The Second Trimester has arrived

Welcome to the 2nd trimester, folks! The land of renewed energy and sleepless nights! Last night I couldn't fall asleep until 3am, and I woke up wide awake at 9:30 this morning. It is the exact opposite of the first trimester!

After battling a number of sicknesses, sinus issues, and headaches, I've been feeling pretty good the last couple of days. I obviously missed my 13 week belly pic, but really, you didn't miss much. I may have started those too early. My tall, long torso self probably won't be showing for another month or two. But, alas, just in case, I will return to doing my pictures next week. You never know!

Meanwhile, in the land of energy and feeling normal, I am not showing and I completely don't feel pregnant. I am 2.5 weeks from hearing the baby's heartbeat and 5.5 weeks from finding out if it's a girl/boy. We are completely impatient for either/both occasions. Also, something to look forward to: In the next few weeks I should start feeling the baby! That will make me very happy and be a big step toward feeling preggo! I will be sure to update when this happens. About a week ago, I'm pretty sure I felt something and it was very shocking. But, unfortunately, I haven't felt anything since (that I've noticed).

Well, that's all for now. Until next week!

12 Weeks! The magic number!

So, 12 weeks have gone by in the life of Baby Mac! The main thing this means for me is that the miscarriage risk has dropped to a very miniscule number. I hadn't really done a lot of worrying since we saw the baby and heartbeat anyway, but it's still good to hit this milestone. In a week I will be officially in the 2nd trimester!

The main notable thing that has occurred recently is the return of my energy. I can finally go a whole day without needing a nap, but I still get tired earlier than usual. I'll take it! It feels great to feel like myself again. I think my eating is mostly back to normal too. I haven't had any cravings or aversions in the past couple of days.

Well, a few days ago I thought my belly had grown and I was now showing, for real. But this morning I woke up and my belly felt flatter than it has in weeks. Not that you can tell it in these darn pictures...

I guess it was just baby bloat! 

It was about 37 degrees outside when we took these, but the sun was shining, so it wasn't so bad. Also, this coat I wore was really warm. 

11 1/2 week update

I figured I'd do a little update of what my body is up to right now, since my symptoms have been changing. I actually can stay awake the whole day without feeling miserable!

Symptoms I'm not a fan of right now:
Headaches, all the time
Body aches
Stuffy nose
NIGHTMARES :(
Food aversions (salad and fish)
Extreme thirst

Symptoms I don't mind so much:
Weight loss
I think I'm starting to show
My interest in chocolate is back


I'm glad nausea is all but gone-- I'm really, really, happy about that, actually. I've had tons of cravings on a regular basis. It makes me feel like a slave to my whims. We have a kitchen full of things that I was craving and then didn't want anymore by the time we got them. Or either I ate some of it and didn't want any more. Apple juice for example, I was craving for two days before Tyler got home. Since he came home and got it for me, it still hasn't been opened. S'mores, the other night. Haven't been opened. White bread: wasn't as good as I remembered, so I only ate a few slices.


Some of my notable cravings recently (that may or may not have been fulfilled):
Pickles (don't think I've ever craved those in my life)
Celery with pb and raisins on top
Double chocolate cupcakes
Watermelon
Cheese puffs (ate the whole bag over the course of a week)
Grapes


That's what's going on with my stomach right now. I'm also extremely anxious to find out the sex. We still have TWO MONTHS left before that. That seems like an eternity.

11 Weeks: Posin' in the Rain

A couple of weeks ago, I thought it was a wonderfully cute idea to take my weekly belly pics in front of the big oak every week. Fast forward to today: possibly the ickiest weather of the year. 35ish degrees, rainy, and windy, and I, just having gotten over a cold.

But, hey. The show must go on, and I pulled on my rain boots and made it work.

Despite some heated debates about whether I was showing last week, perhaps you can see better this week... THAT I AM NOT. Lol. There's just the normal curve that my stomach usually takes around that lower area! It feels a little weird to be showing my belly after years of finding the most forgiving tops that flow over my stomach and do not show my belly-- but now, everyone can see! :)  Enjoy!

11 Week Update on Baby #1

It's hard to believe the first trimester is almost over!

The past week was a rough one-- I've had a cold that probably would have lasted a couple of days, normally. But since I'm building a baby and my immune system is not fully functioning, it took a whole week to get better! Today, I am finally feeling better, but still a little stuffy and coughy. I hope I can avoid any more sicknesses throughout this pregnancy!

It's hard to tell because I was sick, but I do think I'm gaining some energy back. I didn't take a nap yesterday and I couldn't sleep last night, which makes me think maybe I'm not as tired as I had been. We'll see when I fully get over this cold.

I have my second appointment next week, where they take all kinds of bodily fluids and do tests. The exciting part is that we should be able to hear the heartbeat, via doppler!

Now, onto Baby Mac's progress:

via Baby Gaga

Your wee baby is now comparable in size to a plum!

Go ahead... we'll wait while you run to the kitchen and hold one in your hand to marvel at the life form unfolding inside of you.

Your baby's favorite game right now is exploring their face and especially their mouth.

Not only does this game improve your child's newly acquired voluntary muscle coordination of their limbs, but it also starts hard-wiring their hand nerves for newly gained sensations as they're now able to experience in their hands, because their palms can now "feel"!

Extensive facial exploration also primes their facial nerves by setting the stage for a lifetime of subtle sensations from kissing to spitting!

Final interesting fetal developments for the week: their newly acquired swallow reflex, and the beginnings of a sense of smell, which when combined with their maturing taste buds, will provide your baby with their first experiences of taste and smell in the womb.

Yeah, we're also curious what wombs smell like. We'd like to think warm and homey, which just might be the smell of freshly baked cookies.

10 Weeks: Belly Grow...soon

As I mentioned, today I am 10 weeks pregnant. I thought this was a good time to start the "Belly pics", which track my weekly growth via (sometimes) cute photo. While I technically haven't had any "growth" yet-- mostly loss-- I wanted to go ahead and get started.

We're going to be taking the pictures out by the big oak at a local park. It's a spot I love, and it serves as a lovely backdrop. Despite appearances, I'm actually not "showing" yet. I chalk the look of a baby belly up to my normal stomach and the maternity band that may have helped push it up :) Without further ado, here are a few photos from today's belly shoot.

Jane Make Baby #1

baby Mac at 7 weeks

Hi all!

I decided to start this little personal blog to keep close family and friends updated on my journey, if they are interested. Since our parents are away in different cities, we thought it would be a great way to keep you included on the progress of Baby #1.

As of right now, I am 10 weeks along. The nausea was only bad for a couple of weeks, and it really wasn't as bad as a lot of people. The main thing I've had a hard time with is the fatigue. I have about 3 hours of energy a day, and they never seem to be all together! The daily headaches also started last week, which the books tell me is because of my increase in bloodflow and volume. Not incredibly exciting stuff. But here's what they're saying about the baby right now:

Via BabyGaga:

Your astonishingly tiny baby has been growing as fast as possible, almost doubling in size in the past three weeks, which they'll re-do within the next three weeks!

Your tiny champion still weighs less than a quarter of an ounce but has already completed the most critical stage of their development.

In other digestive news, you're now carrying a tiny poo-factory as your little one now sports a functioning digestive tract capable of moving food all the way through to their bowels!

And the final shiny gold star on their fetal behavior chart for the week: your little scrapper has already developed defense mechanisms to protect them on reflex!

Last night, Alabama won the National Championship. Instead of repeating last year's raucous celebration that lasted into the wee hours of the morning, I was snuggled in bed by 11:30, wishing I was already asleep. Ah, pregnancy! But despite all that is going in my belly and in my body, I have lots of work to get done this week. The world doesn't stop for me creating a human, I guess!