Shorts and Snippets

Week 19 Bumpdate

Baby is the size of a mango! 🥭 As of our ultrasound last Thursday she weighs about nine ounces and is six inches long. Nerve cells in her brain are developing in specialized areas for all five senses. She is also developing something called vernix caseosa, a protective coating over her skin. She’s even beginning to grow more hair on her scalp. And something really wild is that she already has six or seven million eggs in her developed ovaries. It blows my mind, honestly.

Cravings 😋
Really just one right now, y’all. Tea. Give me ALL the tea. All of it. Just not sweet tea. 🤢 Give me all the real tea!

Symptoms 🤰🏽
– Restless legs. Night time has been hard sometimes due to aching legs but I’ve heard this is perfectly normal.
– Dizziness every so often. Low blood pressure plays a part in this, I’m sure.
– Hunger! I’m always so hungry and I think it’s going to be this way for a while!
– TMI, perhaps but… Peeing. All. The. Time. See below:

Things to remember
– We had our eighteen week anatomy ultrasound this past week and baby girl did a headstand the entire time. 😂 No amount of me moving around could get her to move! Due to her position the tech couldn’t get some of the essential scans of her head, so they rescheduled me for another ultrasound on the 7th. She’s already in the position to move on out into the world and we keep telling her, no, you have to stay in there longer! But she likes standing on her head. I know this because she uses my bladder as a gym mat, the stinker.
– Every so often I feel her moving, but thus far it’s only been one time of day: the early morning when I wake up and the sun is rising. 😍
– It’s so hard to believe that one week from today I’ll be officially halfway through this pregnancy. The first trimester was by far one of the hardest things I’ve gone through in my life, so I’ve been so, so happy to experience *this* trimester.
– Even though we know her name, we haven’t been calling her anything other than “baby” amongst ourselves because it feels so weird! I know when we’re holding her in our arms, the time will finally have come to call her by her name. 💗

Week 18 Bumpdate

Baby is the size of an artichoke! She is yawning, swallowing, and hiccuping, and while her eyelids are still shut she’s practicing moving her eyes around. She reacts to loud noises, weighs almost 7oz… and is moving around like crazy! She’s big enough now that I can’t sleep flat on my back due to the pressure that’s put on a major vein. On multiple occasions I’ve woken up that way extremely dizzy and lightheaded, because apparently that pressure leads to decreased blood return to the heart. I know this because I suspected it and looked it up – and I’m amazed by how much we figure out via instinct.

Symptoms 🤰🏽
– Low blood pressure. I already had lower than normal blood pressure, so sometimes now I have to grab salt as fast as I can when lightheadedness strikes!
– Backaches and leg aches.
– I’m still hungry all the time. Sometimes I’m up at 3 or 4 in the morning snacking in the kitchen!
– Trouble sleeping sometimes. I think I’m going to invest in some more pillows soon.

Things to remember
– The biggest news is…. I finally felt her move! Monday morning when I woke up she was squirming around and it almost made my heart burst. It was exactly like everyone had described it: butterflies and little flutters. I realized I’d been feeling her move for a few days but it didn’t hit me until that morning. Truly otherworldly.
– Funny story: I loathe Hawaiian pizza but Alex absolutely loves it, and the other day I found myself craving it for the first time ever! I think baby girl has her daddy’s taste in pizza.
– My mom took me maternity clothes shopping last week because I’ve officially reached a point where a good amount of my clothes don’t fit me anymore! I’m so happy with my outfits and even happier I got to spend time with my mom.
– We have another ultrasound at the end of this week – the main one we’ll have for the second trimester! I love my doctor though because literally every checkup I have, he knows we want to see baby and he’s happy to take us to the ultrasound room for a few minutes.

Can’t wait to see you again, little one. 💗

Week 17 Bumpdate

Baby girl is the size of a pomegranate! 😍She is almost 6 ounces now and is starting to grow some chunk in the form of lots of baby fat. Her cartilage is turning to bone and her umbilical cord is growing stronger by the day.

Symptoms 🤰🏽
– Back pain!
– A little nausea still. Last night I was so sick. 😣
– Giddiness all the time – we’ve been on cloud nine since finding out she was a girl.

Things to remember:
So, funny story: when we went for our 15 week ultrasound my doctor poked around and told us he was 90% sure baby was a boy. We were happy, but stunned. We were so sure that it was going to be a girl – I’d spent the last three months convinced! He said we could do a blood test to confirm and we’d get the results in a week. So, we told our families based off that 90% guess – complete with blue poppers and everything! Again, everyone was surprised but very happy. Alex and I started thinking more seriously of boy names.

And then we got that phone call! The technician who called us said, “Well, looks like he was 90% wrong – it’s a GIRL!”

We laughed and laughed and I cried. Baby girl must have thought it was the best prank. We tell her every day that she must think she’s so funny and I can only imagine her giggling.

Other things to remember:
– We have her name picked out – we have for years, actually, since before we decided we were ready for little humans. We haven’t decided yet if we’re going to tell anyone what it is before she’s born. Some things we’re just not ready to share with the world.
– We’re going to do some rearranging in the house so the baby’s room will be closest to our bedroom. And last week we put on an episode or two of Marie Kondo’s tidying up and now we’re obsessed with getting rid of things we don’t need or that don’t spark joy in the house.
– I have a job interview today (hence why I’m so dressed up), and I had to go shopping yesterday for a maternity interview outfit! 😂 Wish us luck!

…GIRL!

We are so excited and happy to announce that our suspicions were right… and baby girl Ferri is coming on September 24th!

Week 16 Bumpdate

Baby is the size of an avocado! 🥑 He/she is growing hair, including eyelashes and eyebrows, and is forming taste buds. Developing muscles in the backbone and neck mean he/she can hold his/her head up more. And due to the tiny bones forming in their ears, he/she can finally hear our voices – which means we’re talking to him/her all day long. 😍

Symptoms🤰🏽
– I am HUNGRY. Like all the time. I think I’m making up for lost time or baby is going through a serious growth spurt because I can’t get enough food!
– I’m winded so easily. My mom, sister, and I went to see Wicked at Gammage last week and climbing all the steps there made me feel like I’d just run a marathon.
– Minor back pain here and there.
– Dizziness. Low blood sugar, man!

Cravings 😋
Nothing crazy this week, but I can never get enough fries from McDonald’s!

Things to remember:
– Last week, we found out whether baby is a boy or girl! 😁 We’ve been keeping it a secret since my doctor was 90% sure (I was only 15 weeks after all at the ultrasound) and he ordered a blood test so we could find out for sure. Once we get the results of that test we’ll make the big announcement. In the meantime, we’ve been telling our families based off that 90% guess and we are all over the moon!
– During that same ultrasound last week I remember being in awe of the little fingers and toes that we saw. Every detail of this baby is incredible to me.
– Something funny that I’m noticing is that sometimes I swear baby uses my bladder as a bed! Sometimes when I think I have to pee it’s just baby pushing on it. I haven’t felt actual movement yet but my doctor says it should happen soon.

We can’t wait to announce 💙 or 💗!!

15 Week Bumpdate

Baby is the size of an orange! 🍊 (Although I have another app that says apple. 🍎) He/she is moving around like crazy even though I can’t feel anything yet! The legs are now longer than their arms and they can move all their joints. Baby is also forming taste buds and while his/her eyes are fused shut, they can sense light. Most importantly, baby is moving amniotic fluid through his/her nose and upper respiratory tract which is helping those little air sacs in the lungs develop and strengthen.

[This his/her/their nonsense is driving me crazy! 😂]

Symptoms 🤰🏽
– Dizziness. It hits so randomly, and as long as I sit and have plenty of snacks and water I get through the spells pretty easily.
– Back pain. With the weight I’m gaining it’s no wonder my back is taking a little strain. I can only imagine what it’ll be like in the coming months!
– Slight nausea. Compared to what it was, I’ll gladly take the few minutes a day of queasiness.

Cravings 😋
Nothing too crazy this week other than McDonalds French fries! I’ve been really thirsty a lot this week and I’ve been trying to drink lots of water and electrolytes.

Things to remember
– Weeks ago I made a list of e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g baby will need and the full list of items is pretty overwhelming. This past week we started working on a registry and went to look at strollers at Target. We had fun pushing them through the baby section to test them out!
– We go for another ultrasound on Thursday! It’s possible that we’ll get to find out the sex that day too, and we are SO excited.

We and most of our family have the same feeling as to what we think they’re going to be. What are your votes – boy or girl?

Week 14 Bumpdate

🎉 GOOD BYE FIRST TRIMESTER! 🎉

Baby is the size of a peach! 🍑 He/she has almost doubled in weight since last week (up to 1.5oz now) and can suck their thumbs and wiggle their toes. They’re also growing lanugo, which is peach fuzz hair that will keep him/her warm. And apparently, impulses in the brain are causing him/her to exercise some facial features like frowning, squinting, and maybe even smiling. 😍

Also there’s def only one in there, people. The bump looks bigger in the picture than it does in real life!

Symptoms 🤰🏽
– Wicked heart palpitations and shortness of breath. Sometimes I get winded just walking ten feet! Supposedly this is due to increased blood flow and my heart working overtime to supply blood to baby.
– Dizziness. Apparently this relates to above, too. Plus having hypoglycemia doesn’t help!
– Nausea, but it’s SO much better. Still a little iffy in the early morning and at night, and the occasional whiff of something pungent will make me gag, but boy are things improving in that department.
– More energy! While I still need ten or eleven hours of sleep and get tired often, it’s easier to get out of bed in the mornings and I’m not laying down as much during the day.

Cravings 😋
Popcorn, Diet Coke (don’t @ me, I have very small quantities a few times a week), apples, almond milk, and any kind of salty cracker.

Things to remember:
– One night I woke up at 1:30 (one of five or six times I’m up to pee – argh) and smelled popcorn. Turns out Alex – who stays up way later than me – made some downstairs and was eating it in his office with the door shut and I still smelled it!
– I’ve gone up a pants size, and I’m already using the hair-tie trick on my buttons. Soon I’ll have to invest in some maternity clothes. 😬 Any advice on good stores/brands?
– We‘re in trouble if it’s a boy, because we have absolutely no idea what name we’d choose. Funnily enough, we‘ve had a girl’s full name picked out for years. We both have the same suspicion as does the majority of our family, but we will see!
– I want to hold this baby already so much.

One of the most amazing things Alex and I have experienced over the last two months is the outpour of joy and excitement from our friends and family. This baby was wanted and prayed for more than I could possibly put into words, and seeing how happy he or she has already made those we love – and the two of us especially – is the greatest gift imaginable.

With that in mind – I decided I’d start doing “bumpdates” every Tuesday! I’ll share pictures and fun facts about this growing Ferri for those of you who want to follow along, and also so I can look back years from now on these memories.

So – here’s the start of the bumpdates!

Baby 👶🏼

At 13 weeks baby is the size of a lemon. 🍋 He or she has gone through the most crucial development this trimester in terms of brain development and his/her nervous, digestive, and circulatory systems. As of today he/she is forming teeth and vocal cords! Baby also has little fingerprints and no longer has webbed feet/hands. He/she looks more human with most features already in place although they won’t be able to hear or see for some time! Most precious of all to us is the little heart already hard at work. We’ve had the chance to hear his/her heartbeat at our ultrasounds and that is truly something otherworldly.

The results of my nuchal translucency ultrasound came back the other day and no abnormalities were detected, which was wonderful news. From the bloodwork they’ll be able to tell us the sex within a few weeks, which we’re SO excited about!

Symptoms 🤰🏽
– Nausea and throwing up. All. The Time. This trimester can’t end fast enough!
– Fatigue. The last two months have been the biggest drain on my energy!
– Dizziness. I think this has to do with my already low blood sugar and pressure, which apparently drop further in pregnancy.
– Leg cramps. Apparently this is pretty normal!
– Baby brain. I’ve forgotten words, lost my train of thought while speaking, missed exits while driving… it’s a real thing!

Cravings 😋
Apples, V8 splash, almond milk, crackers, and red meat, which is basically all I can keep down!

Only 13 weeks so far, but I have a feeling time is going to fly!

I have a hard time putting into words what the past six weeks or so have been like.

Several years ago, I worked 40, 50, sometimes 60 hour weeks running a nonprofit organization – which often involved doing manual labor – while getting my master’s degree full time simultaneously. I was go, go, go all the time and I was tired all the time, but I managed.

Pregnancy is a hundred times harder than balancing jobs and school. It’s harder than training horses, or managing all different types of people, or writing theses, or keeping an organization afloat. It’s harder than anything I’ve ever done in my life.

Someday I might write more about the physical struggle that has been this first trimester, but honestly, I feel it’s a subject about which I don’t need to write.

Today we had another check up with my doctor. Whereas the first ultrasound we saw a tiny little speck on the screen, this one revealed a wiggling little somebody, who squirmed when he/she was poked and moved around and even waved to us a little (his/her little hand is raised in the picture).

Based on the size of the baby, my doctor estimated my due date five days behind our calculation, which has changed our due date to September 24th… my birthday.

And I can only think, as I gaze and gaze at this little person who I haven’t met yet and already love beyond anything I’ve ever known, that I would relive these past six weeks a thousand times over, for the rest of my life, if it meant he/she was well.

I hope to be out of the woods soon with sickness and back into the swing of my daily life: volunteering and working and progressing with my nonprofit Sonora’s Cure, whose development I’ve put completely on hold for some time. I miss connecting with my friends – both in person and those of you I talk to on Instagram or Facebook.

For now, I remind myself that I’m making a person, and that I need to be patient as I wait for my energy to return.

I understand now, even in this early stage, that this is the hardest job I’ll ever do.

It is also – without a doubt – my most favorite.