12 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2

Week ending Sept. 19, 2017.
Due Date: April 3, 2018

Watch this week's video update here!

Bump:

Well I've reached the stupid +7 pound mark. So I've gained the same amount as I had with Calvin at this point. I'm not very happy about it, but maybe this is just what my body does in pregnancy... I know I've been behaving sooo much better than I did with Calvin, so I guess that's why it makes me sad. I have been eating regular portions, not snacking constantly, and also not feeling deathly hungry all the time either, so why did I still gain 7 pounds in the first trimester?! :'(
Perhaps Calvin quitting nursing played a little role, I'm not burning those extra calories from breastfeeding? That's really my only theory right now.
I didn't keep track of the weight gain in my updates after the first trimester with Calvin because I felt bad about how much I was gaining. Hopefully this time around I have a better attitude about it.

Energy:
Been pretty good this week, maybe the fatigue is ready to leave the picture!

Physical Symptoms:

Still have a terrible sex drive. It's driving me crazy. Like I want to want to do it, but then when bedtime comes around I only want to sleep and sleep and sleep. And I keep thinking, from here on out I'm only getting bigger and more uncomfortable, like we better do it while we can. Haha.
Sitting in traffic one day I could smell the guy ahead of us smoking and had to close up the windows it was driving me crazy.

Food:
I'm really really glad I don't have the starving hunger I had with Calvin so far. I went through that phase where the morning sickness made me always want to have something to fill my stomach, but I'm not constantly hungry like I was the first go-around.

Sleep & Dreams:

Pulled out the Snoogle pillow this week. I forgot how awesome that thing is.
Also I hate having dreams about rotting teeth!

Favorite Moments of the Week:
Doctor appointment day. I was excited up until the day of, then I started to get nervous hoping they would quickly find little mister's heartbeat. My doctor found it right off the bat and I could hear it clearly at 171 bpm! I also got to talk to her further about the possibility of a VBAC. She seems super supportive and that makes me feel really good. I understand that things could start to look differently toward the end, but for the time being I'm very happy to keep this optimistic outlook for little mister's birthday!

What I Miss:
Laying on my belly. Already. Haha. Great.

Random Thoughts:
I kind of already want to start nesting! I want to get out the newborn stuff and just sort through it, but I know it's way too early. It feels like just yesterday that we packed all that up! I had pulled out the newborn cloth diaper stash we have so far and just kind of marveled at it, we haven't cloth diapered a newborn before, so it's going to be interesting to see what works best. I don't want to invest in too much seeing as Calvin was a big baby, our one size stuff will probably work just fine if this mister is the same size lol.

Love,
Alaina & Tiny Baby #2

11 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2

Week ending Sept. 12, 2017.
Due Date: April 3, 2018

Bump:

+1 more pound for a total of +4
I've been feeling some uterine movements, like vibrations. Like fluttering or a shiver. Almost like there's a hummingbird in there haha! I don't remember a feeling like that with Calvin. I'd say it's happened about 3/7 days this week. I know I'm going to get people saying I'm crazy, but I swear it's the baby! I didn't start feeling Calvin until 15 weeks and I had an anterior placenta with him, which they say can make early feeling of movement more difficult. 

Energy:
Each day is different. Some days I feel totally normal, and other days I could absolutely pass out at my desk in the middle of the work day.

I seriously wish I didn't have to work. When I'm at home with Cal I just nap when he naps and it's seriously a life saver. But you can't nap in the middle of the day at work. 

Emotions:
I've definitely been more emotional lately. I've had a couple little cry spells mostly over working mom guilt. I feel so bad to even feel that way though because I don't even give a thought to how Justin feels. Some mornings I just feel so bad when I go get Calvin to get ready in the mornings and I'll just sit with him in his room and get all teary-eyed just thinking about having to leave for work. I know he's in great hands, he is with his grandmas while I'm at work and it's great that they are able to spend time with him, but it is still really hard lately for some reason. I just get to feeling so selfish for even thinking that way, yet at the same time, it can be good to just cry it out a little. 

Physical Symptoms:

A couple days with a couple waves of morning sickness.
Thought I was doing pretty well in the headaches department, but I had one big one over the weekend. 

A couple nights of lower backache, just a little reminder of how bad it's going to get in the future weeks to come lol.
Some more low c-section spot aching late in the week, almost like it's really sensitive to the touch around my pubic bone itself.

Food:
Craved some pizza after seeing a commercial on TV. So we ordered some even though we already had dinner.
Craved a buffalo chicken salad at work one day even though I had already packed a lunch. Had to go to 54th Street to get one. So yummy! I've been really digging buffalo sauce lately.
Bought some candy corn because it's delicious and awesome all year long, not just at Halloween. Typically I'm all over that stuff but I can only eat a handful at a time these days, instead of demolishing half a bag haha what the heck?
A couple days where I felt sick after eating, even with smaller portions. 

Sleep & Dreams:

Sleeping kind of crappy this week, but I've had a cold. I just get restless and hot and uncomfortable. I wonder if it's already time to pull out the Snoogle.
Had another dream a friend of mine was pregnant. And I told her in the dream that I just had a dream that she was pregnant.
Okay, Justin is not a big cuddler. He always likes to have his own space in the bed. But this week he actually rolled over to cuddle me in the middle of the night and I pushed him away because I was hot and uncomfortable. Haha. The one night he actually wants to cuddle me and I'm like no way.
Had a pretty intense dream about rotting and losing my teeth. I really hate those dreams, but I don't know why. Maybe I have a real fear of having tooth problems. 

Favorite Moments of the Week:
Calvin and I both weren't feeling well on Monday so I stayed home from work with him. That whole morning he was very lethargic and he actually laid around with me and cuddled with me in the living room, so even though we felt crappy it was nice to actually have him cuddling with me. This kid literally never ever sits still for more than three seconds unless he's absolutely dead tired. Lol.

Things I Miss:
Not feeling fat, not craving all the things. We've been spending way too much money on eating out lately because when I want something, I want it now! Haha. And why does food prepared by someone else taste yummier than stuff you have to make yourself? Ha.

Random Thoughts:
Are we really this close to the end of the first trimester?! Holy crap!

Love,
Alaina & Tiny Baby #2

10 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2

Week ending Sept. 5, 2017.
Due Date: April 3, 2018

Watch our Gender Reveal Video here!

Bump:
+3 pounds overall 

I have vowed to start wearing maternity pants next week. I even wore some a couple days this week because my regular pants were already bugging the crap out of me like fifteen minutes into the morning lol. The rubber-band method works for the first half of the day, but after lunch, my jeans drive me crazy!

Energy:
I'm not sure if it's hormonal changes and things are actually looking up, or if I've just been good about going to sleep earlier and that helps the whole day run more smoothly, but it seems like the fatigue is down a bit.
However, Calvin got sick this weekend and was up a lot in the night. Chasing after a boogery little sick boy is hard work haha.

Attitude:
I may or may not have been more snotty than usual this week. I'm gonna blame it on not feeling well and taking care of the sick toddler.

Physical Symptoms:

Morning sickness has really dissipated.
Still getting headaches.
Some nipple sensitivity this week. Overall though, I don't think the boobies have changed much at all so far. Not sure if already still breastfeeding Calvin has anything to do with it.

Food:
Craved buffalo sauce on something a couple times this week. 

I still don't want to eat stew. Made some a couple weeks ago and froze it. Took out a batch this week and totally don't want to eat it. I made Justin take the last batch to work a couple weeks ago too lol.

Sleep & Dreams:

Dreamt a friend got pregnant.

Favorite Moments of the Week:

Gender reveal time! We filled a hollowed-out egg with colored chalk dust and had Calvin throw it in the driveway. Making and testing the eggs with Justin was fun too. We made one of each color and I got to be the one to find out the sex this time (even though maybe I let it slip before the reveal gathering). Let's just say this family can't keep a secret ha. 

Random Thoughts:
I know we took the Sneak Peek test and there can be inaccuracies, especially with a boy result, so I'm not totally sure if it's really sinking in that it's a boy, almost like I don't trust the results.

So my little buddy Calvin has been weaning himself lately and I don't know how much longer he's going to want to continue. He's usually nursing every other night before bed now. He's been sick, so it's hard to nurse with a stuffy nose when you are already indecisive about nursing lol. But I've actually finally come to terms with it. I think I'm ready to let go. If you had asked me about this a month ago, I would have panicked and said I wasn't ready, but I think we've both come to a good place where we are both ready if it's time to wean completely. I'm not sure that it's really pregnancy related or not, but it's a big step in our family I thought I'd document here.

Love,
Alaina & Tiny Baby #2

9 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2

Week ending Aug 29, 2017.
Due Date: April 3, 2018

Bump:

Still using the rubber band method on my pants. Starting to feel like I look extra fat in the belly. 

Energy:
Even with 10 hours of sleep, I just want to keep sleeping. Then other days I'm up at 5 and can't go back to sleep.
Overall, I do think the daytime fatigue has settled down. I no longer want to pass out in the middle of my workday (as often), but when 7:30 pm rolls around, I want to crawl right into bed. Haha.

Physical Symptoms:

Don't want to jinx myself or anything but it seemed like the nausea was down this week. I read somewhere (and wish I could find the link) where a woman said she was taking prenatals with iron and her doctor said that the iron could be contributing to her nausea in early pregnancy. I was taking prenatals with iron too so I decided to switch to another vitamin without the extra iron and within the week, my nausea has been much better. It could be a coincidence, but maybe not!
My fingernails are starting to look good. :) That was one very nice benefit I remember from last time haha.
Increased uterine twitches this week, but still no bad cramping.
Increased headaches again. Man, I hope they phase out soon.
With the decreased fatigue and nausea this week, I've been feeling a little better, but then every once in awhile I'll get that stupid worrisome feeling about my symptoms suddenly diminishing and thinking it means something bad.

Food:
I've been getting picky this week. Justin and I plan out like a whole month of dinners and I've just been throwing those plans out the window lately when that evening's particular meal doesn't appeal to me. Also had more cravings. I almost made Justin run out to get some Sour Patch Watermelons but I texted my sister (who lives down the street) and she had some!
However, I've been surprisingly good about snacking this week. Since the morning sickness seems to have been giving me a break this week, I haven't felt the need to keep my stomach full all the time, I can survive without snacking every two hours, so that's been awesome!

Sleep & Dreams:

One scary dream. I hate scary dreams.
Had a dream I was at Best Buy and some dude was flirting with me and I kept trying to tell him I was married, had a kid, and another kid on the way. When I left the building my sister was waiting for me in the parking lot in this super old, rusty, junky looking dump truck that was parked on top of a hill. She was in the passenger seat so I had to drive and I thought the truck was going to roll over as we tried to pull off the hill it was parked on. Ha!

Favorite Moments of the Week:

Getting to spend the day with my Calvin on Wednesday again. Over the summer I've been working all five days and I really miss having Wednesdays off with Calvin. He had a doctors appointment and I took the whole day off. We went with my mom out to lunch and by the park and had a really great day. Not going to lie, I was totally exhausted by the end of it though. 

I really need to talk to my boss about getting Wednesdays off again... Working just those two days at a time really helps me keep my sanity. I think it's a perfect balance of work and home time and it should be the standard! It helps me get housework done so I'm not stressed by how terrible the house looks all week long, as well as giving me time with my little buddy, and time to rest from my workplace. 

What I Miss:
Having energy! I literally can't wait for the second trimester!

Thoughts on the Sex of Baby:
I officially get to take the Sneak Peek gender test at the end of this week!!! The next time you hear from me will probably be with a gender reveal! I know reviews on this are very mixed, but we're taking it anyway! Haha. The way we see it, if it says girl, it's like super duper likely it's a girl. If it says boy, we'll be a little more skeptical. It seems to be more likely to get a false boy reading because of possible male dna contamination. We'll see!

Up until this point, I have been pretty set on baby being a boy. Until I started rethinking the boy name we have picked out. I just feel more connected to the girl name and it makes me think baby is a girl. It was the same with Calvin. I just loved his name right off the bat and as soon as Justin suggested it, I just knew in my heart that's who was living in my belly. I know these are silly things to be basing my judgement on, but we'll hopefully know next week the results of the Sneak Peek test.

Love,
Alaina & Tiny Baby #2

Old Wives Tales Gender Prediction Baby #2

Just for fun, I figured we would look into the old wives tales regarding gender prediction. I did the same sort of thing when I was pregnant with Calvin. The totals said he was supposed to be a girl haha, so we know this is all just for fun!

__________________________________

Morning Sickness - yes - GIRL

Baby's Heart-rate - 160 - GIRL

Cravings - Salty - BOY

Sleeping on - left side - BOY

Beauty - Glowing - BOY

Skin - soft - GIRL

Headaches - yes - GIRL

Attitude - Pleasant - BOY

Chinese Calendar - GIRL

Mayan Calendar - GIRL

Ramzi Method - GIRL

GIRL - 7

BOY - 4

_________________________________

I've personally been feeling GIRL lately, even though the moment I knew I was pregnant I was convinced it was a boy. 

We should have our Sneak Peek results this week. I know there are conflicting thoughts on the validity of that test, but we will have to see! I guess nothing is confirmed until that baby pops out. :)

Love,

Alaina & Tiny Baby #2

8 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2

Week ending Aug 22, 2017.
Due Date: April 3, 2018

Announcing to the Internet:
We waited until pretty much the first trimester was over with Calvin, but this time around, I just didn't want to keep it a secret so long. So after our first ultrasound, we figured it would be time. I wanted to be able to document my journey in as close to real-time as possible for my social media accounts, etc. since I'm super bad with secrets anyway.

Bump:

+1 pound
Officially using the rubber band method on my pants. 

Emotions:
Behaved myself this week.

Energy:
Getting an extra hour of sleep super duper helps! Nine hours is the perfect amount.
Overall, I would say the fatigue was a little less intense this week though. Maybe it's just because I've been trying to go to bed earlier.

Physical Symptoms:

Extreme hunger. I feel like a newborn. I must eat every two hours on the dot!
Total decrease in sex drive. I don't remember that when I was pregnant with Calvin. Maybe it's simply because of the fatigue, I just want to sleep all the time.
Headaches have been better.
My right shoulder's been bothering me. When I was pregnant with Calvin my left shoulder hurt and I had to go to the chiropractor to get it back to normal. I was farther along when it happened with Cal though.

Food:
Gathered up some "healthy" snacks at the grocery store this week to have at work. When I'm hungry the morning sickness kicks in. Greek yogurt, watermelon, apples, canned fruit. Hope this works out.

Sleep & Dreams:

Had a dream I died. That was weird. Haha.
Struggled a little with sleep this week. Calvin also had a couple bad nights. I just can't seem to get comfy some nights.

Favorite Moments of the Week:
Ultrasound day was Thursday (7 wks, 2 days). We both got to take the whole day off even though the appointment was only at 8:30 am.
Then being able to announce to the internet after our ultrasound!
Baby measured 7 wks, 5 days. 1.4 cm big. :)

What I Miss:
Being comfy in my pants at work. Haha.

Random Thoughts:
I can't wait to figure out baby's sex! We ordered a blood test on Amazon called Sneak Peak that you can take at 9 weeks, that's just right around the corner! I'm so excited! My bets are on boy, but I seriously do not have a preference either way. Everyone keeps asking what I want, but I legit would be just as happy either way. Every time I tell Justin a new symptom that's different from my first pregnancy, he says it must be a girl. Haha. :)

Love,
Alaina & Tiny Baby #2

7 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2

Week ending Aug 15, 2017.
Due Date: April 3, 2018

7:30 am, this is why Calvin and I both look super tired haha

Announcing:
We wanted to keep it a secret longer than with Calvin (a couple days past 5 weeks). We planned to wait until the first ultrasound which isn't until next week. But we ended up making a bunch of plans and seeing pretty much the whole family this weekend, so we just decided we could tell one week early. I would have liked to see the heartbeat on the ultrasound and been super sure of everything before we announced, but at the same time I am so bad with secrets, this has been driving me crazy! Haha.

So we had Calvin wear his cool "Promoted to Big Brother" shirt for all of the announcements this weekend.

Friday night we went to my niece's birthday gathering with my side of the family. It took 15-20 minutes before anyone noticed his shirt. He was sitting across the table from my sister Ryann and she was like, "what's his shirt say? You're pregnant?!"

Saturday morning we walked to Justin's mom's. She noticed the shirt after just a couple minutes.

Later on Saturday we went to one of Justin's brothers' house. Calvin was kind of afraid of him and just stood at the front door for awhile, giving him ample time to read his shirt. So he noticed right off the bat.

Sunday morning Justin's dad came over to visit. He was over for maybe an hour or 1.5 and he didn't notice. He was about to get up to leave and Justin said, "I guess since you're not very observant, look at Cal's shirt."

We told others through pictures of Calvin wearing his shirt.

Bump:

The bloating is just dumb. I didn't start giving in to maternity pants until I was 11 weeks with Cal, I wonder how long I can last this time.  

Emotions:
Been trying to behave myself better lately. Trying to think before I speak.

Energy:
Soooo tired. Having a toddler is already exhausting, but the first trimester fatigue on top of that? Holy crap, it sucks.

Physical Symptoms:

Morning sickness is kicking in. When I'm hungry I start to feel sick.
Acne starts popping up in stupid places. Outer thighs, shoulders, upper arms. Why?!
Headaches. I hope they cut it out soon. And they're like attack headaches too, they just appear out of nowhere!

Food:
Cravings start to increase. I just think of random food and need it immediately.
But I think I've been good so far in not increasing my calories. I have to remember my first trimester mantra: "I will not gain 7 pounds in the first trimester, I will not gain 7 pounds in the first trimester, I will not gain 7 pounds in the first trimester!" It's hard though because (as was the case in my first pregnancy too), once the morning sickness kicks in, I feel sick with an empty stomach, so I resort to more frequent snacking.

Sleep & Dreams:

I am so tired at bedtime, yet sometimes I have trouble falling asleep. All mornings I never want to get up, I want to sleep an extra hour.
Some nights I get up to pee in the early morning hours and can't fall back asleep for an hour or two. Stupid.
This week I had a dream Cal stopped nursing. Like one night we just forgot to nurse before bed, then he didn't want it anymore and I couldn't remember the last time we nursed and I wanted to keep that memory but couldn't imagine it and I was sad about that. (can you tell this momma isn't ready to wean yet? haha)
Had a dream a tooth fell out. A bottom molar. It just wiggled right out and I remember thinking, I don't think you're supposed to lose grown up teeth. Lol.

Favorite Moments of the Week:
Getting to tell everyone!

What I Miss:
Having energy.

Random Thoughts:
Sometimes I think about weaning Calvin. I think about going to bed at 6:30 and not having to stay up to nurse him before bed. I think we might have to switch around our nighttime nursing session and make it a little earlier, then convince Calvin he wants to go to bed earlier too haha, if only.
Everyone keeps asking if we're hoping for a boy or girl and I can totally honestly 100% say I do not care either way. Justin says he doesn't care either. We want to have four kids, so I figure we'll get one of each eventually (hopefully, maybe?) haha. I'd even like to have one baby without knowing the gender one day (not this time though haha).

Love,
Alaina & Tiny Baby #2

6 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2

Week ending Aug 8, 2017.
Due Date: April 3, 2018

This week hasn't been fun, even though it was my birthday week and it was supposed to be a good week. I experienced some spotting and called the doctor's office. They had me come in two days apart for blood work. The waiting sucked. I was nervous the whole time. And I didn't hear back from them at all in this week.

what's in calvin's mouth?

Bump:

Feeling a little more bloated this week. I had to retire one pair of my regular jeans.
I treated myself to a couple maternity items since it was my birthday this week. Went to Ross and found a cute pair of jeans with some embroidery on them, a shirt that says "mom life is the best life," and another cute top with some floral details. :)

Emotions:
I have definitely gotten more snotty this week, getting upset over little things, and overall just having an attitude. I try to tell myself to take a breath and calm down.

Energy:
Fatigue is definitely here. I want to nap every day.

Physical Symptoms:

Experienced another moment of spotting, so I called the doctor and made an appointment to get some blood work done.
Some c-section spot aching. This is different from cramping. It almost feels like your abs the day after a hardcore ab workout. Like the muscles are sore, but super low in the abdomen, where my scar is.
Peeing in the middle of the night. Every night.
Sore gums one morning.
Stuffy nose, cold-like symptoms one day.
A few headaches this week. Nothing too terrible, but they would just attack all of a sudden in the evenings usually. Perhaps my body trying to tell me to rest a bit.

Food:
Had my first aversion. I was starving to death so I made myself a piece of leftover blueberry croissant breakfast casserole but I totally didn't even want to eat it once it came out of the microwave. Like the juicy blueberries were totally grossing me out. Haha.
Also had my first craving. I wanted cottage cheese before bed and we had none and I even texted my sister who lives down the street and she had none either! 

Sleep & Dreams:

I had a couple dreams I had a miscarriage, that was sucky. Otherwise, I've been sleeping well.

Favorite Moments of the Week:
Calvin was tired and rolling around all over, refusing to sit still because that meant he might fall asleep. So as he was trying to scoot away from me, he slid down my belly to get off the couch and paused for a second and it looked like he was hugging my belly and I said "aww, he's hugging his baby brother or sister." :)

Least Favorite Moment of the Week:
All day leading up to my first doc appointment to draw my blood I was so nervous and afraid. First of all, I hate getting my blood drawn. And I'm prone to passing out. Secondly, just the uncertainty and perhaps seriousness of it all. When I was in the hospital with Calvin, I was worried about him of course, but I didn't worry that he wouldn't live. I worried he might be in the NICU, but I didn't worry that he wasn't going to make it. Right now I worry for my teeny tiny unborn baby because they're so little and helpless at this stage and there's nothing we can really do to help them.

What I Miss:
Not going to lie, I was only 5-10 pounds from my goal weight and I miss working on losing the weight (not that I've been trying very hard the past couple months lol). It would have been nice to have been within 5 pounds of my starting weight with Calvin, but instead I'm about 10 pounds heavier.

Random Thoughts:
Why don't my boobies ache? I don't want to jinx myself but I've heard from so many breastfeeding moms that they had to stop nursing when they got pregnant because it hurt so bad. I have had some nipple sensitivity but really not anything more than like around ovulation or my period. I just wonder when it's going to strike!

Love,
Alaina & Tiny Baby #2

5 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2

Week ending Aug. 1, 2017.
Due Date: April 3, 2018

Sometimes I don't even feel like I'm pregnant. I forget about it. With Calvin, I thought about it every single moment of the day, it seemed. I don't know if it's because this is my second go-around, I'm too busy with my little toddler, the fact that I haven't told anyone outside my little family yet, or what, but in that regard, it seems so different than when I was pregnant with Calvin.

We announced to immediate family at exactly 5 weeks with Calvin, but we're hoping to make it until the first ultrasound this time around. Not necessarily for risk of miscarriage, but because when I was pregnant with Calvin I remember mentioning that I wished we'd kept it our own little secret longer. I go back and forth with this everyday though. One day I want to tell everyone, and the next I tell myself  I like being one of only three people who know. It's tough. And I'm so bad at keeping secrets.

And another thing that seems different is that the doctor doesn't even want to see me until it's first ultrasound time at 6-7 weeks. With Calvin, they immediately had me come in. Our first ultrasound is scheduled for August 17. It seems so far away now! It's still July! It's July 26, my mom's birthday, as I'm typing this segment.

Bump:

Less bloating than the week before, it seems, so yay. :)

Emotions:
Good.

Physical Symptoms:

Fatigue finally started to set in. Hit hard at 4 weeks, 4 days.
Only a couple instances of light-headedness early in the week.
Got a zit in my mustache area.
I did get a yeast infection for like three days, they say they're more common in pregnancy, but I didn't have any with Cal.
Got a couple middle-of-the-road headaches. Stupid.
I had one little moment of very light pink spotting, but since I didn't have any cramping and it was only once, I decided not to worry much about it.
Nipple sensitivity is off and on. Started having some tingly sensations and aches in the boobs on the last day of this week.

Food:
I've been having a salad everyday for lunch at work. I get all paranoid and think my coworkers know I'm pregnant because I'm pretty sure I haven't had a salad every day since I was pregnant with Cal.
No aversions, no cravings yet. 

Sleep & Dreams:

I had a scary dream, but can't remember it.
Definitely having more vivid dreams. I'll wake up and genuinely question whether I dreamt something or it was real.

Favorite Moments of the Week:
Over the weekend Calvin was playing with a little yellow ball that jingles with our cat Yuna. He was throwing it around the kitchen with her and laughing his butt off. He thought it was hilarious. I told Justin, if he's having this much fun playing by himself, just wait til he has a baby brother or sister to play with!

What I Miss:
Cookie dough. Already. I love cookie dough.

Random Thoughts:
I feel like I am more worried about miscarriage this time around. I really don't think I gave it much thought when I was pregnant with Calvin, but for some reason I'm more worried about it this time.
I kind of want to tell everyone (including social media) after the first ultrasound on August 17. By then the risk of miscarriage (according to http://spacefem.com/pregnant/mc.php?m=08&d=10&y=12) is down to 3%. Justin really wants us to wait to tell but I don't understand his reasoning behind it. 

Love,
Alaina & Tiny Baby #2

4 Weeks Pregnant with Baby #2

Week ending July 25, 2017.
Due Date: April 3, 2018

To baby #2:

Little tiny baby who lives in my belly, I am so excited to meet you! You are only just the size of a teeny tiny poppy seed but I can't wait to see you! I hope you look like Mommy, because your brother looks just like Dad.

I pray you are growing so perfectly in there.

please, i am so sorry for the dirty mirror, forgive me!

___________________

I took my first pregnancy test this cycle on Friday 7-21-17. I could not believe my eyes when I returned to the bathroom to see it was positive! I was totally not expecting it!

Justin and I started trying in May and we went through two cycles with no luck.

I know that's nothing compared to so many women out there and it only just gave me a tiny glimpse at the heartache they must experience month after month.

_____________________

I seriously can't believe I'm back here typing up these updates once again! It feels like just yesterday I was this totally naive mommy-to-be! Haha. 

Bump:

Bloated. I'm interested to see how quickly this bump shows up since everyone says it shows faster after the first go-around.

Maternity Clothes:
No way! Not yet!
But I can't wait to wear them again. I have already been browsing online. I don't need more, but it makes me excited just to think about styling the future bump!

Emotions:
I've been surprisingly good. Had zero crazy meltdowns. Unlike at this point when I was pregnant with Calvin. I had two before I even got my first positive with him. :)

Food:
"I will not gain 7 pounds in the first trimester, I will not gain 7 pounds in the first trimester, I will not gain 7 pounds in the first trimester!"

Sleep & Dreams:

Been having more vivid and numerous dreams since a couple days before my positive test. Dreamt about cigarettes once. I dreamt about drinking and smoking when I was pregnant with Calvin like all the time haha.

Energy:
Actually pretty good so far.

Physical Symptoms:
Slight light-headedness, but much less than I remember with Cal.
Some light cramping, but much less than I remember with Cal.

Favorite Moments of the Week:
Seeing the positive test and running downstairs to tell Justin before he left for work. And telling my sweet Calvin he was going to be a big brother!
Taking a family photo on the back porch and knowing we secretly had four people in the picture!

Baby Purchases:
Well I did buy some more Buttons diaper covers with the excuse that we'll have two in cloth come next spring haha.

What I Miss:
Not having to keep a secret. Ah!

Random Thoughts:
I already feel guilty for forcing Calvin out of his only child position.

Love,
Alaina & Tiny Baby #2

Our Big Announcement!

Calvin is going to be a big brother!!!

We are expecting baby #2 April 3,2018!

I can't believe I'm typing this again, it feels like just yesterday, but...

Love,

Alaina & Tiny Baby!

Our announcement video is here!

TWW Symptoms Baby #2

Here are my symptoms during the two week wait for Baby #2!

CD14
stomach ache overnight, very low intense abdominal cramps and soreness, spotting (one little spot), bloated, starving (never experienced that one before, I legit was absolutely starving to death for about two days, and I felt like I was getting sick, my stomach hurt so bad)
CD15 - O Day?*
sensitive nipples
CD16 - 1 DPO
dull low cramping like round ligament pains
CD17 / 2 DPO
CD18 / 3 DPO
some lightheadedness afternoon (I noticed in my previous cycle I had lightheadedness after ovulation too, so I can't call that a pregnancy sign)
CD19 / 4 DPO
CD20 / 5 DPO
increased cm pm
CD21 / 6 DPO
woke up feeling happy, had a dream about cigarettes (when I was pregnant with Cal I had dreams about drinking and smoking a lot haha)
CD22 / 7 DPO 
felt like I was getting a cold, short of breath
CD23 / 8 DPO 
lightheaded, abdominal twinges pm, hairline zit, loss of appetite
CD24 / 9 DPO Implantation Day?
had many dreams overnight, left side backache early am, left side abdominal twinges and ache am, another hairline zit (this is the day I convinced myself I was pregnant, also told Justin it was totally a boy)
CD25 / 10 DPO 
I got a positive test! A faint, but totally there positive and I was genuinely surprised by it!
I didn't plan on testing so early, but I just couldn't seem to help myself. It was my first test of this cycle, so I'm not sure how much earlier it could have showed up. It's just interesting to me that I also got my first positive with Calvin at 10 DPO, but it was much fainter than this one.
CD26 / 11 DPO 
bloating begins, minor nipple sensitivity and aching in sides of boobs
CD27 / 12 DPO 
slight fatigue 


*According to an app I use. I wasn't temping or using OPKs so I really don't know exactly when I ovulated.
Thank you so much for joining me in this new journey!

Love,
Alaina & Tiny Baby #2!!!

Week 13 - 1st Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms, Overview, Updates, etc.

Week 13 - Dec. 4-10

The final week of the first trimester is finally upon us! Wow! I seriously can't believe how quickly this has flown by.

Bump:

My "12 Weeks" picture from last week (taken at 12 weeks, 1 day) was my favorite so far. I think I am starting to look pregnant, not fat, and that makes me happy. Even if it's only to my own eyes that I am "looking pregnant," out in public I bet nobody would know it, but at least I'm getting into it.

Weight:

135 (+7 pounds). I think I might discontinue this weekly update. I don't want to stress or focus so much on the pounds. I hope you understand. I am happy with a total of seven pounds gained in the first trimester though. I was afraid it would just keep on building, but it stayed steady toward the end. But from here on out, I think it's a different story, so we'll just leave it be. I might update you periodically, we'll see. 

Morning Sickness and Food: 
Happy to call the morning sickness officially over with the beginning of the second trimester just on the horizon. But the serious pregnancy hunger has totally set in now. I feel like I am hungry all day! Like all day! I don't remember feeling this way before, but two days into week 13, hunger just took over! Seriously. I could eat all day. I'm not even exaggerating, it's pretty crazy.

Exercise:
Went to the gym twice this week yay! I really need to get on it and stick to it but for two days in a row I was very proud of myself lol. :)

Maternity Clothes:
No new purchases, but I'm finally able to wear jeans on the weekend with the purchase of my awesome Walmart pants from a couple weeks back. Ha. Previously, I was wearing leggings pretty much all weekend. You could see examples of that on my Instagram before I announced. Ha. 

Emotions:
I almost flipped out on Justin for eating something I wanted. Ha. That was a little intense. I wanted pop-tarts for breakfast and we were all out, I stormed out of the kitchen. Meanwhile Justin went to the store and got pop-tarts, as well as stopping by the local doughnut shop. I was being crazy, but he is just so sweet.
I saw a picture of a baby boy in a teddy bear jacket and started crying it was so cute. Cute things are like ridiculously cute to me these days. Just unimaginable cuteness everywhere. 

Sleep:
I really really want to order a pregnancy pillow. If I'm this uncomfortable now, I just can't wait for the months to come. Ha. I am still sleeping well, but sometimes trying to fall asleep in a good position is a task. Before I got pregnant, I enjoyed falling asleep on my belly probably half of the time. So with this growing tummy, that position is no longer feasible. Trying to adjust to new sleeping positions is proving to be difficult, and even though I never used to fall asleep on my back before, I want to these days more and more. But I know that's not good for the baby as your uterus starts to grow, so I can't let myself get into the habit. So it looks like side sleeping is the goal here and it's kinda sucky trying to get into the groove right now. 

Dreams:

Weird dreams continue. Pretty sure I had one that I was drinking again while pregnant. Then I had one I cheated on Justin under the impression that it wasn't a big deal because I was already pregnant. Ha! What the heck...

Energy:
So they say with the start of the second trimester, everybody gets their energy back and everything is hunky-dory. All I can say is that Wednesday night (12 weeks, 5 days), I stayed up til almost 10! That's amazing seeing as I usually HAVE to lay down right at 8.

Physical Symptoms:
Acne. All the pimples. Out of nowhere. What the heck.
And the scalp pimples are back too. Gah! I don't want to, but I might have to begin washing my hair everyday instead of every other day. Bye bye hair color. Lol.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say my skin is even oilier than usual. It usually starts to be halfway decent in the winter months, with everything drying out and whatnot, but apparently this year, it hates me.
So even though my face is freaking out, my fingernails look great. Haha. They're growing so fast and they're thicker and tougher than usual too.
The numb feeling spot on my tummy feels a little more noticeable/prominent this week. I really wonder what that's about, should have asked the doctor when I went last week.
So much hunger! I feel like I'm starving all the time. 

Favorite Moments of the Week:
Watching Justin fill in nail holes in the extra bedroom in preparation for turning it into baby's room. Then laying on the floor in the empty room talking about baby. And seeing Justin hold Yuna the cat and trying to explain to her that there will be a baby in this room soon enough. Haha. We might be crazy cat people... Ok, maybe I am, and Justin is just being influenced by me...

Nursery:
My lovely Justin cleared out the extra bedroom that is going to become the nursery, with the help of my sister's boyfriend. He even cleaned up the basement and organized some things, it's looking great! He even got a big roll of carpet from work and it covers almost half our basement and makes it look so much better! I know it's still so far away before baby needs its own room, but I'm so happy to be seeing this little progression. Next we just get to go pick up the crib and changing table from my older sister. :)

The Name Game:
We had one name picked out last week and I just couldn't handle not having another, so we finally got to figure out our other gender name pick! I love them both! And they actually have a funny commonality that you will all know in due time. Haha. I can't wait to know baby's sex so we can call him/her by name. And I can't wait to tell you guys about our name choices in a video and to reveal the sex to you too! I just can't wait to know!!!

Baby's Sex:
Late this week or early next week Justin will know the secret! He's good at keeping secrets, so I have full confidence in him and his ability to announce to everyone at the same time! (I got my blood drawn for the Harmony test on Dec. 3 and they'll call him with the results in 7-10 days).
But then I wonder. What if Justin feels left out because he has to hear it over the phone from someone he doesn't even know, as opposed to everybody else learning it together from family? That makes me sad. I wish we could learn together.
When sitting in the nursery to be, all I can imagine is a little baby boy's room. I just can't seem to picture a little girl. And when I think of the two baby names we picked out, I am so attracted to the boy name, I feel like that's who baby is. As soon as Justin suggested the name, I was just in love. It's so weird and unexplainable. I'm probably gonna freak out if baby ends up being a girl because I have felt so sure baby is a boy. Lol. We'll just have to wait and see.
I even got my first glimpse at any kind of sex judgement from Justin this week. He referred to baby as a girl one time! He refuses to say what he thinks the baby is, so getting one little reference is my only hope from him lol. He also had a dream in the beginning of a little girl, so I think Justin's bet is on girl even though he refuses to make the choice! Lol.
We will of course both be so happy no matter what sex the baby is. As long as it is good and healthy, we will be the happiest parents ever. I can't believe we are this close to finding out already!!!

Announcing The Sex:
I am over the moon excited for the gender reveal party. Justin could magically find out late this week, but it's more likely that it will be next week. If he finds out this week, we're definitely gonna have the party a week early! I just want to know and having to wait two weekends is sooo hard! I can't wait to have our close family over to learn what the baby is too! :) I think it's going to be so fun to see who guesses right! I plan to have everyone who picks boy/girl stand together for a group picture and everyone to pick a side, stamp a heart in the color blue/pink and sign a little decorative paper to be framed in baby's room. We bought pink/blue candies and plates and forks. Justin's in charge of making the cake. He's the only one who will know beforehand. I'm not sure exactly what method he's going to use to reveal, but he keeps talking about the cake. He's worried about making the icing. We went grocery shopping over the weekend and he was just going to buy colored store bought icing. I laughed at him, that's not how we do cake in this family. Ha.
Anyway, we plan on recording the gathering in segments, but hopefully will get to keep the camera rolling when we cut the cake and we can capture everyone's reactions on film! So that will be up on YouTube for you guys to see too if you're interested. :)

Reality: 
I didn't know what else to name this section, but early in this week I just kept getting these waves of strange feelings. Every once in awhile it's like I'll totally forget about being pregnant, then when I realize I've forgotten, I get all worried and ashamed that I forgot about my own little baby in my tummy! I know this just sounds silly, but it's just a weird little phase I'm having. The fact that we're going to know baby's sex so soon is really starting to make me feel like this is real. I know I've said that before, seeing baby on the ultrasound, hearing baby's heartbeat, etc. But once we know who baby is and can give it a name, I think that will really blow us out of the water in terms of the reality check.
Sometimes I worry that it hasn't really hit Justin yet. I feel like he might be stressing more than I am about it all. This week though, after clearing out the future nursery, I feel more connected to him on the baby level. I feel he talks about baby more and it's starting to finally hit him.
I really do wonder about all dads out there. It has to be a strange thing to just watch us grow and then one day you get a tiny person! They don't feel the symptoms or feel the baby moving all day, yet it's just as much their baby as it is ours. It grows out of two teeny tiny little cells and one day you get to hold it. It's all so miraculous. I just wonder if it's even more bizarre for the dads out there.

Love,

Alaina and Tiny Baby

Week 12 - 1st Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms, Overview, Updates, etc.

Week 12 - Nov. 27-Dec. 3

Bump:

Every week I say that the bump is looking the same, but then Saturday comes along and we snap a photo and compare and you can definitely see the progression! It's just hard to see when it's happening gradually every day.

Weight:

135 lbs (+7) Still holding steady at this weight for a couple weeks now, which I'm happy about. Now just as long as I don't gain five pounds next week, I will call the first trimester a success! :)
Went to the doctor and according to their scale I'm up 10 pounds! I'm just gonna stick to my scale's weight... lol.

Doctor Appointment:
We went to the doctor at 11 weeks, 6 days. We had both been under this crazy impression that we'd get to have lots of ultrasounds, when in reality I hear you only get a couple the entire pregnancy! Surprise to us. Lol.
Justin has been worried about something being wrong with baby. In the first few weeks I was worried about miscarriage, but I must be honest and say that I seriously haven't even given a second thought to the idea that there would be something wrong with the baby. Thank goodness I'm not sharing in his worries, it's keeping me sane, but I hope this appointment will help put his mind at ease.
At this appointment we were able to get the Harmony blood test taken. It should tell us about any issues with baby, as well as the added bonus of finding out baby's gender! We should know the results in a couple weeks, before Christmas! I hope the office is able to call and tell Justin the news instead of telling me because I want to have a gender reveal gathering with our close family where Justin is the only one who knows until then! I hope we find out on a Friday lol. I don't think I'd be able to make it several days knowing Justin had the secret all to himself. I'll probably try to talk to him in his sleep because he does talk in his sleep on occasion ha. 

Morning Sickness and Food: 
No food aversions, no real cravings either though. Everything is going smooth for now. I just had one day I felt somewhat sick. I was just so hungry but fighting the urge to snack all day. It felt the same as morning sickness, the feeling of hunger that makes you feel sick, but I haven't had morning sickness for awhile, so I'm unsure if that's exactly what it was. 

Maternity Clothes:
Went shopping over the Thanksgiving weekend and got some deals. I just can't pass up deals. We went to Old Navy and Target, both of which were having 40% off for the holiday. I couldn't pass up 40% off maternity, even if I don't know what's going to fit in several months. It just sucks that there aren't any summertime clothes out right now in maternity. Ha. So I got a pair of full panel jeans from Old Navy, a pair of leggings, and a couple regular maternity t-shirts. At Target I got a cardigan (not maternity, I just thought it was cute lol), two XL t-shirts (not maternity, but they're pretty long and stretchy so I think they will work in everyday life and during my pregnancy), a long sleeved dress with ruching, and a super cute and soft sweater that could totally be worn in regular life too.

I got the pants I ordered from Walmart last week in the mail and they are so great. I am super happy. It's like wearing sweatpants and being comfy while looking like you're actually civilized and wearing jeans haha.

Emotions:
I know last week I was feeling like my emotions were finally starting to act up, Justin confirmed this when we filmed our announcement video over the weekend lol. However, this week I don't feel the same way, so I'm unsure what all that was about last week, perhaps stress or anxiety about hosting our first Thanksgiving?

Sleep:
I enjoy sleeping so many hours at night. I have actually been waking up pretty easy in the mornings this week, except Thursday morning when I was up for two hours in the middle of the night. Perhaps it was anxiety/excitement about the doctor appointment. 

Dreams:
I had a scary dream Sunday morning of this week. I can't remember what all happened, but essentially I was being told I was crazy and losing my mind. I can't remember if the person telling me this was someone I knew or a doctor or something. They kept showing me pictures of things and they were supposed to be different objects, but to me they were all the same face.
It just seems I'm having more scary dreams lately, but I'm overall remembering my dreams less.
I dreamt I was looking at a map of the border of Nevada/California.
I dreamt about going to find a cake at Dierbergs (a local grocery store where I had my first job and also where Justin and I met). I was trying to find a cake in the bakery while avoiding my old boss (I didn't give my two weeks notice when I quit, so I always feel bad going back there and seeing her lol).

The Name Game:
Justin and I were finally able to decide on one baby name together! We each had names figured out that we really liked and wanted to use, even before we got married, but when it came right down to it, actually having a baby in my belly that needs a good name, we couldn't stick to our original names and we couldn't agree on one. So, as of this past weekend, we have officially picked out one name ha. So if baby happens to be the other sex, we gotta start all over again ha. It's funny because we made this decision in discussion with Justin's brother and sister-in-law Thanksgiving weekend. The night we somewhat decided we should start trying for baby we also discussed it briefly with these two! It's funny how these two important events pertaining to our precious baby took place with them at their house. We'll probably film a video just about the name once we find out what our baby's sex is and can make an official decision on the name! Also, we want to film an old wive's tales gender prediction video once we find out the sex too! Let me know what other fun baby related videos you want to see!

Baby's Sex:
Justin absolutely with all of his little heart and mind refuses to tell me what he thinks baby is. He claims he doesn't feel one way or the other and that's why he will not answer me. We gave the doctor's office instructions to call him with the results of the Harmony test which we will receive in 7-10 days. He's in charge of the reveal gathering we will have probably the weekend before Christmas. I instructed Justin not to let me know when he knows because I will just bug him to tell me. At the beginning I thought for sure baby was a boy, but now I really can't say what way I'm leaning. It differs every day.

Physical Symptoms:
I started getting headaches in week 9 and week 10, less in week 11, and since then I haven't had any issues. So I guess it was just a weird little thing for a couple weeks. Then the last two days in a row this week I had them again. What the heck?
This week and last I've noticed that when I sneeze, I get a sharp pain in my lower abdomin. It also sometimes happens when I laugh so that's great. Lol. It's not too terrible, but it's just uncomfortable.
I also think I am suffering from pregnancy rhinitis. As I've mentioned in previous posts that I've felt like I'm coming down with a cold some days, I have self-diagnosed this condition and blame it on the pregnancy ha.
I'm starting to notice the breathlessness again. This time it's happening more when I'm actually doing things. I ran upstairs to grab something and ran back down and I was noticeably winded. I have started reminding myself that I won't be able to run around like that much longer, not just for lack of energy or growing bigger, but also because I need to be more careful and not lose my balance or risk falling or tripping by running around like that.
I'm definitely not getting up in the middle of the night to pee as often as I was. I don't know if something in my body has changed to make this happen or what, but I read in a couple places that since your uterus is finally starting to rise up out of your pelvis, it's no longer sitting right on top of your bladder. If that's the case, then woo hoo I'm gonna have a real baby bump soon!!!
I got four zits this week (one in between the eyebrows, two around the mouth, one on the lower cheek area, plus plenty of those under the skin ones that aren't actually full blown pimples yet, it's great. lol.)! I haven't really had a big issue with facial acne since the very early days of my pregnancy, but this week my face was just acting crazy! Lol. 

Favorite Moments of the Week:
Filmed our awkward announcement video. Lol. I had this plan for the video, but when it came down to the part where we say we're having a baby, Justin and I couldn't keep a straight face. I'm sure you'll be able to tell we couldn't be very serious in the video.
Hearing baby's heartbeat at the doctor. It was very hard to hear but if the doctor said it was there, I believe her. Ha. 170 bpm!

Nursery:
I know that baby won't even be sleeping in its bedroom for awhile after it arrives, but for some reason I really want to get that room figured out. I just want to finally have a space to call baby's where I can gather baby stuff and whatnot.
We have two extra bedrooms. Right now the smaller one is my YouTube studio and computer room, the "makeup room." The bigger room is the spare bedroom with Justin's computer that we don't really use and a twin sized bed. Originally we were going to put the bed and Justin's computer in the basement and turn the bigger room into the nursery, with plans to finish the basement before baby comes. I don't see this grand project happening in that time frame, in all honesty. So just this week I've been trying to think of an alternative way to place everything so we could keep the spare bed upstairs. I have been wondering if I could fit my computer desk and vanity in the spare bedroom and turn the makeup room into the nursery. The only time this would become an issue would be if we actually (rarely) have someone stay the night and I can't get to my makeup room without disturbing them.

Announcing:
I realize that the first trimester is not over until 13 weeks (next week) and some even debate that, saying it's like the middle of weeks 13-14 or whatever, I'm just gonna stick to 13 weeks. Anyway, I know we haven't completed the first trimester yet and therefore technically aren't out of the sketchy danger zone, but we're announcing to Facebook and YouTube and this blog this week on Thursday (11 weeks, 6 days), right after our doctor appointment. We figured, what's one more week, and we might as well announce right after seeing the doctor and everything is checking out in good standing (i.e. she can hear the heartbeat). You might not see this post until Saturday because that's just when we take our bump pic, but know that it's going up in real time for you guys! I can't tell if I'm more excited to go to the doctor and hear baby's heartbeat again or if I'm more excited about finally letting the whole wide world know about our precious little one!
I'm also kinda torn on how to post all of these blog posts and videos. Should I just throw them all up at the same time, space them out each day, or at least a couple hours in between? I don't want to overwhelm everyone with a million posts and videos. I also don't want to post like weeks 5-7, then all of a sudden post week 12 without having released the other weeks too. We'll just see how it goes. 

This post is exceptionally long this time around. I don't know why that is. I just had lots on my mind this week I guess.

Thanks for reading! I'm so excited you'll be seeing this blog post go up in "real time" this week! I can finally tell the whole wide world about our baby! I am seriously just so excited and actually can't believe these 12 weeks have gone by so fast!

Love,

Alaina and Tiny Baby

My Secret Diary Post - Week 11 - 1st Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms, Overview, Updates, etc.

Week 11 - Nov. 20-26

Bump:
Bump seems to be fluctuating this week. Over the weekend, it looked like a bump, it was there. Then Monday at work I pretty much looked like normal when standing up (it's a different story when I'm sitting down lol). So I guess since bump isn't actually baby yet, it just kinda does what it wants. Maybe I'm loosing some bloat/water weight a little bit. Who knows.

Weight: 
132-134 lbs (+7 lbs overall, steady from last week) Unlike previous weeks, my weight has been fluctuating a couple pounds. In previous weeks I would weigh myself everyday and come up with the same weight, this week, it's varied.

Morning Sickness: 
I think I'm finally out of the woods on this one! :) Just one incident last week, and none this week!

Food:
I feel like I'm eating better this week and last week. When I still had morning sickness, I was only wanting snacks because I knew they wouldn't make me feel gross. Now that the morning sickness has settled down, I am able to eat a lot of different things and try to stay healthy for baby.
I'm really working on cutting down on the snacking. I'm pretty bad about watching TV for a couple hours after dinner and just eating chips or cookies or whatever. This has been a terrible habit since Justin and I moved in together in May, so I figured it's time to try and get this under control.

Exercise:
I went back to the gym one day last week and I am making it my goal to keep going this week too! I haven't been to the gym since I got pregnant, so this is a big step up for me. Haha. Even though I'm just walking on the treadmill, it's making me feel better about taking care of myself and our growing baby. Even though my doctor said it was okay as long as I didn't get myself totally winded, I'm almost afraid to run/jog on the treadmill.

Maternity Clothes:
Now that I am almost to the 2nd trimester, I am ready to give in to maternity pants! Well, I've been ready for weeks now, but I finally ordered some pants that I hope will work for me. I just got them from Walmart so they're probably not going to be the best quality, but they were cheap ($13 a pair). If you care to see them, I ordered this pair and this one too. I got mediums after reading some of the reviews on the website. I must say, Walmart online sucks. I couldn't even find size charts for these pants so I had to go solely by the reviews. Thank goodness some ladies were giving their heights and weights to help you understand what size they were.

Emotions:
I feel like the mood swings might be ramping up this week. I still try to catch myself when I start to feel a little cray-cray though. I'm sure I've had outbursts, but I can't think of any right now, and I like to believe I have some control. I know I got a little pissy grocery shopping the weekend before Thanksgiving (I hate shopping when it's super busy, HATE it!) but I can get that way when I'm not pregnant, so I don't think that was anything out of the ordinary.
I do feel the urge to just break down and cry every once in awhile, but once again, I try to suppress it. Is this bad? What do you recommend? I don't just want to be a psycho and blame everything on the pregnancy, but at the same time, if it's better for me to just let it out, then maybe I should. And it's not like I bottle it all up for hours, I find the urges to cry or get angry only last a few minutes and then everything is back to normal.

Sleep:
I feel like since the fatigue is wearing off, it's becoming more difficult for me to fall asleep at night. I just don't feel the urge to crawl into bed right at 8 pm like I did for the past month.
I am starting to wonder if it's time to invest in a pregnancy pillow. I know they're kind of pricey, but I think it's gonna be helpful down the line. The only thing I'm kind of hesitant about it the idea that adding this ginormous pillow will be like adding a third person to our bed and I hope Justin's okay with it. Ha. Just wait til I have a big ole belly too!

Dreams:
I haven't been having as many dreams that I remember this week. Still some, but they're just not quite as memorable as previously. I did have another scary dream but totally cannot remember it! It's like I'll wake in the middle of the night and remember my dream, but by the time I actually wake up, I can't remember it at all.

Physical Symptoms:
Okay, here's some TMI, but let me just say fiber supplements are very useful at this stage.

Favorite Moment of the Week:
We went and got an artificial Christmas tree and put it up and decorated it this week and that was awesome. Even though we don't have a ton of special ornaments, just seeing the different items that represent Justin and me is really cool. I just can't wait for the years to come and to see all of the new ornaments we will get or make. We even got to take our first ultrasound photo and put it in a sweet little frame ornament that says "Love at First Site" on it. It's so cute. I think I'm going to use it as our announcement photo on Facebook for next week.

Daddy:
Since the "Daddy" section of the week usually coincides with the "Favorite Moment of the Week", I might just be skipping this segment in the future... We'll see how it goes, but this is just a heads up.

When to Announce:
So as you know, we told all of our close friends and family like the week after we found out. Ha! We still haven't made the "official Facebook announcement" yet though. We have a doctor appointment next Thursday (the last day of week 12) and I plan to tell right after that so long as everything is looking good. I am so excited about it! Excited to tell Facebook, but even more excited to tell you guys!!! I can't wait to start doing Maternity OOTDs and actually being able to talk openly about it! To post belly pics every week on Instagram, etc. Haha! I just can't wait! I think that's what's going to make it seriously feel real. I know it's real right now, but having to keep it secret to some but not to others is really hard! I just can't wait for the world to know!
I had to remind Justin we need to take the pregnancy announcement pic he wants to use for Facebook this weekend. But we also have to film our Youtube pregnancy announcement video! I can't believe the time has come so quickly!
I keep worrying about someone accidentally saying something on Facebook or Instagram. We had a close call this week where a friend of ours posted a meme that said "that moment when you realize you're eating for two on Thanksgiving." I know she meant well, she was just thinking of me, but she tagged me and I had to super hurry up and un-tag myself and message her. Thank goodness the only other person who liked it was a friend of mine who already knew. I worry so bad that there's going to be one time somebody does that and I don't catch it as fast! It's only a week guys, please contain yourselves. Ha!
In the beginning it felt like it was forever away before we could tell the whole wide world, but now it's almost time! At least it's time to prepare the things we're going to be using to announce. We gotta be ready to go! I hope the rest of this pregnancy doesn't fly by so quickly, but before we know it, I'm gonna have a real baby bump, not just fat stores! Haha. And then we'll have a precious little baby in our arms one day in June! Wow! I think it's getting real really fast!

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Alaina and Tiny Baby

My Secret Diary Post - Week 10 - 1st Trimester Pregnancy Symptoms, Overview, Updates, etc.

So this is the picture caught when Justin says "be happy" Haha. 

Week 10 - Nov. 13-19

Bump: 
I think my bump has been the same since 7 weeks. It was cute at first seeing something happening, but now I just feel fat. Also, I don't know if I've mentioned this before but pretty much since the beginning, I have had random moments where this one little spot, maybe the size of my thumb, on my stomach to the upper right of my belly button feels numb. I've been reading that it either has to do with nerves or stretching of the muscles, but it doesn't seem to be anything too out of the ordinary. I felt it a lot right when we found out I was pregnant, and now it's back again this week. It's so weird how these symptoms come and go!

Weight: 134 lbs (+7 lbs)

Food:
I don't think I've had any aversions this week. Tuesday night I had my first really bad craving! I hadn't felt the immediate desire to get food so far, until then. I saw a commercial for pizza and I begged Justin to order me a pizza even though it was already 7 pm and I usually head to bed right at 8. Haha. I got my pizza and I was happy. I seriously was gonna cry if I didn't get that darned pizza.

Morning Sickness: 
I only got one wave of it on the last day of week 10 right around lunch time. I think I'm one of the lucky ones getting off this easy with the morning sickness. Looking back, it really wasn't that bad. I only had maybe 2-3 instances where I really thought I'd throw up, but I never did. I just felt gross and uncomfortable, but not as bad as so many ladies out there. And it only lasted a little over a month, so I'm very fortunate and thank God it wasn't as bad as a lot of others experience! If you're suffering with terrible sickness, I'm so sorry and I hope this post doesn't make you angry.

Maternity Clothes: 
Went shopping with my sister over the weekend for clothes and Christmas decorations. The only clothes I got were tank tops, so I think I'll be set for that. They're all really long and stretchy, so I think they will work out well with my growing belly. I still can't find any reasonably priced and decent maternity pants though! I bought one pair of dress pants that feel like sweatpants from Walmart, hopefully they'll survive a couple of weeks with the amount of stretch they have. Pants are my biggest issue right now and I hate paying full price for clothes, so this is a real struggle for me. Ha.

Emotions: 
Before I knew I was pregnant, I kept having this melancholy feeling some days. I would just feel sad and unmotivated. I've been feeling like that again this week. Sunday I just wanted to lay in bed all day and I attribute that more to my emotions than to fatigue. It's also the reason why I didn't get to film my "9 Weeks Update" and will be combining my 9 weeks and 10 weeks update at the end of this week.

Sleep:
Sleep is good. I only have been getting up to pee, but at least I can fall back asleep pretty easily after that. I either wake up ready to go or I never want to leave my bed, I don't have any in-between days. I feel like I sleep soo much. I'm not napping, just going to bed an hour earlier than usual. And I'm getting pretty good at just passing out as soon as I hit the pillow. Haha.

Dreams:
Dude, this one is a good one: I dreamt that I ordered my friend Amy (http://makeupandbeautybyamy.blogspot.com/) the Loreal La Palette Nudes to send to her in Ireland. When I got the palettes, one was regular and one was called the "La Palette Extraordinaire" and it had extra shadows and it was really large. Haha. That's the beauty junkie in me coming out in my dreams ha.
I dreamt something that felt really real and perhaps scary Sunday night but I can't recall it.
In one dream I remember I was pregnant and drinking alcohol. Like hard liquor, I'm pretty sure. I remember Justin looking at me with the, "are you freaking crazy?" look and I just shrugged it off. Wow. I had a dream I was smoking last week, now I'm drinking?! What is going on in my head? Haha.
I also had a dream involving Justin's favorite band.

Physical Symptoms:
Little bit of cramping Friday. Fatigue is back after not being an issue for a couple of weeks. I'm starting to get headaches again this week, which have been pretty absent since around the time I found out I was pregnant. (I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I get migraines and headaches pretty frequently).
Last week I was complaining about pimples on my scalp in my hair. I started washing my hair regularly every other day instead of trying to make it three days and that's fixed my problem! The pimples are almost completely gone! Just after less than a week of washing my hair every two days. Yay, one pregnancy annoyance down! But did I just trade head pimples for headaches?! I'd gladly trade back!

Baby's Gender/Sex?:
Alright, first of all, I understand that "sex" refers to the actual physical sex organs, whereas "gender" is based on behavior, etc. Yes, I've taken Soc. classes, I know the difference. However, it's just more common to refer to it as "Baby's Gender" than "Baby's Sex" so you may see me use the terms interchangeably. Just a head's up.
I want to know our baby's gender so stinkin' bad I don't know how women handled this for thousands of years before ultrasounds! Like, seriously. I don't care what it is, honestly. I can think of a million reasons in favor of one or the other, but I just want to know! I think it will make it feel more real and I can start hoarding more baby things! Haha. I've thought since the beginning that it's a boy, but I really can't say one or the other at this point. My family is full of girls, I have two sisters and two nieces. A couple friend of ours just had a baby girl and apparently they don't know many other friends with babies, so they're hoping we have a girl who can play with their girl. I'm used to girls, girls are just so precious, but perhaps it's time for a boy in the mix! Haha. I just want to know so bad! Let me know your guesses in the comments section!!! I can't wait to do an old wives tales gender reveal video on my YouTube channel once the time comes!
But later on in the week, I was thinking: what if we don't find out what our next babies' genders are? I know I could never do it with our first, being new parents and not knowing what we're doing, I'd feel way more unprepared not knowing if the baby is a boy or girl! But what about next time? I know it's weird to be thinking about our next baby when we're only 10 weeks along with our first, but I was just wondering, could we really handle that? Haha. I bet Justin could. But I like planning and that might drive me nuts!

Daddy:
Sunday Justin wanted to make a baby gate, so we headed to Home Depot and looked at wood and hardware. He wants to make a cute barn style door that is attached to the wall and permanent. Although we didn't get the things to make it, we were just browsing really, it made me happy when Justin offered up that activity for the day, especially since I wasn't having a very good day and otherwise would have just laid around doing nothing all day.

Favorite Moments of the Week:
Shopping with Ry and finding the cutest little stuffed fox in the Christmas decorations at Hobby Lobby, buying it for "Christmas" purposes, but really wanting it to go in the baby's room! Just Christmas shopping overall because it's our first Christmas in our own home and our first Christmas with baby on the way!
I tried to hold out until after Thanksgiving to decorate because that's what Justin wanted, but I just couldn't help it. We started decorating Monday night. We still don't have a tree yet, but I put up my stained glass Christmas village my mom made for me, our stockings, garland, and some little decorative items. I still want to get some more decorations for our kitchen though!

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Alaina and Tiny Baby