I'm back!

First and foremost - let me apologize to you for abandoning my blog in the first place - between the pure exhaustion of pregnancy, going to school full time, and working full time I got rather busy.

Now for the update - since I last posted we have found out that we are having a little girl and we will be naming her Olivia Laine. The plan for right now is to call her Lainey however she may come out looking like a Liv or something totally different. I am officially 31 weeks and starting my 8th month of pregnancy - yay for me! I am getting so big! I have only gained 12 pounds but I look like a whale - I did maternity pictures last Sunday so I should have them up soon! I have graduated from school - I now have my degree in graphic design and I am considering trying to find a new job after I get off maternity leave.

There is a lot more I need to update you on, like my trip to Labor and Delivery last week - however that will have to come in a later post.

Time.

Dear God,
Will you please make more time in the day?
Thanks,
Amanda

Sorry- I haven't blogged in FOREVER, I just am so busy and when I am not busy I am in my favorite place in the world- my bed. Hopefully I will get a chance to blog soon. Second Trimester starts THURSDAY - YAY!!!

3 months

Tomorrow I will be three months! A lot has happened since I last posted, first and foremost, last week I took a test called intelligender and it said that I was having a boy! The test is 80-90% accurate, and since I feel like thats what I am having anyways, I am fairly certain now. Here is the test



Also, my mom has decided to take me to a place called 4d peek (www.4dpeek.com) to find out what the gender is on February 13, which is a Saturday so Todd is going to be able to come, yay!!!

We also got some snow this weekend, after two days of non stop snow we probably got between 1.5-2" of snow. Which was exciting at first, until I couldn't leave my house because we live on a hill, oh and I had no food. Mid day Friday they cleared our street and I was able to go to Walmart on Saturday so me and Amara could eat. Here is a picture of the snow on our back deck.



Also I had a doctors apppointment yesterday, and thankfully my blood pressure has gone back down to normal and even with my new baby bump, I have actually lost some weight, also very good! And best of all I got another ultra sound, not as good as the last one but at least I got to see my baby. Here are the pictures of my bump and baby.

almost 10 weeks

I have disappeared the last couple of weeks. The holidays have definitely gotten the best of me. But since the last time I posted I got a new due date and a picture of my baby. Christmas has also already passed by and I got a lot of new stuff for the baby. My mom got me all gender neutral things - and most especially "Goodnight Moon" it was my all time favorite book when I was a kid. My grandma got me all boy stuff - hope we are right on that assumption - but I love it all! I will have to put pictures up of all the stuff. I also got intelligender from my grandma - its supposed to be 90% accurate when done correctly so I will be doing that at around 12 weeks. So my new due date is July 29, 2010 and the heartbeat was 151bpm during the ultra sound at 7 weeks 5 days. I am so excited to actually be able to hear the heart beat at my next appointment which is January 13. Todd and I are also currently planning a little beach get away in March to use our free airline tickets - its safest to fly during the second trimester. Hopefully I won't be too big of a whale by then. And hopefully we will be able to find out the gender right before we go - that will definitely make the trip.

7 weeks

I woke yesterday morning at exactly 7 weeks nauseous as could be! Ended up dry heaving in the toilet which made me feel a little better. So this morning I ate crackers in bed and drank some sprite before I even got up! Well here is my 7 week picture...huge as can be, so so sad.

UPDATE

Well I haven't written since last Wednesday after my doctors appointment. So here is an update on everything that has happened this week.

Friday- I got a call from the doctor saying that my HCG levels taken at 5w3d (w=weeks d=days) was over 4,000 which meant I had a good pregnancy...yay! And since it doubles every few days I am sure the number is huge now!

Saturday- I went to my parents and went shopping with my mom and got 5 pair of maternity pants for $56.00. Yes I said maternity pants. I know I am just shy of 7 weeks. But I am already starting to show! Here is a comparison:

5 weeks exactly

6 weeks exactly

Monday thru Thursday - I had finals this week, 1 Tuesday and 2 Wednesday. 2 were for my art classes the third was math....which I am HORRIBLE at. Monday and Tuesday I felt pretty good and event Wednesday when I first woke up I felt good but mid way thru my shower it hit me like a ton of bricks and I felt BAD. On my way to my 8am math exam I stopped and got some nutter butter cookies and sprite, which definitely helped. And I think I actually did really good on my exam...yay! Wednesday Todd left to go to Arkansas. So I decided to go the grocery store that night, well that won't be happening again. I was smart enough to eat before I went but a lot of the food we normally get looked disgusting, and stuff I have never eatin before looked good. So needless to say we have a lot of different food now. Not only that but I spent almost twice as much as normal, and when I got home I realized I forgot the milk! So no more grocery shopping alone while pregnant. Today (Thursday)I found out that I get my first ultra sound on Tuesday morning, I am so excited to see Fidget and hear its heartbeat!

As far as how I am feeling, I definitely don't feel as bad as most women. I have waves of just feeling really run down. Like right before you get the flu and you have the chills...I get that for a few hours and then it disappears. Really weird. Today I had my first craving for mashed potatoes and I went over to Whole Foods and got a things of mashed potatoes and mac and cheese (cost me $14!) and devoured it...mmm!

I will try and post another update on Saturday...maybe with a new belly shot.

Doctors Appointment

Today I went to the doctor and he drew some blood to confirm the pregnancy and check my HCG levels. I can't wait to find out what they are, I should know by Friday!

As for going in for my first real doctors appointment. That won't be until December 15. My new doctor won't see me until I am 8 weeks, I will technically only be 7.5 but thats their fault for asking me when my LMP (Last Menstrual Period) was and not how long my cycles are, not everyone is 28 days. I am hoping they do an ultrasound then, I can't wait to see and here my baby!

Mom had already nick named the baby "Fidget" along with making it its own christmas tree with pink and blue ornaments. And I thought she was going to be upset....

I have spoken with my mother in law about helping with the baby once it gets here. I think what I will work from home at least part time.

Now as for me. I still feel pretty good...at least no morning sickness yet. I am SUPER exhausted in the morning and it takes me a few hours to get in the swing of things and start feeling normal. I am constantly running to the bathroom, which I know is typical. At first I had no appetite but boy am I making up for that now. I have to eat a full meal every three hours, I am constantly starving! And to making the bathroom visits worse is I am constantly dying for thirst, I have a water in hand 24/7 mom says the baby needs it for the amniotic sac so I don't mind, its good for me and the baby. And my favorite of all....I can't fit in my clothes already...talk about depressing. I am going to have a huge stomach before Christmas. I just take it as reassurance there is a baby in there.

Here are the names we are thinking of:

Girl: Ashlynn Raleigh, Charlie Olivia, and Lilliana Renee

Boy: Trace Allan, Michael Owen, and Ellis ?