6 Weeks

How far along: 6 Weeks, 0 Days
Maternity Clothes: Just the belly band! It has made uncomfortable bloat more bearable. I DID buy a cute maternity maxi dress for later because it was on sale, though!
Stretch marks: Just my old ones so far.
Sleep: I am horribly tired, but not napping or sleeping well. UNFAIR.
Best moment of the Week: The amazing care package from my sister!
Miss Anything? Tonight, I want wine.
Movement: Nope.
Food Cravings: Not really.
Queasy or Sick? Started getting nausea Wednesday. Threw up my lunch yesterday. It comes and goes, but it's started.
Have you started to show? Blump.
Gender: Nope!
Labor signs: No!
Belly button in, or out? In!
Wedding rings on or off? On!
Happy or moody? Tired, but still excited and happy.

Progress

It is SO HARD waiting for my first doctor's appointment. July 15th seems ages away. While I am really grateful that I don't need to be sooner because nothing has been wrong, it is still difficult to wait. So I've occupied my time by periodically taking the remainder of my pregnancy tests. I had bought a ton thinking this would take longer than two months, so I figured WHY NOT? It's fun to see the progress!

Check out the digital "week estimator" tests. It was really cool to see the numbers change from 1-2 weeks pregnant, to 2-3 weeks pregnant, to 3+ weeks pregnant . . . and all right on track with where I am!

And then, of course, are the good old line tests. Let me remind you what my first positive looked like....

And here is the test I took just the other day. Weird how one line - the control line - is super light, right? I thought so too, so I looked it up. I am SO pregnant that my test line basically "stole" all the dye in the test leaving the control line with hardly any left over. Isn't that strange and cool?

All this to say, I am not only STILL pregnant, I am even MORE pregnant on the daily. I know they aren't as good as a doctor's seal of approval, but ya know what? Any progress I can see with my own eyes is progress I enjoy.

Baby's (and Mama's) First Gifts!

Yesterday I got the sweetest care package from my sister! She had told me to watch the mail, so it wasn't a total surprise, but it was so awesome to get and open up! She always has a knack for finding the most creative things!

Along with an adorable card, she sent...

• Belly butter to fight those stretch marks
• Gin-Gin's ginger candy to help with nausea (hopefully I don't need these TOO much)
• A few of her pregnancy and parenting books 
• Some precious gender neutral onesies with stripes and elephants
• And my absolute favorite, a C scrabble tile! How perfect that the C is worth three points, and with the addition of Baby C, we will be a family of three :)

It was so thoughtful and just made me smile. Looking at those tiny newborn onesies, it's hard to believe something I am currently making baking growing incubating nurturing  will be filling them in 8 months!

I also thought today that this time next year, I'll be enjoying the start of summer with my four month old. CRAZY.

I am loving this whole thing :)

5 Weeks!

How far along: 5 Weeks, 0 Days
Maternity Clothes: Not exactly. However, I am SO bloated that my pants are tight and uncomfortable, so I went ahead and got a belly band so I can unbutton them without giving the world a show!
Stretch marks: This is weird - I have had stretchmarks in the past, but they have faded. I feel like my old ones look darker now. Wonder if it's a hormonal thing? It certainly isn't from this baby making NEW ones (yet).
Sleep: All the time.
Best moment of the Week: Telling our parents and siblings over Father's Day weekend! Everyone was so excited and happy!
Miss Anything? I have wanted sushi this week, bad.
Movement: Nope.
Food Cravings: Not particularly. I mean, I've wanted sushi (I keep walking past it at Wegmans) but I am not sure that its a CRAVING per se.
Queasy or Sick? Just bloat and gas. I am gorgeous.
Have you started to show? Mega-bloat continues. It is a "blump" - bloat bump.
Gender: Nope! Though I am already impatient.
Labor signs: No!
Belly button in, or out? In!
Wedding rings on or off? On!
Happy or moody? Happy happy happy!

Zzzzzzzzzzz

This has been me this week:

I've slept well at night (usually 8+ hours) and I've napped almost every afternoon.

When they said "fatigue" was a symptom, they weren't lying!

The other major symptoms I am dealing with are heartburn and bloat. I can eat a celery stick and have nasty acidic grossness after it. Oh, and I'm not even 5 weeks and already started using a belly band because the bloat is so awful. I've lost weight (eating super healthy + no wine . . .  who knew?) and yet my pants are tight and uncomfortable.

You know what though? I don't care at all :) I am officially over a week late, the pregnancy tests I keep taking (yeah, I know, I know) get darker and darker, and I am really excited. This is real. This is REAL.

These are exciting times!

First Father's Day!

We had an amazing weekend with our families for Father's Day. Everyone is SO EXCITED to learn about Baby C!

We told A's parents and grandmother on Saturday. At first, his mom was confused about the "Grandma" in her card, but when she finally got it she squealed and was so happy! A's sister was also super excited when we got to tell her over FaceTime - she has an amazingly adorable almost 6 month old baby boy, and I am so glad now we can talk about this crazy pregnancy business since she seriously JUST went through it.

On Sunday when we woke up, I gave A his card for a father-to-be, a bottle of really good scotch (oh, I wish I could sample it!) and some cute sports bibs. My family got here for a cookout around 1. When my dad and grandfather realized what the cards said, my mom was still in the dark. When she figured it out, she jumped to her feet and started to cry! She is so excited to have a grandbaby 10 minutes from home!My own sister was pretty shocked, also over FaceTime! My due date is actually my nieces birthday, so when we called, under the guise of a nice Father's Day chat, I said, "L, when is your birthday?"  In her adorable little girl voice, she said, "February 20th!" So I replied, "Well, I know what I am getting you for your birthday this year . . . a baby cousin!" And then my sister realized what I meant and was super excited for us!

All in all, it was a really nice weekend. I am relieved to know I can talk to our parents and siblings about this now. While it is still early and you never know what may happen, I know that no matter what they will all be amazing supports.

It is crazy to me how loved this baby already is. We've been calling it my "little parasite" because it has been making me SO tired. I actually think it's pretty cute, and it makes me smile. I'm also JUST under one month away from our first doctor's visit. I am so grateful for A - he is already an involved Dad and is planning to come to every appointment since he has saved up some sick time to use. He will be with me on July 15th as we hopefully get good news about our little parasite! I can hardly believe that it has been ONE WHOLE WEEK since I saw that faint little line on the pregnancy test and realized our lives had changed.

4 Weeks!

How far along: 4 Weeks, 0 Days
Maternity Clothes: No, but I have thought about it. I am not showing yet by any means, but I am SO bloated that my pants feel tight.
Stretch marks: Nope
Sleep: I've been wiped out for the past few days. I've napped every day and then gone to bed early/
Best moment of the Week: Laying in bed with A flipping through a baby name book. It was so adorable and fun. Dreaming about Baby C's name and gender . . . I loved it. AND thankfully we have similar taste.
Miss Anything? Hot baths. I've been having cramps and back pain, and I want a long hot soak so badly and yet, I also don't want to boil my child.
Movement: Nope.
Food Cravings: Oddly enough, ONIONS. I used to hate onions, but over the past few years I have started liking cooked ones. Last night I really, really wanted them.
Queasy or Sick? Stomach just doesn't feel right. Thankfully no full blown nausea yet.
Have you started to show? Just mega-bloat
Gender: Nope! I can't believe I won't be able to know until 16 weeks. Boo!
Labor signs: No, thankfully.
Belly button in, or out? In!
Wedding rings on or off? On!
Happy or moody? Still really happy, but also really emotional. I am crying so easily, and that is kind of annoying.

Letting the Secret Out!

I am so excited because this weekend we are sharing the big news to our parents and siblings!

A's parents and grandmother will be here on Saturday, and my parents and grandfather will be here on Father's Day for a cookout. We are giving the dads Father's Day cards addressed to Grandpa and Great Grandpa, then signing them from me, A and Baby C! I may also do some more digital pregnancy tests to show them the "PREGNANT" in bold lettering! Or maybe not. Is it uncouth to shove a pee stick in the hands of your in-laws?

After parents find out, we will have to facetime with our sisters. Both of our sisters live out of state, so waiting until they are in town to tell them in person is just not going to work. I know they will be so excited to be Aunties, so I am ready to tell them. They are also both already amazing and wonderful mamas, so I am ready to chat with them and bond over this experience.

I also didn't leave out A from the Father's Day festivities. After all, it's his first one! I got him a card for expectant fathers, some bibs sporting the Ravens and Orioles logos, and a nice bottle of 15 year old scotch. I think he will really like it!

I am now impatiently waiting for Saturday to arrive. I am bursting to share the news with our closest family members. After they know, I can even tell them this little blog exists!

3 Weeks!

Every week, I hope to update with the following little survey. I stole it from an amazing Mama, my sister-in-law. She doesn't even know she is going to be an Auntie yet! :)

How far along: 3 weeks, 4 days
Maternity Clothes: Way too soon!
Stretch marks: Nope, too early!
Sleep: No worse than usual. I'm usually a pretty bad sleeper. Maybe 1st tri exaustion will change that?
Best moment of the Week: Sharing the big news with A that we had a little poppyseed on the way! See the previous post for details :)
Miss Anything? Wine. I think that will be the hardest thing for me over the next few months. I love my vino.
Movement: Nope. Too early for sure!
Food Cravings: No, but I have had some aversions. I thought about eating steak the other day, and it turned my stomach just to consider it.
Queasy or Sick? My stomach has just felt . . . off. Not full blown nausea, but something is definitely happening.
Have you started to show? Not even close, though I am kind of bloated.
Gender: No idea. I am kind of hoping for a boy, just to give A's family an "heir" (as his grandfather says) because he is the last male of his last name. Truly, though, I'll be thrilled with whatever we get.
Labor signs: A long way away, I hope!
Belly button in, or out? In!
Wedding rings on or off? On! I will be really bummed if this changes.
Happy or moody? Sky high happy!  It is so new that I'm just basking in the glow of it all. I'm sure that will change when I am dry heaving.

OMG, BFP!

I couldn't even write this post yesterday because I was too shocked and excited!

Yesterday, at 10dpo, I found out that we are expecting Baby C on February 20, 2015! I can hardly believe it! I hope my niece doesn't mind potentially sharing a birthday, since my EDD is hers!

I woke up and caved, deciding to test even though I'd originally planned to wait until today. I took the test at 6am, waited the obligatory three minutes, and picked it up. Negative. I was bummed, and hoped it was just too early. As I went to throw the test in the trash, something caught my eye.

That . . . that couldn't be a LINE, right?

10 dpo, 6am, 6/9/14

It was incredibly light, but it looked pink. I could only see it if I tilted it just the right way. I proceeded to freak out and question my eyesight. I had to get to work, so I hurriedly threw the test in a drawer, got ready and left.

I was losing my mind. Was it REALLY positive? Surely the internet would know! Sharing the above pic with some experienced line-hunters produced a unanimous verdit - a line was there, and if "a line is a line," as they say, then I was officially pregnant!

I still didn't quite trust it, though. So I did the only logical thing. I used my lunchbreak to go buy more tests and take them at work.

Around noon, I produced THIS:

10dpo, 12pm, 6/9/14

Much clearer! In person, it was the loveliest shade of pink I'd ever seen! Now I knew I was actually, certifiably PREGNANT! I was so excited to head home to get things ready for A to get home from work. He was going to be a daddy, and I was thrilled to tell him so!

On my way home, I stopped at Barnes and Nobles and picked up some goodies. For me, I got What to Expect When You're Expecting and From Pea to Pod, a pregnancy journal. For A, I got The Expectant Father, and for us both I got a baby name book.

When I got home, I cleaned the house and started to arrange A's gifts. Of course, I decided I should test AGAIN just to be sure. I couldn't turn a digital test, which was disconcerting, but the nice pink line on the third First Response of the day made me confident:

10dpo, 3pm, 6/9/14

I arranged A's gifts on the dining room table - including Tuesday, The Expectant Father, his card (complete with pee stick and a poppyseed for baby size reference), and a nice glass of his good scotch. And then I waited not so very  patiently.

An Early Father's Day!

When I heard the car pull up, I was SO nervous and excited. A walked in the door and said . . . "You're pregnant."

I was shocked! How had he known? Apparently in my shock that morning, I had dropped the pink test wrapper in the bathroom. When he saw it and I hadn't said anything to him about it, he assumed I was probably knocked up. Then later in the day he had texted me asking about said test wrapper, and I never responded. This was his evidence that he was right, since I was ignoring him. Ironically, I never got the text at all! But when he came in and noticed that I had some pregnancy tests next to me, he was sure he was right. And he was right!

We hugged, kissed, and he looked at his presents and sipped his scotch. We had a lovely night enjoying the newness of our little family of three. He is so excited, and told me many times that I would be an awesome mom. I think he will be a pretty good dad himself!

This morning, I felt crampy and was filled with nerves. Was I still pregnant? Was yesterday a long, weird miscalculation??? The only solution, of course, was to test AGAIN. Again, I couldn't get a positive on a digital, which was still nerve wracking, though I know it is so early in my pregnancy and those tests aren't as sensitive. The FRER was nice and strong, though:

11dpo, 6am, 6/10/14

This afternoon, I picked up the ClearBlue Digital with weeks estimator, since I've heard they are more sensitive. I was thrilled to see the word PREGNANT pop up on the screen!

11dpo, 3pm, 6/10/15 - Pregnant, 1-2 weeks post ovulation (3-4 weeks pregnant)

So that is where we are! I am currently 3 weeks and 4 days pregnant. My baby is the size of a teeny tiny poppyseed. It seems like such an insignificant little thing, and yet it has changed my whole life. I just hope that Baby C sticks around and we get to meet him or her in February.

The next few weeks leading up to my 8 week doctor's visit are going to be a loooooooooooooong wait!

Tuesday

When my husband was small, his favorite book was a whimsical little story called Tuesday. In the mostly-picture-book, frogs go on a fantastical journey on flying lily pads. What made this story so wonderful for him was that his dad read him Tuesday and made it different every time, making up new plot lines and characters and voices.

This coming Tuesday, I'll be 11dpo and testing. I am so, so very hopeful that this is our cycle. If it is, I am ready.

I bought A a copy of the book to give him, and I'm going to write a note inside about him reading it to our baby like his father did for him. I also had a card made for him to give him with my positive pregnancy test, whenever that turns:

Inside it says, "Do I need to get my eyes checked, or can you see two lines?" I just love it! Feel free to steal, if you're so inclined!

It would be amazing if I could give him these things on Tuesday and celebrate an early first Father's Day. AMAZING.

The good thing, though, is none of these are date specific and I can hold on to them for as long as it takes.

But hopefully not that long....

The Waiting Game

Well, all signs point to me ovulating yesterday! Timing looks good, things seemed rather "textbook," and I'm getting my hopes up in a way that is probably going to be an issue in two weeks time.

Assuming I'm correct on my ovulation date, I could take a pregnancy test JUST before Father's Day. I am unrealistically pumped for this. I yearn to celebrate A's first father's day with just the two of us in the world knowing we've created a little baby C. Today at the grocery store, I perused Father's Day cards and almost bought one.

I am far too crazy at the moment.

I think it's time for wine.

I just don't want to set myself up for failure here, but I think I may be past that point. Oops.