Week 17

Dear Sweet Pea,

I am now 16 weeks along and really starting to look the part! I was lucky enough to get some great pregnancy-friendly clothes for Christmas, but I'll probably have to buy a few more things along the way. Your Dad and I spent Christmas with my parents this year, and both you and I were definitely fed well over the four days we were away!

This week you are about 4.5 inches long and 100g. Supposedly you'll go through a big growth spurt over the next few weeks. Right now you are positioned right in between my pubic bone and navel. Your small body is almost at the correct proportions (legs are longer than arms, and your head is no longer 50% of your size)!

You are moving around a lot and I can feel the little tapping and popping sensations quite frequently.

The newest photo makes me look like I have a little bowling ball in there!

Week 16

Dear Sweet Pea,

Today I am 15 weeks along and feeling pretty good in the second trimester. While the nausea and exhaustion are luckily gone, new symptoms have replaced them! I am now experiencing the joys of insomnia, heartburn, and back pain! I am continuing to feel your movements as small bubble-popping sensations, though they're not really consistent yet.

You are growing rapidly, reaching 11cm long and 80g this week! The joints in your arms and legs are formed, and you can even make a few expressions with your face. You are strong enough to hold your head up, and there's enough calcium in your bones to see on an x-ray. You even have your own unique fingerprints!

Baby Pool

Dear Sweet Pea,

A fun thing that some parents do while they're still expecting is create a baby pool. These can be set up online, and usually involve family and friends paying a certain amount of money to submit a guess on baby's gender, date/time of birth, weight, and length. Once baby is born, a winner would be determined, and that person would get a portion of the money raised, while the rest goes to the new parents. We have set up one that doesn't involve any money so its all just for fun and bragging rights! It's interesting for us to see whether people will think you'll be a boy or a girl, and whether you'll be early, on time, or late! So far we've had guesses submitted from Daddy's side, and most people think you'll be a boy, and arrive late (no surprise there)! My family hasn't officially submitted any guesses yet, but most of them have told me that you're going to be a girl! After you're born, we'll input your birth stats into the pool, and a winner will be named!

Week 15

Dear Sweet Pea,

I am now 14 weeks along and my belly is popping out! I haven't had anyone just outright ask if I'm pregnant, but I'm sure people are wondering by now! I am feeling so much better (no more nausea)! Some nights I seem to sleep lighter than usual, because I will often wake up when Daddy gets up for work, then it can take me an hour or two to fall back asleep. My energy is coming back and I'm not napping during the day anymore. My appetite is returning too, and I think I'm finally starting to gain some weight!

You are about 10cm long this week and weigh about 50g (about the size of a lemon). Your bones are starting to harden, and your hair is starting to grow. You are moving more and more all the time, and you might even be sucking your thumb by now!

And now for the latest belly picture...

Week 14

Dear Sweet Pea,

Today I'm 13 weeks along, and you've been developing for 11 weeks already! This week you will grow to be 8-9cm long and will weigh about 25g. You're being completely nourished by the placenta, and your intestines are making their way from the umbilical cord into your abdomen. Your facial features continue to develop, and your head is more in proportion to the rest of your body. You are covered in a protective layer of hair called lanugo, which will be shed before birth and replaced by your fine, light coloured baby hair. Your genitals are now distinct enough that they could be recognized on an ultrasound; unfortunately we have to wait over a month more for that appointment!

So far I'm feeling good in the "honeymoon trimester"; nausea is rare now and slowly but surely, I seem to be getting some energy back. This is good because I need to start exercising again! Because my job is so physical though, I often come home with a very sore back, and as I get bigger, this will probably get worse!
The other day I was poking around in my belly and I could very easily feel the top of my uterus. It feels very firm, sort of like a speed bump. This discovery means I will really start showing anytime now!

On a somewhat unrelated note, my sister (your Auntie Erin) got engaged last week! Marc is her wonderful fiance and they live in Australia, where Marc is from. They will likely get married there, so that means you will get to take a big trip very early on in your life. It will also be mine and Daddy's first time visiting her there, so we'll all get to experience it together. I am putting in my request now: please be good on the very long trip over there!

The Sweetest Sound Ever

Dear Sweet Pea,

Success! This afternoon we saw one of our midwives, Leah, again and she was able to find your heartbeat right away! We heard it two separate times but you kept moving out of the way! At one point we even heard you kick the doppler. Trying to play hide and seek, are you? Anyway your heartrate was a healthy and strong 160bpm. Daddy caught it all on video, which we will upload and share with family this evening. Each new milestone is making this pregnancy seem more and more real!

2nd Midwife Appointment

Dear Sweet Pea,

This morning Daddy and I went for our second midwife appointment, and we met Leah who is second in our team of three midwives. The appointment was pretty straightforward and uneventful really! Leah listened to my heart and lungs and took my blood pressure, and everything sounded fine :) We talked about how I had been feeling, and she briefly discussed the next ultrasound at 18-21 weeks. Since we're hoping to find out your gender, we will likely go a little towards the end of that timeframe in the hopes that your gender will be more obvious. So around the end of January is probably when we'll go.
We were also really looking forward to hearing your heartbeat on the doppler, but were given fair warning that it might still be a little early, as 12 weeks is usually the earliest it can be heard. Leah tried for about 10 minutes while Daddy patiently recorded a video, but you were stubborn and she couldn't find it! Leah said you did kick or punch the doppler wand at one point, but then you were gone. She offered to have us come back next week for a mini-appointment to try again, as oftentimes just a few days can make the difference between being able to hear it, and not. So please cooporate because Daddy is taking more time off work so he can come!

Week 13

Dear Sweet Pea,

Today I am 12 weeks along and officially in the second trimester! While I am still feeling tired, most of my other early pregnancy symptoms are subsiding. I'm not as nauseous and my appetite is slowly increasing which is great, because its time for me to start putting on some weight! I don't feel as bloated so I feel like the little belly that's developing is more baby than bloat!

This week you will grow to about the size of a peach; around 7cm long, and 14-20g. Your arms are now long enough that you can reach your thumb to your mouth, although the sucking reflex hasn't developed yet. You are getting all your nutritional and oxygen needs from the placenta now. All the major components of your body are now in place, its just a matter of maturation and growth.

Below is a current belly pic. I'm definitely starting to see the difference from two weeks prior.

Week 12

Dear Sweet Pea,

Today I am 11 weeks along, and the end of this week will mark the end of the 1st trimester already! Hard to believe its going by so quickly. You will be about 6cm long and 9-13g this week so you're continuing to grow a lot. Your fingers and toes are now separated, and you can open your mouth and swallow amniotic fluid. Your muscles are developed enough to produce involuntary movements. Just yesterday I felt that popping sensation again. Its so fast, but I definitely notice it!

I am still suffering from pretty low energy, although the nausea seems to be letting up. I feel like my appetite is starting to increase which is great. I have still not put on any weight, but I imagine it won't be long before I do!

Any day now I could really start showing, as the uterus is getting bigger and bigger all the time to make room for you.

One funny symptom I've been having most nights is a stuffy nose! Its worse when I'm laying down, and I find myself having to get up at night to blow my nose. I am also thirsty all the time, and now I rarely leave the house without a bottle of water!
Next Wednesday we will meet the second midwife in our team of three. Daddy and I are really looking forward to hearing your heartbeat at that appointment!

Week 11

Dear Sweet Pea,

Today I am 10 weeks along, and you are growing very rapidly! This week your length will reach around 5cm, and you will weigh about 8g. You have fingernails now, and your gender should be obvious, though its still too early to see on an ultrasound. Essential organs are formed and are beginning to function. Your head accounts for about half of your size! Most people think you are a girl, and I tend to agree, though of course we will be happy with a boy, too. As long as you're healthy, that's all that matters.

I am still feeling about the same as I have been in the few previous weeks. Some days I feel exhausted and really nauseous, and other days aren't so bad. A few days ago, I felt like I may have been feeling a few of your movements, but its still so earlier that it could have just been gas. It felt like a tiny bubble popping very low in my abdomen. I can't wait until I am sure of your movements!
I haven't been feeling so bloated lately, which is great. I am able to fit back into that pair of work pants that I had put away a few weeks ago!

We announced almost two weeks ago that we are expecting you, to the rest of the family and everyone is so happy and excited!

I also got some great news yesterday: your Auntie Erin is hoping to make a trip over from Australia in June! She is hoping to come over a few days before you are due, in the hopes that she will both see me very pregnant, and get to meet you when you decide to make your arrival. That means you can't be too late! I've always envisioned Erin being with me when I gave birth but wasn't about to ask her to make the long trip home, especially since I really have no control over your birthday! It would be so nice to have her there, and she would really love to meet you right away. If she can get the time off work, she will stay for two weeks or so.

I took another belly pic this morning, but it doesn't look too different from the previous one.

Week 10

Dear Sweet Pea,

By the end of this week, you will have doubled your length from last week, reaching about 4cm, and you will weigh about 5 grams.

You are no longer an embryo, but a fetus now, and you've passed the most critical time of danger of abnormalities to occur. Taste and tooth buds have appeared, and your fingers and toes are more distinguised. Your joints are becoming more obvious, and you're able to bend your knees and elbows now. Your brain is developing rapidly.

As for me, my uterus should be about the size of an orange but I am still not really showing much (still mostly bloat!). Like the last few weeks, I am tired most of the time and nauseous a lot, but luckily I haven't had any morning sickness. Most of the time I don't feel like eating much, and prefer to just snack throughout the day as opposed to eating larger meals. I find that my moods swing easily sometimes, and my energy is generally pretty low. Looking forward to getting some energy back in the first trimester!

First Ultrasound!

Dear Sweet Pea,

Tonight we got our first look at you at the first ultrasound! I was so relieved to hear that everything is perfect! We saw your little heart beating away at 169 beats per minute. We could make out your head, hands, and feet. We didn't see you move, but the technician said she saw you wiggle a bit at one point. You are 1.79cm long, and are measuring 8 weeks exactly, so just 2 days behind my estimate. We got a few pictures to show which is so exciting! Our next look at you will probably be around 4 or 5 months along. By then we should be able to find out if you're a pink or blue bundle. Your grandma on my side has been convinced all along that you are a girl, so she has a 50% chance of being right!

Week 9

Dear Sweet Pea,

Today I am 8 weeks along, and you are 6 weeks into your development. You are just under an inch long now, and growing by about 1mm everyday. All of your organs are in place now, and your muscles continue their development. Your fingers and toes are starting to become more defined. You are moving around all the time, but I still can't feel you yet. On Friday, Daddy and I will be going for my first ultrasound. It will be exciting to get our first peek at you, and we should be able to see your heart beating away, as well.

I am having less days now where I feel exhausted, but it still doesn't take much to tire me out. I'm definitely having quite a bit of nausea, and I never know what will be the next sight or smell to set it off. I have been quite bloated, especially in the late afternoon and evening. Yesterday I conceded that one pair of dress pants no longer fits me comfortably :( Luckily I have another pair that's a little looser! Some days I feel like I could eat a horse, and other days, food just isn't appealing to me at all.

Just for kicks, here is a belly picture taken this morning. I am not sucking my tummy in at all, but again this is partly bloat, and partly fat!

Week 8

Dear Sweet Pea,

Today I am 7 weeks along, and you have been developing for 5 weeks. This coming week you will be about 1/2 an inch long (about the size of a blueberry). Your organs are all in place now, and your fingers are starting to form. Your joints are well on their way, and you're able to move around a lot, but its still too early for me to feel you.

As for me, I am sleeping, eating, and peeing a lot! I feel as though I am digesting food faster than ever and my tummy is always asking for more! That being said I have been feeling more nausea in the last few days, so even though I don't always feel like eating, it does actually make me feel better. I have one pair of pants that are starting to feel a little on the tight side!

First Midwife Appointment

Dear Sweet Pea,

Today Daddy and I met with one of our 3 midwives. They work in teams in three so that they can take turns being on call for labour and deliveries. This means that any one of them could deliver you, so they want the parents to be comfortable with all of them.

We went through my medical history and they gave me a requisition for a full blood workup. Even though I had this done before you were conceived, they said things can change during pregnancy. We also talked about when you are due. Even though I'm pretty sure of when I conceived (because I was charting) they asked if I wanted to go for a dating ultrasound anyway, and I said yes please! We are looking forward to getting a peek at you in a few weeks. They will only change my due date if the ultrasound shows that I am 5 or more days further or less along than I think I am.

We will see our 2nd midwife at 12 weeks, and at that point we should be able to hear your heartbeat with their doppler :)

Cravings!

Dear Sweet Pea,

They say that when a mommy to be craves certain foods, she is deficient in something that is abundant in that particular food. That being said, I haven't exactly been craving healthy foods! The first food I've been eating a lot of, is paninis! If its lunchtime and I'm near a place that I can get a panini at, I do! My current favourite is from Save On Foods and its two cheese and turkey on sundried tomato bread. Soooo good! I've also been craving chocolate-covered almonds and chocolate milk. Since I'm a chocoholic anyway, I can't say for certain that these are pregnancy related cravings, but I spent $10 on bulk chocolate almonds last week!

Week 7

Dear Sweet Pea,

Today I am 6 weeks along (going into the 7th week) and that means you are 4 weeks old and I'm already halfway through the first trimester! By the end of this week, you'll be 4-5mm long. Your development this coming week will include your limb buds, brain, eyes, and nostrils. Bone tissue is beginning to form, and the basis of your nervous system is complete. You have a pancreas and appendix now, and the placenta and umbilical cord are maturing.

I have continued to feel quite tired, am peeing more often, and some days I have a hard time keeping myself feeling full! I started weighing myself every morning about a week ago, and so far I've gained about 2 pounds. No morning sickness yet (knock on wood), so I've been feeling pretty good. Many people I've talked to say they didn't start to really "feel" pregnant until at least 8 weeks along. I have been feeling quite paranoid about the possibility of miscarrying. I know that the further along I get, the risk goes down, and I'm sure you'll be just fine. I'm hoping I'll get sent for an ultrasound soon so I can make sure everything is OK, but since I know when you were conceived, I might have to wait a while yet to see you. I know I will feel better once I see your little heart beating in there :) We meet our midwife one week from today.

I ended up not getting in to see the doctor last week, as the office somehow managed to screw up my appointment, and the doctor I wanted to see left for the day before I could see her. This made me even more confident in my decision to use a midwife instead of a doctor for my care!

I'm sure I'll have more interesting news to share in a week or so!

Bump Baseline

Dear Sweet Pea,

I plan to take weekly pics of my bump (once you start making your presence known) so thought I would post how I look before you start showing yourself. This is at 5 weeks 2 days.

Week 6

Dear Sweet Pea,

Today I am 5 weeks along. You are now about the size of an apple seed (2-4mm). Your head is now distinctly formed and your eyes and ears are beginning to develop. Limb buds, kidneys, liver, nerve cells, and tooth buds are forming. Your blood circulation has begun, and your neural tube has closed over (thanks to all that folic acid)!

I have been feeling pretty good over the past few days, and haven't been noticing any cramping or as much fatigue as I was during the weekend. Maybe that's because I forgot to bring my vitamins with me when we went away for Thanksgiving! Later today I will go back to the walk-in clinic for my prenatal physical, and in two weeks we will meet our midwife!

Week 5

Dear Sweet Pea,

Because I conceived you before my membership ran out on Fertility Friend, I've been able to transfer it over to the Pregnancy Tracker website. This site keeps track of how far along I am, how you are developing, and gives me a heads up as to how I might be feeling and what to expect.

Today I am 4 weeks and 5 days along, since the time is calculated from the first day of my last period (September 5, 2010). Your actual age is about 3 weeks. At this point you are smaller than a grain of rice, but there is a lot going on! Your central nervous system, muscles, and bones are in their early stages of development, and your little heart has begun to beat already. The placenta is beginning to form, so soon you'll be receiving all your nourishment from all the foods that I eat. This is a very important time for you, and man is it tuckering me out! I have been quite tired everyday, and have noticed a few of the classic early pregnancy signs, like increased sense of smell and a bit of nausea (hopefully that part doesn't get too bad)!

I have to keep taking all my vitamins, eating well, and exercising so that I stay nice and healthy. Hopefully that will help you to be born healthy, too :)

Telling Our Families

Dear Sweet Pea,

Daddy and I had already decided that when I got pregnant, we would only tell immediate family and a few close friends before spreading the news to everyone else once I was through the first trimester. Since most miscarriages occur in the first trimester, we didn't want to have to explain to everyone if something went wrong. I also read that once the mom is past 4 weeks along, the risk of miscarrying goes from 50% to 15%, so that made me feel a lot better.

The first person to find out was your Auntie Erin (my sister). She lives in Australia and the time difference is 15 hours. I was able to give her a call in the evening our time, which corresponded to the next morning her time, just before she started work. Just that week I had asked her for her phone number so that I could give her a call when I found out I was pregnant. So you can imagine her surprise when that call came just a few days later! Auntie Erin was so excited to hear the news, and Daddy and I are saving our money so that we can go visit her sometime after your birth.

About half an hour later I called your grandparents (my parents). My mom answered the phone and I tried to play it cool through some small talk before asking if the two of them were ready to become grandparents. My Dad arrived home a few minutes later so I was able to talk to him too. He said he'd better hurry and go buy some knit sweater vests and old-man hats so that he'd look the part! They were both thrilled to hear the news, and are happy that they'll be young, hip grandparents!

I told three of my best girlfriends online that night, and they were all surprised and asked me "Already?!" Rebecca, Bernadette, and Jenny are so excited to meet you!

Since we would be heading to Daddy's hometown in Salmon Arm for Thanksgiving a few days later, Daddy decided to wait until then to tell his side of the family. When we arrived that night he told his parents that they were about to become grandparents for a second time, as your Uncle Dusty (Mike's brother) and Auntie Jesse just welcomed your cousin Claire at the end of August. The two of you will be less than one year apart. They were very excited, as was your Auntie Lacey (Mike's sister). We are still trying to get a hold of Uncle Dusty and Auntie Jesse to give them the news.

Taking the Test and Telling Daddy

Dear Sweet Pea,

Over the next two weeks I continued to take my temperature and keep track of how I was feeling. I definitely noticed some minor cramping about a week after fertilization, and now I know that was you getting nice and comfy in my uterus. After this point I began to notice that I was feeling quite tired, and sometimes took a nap even before I started work for the day. It was at this point that I began to wonder if there might be a little human developing in there. I waited until 14 days past my ovulation to take a pregnancy test. Even though I wasn't sure if my period was late, I figured that if I was pregnant, a good test would be able to tell me by then. I had one cheap test in my bathroom so I used it the morning of October 6th, 2010. A faint line came up beside the control line, and a huge smile erupted on my face!

The next thing I did was drive to the drugstore to buy a more sensitive test that I could take a little later in the day, so that I could have something to show Daddy. I went to the doctor right away to request a blood test to confirm that you were in there. I got the results back later that night, and sure enough, you were!

I called Daddy and offered him a ride home from work that day. Before leaving, I took the second pregnancy test, and the positive symbol came up immediately (even before the control line)! When Daddy got in the car I told him I had a surprise for him, and to close his eyes and hold out his hands. I then put the test in his hands and told him he could open his eyes. He also got a big smile and said "No way, that's awesome!" He gave me a kiss and I told him about everything I'd already gotten accomplished that day!

The cool thing about Fertility Friend is that after ovulation is confirmed, it tells the user when their due date would be if conception occured that month. In my case, the date given was June 15th, which of course is Daddy's birthday. I reminded him that day that maybe he'd be getting an extra special birthday gift, and he thought that was pretty cool.

Your Conception

Dear Sweet Pea,

As planned, I went off the birth control pill when Daddy and I returned from our honeymoon in Cuba. I began taking my temperature every morning and recording it on a website called Fertility Friend. This website was able to keep track of my cycle length, pinpoint my ovulation date, and everything else you could possibly imagine! I recorded all physical symptoms I felt each day. For my first cycle charting, I was more concerned about seeing what my body did naturally, coming off the pill. I wasn't sure if I would even ovulate because I'd read that it can take a while to ovulate after coming off birth control.
But wouldn't you know it, I ovulated on September 22, 2010, on day 18 of my cycle. Without giving too much detail, Daddy's sperm survived in my uterus for 3 days before that egg came along for one lucky swimmer to fertilize! Little did I know, that day was the start of our journey together!

Pre-Conception

Dear Sweet Pea,

I have always known that I wanted to be a mom, and your Dad and I talked extensively about when we wanted to start our family. After much consideration we decided that I would go off the pill after our honeymoon in August 2010. I couldn't wait as I'd been on the pill for nearly seven years! At the beginning of July 2010, I decided it would be a good idea to head the doctor to request some pre-conception bloodwork, just to make sure I was healthy enough for pregnancy and to make sure there were no health concerns that I didn't know about. Everything came back normal, and I was given the all-clear. At this point I had already begun to take prenatal vitamins. I did a lot of yoga to prepare for our wedding day, and I knew this would benefit me during pregnancy as well. Some people thought I was going a little overboard by preparing for you before you even existed, but I wanted to do everything I could to give you the best start possible. You were 100% planned for and are very much wanted!

Introduction

Dear Sweet Pea,

I am Holly, your Mommy, and your Daddy is Mike. I have decided to document my pregnancy with you in order to keep a detailed account of pre-conception to your birth. After your birth I will have this blog printed as a book, and we will give it to you so you can learn all about how you came to be. I will include notes about your development, how I'm feeling along the way, and what Daddy and I are doing to prepare for your big arrival. We have decided to nickname you Sweet Pea because people say that your Daddy and I look like Popeye and Olive Oyl (the cartoon characters), and their baby was called Sweet Pea :) We hope you enjoy reading this!