21 Week Anatomy Ultrasound

We had an ultrasound on Tuesday. It was 90 minutes and very in depth. They spent lots of time doing important measurements, checking on the baby's heart, the placenta placement and the cord etc. It was really interesting and we learned a lot (thanks to Tim's 45000 questions that he asked the Tech - it was adorable really).

The Tech was sweet as pie....the lady at the front desk, hmm. Not so much.

The doctor came in and spoke with us at the end to and confirmed excellent news that the baby's growth is right on track, all organs appeared normal, the placenta was in a good spot (anterior), 3-vessel cord....no abnormalities at all! We couldn't be happier and more thankful to be having such a healthy pregnancy and a healthy little one.

There was one spinal photo they were not able to get. It was hilarious because the little girl was like so over the whole thing by the end. (The first hour she was super active- just like in our last ultrasound) But, she was exhausted after 90 minutes of being rattled and poked. The Tech had me get up to move around and wiggle (Tim was cracking up at my sweet dance moves) to try and get the baby to roll over but baby girl just put her little arm over her head and called it a day. She was over it. Haha, we love her.

We'll go back December 11th to get that spinal shot and are excited to see how much more our little lady will have grown in those 4 weeks.

Sorry these photos aren't that stellar. I had to take a photo of the photo, so ya know.

Regardless, we can still tell she's basically the cutest thing ever.

Take it back now ya'll

One hop this time. Okay, enough of the Cha Cha slide. But seriously, let's take it back and rewind about 4 weeks to when we were in Michigan. At that point we were 16 weeks into the pregnancy. The trip was unexpected and last minute.  But while there we got the idea of having an ultrasound done so we could share that experience with both of our moms.

We called a bunch of places and of course they were booked. We were calling on Thursday needing an appointment Friday or Saturday....we knew it was a long shot. Then luck struck us Friday morning; we checked again and one place in Troy had a cancellation for Saturday!!

It.
was.
on.

Because it was still early in the pregnancy we knew there was a possibility they may not be able to tell the gender, but we were just excited to see our peanut on the big monitor with both of our moms alongside. (Love you both)

It was a wonderful experience.....and guess what.....the gender was revealed!! Can you believe it? We've actually known our little one is a girl since October 13th. The plan was to hold off on announcing until our official anatomy ultrasound (just to be sure) but we couldn't resist the urge to work in a Halloween gender reveal.

Fortunately, the anatomy ultrasound yesterday was in agreement....definitely a little lady :)

Here's some photos from the elective ultrasound last month. It's cool - we know at that point our little girl looked a little alien like...she was still itty bitty. Tim may have uttered the words "creepy" a few times during the process (while smiling ear to ear). I was so excited and anxious that I dug a hole into the paper I was laying on with the heel of my shoe.

We plan to post pics from the recent 21 week anatomy ultrasound later this week for comparison. It's amazing how much she has developed in the past 4 weeks...spoiler alert: she looks totally human.

Traveling during pregnancy...

I'm by no means an expert but I've traveled a few times during the first and second trimester. The bean has been to Chicago, Michigan and Florida...and even made some stops in North Carolina, Georgia and Minnesota thanks to lovely layovers :) I'm just beginning to feel movement and this little one was a bit of a wiggle worm during take off!

Everyone is different, but my doctor had no issues with me flying during these first 20 weeks of the pregnancy.

With each flight I've learned a little more about what works best for my pregnant self.

1. I still prefer window seats for nighttime flying. It's easier for me to curl up and sleep, and I don't have to be interrupted by my neighbors needing to get up to use the restroom or whatever.

2. I prefer aisle seats for daytime flying. This allows me to stretch out my legs and adjust more. Those seats get even more uncomfortable when you're pregnant, thanks to extra weight and loosened joints. Oh and the aisle is definitely the way to go if you're one of the lucky ladies that has to pee all the time. Thankfully that hasn't been an issue for me - thank you 20 gallon bladder.

3. I mostly travel alone and large carry-ons have become a hassle. Everything gets a little bit harder when you're pregnant, and you get out of breath just a little bit more.....so the idea of toting around a carry-on throughout the airport isn't for this girl. Also, tossing that carry-on into a cramped overhead bin isn't as easy. 20 pounds feels like 50 pounds. At least.

4. Pregnant Erin doesn't mind layovers. Normally I just want to get from Point A to Point B as quick as possible but the pregnant me likes to break up long flights with a layover. It gives you a chance to stretch, get a snack and use a real bathroom.

4. I still need to take motion sickness medication. I've dealt with motion sickness my whole life. Seriously, I used to get sick from just a 15 minute car ride. Planes, trains, rollercoasters...you name it, they all make me vom. My doctor prescribed me a different type of medication that is safe during pregnancy. It doesn't work AS well as my pre-pregnancy pills, but it gets the job done well enough.

5. I've become even more disgusted/irritated by people's nasty habits. C'mon folks, in what world is it okay to cough and sneeze without covering your mouth on a tiny enclosed plane with stale air?? Gross. I'm getting sick just thinking about it.

I have no set plans to fly again before the bean arrives, but I imagine some of those long hauls could become pretty uncomfortable with a big ol' belly.

Greetings from Florida

Greetings from sunny Florida! Me and baby-in-the belly are here for a very quick weekend trip visiting family.

We're having a fun time just visiting, watching my brother skate at the beach and seeing scary movies.

Tim is home and working away on some Nursery projects - can't wait to see everything!

I'll be back to normal posts when I get home early next week :)



Oh. My. God. Becky, look at her butt...

It is so big.

"Yes!! Lovehandles!!" - said no one ever. 

Seriously. Between the badonkadonk in the back and the growing-bigger-every-day baby bump in the front I don't even want to begin to think of what a side silhouette would look like about  now.

Mid-way through my 19th week and I'm at that awkward stage where I can still fit in my regular clothes, but I'm not loving the way they look. And let's be real, a muffin top isn't comfy OR attractive by any means.

My work pants are more comfortable than my jeans, but nothing compares to the beloved yoga pant or sweatpant. Ahhh <3. Some days my mind even plays tricks on me and I almost convince myself that it'd be perfectly acceptable to go out to dinner in sweatpants. Who am I?!

A friend and coworker who recently had a baby this past year gave me all of her maternity clothes. How freakin' awesome is that?? It's like I hit the new wardrobe jackpot. The outfits are adorable and beyond comfortable. Thank you Liana!

The secret to a good night's sleep

I was surprised over that past couple weeks when I started to have trouble sleeping at night. I can't stay comfortable, and seem to get pains in my legs (mostly in the hip area and ankle area). In my head, these issues weren't supposed to kick in for at least another 10 weeks...full speed ahead, apparently!

I knew that sleeping on your stomach was obviously a no-no during pregnancy, but I didn't know until more recently that you shouldn't sleep on your back either beginning in the second trimester. Sheesh. Talk about limited options.

Tim had heard about "pregnancy pillows" so he suggested we go look. Enter the Boppy Total Body Pillow. I may or may not have thrown a hissy fit about spending $50 on a PILLOW, but after one night I realized this magical $50 pillow was the secret to life a good night's sleep.
 
                                          


It's so comfortable and really seems to take the pressure off of my achin' joints. Soon I'll fill out the area that is designated for the baby bump, but for now Rocky thinks that's his new snuggle spot.

The pillow has a removable slip cover that can easily be washed so that's a big perk as well. 

The only downside I see to this pillow is that it's like having another person in the bed. Oh and the first night I didn't quite have the swing of things when it came to flipping over onto my other side. Definitely found myself tangled in blankets on more than one occasion....but I'm happy to report I have that under control now, haha. Small victories.

The word is officially out!

The word is officially out! Halloween was such a perfect time to reveal. I wore this shirt to work for Halloween and posted pictures on Facebook. I got a full range of reactions from tears to squeals to jumping up and down and even a "Is your costume fake?"

It was one of the first times I wore a tight shirt that really showed off the bump...the bump that seemed to get larger as the day passed thanks to a delicious potluck and all that candy...oh.yes.

Some co-workers have begun to take on the role of body guard lol. They are very protective of this "mummy to-be" and it's adorable and hilarious. 

It feels good to share the excitement with everyone. One thing is for sure this little one is going to have so much love in her life. We are so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives!