Big Things Ahead...

Introducing Baby W!

WEEK 19 | an update

How far along: 19 weeks. T & I had to be very sneaky in order to keep this big surprise secret until we were comfortable sharing our exciting news.

Best moments so far: Since we're almost halfway there, I've got quite a few 'bests' to share:

Sharing the news that our little family would be growing with T waaaaaay back in late September. It was a wonderful end to an incredibly stressful month after finally closing on our new home.

First OB appointment and hearing baby's heartbeat at 13 weeks (Thanksgiving week). 160 beats per min! Baby W's heartbeat has changed and slowed down at subsequent appointments, so it's not been consistently high.

Researching, buying, and assembling our stroller (BOB Revolution SE) and carseat (Britax B-Safe Infant Carseat). I probably read almost a thousand reviews, and am very happy with the final decisions on this front. It has been the only baby purchase we've made so far, and we can't wait to use it this summer. Putting together the stroller was T's first 'baby' related job, and he did an excellent job helping.

Sharing the news with our families at Christmas. We wrapped up a baby book with a note that said: 'Please read this to me in June (or May if I come early) Love, Baby Witt'. My younger brother T and his wife H were particularly excited as they are expecting a little boy in March. Can't wait to meet Baby W's first cousin!

First ultrasound and finally getting a look at Baby W - today! Soooo exciting!

Things I Miss: Where do I begin? Wine, cold-meat (No Jimmy Johns, salami, deli-meat sandwiches, chicken salad, etc...the list goes on), blue cheese and brie.

Maternity clothes: I'm still able to wear some of my winter sweaters and stretchy pants, but most of the wardrobe has shifted at this point to maternity clothes. A growing bump not only means that most of my jeans no longer work, but also my tops are getting to be too short.

Sleep: I don't sleep as well as I used to. I haven't had to get up to use the restroom in the middle of the night (yet!), so that's not a problem, but I just seem to have a hard time getting comfortable. I've been considering getting a maternity pillow to help sleep, but I'm not sure our queen sized bed has enough room for it!

Movement: I've started to feel a couple of flutters every now and then, but nothing consistent yet.

Food Cravings: Fruit, Veggies, Chocolate, Fresh-Squeezed OJ, Sierra Mist/Sprite (I gave up diet pop and any drinks with aspartame), Pink Lemonade.

Food Aversions: During the first trimester, I wasn't a big fan of mushrooms and onions. I also wasn't too into the sometimes overpowering smells of BBQ food. As you may have noticed, I haven't posted as many recipes in the last several months...hard to motivate oneself to cook when feeling queasy :( During the second trimester, I haven't been as crazy about meat. I'm usually not a big meat eater anyways, but the idea of a meal without a salad or some serious sides is just not very appealing.

Symptoms: During the first trimester, going too long between meals or snacks did not help me in the queasy department. Also, sometimes I would get too hot (randomly for no reason) and feel lightheaded and dizzy. T's driving takes a toll on me when he isn't using cruise control, or doesn't slow down/speed up at a slow pace instead of quick stop or quick take-off. I told him I was going to put something that bangs around in his backseat for practice so that if it moves, he knows he is going too fast. Now that I'm in the second trimester, the queasiness has gone away, but I find myself out of breath more often, and I've been having more difficulty sleeping.

Gender Prediction: T & I got to find out Baby W's gender today at our first ultrasound (Yeeeaaaa!) But for the rest of you, don't hold your breath, we aren't planning to share this little secret, and you'll have to wait until Baby W arrives!

Rings on or off: On, but my fingers are starting to get a little swollen, so not sure I'll be able to keep them on for the entire pregnancy.

Belly button in or out: In for now. It looks kind of flattened as my tummy makes room for baby W.

Looking forward to: Babymoon in the Southern Caribbean on a cruise next week! With this ridiculous cold weather, a warm-weather getaway can't come soon enough!

Randoms: We had our first look at Baby W this morning!! Woohoo! It was soooo exciting to finally get a look at our very first little. Lucky for you, I was able to snag a few ultrasound photos to share.

This was our first look at Baby W. Kind of creepy if you ask me. You can see the eye sockets and mouth staring right back at you. Today, Baby W was head down feet up, all stretched out.

When we saw this shot, my comment was...take a look at the muscles in those legs!! It would seem that I am in for some serious kicking in the very near future!!

While we didn't get to count all of the fingers and toes to know they were all there, we did get a couple of pretty good views of one foot and one hand.

DETAILS: As of today, baby W is measuring at .65 lbs (a little bigger than an average sized grapefruit), ranks in the 48% for size, and according to the ultrasound, has a due date of May 31. NOTE: This is slightly earlier than our previously established date of June 3, so we will keep an eye on this later with our family physician when we start doing fundal height measurements (measurement from pubic bone to the top of the uterus) at our regular OB appointments after the 20th week. As we get further along, I'll continue to post updates on all things baby including bump pictures for those of you wanting to keep in the loop who don't live close. That's all for now! Hope you have a fabulous day!