18 weeks

I can't believe 18 weeks is here--I'm nearly half way done! So far, my 18th week has been rather painful. I've been experiencing round ligament pain (RLP) to the extreme. It was actually so bad on Friday that I ended up in the emergency room thinking something was wrong with the baby. Thankfully, the baby was fine but the RLP has yet to subside. I go through bouts of pain that last 20-45 minutes. The pain extends from my upper hip down to my lower abdomen. It's like menstrual cramps times ten! When I'm not having a long bout I'm just dealing with a dull ache. Only problem is, movement tends to make the RLP rear it's ugly face in full force, therefore, I'm spending a lot of time BORED out of my mind on the couch or in bed. I cannot wait for it to subside!

How far along? 18 weeks.
Gender? I'm having boy feelings this week. We still have 22 weeks before we find out so I'm not putting too much thought into it.
Sleep: Good, if I'm not dealing with the RLP.
Belly Button in or out? In but I can tell it's getting pushed out--weird. Plus, I have that dark line forming on my tummy.
What I miss: Shiraz and German beers. Being able to stand on my feet and do things.
Cravings: Root beer floats. Fruit.
What I am looking forward to: Next ultra sound in 1 week. Getting rid of the RLP.
Milestones: I'm 99.9% sure I've been feeling Li'l P move around. I can't wait for the big kicks and jabs. We bought our crib bedding too!
Weekly Wisdom: I need some positive wisdom this week. :-)

17 weeks

I'll post a bump pic after I get home from work.

How far along? 17 weeks. WHAT?!
Gender? Oh, golly, I have a feeling it's a girl, but find that hard to believe considering Jake's family only seems to have boy sperm.
Sleep: Mostly good. I can't sleep on my stomach anymore so I'm getting use to sleeping while cradling a pillow--it's not too bad.
Belly Button in or out? In but I can tell it's getting pushed out--weird. Plus, I have that dark line forming on my tummy.
What I miss: Shiraz and German beers.
Cravings: None that I can think of. However, I have noticed my appetite is out of control!
What I am looking forward to: Next ultra sound in 2 weeks! Camping trip with our friends this weekend.
Milestones: I'm 99.9% sure I've been feeling Li'l P move around. I can't wait for the big kicks and jabs. We bought our crib bedding too!
Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy being pregnant---it's a pretty amazing journey. :-)

Protein

Protein is a pregnant woman's friend. I try to get 100 grams of it a day, which is harder than you think. Let's just say I eat a lot of beans, string cheese, and peanut butter. Luckily, I have the internet at my fingertips, which has allowed me to find lots of protein-packed meals (many of which are vegetarian). This evening, I made a 15-bean soup that I came across on Fat Free Vegan Kitchen (you can find the recipe when you click on the link). The soup was good, but I don't think I added enough liguid, as you can tell by the way my soup looks and the way her soup looks. So, if you make this recipe, make sure to add more liquid to achieve that soup-like consistency.

If you want to find out more on why protein is so important during pregnancy, check out this great little article at babycenter.com.

Well Hello There 16 Weeks

Looking a lot more bumptastic than I thought. :-)

How far along? 16 weeks
Gender? Oh, golly, I have a feeling it's a girl, but find that hard to believe considering Jake's family only seems to have boy sperm.
Sleep: Heavenly!
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Wine at Sbrocco, feeling comfortable in my pants
Cravings: I haven't had any extreme cravings this week. I do eat a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, though.
What I am looking forward to: Feeling the baby move! Our next ultra sound on August 10--3 weeks from today! The wedding Jake and I are going to this weekend. Wearing my cute new maternity jeans.
Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy being pregnant---it's a pretty amazing journey. :-)

Healthy Pregnancy

During the first trimester of the pregnancy I was not very good at keeping myself as healthy as I should've been. The all day sickness and constant tiredness left me unmotivated. I ate mostly comfort foods, slept a lot, and hardly ever exercised-- SHAME ON ME! Once the second trimester hit, it was a whole new world; I wasn't sick anymore, I had energy, and I've slowly started to return to living a more healthy life. I started cooking healthy meals, walking regularly, and drinking lots of water. I'm still not to where I would like to be. I'm starting to take prenatal water aerobics classes, I downloaded a prenatal yoga class from yogadownload.com, and I've started preparing meals full of protein and other nutrients essential for the development of a healthy baby.

We recently signed up for childbirth classes. We've decided to go with the Bradley Method and have chosen a highly recommended instructor, Amy, from Before and After the Birth in Des Moines, Iowa. Amy's website is full of tips for a healthy pregnancy--I can't wait to see what she offers us in the classes.

I know how incredibly important it is that I live as healthy of life as possible for Li'l P. I'm hoping to chronicle some of the things I'm doing to stay healthy and keep this little one healthy and happy too.

I've Got Something Else a Growin'

I planted this garden in April, 2 days after we found out we were pregnant. It's been neat to watch the garden grow over the summer. We planted 2 tomato plants, 1 cherry tomato plant, 2 bell pepper plants, 1 jalapeno plant, a row of onion, 1 (gigantic) zuchini plant, 1 eggplant plant, basil, oregano, cilantro, and dill.

A close-up of a little zuchini growing. We already ate one zuchini from this plant and it was delicious. Food taste even better when you grow it.

A few cherry tomatoes.

I ate these two straight off the plant. YUM!

Cute little bell peppers.

The zuchini plant that has taken over the garden.

Nursery Inspiration Pictures

The Inspiration for it all!