Weeks 5-13 Pregnancy Journals

Okay, so here's the deal. The Monday after we found out we were with bambino, I started keeping a weekly journal. I write these on Mondays to reflect about happenings within the past seven days. I know that sharing all of these (weeks 5-13) may not appeal to everyone, but I am doing so for two main reasons -- first, to document these last very exciting weeks for my own memory, and second, because when I was newly pregnant I couldn't find a lot of blogs with weekly pregnancy journals that started so early on in the pregnancy. So, without further ado!

How Far Along? 5 weeks

Size of Baby: Appleseed (0.13 inches)

Gender: I can't even begin to wonder ... everything is so fresh and new!

Weight Gain: Haven't stepped on scale, but I'm assuming none.  I have felt a bit bloated though in my lower belly.

Maternity Clothes: Not even close.  But I have been obsessively checking out the maternity styles on Zulily.

Nursery: Is still a guestroom.  Or an office.  Time to see about getting a decorator to come give me pointers about how to fit a baby in the house!

Movement: Nada.  Can't wait for this, though!

Symptoms: The "girls" are mighty sore.  Some cramping in the evenings.  Otherwise, none of the symptoms I'd prepared for, like nausea, exhaustion, or hunger.

Sleep: I've had some strange sleepless nights, which is rare for me.  Otherwise, sleeping through the night without having to get up to tinkle.  Not even once!

Cravings: None to speak of, although I'm actually looking forward to the possibility of getting them. Curious to see what baby wants :)

What I Miss:  From a gal who loves wine, I don't miss it a bit!  I was expecting to crave a glass over the weekend but was perfectly satisfied drinking my water and my "fake wine."  Ordering from a menu now has its challenges -- no club sandwiches or brie-topped burgers for this gal.

Best Moment This Week: Finding out and telling Ian.  That was one of the very best moments of our life together.

Looking Forward To: Doctor's appointment on Wednesday to confirm the pregnancy!

How Far Along? 6 weeks

Size of Baby: Small pea (0.25 inches)

Gender: I can't wait to find out!

Weight Gain: Actually, a loss. Three pounds under my starting weight. Ironically, my goal weight.  Who knew all I had to do was get pregnant?!

Maternity Clothes: Nope -- lots of time on this one, I think!

Nursery: Pinning away to my secret Pinterest board. I'm not thinking "theme-y" ... just interesting and lovely.

Movement: Zip! Can't wait for it, though.

Symptoms: I pretty much always feel hungry (like, how you feel right before your stomach growls out loud). In the evenings, I don't have a huge appetite many nights. I've also been really cold ... curled up on the couch in the evenings with a furry blanket -- in the summer!

Sleep: Twice this past week I needed a potty break in the middle of the night. Other than that, just training myself to sleep on my left side.

Cravings: No real cravings (or aversions) to speak of at all.

What I Miss: Work-time lunches are a little harder -- I typically just packed a sandwich, picked up a sub, or ordered my favorite Greek salad for take-out ... which is loaded in feta (which I can't prove is pasteurized, so it's a no-go). So right now the only thing I'm missing is an easy, planning-free lunch!

Best Moment This Week: We got our little magic bean confirmed at the doctor this past Wednesday! What a great moment that was. Ian went with me for the appointment and I loved having him there.

Looking Forward To: Everything.  A belly, a kick, all ultrasounds, baby snuggles.  Everything.

How Far Along? 7 weeks

Size of Baby: A blueberry (0.51 inches)

Gender: At the beach in Charleston this weekend we briefly discussed leaving it as a surprise ... but I think we are both leaning towards finding out the gender.  Hopefully just another 9 or 10 weeks until we know!

Weight Gain: Holding at -3 from original weight.

Maternity Clothes: None needed!

Nursery: Big question mark ... although I think we are leaning towards turning the office into the nursery and adding a work station to the guest bedroom.

Movement: Not for a long time, but I can't wait for this.

Symptoms: This week I was a lot more tired than usual.  I took hour-long naps Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday -- which is extremely unlike me.  Getting up once per night to use the restroom from time to time. Still hungry during the day but lack of appetite in the evenings.  And my skin is acting up a bit, which is no fun at all.  Thank goodness for great concealer.

Sleep: Minus the quick potty break, sleeping wonderfully and training myself to favor my left side. Almost ready to pull the trigger on a body pillow.

Cravings: No strong cravings, although I have had a propensity for sweeter-than-normal breakfasts (the thought of a veggie-filled omelet is just ew right now). I also have loved having a small glass of juice daily.

What I Miss: Nothing right this minute! We went to a wedding last night and I didn't miss having a glass of wine at all. I was perfectly content with my mocktail (sparkling water with a splash of cranberry and a lime slice).  I had a tuna sub for lunch today so I will need to limit tuna for the next week.  Had to skip out on some sliders at the wedding that had blue cheese on them, but my appetite wasn't big so I didn't mind.

Best Moment This Week: Laying on the beach at Sullivan's Island with Ian, we laughed about how much more in-tune we were to couples chasing their babies around the beach.  That was such a fun moment just talking together about this pregnancy.  So incredibly wild to think that next year we will have a baby under a beach umbrella!

Looking Forward To: October 3rd when we hear the heartbeat.  I seriously can't focus on anything else ... so anxious for that appointment.

How Far Along? 8 weeks

Size of Baby: A raspberry (0.63 inches)

Gender: We can't wait to know!

Weight Gain: As of this morning I've gained one pound -- so -2 from starting weight.

Maternity Clothes: Not even close.

Nursery: I've been spending a lot of time figuring out how best to restructure our office or guest room to create a beautiful and sweet nursery!

Movement: None

Symptoms: Waking up once nightly to tinkle. Still not a lick of morning sickness or food aversions at all! A little tired but no naps needed like last week. Some belly bloat. Some small breakouts (no bueno).

Sleep: Sleeping great minus the bathroom trip. I try to go to bed by 10pm and I'm sleeping until 6:45.

Cravings: I've been on a breakfast cereal kick, but no crazy-strong cravings. Not really in the mood to cook, though -- takeout has been my friend.

What I Miss: The ease of grabbing a deli sandwich for lunch! That's about it.

Best Moment This Week: I had a fairly sizeable belly pooch on Sunday and Ian couldn't keep his eyes off of it. He was speechless. It was so adorable. Oh, also: I was really missing my Chai tea latte K-Cups but ditched them when I said no to caffeine. I decided to look online to see the caffeine amount in them and was truly shocked to see each K-Cup has less than 10mg of caffeine! It's considered safe to have up to 200mg each day during pregnancy, so I was thrilled to find this out ... and I headed straight to the Keurig!

Looking Forward To: Next Thursday is when we have our first ultrasound ... cannot WAIT to hear that heartbeat!

How Far Along? 9 weeks

Size of Baby: A green olive (0.9 inches)

Gender: We can't wait to find out!

Weight Gain: Still have just gained 1lb. and am -2 from my starting weight.

Maternity Clothes: None, but while I had some time to kill in Greensboro, my girlfriend convinced me to go ahead and stop in Motherhood Maternity and try on some pants to get an idea of sizing. All I have to say is that the full-panel skinnies are comfortable as all get out. I can see why some girls keep wearing their maternity pants after baby!

Nursery: I think the plan now is to look for a nice sleeper sofa that we can add to the office so that it could double as a guest room when needed. We'll probably flip-flop the current office and guest room to put the office/couch in the larger space.

Movement: Nada!

Symptoms: Still no nausea or extreme exhaustion, but I did take one hour-long nap this past week. My skin is clearing up, thank goodness. Feeling out of breath sometimes at the smallest things -- emptying the dryer, bringing in groceries from the car. Not doing any majorly heavy lifting ... I leave that to Ian. Hungry!

Sleep: Most nights, getting up once in the middle of the night for a bathroom break. Other than that, sleeping great and almost all the way trained to sleep on my left side all night long.

Cravings: I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a sweet tooth. Definitely moreso than normal. I love Special K with Red Berries in the morning. We are only buying organic milk now (thanks Ian!). I bought a package of sugar cookies on our way down to the beach and loved having those around.

What I Miss: Soft cheeses! I did purchase pasteurized feta recently and I bring that to work on Fridays when I treat myself to my favorite Greek salad from Showmars.

Best Moment This Week: One night this week, Ian woke up in a dream-like state and was just loving all over my belly, rubbing it and patting it before falling back to sleep. He didn't remember it at all the next morning. How incredibly sweet is that...

Looking Forward To: Our ultrasound is this coming Thursday and I can't WAIT to see this cutie pie on a big screen! Hoping and praying for a good doctors visit!

How Far Along? 10 weeks

Size of Baby: A prune (1.2 inches)

Gender: Still a little back & forth about whether to find out or not, but I think we're sold on the fact that we do want to know what that sweet little gummy bear is before he/she makes his/her way into the world.

Weight Gain: Back down 1lb., so -3 from my starting weight. Now I see what foregoing wine will do. :)

Maternity Clothes: It is still way early, but I tried on some maternity skinnies at Old Navy and they were super cute (and hellooooo full panel comfort). I ordered them online with a coupon code, and they came in Saturday.

Nursery: Still my husband's office!

Movement: We saw that sweet bean dancing all around during the ultrasound, but no movement I can feel just yet.

Symptoms: Getting up once a night most nights to potty. Still some shortness of breath. Lack of motivation to exercise. Still having some lack of motivation too cook as well. A bit of a pooch!

Sleep: Minus my one trip up each night, sleeping very well.

Cravings: No major cravings yet, but my sweet tooth is stronger than normal.

What I Miss: Hanging out with friends without having to worry about spilling the beans. Thank goodness for my fake wine concoction and alcohol-free beer. Also - nights where I sleep through the night straight with no potty breaks!

Best Moment This Week: Two really, really super moments. First of all, THE ULTRASOUND! I was really nervous driving to the doctor's office, like sweaty-nervous. I wanted to see that little he or she so badly, but I was also mentally preparing myself for the fact that the heartbeat might not be there, or the fact that we could potentially hear multiple heartbeats! Ian joined me for the appointments and reached out for my hand as the ultrasound started. We just sat there in the dark room with the tech squeezing hands and watching this miracle on the big screen. Our little gummy bear was wiggling and swimming with a strong heartbeat of 169bpm. I had silent tears streaming down both sides of my face as I laid there, just feeling so fortunate and happy. And secondly, we told my parents! Mom and Dad were in for the weekend and although we were hoping to get through the first trimester before telling anyone, it was becoming too hard to contain. Ian's mom is coming into town soon and we will share with her as well. I think we have lots of speculators, but we will wait longer to tell everyone else, which I hope they understand -- just what we feel is best.

Looking Forward To: Getting out of the first trimester! I officially entered double-digits territory today -- no looking back. Also, this weekend we will be in the mountains for Oktoberfest and while I can't partake in the Spaten, I'm looking forward to the crisp, chilly mountain air.

How Far Along? 11 weeks

Size of Baby: A lime (1.6 inches)

Gender: I have been feeling really boy-mama-ish recently ... a mothers intuition?

Weight Gain: Holding at -3 from starting weight, which is confusing because the pooch is definitely there!

Maternity Clothes: Right now I just have those Old Navy maternity skinnies but definitely no need for sporting maternity clothes as of yet. For me, it's been more of a change from clothes that I can't really wear yet due to the small bump. I've been keeping it loose and flowing at work :)

Nursery: It's still an office, but the Pinterest secret board is helping with ideas.

Movement: None, ready for it though in several weeks!

Symptoms: Belly pooch. Aversion to cigarette smoke. Middle of the night potty breaks. Sweet tooth like CRAZY.

Sleep: I'm still going to bed around 10 and waking at 6:45. I dread waking up around 3am to go to the potty because I often have a difficult time falling back asleep! For someone who has never really tossed & turned, missing out on sleep for that reason is tough. I was really tired on Friday night and was ready to call it by 8:30 but ended up rallying (which meant staying up for another Breaking Bad episode but falling asleep off an on through it).

Cravings: I LOVE cereal! Honey Nut Cheerios and Special K with Red Berries have my heart.

What I Miss: Warm, gooey, melty brie cheese. I will request a hunk of it on my hospital bedside table.

Best Moment This Week: Getting away to the mountains was a true treat, we were able to put the top down on the car on the way there and back and that little two-seater experience is one that we are soaking up now while we are carseat-free. :)

Looking Forward To: Next Wednesday we have our second ultrasound and that is when we will be in the clear for telling friends and family! I'm busting at the seams here! Specifically can't wait to tell my sisters that they will be AUNTS!

How Far Along? 12 weeks

Size of Baby: A plum (2.1 inches)

Gender: I'm having boy feelings like craaaaazy.

Weight Gain: Down one pound this morning, so -4 from starting weight. Don't be fooled, the pooch is most definitely there!

Maternity Clothes: Still just wearing a lot of flowy shirts to work. Pants have been okay so far, although I did wear my Old Navy skinny maternity jeans to Ian's birthday dinner.

Nursery: We haven't done any work towards the nursery but I have a feeling at our appointment this week we will finally get the feeling like we can move forward with confidence!

Movement: Obviously none at all, but can't wait for the flutters.

Symptoms: Sweet tooth! Getting up once a night to potty and having a super hard time falling back to sleep. My mind starts racing, thinking of the silliest things like song lyrics and new recipes to try. I just can't quiet it down! Oh and a belly pooch. :)

Sleep: Sleeping great minus that 4am witching hour. It has taken me anywhere from 1-2 hours to fall back asleep after getting up, and if I'm awake until 6am but then fall back to sleep, it's a really tough wake-up call at 6:45 when my alarm goes off.

Cravings: Still loving cereal!

What I Miss: The ease of grabbing a deli sandwich -- and soft cheeses on restaurant menus are a no-no for me. Ouch.

Best Moment This Week: I had a wonderful time this past Tuesday celebrating Ian's birthday with him... our last celebration as a family of two. Also - wonderful times at the blogger meet-up at On A String even though I had to slyly sip on my alcohol-free merlot which is not as good as the real thing. ;)

Looking Forward To: Our ultrasound this Wednesday, two short days away! I'm seriously so excited to see Baby R again and make sure everything is a-okay. At this appointment we will get the "all clear" so I am SUPER excited to tell my sisters that they will be aunties!

How Far Along? 13 weeks

Size of Baby: A peach (2.9 inches)

Gender: Still thinking blue. :)

Weight Gain: I gained that pound back that I'd lost last Monday, so back to -3 from starting weight. At our appointment last Wednesday I mentioned my concern to the doctor -- she said if I lost any more weight she would put me on a 200-calorie nutrition shake daily but otherwise not to worry.

Maternity Clothes: I did break out my maternity jeans yesterday and they felt oh-so-good. They are not a huge necessity now, but the full panel is really easy on the belly!

Nursery: Even though I'm foreseeing blue accents, I know we will most likely go with a neutral palette for the base.

Movement: After hearing from fellow moms about how great this is, I can't wait! Some nights I just lay there with my hand on my stomach waiting for any movement, but zip so far.

Symptoms: I think my skin is looking glowy -- YES. Other than that, I had my first little taste of nausea last Monday (after writing my update that day). I had some castellvetrano olives as a mid-day snack, and let it be known that Baby R does NOT love them like mama does. The nausea hit me immediately, and I fought the urge to get sick until it passed a few minutes later.

Sleep: Sleeping much better since Wednesday's appointment -- the doc cleared me to take a little bit of Benadryl at night to help with sleep! I take 2 teaspoons of dye-free children's Benadryl and it has helped me to sleep through the night without a wakeup call where my mind just goes and goes and goes. So, extremely happy to say that I am sleeping much, MUCH better!

Cravings: Still jazzed about candy. And cold cereal.

What I Miss: We had our Halloween party this past Saturday night and everyone loved the keg beer that the guys got. I wouldn't have minded switching out my (alcohol-free) O'Douls for a red solo cup of it!

Best Moment This Week: Hands down, our ultrasound. Not only did we get to hear the heartbeat again (155bpm) but we got to see baby dancing around on the screen, AND we got great low-risk test results back for some of the prenatal testing we had done. Because baby wasn't in the mood to cooperate with the ultrasound tech, that meant that we got a really long ultrasound - about 40 minutes long. I hated that it made her job tough, but I loved all that time to look at baby's hands, arms, feet, legs, sweet head, vertebrae, shoulders, elbows!

Looking Forward To: This Thursday is Halloween and we will go public with our news. I can't WAIT! I can finally write these updates without saving them to my Drafts folder!