Baby (and other) Updates

Well, I've received a few complaints the past couple of weeks that I haven't done a good job updating the blog, so I thought I'd throw a post together today. Jared and I are back in SLC and things are good so far. We are living in a townhome in Sandy, and we really love the location, it's close to everything! For those of you who are wondering (which is basically every single person that we talk to these days), Jared is liking his job here 100,000,000 etc. times better than Trek, so no need to worry about that anymore. He's currently working on a project for a big client that should take up most of his time until our baby comes in August. He's done some really cool stuff with it so far, and once the rebrand goes public, I'm sure he'll post some pictures on his website for people to see.

My days are pretty much up in the air most of the time. I work from home on a research project I started during graduate school and have continued doing the past few years. I only spend a couple hours on it each morning though. Other than that, I run errands, hang out with my sister and my friend Dana a couple times a week, make dinner, play piano etc. It's nice to not be working full-time right now, but I am getting a little stir crazy here. Luckily the pool in our complex opens next week, I will probably be found there most afternoons now :) 

That's us in a nutshell. I'm feeling good and baby is doing good too. He kicks quite a bit and lands the occasional one to my ribs, which doesn't feel so great, but other than that he has been pretty nice to me I guess.  Here are some pictures of the "baby tum," sorry if you've seen some of them already on instagram!

13 Weeks

17 Weeks

23 Weeks

26 Weeks

I saw this pregnancy question thingy and thought it would be fun to fill out since I like reading the ones my friends have done in the past. 

How did you find out you were pregnant?  I took a home pregnancy test.

What kind of Pregnancy test did you take?  I don't remember, maybe 1st Response or something.

How many?  I took two

What were your first symptoms?  I remember feeling a little queasy for a couple of nights in a row, but I waited until I was a few days late to take a test.

Who did you tell first?  Jared was there, and then after that it was a few friends in Wisconsin because we wanted to wait to tell our families in person.

Who was with you when you found out?  I got home kind of late from a girl's night but Jared was still awake and I needed to go to the bathroom, so I thought, "what the heck, might as well try it out and see," so it was just the two of us at our apartment. 

First reaction:  We were really excited and happy. I had it in the back of my mind that I was pregnant, but I didn't want to get my hopes up too high, so when we saw the positive sign we were just happy. 

Was your baby planned?  Yep.

When was the baby conceived?  Um. . . I don't know for sure, but sometime around Thanksgiving.

How far were you when you found out?  I was probably around 5 weeks or so.

How did your parents react?  Both of our parents and families were really excited. We surprised them with the news over Christmas. 

Due Date:  August 20th, 2013

Do you know the sex?  A little boy

Any names?  We have a few in mind that we like, (Parker, Liam and Graham) but we probably won't make a decision until we see him, and our preferences could change before then anyway!

Any Ultrasounds?  We had one around 11 weeks and then 17 weeks to find out the gender. We also did the 20 week ultra sound and everything looked good, so we are grateful he is growing healthy and strong so far.

Have you heard the heart beat?  Yep, at every doctor's appointment.

Who do you think it will look like? I wouldn't have a clue, we both have brown hair and green eyes, so it would be fun if he had the same.  

Have you felt the baby move?  Every day. It was weird because I didn't know what it felt like at first, but then he sucker punched me pretty good a few times so then I knew what it was like. He now keeps up a constant flow of acrobatics in there.

Did you have morning sickness?  Honestly, not really. It was actually the worst when we were in Utah over Christmas for a couple of weeks, and even then, it wasn't too bad. I know, I'm lucky!

Have you had any cravings?  Not too many so far. Most random ones have been tuna fish (don't worry, I only eat it every once in a while, I'm not going to OD with the mercury), toaster strudel, and fries. Luckily, I've been able to eat and keep down pretty much anything, so my diet really hasn't changed that much with pregnancy. 

Have you had any mood swings?  I was wondering if this was going to happen to me, because I've never really had mood swings in the past, and luckily I haven't had anything too bad yet. I'm a pretty laid back person, so I'm just going with the flow, and I try not to get to anxious about all the changes that are coming (and expenses, that's where I can easily let myself get worked up). I could probably manage tears a little easier now then before given anything remotely sensitive. 

Are you a high risk pregnancy?  Nope.

Any complications?  Not so far, thank goodness.

Formula or Breastfeeding?  I don't have super strong opinions either way. I want to breastfeed, but I'm also not opposed to using formula if/when needed. 

Have you bought anything for the baby yet?  We got a ton of hand-me-down stuff from my sister, but we have bought a few little outfits and we are in the process of figuring out what kind of carseat, stroller, etc. we want. 

When did you start to show?  Well according to many friends and family members, I still don't look that pregnant. It really just depends on what I'm wearing and how I'm standing though. I look pregnant to myself, and I've noticed it more the past month, so I guess 22-23 weeks?

How long could you wear your regular clothes?  I'm still wearing regular shirts. I've tried on some maternity jeans and shorts and they are still way too big for me, so I just bought some jeans a size up the other day that I'm going to cut off and use as shorts for the next while. 

Will you keep the baby’s clothes?  Considering 90% of the clothes he wears will be thanks to my sister, we will probably give them back to her when he's grown out of them :)

Home or Hospital?  Hospital. 

Natural or Medicated birth?  I'm all for an epidural. 

Who will be in the delivery room with you?  Jared, and probably my mom and sister. 

Will you cry when you hold the baby for the first time?  Probably

What’s the first thing you might say to the baby?   I don't have a clue, I'll probably be talking more to Jared than the baby, but maybe something like "Hey there little man" or "I'm glad you can't kick my ribs anymore you little stinker!"

Will you let anyone video tape the birth?  My sister will probably be taking pictures, which is great. I haven't thought about taping anything though. 

Are you excited?  Yeah definitely. It's kind of hard to believe right now that we are actually going to have a baby, and if I think too long about it, I kind of get freaked out because I know everything will change. . . but for better or worse, this kid is coming!

Who will help you with the baby after the birth?  Well, I think my mom and mother-in-law will both come and stay with us for a bit. A bunch of our siblings live around us, so I'm sure we will have no shortage of visitors after that.

What is your favorite thing about being pregnant?  It's really cool being able to feel him move. I also enjoy the free back scratches that Jared so willing gives me before bed whenever I ask him (I used to have to trade for similar services before!)

What is the worst thing about being pregnant?  I really can't complain because I feel like I've had it pretty easy up to this point, but some of the downsides. . . sore back, bending over, nasal congestion, feeling hot and wearing garments (seriously, the. worst.) 

What’s one thing you miss doing since being pregnant?  Being able sleep through an entire night without having to get up multiple times to pee.

Any days you wish you were not pregnant?  Not really, but if our AC ever breaks, then I'll probably be cursing up a storm.

Are you ready for a baby?  We still have a few months to go, so the easy answer is no. I'm sure once we it gets closer we (and especially I) will feel ready and excited to meet him.

Do you have insurance?  Yes, even though we just found out yesterday that our monthly premium is going to triple starting next month. . . awesome, thanks Obama. 

How many kids do you want?  We’ll see how the first one goes, but probably 3-4.

Do you talk to the baby?  Eh, not really.  I'm constantly rubbing and touching my belly though. Maybe I'm just the only one who thinks talking to my stomach when I am home by myself is weird :)

Do you still feel attractive?  Tough question. I'm in that awkward stage where random people who don't know me (and even some friends who do) would never think I am pregnant, so I kind of just feel "bigger" not necessarily "pregnant." It is hard sometimes to see my body going through changes even though I know they are completely normal and healthy changes. When I get ready, I still feel cute and pretty, but I just don't really feel that pregnant yet from a looks basis, so I'm kind of blah about that question.

How far along are you now?  6 months