Belly Pictures!

I finally took some pictures of the baby belly today. Tomorrow I'll be 12 weeks, so I figured it was time to get some pictures on here. Josh had already left for work, so I had to improvise and take the pictures myself. I think the belly looks like it's sticking out even more, because I'm wearing my BeBand over my pants today. That seems to make the belly a little more obvious. From now on I will try to take pictures every other week, so that everyone can see how my belly is changing and growing.

11 1/2 week check-up

Today I had my second doctor's appointment. I was really anxious and excited, because I wanted to make sure the baby is still growing and healthy inside of me. I was a little disappointed, though, because they didn't do an ultrasound. Apparently I don't get another one until 18 weeks when we find out the sex of the baby. Bummer! Good news is that everything looked good at my check-up. I have gained 2 pounds in the last four weeks, which is good (average for the first trimester is 2-4 pounds). I also had a good, low blood pressure. Then I got to hear the baby's heartbeat, which was 180. That was higher than last time, but they said that is normal. The doctor said I looked great, and he gave me a fist bump (haha!) for all my good results. I go back in 4 weeks for a blood test and probably the same stuff as today, and then in 7 weeks is the ultrasound. So even though I didn't get to see how the baby looks now I am glad that everything checked out okay and that baby is still going strong inside me!

And now for a change in symptoms

Now that I am in Week 11 of my pregnancy, I am noticing several changes in my symptoms. First off, the nausea seems to be pretty much gone, and I am starting to get back more energy. I still feel a little nauseated every now and then or when seeing certain foods on tv or something, but mostly I have been able to eat pretty normally again. I am also starting to get back into my cooking routine a little at a time. This week and last week I cooked 2 meals and the rest were pre-made things. I want to work back up to all homemade foods again so the baby gets healthy food instead of tons of sodium, preservatives, etc.

Now for the new symptoms. I am still getting really bloated by the afternoon, but I have noticed that my belly isn't disappearing as much by the morning. Now it's pretty much the same size throughout the day, and it's easier to notice a bump under my clothing. I also am noticing my pants getting snugger, so I am planning on shopping for some maternity pants this weekend. Another new symptom is that I am having more aches and pains in my pelvis and lower back. I think it's from my belly growing and from being on my feet all day at work. It's also getting harder for me to sleep at night. I can usually make it until about 3 AM and then I have to get up to go to the bathroom. Then it gets harder for me to stay asleep until my alarm goes off. I usually have to get up at least once more to go to the bathroom and I just keep tossing and turning in between. I guess I should get used to that, since I may never have a full night's rest again. I am hoping that having the summer off will help make it easier to deal with some of these symptoms, but I guess we'll see.

We're Having a Baby

As many of you know now, Josh and I are having a baby in December. In order to keep everyone updated on how things are going and share my pregnancy journey, I decided to start a blog dedicated to Baby Osterman. I will be sharing photos of the pregnancy and update everyone on how things are progressing. As I get close to the end of the first trimester, here is an update on how things are going so far:

I first found out I was pregnant on April 1st. I kind of had a suspicion a few days earlier, because I had been charting my fertility (taking my temperature and all that good stuff) and had noticed my temperature drop and then go back up again. Normally this doesn't happen, and I knew it could be a sign that I was pregnant. Sure enough, when I took the test that day it was positive! Very faint, but positive. I also took the test at about 4 AM, because I was so anxious and just couldn't stay asleep. Poor Josh woke up to me with crazy eyes telling him I was pregnant. He was still half asleep, so of course he was kind of surprised. Plus it was only our second month of trying, and I think he assumed he would have more time to get used to the idea that we could have a baby someday soon. Anyways, the normal excitement and disbelief followed.

The first two weeks of knowing I was pregnant were pretty uneventful. I started to get hungrier, drink more water, and visit the bathroom more often. Otherwise I felt great. Then week 5 of the pregnancy hit, and I felt like dying. This was the week before Spring Break at work. I felt nauseous constantly and one day had to leave the room in the middle of a lesson, because I thought I was going to get sick. Luckily that never happened, but there were some days where I thought that might have given me some relief. Since then each week has gotten a little bit better. For awhile I was living off of pizza, mac & cheese, and sprite. But now my eating habits are pretty much normal. I have also been more tired. I have started going to bed at 9:00 and as soon as I get home from work I am in pajamas and lying on the sofa. I also have not quite gotten back to my normal cleaning routine around the apartment. Normally I clean every weekend and do the dishes every night. Lately there have been dishes piled up and the floors and bathroom are starting to look like a bachelor pad instead of a clean, married couple's living space. Every day I try to do something to clean, but the work is never done. It is so overwhelming.

I am also finally starting to get a noticeable baby bump. I can still fit in all my clothes, but I bought a BeBand at Target that can go over unbuttoned pants. That has been a lifesaver some days. In the morning I can button my pants and barely have a belly, but I get so bloated in the afternoon that my belly sticks out a ton and my pants are too tight. That's when the band comes in handy. I keep procrastinating on taking belly pictures, but I promise I will put some up soon.

The best thing about these first 11 weeks has been Josh's helpfulness and understanding. He is really the best husband ever. Josh rarely has to do much cleaning, but since I've gotten pregnant he has started to do more to help out. I feel bad, because I am constantly complaining about not feeling good or being too tired. I am probably driving him crazy. Actually, I know I'm driving him crazy, but he puts up with it. I have been trying to tell him each day how helpful he has been and how much his efforts mean to me, because I don't want him to feel like his work goes unnoticed. I am just looking forward to summer when I will have more time to rest and hopefully more energy. Then I will be able to get this place back in order.

That's it for the first trimester. I am counting the days until the second trimester starts and hopefully I start to feel like myself again.