Week 14

How Far Along? 14 Weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 1 lb (I was down 3 lbs at the doctor's office)   

Baby Related Purchases: I went to Kohl's on Friday and bought a super cute black and white polka dot maternity dress! It looks 1940s/50s and I'm planning to wear it on Easter :-) I also found a super soft turquoise tunic on sale for $7. Apologies to male readers, but I also found some really comfy undergarments that are finally the same size as my growing body.

Stretch marks?  None! I've been using Burts Bees Belly Butter for a week and its now part of my morning routine. Its so soothing and I highly recommend it! I have permission to share this- this morning, as I was applying the lotion, Austin started singing "Belly Butter, Belly Time!" Oh. My. Goodness. 

Sleep: Maybe I've been just getting used to dreaming every night, but I don't feel like the dreams have been quite as intense lately. I still stay really tired and I've noticed that I'm sleeping lighter in general. Last night's sleep was pretty rough. Austin's phone decided to freak out and remind him to charge his phone at 4 a.m. multiple times.   

Movement: No baby movement yet, but I'm definitely feeling a lot more stretching! 

What I miss: Not having to eat every 3 or 4 hours! I feel like I've been planning my entire day around my eating schedule lately. I really do feel better when I don't let my stomach get empty. Avoiding "food emergencies" is generally a good idea.  

Cravings: No crazy cravings this week! I'm still really enjoying lemonade (Cracker Barrel has lemonade in a frosted mug that is sooo good!) and Chick-fil-A sandwiches with pickles.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I think I've moved past feeling like I want to gag each time I brush my teeth! I'm still not able to handle anything that is super creamy or rich. I ate a cup of Broccoli and Cheddar Soup from Panera yesterday, and it just didn't settle very well. 

Gender: We will find out at our next doctor's appointment on May 9th! However, we are planning to do some kind of gender reveal gathering/announcement (as long as Baby Ward is turned the right way!) so we won't announce it until several days after that. We will also announce the name along with the gender :-) 

Labor Signs: None! 

Symptoms: Fatigue, Vivid Dreams, Stretching

Belly Button In or Out? In

Happy or Moody most of the time: The first part of this week was really hard, since Donna Maye passed away on April 7th. I was pretty emotional because of that. As the week progressed, I felt better and we had a great weekend!   

Worries: Earlier this week, I shocked myself on an extension cord, which was not fun. I was attempting to plug in my cell phone charger to the extension cord on which part of the casing was broken. My finger was in just the right place to cause a little jolt. I freaked out! I started googling "shock from extension cord while pregnant" and was comforted by the fact that other pregnant women have done this (and much sillier) things. To make sure, however, I called the nurse on call at the Jackson clinic. She said I had nothing to worry about as long as I didn't have any other symptoms, which I didn't! I will be avoiding extension cords from now on!

Best moments this week: There were several wonderful moments this week, especially towards the later part of the week into the weekend. The highlight was getting to hear Baby Ward's heartbeat at the doctor's office on Thursday afternoon! It felt like forever before she found the heartbeat (I was trying to stay calm as she searched for it!), but hearing it was just like music to my ears! It is steady at 151 beats per minute, which is exactly in the middle of the average range for 14 weeks :-) My blood work and urine sample came back perfectly normal as well, so the visit was very uneventful! That is a good thing!

That night we ate dinner at Chili's with some dear friends who are expecting their little girl to arrive any day now! It was so fun to catch up, share funny stories and anticipate parenthood together!

On Friday, I went on a mini-shopping spree to Kohl's and bought some much needed items as well as a cute dress and comfy shirt :-) I also picked up some baby shower and wedding gifts that I ordered and bought online, but picked up in the store! I must have been living under a rock to not know about doing this! Never again will I get a headache searching for a specific registry item in the store! The day concluded with a lovely dinner at Cracker Barrel with the Mayfields (where I had their delicious lemonade in a frosted mug!)

Saturday, we started the day by doing our taxes! We have a really great tax lady at H&R Block who we've gotten to know over the years. It was so fun to share our news with her and project what kind of return we might get next year once Baby Ward makes his/her arrival! Its also good to know that we're going to get a nice return this year :-)

The afternoon was spent at our dear friend, Courtney's baby shower at Dumplins. Dumplins is the cutest, feminine restaurant that is perfect for luncheons and showers. The party was in the Garden Room, which was decorated in green and had pretty wrought iron garden furniture. It was fun hanging out with friends and celebrating the anticipated arrival of little Charlotte!

Later that day, I watched "Father of the Bride 2", which I've been wanting to watch since I found out I was pregnant! I'm such a sapp! I loved it and cried probably 5 or 6 times :-) Austin is a saint for putting up with me!

Sunday after church, I went to a bridal shower for my sweet friend, Olivia! It has been a joy to walk with her as her relationship with her fiancee began, through their courtship and into their engagement! I'm so excited for them to get married in just a few weeks!

Sunday evening, Austin took me to see "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"! I LOVED it!!!!! Captain America is my favorite superhero anyway, but the move was really really good! I highly recommend it! Just as a side note, if Baby Ward is a boy, he will have a Captain America costume :-)