Week 17: Your baby’s skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she’s around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop. (source)

17 weeks 2 days

How I’m Changing

Neil and I have been trying to (slowly) get our home ready for baby and part of that is the nursery.  I know that we will be getting this crib thanks to my parents and we have a small Ikea Expedit that we will also be using, however we now have to figure out the other details furnishings and storage.  I was looking into tips and tricks for the nursery and I came across this:

Toss the junk –Having a baby often means you’re showered with gifts. But that doesn’t mean you have to keep and love everything Cousin Gertrude gave you! Take a picture of your kiddo wearing the item or playing with it, write her a thank-you note and put it in the outbound pile [<–love this idea]. As a parent you need to constantly manage both the inflow and outflow of stuff in your space, so dedicate a bag or two for things that are no longer in active use, and once they are full, get them out. Store the items that you love that make the cut for a future child, but pass others along to a mommy friend with different taste or donate them. Swimming in excess samples from the hospital? Stash a few in your diaper bag, use up the ones you love and toss the rest! You don’t need random stuff you’ll rarely use. (source)

I think that this excerpt makes a really good point – if it is just taking up space or it’s just not for you don’t keep it.  I know that many people mean well and want to give you hand-me-downs and things that they really like and while that would never go unappreciated you may just not want/like/need the item. So as I see it don’t feel bad if you decide to donate the item(s), I mean really if you kept everything you were ever given you might see yourself on the next episode of Hoarders and nobody wants that.

babymoon : A last vacation taken by expectant parents before a baby is born.

Ever since we found out we were expecting I have had a babymoon on the brain and I have been searching and searching for the perfect trip.   The trip must fit into our limited budget since our normal fun/travel budget is much smaller with a baby on the way and it must be somewhere relaxing.  Usually when we travel we are always on the go, running around to here and there, this time we want to just sit and relax. The other factor that we have to consider is the fact that I only have a small window of opportunity to fly and unfortunately that is February to mid-March, the most expensive time to fly south from Vermont (of course).

Ideally our babymoon would be spent somewhere like this:

(source)

Sunny, warm and on the beach with a virgin mojito in my hand.  Instead we probably will have to go with Option B:

(source)

Still on the ocean but only 4 hours driving from home and about 40 degrees colder (I don’t think we’ll be lounging on the beach.)

Either way I know we will have an amazing time together.

Did you go on a babymoon? Where did you go? 

I had planned on writing this post a few days ago but now here I am at 14w4d and I’m finally posting here on the new blog. I also had said that I would have my first bump photo but well the weekend got away from me and I didn’t have Neil take one so expect one at at 15 week update.

How I’m Changing

I have finally made it to the last week of my first trimester and it feels amazing! We had our second midwife appointment on Wednesday which involved a head-to-toe physical and we got to hear the babies very strong heart beat for the very first time.  It was an amazing experience and I can’t wait for our next appointment.

So what’s going on this week:

your baby at 13 weeks

• Can you believe she’s forming vocal cords and teeth?!
• And even though she’s still teeny, she already has fingerprints.
• Her intestines are moving from the umbilical cord to their more permanent place, in her tummy.

(source)

How I’m Changing

I am more calm. Since becoming pregnant I have worked hard at being more relaxed, calm and less of a worrier.  I know that worrying and stressing about things is bad for me and the baby and I finally feel like I have successfully achieved my desired peaceful state of being.

How I’m Feeling

I am feeling really good, I finally have more energy and no morning sickness and it’s amazing.  I still have so fatigue and I can’t go at the same pace that I once did but I am feeling the best I have in the last 13 weeks. I am also feeling hungry more often and find myself eating 5-6 small meals per day. I no longer can sit down to my regular sized meal, I am full after about half of it but I am hungry again 2 hours later.  I also have been experiencing extreme hunger pains that come out of nowhere. One minute I am fine and the next I am HANGRY, so I try to keep healthy snacks on me at all times for moments like this.

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What I’m Eating

This week I have been back to eating salads, I have actually been craving them.  I also have been enjoying hot sauce….on everything.  I am currently addicted to sriracha and I want to put it on everything from hummus to wraps to pasta.  I am so happy to finally have more normal appetite back and I am looking forward to whipping up more fun recipes at home in the coming weeks.

Random Facts of The Week:

• Total Weight Gain: 5 pounds.
• Workouts:  So far two workouts this week (you can read more here)
• Baby Items Purchased: None (so far).
• Gender Suspicions:  I am currently leaning towards a boy.
• Cravings: sriracha. salads. bagels.

Only two more weeks until I’m out of my first trimester! This has been the longest first trimester and I’m so ready to move on to phase two of my pregnancy.

your baby’s the size of a plum!

Your baby at 12 weeks:

• Most of her critical systems are fully formed!
• She’s about to enter the growth and maturation stage, in which her organs and tissues will grow and develop rapidly.
• She’s now developing her reflexes — if you poke her body, she’ll likely move.
• She’s opening and closing her fingers and curling her toes, too.
• Her brain is developing fast!

(source) also note we have no idea if it’s a boy or a girl but thebump.com refers to everything as she/her.

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How I’m Changing

I’m starting to look more pregnant! My bump is starting to develop and I’m excited for the day when it is a noticeable bump and I no longer look like I have just gained weight. Other than that I haven’t noticed many other changes at this time.

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How I’m Feeling

Last week I had horrible sinus congestion and post nasal drip, but this week things are better and my morning sickness has started to lighten up.  I have had a little bit of nausea and I still have afternoon (and sometimes morning) fatigue but over all I am starting to feel better.

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What I’m Eating

I am happy to say that my food aversions are starting to die down and I am slowly getting back to normal meals. Over Christmas I was addicted to veggies and homemade vegan ranch dip; if there hadn’t been a house full of people on Christmas Eve I could have finished off the veggie and dip plate all by myself. I also have been eating lots of beans in chili, in wraps and in curry.

Vegan Wedge Salad with Tempeh Bacon

Homemade Three-Bean Veggie Chili

The Addicting Veggie Platter

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Random Facts of the Week:

Overall weight gained: 3.5 lbs
Crying fests: um all the time when I watch tv or movies
Food cravings: veggies and vegan ranch dip and sriracha (on everything)
Number of pants that fit: 5
Maternity clothes purchased: 4 tops and 2 bottoms…..how many items returned 1 top and 1 bottom from Gap

Photos taken of the cat with our new camera (just prepping for the bebe): 200