Greetings! Hola! Como esta! It's been awhile since I last updated and again I promise to try and do better!

We are currently 20 weeks and 4 days pregnant! I suppose you could say we are on the down side of the hill. We climbed the first 20 weeks and I feel like they have flown completly by! It was just like yesterday I found out I was pregnant and here we are with 19 weeks left.

At around 15/16 weeks I was sitting on the couch and thought I felt something move. Well initially I figured it was gas since as anyone who has been pregnant knows gas and pregnancy go hand in hand. Well then it happened continuously for about an hour and I knew it wasn't gas at all....it was our Little Monkey in there having a party! Feeling the baby move is something I had been waiting on the entire pregnancy. It seems to make it all so real! Initially it feels like flutters and then rolls and then one day it will be solid kick to the bladder. And then 5 minutes later time to go pee....again..... As the baby grows so do the trips to the restroom!

We found out at our anatomy scan that we are having a little girl! A precious, curly headed, doe-eyed baby girl! I am so excited and overjoyed! Randy is over the moon about our new little girl and picked out some darling outfits from Target for our little one. It's going to be such an amazing thing to watch an incredible husband be an outstanding father to his daughter. We have a name picked out but aren't going to share it simply because while respect everyone's opinons they can keep them to themselves. :)

So as it stands all is going well with the pregnancy. Baby is growing ahead of schedule and doing wonderful!

Making Elastic Your Best Friend

I am going to preface this entry by saying that I am in means downing the maternity wear industry but I must must must let any woman who is pregnant or thinking about it, know what the clothing options are out there.

When I found out I was pregnant I made two promises to myself. 1) I refused to wear moo-moo outfits and 2) I was going to be the fliest pregnant chick on the block. Well I have managed to adhere to both but it's been a long hard battle. Most maternity clothes for plus-size women look like crap. Tent like contraptions with huge floral or plaid prints that are just wrong...even on skinny women its just wrong. Maternity clothes, no matter your size are expensive for no other reason than manufacturers know you need the clothes so they charge an asinine amount of money for them. I have been lucky in that I scour clearance racks of both maternity and non maternity styles so I have found some things that work no matter what. Lots of empire waists outfits and cute shirts. As far as pants go...well there is no skipping on that. So I'll brief and rate a few places I have tried out.

• Old Navy - Old Navy carries their maternity line in a FEW stores which means good luck with trying to find it. If you get lucky you can try on a few things. Their clothes are cute and well priced. The pants go up to size 20 and the shirts go up to XXL. BUT their shirts run huge. Meaning you may not need the size you think you need. And some of their stuff tends to be very sheer which in the winter is not so great. I can't speak for their jeans since I don't like them but you can check out http://www.oldnavy.com/ for their collection and size chart.



• Motherhood Maternity - They specialize in pregnancy wear and go from size small to 3XL I believe. Their clothes are cute but pretty generic. Lots of basic colors and generic prints. Their claim to fame is probably their Secret Panel Jeans. Its basically a full, seamless panel that is on their jeans/pants. It's nice, It's comfortable...if you like full panel pants. They tend to run between 30 and 40 dollars a piece. A steep price but they are comfortable. You can also check out their website for more info. http://www.motherhood.com/ BUT a word of the wise...their return policy sucks and they have a habit of signing you up for magazine subscriptions you didn't authorize or need so keep and eye on that kind of stuff.



• JCPenney - They have a nice collection of maternity wear in store and online that is both stylish for work and for social/casual settings. Their maternity jeans/pants/bottoms go up to size 3XL and are generously sized and well priced. To date this has been the most impressive maternity wear I have brought. They are well priced and if shopping online you can find alot of discount codes.



• Target - Oh Tar'Geit!!!! They carry the Liz Lange Line of clothing which is chick, cute, and stylish. Their bottoms go from size 0 to 20 and tops run to XXL. Convienently priced and is easy to just run in and get what you need.



• Consignment - DO NOT count these shops out! They are a plethora of items for both mom and baby to come! And they are cheap. Just buy what you need and wash when you get home. That simple.



• Online Auctions - Also do not count out Craigslist, Ebay, or Amazon for you maternity wear needs. You can find lots of things gently used or brand new at a fraction of the costs.

The last bit of advice is on panels. You will be faced with full, mid, no, and low panel pregnancy jeans/pants/skirts. It all really depends on how you want them to sit. I have low panel jeans at this point in pregnancy and are pleased with them. They stay where they need to for now but I highly doubt they will work when I get further along. I also have full panel pants for work and they are just as awesome. A little more comfortable than the low panel pants and they require less work. So you really need to try on all kinds to see what you like!

Little Monkey's a Swinging Around!!!!!!

LOOK AT MY KID GROW, GROW, GROWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well Hello Hello! Its a new year and a new trimester! Yea!!! We made it to the second trimester and I have finally been able to relax a little bit. The first trimester was filled with lots of sleep, sickness, and worry! But since hearing our little one's heartbeat at 12 weeks we have felt much better and it has become SO very real. So let me update.

We went to the OB's office in December and left the appointment so disappointed. I refuse to put the OB office on blast but in short lets just say they sucked. The doctor offered us no information that we couldn't have looked up online ourselves. After looking for Little Monkey's heartbeat for 30 seconds, the doc gave us a disgruntled look and said oh well! Needless to say we switched offices. We are currently being services by Eastover OB/GYN @ the Arboretum and they are freaking awesome. Very attentive and very helpful! After switching OB offices, our new office found the heartbeat in about 30 seconds. So there is a baby in there! Not just some parasite sucking the life out of me! SWEET!!!!

We had our 16 week checkup today and all was well! The little one had a heartbeat in the high 150's. My goodness is he/she running around in there? The baby wouldn't be still for the nurse. That's my kid...always keeping the adults in charge on their toes! I am pleased to announce that I lost 15 lbs in the first trimester(due to morning sickness) and have only gained back 1 lb to date! Yippee!!! Being a thick lady I don't need to gain too much weight although my OB hasn't mentioned it at all. Our next appt is on January 26th where we will have our anatomy scan and finally find out what the sex of the baby is! I am praying for healthy and happy but secretly wanting a little boy. I am not so sure why but I have always imagined myself with a son. But we shall see. For all I know its a curly headed bouncy little girl!

So to date that is where we stand. In the next post I will discuss elastic, shoes, and myths...

Bubbly Bubblies and PopTarts

Greetings! Well....we made it to six weeks and why oh why do I feel like I have been pregnant for at least 6 months already! Up to this point, everything has been great other than the nausea and fatigue. Let me just say that any woman who has been pregnant knows exactly what I am talking about. I entitiled this post as such because my stomach has been on a rollercoaster the last few days. At times I can't even stand to smell food...other times I can't seem to get enough of food. For dinner this evening, it was a Strawberry Frosted PopTart eaten only so that I can have my prenatal vitamin. *sigh* It is absolutely love that is making me sacrafice a huge plate of fried seafood deliciousness from Steve's Restaurant.

Now to the sleep....I am an avid sleeper....I mean I average between 8-10 hours a night...this is a must or else I am shitty for the rest of the day! So pregnancy has done two things to my sleep pattern. (1) some nights I sleep like a newborn baby (2) other nights I toss and turn all night from nausea and then fall asleep at random times during the day. Its insane! I have never been so fatigued in all my life. The couch has become my best friend. Literally.

And well the nausea aka morning sickness...well...its the same...its comes and goes. Its guaranteed when it comes back that it will hit with a venegance! I posted the pic above of Preggie Pop Drops and Suckers that supposedly hep with the morning sickness. For me...they just taste good...especially the sour ones. Since you have to suck on them because they are had candy, they keep you from really having a chance to think about getting sick. Up until this point, I've just dealt with the nausea and not the vomiting that so many women deal with. I hope I get spared from that.

Some of the things I have found that help are:

• Never let your tummy get empty. Always have something to eat handy. For me, nothing looks good...no food...I crave certain things but the slightest smell can turn me off. Saltines are the worse but they do help.


• Always have water and/or ginger ale handy. Most ginger ale in the store is nothing by sugar water. Try your local natural foods store to find real ginger ale. It seems to work best when cold and flat.


• Seabands - These are accupuncture bands worn on the wrists that apply pressure. They are not going to be a cure all but they help to keep the nausea at bay during the night.


• Vitamin B6 and Unisom Regimine - This is a new one that I didn't believe until I tried it myself. Most women take between 30-75 mg of B6 a day and 1/2 of a Unisom at night to help with sleep. For some women it works like a charm. I have been taking 50 mg of B6 in the morning with breakfast and 25 mg in the late afternoon. So far it has been working. Just a few waves of nausea but nothing that last all day like it did before.


• Avoid the foods and smells that make you sick. Of course easier said than done when pregnant.

So as of today I am entering my 7th week with the little Junebug measuring at 6 weeks. I am not really sure how that works but that's what the due date calculator says. I have my first prenatal visit on Monday so I am super excited for that and will update with what we find out!

Until Then!

Junebug's Mama To Be

My Chart in case you wanted a peek

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/jorasims

In case you wanted a peek. Click on the link for a bigger picture of it!

Appointments and Lavatory Visits

I saw this pic and man let me tell you...it's God's honest truth! We are currently in our 5th week and while last week I was in shock and on a pregnancy high....this week I have been snapped back into reality and am experiences all the little joys of trying to grow a lima bean into a human being.

I had my first appointment with my family doctor on October 19th so that they could confirm the pregnancy. Since we all know insurance won't pay unless they have some concrete proof. So I POAS again and not even 30 seconds later two lines...again. So the nurse puts my pretty little test in a nice baggie marked Specimen/Biohazard and give me about 5 hugs in the span of 10 minutes. I thought maybe she was my mom and I had missed something. So I proceed to meet with the doctor who advises me of my due date, what I can and can not eat, what I can and can not do and refers me to a an OB. Our official first OB appointment is November 2nd which was are psyched about. I hope we can hear the little one's heartbeat although it may be too early at the end of 6 weeks.

Now the cartoon above is the honest truth. I have never in my life felt so vomitous. (<-new word here). The morning sickness hit me like a freight truck and while I can deal with some stuff...this is an entirely new beast that I was NOT ready for. Nothing really helps....saltines, salty soup, dry cereal, applesauce (although it looks like what I am trying to keep down), crystallized ginger, ginger candy, Preggie Pop Drops...all temporary fixes. The doctor says its completely normal and would not give me Phenegran or Zofran for it. If I have to rip someones head off to get some meds I will do it! Anyone who has been pregnant knows that morning sickness will knock you on your behind. "Its a good sign," Dr. N. says..."the hormones are increasing as they should....Maybe its twins!!!" At this point I was ready to barf on her pretty white coat and tell her I'll take the twins...the morning sickness she can have.

The hubby has been really cute. He is pushing hard for a little boy although the date between the spermie and the eggie decided that 5 weeks ago. My gut instinct tell me that it must be a boy....only hard headed little boys can cause this much morning sickness right? My mom and MIL are convinced it's a girl which would be good too. Poor baby won't have any aunts...just uncles.

Its getting harder and harder to keep the secret especially since my principal saw me almost hurl chunks in the bathroom. I just told her my IBS was acting up....However I don't think she brought it because she gave me the Congratulations! I know you are pregnant even if you haven't told me yet Look. For some reasons mothers can since when another woman is pregnant.

So I had this wonderful Saturday planned but my stomach feels like a roller coaster that is stuck going back and forth on the longest drop on the track. Looks like today is another day of confinement and whining. And yes I am allowed to whine....so there!

Say What?????

Well people...I am....PREGNANT! Oh yes....we are having a little one and so excited! We were going to wait until today, Friday to test, but I just couldn't hold out and tested on Wednesday. And much to my shock I got two lines on the test. A faint line but a line no less. Between Wednesday and today I have taken a total of 6 pregnancy tests. It all seems so unreal!

I have to say that I was obsessed with getting pregnant. Completly. Sex had become a job...a good A+ job, but a job. I remember early this cycle getting a call from my younger brother who said, "Stop Stressing...it will happen when it does" My mom said the same thing...BFF said the same thing....So I gave it to God. I knew in my heart that God would bless us with a little one in His time. I remember a song my auntie used to sing that said "He may not come when you want Him, but he'll be there right on time." So I stopped thinking about it....started enjoying spontaneous babydancing with the hubby and here we are. We got our BFP on CD24 at 10 DPO.

Now for symptoms....I had a killer backache and an acne breakout which I NEVER get. I had to break out the Proactiv which is rare! And if you remember on my last post I was super tired and hungry. No implanatation dip on my chart or implanatation bleeding.

So as of right now I am 4 weeks along with an expected due date of June 27, 2010...two weeks before our 4 year anniversary! Other than nausea I feel great! So enjoy the journey from now to the delivery of the little one!

Cycle Day 21.....Where did the month go?

Hola! Hello! Greetings!



Well...we made it past the ovulation hump and are now in the 2WW. I am 7 days past ovulation which means if the warrior spermies made it to the eggie then there is a baby in there just a brewing and dividing and implanting and all that good stuff! Of course this is what we are hoping for.

Currently I feel...tired. I am not sure if this has something to do with not getting enough sleep on Friday....yes Friday and yes I know its Sunday....or there is a little on in there brewing. Other than that I am super gassy! Hold your nose. ROFLMAO. And hungry..totally hungry.

I have an appointment tomorrow with the Naturopathic Doctor which I am stoked about. I hope to talk to them about some issues not related to fertility and see if they have any pointers in case we don't get our BFP this month. We plan not to test until Friday or Saturday that is if AF doesn't show by then! Wish us luck!

OPK Results....For your viewing pleasure....

Well....It is presently CD17 for those of you that have been following. Ovulation happened a few days ago and now I am in the 2WW aka Two Week Wait....the time period between ovulation and when AF arrives or a we get our BFP!

I started using the Answer OPK's on CD9. The insert inside the package usually tells a woman when to start using OPK's based on their cycle length. You do not want to use them too early in your cycle and you do not want to use them too late as you might miss your LH surge. It is recommended that you do not use your first morning urine (FMU) but rather optimal testing time between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Try not to urinate for four hours before testing so that your urine is concentrated. Urinate in a clean up, dip, and lay on the counter and wait.

So below you can see what mine look like starting on CD9. You can see the progression of the second line from CD9 to CD14, with a positive OPK on CD14. I stopped testing after receiving my positive. Some women continue to test with OPK's even after they get their surge. I prefer not to. It can sort of confuse you and make you obsess over things that you really shouldn't.


Side ways view~~~You can see on the last one (to the left) CD14, the result and control line are the same which indicates a surge.

Pixxie Numero Dos...

If you need a closer look at the progression of OPK's check out http://www.peeonastick.com/.

Symptoms Update~~~ For all of you who want to compare the symptoms....

I am currently 3 DPO and I feel ok for the most part. Dealing with some sore nips and gas...cute huh? And actually rather crampy. Other than those things...I feel great.....

How fast can the spermies swim???

Such a hilarious picture of the spermie! Much cuter than the actual thing that is for sure. As of today I am on CD13 and ovulation is coming up! All of the signs of fertility are present. Today was the 5th day testing with an OPK and I recieved my first positive. Remember this means that my LH surge has been detected. Because I have been charting for awhile, I am pretty sure ovulation will occur either tomorrow or the next day.

One of the major issues that couples TTC face, is the lack of cervical fluid. The best way to descirbe this is what most women see as discharge. In a woman who is not on hormonal birth control, she will notice this fluid changes throughout the month. Most women only generate a limited supply of cervical fluid and need additional lubrication to make the TTC experience better. While there are many lubes out there to help out the process, many of them kill sperm within 30 minutes of contact and create a barrier to their traveling to the promised land. If the spermies do not have a conducive environment to survive then they can not reach the egg. No sperm meeting the egg means no chance for conception.

Of course there is a sperm friendly lube out on the market that so many women swear by. Hubby and I have used it for all of our cycles trying. While so many women love it....I have to be honest in my judgement of it....we don't like it. There I said it. But at this point, whatever gets the ball rolling we are up to trying it. The lube is called PreSeed...not to be confused with PreConcieve Plus which is another sperm friendly lubricant. To date PreConcieve Plus has been pulled from the market due to lawsuit against PreSeed. You can find all of the information regarding PreSeed at http://www.preseed.com/.

The lubricant comes in both multiuse application and prefilled applicators. The usual price is around $16.50. Depending on how much you use it could last a few months. Just a word of advice...it's really only needed during your fertile time, other than that you can use regular lube.