Week 18 & 19: Sonogram pics

I don't want two posts in a row without pictures. This baby is such a cutie that I wanted to share so many of them! First couple are from 18 weeks, then some from 19 weeks. Then I'll get a post up with more details...

This is my FAVORITE. This was at the beginning of the sonogram, the probe and poking was waking the baby up. The baby stretched, with an arched back and arms overhead, as he/she rolled away from the probe. WHAT A CUTIE. 

We saw LOTS of thumb/hand sucking.

When we were trying to get some 3D pictures, the baby had his/her hand in front of the face most of the time.

Repeating Week 17

Size: 4-5 inches! 

This week, we had our first appointment with at an office in Arlington. They confirmed that I am a week behind based on the first sonogram measurement. This mean that I actually didn't start week 17 until this week. So we're currently repeating week 17. 

Momma Bod: More pressure in my lower abdomen and really don't like tighter waistbands. My uterus is up to my belly button. 

Symptoms: Frequantly using the bathroom. Trying to stay hydrated, which also increases trips to bathroom.

Mood: A little concerned about my prior back surgery/injury flaring up and/or causing complications with an epidural if a c-section is needed. I'm glad we talked about it at the appointment and will meet with an anesthesiologist to come up with some possible plans. I'll also do some PT to try to prevent the debilitating LBP I've experienced before. Overall, wishing the OB appointment was more eventful. 

Movement: At our appointment we were able to hear the heartbeat (strong and fast at 160ish). After 20 seconds, the heartbeat was interrupted by a quick scratchy sound, which the midwife said was the babe kicking the probe. I am still excited to feel some movement. I'm able to lay on my back and easy feel how big my uterus is, so sometimes I lay down and really focus on feeling something. Nothing yet! 

Cravings/Food: Mom and I cooked a delicious lasagna last weekend. I ate on it for several days and took it for lunches. I even wrote down our recipe to be able to make it again! Loaded baked potatoes with BBQ chicken was also a hit for this mama, similar to an Alabama favorite from Gibson's with pork. Mom made an Asian inspired soup and I think I could repeat if I bought all the right spices and flavored oils/peppers. 

Fashion: Scrubs! I wore my larger jeans to the UVA/ND football game and then my other stretchy skinny jeans on another day with a hair tie around the button. Both worked. I don't like anything tight across my stomach so it wasn't that comfortable. 

Baby Daddy: Had SO much fun at the UVA/Notre Dame football game last weekend. He even said it was "the best football game he's ever been to." There was lots of back and forth scoring, game-changing injuries, and we sat about 8 rows up from the main end zone in the corner. It doesn't hurt that he is a ND football fan, we were surrounded by strong opinionated UVA fans.... And ND won with a touchdown in the last 12 seconds of the game. 

On the baby front, he's excited to find out the gender and if it's a boy.... He's ready to buy Baby W all the fishing and sports gear he'll ever need. 

Coming up: Anatomy ultrasound scheduled for FRIDAY. This appointment is really bringing out my excitement. I'm still waiting to feel movement but Friday I'll be able to see baby W squirming around!! Baby girl or boy??! I can't wait. 

Week 16: Cruisin'

Size: 4-5 inches, 3-5 oz. An avacado. That seems HUGE to me.

Momma Bod: Nothing drastically new. Early on I noticed a soreness in my abdomen, which started low and toward the midline of my torso. The last several weeks, the soreness began to widened and moved up towards the base of my rib cage. It's not painful, just a localized sore area when I lay on my back or sneeze. My body is definitely preparing for my uterus to continue to grow and my belly to strrreeeeetcchhhh.

Mood:  I actually don't think about being pregnant that much right now. This is due to several factors... I have been feeling better and eating normal, I have been busy at work cramming my brain full of new information and computer programs, and I haven't been to the doctor for a follow-up in a while.

I have had a few moments of feeling "more emotional." This could be entirely because I am adjusting to so many changes. Or some new levels of hormones. Maybe some of both.

Maternity Fashion: Scrubs for work. All day, everyday. I dress up for church on Sundays, but have grown out of the bust area in so many of my dressy outfit choices. I am keeping an eye out for longer, stretchy fabric dresses to wear that will fit now and when my belly really starts growing.

Movement: Still waiting to feel a little flutter!

Gender/Names: I am 95% convinced that this babe is a boy. We have so many nieces in our family that I'm just sure we will be contributing to the underrepresented gender. {I know this is technically not how the probability of gender selection works.}

When we talk about potential names, the most Ryan can get out of me is a "maybe," I haven't said, "Oh I like that," for any possibilities. I keep us focused on only considering boys' names for now. We have time to keep discussing... maybe finding out the gender will help...? {Hopefully we won't be at the hospital with our babe in arms and a blank birth certificate}.

Daddyo: I am so blessed to be married to Ryan. I had a hard week {my episode of "more emotional"}, and he knew just how to encourage me and comfort me. He has come up with his current "Top Boys Names" list.... and I said maybe to two of them.

Encouragement for me this week:
Isaiah 35:4-7 "Say to those who have an anxious heart, 'Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.' Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes."

We read this verse at church this week, from Isaiah, and it reminds me of the God's big picture and God's plan that we cannot even fathom. Although in this world it is a challenge, my priority is to be trusting and seeking Him in ALL I do. His plan is far greater than anything I could every understand or write myself. The end goal is to stay in Him, without fear, every day, until he comes again and takes me home.

Keeping my eye on the prize.

We ended with the hymn, "Christ the solid Rock I stand," which goes like this.... "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand."

Week 14: Quick update

This is a quick update that I didn't want to miss because I dressed up for church and took a bump picture!

Size:  3.4 inches -- a lemon. This weekend we baked a pound cake with a lemon glaze to go with our homemade vanilla ice cream.

Momma Bod:

What I did this week: I started my new job this week and my head is very full of new information {mainly how to use several new computer programs to track patients and insurance billing codes}.

Week 13: Second trimester!

{I actually just started Week 14....but I didn't quite get this posted before Thurs.}

Size: Baby went from small pea to blueberry, to big raspberry, to lime {my favorite}, to large plum to peach {my second favorite}! About 3 inches. Baby was small at 10-week ultrasound, so maybe not quite that big.

The size and how many weeks along I am has become some what of a debate. It was {and still is} unclear where the baby length measurements from my Week 10 ultrasound put me for my estimated due date. I have been told various expected dates ranging from Feb. 18 - March 3 {perfectly nestled around LEAP DAY, Feb. 29}. Although it doesn't change anything, it's frustrating not knowing exactly which week to read on my "What to Expect" pregnancy app!

Just to keep it all straight, for now, I'm sticking with what my app says until told otherwise. {Although, I'm probably closer to Week 13 this week, so maybe this post timing is accurate??}

Momma Bod: This is what I wrote at 12 weeks 5 days..... "No real bump yet. I feel like I can't suck in my stomach, but I'm still fitting into all of my pants/shorts {even though I don't wear them - refer to "Fashion" section below}. I need new bras, but am sticking to my comfortable sports bras for now." Over the last 4-7 days, I started getting a little bump. I can feel the bulge of my uterus, different than just added belly fat. I also hit a point of desperation for a new bra {without details, just know that this was a huge struggle}.

Bump PREVIEW... using a soccer ball in Target

Mood: Relatively stable. Anxious about all the changes, mainly the crazy early hours of my new job starting on Monday!

Symptoms: Some nausea, limited appetite. Ready for second trimester "boost" of energy; I can't make it through the day without a nap for at least an hour.

Sleep: I sleep in all positions, rarely on my back. I have always moved a lot in my sleep, which continues. I am loving the king-size bed in my parent's guest bedroom. 

Food: Cereal or toast for breakfast, 1/2 cup of 1/2 caff coffee, yogurts, pretzels, snack bars, sandwich for lunch, grapes, apples, carrots, almonds, chips, ice cream sandwiches. Usually a small serving of a dinner meal: chicken tortilla soup, salad, District tacos, spaghetti.

Maternity fashion: I am a frump. If you don't know what frumpy means, ehhh, it means dressing down and casual... but it's more than that.... it's not matching, wrinkly, weird fitting clothes, weird patterns or textures, messy hair, and probably no make up. I have known what frumpy means from a young age. And now, I have reverted back to my old ways. I dress frumpy everyday. My style has always been about comfort, and the only thing comfortable to me right now is L or XL t-shirts, sports bras, loose shorts or sweatpants, and a messy hair bun. This is a case of {very} frumpy because it has gone on for several weeks. My reason is simply because I can and it's comfortable. One day last weekend I put on jean shorts. On a separate day, I wore my interview suit for a couple of hours. I also got my hair trimmed, but only wore it down for the interview. 

{As a side note - don't mistake frumpy for poor hygiene. I wear clean clothes, shower daily, use deodorant and shave my legs regularly.} 

Baby daddy: Has been working hard at his new job! Sometimes he comes home for lunch, which I love. He has been encouraging {and calm} through all the changes, especially when I've been interviewing for jobs. 

What we did this week: Spent the last two weekends in Luray at the cabin!

On the Shenandoah...

....Catching lil fish

We also went to an awesome concert at Wolf Trap, I really liked all four bands.... Colony House, Drew Holcome and The Neighbors, Switchfoot and Needtobreathe.

Encore with all four bands jammin

Looking forward to: Trying to convince the new OB to do another ultrasound. Also - When should I expect to start feeling some movement?! AND getting into a routine of being out the door at 6:15am. Eeek. 

Weeks 5-12: An update from the first trimester

As promised, I will be trying to keep a pregnancy blog. I'm hoping to be able to refer back to this and see the growth and changes over months to come.

With so many changes coming our way this summer, it definitely took me a couple of weeks to wrap my mind around being pregnant. As the nausea set in, it started to become more real and I was able to build my excitement. We found out at 5.5 weeks with a home pregnancy test, took my first bump picture at week 6 and by week 7, I had moderate nausea. I learned quickly that I had to be eat {very} small meals, preferably only containing gatorade/ginger ale & saltines, all day long. For some reason, that week, I also think I ate fast food french fries everyday. Not sure if that helped.

By week 9, I was doing a better job managing the nausea, which also turned into some puking. Brushing my teeth seems to be a trigger, which is gross and annoying. The biggest struggle has been fighting my non-existent appetite. I have been eating more than saltines and pretzels more recently, but I still stick to plain, "normal" foods.

Week 10, we finally got to go see an OB for our first ultrasound! We heard the heartbeat for a brief moment, but was able to see the fluttering of the heart several times. With a strong heartbeat at 176, Baby W was laying on his/her back, looking like a blob. My favorite part was seeing the baby blob in my uterus. Knowing the heart is beating and seeing the baby for myself was a huge landmark.

The last couple of weeks in the first trimester, I started to feel better, most days. I spread my three meals throughout the entire day. Breakfast starts about 8:00 and I munch until 10:00 or so. I make my lunch in 2-3 stages, which spans from about 11:00-2:00. And then I'm ready for a pre-dinner snack about 3:30/4:00. I also try to eat a snack before I go to bed, even if it's just pretzels or a yogurt, which helps to feel better when I wake up in the morning.

I've been blessed with my first trimester being relatively easy - even through feeling sicky. Since feeling better, I actually started doing some mini workouts again! Wrigley has been getting some solid 30-minute walks and I've been swimming laps at Donaldson Run. For the most part, I have been able to rest and relax, and make time to get things done at my own pace.

A newsy update

As predicted, big changes have been coming our way! Hence the newsy information making it necessary for a blog post.

Ryan and I both interviewed at numerous potential employers this summer between May and July. Each interview comes with visualizing what a new job would entail.... moving to a new location, (even if it was local, we would still be moving out of our on-campus apartment), finding a job for the other half, and everything in between.

Through the time of these interviews (phone and on-campus), we enjoyed some summer travel with the time off work. We decompressed at Holden Beach for a hot week with the Frickie clan, went to St. Louis for the NATA national convention, and spent time in Illinois for a Wildenhain family wedding, fourth of July celebration and Ryan's annual fishing trip with the Behrendt brothers. Summarizing these trips in one sentence makes it sound short.... but we turned off our air conditioning, disconnected our apartment cable and travelled for a solid 4-5 weeks.

My husband built me a fortress on the beach. Take me back for another week of this.  

So after a long summer of travel, lots of interviews and possibilities, Sweet Briar reversing the March decision and staying open... now that it's the middle of August.... where did we end up?

Ryan accepted the position as Head of Sports Medicine at Marymount University in Arlington, VA!
Our summer of transition accelerated when Ryan accepted the position on a Tuesday and started the following Monday, July 27. He is working as the Head of Sports Medicine, with two assistants, responsible for providing athletic training services to Marymount's 17 DIII, NCAA athletic teams. He has been working hard to get organized and ready for preseason to start this week.

http://marymountsaints.com/News/News1516/WildenhainSportsMedicine

Thankfully, my gracious parents, live less than 2 miles away from Marymount, where I grew up in Arlington. {Ryan is loving the <5-minute commute.} After considering our options, we decided to stay at my parent's house for few months while sorting out the details of our move and where I would be working. In order to not pay any August rent, we made a dash back to Sweet Briar to move our belongings into my parent's garage. In a short 48 hours, we successfully cleared out room in the garage, packed our entire apartment, loaded it into a 17' truck, and unloaded it into our "section" of the garage. We could NOT have done it without the help of my parents, my sister and our dear friends Amy, Bryan and Koonce. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Would you say that is an expected newsy update since it was already out there that we were both job hunting...? Well, to further the excitement....

Surprise! We are expecting a baby in late February!
We found out I was pregnant in late June, between our NC and midwest travel adventures. Even with so many changes all at once, we are very excited for our growing family. More to come on the pregnancy.... per Meme's request and Heather's strong encouragement, I will be trying to keep a pregnancy blog.

In Illinois on June 28

Another major change for us, is my own employment.... As it seems, our news pieces are starting to come together.

This week, I accepted a Medical Assistant position at an Orthopedic Physician Office in Reston, VA!
Since moving all of our belongings to Arlington, I pushed forwarded with a new narrowed search, looking in the Northern Virginia area. After being discouraged by not finding an employer that recognized the possibilities a certified athletic trainer could provide, at my new job, I will be doing more than just bringing patients to the exam rooms or doing laundry in a PT clinic. As a Medical Assistant, I will be working directly under a physician or PA, in a physician extender role. I will take vitals, medical histories, follow through with orders, and educate patients. I will also have the opportunity to train to become an Ortho Tech, which will allow me to do casting and bracing as well. This type of position will be a major change of pace for me. I'm looking forward to the adjustment to consistent hours and working 4-5 days/week, set at 40 hours/week, with weekends off!


So many changes, and so much more to come. It is amazing to me how God continues to write our love story, each and every day. God loves us more than I could ever possibility understand. His plan is perfect and beyond anything I could ever conduct myself. He is amazing. 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight."           Proverbs 3:5-6