I'm Going Through Changes...

I guess I haven't really realized how my belly has gotten bigger every week, mostly because I live with it so I don't notice all the small changes.


Here are some photos of my weekly progression:

16 weeks



18 weeks


16 week


18 weeks


It's subtle, but I can see the changes! I'm getting closer to my halfway mark, and so far I've gained 9 lbs. I can live with that! But I'm starting to develop some allergies, or cold like symptoms that have made me pretty sedentary. I'll feel much better when I can feel normal again and get some energy back.

This weekend I went to St. Louis and took the plunge and invested in cloth diapers. Everyone thinks I'm crazy, but they have no idea what cloth diapers are actually like. These are not your mother's cloth diapers(cloth and pins)! They are just like disposable diapers, but much more absorbent(they have microfiber inserts), and they last you until your child is potty trained so there is no need for replacement. They cost $18 per diaper though, and you need 24 to make it work. I bought the all-in-one diapers, which you can alter from newborn to toddler with snaps. Here is a photo of the way they look, with diagram, in a color I bought:



It costs a lot up front, but down the line it is going to be an incredible savings(people spend $1000 a year on diapers), on top of being SO much better for the earth. I feel so good knowing I won't be contributing to thousands of diapers being dumped into a landfill. It is a complete personal decision, but one Ian and I felt was best for us. Just trying to do my part, you know??? :)

My 20 week scan is coming up, and I am so excited! We'll get to register in St.Louis right afterward, and that is going to be overwhelming; things will REALLY start to kick in then.

I thought I would share the good news that Bank of America approved us for a home loan! Yippee! It only lasts for 90 days, so we might have to renew it but other than that, its a relief to know we have the first part taken care of. I've been looking mostly in the Columbia area now since we decided $135,000 is probably the max we can go; the homes we want in Ashland tend to be in the 140,000 and above range. We have luckily found tons of homes so far in the area that are perfect for us and are in the 129,000 range. I am very positive we will find our dream home soon!


On the baby front, I am learning he is QUITE the kicker. I think he's going to be a soccer player! He just kicked me again! This should get interesting... :)

Please forgive me!

Okay, I admit it, I have been a complete slacker this past month. I didn't feel there was much to report though. The time from 13 weeks to now, 17 weeks, was really dull, and not very fun to be perfectly honest. Though I am so fortunate to have sidesteped morning sickness and most of your typical first trimester woes, I have been dealing with one symptom that I didn't expect: migraine headaches. I mean, bad. All day, every day. I worried that taking tylenol on a daily basis was going to be bad for the baby, but my doc insisted he'd be just fine. So I've been doing just that, but still feeling pretty guilty that I'm pumping my body full of medicine. I wish there were alternative methods, but so far, there hasn't been much offered my way to help. So I'm getting by, but there are days I wonder if I can take 5 more months of this intense pain. My body is starting to become immune to Tylenol, and thats not a good thing! All I want for Christmas is a freaking massage at this point.

On a much happier note, I can finally feel the baby move! I'm very lucky to feel him so early on in my pregnancy, and good thing because I was about to lose my mind in anticipation! When I'm not getting ultrasounds, my mind starts wandering with unnecessary stress. At least now that I can feel his movement, its reassuring. It actually happened when I was 15 1/2 weeks and I went to Mandy's for some girl time and Mizzou football. We made nachos and those jalapenos must have been spicy because he let me know for about 10 minutes! I knew it wasn't gas(you would think making nachos, right?)- you can't mistake those little flutters! It is really the best feeling I can describe. You tend to forget you have this tiny growing human being in your stomach and out of nowhere, he reminds you and you can't help but smile. At the risk of sounding corny, its so amazing.

My 20 week ultrasound is set for October 9th now, and the gender will be revealed. I love that there are all these little milestones you get to look forward to. Just when you think it couldn't get better, it really does! And the ultimate prize is seeing and holding our baby for the first time. It will be surreal to see the baby at 20 weeks and maybe even get a small inkling of who he looks like more already. All I know: the baby better get Ian's height!

I'll post some photos of the belly soon; its certainly getting bigger and changing everyday! And even though I barely know my body anymore, you better believe its all worth it!