A Baby Post!

I am SO behind on blogging. I've been a little distracted, with the whole...ya know...being pregnant thing! A very good reason to be behind I suppose. :) I've also been distracted with a family cookbook that I am re-vamping/re-writing. When it's finished I will share all about it.  This post is all about Baby Siegel!!  A lot of people have been asking lots of questions, which I love, so I figured I should put it all out there, in 1 post, to satisfy everyone's curiosities!!

Weeks Along
  I will be 17 weeks tomorrow, August 9th!! My due date is January 17th, 2016 although as I told my mom today, my Mommy sense says we will not make it all the way to the due date. I could be completely wrong though, I know this is not up to me. :)

Baby Size/Weight Gain
 I've got an awesome app, which says at 17 weeks, the baby is the size of a navel orange.  Some days I don't feel pregnant at all, and other days I feel quite large.  Depends on what I eat! =P I have gained 8 pounds so far. I hate that part of being pregnant. I know how important it is, and that it means baby is growing which is wonderful, but the thought of 30 pounds (the average for a woman of my BMI) on top of what I was before really terrifies me.  I remind myself all the time that the important thing is the baby, and that it is growing and healthy.  I can deal with my weight when Baby is here and in our arms. :)


Symptoms
  In the first trimester, I didn't have real morning sickness. I only threw up once, after eating a bagel and a banana.  I thought for a long time it was the bagel, but then I ate another banana about a month ago and very nearly threw up again, so I think Baby doesn't care for bananas.  Sad day, cuz I really like them! Also in the first trimester, I had a real problem with smells.  There were several days when the smell of countertop cleaner, the dishes, or the dog food would send me dry heaving out of the room.  I also haven't been able to even LOOK at raw chicken, much less touch it to cook, but that has subsided within the last 2 weeks!

Now that I am well into the 2nd trimester, I feel really good.  I have to be careful with certain foods and drinks, because heartburn can get really bad.  It was really bad last night, kept me awake for a few hours actually.  I have been taking Tums for heartburn but it really doesn't do anything.  I need to find something else!

Movement/Heart Rate
It's still early for real movement, but I have definitely been feeling some flutters! I went to the doctor on Monday this week, and she found the heartbeat quickly, and I heard a little kick.  Very cool. :)

Food/Cravings
I have had serious sweet cravings for the last 17 weeks.  Okay, maybe like 14, but seriously, I want fruit or fruity candy all the time.  I try to stick with the fruit, but it's hard! Rumor has it sweet cravings mean it's a girl, so we shall see. :) On that note..

Gender
Don't know yet! We will find out on the 24th.  We are very excited for that appointment! I think it's a boy.  Ben thinks it's a girl.

Sleep
Sucks. I can't sleep. I am up for hours and hours every night.  It got better after visiting our house, (yeah still haven't closed...don't get me started on that! That is another ranting post for another day), but it's still bad.  I usually wake up between 2 and 4, depending on when I go to bed.  I always wake up because I have to pee, then I can't get back to sleep.  It's obviously better if I don't get on my phone, but I often lay there for so long, I just get bored and give up.  I should probably just get up and be productive, but...I honestly don't know what to do.  I don't want to wake up Ben or the dog, which is about impossible in this little apartment.  My sleeping (lack thereof) just really sucks. I guess my body is just preparing itself for motherhood.

Maternity Clothes
 At the beginning of the summer, I bought a bunch of dresses in a size up, because I knew that is what I would be most comfortable in, and I could grow into them.  That has worked out well.  I also bought 2 pairs of shorts and 2 shirts recently.  The shorts fit well, I just hate the way they look.  I have not found a lot of maternity clothes that I really like, but to my surprise, I found a bunch at H&M. Who knew they had maternity clothes? I will probably be back for more this fall when the weather changes!


So that's what's going on with Mama and Baby Siegel so far! We are coming up on halfway, which is so crazy! We are really excited for this new life and new chapter, but also very anxious and feeling unprepared. Most of that is because we still live in an apartment. We are hoping to get out of here before the baby is born, but that won't be an option until the house closes.  If we build a new house, it is going to be VERY close on whether it will be done before Baby is here. I am also very stressed about dear Kato's reaction to a new baby.  He is a wonderful dog, very well-trained and balanced, but he is also the complete center of our household right now, and I think it's going to be a tough transition for him.  If anyone has suggestions or books I could read about this, please let me know!  

It's stressful, but mostly very exciting to imagine us as parents!!