Our big secret is finally out!!! I'm going to be a Mama Wolf!
We could not be more THRILLED to share that we are expecting
a precious bundle of joy to arrive at the end of September. We are so grateful
and still in awe that God has blessed us with the most special gift of bringing
a baby into this world. There are SO many pregnancy hormones flowing that I
can’t even begin to process, let alone write, about every emotion I’ve had
throughout the past few weeks since finding out about this exciting addition!
I’m so happy I get to share this journey with you and give
you a little glimpse into my pregnancy and how we’re preparing for this new
phase of life. Each week, I hope to do one pregnancy post to give you an update
on all the exciting changes that will take place over the next 6 months! The easiest way for me to do this is with a fun little survey I found!
I may end up adding or deleting some questions based on their redundancy, but
hopefully this will be a fun way to keep you in the know of all things related
to Baby Wolf. This particular survey will probably be longer than most simply
because I have weeks 4-12 to fill you in on!
My Due Date: September
20th, 2016. Fun fact, I had a little ER visit around week 6 due to
some nasty food poisoning (aka, don’t eat fried alligator while prego) and they
had told me a different due date so I still get the dates mixed up from time to
time but the 20th seems to be a keeper for now!
What fruit is the
baby this week? Baby Wolf is currently a ripe apricot or a plum! Checking
the apps each week to see how much the baby grows is my absolute favorite thing
right now. This week, baby is approximately 2.1 inches and 0.49 ounces! It
seems so itty bitty but is growing like crazy compared to week 4 when it was mere little poppy seed.
How far along I am: 12 weeks
and 3 days as of today.
Next Appointment:
I have an appointment next week for the genetic screening tests! Prayers that
all comes back normal are very appreciated! After that, I go in at 16 weeks for my next check up and to have another ultrasound to determine the gender.
Gender: We will
have our gender reveal on April 16th and I am absolutely elated (and nervous) to find
out what baby is!! I currently think it’s a boy and Dakota is hoping for a boy
but thinks it’s a girl so I guess we’ll know in 5 weeks :)
Total Weight
Gain/Loss: I refuse to weigh myself when I’m not at a doctor and I usually
ask them not to tell me unless it’s necessary so let’s just hope I’m right on
track with about 2-3 pounds gained for the past 12 weeks!
Exercise: Exercise
is basically non-existent right now except for my daily walks around campus
while at work. I’m hoping to get into a better regimen once some of the
first trimester symptoms start to fade.
Stretch Marks: None! And let’s pray these puppies stay far, far away.
Maternity Clothes: Oh,
maternity clothes… what a love/hate relationship we share. So far, I only have
four pairs of maternity pants (2 jeans and 2 workout pants), however, one pair of
jeans are still too loose/baggy in awkward places so I basically wear the same
pair of pants EVERYWHERE. *Shout out to Sam for being a life saver when she sent me
the only pair of jeans I can fit into!* She sent me the sweetest pregnancy care package a few weeks ago and they jeans that were included have been a
staple in my wardrobe since. Getting dressed is becoming a major struggle.
Normal pants are rapidly becoming too tight but I only have so many
dresses/skirts I can rotate throughout the work week. I’m also still in that frumpy stage of not looking pregnant but feeling pregnant and not fitting
into anything like I used to. Add in pregnancy hormones and a meltdown is sure
to ensue when Dakota inquires why it’s taking so long for me to get ready LOL.
It is all SO worth it though and I will take having to hide in my office so I
can unbutton my pants in exchange for a wittle babe in 6 months!
Sleep: Yall… I
have always been a sleeper. Like, one of those people who can and will sleep
through absolutely anything. That is, until becoming pregnant.. I don’t know
why it is but sleep just isn’t what it used to be. I get very uncomfortable
throughout the night, which leads to tossing and turning for many hours and
waking up more times than ever before. Once again, all TOTALLY worth it and I
know this is just preparation for when babe is actually here :).
Food Cravings: Anyone
who knows me knows I LOVE sweets! So, it has been pretty odd that my sweet
cravings have subsided since becoming pregnant. For example, I usually eat
about 2-4 boxes of girl scout cookies every year so when we only went through
1.5 boxes, I knew my taste buds were not acting like their normal selves. The
only things I would say I have craved is cold, sweet drinks. Give me all the
smoothies, milkshakes, and frappucinos please! I also did go through a strange
phase of wanting mac and cheese mixed with baked beans… thankfully, that has
passed LOL.
Food Aversions: This
list could go on for dayssss! Pregnancy is overall just so weird but it has
drastically changed the way things taste for me. I have had maybe 3 servings of
meat in the past 8 weeks so I would say that is definitely the biggest aversion
thus far. The biggest thing for me is that foods just don’t taste the same
anymore! I may just be a weirdo, but even my absolute favorite foods in the
whole world just don’t seem that appealing right now. I’m hoping this will go
away in the second trimester but for now, I’ll continue living off of cereal
and fruit smoothies!
Symptoms: In case
you didn’t realize that not much was mentioned in my last Life Lately post
about January and February that was because the last 6 weeks have been filled
with total exhaustion and all day, every day sickness. Thankfully, my amazing
doctor prescribed me some medicine for the nausea that has helped a ton but
there are still those days when I’m making sure I stay close to a trash can or
bathroom at all times! My bedtime has become about 8:30pm most nights and
weekends have been filled with resting and relaxing. Thankfully, as we enter
the second trimester, I feel like some of my energy is definitely returning
(just in time to enjoy the warm Florida weather) and I am so excited
about that! Another weird (and probably TMI) symptom has been burping. I HATE
burping. So much so, that I stopped drinking all soda in middle school because
it made me burp. However, enter in pregnancy and the burping has returned. And
it’s not just when you eat certain things, it’s after cereal, an apple, water,
anything and everything. So lady like right? Dakota is constantly caught off
guard because that is not something he had to deal with pre-baby LOL. Also, I
now cry at the most random times! For example, hearing sweet stories of people
tipping a waitress more than usual or watching a cute dog video is a sure way
to have me in tears within seconds. It’s slightly amusing and embarrassing all
at once. The only other symptoms I can think of is just general aches and
pains. Odd feelings in my stomach, uterus, hips, and back are constantly
catching my attention but I can only sum it up with saying that pregnancy is
just WEIRD.
Movement: Remember
those aches and pains? Well, every night when I’m laying down, I swear I can
feel the baby doing a complete flip! However, since the little plum is only
about 2 inches big, it’s probably something else funky going on but I cannot
wait until that first undeniable kick! At my ultrasound last week, the
technician was impressed with how much the baby was squirming around in there
and she said I should start feeling movement very soon so I’m holding her to
it!
This babe is obsessed with its hands and always has them near its face. It also had its sweet little ankles crossed... I could die of the sweetness!! Babe got fussy at us trying to make it move and eventually flipped its back to us in attempt to make us leave it alone... who know we would make such a diva ;)
What I Miss: Once
again, these things are nothing compared to the excitement and joy we have for
this babe, but for the sake of honesty, let’s keep it real… Sushi. I used to
eat sushi every single week and now I still indulge in a roll that’s fried or a
California roll but I sure miss a good spicy tuna or philadelphia roll! I also
miss fitting into normal clothes. Buying new things for spring and summer is
something I look forward to every year and I occasionally get sad when I can’t
buy the cute pair of shorts or new romper that pops up in my email inbox. But on the bright side, who needs to worry about a summer bod when I'll be rocking a bump? ;) I
also miss not having to worry about being able or allowed to do certain things.
With so much differing info on the internet, it can be so overwhelming to know
for sure if it’s okay to dye my hair or use self-tanner or take a certain allergy
medicine. A little tip to all future mamas, don't wait until right after you've done those things to google if they were okay or not (I learned that the hard way)! I usually just go with my gut or wait until I can ask my doctor, but I
do miss not stressing out about every single decision I make.
What I’m Loving:
For the most part, I love it ALL! From planning a nursery, to buying cute
little outfits for the babe’s first holidays (don’t worry, I have boy and girl
options ;)), to just being in complete and utter amazement that a real life
human being is GROWING inside of me, the experience so far has been incredible.
I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to carry and grow this life that I am
truly trying to soak it all in and enjoy every phase. My favorite thing about
the pregnancy is simply getting to see our baby on the ultrasounds. It is so
surreal to see that little life and to know that it is the perfect combination
of Dakota and I. I also love sharing this experience with our friends and
family! I feel so incredibly blessed to go through pregnancy (and motherhood)
with my two best friends, Emily and Sam, where we can share in all the good, the bad, and the
ugly! Having that support system to let me whine it out when my back feels like
I’m already carrying a 12 pound child and I can’t button a single pair of pants
or to show me love and reassurance when the fears become overwhelming has truly
been the most special thing to me. I can’t wait to see all our little babes
running around and being best friends (and potential spouses) in the near
future! Life, and pregnancy especially, is so much sweeter with friends to
share it with!
We've been rocking fake bumps for years now LOL!
We have also been blown away by the love and support from our
families and the friends that have become family over the years! Our babe is so
loved and spoiled already and I have no doubt that its whole life will be
filled with happiness and joy from those around it! Ok, now that the hormones
have me crying… let’s move on.
What I’m Looking
Forward To: EVERYTHING!!! From finding out the gender, to decorating a
nursery, to buying all the baby clothes and necessary things, to introducing
the babe to our family and friends… yall, I just can’t wait for every little
thing this life is going to bring! I dream about the newborn snuggles and long
nights breastfeeding and just soaking in every moment with that little plum.
The hands down, number one thing I am MOST looking forward to though is watching Dakota
meet our baby. He is going to be the most incredible father and I can’t wait to
see the inevitable bond those two will share. I don’t think anything will
prepare me for that moment and my heart may just burst when it finally happens…
cue more tears! I’m also looking forward to introducing our babe to its
Heavenly Father. Though God is the one who created and blessed us with this
miracle, I feel such a sense of honor to know that we will have the privilege
of teaching this baby about its Father and how much He loves it and seeing that
relationship grow over the years. God is so good and I can’t wait until baby
Wolf gets to experience and know that for the first time.
Best Moment This
Week: Well, to be honest, it has been a ROUGH week… I’m talking a stomach
bug that was absolutely miserable to a sinus infection to now having pink eye… However, seeing baby was by far the best thing this week (as it always is).
It’s always so nice to get that added reassurance that everything is A-Okay in
there! Also, sharing the big news was a huge moment for this week!!! I’ve been
so nervous and anxious to finally tell the “world” (although, if we’re being
real, anyone who speaks to use in “real life” has known for weeks) and I am so
excited that it is now public knowledge and I can flood everyone’s feeds with
bump pics (just kidding!)... There’s not much bump to share just yet but it's getting there! :) Week 11 is pictured below:
 |
| No worries! Weekly bump pictures have been taken since week 4 :) |
Now that you have the full recap of what’s really been going on for the past few
months, I hope you enjoyed a little sneak peek into how my first trimester is
coming along! I’m exciting to be nearing the end of it and getting closer and
closer to meeting this little one.
I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!!
PS- Said stomach bug was responsible for the lack of cupcake
recipes this week but I promise, that’ll be posted first thing next week!
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