Name, Nursery, Other Ramblings...

I'm pretty sure we have decided on a name:

~Alyssa Michele Wheeler~

Madelyn is on board with it and loves to talk to "baby Alyssa" any chance she gets. She likes to lift my shirt up, rub my belly and kiss her right on my belly button. It's so sweet. She is going to be such a great big sister:)
I am now 30 weeks along with this little peanut and I'm not sure it's possible to get more excited about her arrival in a couple of short months. The last month has flown by, since starting back to work. She is a very active little girl and I am enjoying all the activity beneath my ribcage:) I still feel pretty good, although I do feel like I am slowing down a little. Just a little :-)

I've gained 30 lbs. at this point and I certainly feel it. Most pants continue to get more and more snug in the waist however, the legs fit fine still. I am amazed that even some M are tight when I wore only S is pants when I was carrying Madelyn. Craziness!!
The to-do list continues to be long...

Last weekend Robert and I were able to get the nursery painted. I did the taping and painted around the trim and rolled the bottom half of the room (pink) while Robert worked much quicker and more efficiently to get the top (yellow) trim and rolled with the first coat of paint. I think I was about halfway done when he finished his part. Being 29 weeks pregnant slowed me down significantly and I was finished feeling sore from head to toe and drained of all energy. Thankfully, my wonderful husband stepped up and got the job done without any complaining. I was glad to take my time and let go of some control of the painting, to let him do more of the work. The room turned out beautifully! Now, we have to get the chair rails from Menards, paint those and get them hung. I am also working to refinish the old hand-me-down changing table/dresser that we used in Madelyn's room and give it a fresh look with a can of white paint. I am not sure if it will turn out the way I had hoped but we will soon find out. It was hard to sand because the top of it isn't real wood. Also, when I painted the night stand, it seemed to leak some stain from the underlying wood into the white paint. hmmm I guess I'm screwed if I ruined it. I sure hope that's not the case!
Once I get the dresser finished I'll be able to better organize some of the things in the nursery and feel like I am actually getting something accomplished in making it look ready for her.
Here's to 10 weeks and counting!

Picture updates

28 weeks

26 weeks

Possible Girl Names

In no particular order...

Alysa Michele

Jillian Michele

Brooke ? (Elisabeth)

Claire ? (Michele, Elisabeth)

Whenever we ask Madelyn if she likes a particular name, she responds with "I like Claire" or "I like baby Claire." It's cute but I'm not sure if that is my favorite or not. It was at one time. This baby naming business is tough! :) I thought a girl would be easy but it's proving to be more difficult that I thought, trying to agree on a name with Robert.

A few things to remember...

Since I have been a horrible blogger, I wanted to make sure and document some of the milestones of this pregnancy thus far. In the slim chance that I will have another pregnancy, I know I will want to be able to look back at this pregnancy and see when things happened etc. So...

• 1st doc. appt- 6.5 weeks
• heard heartbeat- 10.5 weeks (160 bpm)
  
• last night of getting sick- 14 weeks. Started to feel better just days later.
• first movement of baby (flutters a couple times a day)- 16 weeks exact.
• Inconsistent movement for about 2 weeks and then they became much stronger and more frequent at 20 weeks.
• vericose and spider veins started around 18 weeks.
• ultrasound- 19 weeks 6 days. GIRL!
• no headaches this time around!!! Just one or two randomly around 17-18 wks. (may not even be pregnancy related)
• Braxton Hicks began- (infrequently) 20 weeks.
• Increase in appetite- 20 weeks (ate like usual before this point)

It's a GIRL!

20 weeks
Current Weight: 146 lbs.
Total Weight Gain: approx. 16 lbs.

Baby Names

Boys:
Corban
Conner
Caleb
Cole
Lincoln

Girls:
Lauren
Claire
Breanna

12 weeks

11 weeks

9.5 weeks

8 weeks

Spoken too Soon!

Well shortly after the last post, like a couple of days, I began to have a lot of that wonderful mourning sickness and nausea most of the day. At exactly 6 weeks it all began. I am now 11 weeks and it is not completely gone but nowhere near what it used to be. I get nauseous in the evenings and a few times lately have woken up in the middle of the night feeling queasy.

My first Doctors appointment was at 6.5 weeks. Dr. Scott told me to get a B6 vitamin to help with the nausea and it seemed to really help. I had an exam and he said everything was just as it should be and with my nausea, sore breasts and exhaustion he said I shouldn't worry. I was glad that all continued and is still present.

Yesterday, I had my 2nd appointment and was able to hear the heartbeat with the Doppler. Yay!! 160 bpm. I think Madelyn was 170 bpm.
I have gained about 5 lbs so far and my pants are definitely getting tighter. I am not wearing maternity yet but in a few weeks I am sure I will be.
I go back to the Doctor in 4 weeks. June 8th. ( last week of school!!!)

Aprehensive

I woke up early this morning and couldn't fall back asleep. I couldn't stop thinking about this pregnancy nor could I shake the feeling that this is just not going to work out the way I'd want it to. I've been praying to my God- thanking Him for being in charge of the situation and asking Him to grant me my heart's desire to have another baby. I don't think I can handle another lost pregnancy.

I've been on Spring Break all week and it has been wonderful to be at home, able to relax and able to take a nap for the past 5 days! I'm still really tired but sometimes I think I'm not near as exhausted as I felt last week at work. I'm hoping that's mainly because I have been able to nap this week so that helps to sustain my energy the second half of the day. I just don't know. I still have sore nipples (good sign) and am constantly running to the bathroom (to pee)....which leads me to the constipation problem. Those are my 3 biggest symptoms. I had really bad heartburn (for the first time-had to look it up online to diagnose it) earlier this week but haven't had it since.
Still no morning sickness...
I notice I get full faster and then my stomach hurts (more of a pressure/full feeling). Just today I've felt hungry for most of the day.
I'm probably reading into this more than I should but I just worry because I don't "feel" pregnant. Mostly, just because of the lack of nausea. I am still just 6 weeks. 6 weeks tomorrow to be exact. I pray I am eating my words very soon.
Can't wait for the drs. appt. next Tuesday. I won't see Dr. Scott though, just the nurse to do bloodwork and all that first appt. stuff. ugggh I just want an u/s NOW to confirm a heartbeat and put my worries at ease.

Pregnant!

After what feels like an eternity, we are PREGNANT!!!
It was a Friday morning, (Mar. 26th) the morning I always start my period. I was anxiously awaiting with such anticipation of a positive hpt. When I didn't start that morning, I went to work for the day, knowing I must be pregnant but nervous that I would suddenly have a surprise visit from Aunt Flo any minute that day. After school, I went straight to Walgreens to get a hpt.
Good ole' Clear Blue Easy Digital came through for me this time! I jumped up and down, grabbing Madelyn (she was the only one home) and shed a few happy tears. Madelyn thought I was a weirdo for sure, but I was SO happy, SO relieved to finally be pregnant.
Now...the nervousness that accompanies any miscarriage has begun to set in. I'm nervous about that first doctors appointment. Nervous they're going to tell me the baby has stopped growing and I will begin miscarrying soon. I do have to be optimistic and think that probably won't happen again. So that's the attitude I'm trying to keep.
My doctors appointment is for April 13- I will be 6.5 weeks.

Current weight- 130lbs ( a few lbs heavier than last summer)