21 Weeks!

The bump is growing!

How far along? 21 weeks 6 days...my my, how quickly time is flying!

Baby's Development:  Sophia is about 7 inches in length and she was 14 oz at the anatomy scan.  Baby is no longer being measure crown to rump, but instead, she is being measured from head to toe and is the length of a carrot!  She is swallowing amniotic fluid for practice and it tastes different for her each day based on what I have been eating! She has also already formed taste buds.  Right now, she still has plenty of room for flips, but she will soon start getting more and more cramped in there!

Maternity clothes? Oh yes...and loving them!

Weight Gain? I think I am about 3-4 lbs over my pre-preg. weight.

Am I Showing? Every week I ask Matt is I look pregnant yet.  This is the first time he's said yes...so I am going to go with a yes to this question!

Sleep? I still get up to use the restroom at least once a night, so that interrupts things.  It could be better...it could be worse.

Exciting Moment? Matt saw baby kicking from the outside this week! We also had another ultrasound to get some more pictures/measurements the ultrasound tech wasn't able to get at our anatomy scan, so we got to see baby girl on the big screen again.  In true Sophia fashion, she was not cooperating at first, but eventually she came around.  We did get 100% confirmation that she is indeed a girl!

Gender:  Sweet baby GIRL Sophia Caroline!

Stretch marks? None yet..I am lathering up in Burt’s Bees belly oil and thick lotion every morning!

What do I miss? My shirts being long enough! I feel like all of them have gotten too short now. Other than that...nothing!

How have I been feeling? I am getting heartburn and indigestion like crazy! It's an all day thing and it doesn't really matter what I eat.  I am also still getting short of breath here and there, but nothing crazy.  I've noticed it's getting harder for me to bend over at the waist..especially if I am trying to pick something up, but other than that, I am feeling pretty good!

Movement: All the time! I saw her moving on the ultrasound and I could feel her at the same time...that fun to see! I think I felt her hicupping this week too! It was very rhythmic and really up high and lasted a good 10-15 minutes.  At our anatomy scan, she was breech (feet down and head up).  But when we went for the follow up ultrasound today, she had flipped around and her booty was right at my belly button.  She is doing all kinds of somersaults in there!

Food cravings:  Pretty much anything that fits into the "food" category I am a fan of these days. I do get full pretty quickly, but then I am hungry again in an hour or two.

Food aversions: Still chicken…especially if it’s a while chicken breast.  Shredded chicken is ok now… and marinara sauce.

Rings on or off? On! Hopefully staying that way for a while!

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy, but still easily irritated!  

Looking forward to:  Spending the holidays with the fam!

20 weeks- halfway there!

How far along? 20 weeks 6 days…134 days to go! HALFWAY Done!  I am now at the downward slope of the pregnancy and I have been pregnant for longer than the time that is left.

Baby's Development:  Baby is measuring about 6.5 inches crown to rump and at the anatomy scan, the tech said she weighs in at 14 oz…almost a pound! Sophia’s uterus is fully formed at this point and she has about 7 million eggs in her tiny ovaries, but will be born with about 2 million, which is all the eggs she will ever have.

Maternity clothes? Yep! All pants..some shirts

Weight Gain? According to MY scale, I’m +2lbs over pre-preg weight.  Since I weigh myself at the same time every day, I’m going to go with that number and not with the Dr’s office who said I was +7lbs over pre-preg weight.  What do they know anyways!

Am I Showing? Yep! At least I think so! More and more people at work are starting to comment on it. I visited with Val and Nat this weekend and at one point Nat said.. “I saw it! Larissa just looked pregnant!”  So maybe it’s just that obvious to me? haha

Sleep? Some nights are better than others…I think it will probably be like this for like..the next 18 years!

Exciting Moment? Finding out that baby boy Whitman is actually a baby GIRL! Shopping for girl clothes after we found out!

Gender:  I figure that this would be the one question that never has a different answer, but what do I know? Sweet baby GIRL Sophia Caroline!

Stretch marks? None yet..I am lathering up in Burt’s Bees belly oil and thick lotion every morning!

What do I miss? Nothing, really!

How have I been feeling? Great! I’ve been dealing with acne since I found out I was pregnant, so that’s really my only problem…which I am totally ok with! I have also been having more heartburn recently.  But, relatively speaking, this has been a very easy pregnancy so far! I hope it continues.

Movement: Still moving around like crazy! Matt felt it again last night, which is so cool to me!  I am feeling it a lot higher up today..like at least 2 inches above my belly button.  I’m not sure what she’s doing in there!

Food cravings:  Still loving some fruit! Pancakes/waffles and coffee ice cream are making the list once more.

Food aversions: Still chicken…especially if it’s a while chicken breast.  Shredded chicken is ok now… and marinara sauce.

Rings on or off? On! Hopefully staying that way for a while!

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy, but still easily irritated!  

Looking forward to:  Christmas!

Gender Fake Out!

Well, week 20 in this pregnancy was a very eventful one! I’m sure most of you have read my Facebook and/or Instagram and got a gist of what went down for us, but I’ll give the details anyways!

So Matt were really, REALLY excited to find out the gender of our first baby.  We did an elective ultrasound at about 16.5 weeks to find out early and the news was baby BOY! We were thrilled as we both had a feeling that baby Whitman was indeed a boy and we were excited about the first being a boy so he could be the protector to any future baby girls we had.  J  We had a boy’s name already picked out and went full steam ahead with preparing for our baby boy!

I was most excited about the 20 week appointment because I was excited about spending so much time looking at our baby and making sure everything was ok! It never even crossed my mind that the elective ultrasound could have been wrong.  I mean…it was a difficult scan, I know.  Baby was not cooperating from the get go and it took the tech a while to actually get the shot he needed. But I assumed as soon as he got it, we were golden. 

So when we get to our appointment on Friday, the tech asks us if we wanted to know the gender and we told her we wanted confirmation because we had chosen to find out early.  So she begins to take the pictures and measurements she needs and I just lay back and relax because I knew it would take a little bit of time.  I kept seeing her staring at the monitor for long periods of time, but I figured she was waiting for baby to move a certain way so she could get the shot she needed.  

While she was scanning, we were small talking and Matt kept saying “he” in the conversations.  So finally, the tech was like, “so…they told you it was a boy?” (long dramatic pause) …”Because I’m thinking it’s a girl.”

…

Wait..what?

She kept saying how the legs were together just like last time and she was waiting for a leg kick or something so she could be 100%, but she wasn’t getting it.  Since she couldn’t get a good shot, it was still up in the air at this point, so I think our minds were starting to wrap around the possibility of baby GIRL Whitman instead of baby BOY Whitman.  I got up, did some jumping jacks, laid on both sides, and she jiggled my belly with the Doppler. Still nothing…this child was all cozy and was not interested in moving around to give us a peek! Same thing that happened at the elective ultrasound (which should have been a clue for us!). 

Finally she moved around enough for the tech to see the picture she needed.  She said at that point she would be out buying pink dresses.  She even had the radiologist come in and check as well and we go a resounding “GIRL” from both! We still have to go back to get some more measurements that the tech wasn’t able to get, so hopefully they won’t go back to telling us “BOY!”  I don’t think I can handle that stress!

We called our Moms on the way home from the Dr. to tell them the news.  Matt’s mom was wanting to get an “Elliott” tattoo on that day, so we had to make sure she knew not to!  That would have been an interesting conversation! Grandmas are both over the moon because they were not-so-secretly pulling for a girl the entire time! This will make for a great story someday and more than anything, we are thankful that Baby Whitman is healthy…and a little sneaky!

Matt and I are trying to wrap our minds around sweet baby Sophia Caroline Whitman joining us in April. J



Practicing her Miss America wave already!



19 weeks!

It's really difficult to take a picture of yourself so sorry about the quality of this one!

How far along? 19 weeks 6 days…141 days to go!

Baby's Development:  Little man weighs about 8 oz and measures about 6 inches in length…the size of a large heirloom tomato!  Arms and legs are in proportion with the rest of his body and he is starting to become more limber (this would explain that party he’s having in my belly!).  Eli is now covered by a protective substance called vernix to protect his skin from the amniotic fluid surrounding him.  This way, he doesn’t turn into a giant raisin from being in there for so long! It’s so crazy to think of how the body adapts to everything.  Eli is also making facial movements like smiles and frowns as well!

Maternity clothes? Still loving these! I bought a couple of full panel maternity pants at the beginning of my pregnancy and they were too big then, but they are starting to fit a lot better around the tummy now. Shirts are still mostly regular shirts, unless they are basic tank tops or t-shirts from Target.

Weight Gain? It only took half of my pregnancy, but I am now +1lb.

Am I Showing? It’s starting to become more apparent.  I had my first stranger comment on my belly.  It was someone that I work with, so she sees me on an everyday basis (her desk is on the way to the bathroom, so she sees me MULTIPLE times a day!), but not someone that I interact with on a daily basis. I am also having more people at work comment on how the bump is starting to pop out.  Matt told me yesterday that I was finally showing, but I think that was more due to the tacos I had just scarfed down.

Sleep? Sleep is still so-so.  I’m still not a fan of the pregnancy pillow.  Too bad…that thing was expensive!  We have a pillow top mattress that you sink in to when you go to sleep (we refer to it as the “cloud”) so I think if it were more firm the pregnancy pillow would be more comfortable, but it just doesn’t work well for me. 

Exciting Moment? I got to hang out with one of my BFF’s that I haven’t seen in a while, Jamie on Saturday! Working on the nursery! Matt and his dad put together the crib yesterday and the dresser is also in there now.  Kicks getting stronger and Matt finally feeling Eli move!

Gender:  Sweet baby BOY! Elliott Alexander Whitman

Stretch marks? None yet..I am lathering up in Burt’s Bees belly oil and thick lotion every morning!

What do I miss? Getting a good night’s sleep!

How have I been feeling? Still pretty good!  My lower back/sciatic nerve sometimes bothers me if I am sitting too long, or when I am sleeping, but it’s nothing crazy.  I have also become THAT pregnant lady that has a giant bottle of Tums in her purse for heartburn.

Movement: Last Tuesday, on the day that I turned 19 weeks, Matt felt Eli move for the first time. We were laying in bed watching TV and I could feel his little kicks.  They felt pretty strong so I put my hand on my belly to see if I could feel them from the outside.  After I felt a couple, I told Matt to put his hand on my belly to see if he could feel it too. There were a couple that he couldn’t feel and then I asked him about the next one and he’s like..”I felt that one, that’s crazy! Eli just kicked me!”  I think it freaked him out because he moved his hand after that one. Haha.

Food cravings:  Fruit (blueberries and applies) and Haggan Daas Coffee ice cream with whipped cream on top.  I try to limit myself to once a day or every other day, but dang..it’s hard!

Food aversions: Still chicken and marinara sauce.

Rings on or off? On! Hopefully staying that way for a while!

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy, but still easily irritated!  

Looking forward to:  Seeing Val and Nat this Saturday! Hitting the halfway point tomorrow and our 20 week anatomy scan on December 14^th! This is really starting to fly by now! I remember in the very beginning thinking that 20 weeks was so far away! Now I feel like 40 weeks is so far away! But he’ll be here before we know it!

18 weeks!

18 weeks at the Christmas tree farm!

How far along? 18 weeks 6 days

Baby's Development:  Elliott is about 5.5 in. crown to rump and weighs about half a pound..the size of a bell pepper. Baby has mastered the art of the yawn and might be visible on the ultrasound.  Nervous system is maturing rapidly…nerves are creating more complex connections and those in the brain are specializing into the ones that serves the 5 senses.  Baby’s hearing is also becoming more acute. Calcium is an important vitamin during this part of pregnancy because baby’s cartilage like bones are starting to harden. Reflexes are also becoming more developed and bay can hiccup, yawn, and moves around in the womb.

Maternity clothes?  Still yes on all bottoms besides leggings.  I have been mixing up with tops between maternity and non-maternity.  I love the maternity so much more, I won’t lie! I can’t understand why some people want to hold out on non-maternity clothes.  Hopefully I won’t be getting tired of them come April.

Weight Gain?  I hit my pre-pregnancy weight the day I hit 18 weeks, and then I dropped back down.  So, it fluctuates…

Am I Showing?  I had my first non-family/friends comment this week at work..someone told me they noticed that it was growing! Still no random strangers, though..I think it will be a little longer before that happens.

Gender:  Sweet baby BOY! Elliott “Eli” Alexander Whitman.  I’m trying to get used to his nickname. J

Sleep? Sleep has gotten better..thus my headaches have gotten better.  If I don’t get a good night’s sleep, so a headache will be sure to follow.

Exciting Moment? We had a lot of fun things this week! We started cleaning out the office in order to convert it to Eli’s nursery.  Matt worked real hard to get everything out of there and get it primed.  We went with a soft neutral gray (not too blue and not to brown) and he will be painting it in the next few days.

Part of the room…before primer.

 We also ordered our glider/ottoman for the nursery! We got it for a steal at Babies R Us during their Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals.  I got the email that it arrived last night, so Matt is going to be picking it up today! We already have the crib and dresser, so after we get the nursery painted, we will be able to start moving some of the big furniture in!

We started our baby registry this week! Last night, Matt and I took about an hour at Target and just went through the aisles scanning everything we thought we needed.  There are some items that weren’t on the floor (our travel system) that we will have to add online, but it was so fun! A little overwhelming…but fun nonetheless. 

We also went Christmas tree shopping this weekend! Although Matt and I decided to go with our faux Christmas tree this year, we went with Matt’s parents and his brother and wife to a little tree “farm” in Atlanta.  Last year we went to a Christmas tree farm near us where you have to chop your tree down and drag it back yourself.  It was fun to see how the “city folk” do Christmas tree farms…no chopping and dragging required! J

Stretch marks? Not yet..still smothering oil and lotion on the 3 B’s…boobs, butt, and belly!  At the rate they’re all growing..I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up with them somewhere!  My Mom didn’t get any, so I will hold on to that shred of hope for as long as I can!

What do I miss? My patience and pre-pregnancy ability to let things go.

How have I been feeling? I’ve been feeling pretty good! I love how fast my hair is growing and I have never had nails this strong! I am trying to enjoy them while I can!  I am also able to finally eat pretty much anything without any bad aversions, so I have been hitting up the Jason’s Deli salad bar a couple of times to get in my spinach and other veggies. My headaches have also gotten better and are less frequent as well.  I have been feeling short of breath a lot lately, so that’s annoying.  I’ve still been getting random dizzy spells.  This Saturday I was determined to make breakfast for Matt and I. Well, it ended up Matt taking over breakfast duties with me laying down on the kitchen floor because every time I stood up, I would get dizzy. 

I’m still trying to wrap my mind around all of this.  It is definitely sinking in and feeling real now that know the gender and have a name.  We are getting to do the fun things like decorating the nursery and all of that.  I can’t believe that next week I will be halfway through my pregnancy. I remember how slowly I thought time was passing when I first found out before the first Dr’s appointment.  I thought time would never move! And now here I am at 19 weeks.

Movement: Yes…he’s getting stronger! I feel him all throughout the day for 5-10 minute increments and I love it!

Food cravings:  Fruit (grapefruit, and apples and peanut butter…but only red delicious apples), cereal (kix and Captain Crunch…together, cheese (Colby jack or cheddar) and crackers

Food aversions: Still chicken and marinara sauce.

Rings on or off? On! Hopefully staying that way for a while!

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy J I like this part of pregnancy!

Looking forward to:  Our anatomy scan next Friday, Dec. 14th.  Crossing my fingers and praying that baby is healthy!  Matt being able to feel Eli from the outside and seeing my tummy move when he kicks!