Twelve Weeks

How far along? 12 weeks 3 days

Total weight gain: Around 3 lbs.
Maternity clothes? I have been wearing maternity bottoms but not tops.
Stretch marks? None yet.
Sleep: I've been sleeping quite well this past week.
Best moment this week: Starting to feel better from all the all day sickness. 
Miss Anything? Pepsi!!!
Movement: Baby is moving like crazy but I can't feel him/her yet.
Food cravings: A lot of foods from when I was younger (my mom's cooking, bagel bites, jelly beans, jello, chips ahoy cookies ..)
Anything making you queasy or sick: stinky smells. literally, i throw up.
Gender: Not sure yet, but I think it's a boy. ;)
Labor Signs: A little early for that!
Symptoms: The past two days I've had to pee every 2 hours!
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy. :D
Looking forward to: Feeling the baby move & knowing the sex!

12 week update

Little Baby Durand 10 weeks 5 days 

 I had been having a lot of fear creeping in me with thoughts haunting me such as, "I'm almost 11 weeks and I've been reading of all these women who had missed miscarriages because their baby died at 6 weeks and they didn't even know." I was terrified that I would lose my baby. I hadn't had much cramping (which they say is the uterus stretching unless it's a miscarriage) but one morning I was awakened by cramping. I cried and insisted that it was over. I was going to lose my baby. I was deceived into thinking that I had control over this baby's life. After some loving, hard words from my darling husband I was able to pull myself together and realize how I was letting the enemy get into my thoughts. God is the giver of life and breath and everything. (Acts 17:25) 

At my appointment at 10 weeks and 5 days, I met with Dr. Kim who is the genetic/nutrition counselor and she goes over family history with you among other things. She tried to locate the baby's heartbeat with the doppler but couldn't so she wheeled the ultrasound machine in and there was my baby. Quiet, not moving. But the heartbeat was strong, 165 bpm, just pumping away. I asked why (I will use he because it's universal), he wasn't moving and she said that he could be sleeping. All of a sudden he jolted! As if he was jumping in the air with arms flailing up yelling, "surprise!" Then he was still again. I laughed at that and saw my whole belly jiggle and from then on my sweet little baby wouldn't stop moving! He kept bringing his arms to his face and he even did a complete 360 degree turn. I loved watching him. She was so gracious and let me take home 6 pictures! It was then that it finally clicked. I am going to be a mommy. 

Tomorrow I will be 12 weeks! My pregnancy app says I've completed the first trimester but other things say I have 2 weeks to go still, so I'm not quite sure. But here is the 12 week update on our little blessing: Your baby is now individually moving hands and feet. Your baby is also responding to sensations in and around you and may even flinch. The eyes have moved to the front of your baby's head and the ears are in place. Your baby has grown to the happy size of a purple plum. The thyroid gland, pancreas and gallbladder begin to work this week. Your baby can smile, frown, squint, fold the lips and even wrinkle his forehead. Your baby is also starting to grow hair this week. The placenta is beginning to take over and your baby is receiving nutrients and oxygen from you. 

What an amazing God we have, am I right? I've just been so in awe of him throughout each week of this pregnancy, just seeing how He is knitting together this baby in my womb. How intricate, detailed and perfect the development is. I am thankful for His mercy, this wonderful gift and I can't wait to raise this little disciple. 

A little side note: In the ultrasound picture, that string looking thing by the face is the baby's hand!

Oh, and I think it's a boy. ;)

MIA - where have I been?

MIA: Missing In Action. That's me .. I haven't blogged in almost 4 weeks. But you know, I'm not really missing in action, because I decided to google it and here's what it says: Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively identified. Becoming MIA has been an occupational risk for service personnel for as long as there has been warfare.


That certainly does not define me. So, I guess I was just MFALB: Missing For A Little Bit. I have not really felt like doing much on the computer these days, I'm even very behind on e-mails and errands of all sorts because these hormones have been making me sick. Yes, I'm still sick. I will be 12 weeks tomorrow and today has been the best day I have had since I found out I was pregnant. I was able to keep all, yes all of my food down, I didn't throw up at all or get nauseous, I did 4 loads of laundry and cleaned the entire house. I even finished putting away some Christmas things (like our red tablecloth & centerpiece) and switched it out for spring! This is a huge accomplishment, you have no idea. 


So, here I am .. I've been told around 10 weeks my symptoms should subside. Well, they didn't. I feel as though they got worse. Then they say 12 weeks, so I'm hopeful that the sickness is past me and I can enjoy this beautiful gift of pregnancy. 


Stay tuned for my next blog entry on my 10 1/2 week appointment!

8 Weeks

I've been struggling. I've been struggling for joy in these early stages of pregnancy. I rarely have a good day where I can get anything done because I am either hurling over the toilet or laying in bed because when I stand up, I get nauseous. I had a meltdown earlier this week because I was struggling to find joy in the midst of being so sick. I quickly was reminded that there are women who would love to experience morning sickness, just to be able to grow a child in their womb. Morning sickness is a very deceptive word, by the way! I've learned that it lasts all day. I am 8 weeks pregnant today and still have about 4 more weeks of this. Thankfully, this week I have had some relief from the throwing up part. 

I am in the process of switching from an obstetrician to a midwife - thankfully I am still very early in my pregnancy to where it doesn't matter too much; I haven't built a strong relationship with my obstetrician. I will be going to a "meet & greet" this Tuesday where I can ask any questions I might have. If there were any questions you wish you could have asked/ think are important please leave me a comment and let me know! 

This week I will be catching up from the last 3 weeks and starting a pregnancy journal. I plan on putting pictures and the journal entries into a photo book. I would also love to hear of any of you who have done something similar!

We're Pregnant!

On January 10, 2012 I found out something that would change our lives forever. It was the night I found out we would be expecting a little boy or little girl! 

I had been experiencing some out of the ordinary symptoms and just put it off just 1 1/2 weeks prior, the test was negative. That day (silly, I know) I had been thinking all day what it would be like to be pregnant so I decided to go out and by a pregnancy test. What is the worse that could happen, a negative sign? To my great surprise I watched as one lined formed and then the second line making it positive! I ran out of the bathroom, dropped on my knees and cried hysterically. I was so overwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, I have wanted to be a mom since I was a little girl and even more once I got married, but nothing could have prepared me for seeing that it was coming true. I am so thankful that I can come on my knees in tears before God and not even speak and He knows exactly what I am thinking. He calmed my heart. I was never ungrateful for this baby, just wanted to make that clear. 

After all the emotions passed, I had to quick think of how I would tell my husband, he was due home in 1 hour! I quickly ran to Target to pick out something neutral and didn't find anything except some duckie burp cloths (which are absolutely adorable but I was surprised their stock was so low). I got him a daddy to be card and wrapped up the test and put all three things in a bag. Well, he ended up working overtime and didn't get home for four hours later! When he opened his surprise gifts, his jaw dropped and he was so overwhelmed with joy. We were going to have a baby.

The next few days I called around to every doctor imaginable to get in right away because I had no idea how far along I was. I was able to get in that Friday and had an ultrasound done and I was only 5 weeks. I was saddened to see there was only a sac and no baby, but it turns out that is completely normal for that early on. Blood was taken and a follow up ultrasound was scheduled for the following Friday. 

There was a baby, the size of a lentil bean. And there was a heartbeat. The most beautiful sound I have ever heard. It was beating at 120 bpm at 6 weeks 1 day! Lord willing, I already can't wait to feel this baby start moving and then hold him/her. 


For some reason, the picture I am trying to upload is sideways. Though, it's not sideways on my computer. Help!

   

The Pill

I came across a blog called Consider the Lilies on Homemaking Link Up from Raising Homemakers this past Wednesday because her caption "What about birth control pills?" caught my attention. Though I myself am not on the pill, this video taught me a lot of information I did not know. It's alarming. I want to encourage you [whether on the pill or not] to watch this video in hopes that you will see that the pill is an abortificiant and/or be able to share this information with others. 

I am a firm believer that the Lord gives and takes away life. Even this video shares that being on the pill can cause you to ovulate [if not taken every single day at the exact same time, etc.] resulting in a pregnancy and most often than not, a failed pregnancy because the egg is not able to implant thus making it an abortion. "Birth control" does not control birth, the Creator does. 

(the pill video)