Baby Wotring - 18 weeks!

Baby Wotring is 18 weeks today! 

My handy iphone app informed me this morning that Baby Wotring is about 5 1/2 inches long and weighs almost 7 ounces (about the size of a bell pepper).  He or she is busy flexing arms and legs (baby workout y'all) and within the next few weeks I should start feeling those little movements. A few times I've thought I've felt something but it's hard to tell when it's so subtle. I think if I give it a few more weeks it will be unmistakable!

18 week bump

I gained 1/2 lb this week bringing my total weight gain to 5.5 lbs. I'm surprised it wasn't more this week because once I got my appetite back from being sick I couldn't stop eating! I've had some random cravings lately. In addition to any and all types of gummy/chewy candy (Twizzlers, Mike & Ike's, Skittles -- you name it!) I've been craving bagels and cream cheese. I mostly eat Paleo but I've given in to some of these cravings the last few weeks because I can't seem to get wheat bagels with pumpkin cream cheese out of my head!!!

Baby Wotring is a pumpkin fan

So how am I feeling?  Pretty good! I'm not quite 100% but I'm definitely feeling MUCH better than I was last week. I have a few days of antibiotics left but they've really helped kick that sinus infection to the curb and hopefully I can keep me and Baby Wotring healthy over the next 22 weeks! Otherwise I can't complain. Not really experiencing any aches or pains yet, no heartburn and no headaches since I've been feeling better  -- hopefully it continues!  **KNOCK ON WOOD**

This weekend I've planned a date night for Ray and me but we also plan to go check out cribs at some point. We've hit a roadblock. I'm a fan of the more modern looking cribs (see last week's post) and Ray likes the more traditional ones with high backs. I'm pretty confident we'll be able to work out our differences on this though. We've disagreed about far bigger things! 

Baby Wotring - 17 weeks!

WOW! I can't believe how quickly we are approaching the halfway point -- it seems like we just found out we were expecting sweet little Baby Wotring!

This week Baby Wotring weighs about 5 ounces and is about the size of a turnip (about 5 inches long from head to bottom). The baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone and he/she can move his/her joints and sweat glands are starting to develop.

I got hit hard this week by sickness. It started with a headache and sore throat lasting a few days but quickly progressed to painful sinus pain/pressure and congestion. After a few visits to the pharmacy, I realized a lot of typical OTC medications are off limits for pregnant women so I made an appointment with my doctor and it was confirmed I had my first ever sinus infection. I knew the level of sinus pain I was experiencing wasn't normal and I was happy when my doctor told me there are safe antibiotics to treat sinus infections during pregnancy. After just two days on the medication I'm feeling better and slept MUCH better last night compared to the last five nights. Best of all, it's reassuring to know the medication is fine for Baby Wotring.

My best "I'm sick" look! 

Total weight gain stayed at 5 lbs this week. I blame my sickness and lack of appetite. For several days, chicken soup, popsicles and cough drops were the only things I wanted to consume. I don't think I mentioned it last week but we made a decision on daycare and sent in our application and deposit! We won't know for a few more months if we are officially "in" but it's looking good so far and we've got our fingers crossed it all works out. We chose Merritt Academy which is a daycare and private school in Fairfax. It's close to home and we loved the environment and focus on stimulating activities to enhance our baby's development at such a young age.

This week I started investigating cribs too as it seems some can be on back order for weeks or even months. Here are a few under consideration.

 

October is for celebrating

October sure has been a busy month of celebrating some important people in our lives! We began the weekend in Leesburg, Virginia for the wedding of one of our favorite couples, Ashley and TJ.  I was one of Ashley's bridesmaids so we had fun getting our nails and hair done in prep for the wedding (we even made a trip to the gym on our wedding morning for a little sweat sesh)!

Ashley post workout chillin' with Hannah in the big tub... because she's the bride and can do what she wants! 

The bride and her curls

After three days of non-stop rain, the bride and groom had some luck on their side when the rain stopped just in time for their outdoor ceremony. I didn't get any pictures of their ceremony spot since I didn't have access to my camera but it was on beautiful stone pavilion on the winery property.  There were some gorgeous fall mums perched atop wine barrels that provided the perfect amount of decor.

Providing cover from the light rain during pictures prior to the ceremony

Lovely Kim making sure the boys don't get too wet

Ashley has known the woman who officiated the wedding for 20 years and along with TJ, they created a unique and touching ceremony and exchanged hand written wedding vows! It was absolutely beautiful and brought tears to my eyes. 

The ceremony was followed by a delicious dinner and wicked fun reception!

Pittsburgh cookie table

From a crowd pleasing cookie table (a Pittsburgh tradition), to wonderful Virginia wines (once again, none for the pregnant lady), to great music and dancing, and catching up with old friends and coworkers -- it's safe to say we had a blast and couldn't be happier for Ashley and TJ! A few more pics from the evening...

Me and the husband

With the beautiful bride

NPAF ladies with our old boss, Grayson

Congratulations to Ashley and TJ! We hope your future is filled with lots of love, happiness, laughter and good beer! 

******

The next morning, with six hours of sleep under our belts (not nearly enough), we readied ourselves for our godson Ben's 1st birthday party! 

Ready for the cake smash!

Ben dug into his cupcake and even went mouth first a few times which was super cute! He got tons of great toys and other gifts from his family and friends. It was great celebrating this wonderful milestone with him, his parents and the rest of the family. It seems like just yesterday I was holding him when he was 3 days old!  More pics from the birthday below...

My MIL and the birthday boy! 

Ben and my FIL playing the drums

Two handsome boys

Lots of good presents for Ben. This seemed to be one of his favs!

De and Alec lovin' on the birthday boy

Us with our awesome godson

Happy 1st birthday to the wonderful Ben!!! We love you and look forward to helping you celebrate many more birthdays! 

Baby Wotring - 16 weeks!

Second week in a row I'm late with the weekly update but it was another busy weekend celebrating the marriage of an awesome couple and the 1st birthday of our godson! 

This week Baby Wotring is the size of an avocado and in the next couple weeks will double his or her weight and add inches in length. Also, the patterning of the baby's scalp has begun, though hair isn't recognizable yet. 

I had my 16 week appointment this week and everything looked great. After taking down my weight (total gain so far 5 lbs) and blood pressure, the doctor took some other measurements and I listened to the baby's heartbeat. The doctor guessed the baby was a boy based on my lack of morning sickness during the first trimester and the baby's heartbeat but obviously her guess is as good as mine. I told her we'd know in 4 weeks and for now I was just happy everything was looking good. 

Bump definitely visable this weekend prior to the wedding festivities

This week I was feeling a little moody as I'm sure my husband will attest to. Despite the crabbiness and four days of straight rain, we had a nice night out celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary. At dinner we talked about how next year we'll be celebrating as a family of four (can't forget about Brownie) which brings a smile to my face just thinking about! My pre-pregnancy wardrobe is slowly starting to feel too snug and there are a few pants, shirts, dresses and skirts that I just cannot wear anymore but I knew it was a matter of time so I guess I better start embracing elastic waistbands! 

Coffey - Elliott Wedding

We spent the weekend in beautiful Afton, Virginia (outside Charlottesville) celebrating the nuptials of our wonderful friends Taylor and Evan!

Vacation picture from our trip to Italy with the happy couple in April 2012

It was a great weekend celebrating with the bride and groom's family and friends! Taylor and Evan had a beautiful wedding ceremony and reception at Veritas Vineyard.  We were so happy to be there as Taylor and Evan recited their vows to each other and exchanged rings and Ray was especially thrilled he could be part of it as a groomsmen for Evan.

Gorgeous vineyard overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains

The bride was absolutely stunning and it was obvious by just looking at the two of them how happy they are together and how in love they are. I have no doubt they have many years of happiness together in their future and it's fun to think back on when the four of us all met at Stateside Associates. 

Blessing before an amazing dinner

Lots of former coworkers of ours were in attendance so it was nice to catch-up with old friends and get our dance on all while celebrating the bride and groom! 

Me with the new Mr & Mrs

Taylor and Evan planned a beautiful and unique wedding.  Their dinner was creative and super tasty. They decided to forgo a traditional wedding cake for a gelato and cookie bar that was an absolute hit with us! Here are a few more pictures from the fun wedding! 

Me and the hubs

Ray with several groomsmen and friends of the groom

Ray with our friends Preeti and Chris taking a break from dancing for a photo

Preeti and me

Not a great picture of the bride and groom during their sparkler send-off

Congratulations again to Taylor and Evan! So thrilled for the two of you and best wishes for a long and happy marriage! 

Baby Wotring - 15 weeks!

We've been out of town for a few days celebrating the marriage of two dear friends so my regular weekly update is a little late but here's a quick rundown on week 15!

This week Baby Wotring is the size of an orange and although the baby's eyelids are still fused shut, he or she can sense light. One of the baby apps I downloaded on my phone said if I shine a flashlight at my tummy Baby Wotring is likely to move away from the beam. Crazy!

Probably the last time I wear this dress for quite some time!

I took the above picture at exactly 15 weeks before Evan and Taylor's rehearsal dinner. Just a few weeks ago this dress fit much more comfortably than it did the other night and I think it's obvious I've got a bump! I didn't weigh in this week but plan to next week to see where we are at before our 16 week doctor's appointment. 

This week I felt pretty good other than a headache that lasted three days. I resorted to taking some pain relief one day but did a little research to make sure it was safe for baby. My energy is back and I've been craving gummy candy! We also visited our first daycare and were really impressed with what we saw and the people we talked to.  I'm sure it was obvious we are first time parents by the number of questions we asked but thankfully they were understanding and answered ALL of them. We have two more daycare visits this coming week and we'll re-evaluate whether we are ready to make a decision or need to broaden our search at that time. 

Off to relax after a busy couple days! 

Big Dan has a birthday

We spent a fun weekend at the lake celebrating my FIL's birthday with the family!

Frank trying to get in on the cake action

It had been awhile since we were with the whole family but it was great to catch-up with everyone including my SIL and her fiance Alec and Ray's cousin Evan and his wife Lauren -- and of course our cutie pie godson Ben! 

This is fun!

Ben thought the dog water bowl was the best toy around and he entertained us all for a good 30 minutes splashing around and pretending to drink from it. Don't worry, we made sure he didn't actually drink any of the water! 

As usual, my MIL prepared us an awesome feast and we spent the evening watching football on the couch with full bellies. 

Brownie and Huey = best cousins

The dogs agreed it was a busy day and they wanted to do some relaxing too. We had to remind them they aren't human though and we get first dibs on seating! The next morning we got up and took the pooches for a walk before having some breakfast and hitting the road back up to NOVA to get ready for our short work week.

Happy Birthday Daniel! Glad we could help you celebrate this weekend!