12 Weeks

I've heard from a lot of moms that each child after the first doesn't get as much attention, at least when it comes to prenatal matters.  I really want to avoid that but sometimes I just feel like "been there, done that".  The first pregnancy is so new and exciting and you have your head in baby books from day 1, but you kind-of know what to expect with the second.  Anyway... I'll try to do better about posting weekly updates :).  I think I'll be doing a different format going forward (stealing it from my friend Amy at http://bumpandbabyblog.blogspot.ie/).  So, here we go!

Time Management
I've been struggling with this, especially since my first MBA class started 2 weeks ago.  Pretty much every night has been consumed by reading and homework.  It's only an 8 week class, so I'm already 1/4 of the way through it, but it's killing me, Smalls! (I hope someone gets that reference...).  I'm doing a little better at spreading my time out and I'm trying to help with more things around the house.  I know Jason has been feeling a little overwhelmed with doing everything himself.

Expanding
I can feel my uterus growing and I like it :).  At this stage, it's so hard to know if things are ok so it's nice to know that the baby is growing and that my body is responding the way it's supposed to.  Buttoning my jeans is getting pretty uncomfortable at this point... I'm thinking about trying the belly band.  Anyone recommend?

Weight
I lost 4 lbs between 9 and 11 weeks.  While I still have some nausea, my appetite seems to have returned with a vengeance.  I still can't eat much for each meal but it feels like when I finally do get hungry, I need to eat NOW.  If I don't, I feel like my stomach will eat itself.  I'm trying to make smart choices, though.  I feel like there's a miniature sized doctor on my shoulder warning me about eating too many carbs/sweets/fruit... even though fruit seems to be one of the only things I can eat that doesn't make me nauseous.

Baby
Baby is now the size of a lime and is developing reflexes.  I absolutely love reading about the baby's development.  I look forward to the notifications on my phone each week.  It is now about 2" long and weighs half an ounce.  Tiny little peanut!

12 Weeks

Apparently people read my blog now, so I'm a bit more motivated to post this week's entry ;).  I'm now at 12 weeks and almost into the 2nd trimester!  I had my second doctor appointment this afternoon and it went pretty good.  The doctor was 40 minutes late, but I got to hear the baby's heartbeat again and I have to say, that's one of the best sounds in the world :).  I started getting a little bit nervous earlier today because I am a member of a "pregnancy community" and a bunch of girls posted today that they had miscarriages.  That's not something you want to read about.... ever!!!  Especially after not hearing or seeing the baby in 4 weeks.  I did a lot of praying, so when I laid back and she used the doppler, I was at peace :).  It only took her about 5 seconds to find the heartbeat and she held it there for me for about a minute so that I could listen.  It is still so surreal to know that there's a baby growing inside of me.  Ahhhhh... it makes me very happy to think about :). 

Anyway, the worst thing about today is that my throat is hurting really really bad.  It started hurting last night after church and it keeps getting worse.  I just drank some herbal tea from Teavana with fruit, lemon, and honey and I need to start gargling with salt water.  I'm just praying that it goes away soon because I have to concentrate to swallow :(.  And I don't know if I can really take anything to soothe it.  The doctor gave me a prescription for penicillin for a possible bladder infection, so I'm hoping it will help my throat as well.  On the good side, though, I went to the gym after my appointment for a "customer appreciation" event and got a free 5 minute massage... ahhhh.  I'm putting "prenatal massage" on my birthday list :).

In other news, I've been feeling pretty good this week :).  I'm still pretty tired (and now dealing with this sore throat), but I haven't really been nauseous at all.  I need to make more time for going on walks (and getting pedicures?) and hopefully now I can keep the house better organized :).  Jason will be gone for work a lot in the next couple of months, so the timing is perfect for me to be feeling better.

I put a ticker at the top of the page so that you can keep track of the baby's size with me, but I'll still post the development milestones:

• This week your baby is now almost the size of a plum, weighing almost an ounce and measuring almost 2.5 inches!
• Her eyes are now positioned in the front of her face and her ears are in position on the sides of her head. Most notably, reflexes have begun! Your little one's mouth is making sucking movements, her eye muscles clench, her toes curl, fingers and hands open and close, and she may even begin to suck her thumb. Though she is still too little for you to feel, she can feel you. If you were to apply pressure to your abdomen, your baby would squirm in response!
• Her brain has been developing rapidly too. Nerve cells are multiplying, and synapses, or the small junctions across which nerve impulses pass from one nerve cell to another, are forming at an impressive speed. A little lower, her intestines are developing and will soon be moving into her stomach cavity. It's incredible to think how far she has come in just a few short months!

I have to go back to the doctor on Monday to do the glucose screening and then I go back in at 16 weeks and then at 20 weeks for our big ultrasound.  It will probably be December 20th when we find out what we're having.  I really don't want to wait that long, but I have to :P.  Anyway, until next time... thanks for reading!  Don't forget to vote in the poll on the right side of the page :).