Here we are at 19 weeks. We went to the doctor on Thursday and both Mom and Baby are healthy. We are both growing at normal rates and everything looks good. More pictures of the ultrasound to follow soon. Baby is super cute and last night I dreamed of holding baby in my arms. We are getting excited. 

After our doctor's appointment we took a tour of the hospital Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn and were told how things would progress. Both Dr. Hunt and the staff at the hospital assured us we will get excellent care from the nurses at this facility. They said it was smaller than Shea and more personal. The only thing that sort of freaked me out was the triage room where they will decide to admit you or not. It was a big room and not personal. Privacy is a good thing in my mind. After they admit you, then they will move you to a private suite where you and the baby will both stay- as long as baby is healthy. We are pre-registered at the hospital and will be signing up to take some parenting courses soon to learn more. 

Watch our baby bump grow...

Boy or Girl?

• Don't forget to cast your vote for Baby Camp's sex on the poll to the left.  We will find out the sex soon.  :)
  

I'm pretty sure I am starting to feel some movement. It feels like some pressure or a little flutter. I think I've also felt the baby turning over too, like a limb dragging across my belly from the inside. They are not strong, and you can't feel them from the outside, but over the last couple of days I've been experiencing it and trying to pay attention when I do. 

The picture on the right was taken a almost a week ago, week 17. 

I've been feeling great. Zero complaints here! Yesterday Lou and I went to the mall and we found long maternity jeans at Old Navy. They had a pretty small maternity section and a little picked over but I got 2 pairs of long jeans- which I was excited about. I also found a Motherhood Maternity and got a few items I could wear to work. I thought the round belly padding you can strap on in the dressing room was hilarious! I put a dress on with the padding and Lou was like, "Is that your real stomach?" It is supposed to add 4 months on to your pregnancy...silly boy! We will find out the sex Jan. 15 at the next ultrasound. We both agree on the name Brendan Robert for a boy and Lou says if it is a girl I get to pick. I like Violet, Victoria, Emma, Madeline, and Samantha. We had agreed on the boy's name before we were even pregnant and Robert is my dad's name and Lou's uncle's name. Violet was one of my Grandma Josie's sisters and Emma was the name of Lou's Dad's Grandmother.

Feeling real

As my belly begins to grow, I feel like the pregnancy is becoming more of a reality to me. It is finally sinking in that this is real. I have started talking to our baby and have been feeling more connected. It is possible I've felt a little movement, but since this is my first, it's hard to tell if it was actually the baby or just something else moving in my body. I'm just really happy to be pregnant with this baby and I can't wait to meet him/her. 

I'm looking forward to peeking in on baby Jan. 15 at our next doctor's appointment. We will be finding out the sex of the baby and I'm finally on board with Lou. I'm ready to know. (Our friends and family who have voted on the poll think it's a boy 5 to 2 so far.) I also have been looking into prenatal classes offered at the hospital and we will be taking a tour of the birthing facilities at the hospital after we see our doctor. There are also some other classes I'll be signing us up for in the third trimester. I think it will give me a peace of mind to be prepared or at least feeling prepared going into parenthood. 

Using the bathroom a few times a night has been the norm for me the last couple of months. In fact, using the bathroom quite frequently during the day has been pretty constant as well- almost embarrassing. Lately I've been thinking that maybe all of this waking up in the middle of the night every night is nature's way of preparing me for getting up with a little baby during the night. Then, just last night I realized that I am almost on a 'pee schedule'. On my way to the bathroom I always take a look at the clock next to the bed and it is around 2:30 AM for the first bathroom break and about 6:30 AM for the second. I've gotten down to about two a night, sometimes more. My record earlier in the pregnancy was 5 times in one night! 

Now if my body is waking me up at about

 4 hour intervals to use the bathroom, I just can't help but wonder if it is giving me practice for the main event. Additionally, wouldn't it be great if the baby would also get used to the 2:30 and 6:30 AM bathroom breaks too? Then, when they are born they will already be on a feeding schedule from practicing in the womb. That would be sweet!

Here I am at 16 weeks pregnant. The baby bump is growing and I have a tough time fitting into my pre-pregnancy pants and buttoning them. I got a pair of maternity pants from my parents for Christmas but I need to go shopping soon. I also bought a 'Be Band' online to keep the pants closed up front and to prevent exposure of the plumber's crack when wearing my regular size 8 jeans. I haven't got it yet and yesterday my Dad was teasing me about showcasing the plumber's crack while working on the master bath remodel. Hopefully when we are done with the bathroom upgrade I will have time to go try on some maternity clothing before going back to work.

Gingerbread house

I promised my nephews Mason and Silas that I would post a photo of the gingerbread house that I made in my kindergarten class last week. We made it out of a milk carton.  :)

Reese

For those of you that haven't met him this is Reese.  He is half beagle and half chihuahua, a stone cold pimp, master beggar, and smarter than 47% of human beings.  The reason his dad is putting him on this blog is because he is going to show the new baby the ways of the street, much like my 100 lbs yellow labrador Mac did when I was a tyke.

Baby Bump

At about 14 to 15 weeks, I am starting to show and you can see a little baby bump. The last couple of days at work, I have not been able to button up my pants completely and have had to use the hair tie through the hole and around the button trick to keep them secure. Today I will go out and get a Bella Band which will keep the pants closed up top and keep me in my regular clothes a little longer. The picture to the right was taken at exactly 15 weeks on 12-19-08.

The last few days at school have been very crazy. My class made gingerbread houses, little snowmen, had a pajama day, and a holiday party. They ate so much sugar and were beyond hyperactive. It was fun but very hectic with all of the children's excitement and being on rainy day schedule almost all week. I'm so thankful that I now have two full weeks off from work to catch up on things that I've been behind on at home. I'm hoping to start baby-proofing the house over break and hopefully fix the rotting wood floor in the master bathroom with my mom's help. We also will be spending time with family which is always nice. 

Second Trimester @ 14 weeks

Someplace between weeks 13 and 14, a small baby bump has started to show! I'm not in maternity clothes yet, but probably will be soon. Baby Camp is about the size of a lemon or about 3.4 in. and weighs about 1.5 oz. 

We are now in the second trimester and still feeling good. So far, we've had a really easy pregnancy.  I am grateful but can't help but wonder if it will continue into the labor part. I hope it will. 

 I have been taking my prenatal vitamins and eating healthy. I try to make sure I eat enough foods with vitamin C, iron, protein, and calcium. Once in a while I have felt light-headed, short of breath, and had a headache, but nothing more serious than that. I have had to use the bathroom constantly, but have been drinking at least 100 ounces of water as my doctor advised. I really can't complain. Baby Camp has been good to me!

Coco butter & kids at school

Early in the week this week Lou was going to the grocery store and asked if I needed anything. I had a list of things to get ready before he even asked. One of the things that I wanted to pick up was coco butter to rub on my growing belly. I have heard/read that it can prevent stretch marks. So Lou goes to the grocery store and is searching for coco butter. He thought I wanted actual butter to rub on myself and was looking around the butter and margarine before he finally asked a female associate to help him. He found it in the lotion isle, but I got a kick out of Louie thinking that I would actually rub butter on my stomach.  

One more event I found funny this week was on Thursday when I told my students that I was expecting.  "Boys and girls, I have some exciting news. Mrs. Camp is pregnant." Little Olivia was the first to react and she let out a big, "Ewwwwwww!" I had to laugh that it was her first response. Especially considering that her mom is pregnant too.  :) My kinders asked a few more questions after I told them, but the curiosity was short lived and we soon moved on with other class news. I loved the ewww though!

Baby Camp's 12 week ultrasound

Today Lou and I went to Dr. Hunt's office for an ultrasound. The baby has grown so much since the end of October. The baby now really looks like a baby! Baby Camp was upside down for most of the ultrasound and didn't want to show us much of his/her face today, but we loved seeing the headstands and seeing baby move arms, feet, hands, and body all around! 

We saw two hands, two feet, a spine, ribs, a bladder, a stomach, two hemispheres of the brain, a heart, a nose, a mouth, shoulders, a neck, and a cute little butt! We also saw the placenta and umbilical cord. The ultrasound tech also made a prediction on the baby's sex, but it is to soon to confirm and we are keeping it between Mom and Dad only! The sex will be more apparent at the 18 week ultrasound we will have on Jan. 15. 

The two of the photos show a 3-d view of Baby Camp's backside and side. Baby was being camera shy today and we couldn't get them to roll over. In one photo you can see the umbilical cord but not quite the face! 

In the third photo the baby sat still long enough to take a few profile shots. So cute with the hands up by the face!

Baby Camp's heart rate was at 167 beats per minute and the crown to rump (head to bottom) measurement was 6.49 cm. The ultrasound measurements estimated that we are at 12 weeks and 6 days along. This means that we would then be due on June 12, not June 15. I am starting to get a small bump and although I have not gained any weight (despite all of the yummy food I've been eating for Thanksgiving and other family gatherings), my clothes are getting tighter around the waist. Lately, I have been craving peanut butter and still making an effort to eat well and take good care of myself. Today seeing our baby in action and knowing that everything looks healthy was absolutely amazing! I don't think this day could have gotten any better!