21 weeks!

Boy, has she been moving a lot today! First, it started out with feeling her kick while we were prodding around on my uterus, and now, I just got home from eating dessert at TGI Friday's, and she is going nuts!!! My child must love sugar! ;)

Last week was AWESOME! It was by far the best week of being pregnant thus far. I have nothing at all to complain about symptom wise and, on top of that, we found out she's a girl, so I can't complain. I don't know if that had anything to do with the fact that I wasn't working, though, haha. Here's to hoping this week is just as awesome, if not better!

20 weeks, 4 days!

I woke up today and it was what I assume it would be like to win a million dollars the day before -- I was like, "Oh yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I have a little girl in there! That wasn't a dream!" Of course, when I woke up, she was going nuts at the time and flipping and kicking up a storm, so I couldn't help but have that be my first thought. ;)

I've been walking around all day with a smile plastered on my face, but I've also noticed that I am feeling much more maternal and connected. I feel this insane need to protect her and therefore, never get worked up about anything because that means I'm getting her excited. Tommy talked to her for awhile today since we can actually call her by her name now and that was really cool. We examined her profile shots some more and are thinking that she has my nose (I have a round nose; Tommy doesn't) and that she has Tommy's ears (Tommy is missing cartlidge in his ear and it's flatter on top, mine is really round), but of course, we'll never know for sure until she pops out. I just love her so much. I can't wait to take Saturday naps with her or take her to the park. There's just so many things I'm looking forward to. I can't wait.

I'm the mother of a baby girl!!!

I don't know how much I've posted about my feelings for this baby in the blog thus far, but since day one of getting pregnant, I've had TONS of girl feelings. I tried not to talk about just how much I felt our baby was a girl for A. fear of looking stupid if it was a boy, B. people thinking I'd be super disappointed to have a boy, and C. jinxing it. Then, soon after I got pregnant, I received a package in the mail from my aunt who sells used books, and it was a young adult book entitled "Rosie Pugh and the Great Clothes War." At the time, my aunt didn't know our girl name was going to be "Rose" which we had picked out long before we ever got married. Pugh is obviously our last name and not a really common one, either. So, when I saw the book, I thought, "This is a sign!"

Today was the BIG ultrasound. Up until a week ago, I was really excited to find out the sex. Then, it dawned on me that this ultrasound would also tell us if our baby was healthy or not. All of a sudden, it totally didn't matter to me about the sex and I just wanted a healthy baby. So, we go in today, and right away the ultrasound tech comments that the baby was wrapped up in a ball. She had her knees to her chest and everything. She started taking her measurements and everything looked great. Every few minutes I'd ask, "Is that a penis?!" and before long, we were all cracking up at the fact that I thought kidneys might be a penis or the ambilical cord might be the penis. Then, when she started focusing on the lower half of the baby, I noticed right away that there wasn't a penis AND I saw the three lines right away. About a minute later, so pressed down the wand over the baby's behind and asked me, "Do you see that? Do you know what it is?" and I said, "I was right! It's a girl!" and started immediately crying. So, not only did I get the real prize which was a healthy baby weighing 14 oz., but I also got to find out I have a daughter in there AND I get to go back in four more weeks to see her again because they couldn't get a few measurements. I'm in love!

Her full name is Rose Marie Pugh.

20 weeks!

Good Lord. I am now halfway along! Time.is.flying!! Last week, nothing too eventful except that I'm getting really dizzy a lot. I've heard this could be from lower blood pressure, but my blood pressure has been normal at my other appointments, and I took my blood pressure twice this weekend - once it was high and then ten minutes later it was normal, so we shall see.

Tomorrow is the BIG ultrasound!! I just pray that everything is looking healthy and normal. At this point, the gender means nothing to me because I just want to hear everything's going ok.

Kicks are starting to get much harder, so the baby must be getting stronger. Also, I'm starting to get "pains" when he/she places it's body part in or on certain places. Yesterday, all of a sudden, I got a super sharp pain down lower by my pubic bone and it kept coming and going every ten seconds or so. I finally had to massage that area to try and get the baby to move whatever it was it had down there out because it was killing me. That seemed to work. Last week, one day, I also felt the weirdest sensation -- it felt like the baby stretching from the top and bottom. It happened several of times in the matter of few minutes. It was really cool. Tommy has also started feeling the baby from time to time and I've seen it kick twice and felt it kick from the outside a couple of times already. Other than that, the baby just seems to keep moving up a storm, especially during the day, and it doesn't seem to mind!

19 weeks!

Last week was once again pretty uneventful. I almost fainted on Monday at the store, but I was able to get home, eat something, and then I was fine. Tuesday, I stayed home with some kind of flu bug, and the rest of the week was great. The baby is really moving a ton more, though. It's amazing how much more, even in a week, I can feel it. For the last three days, I sware, I wake up, sit up and then a minute or two later I feel the baby move for a little bit. Then, I don't feel it again until about 10 or 10 30 am and from then on out I feel it move about once, sometimes several times, every five minutes until about 6 30/7 pm and then it settles down. I thought babies slept all the time at this stage! ;) Mine seems to be up at least 8 hours a day non-stop. I love feeling it, though!!

Also this week, we started playing music for it with our headphones. The baby totally freaks out and flips around and kicks me when the music comes on -- especially if it's like a rap song or faster paced. It's really cute.

On Wednesday night, too, Tommy had his hand on my stomach and we were feeling on my uterus to see if we could feel anything baby related and he felt something and then it moved away from him (like a body part). He loved that! Later on that night, I was feeling and I got kicked twice from the outside. It was amazing!!! This morning, I was listening to the baby on my doppler (the baby hangs out at the very top of my uterus by my belly button) and I wasn't even trying to feel it and it kicked my fingers.

We're just so in love with our child and can't wait to finally find out on the 18th what gender it is so I can stop calling it IT! :)

18 weeks!

I take belly pictures every week (no, I won't scar your eyes and post them), but over the last two weeks my stomach has popped out big time. It's even popped out a decent amount from last Saturday. It's crazy how fast it's growing!

The last week has been pretty uneventful, which is good news. The only symptom I've really noticed is the shortness of breath, but I think a big part of that is due to the cold I have. Last night was the first night my sinuses have been really "open" in awhile and I didn't know what to do with all of the extra oxygen! ;) It was great.

Also last week, the baby's movements are getting much more noticable. It almost feels like when you're going over a hill in a car really fast and your stomach flies up in the air and comes down -- that's the feelings I've had lately with a few kicks here and there mixed in. I love feeling it!

Triple Screen Results

Tommy and I decided to go ahead and have the triple screen blood test done to test for Down's Syndrome and other neural tube defects last week, even though there's a 25 percent chance of a false positive AND we wouldn't terminate even if we found out something was wrong. So, we got the results today and everything is NORMAL!!! I was so happy and so so relieved.

17 weeks!

Thanksgiving is over and now it's on to Christmas!! The last week, I've felt completely so much better. Maybe this is when my second trimester "boost" will start, haha. But, I felt normal all week and loooooooooved it!

I'm staying at my mother-in-law's house for the Thanksgiving holidays and both she and my sister-in-law got to hear to heartbeat and the baby moving on the doppler. It was really cool to watch their reactions. The baby was moving around like crazy, so it was funny listening to the karate moves going on inside my uterus.

Also, I forgot to post about my third OB appointment, but it went well and everything appears to be normal! :) Here's what I posted on myspace:

Everything went really well, except that I've lost another four pounds (ten total), but I feel like such a whale, I don't see how that is possible, but who knows. I thought for sure I would have gained since I feel so huge. It worries me a little bit, but my doc didn't mention it. Other than that, my blood pressure was 110/68 and she measured my fundal (spelling?) height. Also, we heard the baby on the doppler again (153 bpm) and then we sheduled the BIG ultrasound for Dec. 18 -- four weeks from today!! I can't wait!!

On Tuesday, it's down to 3 more weeks until we find out what Hampton is. That will be a big day!

16 weeks, 1 day!

Getting closer to halfway!! This last week was really hard, pregnancy wise, but I made it and I'm feeling better, so that's the good news! My gag reflex is huge and the nausea is coming back a little bit. But, I've felt the baby a lot more the last few days and on Saturday, while I was putting up the tree, I felt a big kick and that was pretty cool. Today, too, while we were eating breakfast, I felt a really fast vibration where the baby is, so I'm not sure what it was doing, but it was a cool feeling! My third OB appt is this Tuesday and I think we set up our appt for our BIG ultrasound that day. I can't wait to find out what our baby is and see it on the screen again!!

15 weeks!

This last week has been so much better!! I'm back to my normal pregnant self, aside from the emotional basketcase I can turn into, and I'm loving it! Everyday I've felt movement, usually in the morning, and 2 nights ago, I felt a big (well, bigger than any other movement) almost stretch where the baby was when I was listening to his/her heartbeat. It was trying to sleep and I woke it up and that's when I heard the loud movement noise on the doppler and felt a big stretch. It moved around for a minute and then went back to sleep. I am in love, I will admit.

Yesterday, we cleared out the nursery, too. Thank God for Tommy, seriously. I got freaking out of breath and exhausted after we had moved the mattress and box spring to my grandparent's house and he had to end up doing most of the other moving, packing, and throwing away of items. He is a saint!! He helps me soooooooooo much now that I'm pregnant, and even goes and does things for me when I ask him, too, just so I don't have to, and he's been the best emotional support. I couldn't have asked for a better husband or father of our child. He's just great!

Anyways, after we moved everything to my grandparent's house and threw the stuff we didn't need away, we set up the crib. We still have a lot to do in the room. We're going to order a changing table, armoire, and glider here in a few months, but at least the room is clear!

For Christmas, Tommy and I are going to paint the nursery together (since we should know the sex by the, knock on wood) and play Christmas music while we're doing it. I'm not feeling the jungle theme anymore. Then, we'll be able to start ordering more furniture and getting it put together. I'm excited!

14 weeks, 4 days!

Yesterday, for the first part of the morning, I had trouble breathing properly again. I had stayed home because I had a chest cold, which I think is part of my problem, and so it wasn't that big of a deal. This time, I was able to keep myself calm the whole time and rationalized that I wasn't huffing or gasping for air by any means, so I was just fine. Plus, it was for the baby, and whatever the baby needs, the baby gets. So, I was really proud of myself for keeping calm about it this time. It was fine by like 1 pm, and this morning, I haven't had any problems yet.

Yesterday, I felt several flutters throughout the day, but the biggest ones came yesterday night when I was testing out my doppler. Several times as I heard a super loud noise come through the doppler (baby movement), I'd feel the slightest of flutters along with it. It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cool!!! I laid there for about 15 minutes just feeling little teeny flutters while I listened to the heartbeat and movement. This morning already I've felt a couple flutters, but if I wasn't trying to pay such close attention to my lower abdomen, I'd probably not notice they were happening. It was a whole new level of love, though, that came over me when I felt it moving. Also, I love knowing that, so far, he/she is nice and healthy and active. I'll keep updating on the movement as we go along!

14 weeks!

Last week sucked. I ended up continuing to have the shortness of breath which I finally started taking Mylanta and Tums during the day for and that has helped TREMENDOUSLY. Also, I got a freaking cold from hell that's probably causing some of the breathing issues and now that it's died down, I can breathe much, much better, thank God.

Then, I started having chest pains and my heart was beating out of my chest. Like, I can sit and watch TV, look down and see my chest moving with my heartbeat. I called the doc about this and apparently it's heartburn (and since I just was diagnosed with severe acid reflux, this would make sense), so, once again, the Tums, Pepcid, Mylanta routine is definitely helping that out as well. Maybe our baby will have a head full of hair! The heartbeat thing I guess is completely normal, too, as well as the numbness.

So, now I'm in week 14 and the last two days I have felt SOOOOOOOOOOOO much better. The breathing thing was really wigging me out, but now that that seems to be a lot better, I feel like I can handle anything, haha. So, I'm back to being the happy, pregnant woman I once was and life is settling down again.

Also, last week, twice I felt spasms just below my belly button on my left side (which is where the baby tends to be when I use my doppler). Both times it was at night and I was laying on my right side getting ready to fall asleep. It was like a vibrating spasm and I've never had them before. That said, I am hugely skeptical because it was not that far below my belly button, and at this stage in the game, I don't even think my uterus is that high yet. But, you never know. Guess we'll have to find out!

13 weeks!

I'm 1/3rd of the way done. Thank you, Jesus. The 12 week mark has been filled with many memorable pregnancy events. First off, I experienced the joy of feeling like I couldn't catch my breath from doing something as simple as WALKING UP A FLIGHT OF STAIRS!!!! I'll be the first to admit that I'm not slim and trim Barbie, but for God's sake, I can walk a mile faster than most can run it (*slight* exaggeration ;) Anyways, I'm definitely not out of shape by any means. So, this week around Wednesday/Thursday, I notice that even laying down, I feel like I'm not able to breathe correctly. Part of this is normal for pregnant women since your body is sending a lot more oxygen in your blood stream to the growing fetus. However, this seemed worse than that, so I went to the doc and he diagnosed me with acid reflux disease, which makes complete sense with my symptoms and can cause shortness of breath, especially in pregnant people, so he puts me on prescription strength Pecid AC and off I go. It's helping a little bit.

Then, last night, I'm on the computer around 10 pm and I notice my fingers are going numb. Then, I realize this is numbness is going up my arm and happening slightly in my left hand and perhaps in my leg a very little, little bit. This freaks me out since I'm home all alone and I've never had this happen before in my life. I pondered going to the ER, but, once again, I do know a little numbness in the arms/hands in pregnant people can be normal. So, after 20 minutes, I notice it's not as bad as it was and I just decide to go to bed. I woke up this morning with still a little more numbness, but nothing too serious. Today, my right wrist feels a little off, but other than that, not too much numbing action. So, I'm thinking I probably pinched a nerve or maybe my baby is, though I highly doubt its big enough to do that at this stage. So, I'm praying to God the numbness goes away (I can deal with the shortness of breath over this) and I can go back to being a happy pregnant person again!

Someone needs to take the doppler away from me

Hampton's heartbeat is slowing way down this week (as it should). It went from 174 at the beginning of this week, down to 168 two days ago and now down to 159 today. It must really be growing! Also, the heartbeat is getting louder and louder when I check. Today, the heartbeat monitor actually picked it up and the baby was way on my left side. At first, it was really active moving everywhere and then it must have went to sleep as I laid down because it held really still for awhile so I could get a good heartbeat measurement. Normally, I just have to count myself (though, I still do), but the monitor was blinking red big time. So, now my prediction of having a girl is starting to maybe dwindle a little, haha. I normally don't listen to the whole "heartbeat" wivestale, but I will admit, I thought 170s this late was pretty high for a boy, but now that it's majorally slowing down, we shall see. I'm still feeling girl. Here's Hampton's heartbeat checks so far:

8 weeks, 5 days (175 bpm)
11 weeks, 2 days (173 bpm)
12 weeks, 1 day (174 bpm)
12 weeks, 3 days (168 bpm)
12 weeks, 5 days (159 bpm)

Click here to hear its heartbeat:
Hampton's heartbeat

At the end of my first trimester and 2nd OB appt

I haven't updated this in awhile, so I probably should. Where to begin.......

First, I'm almost at the end of my first trimester and I'm feeling soooooooooooooooo much better. I never had much actual morning sickness, but I had killer headaches, mood swings, no desire to do anything, and extreme exhaustion. Today, I didn't have a headache (little pressure, but nothing like I was having) and, though I'm tired, it's nothing compared to what I'm normally used to. To be quite honest, I really have enjoyed being pregnant thus far. I haven't had much to complain about and the baby is nice and healthy, so that's all I care about.

We first heard the heartbeat at 11 weeks, 2 days on our doppler. It was beating at 173 bpm. I've heard it since, but faintly and today, when I went to my OB appt, she found it right away and it sounded nice, strong and loud (before it had been faint). So, I went home, plopped my doppler on there and sure enough, found the sucker right away beating at 167 bpm nice and LOUD. The heart rate is definitely slowing down as the baby gets bigger. The coolest sight so far (besides seeing the baby) was watching Tommy's face as he was listening to the heartbeat and when a big THUMP (the baby kicking) came out of the speaker, he got the biggest grin on his face and said, "It just kicked! It just kicked!" Ok, now I'm crying, but it was a really touching sight to see him so proud of our child for kicking. Wish I would have felt it kick, though! The baby is down low and on my right side. It's not even that central -- it's pretty far on the right hand side.

My second appointment today went really well. I've lost 6 lbs since my last appointment four weeks ago. My blood pressure was 116/68 which is really good, and all of my bloodwork came back in the normal range, so I'm staying healthy so far. It is AMAZING how much my blood pressure has dropped since I got married. The last year, my blood pressure would be OUT of the roof when I went to the doctor and since June, it's been completely normal when I go, haha. Just shows how stressful weddings can be.

My next appointment is on November 20 and then the appointment after that we get to find out the sex and get a more indepth ultrasound scan. I can't wait!!

10 weeks, 3 days

Two things to note.

First, I no longer have to pee 2 times a night, my boobs aren't sore, and I feel a million times less bloated. This kinda wigged me out this morning, but then other women I know who have been pregnant said it's completely normal, especially since I'm nearing my second trimester. Also, the placenta is starting to take over progesterone production, so that's part of it, too.

Secondly, I got a sign!! I got in my car this morning and Tommy had laid a package he got from the mail on my front seat. It was from my aunt Laura, so I opened it and it was a book titled, "Rosie Pugh and the Great Clothes War." YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, obviously, it could still be a boy and that'd be just fine, but that is SUCH a sign!!! WOO HOO!

I'm in love

I've said it before, but it really is completely amazing how much you can love something that is just over an inch big and you've never seen before in your life except on a monitor. In the beginning, I worried a lot about how good of a mom I would be, would I get too stressed out, would the baby drive me nuts, is this too soon, etc., etc. and now that's all gone.

Being pregnant in and of itself is, frankly, a miracle. I'm semi-pro choice (still am), but I do have to admit, seeing our baby at 8 1/2 weeks looking just like a little baby really made me think about my views on abortion. Even though I semi-believe in abortion, I still believe life happens at the moment of conception. Right now, at almost 10 weeks, my baby is probably already moving its arms and legs and soon its brain will start functioning and taking over its heart functions. 10 weeks ago, I hadn't even ovulated yet -- hell, just over 8 weeks ago, my egg had just been fertilized. In 8 weeks, it went from a fertilized egg, to a cluster of cells, to an actual distinguishable baby who moves. It's just freaking amazing.

I think I've grown spiritually the last 8 weeks more than I ever have in my entire life. I almost feel like such a dumbass for ever doubting the goodness of God. After I saw the baby a week and a half ago, I was just in awe. I'm not saying I'm some bible thumper or scripture preacher, but so many times I like to think *I'm* in control and that God is more of a person I know and hear about rather than an important part of my life. But, that has completely changed after seeing the baby. I am most definitely not in control and there is most definitely something higher than you or me who can turn a simple egg and sperm cell into a distinguishable human being in the matter of 8 weeks who eventually down the road will be able to think, hear, and feel before it ever even enters this world. It's just freaking amazing.

I'm past 9 weeks!!

Now the baby actually looks like a baby according to my pregnancy tickers, although I noticed that last week in my ultrasound! I'm still way exhausted, though. I might actually go out and buy the paint to start on the nursery here in just a bit. I am that bored.

I put the doppler on my belly to see if I could find the heartbeat. It picked something up at 152 bpm, but I couldn't hear it. I've been having stretching pains, too, the last few days, so I'm thinking my uterus is getting ready to pop up above my pelvis (though not for a few weeks). It also feels a little different in there. So many changes! :)

Extreme Exhaustion Again

Just when I thought I was getting more of my energy back, WAM! I'm back to my mopey, eyes half shut self. At 5 pm, it took EVERYTHING in me to stay awake. EVERYTHING! I had a little cup of coke and that has helped me until a half hour ago. At 7:30, I was back to barely holding on. And now that it's 8 pm, I'm shot. I'm hoping I can make it up the stairs. The baby must be going through another major growth spurt.

Also, I took my resting heart rate the other day. Normally I'm completely in the normal range. Oh, I was totally at 88 bpm AT A RESTING STATE!!!! So, then I freak out that I'm freaking having a heart attack because my heart is beating that fast and it's RESTING!! until I reassured myself that I'm pumping 50 percent more blood than I was before, so that was probably it. Not to mention, my babies heart rate right now is at its peak, so I bet mine is, too, to keep up with it growing. And now, just as I'm typing this, Mr. Migrane is coming out to play.

I love you, baby. You are totally worth this, but Mommy is having a little bit of hard time today dealing with the combination of pregnancy symptoms that don't seem to come one at a time, but all at once. But, it means you're healthy, so Mommy will just have to shut her pie hole and be thankful. :)

Our first ultrasound!

It just completely amazes me how fast life grows to look like a baby. 3 weeks ago, it looked like an alien. Now, it looks like a baby (teeny tiny baby). The ultrasound went great. The fetal heartrate was 175 bpm, and the tech said that was a normal rate. She also said I was right on for 8 weeks, 5 days, so that's great news, too.

Tommy said the baby has my eyes (you can't tell yet, haha). It's little nose is soooooooooo cute, though, and in the 3-d pic, the baby was smiling at us. I loved it!

The nursery

Because I'm completley flying by the seat of my pants at all times, I love painting, I love decorating, and I love to be creative, I've already started thinking about the nursery. With my birthday money, we bought a crib, despite not knowing exactly how this baby is doing. My thoughts are I can choose to live in fear the first trimester and deny this baby exists, or I can go about my merry way celebrating its life. I chose B, hence the early crib purchase. Here's the crib we have now above, along with the two other pieces I want for the nursery, and also a glider (not pictured), though we might just use my dad's old recliner.

Now, no matter the sex of the baby of which we'll be finding out, we're doing a jungle themed nursery with murals of a jungle and animals on the walls. I'm definitely not a professional artist, haha, so it should turn out interesting.... And finally, the bedding I like, also at the top, to go with the jungle theme.

So, that's it for now. I'll probably start painting the mural once my first trimester is over, maybe before, but we'll see how it goes.

Good news!

My uterus is measuring right on for being between 8-9 weeks pregnant and we get to have an ultrasound on Thursday morning to date the pregnancy even better. So, I should have pics of the baby then! Also, we found out the pregnancy is covered by our insurance 100 percent and we just owe 25 dollars for the first co-pay!!

Once again, God has majorally blessed us with such great news and we are so thankful!

We're expecting!!

I'm so excited to start a baby blog!! W00t!!

I guess I should start this blog by giving a background on our journey to how we got here. It's been both of our dreams since we can remember to grow up, marry our best friend's and start our own family. Luckily, we met each other three years ago and got married this past June, so we were so excited that our dreams were coming true. We had talked a lot about when we wanted to have kids over the last few years and we decided that once we got married, we'd just see how things went and we wouldn't prevent it from happening. August comes and I had woken up in a pure sweat at 2 am, which never, ever happens to me and I had found out from friends that it could be a pregnancy sign from the fluctuation of hormones. I decided the next day, August 20, to take a pregnancy test. Sure enough, the test came up positive, so I took a digital pregnancy test since I was in disbelief and it said "Pregnant."

We are sooooooooooooo excited!! So far, I haven't had anything too eventful happen. I am 8 weeks today. From about 6 weeks to 7 weeks, 3 days, I was really nauseas with the nausea getting worse and worse. But, I woke up this last Wednesday and it was completely gone and I haven't had it since. I haven't noticed much of a change in my body as far as looking pregnant, but I can't suck in like I used to.

My first appointment is this Tuesday. I've been praying like crazy that the baby is fine and healthy and growing like it should be. I'm hoping we get excellent news that I can share. It's amazing how much love you feel already for this tiny being that isn't even bigger than an inch yet. I cry at least once a day at the thought of how blessed I am and how much I feel for those who have trouble trying to get pregnant. It's just been such an amazing experience thus far and I hope it continues for the rest of this baby's life!