19w3d and doing fine :)

It's been a while since I've come around... But, with this being the end of the school year, things have continued to be hectic! I am definitely looking forward to Summer break and a little R&R. Still, I will be very busy getting the nursery cleaned out and starting to prepare that, as well as helping with Baby Shower plans and everything in between...

Here is what is currently going on:

How far along: 17 weeks, 3 days!!

Total weight change: +6 total, based on Doctor's office scale. We have no scale at home... Have to wait until my next weigh in, which will be tomorrow!

Maternity clothes: Same as last time... The only thing "maternity" I have purchased has been a belly band, which I use with most of my jeans... I have one pair of jeans left that fit comfortably, because they were huge on me pre-pregnancy... but ALL others are either too tight or don't close at all. I feel most comfortable in leggings, stretchy pants and dresses. I need to do a little shopping...

Stretch Marks: Yes, same as before, unfortunately :( I bought some "Bio Oil" which has come highly recommended for this "issue", and I am hoping it works. It does smell nice, though :) So far, so good!

Movement: None, that I've noticed... But I have a feeling these gasses and other little funny feelings may be the start of some noticeable movement ;)

Sleep: Still love my Boppy Total Body Pillow! :) :) :)

Best Moment This Past Week: Finding out that our integrated screenings all came back normal, and getting to see our little boy again :) the anatomy scan went really well, and apparently he was already weighing 10oz!

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Tossing my ENTIRE breakfast this morning, and then continuing to feel like garbage afterwards. Thank you to saltine crackers and sprite!

Belly Button In or Out: Still in, but not as deep as it used to be...

Cravings/Aversions: Pizza from this place nearby called "Roman's" and strawberries :)

Symptoms: Occasionally tired, but I blame that on things being so hectic... MS has died down a bit (aside from that episode I had), so I am hoping it is gone for good. Boobies are currently not sore, but huge!

Here are some shots from our last ultrasound at 8w4d :) next one is on June 20th!!!













- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

19 weeks

Before I get into how everything is going, I just want to tell everyone that we found out on Monday that we're having a BOY!! =oD Mr. CB and I couldn't be happier. You ladies know...with our histories gender doesn't matter in the least; just a healthy baby. Anyway, everything looked good according to both the US tech and my OB. Lil Man weighs 11oz and apparently was feeling happy that morning because he was waving, stretching and being fairly cooperative with the tech. He even had the hiccups a little! I can't wait until we starting picking out names and working on the nursery.

Other than that wonderful news, everything has been going well. Not having any nausea and my sleep has been pretty much nil. I bought a body pillow last weekend because surrounding myself with normal pillows was cutting it. The pillow is super comfortable but I'm a little too tall for it because the middle doesn't line up with by belly right (I'm 5'8") but I'm surviving. I do notice that my ankles are swelling a little bit but I have been on my feet a lot this week with work with our new medical records system. My hair is growing very quickly, and coming out more when I comb it (only in the shower when it's wet because it's so curly) and my acne has gotten better except on the 4 week increments when I would normally be on my period.

I'm feeling Lil Man move around a little more in there, but I'll admit to wanting to be far enough along so that I can feel every movement and have family/friends be able to feel him move as well. I've never been very patient, but I have no choice in this matter.

I know I haven't posted any pictures of myself (ever, I think) and I need to post a pic from the ultrasound, but unfortunately that may have to wait a little bit. We're going to New Jersey tomorrow for my brother's graduation from Coast Guard boot camp. So I'll try to get on here to do that this weekend or early next week.

Talk to you guys next time and thinking about all of you!

19 Weeks

It is incredible how fast time is starting to fly by. In the beginning time seemed to move so slow as there were so many small landmarks I was waiting for such as my first beta, second beta, 6 week ultrasound, 9 week ultrasound, and getting off my terrible progesterone shots. I was also nauseated and puking most days and in pain from my shots.

Now I am feeling much better and am not so stressed and concerned as I was in the beginning so the time is starting to fly by. I felt so great this last week, and did not have any pregnancy symptoms at all.

This week our baby should be around 8.5 ounces and 6 inches from head to rump and it's brain is developing specialized areas for smell taste, hearing, vision and touch.

I have my 20 week ultrasound one week from today!

Holy Crap 19 weeks!

First things first - I'm done with school for a few weeks!  Yay!  I'll be teaching summer school in July, which part of me thinks I'm crazy for, but until then, I have time for baby things (oh yeah, and planning a new class!)

Starting in mid-May, Mr. Teacher Bud was working like crazy (we're talking 95 hrs in one week at it's worst) and since then has been out of town for work a lot.  So I've been itching to get going on daycares, registering, etc. but we haven't done much yet, because obviously I want his input.  He's almost done with his last trip, and then we will be diving in head first.  My goal is to have a daycare selected, a registry most of the way complete, and furniture ordered by the time I start summer school on July 6th.  Wow, now that I write that out it seems like a lot!  *Gulp*

We have looked at 2 daycares, already, and I have a list of other ones to look at, so that is a step in the right direction.  We also want to cloth diaper, and I have a small but growing diaper stash.  We have so far 2 newborn fitteds, 3 small covers, 2 adjustable size pockets, and 3 newborn pockets.  I know we need a lot more, so we need to get on that too!  So far, I've just been buying CDs when they show up on babysteals or zulily.  I also found the 3 covers at a garage sale!  I was surprised, but so happy to get them for only $2 each!  I've also been uying some clothes at garage sales too.  Here's a picture of my haul one day - only $12 for all of it!

credit: me

I'm still buying mostly gender neutral stuff, because we don't know the gender yet.  But we have scheduled our ultrasound!  Our ultrasound is at 8am a week from tomorrow!  I am so impatient and can't wait! 

Belly Measurement/Weight: Still not really up to pre-pregnancy weight.  It has me a little worried, but I'm trying to think it's just my thyroid medicine doing it's job.  My belly is definitely getting bigger!  I had my 1st stranger ask when I was due this past week.  At my appointment they said that my uterus is now up to my belly button. 
Physical Progress: We're up to Mango!   It's pretty strange though, I bought a doppler from a woman on a pregnancy message board that I frequent, and baby is always, always on my right side.  It seems strange. 
How I am feeling about my body: I am mostly done puking!!!!  I hardly ever vomit anymore, smells still get to me, but I'm off the zofran, and doing soooo much better.  I'm using a pregnancy pillow most of the time, and do have some lower back pain. 
Cravings/Aversions: Tomatoes - I love them, but I just cannot eat raw tomatoes.  It's sad. 
Energy Level: The same.  My mom walked me all over the earth yesterday running errand, and I was so exhausted afterwards that I almost went to sleep at 8:30!   
Baby Movement: I think so.  Not from the outside yet though. 

19 Weeks

How far along: 19 weeks 3 days

Total weight change: +8. The 2nd Tri packing on of the weight has begun...

Maternity clothes: Pretty much all the time.

Stretch Marks: No, but sometimes the skin feels tight.

Movement: I'm feeling the little guy most times when I sit/lay still. Usually its rolls, occasional flutters. Still no solid thumps.

Sleep: Better than last week. Still up about 3 times a night for the bathroom.

Best Moment This Past Week: Feeling more regular movement and not having the stress of the week before.

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: Nothing really comes to mind. In the scheme of things, its been a really great week so far.

Belly Button In or Out: Definitely still in

Cravings/Aversions: Food. Lots of it.

Symptoms: Mostly the appetite and our wiggly little boy. My feet are starting to get a little achy sometimes. I'm thinking their changing like I've heard some womens feet do while pregnant. Editing to add in that heartburn started up during the later half of the week.

What I'm Looking Forward To: DH being able to feel his son kick.

19 weeks already!

I cannot believe how fast time flies during 2nd trimester. I've been traveling almost every week for work, and on the weeks I'm home (about once a month), we've been doing *something* baby related. I'm writing to you today from my hotel in Asheville, where I'll be until tomorrow. This might get long, I apologize!

Here's where things stand:
Today I'm 19 weeks, 3 days. My last doctor's appointment was at 15 weeks, and my next appointment is on Tuesday (20w1d). (I'm supposed to be going every 4 weeks, but the last two have been 5 weeks apart thanks to scheduling limitations on my part--I'm hoping to schedule the rest of my appointments at Tuesday's visit--24, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41). Baby is now the size of...something. The fruit tickers seem to be off. Apparently this week is a mango but next week is a cantaloupe? Seems like a large jump to me!

I'm feeling great--energetic, my appetite is back, I've lost most food aversions and am not having too many cravings (and none for weird foods), and I'm physically comfortable. Emotionally, I'm doing well too. Mr. Magnolia Bud and I still worry about the financial aspects of having Baby MB--especially daycare--but we're budgeting and will make it work.

Speaking of daycare, we decided a few weeks ago to put off looking for a placement until we'd each hammered out our leave options at our respective jobs. This week we were able to do that--he'll be taking a full week once the baby's born, and then working half days for the next two weeks. I'll be taking off from the time the baby's born (sometime in September) until work resumes after the New Year (Jan. 3). Most of my leave will be paid, except for December--which is do-able for us financially. We're both so excited I'll be able to stay home for almost four months, and that the baby won't have to start daycare until he/she is a smidge older than we originally thought.

We had our anatomy scan on April 20, and everything looks great. I was 18w2d, and baby was measuring 19w2d--a full week ahead. Femur and humerus were measuring 19w4d...so we're hoping that means we're going to have a tall baby, just like us! Baby also weighed in at an estimated 10 ounces last week. Here are our favorite pictures--the first is baby with his/her hand behind head, and the second is baby pointing which direction is "out" {it was head down, heehee}:




I've also finally started showing! Some days I still just look a little chubby, but here's a pic from this week:


Mr. Magnolia Bud finished painting the nursery, and we finished our registries at Babies R Us and Amazon. If you have any suggestions for registry *must haves,* please let me know! Almost everything on our lists came about as a result of recommendations from other moms and mommy bloggers.

I think that's it for now. Hope you're all having a great week!
Love and baby dust to everyone...
Magnolia Bud

"Big" Ultrasound!!!

Hellllloooo 19 weeks!!! I feel like time is dragging by so slowly!! Speed up already, I'm ready to meet this kiddo!

We had our anatomy ultrasound this morning. Baby is still a beautiful boy and healthy as can be!! He was incredibly active, moving all around and rarely stopping. Everything looked absolutely perfect. Heart looked great, brain looked great, spine, kidneys, etc. He's a big boy, already in the 62nd percentile at 11oz. Heartbeat was steady in the 150's.

We loved watching him move around in there. He was constantly touching his face and putting his hands in his mouth. And stretching his super long legs out as straight as he could get them! That's not going to feel very good in a few weeks...

Dr. M said that we should start feeling him on the outside in around 3 weeks. That will be so awesome!

A little concern about the Braxton Hicks I was having yesterday. I was averaging around 4 an hour all day long. They weren't painful, but they weren't very comfortable either. She said it was a little early for that to happen that often so she wants me upping my water intake to make sure I'm as hydrated as possible. If they still continue, I'm to call.

There is also some concern about my pelvis being too narrow for a VBAC so when I go back in 4 weeks, they want to do some exams/tests to measure it. And Dr. M said they will also be monitoring baby boy's head size towards the end of the pregnancy since Little Sunflower Bud's head size was the reason I ended up with an emergency c-section.

For someone who was initially upset when finding out it was a boy 3 weeks ago, I was panicked at the thought that it might be wrong and be a girl after all. I couldn't love this little boy more and I'm so proud of be the mother of a son.

We decided against the bedding we used with Little SB and I instantly fell in love with the Giggling Turtles set from Baby Gap... only to discover it was discontinued!! But a very dear friend from high school found it at a local consignment shop in perfect condition!!!

I'm so excited. My mom is coming up this weekend to paint the nursery. We're going to do green walls and I ordered navy and dark green turtle decals from Etsy.

We ordered our dresser and glider as well and they should both be here by Monday. My mom is taking me shopping this weekend and she's going to buy us a new travel system. Our infant carseat is pink so we need a new one and Mr. Sunflower Bud doesn't love our Jeep stroller as much as I do so he wants a new stroller.

~ Sunflower Bud ~

Enjoying this time

Every morning I wake up and am so happy and grateful that our little person has stayed with us. Til this day it does not feel real to me, I tell my husband I think it will finally feel real when I have him in my hands.

This week we had our Doctor's appointment and it went AMAZING!! We confirmed it was a boy and we were able to see him in 3d/4d. WOW.. I cried, I felt as if I met him at that moment. He has Mr. Buds nose... adorable.

I have been feeling really good and have no complains... I've been getting my energy back and have had no more nausea.

Here are a few belly pics.. This week I'm really starting to show and am loving it!!! I'm loving how to accessorize my bump :)

And this week at 19 weeks...

After our 12 week appointment I was dying to purchase my baby bag. This was something very personal to me, I know what I wanted and did not want anything that screamed out BABY!! Especially since I have to go back to work and will take my breast pump to pump milk through out the day.

I had a 20% off coupon and headed into the outlet and found this beauty on clearance for 50% off!!! It was meant to be.....

I have tons to post... Nursery, pregnancy fashion and tons more!

Almost 19 weeks....

This past week was our anatomy scan. It went really well :) I was a little nervous going in to it just because I obviously wanted everything to be great and thankfully it was.

Baby LB is still measuring a week ahead of schedule and it weighing in at 10 ounces.
All of his parts were present and accounted for....except for his feet! See, my son loves to sleep and much like his father has no interest in participating in any sort of activity while he is doing so. This happened at our first NT scan @ 11.5 weeks (hence having to repeat it). The tech (who was really nice , btw) got all his measurements and the last thing he needed to check was the feet. Baby LB was tired. You could tell from the moment he started because he was in a little ball. When he was checking out his face he had his arms up covering it, rubbing it, and yawning.
When it came time to check his piggies he had his knees up to his chest and was curled up in such a way where he couldn't get was he needed. The tech was poking and prodding trying to get him to wake up for a couple of minutes....nothing. So he suggested I lay on my side for a few minutes to see if that would help get him to move....nothing.
So we get to go back in 4 weeks to try again. :)

We have an u/s schedule at our 20 wk appt. so if my OB wants to check for them there than we won't have to go back. I'd rather not have to since @ the perinatologist we have to pay a co-pay because it's a specialist and at the OB we pay nothing because my insurance covers it all 100%.

Other that than, feeling Baby LB is becoming a little easier. The kicks are a little more noticeable and sometimes I can feel it from the outside. Mr. LB has yet to feel it. Hopefully he will soon!

This week MIL is taking us to order Baby LB's crib. SIL is in town so we'll be making a family date out of the whole thing.

It's been a good week :)

He's Moving!

A neat revelation this week is that Little BrainyBud has been on the move! It started on Sunday and felt a lot like a fish flopping in my stomach. Then, each day, he moved more and more. And last night, I felt a distinct KICK! I woke up my husband and cried for joy! I cannot believe this is really happening! I'm half way through this pregnancy, and I'm beginning to love it more and more.

Faith, Love and Baby Kicks,
Mrs. BrainyBud

What to Wear?

First off, here is a quick update:

Week 18
Pretty uneventful, except telling everyone, "It's a Boy!" and "No, we will not be telling his name until he is born."

Week 19
I felt him MOVE! The only way I can describe it is a fish in my stomach.... you know how a fish flops when taken out of water, that is what my son feels like. Nice image huh?


As long as the weather doesn't reschedule a work event Saturday, I will be going to a Bachelorette Weekend in Nashville, TN the first weekend in February. I have really been looking forward to it, so I hope I'll still be able to go.

Now for the question of the week, what to wear? I am still able to comfortably wear my normal size 10 clothes, even with my nice, cute, new little baby bump. ALTHOUGH, if I wear a belt, my pants feel uncomfortable when I sit down and if I don't wear a belt, my pants fall down when standing up and a wind up stepping all over the bottom of my pants, POO!

I want to dress comfortable and cute next weekend with the thought that I may have grown by then, so I'm THINKING of running this weekend to purchase a couple pair of maternity type pants... What do you think? I'm thinking a pair of black dress pants and a pair of nice denium trousers. But THEN, I have to figure out what to wear for the tops! Most of my clothes are still packed up until we find our house, so that means, I may have to purchase tops too!

Here are a few things I've found online, tell me what you think...

Friday Night Dinner Out (and I'm sure that they will do some partying too)

(Imagine this top in teal, with a jeweled neckline)

Image from AnnTaylor.com

Image From Gap.com

Saturday Daytime Shopping

Images From OldNavy.com

As you see, I'm really stumped... ANY SUGGESTIONS???

Faith, Love, and BABY FLUTTERS! (finally)
Mrs. BrainyBud

Hormones? What Hormones?

That has become a favorite saying of Mr. Hopeful Bud. He thinks he is so funny. The fact is, some days I just need a good cry just because. Other days I suddenly become very pissy, for no good reason, again just because. Most days I am happy, excited and loving life. But on those few moments, Mr. HB's only appropriate response is "hormones? what hormones?" When he says that, it usually makes me laugh and realize I'm just being emotionally charged by hormones. Gotta love 'em! My sister says they don't go away after you have the baby either. This tidbit of information makes Mr. HB squirm a little.

Well we have happily made it to 19 weeks! I can't believe we are almost half way through this adventure. We haven't even started working on the nursery. That is going to take a lot of work. Home projects have a history in our home of not moving very quickly, so I need to start creating some sort of game plan to get everything in order.

So if this week is 19 weeks, that can only mean that next week is 20 weeks and we all know what happens around 20 weeks. Our BIG ULTRASOUND!!! It's our first and only U/S so I am really looking forward to it. We are very anxious to find out if Baby Hopeful Bud is a boy or a girl, but I am even more excited about just seeing him or her for the first time. I'm always so jealous of the ladies that get to see their babies early on. I know our baby is in there because I have started feeling little "flutters", but I can't wait to see his or her head, 2 arms, 2 legs, 2 eyes, 2 ears, a beating heart, 10 fingers, and 10 toes. I just want to see my baby so badly!!! 9 days from today we will see our little one!! Yeah I can't wait!!!

At 19 weeks, Baby HB is the size of a mango (6 inches and 8.5 ounces). I'm not one of the most sentimental people around, but when we first found out we were pregnant, I found an apple seed and placed it on my desk. I still look at that apple seed every day and am constantly in complete amazement at how there was something so small as an apple seed in my stomach a few short week ago and now there is a mango.

That's about it. I still feel great. I believe maternity clothes shopping will be in the plan for this weekend as my pants are growing increasingly uncomfortable. Which is weird since according to my last doc appt. I hadn't gained any weight. Who know?!! I can't wait to post you on our u/s next week. Please say a little prayer for our baby HB, that he or she cooperates and shows us the goods!!!

Take care and stay hopeful!

And the Big U/S Reveals

That we are more than likely having a girl. Our U/S tech couldn't find any evidence of boy parts but couldn't get a 100% definitive shot either. So as of right now Mr. Daffodil Bud and I are expecting little Madeline Rose aka as Little Daffodil Bud.

I am starting to feel definite movement now and boy she has been active the last few days, the most active times have been while I am at work and right when I want to go to sleep. I just can't believe that in a few short days I will be halfway through my pregnancy and that much closer to meeting my daughter!

The next few weeks are going to fly by with Holiday things happening. Next weekend is my mother and I's yearly baking weekend for Christmas. I am hoping that in a few years my daughter will join us and enjoy it as much as I have through the years , my mom and I have baked together for the holidays for about 30 years, of course I do more now than I did way back when. I am making this post a short one.

Hopefully I will have some more to report soon. Until then I leave you with my 19 week Bump pic and little Daffodil Bud's 1st picture :)

The Name Game - part 1!?!?

After last weeks BIG ultrasound, it's time to pick a name. This could be interesting...

Neither side of our families have "family names" that we could pass down and now that I know we have to pick a boys name for some reason all these really cute girl names come to mind?! Hmmm...

Photo Credit

Mr. GB has it set in his mind that Baby GB is going to be his Jr - NOT going to happen! Not just because I don't like the idea, but because I have valid reasons (at least I think they're valid). My father is a Jr and he constantly got teased being called Little R instead of R Jr. Additionally, being a Jr poses problems of credit report, banking information, and other personal information getting mixed up. Especially between two men who share the same address for a good 17-18 years?! Also, using Mr. GB Jr would make his nickname the same as my sisters - weird?! Maybe it's just me - Mr. GB and his mother (a whole other story) don't seem to think these are valid reasons.

So, that's where our discussion ended. I really don't understand the need for names to carry on?! Isn't the fact that Baby GB carries his last name enough? I guess not. I think I'm going to suggest that we separately make a list of 10 or so names in the next few weeks that we individually like and then we'll compare. He can include his idea of Jr or variations of the nickname he likes. I'm going to try to include some ideas with his first name as the middle name so he feels like his name can carry on since that seems important to him.
Photo Credit

We have 21 or so weeks... I'm worried this may not be enough time to agree on a name - stay tuned!!! In the meantime, here's what Baby GB is up to this week.

Baby's now the size of a mango!

Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil, and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

Photo Credit