14 weeks!

This weekend was such a tiring one! The organization I'm a part of as a dance teacher, Dance Masters of California, held their big (well should be big, this one was actually small for spring) competition. Starting Friday afternoon right after work, it was non-stop until yesterday evening when I got home at 6pm. Being only about 14 weeks, I thought I could handle everything just fine...but I was so wrong. Nothing bad happened, just a lot of stress and walking around...since I'm in charge of the whole competition, I have to make sure everything runs smoothly. And on top of running the whole competition, organizing my own 30 dancers and their parents...oy! I need a vacation just to recover from this weekend. I've never been so tired as I was today in my life!

The good news is May is an easier month than normal for me...we have the big studio watch week next week, and then just regular team rehearsals. No shows or competitions to worry about! Now June, on the other hand...don't even plan on talking to or hearing from me then! With picture weekend, the Dynamics show, and recital...and then being almost 5 months pregnant on top of that? I don't know how I'm going to handle it. I mean I'm looking forward to all of it...so much! But, like I said, I might be dropping off the face of the planet for a while.

How far along-14 weeks, or 99 days (oohh, almost to triple digits), or about 3 1/2 months.

Weight Gain-I've been doing great lately! Haven't gained an ounce in 2 weeks (I've actually lost a couple ounces, but I'm chalking that up to all the running around I did this weekend). That puts my total weight gain so far to 6.4lbs, I think.

Baby Size-about 3 1/4 to 4 inches, weighing about an ounce. "Bean" is about the size of a small lemon, or the size of my fist.

Movement-Just a few more weeks and we should be feeling something!

Sleep-Because of all the running around this weekend, sleep was great! I still wake up once or twice during the night (depending on how much water I drink before bed) to go to the bathroom, but I feel like I'm sleeping much better. The stuffy nose thing is still a pain in the morning, but I think that's just something I'm going to have deal with for a while...apparently it's pretty common when you're pregnant.

Feeling-Excited for the month of "rest" that I get, and for the upcoming events. Looking forward to a lot of pregnancy milestones coming up:)

What I miss-Fitting into my jeans. I'm at the point now where I'm kind of in between everything fitting. I still fit into my jeans, but they're not the most comfortable thing in the world to wear. I can't wear a belt, so they sag and I have to walk around holding up my pants by the belt loop:( I ordered some maternity jeans the other day from Old Navy and they came in on Friday afternoon before I headed over to convention. The smaller size of the maternity jeans didn't fit my big thighs, and the larger size sagged too much...both were too big in the waist! So I really don't have a lot to wear at the moment...looks like I'm going to be doing a lot of shopping very shortly!

What I am looking forward to-Our Ob appt this Friday...hopefully I can be cool, calm, and collected and my blood pressure won't be high. Also, at watch week next week, I get to tell all my classes and their parents the good news:) I'm also looking forward to feeling baby move for the first time in hopefully a few short weeks!

Milestone/Best moment this week-Winning all the awards we did at competition! My girls rocked it out on stage, they were so amazing! I know I'm emotional and stuff, but they literally brought tears to my eyes. Unfortunately, I was too busy cleaning up the theater after the awards were handed out, so I didn't get to take any pictures:(

To Do-Ob appt this Friday and find a good pair of maternity jeans (that fit!).

Food Cravings/Aversions-Can't think of any at the moment...although Eric cooked up steaks tonight and instead of eating them (even though I was so hungry) I went straight up stairs and took a nap.

Bonus-A picture from competition on Friday night with our soloists, who did amazing! Can't you tell by all the awards they're holding?!?

Our Senior dancers at convention workshops:)

13 weeks!

We are officially through the first trimester and into the second! I cannot believe we are a third of the way through already...it really has gone fast.

How far along-13 weeks exactly, also 3 months exactly!

Weight Gain-I didn't gain a single ounce in the past week! My total weight gain so far is about 6 1/2 lbs...not too bad I hope. I know the next 6 months are going to be crazy in terms of weight...I just hope I'm able to control any cravings so it doesn't pile on too fast:/

Baby Size-Somewhere between 2 1/2 to 3 inches from crown to rump...or about the size of a peach. Baby weighs somewhere between 1/2 to 3/4 of an ounce.

Movement-not yet, but looking forward to feeling something in the next month or so!

Sleep-It's been ok...I've had really bad allergies, or swollen sinuses, or something for the past couple weeks. By the time I wake up to go to the bathroom for the second time of the night (about 4 or 5am), I can't breathe all that well. This morning I woke up and was completely stuffed up. It makes getting ready for work in the morning quite unpleasant too. So I know I'm sleeping, i just don't know that the quality of sleep I'm getting is all that great...

Feeling-Excited for the next 6 months...for my belly to start to show, to plan the nursery out, to find out if we're having a little boy or girl! Now that we're through the first trimester, I finally feel a little more at ease and comfortable with talking about being pregnant with people. It's like the worry part of me is relaxing somewhat and looking forward to the future...I'm able to enjoy being pregnant more:) I am feeling a little chunky though...like of the 6 1/2 lbs I've gained, it's all in my spare tire mid section. I can't wait to be out of this in between stage, so people don't just think I'm getting fat;)

What I miss-Tuna fish still, and turkey sandwiches, and strawberries and bananas...pretty much everything that I'm supposed to stay away from right now. I miss being able to go a couple hours in the morning without eating...now I have to eat as soon as I can after taking my thyroid medication, otherwise I start to feel queasy. And as embarrassing as this is, I miss fitting into my bra! I swear my twins are still growing?!?

What I am looking forward to-Announcing to all the classes I teach at the studio that we're expecting...our next Ob appointment...our next ultrasound...feeling baby move. Pretty much everything that is supposed to happen over the next 6-7 weeks!

Milestone/Best moment this week-I posted pictures up on Facebook and made it "Facebook official" that we're expecting. It's been so fun to see all the comments and people supporting us! See our official announcement photo below:)

To Do-Still need those bellabands...I think I might actually start using them soon. We need to look into childbirth classes through our doctor and/or hospital. I keep thinking in my head that it's way too early to think about these things, but most places recommend you take classes around 25-30 weeks...that's only a few months away!

Food Cravings/Aversions-Nothing really at the moment.

Bonus-A few pictures from the past week, including our Facebook announcement photo, ultrasound pictures, and a belly (not much to show yet) photo of me...

"Facebook official"-Our family is growing by two feet<3

From our NT scan on Wednesday, April 18

Another from our NT scan

Taken Sunday, April 22...12w6d

12 weeks!

Before I get to the usual stuff, I wanted to write a bit more about what's going on in my brain. Eric and I have been thinking a lot about baby...whether it will be a boy or girl, what color hair and eyes it will have, whether it is growing healthily. I wonder who baby will take after more in terms of personality? Will she want to dance if it's a girl? Will he want to play sports if it's a boy? or the opposite even? So many questions that I can't wait to have answered!

I also can't believe we're at the end of the first trimester. Where did the last 3 months go? I feel like we just found out we were pregnant yesterday, and all of a sudden, we're almost a third of the way in. I can only imagine how fast the rest of the pregnancy is going to go. I totally had a surreal moment at work the other day. I was writing the date that a contact lens expired, which happened to be 6 months from that date. The expiration date was October 4th...and all of a sudden it hit me! That's my due date month...we only have 6 1/2 months to get ready for this little one...

How far along-12 weeks and 1 day, almost 3 months!

Weight Gain-up 6.6 lbs...last week was a bad week with all the rain. I wasn't able to get out and go for walks at all, plus with the studio not being open, I literally sat in front of my computer and worked like a dog for 3 days straight. I'm definitely feeling the chub this week!

Baby Size-about 2 1/2 inches crown to rump length, or the size of a plum. Baby weighs about 1/2 an ounce this week.

Movement-nope

Sleep-I feel like I've been waking up less, but with the stress I'm under, the amount of time I'm sleeping is less. I've been feeling pretty exhausted lately:(

Feeling-Stressed, tired, chubby, forgetful, kind of all around cranky, my emotions are definitely getting the better of me lately. I don't know if hormones are a surging again, or what's going on...but I've felt more sick (like nauseous) in the past week or so, then I've felt all trimester. It's a good thing that I haven't been feeling very sick up until now...I can't imagine feeling like this (or worse) for 12 whole weeks!

What I miss-Tuna till...it's been hard to find stuff for lunches with only being able to eat tuna once a week, and even my backup sandwich (turkey) is not good for me because it's deli meat. I also miss feeling comfortable in jeans. Because of my pudge, I think I've seen the last days of my belt until after baby is born.

What I am looking forward to-Our NT scan tomorrow and getting to see baby again. I'm a little nervous, hoping that everything is as it should be, but am trying not to worry too much. I'm also looking forward to outing myself on Facebook...I know, lame. I got this cute picture idea to post with Eric and me in our shoes, along with a pair of baby shoes right beside us. The caption will read "Our family is growing by two feet".

Milestone/Best moment this week-Finally being out and open with all my close friends and telling the dance team. I think I freaked a couple of them out by telling them I was going to be taking a break from teaching...but they were all so excited for us.

To Do-Buy bella bands from target so I can still wear my jeans, look into new bras (people weren't kidding about the size of the boob swell), buy a pair or two of maternity pants.

Food Cravings/Aversions-Nothing really this week...ice cream is still up there. Maybe I'm not getting enough calcium???

Bonus-I wish I had our shoe picture taken already...maybe next week!

11 weeks!

How far along-10 weeks, 6 days...76 days in, only 204 days more to go

Weight Gain-after weighing myself twice this morning (I had to be sure it was correct), it looks like my total weight gain so far is 5 pounds. I'm off at the studio this week, so I'll have to watch what I eat and not go snack crazy while I'm at home. I'm going to try to do a couple walks this week to make up for not moving around at the studio.

Baby Size-About 1.6 inches...roughly the size of a lime (I don't know what kind of limes these people have seen, but where I come from, limes are much bigger than an inch and a half). Weight is approximately 0.3oz.

Movement-No feeling of it yet, but we definitely saw little baby moving around a lot on the ultrasound.

Sleep-Getter better actually. I've noticed the past couple days I can sleep until about 4 or 5am without having to get up to go to the bathroom. It could be I'm drinking less water than I was a month ago, but I'm hoping it's because baby and my uterus are moving a different direction now:)

Feeling-Pretty good! Very relieved after our ultrasound and all together excited for what the next  6 1/2 months will bring us planning the nursery, furniture shopping, my belly getting bigger, etc.

What I miss-Tuna fish! I know I can still have it in small doses. Everything I've read says one serving a week won't be harmful...but I'm so used to eating it more than that:( I'm the girl that would have a tuna sandwich as backup for when I didn't know what else to eat. It's so hard keeping myself limited to once a week.

What I am looking forward to-Being completely out of the closet about being pg and posting on Facebook. I know that seems really lame, but there are several friends and acquaintances that I don't talk to on an every day basis (where a phone call to tell them would be weird) that I'm looking forward to telling finally! Plus finding out the sex of the baby on June 8th!

Milestone/Best moment this week-We have so many this week! We had our first appointment with our Ob/Gyn, and have officially graduated from the RE. Dr. Nath did an ultrasound to make sure baby is growing as it should, and we were able to HEAR the heartbeat! 180 bpm, holy cow...it was amazing! Unfortunately, Eric and I were both so entranced by hearing the heartbeat, we forgot to take any video this time. I just want to hear that little "thump, thump" over and over again! We have a plan for scheduled visits with our Ob for the next 7 or so months, and went over a lot of information that we'll need to think about before baby comes. We have our next visit scheduled for May 4th, and then our big anatomy scan scheduled for June 8th!! My aunt was over at our house yesterday because my mom was helping her with her taxes, and we were able to tell her the good news and show her ultrasound pictures. Also, I've been able to tell a select couple of classes at the studio that are near and dear to my heart...so we're slowly coming more and more out of the closet:) I have one more college friend to tell over the phone this week and then I make the big announcement to the dance team at Friday's rehearsal.

To Do-I feel like there are a million things to do on the "to do" list, but most of them aren't urgent. I still have to purchase some be bands from Target.com...and possibly get some maternity jeans if that bands don't work all that well. I can still fit in most of my clothes pretty well right now, but I know that will change quickly.

Food Cravings/Aversions-Still craving ice cream and fries...I could eat either of those all day, any day. Probably not so good for weight gain, but it tastes SOOO good!

Bonus-A picture from our latest ultrasound. I love how baby is really starting to look like a baby...you can see hands and feet, and even make out a few of the baby's facial features. I can't wait to see how big he or she is at our next ultrasound!

10w2d ultrasound

10 weeks!

How far along-10 weeks today...we're a quarter of the way through, 25% done:)

Weight Gain-In the past week, I managed to stay roughly the same weight...however, that still puts my total weight gain to a little over 6lbs. Why do I sound sad as I type this? I read something in a pregnancy book that said "by now you should have gained about 2 lbs." Umm, yeah. I've definitely tripled that number. I know weight gain is natural with pregnancy...I just don't want to go overboard with the weight gain. I'm trying to stay as healthy as I can.

Baby Size-about 1 1/4 inches, or for those of you who prefer the metric system, 3-4 cm. Baby is roughly the size of a prune and weighs about .18oz. Amazing how something so small has such a big impact on your life!

Movement-not for a while still

Sleep-same old story...wake up to go to the bathroom at least once a night, more like twice a night. I had a really vivid dream last night, and I think last week. The dream (more like nightmare) last night actually woke me up, only to realize I (surprise!) had to go to the bathroom.

Feeling-A little anxious again. We have our first appointment with our Ob/Gyn on Wednesday...I'm just hoping everything is still good and growing healthy.

What I miss-This week, nothing food related. I actually miss my friends from LA. We were down this past weekend for Jackie's wedding and it just made me realize how much I miss being around them on a more than rare occasion.

What I am looking forward to-Seeing baby on the monitor again, and hopefully with a good, strong heartbeat. I'm thinking it might still be too early to hear the heartbeat, but that would be amazing...I'm definitely looking forward to that! I also can't wait to tell all my studio family that we're expecting...just have to get through this week, then a week off for spring break, then I can tell everyone!

Milestone/Best moment this week-Talking pg stuff with Christie at the wedding. It was so nice to be able to tell her in person and hear her advice on everything. Everyone at the wedding was so excited for us also, and it seemed like a lot of people are looking forward to following our pregnancy on Facebook:)

To Do-Relax and eat healthy snacks...no more empty calories!

Food Cravings/Aversions-Chicken is still not sounding so hot. I realized today that I used to love the Sweet 'N Salty bars from Nature Valley...like I could eat at least one every day, if not more. Now they do not sound appetizing. at. all. Still craving the fatty french fries, but maybe that's a salt thing. I'll try to drink more water and stay away from fries to see if that helps.

Bonus-A pic of my girls and I at the wedding:) Miss them bunches!