13 Weeks.....

Thank you Tracey for doing the photo for me!!!! 

How far along? 13 Weeks 6 days 

Baby is the size of a: Peach

Maternity clothes? Just a sweater my mom bought me right when we found out I was pregnant. It's comfy and the only thing that isnt tight on me at the moment! My mom and I are going to do some serious Maternity shopping when I go home in September, she is the best :)

Stretch marks? Just the boobs, I am religiously coating myself in body butter and bio oil. Seriously determined to avoid any stretch marks. My skin is constantly greasy but I am over it!

Sleep: Falling asleep is great, I could go to bed at 7pm every night if I allowed myself to. I am having the most crazy ridiculous and vivd dreams though and I wake up trying to figure out what is real and what is a dream! Usually wake up around 5:30am and then I am wide awake!

Best moment this week: There have been a few good ones, but I got to really spend time with a few of my friends this week (Kate and Maree), I feel like I have been a hermit for the first 12 weeks so it is nice to really have some quality girl time. Also talking to my Grandmommy on the phone, she is soo excited for us and has informed me that our family "doesn't do boys so it must be a girl!" haha I love my Grandmommy.

Movement: Not yet, I am excited/scared to see what it feels like, wont be for a few more weeks from what I hear.

Food cravings: All I want in the world is a gross/fatty breakfast from Denny's or Ihop. I am craving american sausage SOOOOO bad!!!!! Also sushi, of course not just any sushi, sushi which you can only get in Tempe, AZ. I am finding it really annoying because most of the cravings I get are for foods I can only get in America!!!  

Gender: I think it's a girl, when I say I think, I mean I have myself so convinced it's a girl that if it turns out to be a boy I am going to be in complete shock! The husband is sure it's a boy of course....it's totally a girl. Dont get me wrong, I would be thrilled with a boy as well, I just absolutely think girl......As long as it is happy and healthy at the end of the day I will be one happy Mommy :)

Aches & Pains: Sore lower back...ehh and THE HEADACHES!!! I have constant headaches that I find are really hard to get rid of....any suggestions? And no, I am not dehydrated!!

Belly Button in or out? In, it looks a little different than it used to but is still very in for now!

Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of the dishwasher. It is horrible! I gag the whole time I load and unload it. I have been sick on and off this last week and I have found my saving grace, PEPPERMINT TEA! I could drink peppermint tea all day every day it truly does make a huge difference and helps my tummy feel better.

Nicknames: It depends on who you are talking to, Husband=Pod, friends and family at home=The Nugget, Me=little one.....with my family nicknames evolve to crazy ridiculous things over time....just wait until I get back from the U.S. in a few weeks, I am sure that my sisters will give it plenty more!

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy Happy Happy!!!! I am determined to enjoy every single second of this pregnancy and this time in my life. I see too many people not taking advantage and living in the moment while they are pregnant but I am determined to, even if I feel like I am a beached whale who doesn't fit into any of my clothes! haha

Looking forward to: The second trimester!!!! Starts tomorrow and I am waiting for that moment when I wake up and dont feel sick and have the energy I am used to. I am beginning to think it is all a myth and I am going to feel like crap for the next 6 months! Either way it is hard to believe I am almost in the second trimester, time will start flying I am sure!! Also just looking pregnant. I am sick of this in between thing where I look like I just ate too many cheeseburgers, I am ready for the actual baby belly!

Headaches......

OH THE HEADACHES!!!!! I have been having absolute worst headaches since about 8 weeks with this pregnancy. It's not every single day, but it is often enough to be incredibly annoying and frustrating.  Anyone have any suggestions besides medicine? I heard carbs are supposed to help but honestly nothing really has. I am drinking lots of fluids so I know Im not dehydrated....think I am going to go lay down with a cool wash cloth on my head in the dark and pray it goes away today....lets hope this is only a first trimester thing...

Weeks 9,10,11,&12...

The first photo I took during week 9 is when I was finally starting to feel a bit more like myself. I was very sick between weeks 7-9 and a little better by 10. For the first little while I was living on toast and apple juice (thank you to my sister in-law Jess for bringing it to me many mornings during that time!) but have now almost fully started to feel like myself again, minus the fact that I have been incredibly tired. 

Between weeks 9-12 I have been experiencing this horrible, almost tearing or ripping pain on my right side which appears to be the the scar tissue from getting my appendix out being stretched as I grow bigger and bigger......not so much fun. It is a very debilitating pain and brings me to a stand still in whatever I am doing. It seems to have gotten better and less frequent though. I only had my appendix out the month before I became pregnant, it has been a crazy couple of months for my body!

How far along? 12 weeks 7 days

Baby is the size of a: Plum

Maternity clothes? Not yet, although almost none of my jeans fit me anymore, I am having to do the trick with the rubber band around the button to keep them on. 

Stretch marks? Ugh, only on my boobs. About a week after I found out I was pregnant they started to appear and just keep getting worse. 

Sleep: Ok, except I am waking about around 5 or 5:30 every morning....

Best moment this week: The ultrasound where we got to see "pod" (as my husband calls it) for the first time.

Miss Anything: ALCOHOL. I really really really am missing the social part of drinking...and wine....ehh...only 6 more months right?

Food cravings: Pancakes! For the last two weeks I have craved pancakes like crazy!!!

Anything making you queasy or sick: raw meat, the refrigerator and dirty dishes all make me queasy. I unfortunately got sick last night after eating a piece of steak that wasn't cooked enough...my body just automatically rejected it. Not fun especially because it was at Tex's work function and I had to leave early :(

Wedding rings on or off? On for awhile I hope!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time unless I am hungry. If I am hungry dont mess with me or I might punch you in the face, Tex has discovered this a few times ;)

Looking forward to: The magic week (either 13 or 14 depending on who you talk to) when I really start to feel normal again and I am not so damn tired all the time!!!!

The Announcement

Here are the photo's I had taken to use as the announcement to all of our family and friends on the internet. As you may know I work as a photographer, so capturing every step of this along the way is really important to me. One of my best friends here in Aussieland, Maree Plummer, took these photo's for us (thank you again!!) I think it will be fun to be able to put these in the baby book so the little one can look back on them many years from now :)

From the beginning....

I am not normally a blogger. After I found out I was pregnant and realizing how hard it was going to be being so far away from my family and friends in America, I decided maybe a blog would be a good way to keep everyone updated :)

I found out I was expecting while I was back in the U.S. visiting my family. My mom, sister (Shanyn) and I were out to lunch when I realized there was a good chance I was pregnant. So after lunch we made a quick trip to the pharmacy to get a test and some champagne the family celebrate with or for me to enjoy in the pool :) Shanyn was beyond words excited, I was not so convinced thinking the test would come out negative. As soon as we got home we ran to the bathroom together to take the test (dont judge us haha) and sure enough within 15 seconds it flashed "PREGNANT". From what I remember I screamed and immediately began to cry from shock/excitement, as did Shanyn, who is the most excited Auntie ever.  My Mom and sister Falyn then came and freaked out with us for a minute. After a few minutes of spazing together I realized I probably should call my husband. Shanyn and I sat on the floor in my Mom's office to make the ever important phone call. He was just waking up in Australia and I said "Hey babe, so guess what....Im pregnant" his response "no your not" This went on for a few minutes, he figured Shanyn and I were playing a joke on him. By the time we hung up he was half convinced I was telling the truth, but I still got a text message later that day double checking it wasn't a joke. He was very excited of course :)Naturally Shanyn, my mom and I had to go straight out to Nordstroms to buy the little one it's first outfit. I then had to wait 2 impossibly long weeks to fly back to Australia and be with Tex.......

Here are some of the photo's from when we found out, naturally Shanyn had her camera out to capture the whole thing ;)

At lunch

Calling the Husband

Falyn was there for emotional support!

The 3 excited Aunties! (Suzee is on the phone from Cali)

Exciting times ahead :)