My Pregnancy So Far...

All day on July 22 I had a feeling that I might be pregnant.  I had some weird cramps the day before and just felt...different.  I can't describe it, my brain just wouldn't stop the thought.  When I left work I called my husband to see if he wanted to go with me to the store because I was going to pick up a test. He probably felt I was being overzealous, we hadn't been trying long and I hadn't missed a period yet.  We picked up a cheap test, the kind with the blue dye...I had a faint, very faint shadow of a line on both tests.  Back to the store R went to get a digital test, I took one that night that read PREGNANT.  I took one the following morning that read PREGNANT.  We were both in shock!  Excited but in total shock.

Then came the excruciating wait for an OB appointment.  My new doctor wouldn't see me before 8 weeks and by my estimate I was 4 weeks and a few days pregnant.  I had to wait it out and it was painful, in the meantime I tried to find as much reading material as possible on what not to do when pregnant.  That long list of delicious food that I can't have...yep, I memorized it.  I downloaded a handbook off my OB's website that was extremely helpful and I purchased a few books off Amazon. Old girl scout habits die hard...I try to be prepared!  Even R purchased a Daddy's Guide which he has enjoyed, it must be hilarious because I hear him laughing at some point in each chapter.

I snapped a photo at 5 weeks.  And really there were no visible changes until I hit 13 weeks when I started to have more bloat, especially at the end of the day.

I'm not trying to be narcissistic by posting photos but I wanted to be able to compare my growing bump.

I also looked up some common questions that other bloggers answer when they do bump updates and I plan to keep a record throughout my experience.  It's something I want to remember forever!

This is a photo that we snapped on the day I started my second trimester.

Weeks 4-13

Size of the baby:  from a poppy seed to a lemon

Total weight gain: I was down 2 pounds until week 10 mostly because I was queasy and sleeping all the time.  But now I have gained 4 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  The doctor says I'm on track.

Maternity clothes: I have purchased two comfortable maternity dresses but other than that no.  I usually wear a size four and my pants and dresses still fit.  Though the waist band is tight at the end of the day for the past couple of weeks.  I will probably break out the belly band in the upcoming weeks. Some of my tops don't fit correctly, they emphasize the "pooch".  It's not really a formed bump at this point.  A friend of mine loaned me some tunic style tops that should get me through the next several weeks.

Gender: not a clue but I think it might be a boy.  My husband had a dream that it was a boy.  Neither of us has a preference, it's a baby and it's precious.

Movement: nope, it's too early

Nursery:  Hubs and I have been on Pinterest a lot and we've been discussing ideas.

Sleep: I slept almost the entire first trimester, no seriously I did.  I had no energy during the day but I would get a small burst of energy at night.  Oddly when I laid down to sleep at night, it would take forever to get comfortable.  I take several potty breaks but that's not super unusual for me.  Weeks 4-6 I had some mild cramps when I laid down.

What I miss: feta cheese, wine on the weekends, poached or soft cooked eggs

Cravings:  Bacon and ham - odd because I am not the biggest pork fan.  Pickles, broccoli cheddar soup, buttered toast, and Reese's cups (regular size not minis).  Lemonade and Orange Juice - I love anything that is a bit sour.

Other symptoms:  I'm getting some mild "pulling" pains - probably ligament pains, dry eyes, fatigue, queasiness in the middle of the night or if I haven't eaten in a while.  The doctor prescribed me Diclegis when I don't need every night but it's a God send when I do.  Nausea only seems to hit me around midnight.  It seems to take me forever to get started in the mornings, for the past several weeks I have to drag myself out of bed.

Best moment so far:  How can I pick?!?!  I had my first ultrasound at 8 weeks and saw a little heartbeat fluttering away even though the baby looked more like a cocktail shrimp.  I saw an actual baby at my 12 week ultrasound though.  My mom went with me to the appointment and we were able to see the baby with it's hands over it's eyes and we saw a close up of the tiny feet.  Best moment of my life! 

 We also heard a heartbeat for the first time. We told family and close friends at 8 weeks, though our moms knew the same week we tested positive.  My lab results were all within goal, so far so good!  In the last week I told my supervisor and my coworkers and over the weekend we took an announcement photo and posted it to social media.  There have been so many special moments over the last 10 weeks, some of them have been simple private conversations between R and I over our joy!

Oh and we have so many nicknames for the baby:  Bean, Nugget, and occasionally Biscuit.  You can tell that I'm always hungry now :-)

Our little secret is out...

Well I know I owe the ol' blog an explanation for my break.  It's a happy one...

We are pregnant!

I've been asleep for the better part of 14 weeks.  Truthfully if I wasn't at work or a required "life" event then I've been in bed and blogging has been a pretty low item on my totem pole.  But, my energy is returning and I have a lot of catching up to do so expect more posts soon.

National Lady Belle Day

A very happy National Dog day to our own Lady love!

She has only been in our lives since June but our family isn't complete without her.  Please consider pet adoption for your next furry family member.  Our girl has perfect manners, was easy to train, and feels as if she always belonged to us - our rescue success story!

#BluetickLove

Summer Lovin'

Sorry for the cornball title, but I just couldn't resist...

I've neglected my blog with really no excuse.  When your husband and best friend are both wondering when the next post is going to happen then maybe it's time to get typing. Truthfully I've been exhausted lately, work has really done a number on me.  Anyone else feeling the pressure?  We have a mini vacation planned this month and I'm so ready!  I'll have a summer updates post up soon so I can fill you in on the fun things R and I have been doing - so far I've been living it instead of blogging it.  For now I'll post a few of my Summer favorites..there have been quite a few.

Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer in light.  An oldie but a goodie.  I've returned to this concealer for summer, it's lighter and has a bit of a brightening affect.  I've been so slack on my self tanning so bronzing and brightening are absolutely necessary.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess.  My beloved Nars bronzer has officially bit the dust and after finishing two of them, I thought I'd give another product a try.  I like this one so much more!  It's not for contouring but I really don't do that anyway, this gives the face a fantastic glow and it shows up so much better than Nars on my skintone.  And I'm paperwhite...just sayin'.  I always liked that Nars didn't make me look muddy but it also didn't give me the punch of bronze that I wanted.  I'm sold.

Mario Badescu Drying Cream.  Note this is the cream not the Drying Lotion.  It's formulated with sulfur to dry up any spots and help them heal faster.  Major score - it helps prevent scarring!  This has been on my "to try" list forever...why did it take me so long to buy it?  Word to the wise, it absolutely stinks but it gets the job done.  I only use a small amount to spot treat at night and IMO it works so much better than salicylic acid and I've never been a big fan of benzoyl peroxide because it burns my skin.

Dance Fitness with Jessica.  I've done several of her youtube dance workouts and I've enjoyed them, when I found out she was making a DVD I had to have it.  You know, for the rainy days, or the blah days, or the days when idon'twannaworkout.  She's fun.  She isn't annoying.  And she's the jam.  If you're interested but aren't sure about the price she has a preview on her website and her Youtube channel has several of her past dance routines so you can try before you buy.

It's a 10 miracle leave-in.  This is another train that I hadn't boarded yet.  Honestly the whole line felt gimmicky - truthfully how many products claim to "do 10 things" in "just one use".  I can't speak for the shampoo, conditioner, and other styling aids but the miracle leave-in with keratin does exactly what it says.  I wore my hair curly on a humid day with just the leave-in and a minimal amount of Herbal Essence hair mousse without a bit of frizz.  It reduced my drying time and helped prevent flyaways.  The only con is the price but it works better than anything else I've ever tried.

Burts Bees eye cream for sensitive eyes.  Oh my eyes, my overly sensitive, often watery, sometimes bright red eyes.  I've switched my contacts to dailies and that seems to help but I've tried to cut down on eye products in general.  I only use eye cream on my orbital bone but I've been paranoid about using harsh products near my eyes - I'm even skipping eyeliner most days.  Enter this cream..I've been using it for a few weeks and it moisturizes, helps my makeup glide on, and hasn't irritated my eyes once.

Kemps Frozen Yogurt.  Yum.  Even my husband like it, we fight over the thick fudge swirl in the Moose Tracks carton.

You're the Worst, a new show on FX, please tell me you've been watching!  It's hilarious.  Or it's my kind of hilarious at least.  R and I love it.  We were interested in the first episode because it followed another new FX show, Married.  We love both shows but this one has us rolling.  The main female characters talk to each other exactly the way my bestie and I talk to one another.  Frank, to the point, and often sarcastic.  #loveit #straightup

Summer Beach Reads

I wanted to share my most recent Kindle downloads for vacation reading.  A couple of them have been featured on several blogs as the most popular books for Summer 2014.   I'm going to start the Maria Semple novel right away, I've heard so much about it already and I don't want to have the ending spoiled for me.  And no I didn't color coordinate my summer reading on purpose.

 The Vacationers, The One and Only, and Where'd You Go, Bernadette

I realize that this is a young adult novel but sometimes can't we bend the rules.  Everyone is discussing The Fault in Our Stars right now and this one is being heavily compared to it.  I'm super curious and I may purchase this one when I finish my other three.

I love when people recommend books.  If you've read something good recently please comment below!

Summer Dress Loves

A few new dresses for these hot summer days...

 French Connection Elliot Two Dress.  Super versatile in a stretchable breathable fabric.  It's my favorite new find that can be dressed up or down and is even appropriate for work with a sweater or blazer.

Did you see the sale Old Navy is having on dresses right now.  Holy smokes!  I had to get in on that action and these two beauties are now mine.

 Striped Sheath - I purchased mine in the pink stripe which is no longer available sadly. However the black stripe and the gray stripe still have several sizes in stock online.  I'm loving stripes this season!

A Line Ponte Knit Tank Dress.  I own this in bright coral-pink and loved it so much I wanted it in black.  Perfect for travel because it doesn't seem to wrinkle easy and it can be worn for day and night.  I love that I can wear it to work with a cardigan, my pink one is a regular work staple.

Meet Lady Belle...

It's been a while since my last post...our adopted Bluetick has been adjusting to our schedule for the past week and a half.  Every afternoon we have enjoyed long walks and playtime with her.  She desperately needed to learn leash manners and I purchased an Easy Walk Harness from Phydeaux Boutique in Raleigh to help get her started.  She is a quick learner so far and such a joy to have in the house.  Here are a few photos from her first week with us.

She will be visiting the beach with us soon and we will get to test her in a new environment around dogs, family, and sand.  Her official trial adoption ends on Friday and we couldn't give her back if we tried.  She has become so attached to us, especially my husband, and she fits in well with our little family.  Once the trial is up we will pay her adoption fee and she will officially be ours.