Week 26/27

Farewell second trimester - hello to the home stretch.

This fortnight was more work on the nursery, the dreaded Glucose test (for gestational diabetes), posting of the baby shower invitations and the weather getting colder.

I love the nursery, I just hope that BB loves it and loves being in there. 

My grandma painted a tree on the wall and it looks amazing! We even made the cot so it's really looking like an almost complete nursery.

The anxiety and stress levels have risen this week with the whole third trimester approaching. And I beleive that the pregnancy hormones really have taken over. I have worked out the witching hours though so know when I'm at my most vulnerable. Between 4pm til about 8pm, anything and everything will and can make me cry. From my carrots not being cooked enough to being uncomfortable. I think I've started to feel terrified of my own body at this stage as well. How the hell am I going to do this?

To top off the anxiety and what not, I've actually started getting Braxton Hicks contractions from about week 26. I went to my GP and she was certain thats what I'd started experiencing. So that is terrifying and very uncomfortable when it happens. 

The dreaded Glucose Blood Tests where this week and I swear to god, that has to be one of the worst experiences of my life. 12+ hours of fasting, 3 hours at the pathologist and 3 blood tests - or in my case 4 because the 3rd she couldn't get any blood. The pathologist also wants me to see my GP again ASAP because she was concerned that after 3 hours my arms were still bleeding. It was pretty scarying actually, the look on her face when she look the pressure and band-aids off and I was still bleeding from the first and second tests done hours before hand. 

I was pretty battered and bruised after. I have a server needle phobia so it was always going to be a struggle but it was just beyond anything I thought. It was horrible. 

Another milestone was the sending out of the baby shower invitations, which is exciting. I've never been to a baby shower so don't really know what to expect. The theme is High Tea. It will be an amazing afternoon tea at my mums, filled with tea cups, cupcakes, finger sandwiches and a few games. I hope everyone can come that we've invited and that everyone gets along. I want it to be like an old fashion ladies after high tea - not sure if I'll get that but oh well, it will hopefully be fun no matter what. 

My new challenge at the moment is trying to force myself to rest. I have been doing to much. Getting tired and overwhelmed and then losing the plot. Richard today took to banishing me to the couch when I was in the kitchen. It helped, I felt better after a little lay down. I guess I feel guilty and worry things won't get done. Definitely need to rest more! 

Week 15 Update

Featuring an empty nursery!

Hello week 15! I am starting to get more energy which is great! I can actually do things during the day rather then sleep all the time. Although sleeping through the night is still a struggle. The headaches don't seem to bad this week. I've been craving oranges like crazy and downing multiple glasses of flavored milk a day!

Still weighing my pre-pregnancy weight which is very strange to watch my belly grow but the scales stay the same. 

I am starting to get pain in my hips by the end of the day which is annoying. 

21 days and counting til the next ultrasound and we get to hopefully find out the gender. It's killing me! I want to know so badly. I feel like it will be even more real when I can think of the baby as more then a gender neutral blob! 

The emotions have been running high! That has been rough to deal with. I think that stress is getting to me alot lately. It's the little things mainly. 

Big moment of the week for me - I bought my first baby clothes. Mum has bought alot of stuff already and I for some reason have felt strange about buying anything but the other day I did it and they are so adorable! It felt so good!

Progress much?

Here's to another week of growing!

Week 13.5/14 Update

There has definitely been alot of growage in the last couple of weeks. No hiding it now! I am 14.5 weeks pregnant today and as much as alot of people say it's early, I have started feeling little somersaults in my belly. After a week of flutters and 'is that what I think it is?, this afternoon after laying down for half an hour and a somersault happening every 10 minutes I was sure. One minute my tummy was hard in the middle, then I feel the somersault and my belly was soft in the middle, then again, then hard again. Such a bizarre feeling. Amazing though.

Monday was my first antenatal appointment and I heard the heart beat. It was strong as anything and the doctor found it straight away. There's no hiding with this baby! We're all booked in to all our birthing classes and the team there are amazing.

I have been struggling with headaches in the afternoon/evening, lack of appetite, crazy dreams and insomnia - last night was the worst. I've been away since 3am (it's now almost 9pm). I have pretty much been eating toasted cheese sandwiches, pizza and anything bread related when I am hungry. I thought I'd gained a whooping kilo but I seemed to have lost it again, so still sitting on my before pregnancy weight. 

Got the referal for the next ultrasound which I can't wait to book because I am counting down the days til I found out the gender of this baby! I want to know so badly! SO BADLY.

12/13 Week Update

I'm not very good with these updates that's for sure.

Last week we had our 12 week scan and wow! It was an unbelievable experience. Aside from the full bladder of course. We got to watch our baby swim around my belly. It was surreal. The sonographer was amazing. The second she put the thingy on my belly you could see a fully formed little human being. Unfortunately the bay was in the worst possible position, this meant we were in there for around 30 minutes just watching it move around and taking photos. The sonographer even said she was having fun playing cat and mouse with the baby trying to get it to move in the correct position to take all the necessary measurements. 

We watched the baby get the hick ups, stuck it's thumb and could even see it smiling! But because the little bugger was in the wrong position the whole time the sonographer said she couldn't even take a guess at gender (which she said she could of told us if the baby was in the right position), which was kind of disappointing cause I want to know so badly! 

Everything was looking well on track though! It was simply amazing! 

Here is a snap of my ever growing belly. This is 12.5 weeks. My belly feels like it is change constantly. I have been struggling with sleep alot more this week. Vivid dreams. Crazy dreams. Although when I do dream about the baby, I always see it as a girl. Not sure what that means though. We've been talking names alot and have a little list started. We are rather picky to be honest. Something simple and strong. 

In other news, I plan on quitting my job this week and focusing full time on my Indie Brand (Shades Of Phoenix), with local monthly markets, more shades and new products. I'm super excited actually to get back in to it full swing and build it up again. It is a true passion and brings me joy. Plus will get me ready to be a stay at home mum.

On the 19th I have my first antenatal appointment. Apparently I'll be there for 2.5 Hrs, what do they even do for that long? No idea what to expect, lucky my mum is coming with me cause Richard used his RDO for the ultrasound and we don't want to waste to many annual leave days. 

I have to say there have been more tears in the last fortnight, I think my emotions are alittle all over the place. But hopefully that is starting to settle as I think it's alot of everything feeling overwhelming still. I still have a lingering cough and a sniffle but slowly getting better. With more sleep I'm sure I will feel better in no time.

Here's to the second trimester!

Week 10/11/Xmas Update

Ah, I am so sorry for the lack of updates. I have now been sick going on 4 weeks. With a killer cough and going through tissues by the dozen. It's been, what can I say, horrible few weeks. I can't even tell what symptoms are from the pregnancy and what's from being so sick. My immune system has packed up and left! I do feel like I am fading both physically and mentally. My lack of self confidence is really starting show as the whole thing starts to sink in. 

So lets get started on this update! Apart from being sick, in bed and barely being able to do much, even breath at times, I have managed to get through Christmas alive! I love Christmas. But this one was very different for me. No alcohol, no soft cheese, no raw seafood. And when it came to the presents that was very different for me. - (I had a whole paragraph written about this but then read it and felt I was being a selfish cow so deleted it.) Lets just say that I am very grateful but need to change my own way of thinking now. 

One thing I have learnt over Christmas is, once your pregnant people treat you and even speak to you differently. Every horror story under the sun, all negative things and the comments 'your life is over' are all people want to talk to me about, like they are just waiting for me to throw my hands up in the air and say 'I'm out, I don't want to do this'. Well it's to late for that, all this does is cause great anxiety, stress and fear for me. I'm meant to be enjoying my pregnancy not resenting it because of everything people say to me. I'm starting to become terrified of the whole thing! Scared that I won't be able to do it. Not sleeping and feeling very anxious about everything. Then there are peoples opinions. We have decided that we want to find out the gender of the baby as soon as we can - and everyone and there dog is telling us that's the wrong thing to do! We should wait and have a surprise because 'that's the only surprise left in life'. Really! Really? After I opening tell people, yes we want to find out, they proceed to tell me I'm wrong! 

I guess from all that, I'm struggling to deal with peoples perception of me now. I'm no longer myself, an individual, a human being - I am a baby carrier! I am a baby bump! My life is over!

The hormones are starting to get to me a bit as well I think. Being sick and exhausted every second of the day isn't helping though. There have been a few tears and I expect more to come. I feel overwhelmed I guess to put it in to one word. Even the idea of having to go back to work next week almost sends me in to a panic attack. 

Being a little more positive! My belly is definitely starting to grow. By the end of the night, its fulling out there! next week we have our second scan, 12 week ultrasound. I'm excited and anxious of course! 

I hope this wasn't to much of a rage vent!

9 weeks update!

I was going to post a 9 week update questionnaire but most of the answers were pretty repetitive so thought I would do the questionnaire every fortnight. But will still do a brief update. This week I have been terribly sick. Going on 8 days now. Two doctors visits in three days and the rest on bed rest. I started out with a throat infection that quickly turned in to a sinus infection and now looks like a chest infection. I have been through more boxes of tissues then I ever thought existed. I'm tired, hungry, sore, grumpy and can't breath. In short, I haven't been in a good way.

On a lighter note I have received my 'save the date' for my first antenatal appointment with the hospital which is the 19th of January and made the appointment for my 12 week Ultrasound which is the 3rd of January (only 22 days away!). And next week I have another set of blood tests that need to be done. Let the pocking and prodding begin. 

The whole work situation has kind of gone from bad to worse for me. Just before finding out we were pregnant I got a new job which even after 2 months I still don't feel comfortable there and to be honest don't even know what my job is. I have had last week off sick and the doctor gave me a medical certificate til this Wednesday (which being a Casual I don't need but wanted to get to show them I wasn't just faking it cause apparently that's a thing that happens there). My mum dropped in to my work to speak to my boss and give her the certificate where she was told that the admin office (where I work) closes from the 19th for Christmas, which I was never told. And then my boss told her that she won't be back in the office til early February. This comes as a blow to me considering she tells me not to come in when she's not there - this shows how much I don't really have a set job as I need to be baby sat still after 2 months. I will call on Wednesday to find out the go but to be honest I am partly pleased I won't hopefully have to go there for at least  a few weeks as it's not a friendly place at all and I feel horrible there. On the down side, money! That makes life very hard for us. We just got a mortgage on our first home and are saving to buy all the baby things. It's not like I can go out and get another job, who wants to employ a pregnant woman? And to be honest I don't think I would be able to work much longer with getting sick so badly already. So really I'm confused, angry and annoyed! Plus not sure what to do next to be honest. 

Right now all I want is to be able to breath and go 2 minutes without having to blow my nose! People should never take cold & flu tablets for guaranteed. Not being able to take anything is a massive struggle!  

Pregnancy Questionnaire Week 8

Nauseated but hungry. Tired but unable to sleep. Pudgy but not pregnant-looking. In pain from a variety of complaints and suffering from a weakened immune system but forbidden from taking most over-the-counter remedies. Moody and cranky and irritable and weepy. (Quote) - This sums up how I feel today in a nutshell. Miserable but happy to know there is something growing inside me. 

How far along? 8 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I have only gained maybe half a kilo

Stretch marks: Nope (Fingers crossed this doesn't happen but I know I don't get much of a say)

Sleep: I am usually a night owl and suffer from insomnia. In my exhaustion I have been going to bed earlier and earlier. At the moment it get's to 10pm and I'm ready to go, and asleep by about 11pm. This is huge for me. I do however wake at least once a night to go to the bathroom and then I toss and turn a little. But have been waking a lot earlier then I'm used to and struggle to sleep in. 

Best moment this week: First ever ultrasound! As much as I was concentrating on not peeing on the guy it was kinda surreal. Happened very fast cause they want to get you in and out. But as soon as he put the ultrasound thingy on my belly, there it was. I knew exactly what I was looking at and there was no denying, there was definitely a baby in there. He commented straight away about the super strong heart beat. 

Have you told family and friends: Yes! This has to be the worst kept secret of the century. Telling people has to be my favourite part. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: My favourite meal is bacon & eggs, made it Friday morning and had two mouthfuls and that was it - I couldn't eat it, I was devastated.  I'll be hungry (like always) but very picky.

Have you started to show yet: I have this little bloated belly that wasn't there before. And I've noticed that just above my belly is starting to get really hard. I can't stuck in my belly anymore either. So there is something happening there.

Gender prediction: Everytime I think about the baby, in my mind I see it as a girl. We are happy either way so I'm trying not to see it as one or the other in case it's the opposite.

Maternity clothes: This I have to admit I've been wearing a few. With a bloated belly that I have my new Maternity jeans and shorts are so damn comfortable. Plus the Maternity undies don't dig in to my belly.

Other symptoms: My skin has kind of exploded this week which I was hoping wouldn't. No morning sickness (thank-god) but feeling alittle funny every now and them - take today for example, I haven't been able to move from the couch I've felt terrible. It's hard to explain its not nausea but I definitely don't feel well at all. Some irregular mild headaches. And mainly just the bloated bubbly belly and nasal congestion - which is damn annoying. 

Movement: Nope

Food cravings: Everything that's bad for me! And everything that will give me quick energy. When I'm feeling not so well I have been really struggling to eat, mainly grazing on grapes, chocolate and cheese (craving dairy I think. Plus I'm feeling rather anemic and find that on the days I go to work if I have a roast beef sandwich at lunch I do get a small second wind of energy to just get me through the afternoon. 

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out: In - I really hope it stays in. I have a pretty deep belly button so I'm hopeful.

Wedding rings on or off: It's been getting really hot here already with Summer arriving this week so instead of my usual 3 rings on my ring finger I've cut it back to just the one.

Happy or Moody most of the time: I have to say I've been pretty happy. Exhausted but happy. Every now and then I'll have a scary nasty mood swing and just want to kill everyone but it doesn't last to long. 

Milestones: Seeing the baby's heartbeat! Putting a pram and car seat on layby along with the cot and change table. We want to be organized as it's suspected that my energy levels won't rise to much in the next 7 months. So the sooner we get things ready the easier it will be plus financially putting the bigger things on layby early will give us more time to pay them off.