Kicks and Giggles

I know most moms-to-be get concerned when they haven't felt their baby yet or they don't feel them often enough, so this is a new "concern" for me. I LOVE that I've traded 24-hour morning sickness for all these little kicks and giggles that go with them, but how much activity is too much? It started a few weeks ago with a few kicks every 6-12 hours. I could feel them when I was laying down or stretched out sitting. Now I'm feeling them about every other hour for at least 15 minutes at a time. Sometimes it's almost constant for the full hour. Saturday night he/she woke me up twice in the middle of the night by jumping on my bladder. (Ouch!) Then yesterday afternoon I couldn't fall asleep for a nap with all the action in there. His/her favorite spot is just below my belly button where those little feet just go to town. The baby LOVES the choir director's voice and the organ, so church is a dance party. The baby really dislikes seat belts and waistbands because he/she does everything they can to kick them away. Right now, he/she's kicking the bottom of the laptop! I'm a little concerned he/she will be hyperactive. I hate to be concerned, but how much movement is too much movement? Feel free to leave a comment if you have any insight!

On the Grow...

We're officially 18 weeks pregnant and it's starting to show! Every morning I wake up and swear my tummy has gotten bigger! The baby seems to love the space though because he/she has NOT stopped dancing! Every day, most of the day I'm audience (and stage!) to a little ballet performance that has him/her bouncing off the walls!

I am rapidly gaining back most of the weight I lost during the 1st trimester and am enjoying every bite! I can't seem to get enough fruit or fried chicken legs. (Neither of which are easy to come by here in Stickville.) My mother-in-law passed through on Monday and spent Tuesday night and brought several kinds of fruit (including 3 watermelons which I am polishing off rapidly) and brought us Fried Chicken from Kirbyville Tuesday night. I ate 4 legs in one sitting! SO good!

Our little one is growing too! He/She should be around 5 1/2 inches in length from the bottom to the top of the head (no credit for the dancer's legs yet sweetie!) and should weigh in at about 1/2 a pound. I have had a blast sitting or lying still and identifying what part of him/her is where. Sometimes I have NO idea what just hit me from where, but then other times I can point out exactly what body part is trying to push my belly button into an outie!

I much prefer these little kicks and movements to the morning sickness of Trimester 1! I'm so glad we're able to eat and be merry! We're both celebrating!

Our Little Kicker

We have a strong little kicker! The baby has kicked every day for the last 3 weeks! Sometimes it feels like it's all day! Every evening there's a soccer match in the womb from 9-11pm. I've thoroughly enjoyed all the little kicks and have been so anxious to share them with Dustin. Finally, tonight he got to feel the baby kick his hand for the first time! The baby has kicked it a few times before, but it wasn't until tonight that he was able to identify it!

Tonight at Good Friday service, I was holding one of our choir director's 3-week-old twin boys during church. I had him nestled on my tummy, and apparently that made our little one jealous because our baby started to kick the baby I was holding! Then towards the end, there was a special song, Hear the Nails that had a part where someone hit a hammer on a nail to replicate what it sounded like at the Cross. The first hit made both the twin babies jump and my little one jumped as well! My whole tummy jumped and it took me by surprise. It was so hard to keep from laughing out loud during the solemn song! I had a big silly grin on my face though!

I'm super excited about Easter this Sunday and the big Easter Egg Hunt at the church. It's amazing to think that next year, I'll have a little one to add to all my church kiddos. The baby's kicking the bottom of the lap top, so I'm going to give him/her a little attention before hoping we can calm down enough for mom to go to sleep...

Baby Britches

Celebrating today 1 whole week without being sick! I'm SO excited! We're in week 16, 10 of which I spent with morning sickness! I'm hoping to be in the clear now and start putting some weight back on!

Well, there goes my figure though! The baby bump is starting to take over! All the sudden, the baby has decided to go forward. I'm grateful though, because it has been getting pretty crowded in here! I even had someone ask me if I was expecting, so I think it's getting obvious to those other than me. I've lost quite a bit of weight elsewhere, so it has been SO challenging finding pants to fit with room for the baby. I finally found a few size smalls and 4's at Target and a Consignment Store in Livingston. I can finally be comfy without walking around with my pants undone!

It's not my favorite thing to shop for stretch clothes to fit my rapidly expanding body, so today, I indulged myself and found the cutest little pair of overalls! They work for a girl or boy, so it was a "safe" purchase to me! It scared me to think something this size will be here by the end of the year though! Dustin's holding up the overalls and it SO excited! This is our first purchase for baby, and it was fun!

The baby's moving quite a bit, especially during handbell practice last night! I got another good kick yesterday evening and it was so great to know he/she is having a good time in there! I can't wait to see him/her in their little baby britches!

Great Baby Day!

Today has been such a great day! I haven't been sick since Thursday and woke up feeling fine this morning. Yea!!! I went to the baby doctor today for my 16 week check-up and my Quad-Screen blood tests. I've grown quite a bit in inches from belly button down, but lost another 3 lbs. So, I'm on strict orders to gain 4 lbs by the end of the month. (I found a big watermelon and a pineapple in Lufkin today, so I think I'll be OK!) My Nana went with me today, so I asked the nurse if we could listen to the heartbeat again. 4 weeks ago Dustin and I were delighted over the little swish-swishes we heard. Well, this time the baby was hanging around just under my belly button and when the nurse found the heartbeat, I about jumped out of my skin! I swear there was a horse galloping in there! It was so loud and clear and STRONG! I think we have a little athlete growing in there! My Nana was SO excited. Even the nurse said it was a strong little one in there!

Well, it gets better. Tonight I was laying on the bed checking my email with my hand on my rapidly growing tummy and the baby kicked!!! It was amazing! It was definitely a kick. I wasn't sure I would know what it was when I finally felt it, but there is no doubt about the kick. I jumped up and ran to tell Dustin. I put his hand on there, but he couldn't feel the popcorn popping. (That's what I usually feel when the baby's moving. Like jiffy pop in there!) I couldn't talk the baby into kicking again, but I'm sure Dustin will feel it soon enough.

Between the strong heartbeat and the kick-boxing tonight, I think we may have a soccer player before you know it. I'm off to await more kicks...

Cravings...

Well, I'm finally hungry again and really want certain things, like Cheesy Poofs! Well, you can't find anything in Woodville, so I was SO excited to get a package from Dustin's parents today with a huge barrel of Cheese Balls. Mom found a Watermelon for sale on Monday and I ate the whole thing. (J-Lynn stole some though. Pretty risky! I almost bit her when she reached for some!) I'm still challenged with morning sickness before 10am and sometimes around 5-6pm, but the rest of the day I can eat like there's no tomorrow. I've lost 11 lbs so far and gained back 1, so only 30 to go! I think this barrel of cheesy poofs will help!!! Bon Appetite!

Wardrobe Frustrations...

Wanna know the fastest way to need an entire new wardrobe? Get preggers! (Or move to the North Pole I guess, but there you could layer!) NOTHING FITS! I've lost 11 lbs, so I'm teeny everywhere but my tummy. I can't button my regular jeans (and can barely rubber band them) and it isn't fun walking around town with them unbuttoned! Maternity pants SWALLOW me. They fit comfortably in the tummy, but the butt and thighs are huge! I look like I'm in MC Hammer pants. NOT flattering. Do they have a petite preggo store somewhere?
Shirts are no better. By the time I can find one long enough to cover the unbuttoned pants and large enough to fit in the chest area, I look like I'm wearing a circus tent. Ugh! Right now I'm in Dustin's athletic shorts and an over sized T-Shirt. I certainly don't feel cute.
Well, I was venting to some of my friends on the August Mommy's board online and someone gave me a link to the cutest T-Shirt site! http://www.cafepress.com/ The Maternity link under the Baby category has a ton of hilarious T-Shirts. Some are a little lewd, but most of them are super cute. My absolute favorite is the one that says "Watermelon Smuggler" That SO funny even now because I've craved Watermelon for 3 months and ate half of one in one sitting on Monday! That got me smiling! Check it out when you need a belly laugh!
Well, I'm off to fight the two biggest battles of the day: What to eat and What to wear! All preggos should have a maid, a chef, and a clothing designer! : )