Strong Little Heartbeat

              It seems like yesterday I was in Dr. Mazdai's office for my initial 8 week checkup.  Today (5.23) I went for my second checkup at 13 weeks and 4 days.  I decided to take my Grandma Vatter with me because she is going to be taking care of the baby after I go back to work, and I knew that would mean  a lot to her.  It was a short, but sweet checkup.  The nurse checked my weight and my blood pressure, and she said that Dr. Mazdai would be in the room in a few minutes.  They are so nice at that office.  

           I wasn't sure if we would get to hear the heartbeat today because I heard that it could be too early without an ultrasound.  Dr. Mazdai entered the room smiling as always and she asked how I was feeling.  She told me that my tiredness should begin to go away anytime, usually between weeks 14 and 16.  Then she asked me to lay down so she could find the heartbeat.  I meant to take a voice note of the sound, but I almost forgot so I quickly pulled up the video camera on my cell phone and just pointed it to the floor.  I uploaded the video to YouTube so you guys can hear.  
            First you will hear my heartbeat, but then you will hear the baby's.  It is fast and strong.  I cannot resist smiling from ear-to-ear when I hear it.  It is reassuring to hear, and to know that everything is good.  And I love that Grandma was able to be there for it.  Click below to hear Baby G's heartbeat on 5/23 at 13 weeks and 4 days.

        Dr. Mazdai said that all of my numbers are good from the urine test, that I am gaining a healthy amount of weight and that the baby's heartbeat sounds perfect.  Thank you, Lord.  We are very blessed.  And we are super excited, because in just 5 weeks we will go for the gender ultrasound!  And Sunday, July 1st is our Gender Reveal Party.  Time is flying by!  
     P.S...if you could not hear what Doctor Mazdai said in the video, she said the baby's heartbeat is between 163 and 169.  So, if the heartbeat test is accurate, it will be a girl!  But my Grandma Vatter says it is a boy because it has a strong heartbeat.  I don't have a feeling that it is one sex over the other.  Kenny, my Dad, my Mom and my Grandma Vatter all seem to think it is a boy.  We will just have to wait and see!

The Phantom Expense

     After squeezing into my pants for the past couple of weeks, I finally broke down and purchased a pair of black maternity pants for work.  By the end of my work day I just feel like unbuttoning my pants, but I cannot exactly do that at work.  I have been reaching out to friends that are moms to find out where they purchased their maternity wear.  Since the retailers know that these clothes are a necessity for moms-to-be, they aren't afraid to charge an arm and a leg.  Kenny and I drove to Target last night and I found some black pants for $35.  $35 is not that bad, but I think that is just a little high for Target.  When you're planning your baby budget, clothing for yourself is not one of the first things to come to mind.  This is why I am calling the mother's clothing a "Phantom Expense".

     I am almost 13 weeks now, so I guess it is time to start building my maternity wear collection.  From everything I read, this is about the time that a bump begins to show.  I see a bit of one, but to be honest I also just feel fat and bloated.  That in-between stage is odd and uncomfortable.  I do not feel confident in any of my clothing right now, and I am ready for the actual bump to make its appearance.  C'mon bump!

    While we were at Target, I also purchased a belly band.  This is a stretchy piece of fabric in a band shape that you slip over your head.  You can wear your pre-pregnancy pants unbuttoned and it helps to hold them up.  Some moms have referred to it as a "must have", while others have said that they do not care for it.  Other tips that I received include shopping the clearance rack at Motherhood (pricey!), and saving those 30% off Kohls coupons.  I also heard that Old Navy and Target have a better selection online... so one Mom suggested trying some stuff on at the store in person, but then order the sizes you need online for more options.  Other moms suggested going to a second-hand maternity clothing store to save some cash.    

    So many people have been very helpful!  I appreciate their willingness to share their experience and suggestions.  There is so much you don't think of through this process.  It is much more than figuring out what color to paint the baby's room and what kind of diapers to purchase.  We still have a lot to figure out and to learn, but it is an exciting journey!      

First Mother's Day

      It seems unreal to say... but today is my first Mother's Day!  The first of many more and I am very excited!  I enjoyed receiving text messages and calls from various people wishing me a Happy Mother's Day.  My Mother-in-law Marilyn was sweet enough to send me a card.  And my parents were awesome enough to purchase me a prenatal massage for my first Mother's Day.  I am super, super excited about that!  And it is funny, because I was just telling Kenny today that I would like a prenatal massage for our anniversary.
      This weekend was extremely busy.  I took the weekend off so that my Mom and I could travel to Columbus, Ohio to celebrate a family member's 50th wedding anniversary.  My Grandma asked me to play "photographer" this weekend, and my mom assisted with the decorations and food set-up.  While it was nice to see family from various states and to help Oscar and Rosie celebrate, it was quite an exhausting weekend for us.  The drive alone made us tired (about 3.5 hours), but we really did work hard on Saturday.  I actually found myself feeling a bit dehydrated by the end of the afternoon on Saturday and I told my mom that I needed to sit down in the A/C and drink some cold water.  I drank about 3 bottles of water in a row trying to rehydrate.  Gotta be careful about that and listen to my body!


Catholic church in Ohio



Oscar and Rosie



Beautiful



Cake in the face!



Dance



They had so much fun!

       But before we left for Columbus on Friday afternoon, my Mom and I stopped at Community North Hospital to meet Miss Adalyn Naoma Nelson.  Adalyn is Kenny and I's newest "niece"...the brand new daughter of our closest friends Brent and Ashley.   She was just born on Friday morning (May 11th) at 8:19am, and boy is she a keeper.  I held her for about 45 minutes, and my Mom had to keep saying "Okay Amanda, you have to put her down.  We need to get on the road."  I am sure that being pregnant makes holding her that much more special, but she is just so pretty.  I kept joking and telling Ashley that I was going to sneak her out and keep her.  

I love holding this precious girl.

        Aside from it being Mother's Day, I am about one-third of the way finished with my pregnancy.  As of yesterday, (Saturday, May 12th) I am 12 weeks along.  I cannot believe it.  How can I already be that far along?  I do not feel like I look pregnant yet, I honestly just feel bloated and fat.  We ran into a family friend yesterday and she is only 3 weeks ahead of me, and you can definitely tell she is pregnant.  I just want to have that official bump like her so I don't feel like people are thinking "Wow, she gained more weight."  It is not a good feeling.  And with all of my clothes feeling more snug, I am happy that Ashley offered to let me have some of her maternity clothes.  That is definitely a great offer because I have been searching on websites looking at maternity clothes, and you can spend a small fortune on that alone!  Who knows how long I can even wear those items before I need more.
      Overall it was a nice first Mother's Day.  Kenny and I went to Flap Jacks for breakfast and then I surprised my Mom with her favorite ice cream: Orange Leaf.  Mom and I drove to Metropolis Mall and looked around at Coldwater Creek and the Loft to find her some new clothes as a gift.  This afternoon Kenny and I went to his Aunt Connie's house to visit with the Gaddis family.  There we got to meet 1 week old Matthew...adorable!  Congrats Jessie and Matt!  And then we ended the day by driving back up north to the hospital to visit with Brent, Ashley and Adalyn. Adalyn is such a snuggler.  I held her against my chest for probably 30 minutes, and I changed her diaper and put her in her pjs.  She is so tiny that it was not easy, but I guess that is something that I will become more comfortable with.  Kenny held Adalyn for awhile too, and he was comfortable with her.  It's hard to believe that we will be holding our own in just 6 months.
     The best thing I can have for Mother's Day is knowing that my baby is healthy.  Other than the tiredness and fatigue, I have still felt just fine (thank you, Lord).  No morning sickness, and no nausea since about 6 weeks.  I keep watching the calendar because my next check up is on May 23rd (right around the corner) and then just a month later we will have our gender ultrasound.  If you haven't heard, we are not going to find out the sex in June during the ultrasound.  We are going to wait until July 1st when we will have a gender reveal party and find out at the same time as our family and friends.  Cannot wait!  I have already been purchasing decorations and planning the menu!  I love party planning!
    I have not posted a photo since the 8 week picture.  I am beginning to see a little bump.  You might not be able to tell, but I can.  Here it is!


12 Weeks



12 Weeks...see the little bump?



Maya wanted in the photo :)

Venting About The Early Questions

       Don't get me wrong, I love talking about my pregnancy.  It's fun to share the details.  There are just some questions that we have to laugh or shake our head about.  And after reading some of the pregnancy forum posts...many, many pregnant women feel the same.  I decided to document some of the questions that I/we hear.  I'm sure my fellow Moms can relate. :)    


1) "Are you happy about it?"
       Really? Do you expect me to say no? Of course we're happy. This is a blessing that we've been looking forward to.


2) "Are you sure you're ready? You're so young."
      First, I will be almost 26 when I deliver and my mom had me at 21...last time I checked the most popular show on MTV is 16 and Pregnant. Second, I learned about contraceptives many years ago. Pretty sure I wouldn't have let it happen yet if I wasn't prepared. We have great jobs, support and are financially stable.


3) "But you're still in school, aren't you?" Or "So are you finishing your Master's now?"
     When the baby is born I will technically only have one class left. Trust me, we thought this through. Sure, it won't be a cake walk. But thankfully we have a ridiculous amount of support and I've always been the type to handle a lot on my plate. No one is asking about Kenny still being in school. Yes, I'm finishing my Masters degree. This doesnt change my goals.


4) "You're still doing Zumba?"
          My doctor actually recommended I continue my work out routine as long as I don't exceed my heart rate range. She also said I need to work out at least 3 times per week. It helps baby and I both to stay healthy, is proven to help with delivery and will help me to control unnecessary baby weight.


5) "Are you sure you should eat/drink that?"
       You think I don't know I need a well balanced diet? Doc told me what I should avoid, and what is allowed. And yes, caffeine is allowed in moderation too.


6) "You know you won't want to work after you have the baby, right?"
     I'm a workaholic with very specific goals. I know the baby becomes priority...I know I probably won't want to leave him/her each day. It's part of life though. I've never seen myself as the stay at home mom type. And work is part of providing a great life for our child. Maybe you didn't want to, but you don't know that I won't want to either.


7) "You don't realize how difficult this is going to be, do you?"
       Billions have been first time parents before us. Do we feel as if we know it all? Of course not. But we are going to figure it out as we go along, just as everyone else does. It makes me feel like we are being looked down upon when people talk like this. Are they trying to talk us out of it or what? Too late for that.

First Trimester Cravings

     So far I am not having any super odd cravings.  I am definitely having them though.  I will never forget working my first job at Chick-Fil-A at the young age of 15 and taking a man's order at the counter.  He said, "I need a number one (chicken sandwich meal), but please NO pickle.  And can you make sure that the sandwich has not even touched pickle?"  I replied, "Okay, is there an allergy we should be aware of?"  And he said, "No. It is for my pregnant wife, and the mere smell of pickle makes her  throw up.  But she keeps craving your sandwiches."  I never forgot taking his order even though it was over 10 years ago, and since that moment I always wondered what kind of cravings I would experience myself.

    Over the past few weeks I have learned that aside from being sleepy a lot, the most difficult part of my pregnancy has been making healthier choices when I eat.  Sure, it seems simple.  But as a retail sales manager putting in long hours and coming home to hours of homework, many times it is much more simple to go through a drive thru or to order a pizza.  Eating for two now, that is not ideal.  Have I entirely avoided fast food?  No, not at all.  But when given the option I am choosing the side salad over the fries, and the grilled over the fried (most of the time).  

     A change that I thought would be extremely difficult, but has not been quite so bad is giving up caffeine.  I have had a close relationship with coke.  I get excited about Cherry Coke especially, as well as a caramel frappicino from Starbucks.  Since I found out about 4 weeks ago I have honestly only had 1 drink with caffeine and I only drank half of it (a medium).  I really did not enjoy it that much, so I think my taste for it has changed.  Because I am weird about "public water" (that is what I call water they serve as restaurants) I generally take a bottle of water with me or order Sprite or fruit punch when we go out to eat.  Sure, they contain sugar but I figure that option occasionally is much better than the large coke full of caffeine that I would have ordered in the past.

     I do have cravings for vegetables.  Brocolli and green beans sounds better to me than a Ruth's Chris steak right now.  Kenny has been eating grilled chicken with some sort of green vegetable almost every night, and I have been inhaling the leftovers of the vegetable he makes.  Odd I know, but I guess Baby G wants those nutrients... which is good!  I find it interesting that I love Reeses cups and when I was given some for Easter they sounded disgusting.  And while I have always liked grapefruit juice, it has become one of my number one cravings.  Grapefruit juice???  I literally drank one jug of it within about three days.  I did notice all of the acid was bothering my stomach so I have stopped drinking it as much.  

     Something else that I think is odd is that I usually love all ice cream... especially Orange Leaf frozen yogurt and Coldstone Creamery.  I am not saying that I would not eat it if it were given to me, but Orange Leaf doesn't sound very good and Coldstone sounds amazing.  My favorite is the Founder's Favorite with Cake Batter ice cream, add peanut butter (hint, hint).  Kenny has stopped on his way home from work and brought me some while I was working.  Very sweet of him!  And maybe Baby G is going to own a winery one day because the only thing I have had a craving for that I cannot have is a good glass of Reisling.  Don't worry... I won't be acting on that craving when it comes around.  Oh and, below you will see a photo of the addicting bread sticks at Kilroy's in Downtown Indianapolis.  Kenny and I went downtown for the day last Saturday so I could get some, haha.  
     My overall favorite meal right now is from Panera Bread.  I absolutely love the brocolli cheddar soup in a bread bowl, either the greek salad or asian sesame salad.  I have to have chips and the raspberry tea with it.  Soup in general is the best to me right now.  The other day I was having one of my "I gotta have it now" brocolli cheddar soup cravings and I convinced Kenny to take me.  I waited for him to get home from work, we drive to the one at Metropolis mall and I wait in line to order.  I anxiously order my soup with a smile on my face and the cashier replies, "We are out of brocolli cheddar soup today."  She broke my heart with those 8 words...how can Panera be out of brocolli cheddar soup?!  The raging hormones made me want to cry and yell at the same time, but I took a deep breath and kindly ordered the chicken tortilla soup instead.  She is lucky that I had a good day. :)  Just kidding.  No raging hormones here...yet. Haha. I will update about my cravings as time goes on.

Founder's Favorite from Coldstone Creamery

Bread sticks at Kilroy's Downtown Indianapolis

My FAVORITE meal right now.  Brocolli Cheddar soup from Panera!

I could not decide between the two :)

Saigon Chicken Pho (amazing Vietnamese soup)

   

Announcement Photo Taken 04.25

     Initially, we were going to wait until after my 12 week appointment to make the announcement.  But Doctor Mazdai said that the chance of a miscarriage after hearing the heart beat goes down to 5% and she thinks that it is okay to tell everyone at 10 weeks.  This Saturday (April 28th) I will be 10 weeks, but I want to tell my boss before we begin spreading the news.  I have a good relationship with my boss, and the last thing that I want to do is have him find out through the grapevine and wonder if it is true, or why I did not tell him myself.  When I see him next week, I plan on having a chat with him about it and then spreading the word.  The only issue there is, I am not sure the next time I will see him face-to-face...especially without a lot of other people around. 

    Yesterday, my good friend Ashley who is a photographer (Ashley Nelson Photography) stopped by to take our announcement photo.  She is very close to having a baby herself, so it was super nice that she took the time to stop by our house (poor thing is at the miserable stage).  I cleaned up the kitchen, bought a bag of buns and used puffy paint to write " Mommy" and "Daddy" on chef aprons.  I put a hamburger bun on a cookie sheet, and she captured a shot of Kenny and I knelt down and putting the bun in the oven.  She got a nice shot!  Now, with her still busy working I just have to hope that she gets the photo uploaded before she goes into labor.  Otherwise, it won't be going out for a little longer. 

    We plan on sending the announcement out to about 50-100 of our family and friends.  Even to the ones who know the news... we figure it will be a nice photo for them to keep.  And, now that we have the gender ultrasound scheduled I am already planning the Gender Reveal Party.  Time is flying so far.  I cannot believe I am 10 weeks already.  It seems like yesterday we found out the exciting news ourselves!

The "Mommy" Apron

   Ashley did such a great job with the photo!  She has been great to our family with our various life events.  If you need anything in regards to photography I definitely suggest her!  She is located on the Westside of Indianapolis and does everything from family, to weddings, to engagements and Senior photos.  She took our engagement photos, some wedding photos, photographed my Grandma's retirement party and my parent's 25th wedding anniversary celebration.  I sure that I am forgetting something.  Thanks for being so amazing, Ashley! 
      Below is the announcement photo.  Initially Ashley and I were going to try to find a street sign that said, "Bump Ahead" to take the photo with.  But, we could not find one any where!  Everything that I found just said "Bump" or "Caution Bump".  I did not think that those would be appropriate.  So, I thought about it for awhile and I came up with the bun in the oven idea.  I am very happy with how they turned out!  30 weeks to go (and still no morning sickness...YAY!). 

First Ultrasound 4/20/12

   Yesterday (Friday, April 20th) I went in to get my first ultrasound.  I was so excited that I counted down the days leading up, and since my appointment was not until 2:30pm, the day moved quite slow.   It was my first day of vacation to study for my final exams and I met my Grandma Vatter for Gray Brother's (YUM).  Kenny and my Mom met me at the doctor's office to see the ultrasound.  I took a bit longer to decide on a physician, so they had to schedule my first ultrasound and doctor's visit separately.  I will not see Doctor Mazdai until Monday.

    I felt slightly nervous.  For one, although I Googled what to expect during my first ultrasound, spoke with a close friend and I read about it in my What To Expect When Expecting book...I did not truly know what to expect.  Second, although I know I had multiple positive pregnancy tests and I am still having some symptoms I felt I needed to hear the heart beat and see it for myself to believe it.   Knowing a person is growing inside of you is a bit difficult to wrap your head around.  I was ready for some additional confirmation.  I am going to go into detail for those who want it... I know that a couple of years ago I followed a blog of a mom-to-be and I really appreciated hearing about the small things so I would know what to expect.  So for those who don't want to hear all of the details, I understand.  Some do want all of them though, so this is for you. 

     With my notebook with questions in hand, we walked into the office for the first time.  I signed in and they gave me about 10 pieces of paper to fill out and sign.  This packet of papers included an area to fill in my medical history, Kenny's medical history and our family's medical history.  It took me about 7 minutes to fill everything in and I sat on the edge of the waiting room seat as I waited for them to call my name.  I had a lot going through my head... "What will we be able to see? How big is the baby now?  How far along am I?  Can we hear a heart beat?  Will there be a heart beat at all?"  My mind was racing a bit.

    After waiting a few more minutes, we were called back to a room for my ultrasound.  Brandy, the ultrasound tech, greeted us and told Kenny and my mom they could sit down.  I saw a patient chair with stir-ups, a large computer and a big television on the wall.  Brandy said, "Okay Amanda, you are going to have a vaginal ultrasound.  Step into that bathroom right there and take everything off below the belt.  Wrap this around yourself before you come out,"  She handed me what looked like a napkin the size of a beach towel.  I actually ripped it a little bit just trying to wrap it around myself because it was so thin.  

      You would think that the moments to follow would have been very awkward, but honestly everything happened so quickly (and for future mothers... it was painless).  Within seconds she had a visual of our baby up on that large television screen.  I could not believe it.  I was speechless.  That was MY baby before my eyes!  That little thing on the screen with a head, arms and legs is mine!  Brandy said that everything looks great and that the baby's heart rate is 180.  She then pointed out that you can see where the umbilical cord is, the eyes, nose and ears. For something as small as a kidney bean, I could not believe the detail already.  Truly amazing.  

All of the photos :)

Side view... you can see all the detail!

      Brandy printed off some photos for us to take home with us and informed me that I was between 8 weeks and 3 days, or 8 weeks and 6 days...due date is between November 24th and 27th.  She said that Dr. Mazdai would decide which date they would use.  It is so nice to have a better idea now!  And I cannot wait until my appointment on Monday so that I can find out the exact date that will be used.  

Kenny looking up close at Baby G

      We were sent into a different room where I met with a nurse who asked me various questions.  She asked everything from is this your first pregnancy, to all sorts of questions about medical history.  The last thing that I had to do was get my blood drawn and urinate in a cup for them.  Pretty simple appointment, and we were all on a high from seeing the baby.  I took photos of the photos and text messaged them to my Dad.  He loved seeing them.  I also forwarded the pics on to Brent and Ashley. 

      With a date pretty well nailed down, I could not wait to get home to take my 8 week photo.  The first of many more!  I put on my new shirt that I ordered on Etsy and had Kenny snap some photos.  I also took some photos with my DSLR of the ultrasound photos.  My Grandma Vatter was so excited that she drove over that evening to see the photos.  And I must share, that Kenny decided that the baby looks like a Sour Patch Kid right now.  He is such a goof.  And there is a little irony there... because remember we told our parents that I am pregnant with small Easter baskets that included Sour Patch Kids?  Oh and we didn't think about it until later, but there is only one in there for anyone that may have been wondering.  I wouldn't mind twins...would love them actually...but Kenny, he would prefer to start with one haha!  SO glad to know that our baby is healthy and growing just as he/she should be.  Thank you, Lord! :-)

The little Sour Patch Kid next to Sour Patch Kids :)

8 Week Photo

8 Week Photo...like the new shirt???

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