Baby Movement/Flutter?

Around 3pm today, I felt a sort of vibration on the left side of my big belly. I was really excited, but not sure if it was the real thing. I then felt it again about an hour later, and have felt it even more consistently over the past few hours! It's definitely not a push or kick, just a little vibration, or flutter as they say. Seems our girl or guy wants to wish Jose and me a happy 4 year wedding anniversary!

I love exercise and don't like buttons!

Yesterday the winter weather came back, and NONE of my regular pants fit me! I wore the biggest winter pants I have, and could not button them. My biggest coat also cannot button in full! I have a good stock of spring/summer clothes now, with focus on draw strings! For any further cold days, I'm just going to have to wear yoga pants!

Yesterday was a great day though because I did my first exercise for pregnancy DVD - this is a step beyond walking and prenatal yoga, and my particular DVD is very dancy and led by a Cirque de Soleil performer at about 8 months! I love these more active, but pregnancy safe, exercises, and also love working on my stamina and power!

Today is a nicer day again, and so I am much more comfortable in my happy draw string jeans. Jose and I celebrate our 4 year anniversary today, and discover the baby's gender next Friday - April 6th!

Almost 18 weeks!

The cherry blossoms and growing panza/belly are here!

Work has remained very busy, so the best time to see the cherry blossoms was at night! It was so exciting to think that for next year's cherry blossoms, we'll have our little girl or guy with us. And we will know the baby's gender 2 weeks from yesterday!

It's been a really good past week, despite a few changes in nausea/tastes. Nausea has been returning, particularly with metro rides, but I can work and continue through it. My tastes are changing pretty rapidly. I can't eat yogurt or my protein drinks now (high source of protein) without feeling nauseous, so got a mini blender to use at work so that I can mix more fruit and tasty things into these protein/soy milk drinks.

The best news of this past week is that we've been speaking with doulas, and I think I find our perfect match. I will wait until it's fully confirmed to share more, but after speaking with one particular doula yesterday, I feel even more happy and excited about the birth process, and completely comfortable with all the choices we've made so far, including even our doctor choice.

My Dad, Ann, and Elizabeth offered us the wonderful gift of post partum doula support, which will also be a tremendous help for me, Jose, and our BB.

And on top of these good doula details, I've been doing more and more prenatal yoga - both via my regular Thursday classes at a yoga studio close to my office, and also via some DVDs. I'm feeling great to be practicing different stretches and poses that will help me with delivery and being a strong Momma. And particularly with the stamina poses, I'm feeling strong and capable - which are good feelings to have, even though you never do know how labor will be for you!

Overall, we're just both feeling great about the pregnancy, the birth, and of course our little baby - now 5 and a half inches long!

Baby Bump Photos!!

Hurray for spring in DC, and growing baby!!!

Shopping for Mom and Baby!

A few fun points of this week - we are now at 16 weeks, and baby expected to double in size over next two weeks! It seems like the baby (my belly) has actually grown even in the past few days! It's just growing all the time now, which I find really fun.

We went shopping for some true maternity clothes yesterday, and I am feeling much more comfortable in draw string pants, wider skirts and cute tops. It's better to just go for the maternity clothes than wear big clothes!

And we also happened to get a few more gifts for baby blueberry (who is now the size of an avocado!) We found some little stuffed animal like baskets of fruits and vegetables! So for now, the room has a joint sailing/fruits and veggies theme! We did some furniture investigating, and will get soon one of those cribs that then converts into a first bed, and we can find a sailing or fruits and veggies theme for this too!

Almost 16 weeks - feeling great!

The big news this week is that I feel great!!! I don't feel exhausted, and nausea hardly ever occurs, though can still creep up in the metro. I am doing prenatal yoga and feeling healthy and strong. And we are both feeling so much love for this little baby. I just am so happy to become a Mom.

I think I will work more on finding an alternate OB. A doula I reached out to said that she would not work with the practice I am going to now. Other doulas have been ok with them, but this is not such a nice sign, after I've already been disappointed by their general lack of personalized attention.

Just so thankful overall to be doing well, and feeling healthy and happy. My belly is growing more and more too! It's now time for draw string pants - and shopping for some belly friendly clothes may need to start soon!