Bumpdate- 18 Weeks

(picture taken at 6:30 in the morning. hints the bags under my eyes)

Baby's Growth: At 18 weeks little bit it the size of a mango or sweet potato. This week facial features are developing and it can yawn, hiccup, swallow, and maybe even suck its thump. According to my app, the baby is like a karate martial artist by punching, kicking, and thrashing about, I just can't feel all of its movements yet.  

Boy or Girl: The time has come. This Thursday will be the day we will find out:) 

How I'm Feeling: Anxiety about our appointment has set in. Last time we saw the baby it was 7 weeks and hardly the size of a gummy bear. Now we will see all its arms, legs, blood circulation, and take vital measurements! It's nerve wracking to me because I just want everything to be healthy. I know once we see that sweet baby on the screen all those worries will fade, but anticipation is getting to me now:) 

Favorite Moment This Week: Sunday here was a rainy day. Evening church was cancelled and we were able to come home, get in our PJ's, and watch a movie on the sofa. Sundays are so busy for us because we are gone all day, so it was such a nice break to get to be lazy on a rainy day. 

Thankful For: Our mamas! They are coming into town and we are gearing up for a tear filled trip with lots of baby talk! 

Bumpdate- 16 and 17 Weeks

Baby's Growth: Currently I am 17 weeks and right baby is the size of a pomegranate! It's bones are starting to harden, the brain is now controlling the heartbeat at a steady rhythm instead of just random intervals, and the arms and legs should have reached more human like proportions compared to the head. 

Boy or Girl: Only 2 more weeks until we find out! I've really started praying hard that we will be able to see everything at our next appointment! I am also nervous to make sure the anatomy scan goes well on that day and everything looks healthy and normal.

"Little bit, now listen to mama, you are not allowed to cross your legs on Feb. 27th!" 

Cravings: I don't think I could survive right now without mixed fruit cut up from the deli, Special K granola mixed with chobani vanilla yogurt, and gatorade. I drink one small gatorade with dinner and I look forward to it every day:)

How I'm Feeling: Headaches and weird dreams have been recently occuring this past week. I've never had a migraine before, and I know I'm not having them now, but they are definitly the worst headaches I have ever had. The kind where it starts around noon one day, goes on all through the night, and you wake up the next morning still with it. Just a constant pain in my brain:) Weird dreams have also started. I dreamed just the other night that I was teaching and we had a fire alarm, but we were all trapped and couldn't get out. 

Favorite Moment This Week: I found my dream pair of maternity jeans! They fit perfectly, feel like I'm wearing yoga pants, and are super stylish. They are skinny and I can easily roll them up into cute capris. Also, girls yall will totally understand this, but they make but bum look nice and perky:) I was afraid maternity jeans would be fumpy, wouldn't fit my little short legs, or make me look like an old lady.  Old navy, skinny pant, normal leg maternity jeans is where it's at! 

Thankful For: One of the joys of living in NOLA is Mardi Gras. I am really thankful that we get a week off for Mardi Gra and one for Spring Break. I'm counting down the school days, only 8 and 1/2 for me, to make it until that sweet blesse'd week off!

Bumpdate- 15 Weeks

Baby's Growth: At 15 weeks baby is the size of an apple or an avocado! It is about 4 inches long and is practicing breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid. This week the eyes are moving closer to the font of the head and their ears are moving to the sides to make our little bit look more like a human and less like a little alien:)

Boy or Girl: Mark your calendars because we will know February 27th which one it is! We are very excited to have our mama's flying in to go to our apointment with us! When we told our doctor that they were coming into town for the apointment she laughed and said that we better make sure we have plenty of tissues! I'm so glad they are traveling all this way to share in the moment!

Cravings: We went to the movies Saturday to see Lone Survivor and I finally got my coke icee! Let's just say I was 'that person' making the really loud slurping noises during the movie to make sure I sucked up every last drop!

How I'm Feeling: I'm doing good. No complaints this week! I'm sure Chris is excited because I am thinking I'll be able to get back in the kitchen to make dinner this week. He has had to man the meal making the past couple of weeks and has done a wonderful job, but I'm sure he is glad to pass that torch back to me. 

Favorite Moment This Week: Thursday we went to our 15 week doctor appointment and got to hear the heartbeat again. This time we could really hear it, loud and clear! Chris even recorded it and we emailed it to our parents to share! We got some tear filled phone calls from Gran and Papa after they heard that wonderful sound!

"Best dang heart beat there ever was!" (we're not partial or anything)

Another pretty awesome part of the week was both of us having our schools cancel for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. As you can see the amount of snow/ice we got was just plain detrimental.

Clothes: This week I'm going to go look for 1 pair of work maternity pants and 1 pair of maternity jeans. I want to find some jeans that I can roll up to make into capris without looking weird. I'm going to go check out tjmax and goodwill first, then I'll check out oldnavy or gap. My pants are fine now, but I know one morning the next couple of weeks I'm going to wake up and have an ugly cry over having nothing to wear. Let's avoid all ugly cries if possible.

Most Looking Forward: Getting this next week over with. With the days off for weather last week I have to pack a lot into my students this week to make up for it! It's gonna be a doozy. 

Thankful For: I can't get over how thankful I am for our families right now. The precious phone calls after hearing the heart beat recording will be something I hope to never forget. Even though we have distance between us our families have really reached out to be there, by calling and text messages. Even last night, I sat and listened to Chris skype with the Carder Clan and it is so much fun making jokes and being included even though we aren't there in person!