What if?...

What if Bubba really is a boy? And the first child I have isn't a girl. What if I never have a girl? Even after the three children we're planning to have (God willing of course). What if I never get to experience the close mother-daughter relationship I have with my mom but with a daughter of my own? What if my future is filled with toy cars, dirt, robots, wrestling and endless sport activities?

I'm just going to be real here with you for a second. I want a daughter, plain and simple. That doesn't mean that I want ALL my children to be girls but it does mean I pray someday for a girl. But you know what else? I want a son too. I yearn for the day my little boy looks up at me with the big blue eyes he got from his daddy. My heart aches for moments of cuddling my little guy to sleep and dressing him up in cute ties and suspenders.

So what am I getting at here? Well, I hope my future has nothing but healthy children in store. But if I am able to have any say in the genders I am blessed with, I would ask for at least one of both. I'm just being honest.

Why you may ask? Because I am so desperately scared of missing out on something. If Bubba is a boy then I'm terrified of having only boys in my future. What if I never have a daughter? If Bubba is a girl, then by golly will I only have girls? I don't know if I can handle three or four mini Nicole's.

Will my life be any less fulfilled if I only have girls or only boys? Absolutely not! I just continue to remind myself of this truth and ignore the fear and the lies my mind gets overwhelmed with. I'm having a child, a beautiful, precious, little one that I'll love more than life. It does not make a difference if that child is a girl or boy. It does not change the way I feel about my baby.

I'm just being honest here, was/is anyone else feeling the same way?

Blessings,
N.

23 weeks pregnant! Happy Boxing Day!

Happy Boxing Day!!!!!


How far along: 23 weeks! picture taken at 22 weeks & 5 days (Christmas Eve), I didn't want to bother with taking another one.

Size of baby: Papaya (8 inches & 1.2 pounds)

Weight gain/loss: I really wasn't going to weigh in this morning. I thought there was no way it was going to be good. But then I thought I can't change my routine just because I'm scared of what the scale might say. So after all the Christmas festivities these past few days and all the over eating. I've only gained 0.8 lbs in two weeks (last week I didn't gain a thing!). Wow! How many more calories am I burning each day because of this baby?? It must be tons!!

Maternity clothes: I wore my Christmas sweater (pictured above) on Christmas and Christmas Eve and I loved it! So cozy. My mom drew my name for our Kroeker gift exchange and she got me a maternity shirt and a pair of maternity underwear. Cam got me men's sweat pants for Christmas too and they are wonderful! It's so nice to have sweats that fit right around my tummy. I also found a few shirts the other day in my closet that my sister Jessica sent me that I forgot I had. I've been getting so many compliments on those too! I love how these clothes are helping to make me feel so good about myself.

Movement: I was reading that soon the kicks will be felt from the outside. I can't wait to grab Cams hand and have him feel his baby! It'll be such a special moment. I'm still feeling a lot of movement, especially after I eat. I think Bubba's been enjoying the Christmas food and goodies as much as I have.

Sleep: once again, no complaints. My sleep is amazing and I'm not having any troubles at all. I'm expecting that to change but I'm enjoying it right now. No need for a tummy pillow either.

Cravings: nothing really, I got my McDonald's fix last week. That was mostly it, I could go for a Starbucks Christmas coffee and treat about now but that's all.

Symptoms: I'm getting annoyed at the sudden nose bleeds, three in one week. But if I keep up my Metamucil and Zantac routines then I feel fantastic! No stretch marks so far but I have been putting on a lot of lotion these days. I'am getting sore hips more frequently when I walk too long, like around the mall for hours helping my husband buy Christmas presents!

Best moment of the week: it's got to be Christmas and all the things involved with the holiday. Today we're doing a big breakfast with my family and then over to mom & dad Stehr's place. I'm excited to see them! Then I get to relax and I'll be back to work for January 3rd. Next prenatal is January 2nd and I'm hoping to get my gestational diabetes test done that day too.

Happy Boxing Day to all :)
N.

Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas! We hope that your day of celebration is merry and bright, filled with love and hope. We are beyond thankful for all that we have and what is on it's way!

Today we took a nice long walk in Campbell Valley park to feed the birds. It was cold and wet but so much fun!






Then we came home to relax and went out to our Christmas Eve service at our home church. It was a fantastic service, brought me to tears a few times. Now we are at home celebrating, we finished dinner and are waiting for my brothers to get back from their church service. We'll open one gift, eat more and drink (juice for me!). Then it's the annual watching of the movie Christmas vacation. SO funny!!!

But what's a blog post without a belly shot? So here you go, 22 weeks & 5 days.


Bubba & I wish you MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! I'm inflated from Christmas turkey :)

N.

looking at Mary differently this Christmas

I feel like I'm looking at Christmas much differently this year. Songs on the radio to do with Mary bring me to tears as Bubba kicks inside me. Today on our weekly trip to superstore for groceries I caught myself realizing that these songs are different to me now because I AM a MOTHER! This little one inside me is growing strong, kicking away, getting ready to be born and be in my arms. I can actually relate to Mary this Christmas, I actually understand what it feels like to have a child grow in my body. Because it's happening TO ME right now!

But Mary birthed a child who would one day die a death that was prophesied on a cross that would save humanity. Obviously that won't be Bubba's fate. But she was probably nervous too about labour, birth, raising a child, breast feeding. She probably wondered about so many things. The difference is her baby was destined to die, I don't know how she could have had that faith. To me, Mary has become more than just the mother of Jesus but also an extraordinary woman of God. I have a husband, I'm 27 years old with a home, job and money in the bank. I'm going to deliver Bubba in a hospital with doctors, nurses and drugs! She was unmarried, poor, and SO young. Many believe she was around 13 years of age, delivering her child in a filthy stable with animals surrounding her, NOT doctors. She could have been killed! Yet she faithfully had her son, believing that God would protect them and provide.

So thank-you mother of Jesus for being so strong and giving birth to the reason we celebrate Christmas. I'll be here shedding my tears for you to all the songs until they stop and the new year begins. And you know, I'm okay with that!! 😊


Baby grew again!

Merry Christmas to all!
N.

four years of love!

Today marks four incredible years of being mr. & mrs. and we couldn't be happier!! Cam and I definitely had a rough start in our dating years, I walked into the student lounge of CBC assuming I'd find friendship and Christian fellowship. Which I did! But I also found the love of my life sipping away on a matte cup and drawing quietly in the corner. It took less than a month before we were dating and my young twenty year old self was flying high on love and dreams.

Here we are, four years of marriage and I'm 22 weeks pregnant. We've worked HARD to make our marriage work and to love one another unconditionally and selflessly. I can't wait for another year with my husband, to have this baby and watch him transform into a daddy. I can't wait to see our marriage grow and change after our child is born!

Cameron Lyle I love you with all of my heart and soul. I thank God everyday for you and appreciate who you are in my life. Till death do us part! *MUAH!*


N.

22 weeks pregnant!!

How far along: 22 weeks!!

Size of baby: Spaghetti squash (8 inches & 1 pound)

Weight gain/loss: I'm exactly the same as last week. This means a weight gain of 6.4 pounds total so far! I'm still quite proud of myself!

Maternity clothes: Nothing new to share here. I better stay away from stores right now, it's too fun to get new stuff!

Movement: It's incredible to me the amount of movement I feel on a regular basis. I got Cam to put his hand on my tummy last night just hoping he'd feel Bubba even just a little bit. He didn't, it makes me eager for the day when he can. Maybe for Christmas?

Sleep: amazing! Love sleep! No complaints still, just up a lot to pee.

Cravings: I still want chocolate all the time! Now I want more carbs, still in the carrots and ranch dip phase. I've been asking for McDonald's lately but I doubt I'll get it anytime soon.

Symptoms: thank goodness for Zantac & Metamucil! They save me everyday from a horrible grumpy state of misery. I discovered last night after I blew my nose that a bleeding nose isn't a pregnancy myth. Leg cramps in the middle of the night SUCK! And I was seriously light headed yesterday. But I always say, it could be worse!! Who knows how I'll be with #2 (yes I'm already thinking that far ahead! I'm just like that).

Best moment of the week: hands down my ultrasound was the very best moment of the week! I didn't cry but I had the biggest smirk on my face the entire time. I was just in awe and amazement, SO happy the entire time. We don't know the gender but Leigh-Ann does, makes me wonder what it was she may or may not have seen.

Until next week...

MERRY CHRISTMAS! have a wonderful time with family & friends. We're very excited for this Christmas, the last one as just us two.

Blessings,
N.

meet my precious baby Bubba!

Today was just one of those extraordinary days that you never forget. I got to meet my baby via ultrasound and (s)he is gorgeous, but of course I'm biased. To see Bubba on that screen moving around was so surreal. There were a few times when I caught myself thinking "that's YOUR baby! It's in YOUR body!" Wow!

We are fortunate enough to have a friend who does ultrasounds so she made the experience extra special. Thank you SO MUCH Leigh-Ann! If you're reading this, I can not even express how incredibly grateful we are. You'll be seeing us as long as you're available with all our little Bubbas.

I bet you're wondering about the details? Okay here they are:
* Bubba is measuring 22 weeks in a few measurements (I'm dated at 21 weeks and 1 day today) if this means an earlier delivery then we could have a baby on Cam's 32nd birthday or my brother Jason's 26th birthday
* Bubba's heartbeat was at 139, but Leigh-Ann reassured me that this does NOT indicate the gender
* Bubba's legs measure in the 90th percentile, we're going to have a long baby!!
* All is healthy and developing normally. We are very happy and thankful for this for sure!
* we do not know the gender, only Leigh-Ann knows and I doubt she'll tell you if you ask her!



There (s)he is! I'm so in love with my Bubba, boy or girl, it doesn't matter to me. I can't wait to meet my precious child.

N.

21 weeks pregnant!!!

How far along: 21 weeks! WOW this pregnancy is going by fast.

Size of baby: Banana (7 inches & 11 ounces)

Weight gain/loss: I just about freaked on the scale this morning, up 3 pounds. So that's a total of 6.4 pounds gained so far. But I'm thinking I know what the culprit is (other than baby). My doctor said I don't have to gain anything but if I do then to aim for 10-15 pounds. This will put me back to my pre-pregnancy weight basically right after Bubba is born. Then I'll get my ass handed to me by Anna the rock star personal trainer friend I have lined up for the summer!!

Maternity clothes: I found the softest red sweater from Old Navy for Christmas! SO happy!

Movement: loving it right now, the kicks are all over. It's now more of a reality that this is happening since I feel Bubba frequently now. I'm feeling SO much more connected to the baby, I love that it's so obvious to the world (and to myself) that I'm carrying my first born child.

Sleep: I have no complaints, just up a lot to pee.

Cravings: the absolute overwhelming desire for chocolate is well, overwhelming! One of my weight gain culprits I'm sure. I'm also on a huge carrots and ranch dip kick... Mmmmm.... Veggies and dip!

Symptoms: I am not exaggerating when I say PRAISE THE LORD for Zantac! It's saved me from heartburn hell. I am SO grateful that my doctor gave me a prescription for it. HURRAY!

And then there's the horrible bathroom trouble I've been experiencing. Sorry folks but I'm going to talk about poop for a second and my inability in this department. I had what my doctor diagnosed as "terminal constipation" before my Endometriosis surgery in 2008. I suffered every 6-8 weeks with what I called an attack back then. After surgery I've only dealt with a few attacks but now since my second trimester started I've been anticipating one and well... TA DAAAAA!!!!! Sunday night I had that ever so familiar pain. So I got the "poop stuff" my mom so eloquently calls it (restoralax) and I'm waiting for relief. I'm still on my prune juice and Metamucil regime. I'm almost doing cardio every day to help... If ANY body has a tip for me to try then by all means tell me!!! Don't be shy!!!

Best moment of the week: it's got to be all the extra movement I've been experiencing and the closeness I feel to Bubba because of it.

Happy Wednesday once again!! No dinner with my folks tonight, they're busy (sad face). But tomorrow we're going for our 21 week ultrasound... I can't even express how crazy excited I am for this!!!!

N.



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20 weeks pregnant!

How far along: 20 weeks! Half way until I get to meet my baby.

Size of baby: Mango (6.5 inches & 10 ounces)

Weight gain/loss: I lost a pound this week which puts me at a gain of 3.4lbs so far this pregnancy!!

Maternity clothes: I was getting SO frustrated this week, I was at Old Navy in Langley but no maternity clothes. Then ended up at both H&M and Old Navy in Metrotown Saturday and AGAIN no maternity sections. So tomorrow after my prenatal appointment I'll finally go to Guildford and try to find something for Christmas.

Movement: I thought that I felt a true kick last night a couple times in a row but I'm not sure. I definitely expected that Bubba's movements would be stronger now but I keep forgetting that he/she is sleeping most of the day.

Sleep: I have a sore throat and stuffed nose right now so sleep isn't that great. But I honestly can't complain it could be MUCH worse.

Cravings: chocolate everything! I just want chocolate. I'm also craving veggies with ranch dip, I had some at Cams work party Sunday and I couldn't stop. SO good! And I had to have an egg salad sandwich yesterday which was weird cause I haven't had egg in a while.

Symptoms: I found the perfect combination of Metamucil (2 tbsp) followed by a huge glass of water, three times a day. Then a small glass of prune juice once a day. It's wonderful to have that working for me finally. Other than that I continue to breathe fire (heartburn) on a regular basis.

Best moment of the week: two moms here at work found out about my pregnancy by asking my co-worker about me cause they were too shy to ask me! One of our regular subs brought her daughter over last week and we met. Afterwards her daughter apparently told her mom that I look like a teenager and I'm WAY too young to have a baby! Hahaha... am I really that young looking? I also had some fantastic conversation with Cams boss on Sunday night at the staff Christmas party. Everyone kept asking me how I'm feeling, I was the only completely sober one, that was fun!!

Well... Happy Wednesday! Take care for now :) it's starting to look very Christmasy at our house, it makes me super happy!

N.

19 weeks pregnant!!

How far along: 19 weeks! (WOW! I'm basically half way already)

Size of baby: Mango (6 inches & 0.5 pounds)

Weight gain/loss: I realised that I never updated last week, but I've gained 4.4lbs the last two weeks in total. I can't believe I'm sharing that with the public! I'm honestly a little nervous by that number only because I know I'm only supposed to gain like 15lbs altogether but I'm wondering if there are different factors that have contributed to my weight gain (other than the obvious baby), so I'm going to make some changes that try that instead (like eating less fruit & carbs which are basically just sugar and instead eat more veggies & protein, which I'm seriously lacking in).

Maternity clothes: No Christmas outfit yet :'( But I'm hoping to get to the stores soon.

Movement:Yes! Lots of movement, definitely getting more pronounced like I know that it's Bubba kicking rather than my stomach growling. I'm waiting for those intense kicks so that Cam can feel baby too. But I always announce to him when Bubba's awake and moving, he likes to know his baby is active.

Sleep: It's starting to get bad but then again it can always get worse than it is now. I'm
waking up a lot and it takes more effort to move from side to side (I just naturally sleep on my side) but that's okay. I'm sure that I'll be missing even this kind of sleep come spring.

Cravings: I miss wine, it's just one of those things you miss when you're not allowed it anymore. And I definitely miss my spicy tuna roll, but I realised I can put spicy sauce on pregnancy approved sushi rolls so that's making me a bit happier.

Symptoms: Cam says that I'm having a "textbook pregnancy" whatever that means cause I'm sure he hasn't read any literature on pregnancy yet. Which suprises me since he's such a book worm. But currently it's just the struggle to be drinking water, I'll get really thristy and normally would chug a litre of water no problem but now I immediately get sickly after too much water at once. I am also currently on a Metamucil routine (which we all know what that's for) and I'm starting gluten-free as well because I believe it's causing me a lot of discomfort.

Best moment of the week: On Monday at bible study we were singing some songs and as soon as we started singing Bubba started to move around A LOT! It made me so happy because Cam was sitting right next to me and I think that's the first time it heard Cam sing. I didn't want to sing at all, I just wanted to sit back and enjoy my baby enjoying the sound of it's fathers voice.

That's it for now... almost time for me to get back to work. My momma is making me dinner again tonight (it's our Wednesday tradition) and we're helping decorate their Christmas tree! I'm SO excited I can hardly contain myself.
N.

Baby weight

Before I got pregnant I had the realization that my health was not where I wanted it to be. And I was quickly walking down the road of morbid obesity. Before I peed on that preggo stick I committed myself to waiting on the baby thing and whip my ass into shape. My baby deserved an incredible environment to grow. Yet, the plan sorta changed when the pregnancy test screamed positive. Now what was I
supposed to do?

I honestly had a flow of different emotions, disappointment that my Bubba would grow in this obese body and fear that the weight I would gain would be impossible to loose after the delivery. Visions of my diabetic, obese and sick Oma flooded my mind. Don't get me wrong, I was incredibly happy to be pregnant and happy to know that I am indeed fertile but was it the right timing?

I truly believe that God has His hand in every part of my life and this wasn't going to be any different. I prayed every day on my way to work last year for a baby, I'm not even exaggerating EVERY day I prayed. So God answered, obviously He didn't see my weight as an issue. I keep reminding myself of this fact. So far the scale has only moved up 2 pounds. I'm 18 weeks, so 2 pounds I think is a huge accomplishment!! Especially since Bubba could now be weighing in at approximately half a pound.

I am finding it interesting to look in the mirror and see my waist rapidly disappear. And a bigger and bigger baby belly appear. I swear I am going to be a house!! A huge, pregnant, monster of a house. And then I think, oh gosh! The stretch marks, the loose skin after I give birth, the saggy boobs, will my body EVER be healthy? Will I EVER get back into those size eight jeans I once wore when I first met Cam? I'm just trying to be honest here.

I'm also struggling with how I'm eating now. I've struggled with whether I should commit to being gluten free and dairy free for a very long time. I keep going back to how great I feel when I stick to it, yet I never seem to be able stay on it long-term. I'm concerned with how it's affecting my pregnancy and Bubba. I'm concerned that the food I'm eating right now is affecting Bubba's development and that if Bubba will be negatively affected if I do suddenly go gluten free now (today).

A lot goes through my mind these days.

Happy Saturday
N.

18 weeks pregnant!

How far along: 18 weeks!

Size of baby: sweet potato (5.5 inches & 5 ounces)

Weight gain/loss: I'm weighing in on Thursday mornings now, so I'll update this tomorrow.

Maternity clothes: going to Black Friday this week, I want to get a Christmas outfit.

Movement: just discovered yesterday that after I'm done exercising Bubba moves around A LOT! Another motivation for me to get moving.

Sleep: I'm having a harder time turning around at night now. I'm still waking up a lot for the bathroom, o well!

Cravings: so I totally caved in and had Burger King last Thursday. But as for cravings recently, not really.

Symptoms: well, just the usual. I know that if I eat food that's not so great then I get heartburn. If I don't drink enough water then I get a headache. So really, I don't have much to complain about.

Best moment of the week: feeling all the movements last night. But Sunday (not the best moment but...) I woke up with a headache and immediately drank water thinking it would help. Instead I threw up so violently that I burst blood vessels in my face and down my neck. Lucky me! Haha, I'm going to look SO FABULOUS after I deliver Bubba I'm sure, with my face all spotted. Oh well, that's okay I'll have a beautiful baby to cuddle.

Happy Wednesday!

N.

17 weeks!

It's Wednesday again! Therefore, another baby Bubba update. Enjoy!!


How far along: 17 weeks

Size of baby: turnip (5 inches & 5 ounces)

Weight gain/loss: I'm weighing in on Thursday mornings now, so I'll update this tomorrow. I'm a little nervous, I had a BAD long weekend with going over calories.

I weighed in, down another 0.2 pounds which means I've basically gained nothing so far this pregnancy.

Maternity clothes: I haven't bought anything new... Just enjoying mixing things up.

Movement: I definitely felt something last night while lying down and watching tv. It was a very soft fluttering type sensation. I felt it again in the middle of the night and a little now that I'm sitting and relaxing for my lunch break.

Sleep: I'm waking up a lot more often at night and its taking me a bit longer to fall asleep but that's all.

Cravings: this week has been bad again for cravings but I'm just not giving in anymore. I want a whopper with cheese again from Burger King but I haven't indulged.... yet.

Symptoms: a little bit of heartburn again and my hips feel very loose these days. I'm trying to walk a lot more, that's when my hips get sore. And lots of burps... haha, I'm so gassy it's quite entertaining to Cam.

Best moment of the week: feeling what I'm sure was the baby last night. Although I was experiencing some gas, if it was just gas then I'll be SO disappointed :'(

Happy Wednesday! I'm a lucky girl, my momma is making me dinner tonight!

N.

16 weeks pregnant!!

It's Wednesday again! Therefore, another baby Bubba update. Enjoy!!

I'm going to do a picture every other week, so look for my 17 week photo next week :) okay, so I lied, here's my 16 weeks photo.


How far along: 16 weeks

Size of baby: Avocado (4-5 inches & 3-5 ounces)

Weight gain/loss: lost 2.6lbs this week which means that since finding out I'm pregnant I've gained 0.4lbs total.

Maternity clothes: I feel like my maternity wardrobe is better than what I had before I got pregnant! I'm LOVING getting dressed in the morning.

Movement: not yet :'( but I know that there's a chance it can happen soon and that makes me SO excited!!

Sleep: the time change over the weekend threw me off a bit. But otherwise, sleep is good! Dreams are getting weird though.

Cravings: ummmm, they've mostly gone. Other than wanting a spicy tuna roll and having chocolate Cheerios almost everyday. I'm doing great with my calorie counting, I think that's helping.

Symptoms: honestly, nothing to complain about. I finally understand why women love this trimester so much. My energy is back, heartburn basically gone, cramps are gone, things are good!

Best moment of the week: when I stepped on the scale yesterday and realized that I'm doing GREAT! It was the best feeling to know that this belly is all baby and my hard work is paying off :)

Happy Wednesday! I'm looking forward to a relaxing night tonight while my hubby is stuck doing homework (poor Camy).
N.

15 weeks exactly!! Happy Halloween!!

How far along: 15 weeks

Size of baby: I find this out tomorrow

Maternity clothes: the other day I picked up a pair of maternity jeans and black maternity pants, two tops and a super cute sweater. Then I got maternity underwear and I swear if you're preggo and not wearing these underwear then you're missing out!!!!!

Movement: not yet :( still the same old growing pains. But I'm sooooo looking forward to that first flutter.

Sleep: no problems here, thank goodness! I'm loving all the naps I get when I can get them.

Cravings: other than the fight with myself to stay out of the Halloween candy bowl, just Pho from Pho Rex has been on my mind. Oh, and Mi Mexico, ok maybe the need for fruit cups and orange juice still surfaces every so often.

Symptoms: heartburn like you wouldn't believe!!!! Thank goodness that I've kicked my ass into gear and will bust my butt to eat healthier. That should combat the horrible fire I'm getting daily, I feel like a dragon.

Best moment of the week: when the doctor on Monday said I can definitely keep working full time. That was a huge encouragement to me to get moving, track my eating and take care of myself and my little pumpkin.


Have a very safe and fun HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!
I'll be the momma cat with the round pumpkin belly at my parents front door with the candy bowl.
N.

staying full time!

So I went to the doctor yesterday and was cleared to work full time. I'm quite excited that everything is healthy and the symptoms I've been experiencing are just a normal part of pregnancy. The cramping was especially scary, but doc said that my tummy is just growing, that's all!! The doctor was funny cause she called my work "mommy work" which is a very appropriate description. We'll re-evaluate every prenatal appointment with whether or not I should continue to work but as of now, I'm full time!!!

One thing that came out of the appointment was my doctors very real concern about my weight. I know, I was FAR from where I wanted to be when I got pregnant. BUT I did work hard to loose like 20-25 lbs before I got pregnant. So basically I just need to get back to the healthy mentality I was in before my nausea changed things. I can do it, I feel very empowered to take care of me and Bubba! Plus... they weighed me after I drank a liter of water, ate a big meal and was wearing a whole bunch of clothing (geeez!) so I'm going with the number on my own scale.


Look!! I worked out today, so happy to get back on the bike. I can definitely keep this up.

After the YES to full time work I went to the mall with my mom to get maternity jeans (and celebrate!). Buying jeans that I feel great in and that fit and look great was such a fabulous idea!! I even got maternity underwear which is THE BEST!! I must buy more cause they're that fabulous.

Of course I asked my mom to come for support, to speak up when I forgot to mention something and to remember what the doctor says cause I often forget. But the really neat thing was that she got to hear Bubba's heartbeat. She was grinning ear to ear, talking about it afterwards. Bubba is her first grandbaby so to hear the heartbeat was really special to her, I'm so glad she got to be there for that.

Anyways, I've been the worst with the photo updates (sorry) so the next photo will be week 15. I'm definitely showing!!

Happy almost Halloween!! Cam is searching for my cat ears :)
N.

14 weeks & 2 days

I can't believe that it's already been another week! So here's the next update... Enjoy :)

(Picture to come)

How far along: 14 weeks & 2 days

Size of baby: large navel orange (4.5 inches)

Maternity clothes: most definitely, I'm still fitting into my "fat pants" from last year but that'll change quick. My sister sent me her stuff (thanks again Jess!!) so that's helped with some tops but I still need to find some jeans and tights. Any good tips?!

Movement: not exactly, but I occasionally it feels different in my lower abdomen. It's SOOO hard to explain and words have somehow disappeared from my vocabulary, but whatever feeling this is, it's reminding me there's a person in there somewhere.

Sleep: work has been challenging this week, so I've been sleeping about 11 hours a night these last few nights. It's been glorious!!!

Cravings: I want pizza really bad and orange juice, mostly just orange juice though.

Symptoms: the new thing is this headache I can't shake. I broke down and took Tylenol even though I really didn't want to.

Best moment of the week: when I came home yesterday from work to a clean house, thanks to Cam! Then my brother Jason took me out for dinner and treated me to a delicious feast (it wasn't pizza, but it was still gooood!).

That's it!!

N.

Boy or Girl??

It's definitely too early in my pregnancy to find out the gender. But even when we would be able to find out, Cam and I agreed that we want to be surprised at the birth.

What I find interesting is that this question is the first I'm asked from everyone and very frequently I get the "I can't believe you don't want to know" response. Usually I respond that it's the biggest surprise in life and so we will wait but honestly, YES OF COURSE I want to know!!! But patience is a virtue and Cam has an abundance of it.

So what's your guess? Mine? I think this babe is a boy. I've been looking at boys clothes, picking out boys names, thinking about boy stuff. It only occurred to me a week or so ago that this baby could be a girl!! Just because I think it's a boy doesn't mean it is a boy, remember we aren't finding out until I push the baby out. So someone's gotta call it's a boy but I very well could hear "it's a girl!!!".

So why am I so intent in thinking that the peach sized baby I'm carrying is a boy?? Now don't think I'm crazy or anything but around the first week of August I had this very vivid dream. Do you ever get dreams were its more reality than dream? Well, I do and when I do it's very very real. I had one of these dreams and in it I was in a hospital bed in a hospital gown and in labour pushing. Then all the sudden a screaming, beautiful, perfect baby boy was put on my chest and the dream was over. Then a week or so after this I had another vivid realistic dream that I was lying in bed with a very large baby belly, I could feel and touch my belly and it was hard. I didn't think much of these dreams until my cycle never came two weeks after the belly dream and then the pregnancy test said positive.

So does this mean I'm having a boy? I'm not sure, but I really wouldn't be surprised. I was definitely pregnant at the time I had both those dreams, I just didn't know it. How crazy is that?? But of course, there's a good chance this baby is a girl! We'll just have to wait another 26 or so weeks to find out!

N.

13 weeks pregnant!

So a friend of mine did this on her blog when she was pregnant with her second (ahem, kortney). So I decided once I hit my second trimester then I'd do the same and start taking weekly photos.

So here is post #1


How far along: 13 weeks!

Size of baby: peach (3 inches long)

Maternity clothes: yep! Black maternity pants, still can fit into my fat jeans from when I lost a bunch of weight before I got pregnant. A few pregnancy tops and will be receiving a box from my sister full of more stuff (YAY!).

Movement: nope, too early for that but I do feel a lot of stretching type sensations in my lower abdomen. A few minor cramps too when I bend over too much at work.

Sleep: looove sleep, I can't get enough sleep. I'm fast asleep by 10pm and take naps when I can get them. Now I'm finally having a harder time sleeping on my tummy.

Cravings: I just had to have a whopper with cheese no onions or pickles the other day! I caved and gave in, it was glorious!!

Symptoms: tired, a lot of the time I'm just tired. I'm trying to find motivation to get out walking again.

Best moment of the week: telling some of the kids at work that I have a baby in my belly! It's so surreal to say.

Now finally it's second trimester!! So happy to have reached this point. It's going by so fast. I'm loving it :)

N.

Priorities

Apparently I can't do it all, according to my husband I'm not superwoman, I'm super mom! So back in the spring as I was planning my life for the fall I never thought for once that I couldn't complete my goals. Even if I was to get pregnant.

I mean why wouldn't I be able to work full time daycare, go to night class and grow a baby in my uterus? I mean come on, I can do it all right? NOPE!

I'm so grateful for the fantastic company I work for. A company that loves children and believes in investing in their education. But also in their employees, enough to communicate concern. Especially if the one they're concerned about is pregnant, exhausted, stressed and could burn out sooner than later (ME!).

So after I shed tears, prayed, realized how I'm truly feeling and the reality of what's happening in my body, I made some serious changes. First, I dropped my ECE night class and praise GOD that they refunded me the full amount. Then I committed to trading shifts at work for the later shift which means more sleep. And now I'm in conversation at work about going down to part-time.

This means a lower maternity pay, but you know what? Money isn't everything and as Cam mentioned before, his baby and his wife's health mean much more than a few hundred dollars a month.

So yah, I'm not superwoman. I'm a 27 year old super mom growing a miracle and prioritizing the importance of that miracle. I love you Bubba, with every fiber of my being and I will do anything and everything for you!!

N.


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