How I feel: 20 weeks

Night Owl Baby!
This baby is definitely a Martin baby! It kicks like crazy at night. Little flicks to my belly while I am watching my shoes or laying in bed at night. I feel the baby also move during the day, but not as much as I do in the night. It is so surreal feeling the kicks and I am very much enjoying it. I just know these movements will get stronger as the baby gets bigger and it won't be as much fun at night.

5th Disease Testing
Kim had emailed me that my youngest niece Evella has 5th disease aka slap cheek. It is basically a rash that you have for several weeks on your face looking like you got slapped in the face. It is alot like chicken pox once you get it once you are immuned to it and never get it again. That weekend prior we had spent a little time with her at Traci's baby shower. Kim had looked up that 5th disease can have some harmful effects on pregnant women if they get it. Kim suggested that I get tested at my doctor to see if I was exposed to it or not. There is no telling if I was immune or not.They say 50% of women are immune so it shouldn't be a big deal and also the mainly effects to earlier pregnancies. I called the doctor and did a blood test to make sure. So if I did have it they would just monitor me closer because there is no medication to cure it. I didn't hear back from the doctor so I assume everything is okay.


Half Way There
I mentioned this in the 20 week ultra sound portion. But I really can't believe we are 1/2 way there!! This week seemed sooooo far away. The next 20 weeks will just creep up on us. I am really excited to meet our new baby. I am little nervous just to the life change and all, but it will be all worth it! Even though we are scared to death. It's all good!

20 weeks! It is really popping now!

20 week ultrasound!

Wow! I can't believe we are at 20 weeks and got to see our little one at the half way point. This day always seemed so far away for us. It was finally here and it was incredible! I love our ultrasound tech because she is so sweet and she is pregnant as well. She is due 2 days after me on the 25th!!

The ultrasound showed nothing, but great news! Heartbeat was at 160 and we got see all the heart valves pumping like crazy. The little spine was so much more intricate that we last saw at 14 weeks. The baby is just almost 1 whole pound and is in the 59th percentile! I also have gain in total 15 pounds! Woo Hoo!

We also confirmed the baby's gender and got a great shot. But of course I am not going to put that here until after we reveal the gender in January. :-)

Some snapshots of our cute little Martin at 20 weeks and 1 day.

Little Martin toes. Mike thinks the baby has my toes since 

the little pinky toe is so small compared to the others.

 

We have an Aggie in my womb!! Gig'em!!

Awwww....Looks like it has its' mommy's big eyes.

Baby definitely has Daddy's nose.

Week 19: How I feel

Finally told someone
I went to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned this week. So many great things during this appointment. (1) Baby moved for the first time (2) I finally got to tell someone what we were having.

My dentist starts chatting & asking questions about our pregnancy then he asks the question that everyone asks, "Do you know what you are having?" I said, "Yes, but we are keeping a secret, but I am going to tell you because I have been dying to tell someone." He laughed and promised he didn't know our parents and would keep it hush. I laughed as I told him. It felt great! It was really surreal finally being able to say it out loud that we are having a...... (not till the shower till everyone will find out). I also told the ladies at the front desk since I was on a roll. I didn't care if they knew too. I only see these people twice a year. So what the heck! I can't wait to annouce it to everyone at the shower in January.

We go in for an 20 week ultrasound this week, which will probably confirm the gender because I am not completly sold on what it is.

Rebellious Dogs!
I just want to strangle our 3 dogs. The dogs were originally getting out through the back of the yard. So I decided to take charge after one of their escapes in the evening. I huffed and puffed at 17 weeks and fixed the fence succesfully by myself. They never got out from that access point. SUCCESS!!

Now....there is a part of the fence in our front yard where a tree fell from Ike. The fence is much lower and Mike had fixed at one point, but there is another part that the dogs were climbing over. All 3 including hefty Mr. Bentley. When Bentley first did it 9 months back the other 2 dogs couldn't do it and he climbed over very seldomly. Now it is practically everyday with Lucy. Last week I thought I would give my carpentry skills a try again. I just placed one of the metal sheets higher than the fence so they couldn't climb over. I thought it would work. FAIL!!! Bentley & Lucy still climbed over their same side. Then all of the sudden when I trying to stop the other two I see Maverick in the corner of my eye run back and jump over the 6 ft rigged fence I had built. I was just amazed that he could do that. I never saw him as a jumper. Then I had to go get them down the street as usual, but this time I had to refrain Lucy from killing poor little chicken. She is nuts!

After many the escapes my stomach always tightens up from the stress and always worries me that it is hurting the baby. And worse....l;ead to misscarriage. I finally asked me to PLEASE fix the fence. Mike finally fixed the fence so hopefully now they won't do it again. I really need the dog whisper out here to help us with their escaping. Hopefully walking Bentley and the 2 other dogs will help with the want to get out. I just can't have another Coyte accident happen again. I couldn't live with another incident like that again the guilt just destroys me.

Nursery in the Works
We had our garage sale the weekend before to clear out the room. So we are good to go starting to work on the nursery!!! Yay! I didn't know when we would start, but one evening this week while I was watching my show I noticed that Mike had disappeared. I walked in the hallway and saw pieces of carpet in the hallway. He had started to rip up all the carpet in the room!! WOO HOO! He took it all out. All we need to do now is finalize paint colors and paint the room. Then work on the floors! I can't wait to start working on it! It will be sooooo much fun!! Finally get to decorate a room for a baby!!!

Felt the Baby!!

Today I am exactly 19 weeks and I went to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. As I was laying in the dentist chair the hygienist was talking to me and all of sudden I felt my abdomen area move from bottom to the top on the right. It felt like a huge gas bubble rolling. I knew it was the baby moving since it was hard right in that area. I was shocked and in the middle of our conversation I held the area and just said, "Ohhhh....Whoa." The hygienst asked, "Did you feel the baby move." I responded, "Oh yeah." I really wanted to jumped up and down for joy. I had to stay calm, but it was so exciting to finally feel our baby move. It is surreal!!!

Week 18: How I feel

Hello to My Teenager Skin
It has been known that I NEVER have problems with my skin. Only when I am extremely stressed out is when I break out around my chin area. Even after I stopped taking birth control my skin went a little wild, but went back to normal. I can remember as a teenager that I rarely had a pimple. Just recently I have these huge mountains of ugliness just pop up on my face. Literally it feels like everyday Mike points to me and says,"Did that thing just pop up in 1 day???" And the answer is always YES! It is extremely frustrating since I wash my face day and night. I take care my skin more now then I did before I was pregnant and I have the worse skin problems. I know it's because the increase in hormones, but can't I just have that glowing skin that you hear pregnant women have?? I guess not....maybe in a few weeks!

A Stranger Asked...
People that know me already know that I am pregnant so they are looking for the baby bump. They see it right away even though it's not anything to get too excited over. I am in that middle stage that some days I just look like I have a gut and some days I look preggo. However, for the first time this weekend I had a complete stranger, at our garage sale we had this weekend, asked me if i was expecting. I was so excited because that meant my bump was actually apparent!! WOO HOO! Strangers only ask when they know for sure or either just plain rude. Ha! This was definitely a monumental thing for me!!

Week 18

4 month check up

We went on our 4 month check up this past Thursday. I didn't know what to expect since it was the first time we just went in for a regular check up. The other times there were ultra sounds, pap smears, blood test, & etc. I didn't expect any new tests or ultra sounds. So I was curious to see what would happen.

The wait wasn't long this time...thank goodness. Usually the waiting room would be completely full of pregnant women who are about to pop! We went in about 9:15ish or so. Didn't wait long for the doctor either. He asked if we had any questions and then did what I was waiting to hear for a month! The heartbeat! He pulled that doppler that I hated a couple months back when it didn't detect the heartbeat. However, this time it took literally not even a second to find that little heart beat. It was beating at a strong 152! Everything sounded great! I was feeling good!

He then asked if we wanted to test for Downs. I said yes automatically. Didn't even ask Mike what his thoughts were, which I should have. I just thought it would just be a good test to take. So we stayed in the room for another 30 minutes to do my blood work. So I have gotten plenty of blood work in the past and this time it was the most painful thing I have ever experience. Usually it is just the prick of the needle for a couple of seconds, but this was excruciating pain from the prick to the drawing of the blood and afterwards. Just pain!!!

People have asked me why did I want to take the Downs test. And I tell people just to ease my mind, but then I start to think. If I did find out if we had a baby that had Downs what would we do we are literally 1/2 way through the pregnancy. I am not sure what we would do in that situation. That would be a pretty serious conversation between Mike and I because I am not sure how he feels about it. We will cross that bridge when we get there. Just taking it one day at a time.

I am really looking forward to our 20 week ultrasound which is scheduled for 2 weeks. I can't wait to see our little baby move. It will be 2 months since we have seen it!

Week 17: How I feel

Spots....galore
I've always had a few light sun spots on my face and the back of my arms. I had a lot removed when I graduated from college when I went to Korea. Some came back because of the hellish sun beams that we get here in Houston. A little bit of concealer always covered them up. However, I noticed the past few weeks and especially this week that I am finding more of these sun spots. And they are the darkest they have ever been. There not just showing up on the back of my arms like a game of connect the dots, but even my legs!! And even worse they spots are becoming darker on my face. I've heard this occurring of dark pigments on your skin, but this is just ridiculous. Concealer is barely covering up what is on my face. The back of my left arm is just now embarassing. I decided after we have our last child I will get the spots removed. They make very self conscious. Most people say it isn't a big deal, but to me they are. These spots are not like your typical freckles. They are HUGE!!!

I'm Part Of The Club
I attended one of our long time Cutco friends, Matt & Leeanne's, baby shower this week. This shower was for 3 girls due a month apart from each other. As soon as I walked in I felt so welcomed. I felt like I was part of a new club, The Preggo Club. We talked so much about each other pregnancies and we have gone through and what I should expect the months to come. It was really nice to chat with other gals. I am usually distant with people I don't know very well and stay pretty much to myself especially with women. I had a great time though listening to everyone's experiences.

I noticed since I have been pregnant that anyone who is a mother is the same way as the girls were to me at the shower. Opening up there arms to me and sharing there experience and genuninely interested on how I am doing. I am in the "new" club. Yes! Definetly different, but I am really enjoying it. I compare it to becoming an official Aggie. Only Aggie's know how it feels to be an Aggie. I guess that goes the same way being preggo. It's awesome!

Week 16: How I feel

Damn those Maternity Clothes makers!
This past weekend I was determined to find some maternity pants for work & some jeans on the weekends. I had my Saturday list all planned out on where all I was going to go. First stop was Gap Maternity....I heard so many great things about their maternity jeans I thought I would have better luck then the weekend before. Um...I was wrong. I tried on 2 slacks and 2 pair of jeans and they were TERRIBLE! The length was super duper long and on top of that you can fit all my dogs in my pants. I looked like I was wearing a parachute. So much extra space and everything is just WAAAY to big. I was so surprised since I tried my pre pregnancy size in maternity wear. I guess these clothing companies take into account the belly growth, but I always thought that's why there is the stretchable band.

Second stop the mall....I was going to stop at Macy's for the clothes and Aldo for some flats I wanted to get. I arrived at Macy's and they had this HUGE sale going on so it was chaos. I walked around the department store 3 times looking for the maternity section. I tried to look for someone to help me, but they were all manned at the cashier with lines going out the door. I tried looking for a map, but I guess the Macy's in The Woodlands was created by a man and believed we didn't need one. So I gave up and went to Aldo to look for the flats and they were gone! The others I tried on were just plain ugly. So I quit the mall. After the mall I went to Marshall's & Ross and both were failed attempts. Then I went to my glorious Target and had some little bit of success and a glimmer of hope.

I tried a few more jeans again and slacks. The slacks were not as bad as the Gap, but still pretty big. Jeans were huge too except for this one pair. It actually fit decently. Not exactly how I wanted it to be around the butt area, but I thought I would buy them just because I don't think I will find anything better that fits. So finally some success! I decided then after going to Gap, Marshall's, Ross, Target and wander through a crazy mall for 5 hours I was done for the day. I felt defeated for just buying one maternity item. Maybe that following weekend I thought.

On Sunday since I had a little bit more rest I decided I would try one more time with my best shopping partner, Mike. He always picks out great things and so fast. After church we went to Kohl's and he helped me find a pair of black slacks and 2 cute tops. I felt much much better after that. I need to go to another Kohl's location to look for some more slacks at work. I have worn my new maternity pants sooo much, but they are just so much easier and comfortable.

So after the long weekend I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman that I had the money to buy clothes, but I couldn't find anything cause no one wanted to help me at the stores. And Mike was Richard Gere coming to save the day by helping me with the shopping.

1 pair of jeans, 1 pair of slacks, 2 tops = success for right now. :-)

The Belly Finally Entered The Room....
I am very excited to see my belly is actually starting to really appear. I really look like I am pregnant now. In the morning I just look like have a pooch, but by the end of the day I have a round little tummy. Mike is really loving it too.

My ta tas have really grown too. Too a point there are not even recognizable to me! Of course Mike is really loves the new growth there too. It is funny how amazed he is by all the changes of my body. He says my mommy body is blossoming. He jokes that the Ta Ta fairy has come to visit and he is very happy. Ha! I guess I am becoming a curvy mommy the next 5 months. I guess I should enjoy it now before the baby deflates them. Ha ha!

Week 15: How I feel

Add Funyuns and Snow Cones to the List
So not only pickles & BBQ sunflower seeds are still part of the cravings. To add to the weird list are Funyuns & Snow cones. Yes, you heard right Funyuns!! The onion ring chips that make your breathe just wreak after eating them, but they are sooooo good. They remind so much of my early childhood in Corpus Christi. Every Sunday after church the Pastor's son would buy me a big bag of Funyuns because he knew I loved them. Man those were the days. 

The sweet taste of a strawberry snow cone just lingers through my mind alllll week! I can't access a real good snow cone until the weekend. So I look forward to the weekend not only for the break, but for the snow cone. Soooo sad!


Hello Maternity Clothes
The Belly Band that I purchased around 12 weeks or so is starting to get old. It wasn't that bad when I could kind of still button my pants, but it was just uncomfortable. Well now it is just impossible. The band is starting to ride up and it is covering more area now since I can not zip up my pants. Also, I am getting annoying with all impressions of my pants my skin. I can see every detail of a button or a hook of my pants. Jeans are the worst! So Mike and I stopped into Motherhood Maternity to try on some pants and boy are they UGLY!! No wonder women hold off on the maternity clothes as long as possible. These pants do not enhance anything for you or even help you in anyway for your figure. I decided to wait on the pants for 1 more week, but after that I will need to invest in a few pair of pants. Ugh!!

I am looking forward to picking out some new shirts, but not maternity. The tops these days are so flowy so I will stick to that so I can continue to wear them after the pregnancy. That's a positive to look forward too. :-)

First Panic Attack
On Monday (Labor Day) I had my first panic attack about the preparation of our little Martin baby. I started to work on our budget and it dawned on me. What we are living on right now is what we can afford not including a new baby, hospital cost, etc. I started to freak out. Bawled through out the day. Then Mike reassured me not to worry that God would be with us and things always turn up for us. Doesn't feel like it right now, but it will. I completely believe that God will be us and will only give us we can only handle. I just have to trust he will do what is best for our family. I believe.

Week 15 Pic! Somewhat of a bump!

(I love how Maverick is gazing at the baby belly)

Week 14: How I feel

Wow...I am INSANE!
I have noticed the past couple weeks I have been very irritable. Anything Mike says or does just makes me snap. This week has to be the worst week. I have been starting really dumb fights. I picked up a booked someone recommended to me, "The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy." It really opened my eyes realizing how insane I have been, but it is perfectly normal. It is just all part of the hormones. I feel really bad for my sweet husband. He tries his best to make me happy and comfortable. And all I do is being a cuckoo nut case! I know this is something that will last for a while. Since I realize & aware that I am now insane and I can consciously try to be better about it. We shall see!

Breathe....
I definitely have reached that stage in the pregnancy where I have shortness of breathe. I can walk from our bedroom to the yard and I have to sit down because I need to catch my breath. Just the other day I was washing my hair and that got me all tired and out of breathe. I had to wash my hair short stages. Soooo pathetic. I am going to start walking again with the dogs to help with the endurance. I was walking a few weeks ago with Bentley, but I had stopped because it was just so hot and I was still really tired. The lack of breathe is really tough on me. I am not use to this at all.