Week 17: Wrestling & Lil' Nudges

Tyrone loves our new diaper bag! Just had to add this picture after he came home from work today and modeled our new favorite accessory!

Week 17: NCAA Wrestling Finals

Yes. Yes, I do love my husband. That's why on Saturday night, we could be found watching the NCAA Wrestling Finals on our television instead of a movie on the bigscreen. Yes, we cheated on our movie-a-week goal to watch a couple sweaty frat boys writhe around on a mat. At least, I finally got some Wingstop hot wings for my sacrifice. (Apparently, this child really likes hot wings. We ate hot wings on the night we found out that I was pregnant, and I've been lusting after hot wings many nights since that fateful evening.) Anyway, Iowa dominated the tournament. It was definitely fun to watch Ty get all worked up about various matches. It's fun to watch him get so passionate and enthusiastic about something other than politics! (03/20/10, The Wheeler Home)

So, I finally can confidently confirm that I have felt the baby move! Monday night (March 15th) Ty and I were lying in bed watching Everybody Loves Raymond. All of the sudden, I felt like a fast, little "pop"-like nudge, right where I knew the baby was located. And, I knew. I just knew. Once you feel the baby move, you recognize that the feeling is completely distinguishable from gas bubbles! It was amazing... in a very content, fullfilling, satisfying way. Since then, I've probably felt the baby move around 10 to 15 times. It always halts me in my tracks. I know that further in the pregnancy, that feeling will be old-hat, but it's still so infrequent right now, that it just enthralls me!

It was a big week in baby preparation land, too. Ty and I bought a video camera! We still haven't really figured out how to run the thing, but I'm sure Ty will have a handle on it before the baby arrives. (Libby and Emily-maybe you can help us?) Currently, Ty likes to randomly pick up the camera and start taping me while I'm cooking or cleaning or watching television. It's like he's become my own personal papparazo!

And, I found the perfect diaper bag! I never imagined that I could get so bloody excited about a diaper bag. But then, I realized that buying a diaper bag is almost like buying a purse. And I love purses! ( ; Anyway, a friend on a message board referred me to a discounted site, where I got my bag for 50% off! Yay for discounts! The picture shows a couple of the bag's functions, which is why I feel in love with it in the first place. Finally, our baby furniture has arrived! We're waiting until the middle of April to pick it up, but it is officially waiting for us here in Omaha.

The baby and my bump just keep growing! Baby is about 5.5 inches long and 6 ounces heavy. Apparently, that's the size of a sweet potatoe. And my belly, well, I think that the picture shows its growth. That picture was taken yesterday, at 18 weeks exactly. As of this week, I'm considered 5 months pregnant.

Exactly 2 Weeks until the Big Ultrasound and our little one's half-way mark!

Week 15 & 16: Wonderland and Hot Tamales

Week 15: Alice in Wonderland (9)

So, Ty finally decided that he could man-up and wear 3D glasses after all. Therefore, he wanted to see Alice in Wonderland, and I obliged. Personally, I enjoyed the previews more than the actual movie itself! The movie theater was packed with children, and we sat right next to several eight or nine year old boys. As soon as the 3D previews started, all the kids were like "Whoa!", "Wow!", and would clap vigorously after every particularly cool 3D effect. Ty and I just kept giggling because the kids were so darn enthusiastic and entranced by the previews. It made me smile to picture our future child's enthusiasm and ardor over such minor thrills. If our little one takes anything after it's mother's naturally high level of enthusiasm, Ty and I should enjoy years of childlike wonder!

But back to the movie, I probably can't fairly critique it....since I did fall asleep halfway through. ( ; I think I woke up in time for the climax (I think...but I can't be sure!) The 3D effects were very neat. But Tim Burton's lighting is so darn dark, and Ty's shoulder is just so comfy.... And pregnancy is still making me tired all the time! Ty's appraisal of the movie was similar to mine: the effects were cool, the story was lacking. (3/05/10, Oakview)

Again, Week 15 was slower in pregnancy-land. No landmark events occurred. Still listen to the baby's heartbeat for about a minute per day. Still sounds pretty cool. Still running mildly slower... about 155 beats a minute now. Probably the biggest event in Week 15 was my growing bump. It's definitely prominent now. People at work can't see because of my scrubs and at home I usually wear pretty loose-fitting comfy clothes. But, when I look in the mirror while wearing a close-fitting top, my belly is definitely blooming. I guess that my weight shows that progress, as well. I think I've gained about 8 lbs now... Oh, I should probably mention, too, that I finally told my boss that I was pregnant! She was thrilled, hugged me, and asked if anyone had planned a baby shower yet. I felt very relieved!

Week 16: Remember Me (10)

Due to a dearth of other options, I was allowed to make the movie choice this week. And, I was more than thrilled to choose a film starring the amazing, gorgeous, beautiful, talented, hot tamale that is Robert Pattinson! Expecting little more than an hour and a half of gazing at perfection, I instead found a very sad, poignant, touching film about relationships and the precious, delicate nature of life. (Not that I didn't enjoy the gazing, as well. Robert's hair is a phenomenon in itself!) During the movie, I especially enjoyed watching the little moments as the relationship between Robert and his leading lady bloomed. And not to give anything away, but the movie was also a powerful reminder of the impact of 9/11, as well. Anyway, I thought this was one of the better films on our movie-a-week journey. I know Ty would disagree, but Ty hates any movie that "makes one feel sad". As I've previously stated, unless it contains romance, guns, comedy, or a happy ending.... Tyrone wants nothing to do with it! (03/12/10, Twenty Grand)

Week 16 was a little busier pregnancy-wise. I had another routine check-up with our doctor. He said that's everything's looking good! He said that the results of my 12 week ultrasound show our child's chance of being born with Down Syndrome or Trisomy Thirteen is 1 in 10,000 (which is very good). He said that all of my urine samples and blood work have shown normal levels of protein, sugar, etc... The heartbeat sounded good, weight gain and blood pressure looked good... we're all good! And, we finally scheduled "The Big Ultrasound" for Monday, April 5th. That will be the ultrasound where we can finally confirm the baby's gender and see much more human-looking pictures of our little one! It likely will be our last ultrasound, as well. )

Finally, the bump continues to grow! Just because I was curious, I tried on my swimming suit. All I can say is... Wow. This girl won't be going to a pool for a while! Also, I think that I can finally confirm that I felt the baby move. After a whole week of not feeling any suspicious movement, I finally felt it today. I was using my doppler to hear the baby's heartbeat, and I heard the quick interruption that pops up when the baby is moving. At that exact same time, I felt, like, a quick wiggle right in the same spot. 90 % positive that was movement! I still can't wait for the day when I don't have to so intently pay attention to feel movement.

Picture: My most recent bump picture: Taken at 16 Weeks and 6 Days (Saturday)