Baby #3 - 13 Weeks

Getting very close to what I call the official end of the first trimester!

Baby stats: This week the baby is the length of a pea pod (about 3"). She had fingerprints which blows my mind! Her skin is still transparent and all of her organs are fully visible.

Bump picture. Thanks to the long weekend Dingle was here tonight to take my picture, whether it is any better than the terrible selfies is up to you. The lighting is terrible! I swear I am not actually a vampire. I promise I will pick up my real camera from my friend's parents' house this week! Also please ignore my stupid face in the second one, not only am I not a vampire I am not being tortured either!

The size of the bump still varies throughout the day. I had intended to take this picture earlier in the day but Ben is still not feeling great and after tossing his breakfast all over me I forgot about much else until after dinner. He seems to be feeling better but we are still on high alert for signs of more puking.

Anyway, still feeling like I look huge but not much, if any, bigger than last week.

How you doin'?: This week was another week of feeling better than the last. There are still foods that do not taste right and give me the gags. But overall I would say that the random unprovoked nausea is gone.

Last week I was busy trying to dodge a cold, this week I am doing everything in my power to not come down with whatever it is that Ben has. I am sure it is just a virus or something but he has had the runs since Friday and added the pukes today, just to make sure we were paying attention. Of course I still wipe noses and butts, give kisses and hugs, and spend half the day with someone else's germ infested blankie on my lap...so when I say I am doing everything I can to not get sick, what I really mean is that I am doing nothing to prevent myself from getting sick and really I just hope it doesn't happen.

I have an ultrasound/bloodwork/ob appointment on Wednesday. The ultrasound is part of the scary quad screen which checks for Down's and other chromosomal abnormalities. This is the test that came back positive with Lily and I had to have a level II ultrasound to rule out spina bifida (which she does have, but it is so mild that she will likely never suffer any nerve problems). In any case having had a positive screen in the past this testing obviously scares the crap out of me and I will be very relieved when it is over and we have the results. I am very excited to see the baby again. I have been checking her with the doppler but there is nothing better than getting a few minutes of wiggling jelly bean screen time. I am also curious to see how my bloodwork comes back. I have been taking my iron pill every day and doing my best with the water. I would say most days I fall short of my 100oz goal but usually get between 60-70, it is a work in progress.

Hormones were all over the place this week. I had a seriously epic meltdown on Saturday and my poor husband and children all had to bear witness to the whole U-G-L-Y thing. I was a woman on the edge all weekend actually, as if the dream house situation wouldn't be emotional enough on its own!

Aversions/Cravings: Food and I are officially friends again, maybe too good of friends. I am so hungry in the mornings now it is out of hand. Every day I have a big bowl of cheerios with at least a 1/2 cup of fruit. Around 10:30 I have a balance bar and take my iron pill. For lunch I normally have a sandwich (PB&J or grilled cheese), banana, chips or pretzels, and something sweet for lunch desert like a peanut butter cup or a cookie. At least twice throughout the day I also grab a handful of almonds. Dinner is some sort of meat or fish and veggies with a salad, I am still very much off potato. I have been eating my share of desert too which when not pregnant I almost always skip. The hardest part is that I always have that, "yeah, I could eat" feeling which I remember having with Ben but it so atypical for me that I really have a hard time with the constant hunger.

Still craving alcohol, which I assume is not going to go away any time soon. With Lily I don't think I had more than two sips of beer for the entire nine months. With Ben it was probably one sip a month. With this baby it is every chance I get! To be honest that still isn't that frequent (once every other week maybe) because my sweet husband has a rule that he doesn't buy beer for himself when I am pregnant. What that means is that we only have beer around if someone else buys it or if Matt buys it for guests...the later of which isn't happening so long as we are living with his parents. But I did have a sip of Cherry Wheat yesterday and it was crazemazing!

BUT I have for the most part completely abstained from caffeine so that counts for something right??

Also I still love spicy mustard and have found many creative excuses to eat it.

Sleeping: Same as last week, not sleeping great. Between one or both of the kids being sick, the excitement and nerves over the house hunt, and the already racing mind, I have a hard time staying asleep. Once I wake up I feel like I lay there forever trying to fall back asleep and before I know it, it is morning again.

Movement: Nada.

Milestones: This was officially the last week of my first trimester. Maybe my last first trimester?? Ugh that still hurts, forget I said that! Matt told his coworkers and I told a few of the mom's from Lily's preschool. We still haven't posted any kind of announcement of FB so if my "friends" don't read my blog then they are out of luck!

What I am looking forward to: Seeing the baby on Wednesday! I am also going to start exercising more. I really need to do something if not for my body then for my mind. Like everything else I just have to get back into the habit and make it part of my routine.

Worries: Just need to get past the quad screen, then I will definitely relax a little more.

Let's compare: 

Still not sleeping great, ugh...this never got any better with Ben.

The endless hungry feeling is back, didn't have it with Lily but I remember crying to Matt one day that I was going to gain 60 pounds with Ben because I wanted to eat everything in the house. (No no, thank you pregnancy hormones!) I did not gain 60 pounds and the starving feeling did eventually subside.

I think with all of my previous pregnancies I have had really terrible mood swings and hormonal turmoil but until this most recent pregnancy I was never able to stop and say, "Oh hey, this is crazy pregnancy stuff...it's ok!" In the past I beat myself up for days after having a bad day or two. This time I know what is happening and can sort of acknowledge that it is out of my control and not feel so convinced that I actually have a terrible personality.

Best moment of the week: It's a secret, I'll let you in on it tomorrow!