13 and 14 Weeks Pregnant

13 Weeks

14 Weeks







I've definitely experienced some major growth in the belly region these past few weeks! Everyone keeps asking whether or not we're having twins and I'm starting to get concerned that they might be right! Unfortunately my nausea is still sticking around, but I'm still gaining weight. At my fourteen week checkup I weighed in at 122.8 pounds, a 9 pound gain in 8 weeks! The doctor says that the heartbeat is nice and strong (160 beats per minute). So far so good!

Eleven and Twelve Weeks

Eleven Week Belly

Twelve Week Belly

Wrapping up my first trimester hasn't been as easy as I thought! For some reason I thought when you hit twelve weeks your nausea suddenly disappears- not quite the case. Things have actually gotten worse instead of better! Brushing my teeth is now a hazardous experience and I'm eager for this to pass! Othwerise, my exhaustion has gradually tapered off and I'm starting to feel more human. The belly is growing too, as seen in the above pictures!

Nine and Ten Weeks Pregnant

Nine Weeks Pregnant

Ten Weeks Pregnant

It's been a huge relief to make it to my 10th week and hear the baby's heartbeat. As a special education teacher I am all too aware of the complexities of making a baby and how many things can go wrong in the process. Hearing the heartbeat was such a huge emotional experience and it made this pregnancy so much more real. My growing belly has also helped with that! As you can see from the pictures above I am showing quite a bit and I've had some mixed feeling about this. I know it's a little early to be showing quite this much, and we are concerned about the possibility of twins since they run heavily on my side. We'll just have to wait until 18 weeks and see! The past few days I have been experiencing much less nausea, no vomiting, and a slight increase in my energy level. Hopefully I'll continue this and be back to a normal schedule soon!

The Baby's Heartbeat!

On June 15, 2009 we heard our baby's heartbeat for the first time! Since I am still early (10 weeks) the doctor said we may not hear it at this appointment, but as soon as she started the doppler we heard it loud and clear! It clocked in at 170 beats per minute (normal and healthy according to the doctor) and she said my risk of miscarriage has now dropped significantly! Yeah, now I can worry about everything else that could go wrong! I'm already a nervous mom! I've also put on 6 pounds since my last appointment, right square in my belly. My doctor said this is on the high side and we're hoping that it'snot going to be twins on the ultrasound!

We're Having a Baby!

We're Pregnant!

5 Weeks Pregnant

6 Weeks Pregnant

7 Weeks Pregnant

8 Weeks Pregnant




Surprise! We found on on May 5th that we are expecting a little bundle of joy sometime around January 9, 2010. We couldn't have been more excited (or suprised!) to find out and so far the pregnancy has been very uneventful, except for my constant nausea/vomiting. Supposedly that's a sign of a healthy pregnancy, so I'll take it I guess! The pregnancy couldn't have come at a better time, since I found out shortly before school got out and I've been sleeping ever since! I am definitely looking forward to my second trimester when the sickness and exhaustion is supposed to lift!

I Love Nie

Stephanie and Christian Nielsen are amazing people. On August 16, 2008 they were burned in a plane crash in New Mexico. Stephanie was burned over 83% of her body, Christian on over 30% of his. In an instant they lost everything, yet life goes on. Stephanie still writes on her blog about her 4 gorgeous children. She also writes about the pain of the daily physical therapies she must endure. Before the accident Stephanie was an artist, a mother, and a giver. After the accident she struggles with daily trials of even picking up her young children. But through it all she has her faith has remained strong. I can't imagine why God chose for this to happen, but he definitely chooses the strongest to endure His ordeals. Now Stephanie's insurance has refused to pay for the reconstructive surgery she needs to piece together her beautiful face. They say it would only be for cosmetic reasons. To help Stephanie raise the money she needs you can go to her blog at http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/. While you're there please read about this amazing woman and her unwavering spirit.

Happy Easter!

We were lucky enough to celebrate Easter with both of our families this year! The weekend before Easter we celebrated with my mom and had a wonderful dinner and got to spend plenty of time together as a family. Easter afternoon we spent with Ryan's Mom. The kids had an egg hunt and we enjoyed more delicious food!

I then went up to my Grandma's house in Paradise Valley and got to spend some time with my Dad's side of the family. It was so nice to see everyone and spend time together!

Disneyland!!

My fabulous family got together and sent us to Disneyland for my birthday! We stayed for 5 days and had the time of our life! Landen actually went on all of the "scary" rides this time (well at least he did once) and we all picked our favorites. Ryan voted "Tower of Terror," Landen said "Buzz Light Year," and I voted "Soarin' Over California." Disneyland is always a magical place and a great way to escape the reality of day-to-day life. Thanks you guys!

"This is my favorite dessert-ever!"

As spoken by Ryan after eating the homemade pizzokie we made on my birthday. We had grand plans of going to eat at Oregano's, but the utter exhaustion that follows a day of teaching interceded. So we decided to make our own Oreganos' meal and it turned out quite well. Ryan ordered me Hungry Howie's pizza (the three-cheeser bread is my absolute favorite!!) and we stopped by the store on the way home and picked up "pizzokie" supplies. Target brand cookie dough, Dreyer's birthday cake ice cream, and hot fudge. Yummy. We baked the cookie dough half-way topped it with ice cream and hot fudge and dug in! Absolutely fabulous and so much better when you can eat it in jammies (and it cost a 1/4 of the price!).

The Time Travelers' Wife

Some books make me want to cry when I finish them. I live my life vicariously through them and when they're over it's like an entire chapter in my life has finished. This book did just that. The Time Traveler's Wife is so gorgeously written that you forget that the characters aren't real. Henry is a time traveler (I know it sounds strange but just go with it) who encounters a girl named Clare when she is only 6 years old. The book is about their life together and how they become intertwined through space and time. The characters are so richly drawn that they almost become family as their story unfolds. The book is a little bit romantic, sometimes suspenseful, and a filled with twinges of sadness. I couldn't put it down.