19 weeks!

Jess took this picture of me last Sunday at the Braves game. Today I hit the 19 week mark. Can't believe I'm almost halfway done. Everyone told me it would go by fast and I didn't believe them. Now I do!

Monday I went for my monthly midwife appointment... everything is still going well. I've gained 8 lbs so far (I think giving up desserts for Lent has saved me several pounds!) and the baby's heart rate was around 160. I asked if it's true that girls have higher heart rates but the midwife said she had heard that, but wasn't sure. Like everything else, it depends. My uterus is right below my belly button, which is on track for how far along I am. The midwife even showed Tad how to press down on my belly and feel it. Apparently it feels like a bicep. Strange.

I've started to feel the baby move. Last Wednesday I felt some light poking, but now it's much more apparent. Like little tapping inside of me. I have to be sitting pretty still to notice it, and it's always on my left side. The midwife said that the placenta is on the right and the baby on the left, probably. I kind of forgot that part of pregnancy (feeling the baby inside of you). It calms me. I can't wait for Tad to be able to feel it too! I'm feeling like a million bucks these days. Well, maybe not a million but several hundred thousand. ;) I have a lot more energy, only need around 8 hours of sleep (I still shoot for more!) and minimal puking. (Although I ate Oz last night and threw it all up after I brushed my teeth and gagged -- oops.) The only major symptom left from the first trimester is having to pee a lot during the night. I typically get up anywhere from 2-5 times, even if I stop drinking liquids hours before I go to bed. I can tell my body is going through some changes... everything is loosening up from the progesterone, which make my hips and back sore. I've never been to a chiropractor before but I'm going Monday and I feel like it's a few days before Christmas -- I can't wait! There's also a massage therapist on staff so I'm hoping for a double dose of goodness.

Next Friday at 9:00 I go in for an ultrasound. It will be my first one so Tad and I are stoked to see this kid! Nope, not finding out what we're having (that's always the next thing people ask). If all goes well that day, then we'll get into planning mode. Tad's parents are planning to come in a few weeks to help with the nursery and some house stuff (building a privacy fence, painting the house, re-doing some of the flooring). I'm sure mom and dad will be here too. The thought of all the work exhausts me but I'm excited at the same time.

We were supposed to be in Helen for the weekend and take Lilli and Avery to Cabbage Patchland for their Easter Egg Hunt, but the weather last night was crummy. Instead, Abby and I are going to the Dawsonville outlets to find some maternity clothes. I've worn out the bella band and I want to get some work dresses. Abby will also get to meet Brecken for the first time because we're having lunch with Jess and the little guy. I'm sure it will make Abby have the baby bug again, like she says holding a baby always does!

Baby Busby's birth story...

First things first, I've been a slacker on this blog. I realized when I logged in that I haven't posted since the end of February and it's April 3rd. Time flies when you're pregnant. :P

Since week 11 things have gotten much better, but the sickess and nausea didn't stop at week 12. Not that I was counting on it, but I will admit that by week 14 I was pretty over it. It mostly happened when I let myself get too hungry and if I went to sleep a little hungry, then it was all over when I woke up in the morning. It's funny how your body adjusts. I never thought I would get used to puking almost daily, but I did. Although a couple of weeks ago, I got sick 3 times in a day and by the afternoon I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. Tad was working that night so I was home alone with the dogs and down in the dumps, which is a rare for me. I prayed and I was reminded through the prayer that I am creating a life inside of me, and that my body is now being shared. Needless to say, I sucked it up, went to bed and haven't felt sorry for myself since. :)

I always thought to myself that I would keep a baby book up to date, remember the important milestones of a baby but I'm already slacking... and I'm not only talking about the blog. I have yet to take a profile baby bump pic. I remember looking at Jess' and thinking they were so cute, but I also realized my bathroom mirror is too high to get a shot and the full length mirror that I have is narrow. I need Tad's help with it but I never think about it until I'm alone in the house. The bump is there, and I love it. I joked to Tad the other day that I love being pregnant because I don't have to worry about sitting up straight and sucking in. Lol. Not that I sucked in constantly but it's very freeing to have this belly out there and it not be an unhealthy thing. I find myself wearing tight shirts around the midsection just so I can see it when I look down. I'm sure before long that won't be a problem at all! I still think that people at work just think I've packed on some pounds, but I've started to tell some of my hiring managers. Most are men, but they still seem very happy for me and ask a bunch of questions. I just love the people I work with.

Lindsay Merriman Lewis had her baby, Leyton Knox, on the 1st. As Jess said, "two down and one to go". We're already talking about all the fun we're gonna have camping with the little ones next year. I'm so happy that we all took the dive into motherhood around the same time, and that our kids will be friends. They'll have us beat since we didn't meet until the 6th grade!

Also, I'm still so happy that I chose Intown Midwifery. I met a girl, Shaneen (a friend of Mandy's), who was seeing them and I found out through facebook that she had her baby a couple of weeks ago. Come to find out, she has a blog and I just read the birthing story and saw pictures of the baby and family. Anjli (one of the midwives) was in some of them and the joy on her face brought tears to my eyes. You can tell she's doing her life's calling. I have thought since first pregnant that I hope I get Margaret to birth the baby because she's the most experienced, but after seeing those pics, I almost want Anjli. Shaneen's blog gave me an honest look at natural birth. I know it will not be easy, but I've stuck to my guns about it. There are a couple of reasons I don't want an epidural: I've anxious to see what my body was made to do, I think it's safest for the baby and me, and the recovery time will be easier. Now, after reading Shaneen's birthing story, I have another. The doula told her, "You didn’t do this so you could wear a badge on your arm for having an un-medicated birth, you did this so you could give your daughter the best gift of all: to let her write her own birth story. You let the mystery unfold on its own." Wow, well said. Decisions surrounding bringing a baby into the world are very personal, but I love the thought of things happening in the baby's own time. Although this is not something I can plan for because a lot can happen as I get closer to full term, I pray that the baby will be able to choose when it's ready to come into this world. And as a side note, I am so glad to have Tad be my partner in all this and be supportive of my decision of doing it naturally. I know it will be hard for him to see me in that much pain. Hopefully I don't break his hand or throw ice at him. :) [Tad, I love you so much!]

So I was 17 weeks yesterday, or Monday, depending on who's counting. The baby is the size of a turnip this week. Its skeleton is changing form cartilage to bone and sweat glands are starting to develop. Ahh, the miracle of life. It's crazy to think that we could find out the sex now if we wanted to... but I think it will be worth the surprise!