Weight: 135 lbs (+4 from starting)
Belly circumference: 33 inches (I measured this at the start, but looks like I forgot to document it. I believe I started at 30-31 inches, so is up a couple)
Here is how I'm looking at the 18-week mark:
7.05.2011
18 weeks
Not too much new to report. I have not had the bad pain return that they thought could be a kidney stone, so that is good! Feeling chubbier, but still able to wear all my regular clothes-- I have a few pants that I'm nearing the end of being able to wear. We have an appt later this week, so I'll have a post next weekend hopefully with the okay that everything looked healthy and if it is a boy or girl!
Weight: 135 lbs (+4 from starting)
Belly circumference: 33 inches (I measured this at the start, but looks like I forgot to document it. I believe I started at 30-31 inches, so is up a couple)
Here is how I'm looking at the 18-week mark:
Weight: 135 lbs (+4 from starting)
Belly circumference: 33 inches (I measured this at the start, but looks like I forgot to document it. I believe I started at 30-31 inches, so is up a couple)
Here is how I'm looking at the 18-week mark:
7.04.2011
Staycation in the loop in the lou!
We started out the day by heading to the Soulard Farmers Market. It is less than 2 miles from our house and we had NEVER been- shame on us! It was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G though and now we are hooked! There were more stands than I could have imagined selling everything from veggies, fruit, meat, pasta, pickles, sauces, donuts, nuts, meats, cheese, plants, soaps, clothes, cologne, purses, etc. There was live music in several places, people sipping bloody marys as they shopped or noshing on fresh donuts, every kind of people- old to babies to foriegners to vacationers, etc.
Next up we got Massages at Massage Envy. I had a gift card to use, so was even better that it was free! My back was so knotted and tense, so she worked a ton on that and it was super painful, but the good kind of pain. For days afterwards it was killer sore, but I think it did help work out some of the muscles.
We then headed down to the loop which is a stretch of Delmar in University City-- it has very unique stores and is just a fun area for killing time. People watching is interesting as there are lots of young people with interesting tattoos and piercings. A hotel recently opened in the area called Moonrise, which is where we stayed, and it was awesome! (And more awesome cause I had won they stay for free at a work event!) The hotel is the perfect location, modern, clean, and great service-- free drinks at check-in even!
You can see on the view from the outside where they have a nice rootop bar/patio which we took advantage of.
The lobby had a glowing pink/purple staircase which I loved.
Here's a hodgepodge of shots from around our room and lobby:
We then headed out to check out the stores and scenery along Delmar. Along the sidewalk they have stars of famous people from St. Louis and then a little blurb about the person. In the past I had glanced at these stars and it seemed I didn't know most people, but this time I was shocked at how many I did know! We actually found this very interesting and will be a fun activity to do with our kids when they are older. Here were just some of the famous ones I knew...
We stopped in at Vintage Vinyl which was one of the stores we used to come to in high school and college to get CDs. Before going in we were commenting that we were amazed they were still in business, however after browing their merchandise and prices I'm not surprised at all. It seemed their prices are competing with the online market and things were very cheap! It was fun finding the old bands I used to look for here- Stir and The Urge.
It was a little early for dinner, so we went to the hotel roof bar to get some drinks-- I had a great bloody mary (virgin, don't worry!) and we had a nice breeze so didn't get too hot.
We then headed out to dinner at Momo's- it is a Greek restaurant that has belly dancers, so we thought that could be interesting. There was so much good sounding food on the menu, but the problem was that it was tapas style and we like such different things-- Dustin wanted lamb and meats, while I wanted the vegetables! The food we got was okay, but think it would have been great had I ordered what I wanted. One thing we ordered was a dip sampler platter served with pita bread. The dip on the left was the best- roasted red peppers, feta cheese, capers, and some other seasoning. The one in the middle was mushed potatoes with garlic and olive oil- sounded the best, but was my least fave. And the one on the right was hummus- which was good, but not the best I've ever had.
All the time at dinner there were major storms moving into the area and warnings, so we decided to get out of there and back to the hotel. We went back to the roof and thought we'd just sit up there, but they were forcing everyone into a crowded covered space because of the lightening. Shortly after we arrived though they opened the entire patio and let us all sit out there cause the storms seemed to be passing over us and the lightning was far away.
After a drink we returned to the room and decided we'd just watch a netflix movie. The storms started are going CRAZY out there-- some of the hardest rain we have ever seen in our lives with heavy wind. I didn't get pictures, but the next day there were trees down all up and down Delmar.
We were very excited to have lunch at Cheese-ology, which just makes all versions of mac-n-cheese. However we were there at 11 and they didn't open until 12 and we had to meet our realtor, so we had to go to plan b and went to Market Pub House which is where we stopped in for Dustin to have a beer yesterday. They just had bar food, but some interesting things. I got buffalo potato skins- yum, yum!
And then we shared mac-n-cheese topped with pulled pork, bbq, and fried onions:
And that was the end of the staycation!
Next up we got Massages at Massage Envy. I had a gift card to use, so was even better that it was free! My back was so knotted and tense, so she worked a ton on that and it was super painful, but the good kind of pain. For days afterwards it was killer sore, but I think it did help work out some of the muscles.
We then headed down to the loop which is a stretch of Delmar in University City-- it has very unique stores and is just a fun area for killing time. People watching is interesting as there are lots of young people with interesting tattoos and piercings. A hotel recently opened in the area called Moonrise, which is where we stayed, and it was awesome! (And more awesome cause I had won they stay for free at a work event!) The hotel is the perfect location, modern, clean, and great service-- free drinks at check-in even!
You can see on the view from the outside where they have a nice rootop bar/patio which we took advantage of.
The lobby had a glowing pink/purple staircase which I loved.
Here's a hodgepodge of shots from around our room and lobby:
We then headed out to check out the stores and scenery along Delmar. Along the sidewalk they have stars of famous people from St. Louis and then a little blurb about the person. In the past I had glanced at these stars and it seemed I didn't know most people, but this time I was shocked at how many I did know! We actually found this very interesting and will be a fun activity to do with our kids when they are older. Here were just some of the famous ones I knew...
It was a little early for dinner, so we went to the hotel roof bar to get some drinks-- I had a great bloody mary (virgin, don't worry!) and we had a nice breeze so didn't get too hot.
We then headed out to dinner at Momo's- it is a Greek restaurant that has belly dancers, so we thought that could be interesting. There was so much good sounding food on the menu, but the problem was that it was tapas style and we like such different things-- Dustin wanted lamb and meats, while I wanted the vegetables! The food we got was okay, but think it would have been great had I ordered what I wanted. One thing we ordered was a dip sampler platter served with pita bread. The dip on the left was the best- roasted red peppers, feta cheese, capers, and some other seasoning. The one in the middle was mushed potatoes with garlic and olive oil- sounded the best, but was my least fave. And the one on the right was hummus- which was good, but not the best I've ever had.
All the time at dinner there were major storms moving into the area and warnings, so we decided to get out of there and back to the hotel. We went back to the roof and thought we'd just sit up there, but they were forcing everyone into a crowded covered space because of the lightening. Shortly after we arrived though they opened the entire patio and let us all sit out there cause the storms seemed to be passing over us and the lightning was far away.
After a drink we returned to the room and decided we'd just watch a netflix movie. The storms started are going CRAZY out there-- some of the hardest rain we have ever seen in our lives with heavy wind. I didn't get pictures, but the next day there were trees down all up and down Delmar.
We were very excited to have lunch at Cheese-ology, which just makes all versions of mac-n-cheese. However we were there at 11 and they didn't open until 12 and we had to meet our realtor, so we had to go to plan b and went to Market Pub House which is where we stopped in for Dustin to have a beer yesterday. They just had bar food, but some interesting things. I got buffalo potato skins- yum, yum!
And then we shared mac-n-cheese topped with pulled pork, bbq, and fried onions:
And that was the end of the staycation!
6.22.2011
16 Weeks
Yesterday I completed 16 weeks! So here's some more info on where things stand....
How I've been feeling?
Physical changes? I feel like I have a definite baby bump, but only at times does it really show. Dustin finally agreed with me a few days ago that my stomach has never been this round/fat before. Of course on picture day I feel like it is barely showing, but I swear it is there!
Felt any movement? Nope, still have not felt the baby.
16-Week Dr. Appt
Date: 6.21.2011
Weight: 133 lbs. (+2 lbs from starting point)
Blood Pressure: 100/62
Baby's Heartbeat: 155
Description: Today's appt was probably the least exciting so far! We got to hear the baby's heartbeat, which was much louder and prominent than last time. Other than that they just checked my stats and we didn't really have any questions. She explained that in our ultrasound in 2 weeks they will be doing tons of major checks to verify the baby is developing as it should-- make sure the heart has 4 chambers, the kidneys work, the baby urinates, etc. So it sounds like besides having a good heartbeat, this is the next big check!
Picture at 16W (excuse the bad quality-- apparently next time I need to give dustin step by step instructions on how to make this look better!):
How I've been feeling?
- My main issue is getting headaches. I got a prescription after my last appointment and it works wonderful! I'm just sick of getting them at least twice a week, but at least the medicine works.
- I had a few days a couple weeks ago where I had some nausea in the mornings, but started eating a few crackers before getting out of bed in the morning and that fixed it.
- I still go to bed between 9:30-10 usually, but have more energy and have been trying to get back into going to the gym after work.
- I got sciatic nerve pain starting last Wednesday. Basically what happens is with your uterus growing and things shifting around inside you, the sciatic nerve can get pinched. This is in your lower back and the pain extends into your butt and leg-- it is the largest nerve in the body. It would just come on hit or miss, so I tried to minimize bending over and moving slowly between sitting/standing. We were on a boat on Saturday and that must have jostled it some more because I had the most pain then-- it hurt just walking. The pain has now gone away.
- Then on Sunday I had a killer stabbing pain in my left side and lower abdomen. It was so bad that I had nausea and of course we were at the lake with Dustin's family, so I'm trying to hold it together. The stabbing would come and go....and when it would go, I would just be left with a dull pain that was tolerable. This continued all day. I then remembered people talking about Round Ligament Pain which starts in the 2nd trimester and occurs from your uterus starting to grow. So I looked that up on the internet and determined that is what I must have....but then my pain seemed way more horrible than what others were describing, so didn't know if I was a wimp or what. For some reason on the car ride home it was just miserable and I was crying...I think some from the pain and some just cause I was frustrated with not feeling well and didn't know how to get it to go away. I woke up Monday morning and had the stabbing feelings again, so called the doctor. The nurse on the phone said this could be Round Ligament Pain, but probably not cause my symptoms didn't completely match up-- she said with RLP you should be able to massage the pain away, similar to a charley horse. I was in so much pain and it hurt 100 times worse when just lightly touching the area, so that was not an option! They had me come in and do a urine test so they could see if was some sort of bladder infection, something with kidneys, etc. Urine sample came back clean. The doctor today seemed to think the best guess was probably a kidney stone, so if it happens again I'm to call back and they will do an ultrasound to find out. She said it can be as small as a grain of sand and I could have passed it without knowing. I woke up today and have been 100%- no trace of pain, so I'm just glad it's gone!
Physical changes? I feel like I have a definite baby bump, but only at times does it really show. Dustin finally agreed with me a few days ago that my stomach has never been this round/fat before. Of course on picture day I feel like it is barely showing, but I swear it is there!
Felt any movement? Nope, still have not felt the baby.
16-Week Dr. Appt
Date: 6.21.2011
Weight: 133 lbs. (+2 lbs from starting point)
Blood Pressure: 100/62
Baby's Heartbeat: 155
Description: Today's appt was probably the least exciting so far! We got to hear the baby's heartbeat, which was much louder and prominent than last time. Other than that they just checked my stats and we didn't really have any questions. She explained that in our ultrasound in 2 weeks they will be doing tons of major checks to verify the baby is developing as it should-- make sure the heart has 4 chambers, the kidneys work, the baby urinates, etc. So it sounds like besides having a good heartbeat, this is the next big check!
Picture at 16W (excuse the bad quality-- apparently next time I need to give dustin step by step instructions on how to make this look better!):
6.16.2011
Semi-Fresh Salsa
Last night I was just hungry for something fresh tasting. I decided to walk to the grocery store and pick up a few items-- and some salsa was just calling my name! We love making salsas and make it differently each time, but I got this idea from my Aunt's house. I love the cilantro-lime flavor in here. My husband usually likes super spicy salsa, but he agreed that even this mild version is very tasty! He doesn't like corn, but you can't even taste it in here, so a good way to sneak in some veggies! This makes a pretty large batch:
2 cans diced tomatoes- drained (I used ones with chili's to give it a slight kick)
1 can corn- drained
1 can black beans- drained and rinsed
1 purple onion chopped/diced
1 bunch of cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, except for the lime. Cut the lime in half and squeeze each half over your salsa. Tip: to get the juices flowing first, roll the lime on the counter back and forth with some pressure or just pop in the microwave for like 10 seconds. Mix well distributing the lime juice and serve with chips!
I bought the multigrain tostito scoops and they tasted great with this!
2 cans diced tomatoes- drained (I used ones with chili's to give it a slight kick)
1 can corn- drained
1 can black beans- drained and rinsed
1 purple onion chopped/diced
1 bunch of cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, except for the lime. Cut the lime in half and squeeze each half over your salsa. Tip: to get the juices flowing first, roll the lime on the counter back and forth with some pressure or just pop in the microwave for like 10 seconds. Mix well distributing the lime juice and serve with chips!
I bought the multigrain tostito scoops and they tasted great with this!
6.13.2011
Diapers
I'll preface all this by saying, BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW NOW....we plan to try and cloth diaper our baby for hopefully a majority of the time. I definitely realize there are times and situations where using disposables will just be easiest (e.g. the first few weeks at home, overnight, going to a baby-sitter, etc). If you are like me and aren't up on the baby scene in the new millenium you are probably thinking I'm crazy and picturing us cloth diapering using something like this:
This is what I pictured and thought only like hippies or people really into saving the environment did this....then I got halfway educated and have changed my mind! There are TONS of options out there and from what I've read it really just depends on the kid which brand works best and what the parents prefer. I think we would go with All-In-Ones (AIOs) where all of the components of the diaper are one piece...as the name would lead you to believe! I believe you can add extra liners in here for instance at night to help absorb more. You can get snaps or velcro-- I've heard definitely go with the snaps cause over time the velcro will wear down. So you can visualize what I'm talking about, here is an example:
Notice all the snaps- this is so you can adjust as your baby grows and get lots of use out of them! And then when you have a 2nd kid, can reuse again and get your money's worth even more! they say you will spend about $1500-2000 in disposable diapers for each kid...so let's just say that's about $3500 total if we have 2 kids. Cloth diapers do require an upfront investment, but I estimate for about $300 you can get started. It depends how many diapers you want to buy and which brands you choose- obviously the more diapers you have, then the less often you'll have to do laundry!
We will have to plan to do diaper laundry probably every 2-3 days, which could end up being more of a pain than I want to deal with, but am hoping it will just become second nature. And there is of course an extra cost of doing all this laundry, but is MINIMAL compared to the expense of going through disposable diapers.
There is a great store in St. Louis called Cotton Babies. You can link to the website by clicking here and it goes through a lot of Q&As. They offer a class on all (or at least most) Saturdays that will go over cloth diapering basics and what you need to know. I think in the next couple months we will go learn about it and check out the items in store and see what we think. I feel like I really don't have anything to lose by attempting to do this....if it doesn't work out, then at least I'll know we tried and just wasn't for us. Crossing my fingers that it will work out though!
Also, they make some super cute patterns- check out some of these!
This is what I pictured and thought only like hippies or people really into saving the environment did this....then I got halfway educated and have changed my mind! There are TONS of options out there and from what I've read it really just depends on the kid which brand works best and what the parents prefer. I think we would go with All-In-Ones (AIOs) where all of the components of the diaper are one piece...as the name would lead you to believe! I believe you can add extra liners in here for instance at night to help absorb more. You can get snaps or velcro-- I've heard definitely go with the snaps cause over time the velcro will wear down. So you can visualize what I'm talking about, here is an example:
We will have to plan to do diaper laundry probably every 2-3 days, which could end up being more of a pain than I want to deal with, but am hoping it will just become second nature. And there is of course an extra cost of doing all this laundry, but is MINIMAL compared to the expense of going through disposable diapers.
There is a great store in St. Louis called Cotton Babies. You can link to the website by clicking here and it goes through a lot of Q&As. They offer a class on all (or at least most) Saturdays that will go over cloth diapering basics and what you need to know. I think in the next couple months we will go learn about it and check out the items in store and see what we think. I feel like I really don't have anything to lose by attempting to do this....if it doesn't work out, then at least I'll know we tried and just wasn't for us. Crossing my fingers that it will work out though!
Also, they make some super cute patterns- check out some of these!
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