Sonic and Sushi

21 Weeks!!!

And we know what we're having!!! Do you? It's a.....

SURPRISE!!!

We are waiting to tell our friends and family this Sunday, and after that I will broadcast it for the world to know!

But we are both very excited.

I can't believe I'm halfway there. Wow. The time goes by so fast. BUT... I've heard the next half is the slowest. You're bigger, just want the baby to be here, and start having more annoying symptoms like swollen legs and feet, etc. etc.

So, I'm enjoying the present time! My energy is still pretty low, but I'm grateful that I still have some, and my size doesn't hinder me from doing anything I wanna do.

The baby is 10.5 inches now - that's the size of a pomegranate!

I crave sushi always. Don't worry, I only eat cooked sushi. But man, it is an expensive habit! I am trying to cut down. :) I have to keep myself from thinking about it, because once it's in my head, it's like this alluring mirage that stays in front of me until I run after it! Also, Sonic is a must, like... every day. A big thing of sonic ice and a cranberry tea. Man, that hits the spot.

My skin is, I guess, glowing a bit which is nice. Well, the skin on my face, I should say. My back is breaking out pretty bad. I guess that's one of my biggest complaints so far. That and the bad cramps in my calves. They wake me up in the middle of the night.

Also, baby is kicking a lot more! I am feeling the baby much more now, and sometimes he...or she... kicks HARD! It feels like a little alien gliding through my belly. When we were at the doctor, she... or he... kicked me and I felt it and saw it on the screen at the same time! That is an experience I can't explain.

In other news...

Someone posted something on facebook today that made me laugh:

"Pregnancy hormones are AWESOME," said no one...ever.

They are makin' me crazy, mon! Up one minute, down the next, and angry at the drop of a hat. Or maybe the people around me are just more irritating lately (just kidding, mom...). I have to continually remind myself that what I'm feeling is probably going to pass in about 30 seconds. I'm not really an "emotional" person, so it's been a tough adjustment. I'm more of a thinker, but now I'm forced into riding an emotional roller coaster every day. I'm grateful for my husband, who is more of a feeler than a thinker, and is still able to put up with me and love me through my crazy moments.

Today was the first day I couldn't button my pants.

UH OH.

Let me tell you, even though I know it's because of a little adorable baby, it ain't a good feeling to have your button and the loophole be 2 inches apart.

But, worth it.

Do you know what's weird? There's a ton of pregger people in my life right now, and we're all due around the same time. I can count 7 of us who are all due within a month of each other. Isn't that strange?

I'm kind of starting to feel the need to "nest," which is hard when you don't really have a... nest... Hopefully the Heatons will find a home for the baby soon, but in the meantime we are enjoying time with Gigi and "Dude" (Dude's not sure he's keeping the name...but we like it). They're pretty good at making awesome meals, taking care of you in every way possible, and buying cute things for the baby.

So, to recap... at 21 weeks, life is good, body is very tired, but I'm finding things to be grateful for every day! Healthy baby, pretty normal weight gain, mostly restful nights of sleep, and a loving family to come home to!

After all the crazy stuff going on in the world lately, it's been good to take time to reflect on the good things in my life. What are you thankful for today?

Thanks for reading!!!!

Love,

Mama Heaton and...

Baby (girl) Heaton

OR

Baby (boy) Heaton

WHICH ONE?!?!?!

I'll tell you SOON!!!

P.S. - Do you know what else? I am forgetting EVERYTHING! That's why this little note is a "P.S." I totally forgot to mention it. It is like the #1 symptom I am experiencing, which is crazy, because I am not a forgetful person. But at work, at home, I am forgetting crazy things. Like today, I forgot to put eggs in some cupcakes, but then I couldn't remember if I forgot or if I just thought that I forgot. It's a mess!!! I'm a mess!! What was my point again?

Baby Bump!

Ok, here it is, finally! A prego pic. :) 

This is me at 17 weeks in my new Target maternity dress. 

Also, I'm definitely not a fan of naked belly pics, but now that I'm preggers, I'm not ashamed! But, let's just say I'm not going to post this to facebook. That weirds me out. 

Now I'm 18 weeks! I can't believe it. Time goes by so fast. We are almost halfway there. 

I still haven't had my energy back, but at least I feel like a normal person who is just tired... and bloated... and has bad leg cramps. Lol.

This past Sunday we made 1200 cupcakes for an event in Colleyville - whew! I was on my feet ALL DAY, but it was worth it. We got best booth at the convention! I had no idea how much it affected me until I woke up the next day. Yowza! 

My daily email from What to Expect said: "At this point in your pregnancy, you are probably waking up with bad cramps in your calves and all the way up your legs." Um... try YEAH! Ouch. But it gives me a nice excuse to take a little jacuzzi soak in the evening, and I definitely like that!

I think I maybe kinda sorta felt the baby move last night, and Scott thinks he felt it, too. My doctor says it probably isn't the baby until about 20 weeks, but I think it WAS! :) It was like three little thumps against the front of my belly. So sweet!

We find out the gender in just a few short weeks! I called my doctor to see if I could move my appointment up, but it is against their policy. :( SO BUMMED! But worth the wait. 

Come on, Baby Heaton! Grow grow grow! Today you are the size of a bell pepper. We decided you are a yellow bell pepper. 

16 Weeks and Counting

The baby is growing so fast! Just had another doctor's appointment, but didn't get to have an ultrasound. How sad! I was so close to the machine. It would have been so easy!

I still got to hear the baby's heartbeat, though. 136 beats per minute! Dr. Lopez said if we were to go off of old wives tales, the baby would most likely be a boy because they "typically" have a lower heart rate. But, she said she has two girls, and both of them had low heart rates, so you really never know!

We will find out the gender in 3 1/2 weeks! AH! Can't wait.

My nausea has definitely been SO much better. I still have a few occasional doozies, but they are few and far between (thankfully). My energy level, on the other hand, hasn't changed as much as I was hoping. I am still very tired most of the time and can't get enough sleep. But we've also had a ton of change going on in our lives. I think that is accounting for a lot of my sleepiness.

My baby bump is getting BIG! I would show you a picture but I'm on the bed under covers and I just don't want to get up and take one. Maybe the next blog post. Mollie is going to kill me because I haven't done a very good job of documenting belly growth, and she wanted to see every development! :)

Dr. Lopez said my weight is right on track, my blood pressure is great, and the baby's heartbeat is great. I have been getting dizzy and light headed a lot, and she said it might help me to eat more meals during the day and to make sure each of the meals has a lot of protein. Eat more? No prob!

I'll try to post a belly pic soon! (But with my shirt on... Belly pics with just belly skin kinda weird me out. No offense...)

2nd Trimester is Here!

We made it! I am 15 weeks today, and I think the 2nd trimester typically starts around week 14.

It has already gone by so fast. Wow. The baby will be here before we have time to pick out a name!

This week, Baby Heaton is the size of:

An orange!!

I can't believe it. Where is the baby hiding? It just looks like I've had a little too much fun eating junk food lately (which I definitely have). 

Thankfully the second trimester has welcomed an (almost) end to the daily nausea and constant queasiness. I've kicked my daily can of Gingerale and no longer have to stash crackers in my purse (good thing because crumbs were finding their way into some very inconvenient places).

I realized I haven't updated everyone in a while - life has definitely been passing me by. We are moving out of our apartment this Saturday, so I am typing this while surrounded by cardboard boxes and piles of un-categorizable clutter. Thankfully, my wonderful parents have prepared a "suite" for us at their house while we continue the search for a house (hopefully). The market is crazy right now! Everything we like or bid on has four other bids - when did this happen? Anyways, I am thankful for my parents who have already prepared a menu of wonderful food they are going to make us the first week to help us "enjoy our stay" and the Hines Hotel. 

I also haven't really had much to update y'all about because I finally feel like a normal human being! Thank goodness. I still have times when I suddenly feel like I need to sleep like... RIGHT NOW, and still have strong hunger pangs that must be immediately satisfied, but that's not too far off from non-preggo Tay. 

In the meantime, we are getting increasingly excited about finding out the gender of the baby in 5 WEEKS! I have to go in next week for a check up, and don't even get an ultrasound. WHAT!?! I'm going to be five feet away from the room and can't even go in to see my baby. I am very sad about this. But as fast as the weeks are going by, I know 5 weeks will be here in the blink of an eye. 

Other than that... hmmm, what else... I don't have to take my progesterone supplement anymore, which is nice because it made me sleepy and oddly thirsty. My face is clearing up a little bit, but my back and chest still make me feel like a high schooler who didn't respond well to ProActive. I have gotten a few bad headaches (which thankfully, I NEVER get), so I'm wondering if they're pregnancy related. 

Oh! You guys know how much of a sweet tooth I have (duh, I work at a bakery!), but now I just crave salty! And too much sweet makes me nauseous (oh my gosh, can I really say that? Is that blasphemous?). 

Also, my allergies have unfortunately suffered a little more than usual. Apparently pregnancy hormones make your nasal passages swell (?!?!) and can sometimes cause nosebleeds and gum bleeds (haven't had either of those yet). 

All of these symptoms together are still much better than that persistent nausea, so I'm not complaining - just trying to give you guys a picture of how I've been changing as Baby Heaton grows. :) 

How exciting! I still have to remind myself there's actually a baby in there. I have these moments where I realize again, like for the first time, that I'm going to be a mom. Wow - so many thoughts and emotions! A customer at work today asked me what I was going to do after I finish high school. HAHAHA. Surprise! I'm going to be a MOM! Lol. 

Thanks for reading! Love yall. 

Tay

I Can Finally Breathe!

BABY HEATON IS HEALTHY!

The bump they thought they saw on the tummy is GONE!

Thank you Jesus!

Wow. What good news that was to hear. I think it was the most beautiful thing I've heard in a long time - other than the baby's heartbeat that we got to hear again today. 164 beats per minute!

Scott was so cute when the doctor told us the sonogram looked great. He did his little "wooo!" thing that you've all heard him do and then we high-fived while almost being teary-eyed.

The baby was moving around like crazy during the ultrasound today. The ultrasound tech said the baby was very photogenic because she kept moving to the perfect poses for the pictures she needed to take.

You could even tell that the baby was trying to suck on his thumb already!

This picture is a little blurry. :( It's hard to take a picture of a sonogram because it's already a little hard to distinguish. This first pic is just of the baby's head and right arm/hand. You can also see the left hand poking up in the background.

Here are two more pics from today.

This is the "3D" view above. The baby's head is at the top with his/her two hands around his/her face like he's shielding his eyes. 

The face is already so defined! The eyes, nose, and ears are already in place. AMAZING. The baby is about the size of a lime.

I don't think I've posted it on this blog yet but the baby's due date is October 2, 2013. 

Today I am 12 weeks along and almost into the second trimester, which begins at 14 weeks. I've gained 1 pound so far, which is pretty normal for the first trimester. Some women actually lose weight because their nausea is so bad.

The doctor said that although we can never really say we're "in the clear," she said most pregnancies are smooth sailing from this point on (in terms of having a healthy pregnancy). The baby looks like he/she is developing well, there is a strong heartbeat, and we've made it to week 12, which is a huge milestone.

Your prayers have helped get us here!

My next appointment is in 4 weeks. This is just a checkup where they will check my blood pressure, weight, etc. No sonogram. :( Then 8 weeks from now (mid May), we get to see if the baby is a boy or a girl! And yes, we want to know. We can't wait!

The unpleasant symptoms are still lingering a little bit. I have these overwhelming urges to eat, and then nausea until I do. I also feel really tired out of the blue, but overall I am feeling much more energetic than the previous few weeks. Hallelujah!

On a different note, I was thinking about how I keep finding out all of these things you have to avoid when pregnant. Somebody should just make a list of everything in one place! So, for those of my friends who will be pregnant some day, here is my ongoing list of things you can't do with a baby in your tummy.

Things To Avoid While Pregnant

1. Alcohol (duh)

2. Drugs (duh)

3. A bunch of medications. You have to run EVERYTHING by your doctor. One of the only pain relievers you can use is Tylenol. One of the only allergy medications you can use is Zyrtec. I can no longer use my Nasonex, which helps me so much during allergy season.

4. Aspartame (no diet drinks)

5. Cleaning solutions with powerful chemicals in them

6. Hot tubs

7. Hot showers (you aren't supposed to raise your body temperature for more than 10 minutes, so I keep my showers short - I can't stand the cold!)

8. Heating pads, unless they are far away from your belly

9. Unpasteurized cheese (my doctor said these are hard to come by, but you still have to check)

10. Raw fish

11. Marlin

12. Orange Roughy

13. Tilefish

14. Swordfish

15. Shark

16. Mackerel

17. Tuna

18. Smoky areas

19. Smoking (duh)

20. Cookie dough (NOOOOOO!)

21. Runny eggs (must be cooked thoroughly)

22. Red meat (must be cooked thoroughly)

23. Tanning

24. Deli meat (I was like, what???)

25. Unpasteurized milk (also hard to come by in USA)

26. Caffeine (only one cup a day)

27. Changing the litter box

28. Gardening without gloves

29. Sleeping on your back (I can't avoid this one. I've just heard that it's better to try not to. It slows your blood flow to the baby...)

That's all I can think of for now, but I'll keep it going. I haven't found anything all in one place yet, so hopefully this will be helpful to someone someday! :)

Thanks for reading my blog! And thank you especially for the prayers you have prayed for baby Heaton, and for us! We are so grateful that everything is going smoothly. We hope to put together some kind of cute announcement for facebook in the next week or so, and then everything will become real, because it's "facebook official." Haha.

Love you all!

I've Got to Admit, It's Getting Better!

Hallelujah! Some of those annoying symptoms are letting up as we approach week 12!

My nausea has diminished greatly and I am finally able to eat more food (and food actually sounds good! Who thought that would ever be a problem?).

I don't look like I have chicken pox anymore (I felt like a high schooler with a horrible acne breakout EVERYWHERE on my body!). I also have more energy! Finally. Except for the other night when I decided it was a good idea to scarf down two delicious breakfast burritos that Scott made. After that, my body shut down and said TIME TO SLEEP.

My belly is growing a little bit now that the baby is the size of a fig. Wow! It happens so fast.

I'm gonna try to start adding more pictures. Pictures make life more fun.

Size of the baby!! Ahh!

I'm worried I might get addicted to wearing maternity clothes. They are so comfortable, and surprisingly fashion-minded. (Thanks, mom, for convincing me to shop in that section).

I switched to gummy vitamins because my gag reflex has gotten VERY dramatic, unfortunately. It's kind of annoying. 

Also, something annoying is that I am getting up MORE often to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Ugh. I just wanna sleep! And then Zoe gets restless and slaps the blinds to get me to look at her. What can I say? She's spoiled. 

But, overall, things are looking up! More energy, less discomfort, more happy! I love being able to see a little bump when I look in the mirror. It's such a great reminder of the little sprout of life inside of me, because it's still hard to believe there's actually a baby in there! Scott's dad says we won't realize we're having a baby until the doctor puts her/him in our arms. :) I can believe it. 

So grateful that our baby will have such a wonderful community of friends and family to love on them!! 

Yay babies!

PS - next ultrasound is WEDNESDAY! Three more sleeps! Please pray that the little bump they thought they saw on the baby's belly is not there anymore. :) Pictures of next ultrasound coming soon!

Being Pregnant Ain't for Sissies!

I could not be more excited about the precious little baby growing in my belly. That being said, this little booger is sure making me feel lousy!

I've heard the second trimester is a lot better, and I sure hope so! Yesterday was one of my hardest days so far. My nausea was so intense! One second I am so hungry I will eat paper and the very next second I feel completely full and think I'm about to be sick. It's so frustrating! And nothing sounds good to eat. It's very aggravating to know that you need to eat and absolutely everything you think of eating is making your stomach turn. 

Blerg!

Anyways, today is much better. It comes in waves. The doctor said that babies grow in spurts, not usually continuously, and I think that's what's happening with baby Heaton. When she starts to grow, my body starts feeling all kinds of different things at the same time. So, I guess when I feel nauseous, bloated, crampy, tired, and emotional, I should be grateful that my baby is growing big and strong! :)

My back is hurting really bad too. Isn't that supposed to happen when I have a huge bump? Apparently it starts early. Everything I've read has said that you can blame progesterone for pretty much every inconvenient pregnancy symptom. So, thanks a lot!

Did I mention I have to get up from my glorious sleep EVERY NIGHT now to go to the bathroom? It's super annoying. I like my sleep, and I do not like anything that takes me away from getting it. 

Other than having a few rough days, everything is going well. Can't wait to go in again for our next ultrasound on March 20. Today the baby is about the size of a lime! When did that happen? That's so big. Also, the baby's vital organs are now all formed! Wow. So amazing. 

I got my first maternity clothes for my bday! Woo hoo? They are pretty cute, actually, and I'm thinking about wearing my cute new dress tonight when we go out to celebrate SPRING BREAK!

I'm already getting a little baby bump - can't believe I'm already 10 weeks! Holy cow. 30 more to go! Nuts. 

Despite a few inconvenient symptoms, carrying a baby is pretty incredible. I can't believe how many amazing things are happening at any given moment - life is so intricate! 

I'm gonna go take a nap. :)

Love,

Tay