36 Weeks

How far along:  36 weeks 1 day
Total weight gain: 21 pounds
Maternity clothes: Still rocking the belly band.
Stretch marks: Nope!
Sleep: I have resigned myself to the fact that a good night's sleep is a thing of the past for me.
Best moment this week: Making it into the final month of pregnancy!!
Miss anything: Being able to walk like a normal person, rather than a waddling penguin.
Movement: Baby is still movin' and groovin'
Food cravings: Chocolate, hot chocolate, mint
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender prediction: Mom-boy    Dad-girl
Labor signs: Braxton Hicks contractions are continuing. Doctor says things are moving in the right direction...
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy, but uncomfortable.
Looking forward to: Holding baby!! I am so ready for this little one to be here!

34 Weeks

How far along: 34 Weeks
Total weight gain: About 17 pounds
Maternity clothes: I finally found a pair of maternity jeans that actually fit pretty decently. Other than that I'm still wearing my old pants with the belly band and a mix of maternity and regular shirts.
Stretch marks: Still holding out on this
Sleep: Sleep is terrible. I find it so hard to get comfortable at night and once I finally fall asleep I wake up often. When I wake up I feel wide awake and have a terrible time falling back asleep.
Best moment this week: My best friend had her little girl, Claire. She is so so sweet. It was great to be able to visit mom and baby. I loved snuggling the little one.
Miss anything: Being able to lay on my stomach...I feel like this would greatly improve my sleep.
Movement: I don't think this little one ever stops moving. Baby has also taken to jabbing me in the side with their elbow or knee...it is quite sharp and rather painful!
Food cravings: Nothing too crazy...but I did quite enjoy all the Thanksgiving food.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!
Gender prediction: Mom-boy     Dad-girl
Labor signs: I have a couple Braxton Hicks contractions every day now.
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy-especially with a week long break from work!
Looking forward to: Seeing the little one!!

32 Weeks

How far along: 32 Weeks
Total weight gain: Probably right around 14 pounds.
Maternity clothes: Just shirts mixed in with my regular clothes.
Stretch marks: I'm still avoiding this one...for now.
Sleep: Sleep is pretty terrible at this point. I am getting more and more tired as the 3rd trimester goes on, but falling asleep is difficult-as is staying asleep for any length of time.
Best moment this week: The weather is getting more and more fall-like and creeping towards winter weather. Normally this would depress me a bit, but I am so excited for winter to get here because that means its time for baby to be here too!
Miss anything: I miss being comfortable. It is rare that I can find a comfortable position for longer than 15 minutes or so.
Movement: Baby is still moving and grooving all the time. I suspect movement will slow down a bit in the next couple weeks as room runs out.
Food cravings: Well for the past few days it has been Twix bars...Halloween candy is so hard to resist.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender prediction:    Mom-boy    Dad-girl...although he is not as definite as he was before
Labor signs: Just a random Braxton-Hicks contraction here or there. Nothing serious.
Belly button in or out: In, although it does get pretty flat depending on baby's location.
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: My best friend is due with her baby in 6 days...I can't wait to meet that little girl!

30 Weeks

How far along: 30 Weeks
Total weight gain: Somewhere right around 15 total pounds. I haven't gained much since my last appointment.
Maternity clothes: Same as always...maternity shirts but still my regular pants.
Stretch marks: I have seemed to avoid this one so far, I hope it stays that way.
Sleep: Baby still thinks bedtime means party time. I have a hard time falling asleep when the little one is squirming around and pinching my sides against the bed.
Best moment this week: It was great celebrating Baby Doyle at the shower this past weekend. It was really nice to see all the love and support from friends and family!
Miss anything: I miss sleeping through the night...and as far as this whole baby thing goes I doubt I will sleep through the night ever again...
Movement: Baby is still very active so there must be enough room left in there. Baby is most active starting around supper time, and is very active around bedtime and through the night. Baby has even woken me up with all the dancing.
Food cravings: I am not really craving anything, although I am missing Dr. Pepper with this new diet I am on as I watch my sugar levels for a couple weeks.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!
Gender prediction: Mom-boy    Dad-girl      At the baby shower we did the "ring test" over my belly...it said girl...but I don't believe it.
Labor signs: Nothing much, just a rare Braxton Hicks contraction here and there
Belly button in or out: In. Although James keeps reminding me that there is plenty of time for baby to grow and push my belly button out.
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or moody most of the time: Moody lately. I don't like having to monitor my sugar levels. I have had good numbers so far, so I am hoping that after my next appointment this Friday I will no longer have to do that.
Looking forward to: Seeing baby!! James and I are taking prenatal classes now-all the talk about babies is making me excited to see the little one.

26 Weeks

How far along: 26 weeks 4 days
Total weight gain: I think my weight gain has slowed down a bit. My next doctor appointment is in just a few days so I will find out for sure then.
Maternity clothes: Lots of maternity shirts mixed in with my regular clothes. Still wearing my own pants with the belly band.
Stretch marks: None
Sleep: Sleep has been ok the last couple of weeks. I have been having less crazy dreams too.
Best moment this week: Helping a friend celebrate the upcoming birth of her baby girl by attending her baby shower! So much cute pink stuff!
Miss anything: I miss being able to put on any piece of clothing and knowing it was going to fit. Now I have to try every outfit on before I wear it to see if I can still fit into it.
Movement: Baby Doyle moves SOO much. The little one likes to do twirls and flips and stick its head and butt up to press against my belly. You can feel lots of movement from the outside, and a lot of times you can see my belly moving.
Food cravings: Nothing crazy...the fall weather is making me love homemade soups.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Mexican food is still not sounding too great...but other than that I'm doing alright.
Gender prediction: Mom-boy   Dad-girl    The last time we were in Nebraska we had several people bet on the gender and weight of the baby...about 2/3 of people guessed boy.
Labor Signs: I think I have had a couple Braxton Hicks contractions but those are pretty normal.
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding ring on or off: Off
Happy or moody most of the time: How the school day goes dictates a lot of my moods. Usually the kids are good and things go well so I am happy!
Looking forward to: I am excited that we have finally reached fall! I'm loving the weather and pretty trees. I'm looking forward to all the fall holidays!

24 Weeks

How far along: 24 weeks
Total weight gain: 11 pounds
Maternity clothes: I'm sporting a few maternity skirts and lots of tops, but I still wear my regular pants with the belly band.
Stretch marks: None
Sleep: Sleep is not very good to me lately. I have a hard time falling asleep and a hard time staying asleep.
Best moment this week: Spending time with family in Nebraska as we celebrated baby Doyle at our shower.
Miss anything: A good night's sleep
Movement: Lots of movement all the time, but especially at night. Baby kicks a lot pretty low on my belly. Baby also likes to kick at Dad after he talks to baby.
Food Cravings: Soda...but I think this has a lot to do with the lack of sleep...
Anything make you queasy or sick: Mexican food
Gender prediction: Mom-boy     Dad-girl    My students started taking bets. Most of them think it is a boy.
Labor signs: Nothing
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or moody most of the time: Moody this last week due to lack of sleep
Looking forward to: Attending the Husker football game in a couple of weeks! I hope the weather is cool!

22 Weeks

How far along: 22 Weeks
Total weight gain: I am hoping I've gained a couple more pounds in the last few weeks. I will find out for sure at my doctor appointment next week.
Maternity clothes: I've got a few maternity shirts that I mix in with my regular tops. I am still wearing my regular bottoms with either a hair tie or belly band.
Stretch marks: Nothing
Sleep: I can only sleep a couple hours at a time. No matter which direction I lay my arms seem to fall asleep after a couple hours. The little one also loves to have a dance party at bedtime so it makes it difficult to fall asleep.
Best moment this week: The best is also one of the worst. School is starting up again, and while I am glad to be back working with kids I am really not ready for summer to end.
Miss anything: I am getting past my longing for turkey lunchmeat...but it has been tough.
Movement: Lots of punching and kicking going on. James has even felt baby move a couple of times.
Food cravings: No crazy cravings recently, but I have started drinking Dr. Pepper occasionally again.
Anything making you queasy or sick: No foods are making me sick, but Mexican has not sounded super appealing lately.
Have you started to show: I've got a pretty decent bump.
Gender predictions:  I had a dream the baby is a boy.    James had a dream the baby is a throw rug.
Labor signs: Nothing
Belly button in or out: in
Wedding rings on or off: on
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Cooler weather!!! 100 degrees in a non-air conditioned school is not working for me.

20 Weeks

How far along: 20 Weeks
Total weight gain: 2.2 pounds
Maternity clothes: I'm using the belly-band so I can still wear my regular shorts and pants. I also got a few shirts from Old Navy so I will be ready for school to start up in a couple weeks.
Stretch marks: None so far!
Sleep: I have been having really weird nightmares lately that wake me up in the middle of the night and make it hard for me to fall back asleep.
Best moment this week: Having friends over for dinner and Shark Week!
Miss anything: Turkey lunch meat
Movement: I am feeling more and more every day.
Food cravings: Twix Bars
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing this week!
Gender prediction: Mom-boy    Dad-girl
Labor signs: None
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Daddy being able to feel baby's movements.

Anatomy Ultrasound

Although we are only 19 weeks, we had our "20 week" Anatomy Ultrasound today. Baby behaved well and the sonographer was able to get pictures of all the important parts. 

Baby's cute little profile. You can see top of the head, nose, and lips.

Baby's shins and a little foot. 

Baby is doing very well. Everything looks great. We could have found out the sex today, but James and I have decided to keep it a surprise until the little one's birthday. I still have a feeling Baby Doyle is a boy, but James thinks pink is in our future. I guess we'll have to wait and see!

18 Weeks

How far along: 18 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I'm really not sure. I will find out next week at the doctor.

Maternity clothes: I am using the belly-band over my regular pants and shorts when I have to be presentable. Otherwise I just keep my pants up with a hair-tie twisted around the button.

Stretch marks: Nothing yet!

Sleep: I am only capable of sleeping on my left side. Back and tummy are no good anymore, and my arm falls asleep if I lay on my right side too long, which is a real bummer because that is my preferred way to sleep.

Best moment this week: Spending time with family in Okoboji.

Miss anything: Still just the lunch meat.

Movement: I am pretty sure I've been feeling something swimming around in there.

Food cravings: Soup, bacon, fruity flavors, and as always dairy.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really, but I have always hated my vitamins. Swallowing them is no fun.

Have you started to show: I would say I've got a pretty decent belly going on. Although it is pretty low so depending on what I'm wearing it is sometimes hidden.

Gender prediction: Mom: boy     Dad: girl     Its a pretty even split between the rest of the folks

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy

Looking forward to: Our big ultrasound appointment next week! I am sooo excited to see the baby again.

16 Weeks

How far along? 16 Weeks
Total weight gain? Maybe a pound?
Maternity Clothes? I'm not wearing any yet, but I'm getting pretty limited on which shorts I can still fit into...none of them button anymore.
Stretch Marks? None yet
Sleep: Pretty good. My hips get sore sometimes and I still have vivid dreams every night.
Best moment this week: Having family and friends over for a cookout for the 4th!
Miss Anything: Lunchmeat...I really miss my turkey...
Movement: Its possible I felt a little something today...but it may also have just been my imagination.
Food Cravings: Chocolate cake, fruit popsicles, everything dairy
Anything make you queasy or sick: Nope. I've been doing pretty well.
Have you started to show yet: I've got a little baby bump. Today one of my co-workers told me I looked like a toothpick with an olive.
Gender Prediction:  mom: boy      everyone else: girl
Labor Signs: Nothing
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding ring on or off: On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy...except when I get too hot. I'm ready for fall
Looking forward to: Feeling the baby move

Baby Gear

I have been trying to hold out on buying any baby items...but they are all just SO CUTE! I finally gave in and purchased two pieces. The first thing I bought was this cute little onesie. As a science teacher I just couldn't pass up the cute saying on this little outfit.

"Made with Love (and Science!)" So true. 

As a future Husker fan I had to get this adorable knit corn hat from Baby Gap for the little one. I love the little tassel on the top. 

Our good friend Jack stopped over to visit and brought some gifts for the little one. This Star Wars onesie is so cute (and nerdy). A perfect fit for our little one.

Jack also brought us this awesome CD. The Rockabye Baby! company has remade many classic rock albums into instrumental lullaby versions to be shared with your "little rocker." This is the Pink Floyd album. They have tons to choose from. James and I bought a few more tracks from other artists online.

14 Weeks

How far along: 14 weeks, 1 day

Total weight gain: 0 pounds

Maternity clothes: Nothing yet, although my pants usually need to be unbuttoned by late afternoon

Stretch Marks: None

Sleep: I sleep fairly well. I wake up at least once a night to go to the bathroom, and I still have crazy vivid dreams every night.

Best moment this week: Having more energy to get things done around the house

Have you told family & friends: Yes, just about everyone knows now.

Miss Anything: Being cold. I'm sure I will regret saying this in a few months but this hot weather is no fun.

Movement: Not feeling anything yet

Food Cravings: Everything dairy: cheese, milk, ice cream, cottage cheese

Anything make you queasy or sick: Nothing! I've been doing quite well lately.

Have you started to show yet: Just a little bump. I'm probably the only one that really notices.

Gender Prediction: Mom: boy     Everyone else: girl

Labor Signs: None

Belly button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Having a bigger baby bump and our next ultrasound appointment at the beginning of August.

Ultrasound #2

We had our second ultrasound June 26th. James and I were so excited to see how much our little one had grown since our last visit. We were shocked to see that our "little blob" was now a tiny little person. The baby was very active, bouncing about and moving its tiny little hand up to its mouth. It was so sweet to watch.

Head on the right, hand up by nose.

Baby is doing well and developing normally. We got a little better measurement this time around, and baby measured in at about 13 weeks. That moves our due date back to January 1st. 

The doctor got a nice view of Baby Doyle's noggin'. It measured nearly one week ahead in growth as compared to the rest of its body. The doctor said baby must have inherited James's hat size...hopefully that means big brains and extra smarts for the little one!

Top of baby's head, room for lots of brains. 

10 Weeks

How far along? 10 weeks
Total weight gain/loss? I don't have a scale, but I'm going to guess I'm at about the same weight I started at.
Maternity Clothes? Nope, not yet. Although I am glad I won't have to wear work pants for awhile...they were starting to get a little snug.
Stretch Marks? Nope
Sleep: Sleep is pretty good right now, although I have crazy dreams just about every night.
Best moment this week: Feeling less sick!
Have you told family and friends: All family and most friends know.
Miss anything? Lunch meat
Movement?  Nope, not yet.
Food cravings: Fruit flavored candies
Anything making you queasy or sick? Unlike the first month and a half of pregnancy, I am feeling pretty good this week. Nothing has totally grossed me out this week.
Have you started to show yet? I mostly look like I ate half a bag of marshmallows...which may or may not have happened this week...
Gender Prediction: Mom: boy   Everyone else: girl
Labor Signs: Nope. And hopefully I won't experience anything like this for quite some time.
Belly button in or out? In
Wedding ring on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time? Happy most of the time. Although I have had a few teary moments this week.
Looking forward to: Our next doctor appointment and ultrasound at the end of the month. I am excited to see how much the little one has grown.

First Doctor Visit

Baby's first photo!

Our first visit to the doctor was May 23rd. James and I were very excited to see our little one for the first time. While our little one is still just a "blob" it was awesome to see the tiny heart beating. Seeing our baby for the first time made the whole experience very real. The doctor said everything looked good; the baby was developing just as expected. 

At this first appointment the baby measured in at 6 weeks 6 days-not quite as far along as we had estimated. Our new due date is January 11, 2013. 

Mother's Day 2012

James and I decided to tell our immediate family members our exciting news on Mother's Day. Inside the cards we planned to give our own mothers, we signed them

Love,

James & Anna

...and baby!

Needless to say we had some pretty shocked (and excited) mothers. 

We're Pregnant!

I took my first pregnancy test April 28th. I wasn't expecting a positive result, so I was quite shocked when I saw those two pink lines appearing on the test. I called James over right away. I wanted someone to confirm what I was seeing. Three pregnancy tests later...we decided the positive result must be correct. We were thrilled!


According to our estimates, we are due late December, 2012.


Even though we would be seeing family that night, we decided not to tell anyone just yet...