These updates are less about being a cool blogger and more about documenting my life and our story as a little family. I want this blog to reflect of my heart and my thoughts. This pregnancy signifies my longest dream coming true, so of course it is going to be a part of the blog! Feel free to read along or skip altogether if this isn't your thing. Cheers! :)
How Far Along: 4 weeks ... I know! We found out super early. As in just before 4 weeks. So early that we almost didn't believe it to be true for a bit there!
Size of Baby: A precious little poppy seed
Gender: I would be over the moon with either. Just praying nonstop for this to be full term pregnancy with a healthy baby.
Movement: Obviously way too early :)
Sleep: Normal for now. But note that I already do love going to bed early and often drink so much water that I often get up in the middle of the night to tinkle. Truth.
Workouts: Pure Barre x 5 and one 3 mile walk
Maternity Clothes: Confession. Bought a gray (surprise, surprise) maternity dress from Old Navy that I will wear through all my bumpdate pics. Not buying anything else for a while though!
Symptoms: Some slight cramping. And for the very first time in my life I have sore tatas.
Cravings/Aversions: None
Missing Most: Nothing! I gladly opted not to order a drink for the first time at our anniversary dinner. We were still on the fence whether I was pregnant at this point (faint lines makin' us feel cray), so I happily played it safe and didn't join Marky when he ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
Hubby: Is really excited, and it's really cute. Melting me when he refers to us as his two babies. Texting back and forth throughout the day about whatever baby related thing we're thinking of is pretty darn fun too.
Best Part of the Week: Officially believing [with a pinker line] that we really are having a baby on the morning of August 12, 2014. We only halfway believed it on August 11, our 2 year anniversary.
Can't Wait For: Pregnancy confirmation appointment at the doctor's on Monday! I think the baby will be due between April 21-24, 2015, but I can't wait to hear what the doctor thinks!WEEK FIVE
It's officially official!
How Far Along: 5 weeks!
Size of Baby: One app says an orange seed, another says a black peppercorn. Either way, I am amazed at how that poppyseed has already grown so much!
Weight Gain: Nada (P.S. I'm going to track this via the doc's scale when I have appointments...so for now these updates will be every 4 weeks-ish!)
Weight Gain: Nada (P.S. I'm going to track this via the doc's scale when I have appointments...so for now these updates will be every 4 weeks-ish!)
Gender: Still praying for a full-term, healthy pregnancy!
Movement: Nope
Sleep: Good! I'm just exlusively a stomach/back only sleeper, so I'm trying to practice sleeping more on my side
Workouts: Pure Barre x 5 and one 6 mile walk on the beach with Mama.
Maternity Clothes: Nope
Symptoms: Same...twinges of cramps mostly in my right side and still sore tatas. I also had to make mom leave Barnes and Noble because I really thought I was going to vom. I felt nauseous for the rest of the night but haven't felt anything since. Might've overdone it in the sun? Not sure.
Cravings/Aversions: None
Missing Most: This is still too new and exciting to miss anything! I only miss my sister!!! She was supposed to come down for the weekend so I could tell her the news in person, but plans changed.
Nursery: Is a guest room
Hubby: Still so cute and excited.
Best Part of the Week: Having my mom here for the weekend! We talked and planned baby stuff all weekend long. We even decided that I should hold out until 23ish weeks and not do the gender reveal until Christmas Eve...with my whole family at my grandparents' farm!!!
Can't Wait For: Telling my sister!!! Which Mom and I decided has to happen on FaceTime before I go to New Orleans. I reallllly wanted to tell her in person, but I guess that doesn't always happen when you live 4 hours apart. I'm sending mom home with a special aunt and uncle onesie for Hope and for Eric.WEEK 6
How Far Along: 6 weeks!
Size of Baby: A sweet pea! Bless it!!!! :)
Gender: Mom initially thought girl and has switched to boy. Hope thinks boy. Mark thinks boy. And because of all of that I'm mentally preparing myself for a girl. Ha!
Movement: Nope
Sleep: Fine...just missed my hubby and pup in bed with me being in NOLA for most of the week!
Workouts: Pure Barre x 5 and one 4 mile walk with Ashley!
Maternity Clothes: Ashley surprised me in New Orleans with a gift for me (as she knows she'll be giving the baby gifts later on)...and guess what it was?! Maternity yoga pants!!! I hear these are A-MAZING.
Symptoms: Still the same: twinge-y cramps and sore boobs. Felt some nausea one day in New Orleans with the heat plus gross smells, but I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one. It was just gross hot and gross stinky AKA that was most likely non-pregnancy related.
Cravings/Aversions: None
Missing Most: My husband while I was gone from Wednesday-Monday! We loathe being apart from each other.
Nursery: Still a guest room...really won't get super moving on it till this winter!
Hubby: Checked in lots on us while we were gone.
Best Part of the Week: Seeing Ashley, Nicole, and Lizzie who are all in on our family's little secret!!!!
Can't Wait For: Our ultrasound on September 9!!!!!WEEK 7
I'm not going to fill in the little survey for this week...because it kind of disappeared. Yesterday (September 3, 2014) we went in for an emergency ultrasound because I started bleeding and it kept up all day. Praise Jesus, everything is okay. And now with the ultrasound our due date with the doc is "officially" April 21, 2015. That puts me at 7w1d instead of 6w4d [as my original estimated due date was April 25, 2015]. So since week 7 passed by differently with our little date change up, I'm just going to document the events of yesterday.
I woke up, had my lemon water, drank my greens, and headed to Pure Barre. It was a normal day. Until 11am when I went to the bathroom and there was blood. Not just when I wiped but in the toilet too. And it kept coming. It was red and dark, and I was scared, clearly thinking immediately that was miscarrying. I called Mark bawling, hands shaking, and I hardly got 4 words in before he said, "I'm coming home." He is amazing and was in the house holding me a mere 10 minutes later. In those 10 minutes waiting for Mark, I called my mom (of course), the triage nurse, my sister (who thankfully didn't answer because that would've rocked her world/Crohn's all day), and my best friend Ashley. I left a [tearful sniffly] message with the nurse and waited for her callback.
The nurse called back about 15 minutes later. We chatted about what was going on. She told me to go buy some pantyliners, and if I was still bleeding bright red blood around 1:15, to call her and she would schedule an emergency ultrasound at the office closest to me. 1:15 came, and there was still blood. We were scheduled for an ultrasound at 2:30.
In that hour of waiting, we also called Mark's parents -- not to worry them, but if my mom was involved, I wanted my mum to be involved too. To me, just because they're an ocean away doesn't mean they don't need to know what's going on. I want them to be as involved and in the know as possible. And--obviously--I am not a private person at all when it comes to myself. I also am blessed enough to have prayer warriors of friends and family. Which is why, from the doc's office, I texted my besties Lizzie and Nicole, who also started praying for us and for Baby Houston. Having friends and family who pray is everything.
I told Lizzie and Nicole not to pray for the baby to be okay. I told them I wanted them to pray for God's plan. Because I know it's the best. Even if that meant miscarriage. I trusted Him, even in this crazy, scary, I-can-hardly-think-straight moment. They sent me Scripture and prayed. Hard. Lizzie and Luke (her husband, who had just spent the long weekend with Mark) were even together having a late lunch and prayed for us together.
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. Matthew 18:20
Waiting room
We waited in silence. We went back into the room. Our first ultrasound -- a week earlier than scheduled. I wasn't thinking. After crying for the past several hours, it's like I almost wanted to be numb to what was going on--not convincing myself of one thing or another--until we knew for sure.
And there it was. A heartbeat. I hardly believed it and asked the ultrasound technician, "So I am still pregnant?" Yes. I was. I measured 6w4d -- exactly as the nurse practictioner had predicted at my pregnancy confirmation appointment. Even though my due date is a little sooner since there isn't a 1 week discrepancy between that and the doctor's 7w1d chart, created based on the date of my last period. I loved that the nurse practitioner a few weeks back really listened to me and trusted how I knew my body. I knew the day I ovulated, the nurse practitioner presumed we conceived the next day, and that brought me to exactly what I measured as: 6 weeks 4 days. Wow.
We got the first pictures of our baby (AKA white blob), and I spent the rest of the day holding and looking at them. We met with a doctor, talked it all out, asked questions, and apparently I am one of 20-25% of women who bleed in the first trimester. I wouldn't call what happened to me "spotting." It was more than that...definitely...which is why I, of course, thought the worst. The doctor also told us that 94% of women who get a good, strong heartbeat in the first trimester have full term pregnancies. Praise the Lord for our little blueberry who has a heartbeat of 120bpm right now. Praying for that little one to grow, grow, grow.
If this ever happened/happens to anyone, know that I also bled (brown this time) spottily for the following 2-3 days. I learned that brown blood is old and that's okay! But know that it was a 3-4 long day event from start to finish, and everything turned out okay. (Praise God!)
If this ever happened/happens to anyone, know that I also bled (brown this time) spottily for the following 2-3 days. I learned that brown blood is old and that's okay! But know that it was a 3-4 long day event from start to finish, and everything turned out okay. (Praise God!)
The white blob on the left is Baby Houston.
Lizzie (who is thinking girl) said, "She looks just like you!!!" HA! :)
I realize that my story has a happy ending. I also realize that there are a lot of stories worse than this that do not have happy endings. Believe me, I knew exactly the friends of mine who have mourned miscarriage that would have grieved this with me.
This is just part of our story. On September 3, 2014, this baby became more real to us than ever. The doctor told us that there was no need for us to cancel our next ultrasound, so we'll see our little babe again in one week on September 9, 2014. I know it will be a relief to see that little one growing too.
I am so thankful for yesterday. I am so thankful for doctors, nurses, prayer warriors of friends who are in on our secret, family near and far, but I am especially thankful for my husband. He handled everything more perfectly than out of a textbook. Calmly yet sensitively. Bravely yet tenderly. I feel deeper in love with him yesterday though that experience. Thank you, Lord, for my husband...the amazing daddy to this little one who you have chosen for us.
WEEK 8
How Far Along: 8 weeks
Size of Baby: A large raspberry! Grow, bebe, grow!
Gender: Since Mark, Mom, Hope, Spyros, and some other folks are all thinking boy...I'm trying to hop on the girl bandwagon so I'm not 100% convinced that it's boy. When I set my mind to something, there is no turning back. :)
Movement: Nope...just feeling twinges from things moving around/expanding in my body I suppose!
Can't feel this little hand punching me yet BUT IS THAT NOT THE CUTEST SIZED HAND YOU'VE EVER SEEN!?!?
I can't even handle it.
I can't even handle it.
Sleep: And I are bffs, per usual. I got my bump nest this week, and Marky and Amelia seriously love it as much as I do.
Marky took the bump nest off of our bed and brought it with him to the couch.
To watch tv and eat ice cream. :)
Workouts: Pure Barre x 4 and one 2 mile walk with Amelia.
Maternity Clothes: Nope! I was just glad when my new Gap jeans still fit perfectly despite the crazy bloat I've been feeling all week.
Symptoms: Hello, first migraine of my life. Apparently migraines can be caused in pregnancy because of the extra estrogen in your body. Guess there's a first time for everything. Mine was so bad that it started with blurry vision and eventually caused me to throw up...and have to call the mom of the kiddos I nanny for as I was laying on the couch with my eyes closed with the migraine pain + nausea. I felt awful for doing leaving work but went home and slept till about 7:15. Mark brought me ginger ale and saltine crackers for dinner. Best hubby.
Cravings/Aversions: No aversions. But I have been a LOT hungrier this week. Usually getting up and drinking my lemon water and greens (and waiting 20 minutes for the greens to absorb) before breakfast is no problem. Now when I get up I want food ASAP. Also I woke up from a power nap today thinking about a #1 from Chik-fil-A. With pickles which is silly because I always order without pickles. I may treat myself for dinner.
Missing Most: Nothing really!
Nursery: Still not making moves on this for a while...
Hubby: Took great care of me with the migraine. Was amazing [like, seriously perfect] though our scare last week. So patient and sweet. The fact that we're having a baby becoming more real to us after seeing the heartbeat last week and hearing (!!!) it today.
Best Part of the Week: Hearing our baby's heartbeat! I had no idea we'd hear it at our 8 week appointment today. 140bpm. I cried. And had the tech let us listen again so I could record it on my phone to send to family and close friends. (Yes, I've already re-listened to it 38590x and I'm getting ready to listen again! Now I know what mamas mean when they say it's the most beautiful sound in the world!) Also (!!)...it has been so fabulous knowing that TWO of my girlfriends here in Wilmington are pregnant and both due exactly 2 weeks before me! Yayyyy beach babies and friends to journey through this with!
Can't Wait For: Heading back to CLT in a little over 2 weeks to tell the rest of our family and friends in person! Telling more of our English family the news over FaceTime!
So grateful to God for our little babe! In the 6 days between our ultrasounds, it was absolutely amazing to see how the baby has grown and changed in that short time! Less blob, more baby! Incredible. What a miracle from our Maker!!!
WEEK 9
How Far Along: 9 weeks
Size of Baby: A small strawberry/a large green olive
Gender: I'm thinking girl this week...
Movement: Still too early! But apparently the babe can now bounce all around!
Sleep: Fabulous. Many hours per night of it while it lasts.
Workouts: Pure Barre x 4
Maternity Clothes: Nope. Just swooning over regular fall fashion. I am pretty sure being preg in the fall-winter-early spring is perfectly timed. :)
Symptoms: Nothing too bad. Still so thankful to NOT have morning sickness. Just increased hunger and fatigue.
Cravings/Aversions: Not really either...!
Missing Most: Not feeling bloated?! But I guess I'm slowly starting to grow. Eeeek!
Nursery: Waiting till we know the gender before we jump on this!
Hubby: Thinks his life isn't going to change much after the baby is born. Sure, the baby will depend on me for food and I'll stay home with the baby...but I think his whole emotional life is going to change. He has no idea how much he's going to love that little one! He/she will turn his world upside down! :)
Best Part of the Week: Having Hope and Spyros here with us this weekend!!! Lunch at the Oceanic on Saturday was by far my favorite part. We were all laughing so hard talking about...placentas. And children's books based on a certain tinypup.
Can't Wait For: Telling the rest of our friends and family!!! I'm so ready to let all of our loved ones know, I am DREAMING about it at night!
WEEK 10
How Far Along: 10 weeks...getting closer to finishing out the first trimester!
Size of Baby: A "tart kumquat" (RANDOM!)/a prune
Gender: Still thinking girl. Marky is still thinking boy. Oh, and now Mom and Hope are thinking girl too. It seems that all the girls in my family think girl, and all of the boys in my family think boy. :)
Weight Gain: Just gonna track this at the doc's every four weeks. Sooo with this appointment I'm +1 pound!
Weight Gain: Just gonna track this at the doc's every four weeks. Sooo with this appointment I'm +1 pound!
Movement: !!!!! On Monday (9/22/14) I had my monthly checkup with my sweet doctor. For the first time, I saw the baby moving like crazy around in my tummy via the ultrasound! We could even see his/her hand moving up toward his/her face!!!! It was almost more incredible than hearing the heartbeat for the first time. Or maybe just as incredible. Seeing that little baby...looking more like a baby...dancing around in my tummy. I cried (of course), and fell in love with my precious Believer of a doc even more when she said, "Look! It's little arm is moving towards it's face!...This never gets old to me. What a blessing. What a miracle of God." Lord, I am SO thankful for my doctor!!!
Sleep: Still tired a lot AKA loving my sleep. About 9 hours a night. And if I take a power nap in the afternoon (15-30 min max), it is a game changer in the best of ways.
Workouts: Pure Barre x 4 and 2.25mi walk x 5
Maternity Clothes: Nope. I definitely perused the Target maternity section yesterday and Old Navy online maternity sale this weekend...but I'm still resisting.
Symptoms: Feeling great! So thankful! Only some mild heartburn--which is a new feeling for me.
Cravings/Aversions: Not particularly. Just making an effort to eat about every three hours or so. Or else I come in for dinner with the most insanely crazy hunger I've ever felt.
Missing Most: Talking about EVERYTHING with my friends and fam. I am about ready to burst over here regarding telling the rest of my family and friends! This coming weekend we'll finish telling our family and friends who are family. I've been so anxiously excited about this, I've had multiple dreams about telling my grandparents and our dear friends, the Hoidals! Waiting it out to tell everyone in person! :)
Nursery: Still pinning ideas...like I have been for over a year.
Hubby: Is going to be such a good daddy. I know they say that you fall deeper in love with your husband when you see him become a daddy. I can't help but believe I'm falling more in love with him day by day through this pregnancy. Love and appreciate him even more each day. (Cheeeeeeesseeee. I know, I know.)
Best Part of the Week: Seeing that happy little one bumpin' around and moving his/her arms in my tummy!!!! Absolutely the most amazing thing I've ever seen.
Can't Wait For: Obviously it's TELLING THE REST OF OUR FAM/FAM FRIENDS THIS WEEKEND!!!!! So, so, so, so soon. Eeeeeee!
How Far Along: 11 weeks...getting closer to wrapping up this 1st trimester!
Size of Baby: Now a Brussels sprout (says Ovia) or lime (says What to Expect). Which are very different in my eyes. My bestie Lizzie googled it, and it told her the babe is the size of a fig. So somewhere between a Brussels sprout, fig, and lime. Ha!
Gender: Thinking girl. Marky still thinking boy.
Movement: Still too early to feel the little babe!
Sleep: This weird thing happened almost every day this week where I woke up around 4-5am and couldn't fall back asleep for an hour. Very unusual for me.
Workouts: SLACK to the MAX this week. 2 Hilliard Studio Method workouts in Charlotte with Mom. Good thing HSM is like Pure Barre on freakin' steroids. :)
Maternity Clothes: Mom and I went to H&M when I was home. We didn't buy anything maternity, just some extra long tank tops and an oversize sweater. I am convinced that my baby bump uniform this fall/winter will be leggings, those tank tops/a thin shirt, and lots of cardis!
Symptoms: Had a headache almost everyday this week which is also unusual for me, but I'm thankful for headaches over morning sickness...so no complaints! Also a some occasional mild heartburn.
Cravings/Aversions: Sweet tooth has been a lot more active lately. ;)
Missing Most: Nothing! I FINALLY got to let the cat out of the bag with the rest of my family, extended family, and closest friends this weekend!!!!!!
Nursery: Won't start till after Christmas probably...but I have a few favorite cribs!
Hubby: Was super sweet and precious this week. He asked if he could be the one to give my Mimi and Papaw the ultrasound pictures/fill them in on the news, which I loved and adored. He was so excited (as was I!)! And all throughout the weekend of telling family/friends, he kept telling me how he thinks that I am glowing, my skin is extra soft, and that he cannot wait to have this baby and be his/her daddy. Bless my sweet hubby!
Best Part of the Week: FINALLY letting the rest of the family and friends in on our secret!!!
Mimi and Papaw became Grandmimi and Chief to our little one tonight!
Grandmimi because my mom will be "Mimi." "Chief" because my Papaw originally wanted to be called Chief. But I, the first grandchild, just couldn't get it out/wouldn't say it. So I'm making things right with him 27 years later. ;)
BFFies preggy together!!!!! | 11 weeks and 32 weeks
Our babies will be in the same grade! How fun is that?!
Our babies will be in the same grade! How fun is that?!
Can't Wait For: Telling the rest of the world. Oh, and getting some MUCH needed highlights after I turn 12 weeks. (I know it probably wouldn't have hurt...but the doc and my What to Expect app advised me to wait till 12 weeks. And I'd rather be safe than sorry! :))
WEEK 12
From now on these updates will be posted on a weekly basis. And hopefully now that I am slowly growing more, we'll be better about documenting with weekly pictures too! Totally dropped the ball on that one from week 5-12. Oops!
How Far Along: 12 weeks! My last week typing in this longest post ever!!!! The secret is almost over!
Size of Baby: Ovia says apricot. What to Expect says large plum. Ha! Love it.
Gender: All the girls think girl...all the boys think boy. :)
Movement: Still too early to feel the babe, but a couple of nights ago I kept waking up from something that I can't describe well except for feeling like organs in my abdomen/stomach area where moving around. It was weird and woke me up a couple of times and happened again in the morning. Not painful. Just weird feeling.
Sleep: Same thing as last week. Been waking up in the wee hours of the morning. This time for not as long but I'll be restless for 30 min or so.
Workouts: Pure Barre x 4, and 4 walks that were between 2-3 miles. Getting ready to step up my GAME next week. I feel like I have a lot more energy back. Aaaand Marky and I are doing a little photo shoot (non-maternity related) at the end of the month, so that is prime motivation!!
After our walk on Sunday. I hope she still claims this spot in the middle of us (like she always does!) after baby is born!
Maternity Clothes: Nope. Still rockin' those new-ish, ripped Gap skinnies I bought this summer and loving that.
Symptoms: Feeling great this week! No naps, no headaches...I think this is when you get a burst of energy back!?
Cravings/Aversions: SWEET TOOTH, STOP! Made this after caving at the Teets and made myself give it away (after several pieces, of course).
Missing Most: All good in the hood for now!
Nursery: Still waiting till we know if baby is a girl or boy!
Hubby: Has been telling his bffs across the pond and I love talking with those boys about it!!! They'll meet Baby Houston in September 2015 when we travel back to England...with a 5 month old! :) Also - one of my favorite little moments of this week was watching the 12 week video on the What to Expect app while snuggling and have him rub my tummy as we watched! We love our little plum babe!
Best Part of the Week: Sharing the news with more of my dearest friends has by far been the best part of the week!!!!!
Best Part of the Week: Sharing the news with more of my dearest friends has by far been the best part of the week!!!!!
These were at my doorstep <24 hours after sharing the news (and a giddy, joyful phone conversation) with my friend Elizabeth!! I mean!!!! The sweetest. Not to mention how GORGEOUS are these!? Of course I cried.
Can't Wait For: Letting this cat out of the bag for real!!! Highlights (sooo dang long overdue. Like worst ever...and I ALWAYS go too long between highlights) on Friday. And a quick mini-photo sesh with my friend Shannon on Sunday so we can go "public" with our news!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, that many !s are necessary!!!! SO EXCITED!!!
From now on these updates will be posted on a weekly basis. And hopefully now that I am slowly growing more, we'll be better about documenting with weekly pictures too! Totally dropped the ball on that one from week 5-12. Oops!
Cheers and goodbye to the first trimester!
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