same thing happen to me.  "When you wake up in the middle of the night and need to go pee, do it.  I went back to sleep this morning and then I was in sooo much pain once I finally went.  I guess I don't have a ton of room in there any more for a full bladder!"

15 weeks 4 days

Not much to report... I'm still here, still pregnant and still happy to have made it this far!

On Saturday, we went to a friend's wedding and got to hang with a few of our amazing and supportive friends.

At the wedding reception

All of us at my birthday last year

I've only known these girls (and guys) for a couple of years; but they have been here for us through all of our losses and struggles in our baby making journey.  Not once did they utter the dreaded words, "just relax, it'll happen" or "why don't you just adopt?" I love them all so much!

The rest of the weekend Steve and I spent relaxing and doing a lot of nothing- it was fantastic.  On Sunday, we went golfing (well Steve golfed and I was along for the ride).  It was so nice to be outside with my husband watching him do something he enjoys so much. 

As far as my pregnancy goes, being in the second trimester has been a strange experience for me.  Since I'm not really showing, can't feel the baby moving yet, and don't have the unpleasant symptoms of the first trimester- I often have to remind myself I'm pregnant.  It's a very peculiar feeling.

I hope everyone has a great week!