Thursday, July 21, 2011

Lucy Love ~ 18 Weeks

Today we're 18 weeks and 5 days...but let's just pretend it's the beginning of 18 weeks.


18w5d


Total Weight Gain/Loss: No idea...next week will be the moment of truth. The appetite is seriously gone crazy! I've really been watching how much I eat each day, trying to eat at least 3 snacks a day with my goal of at least 2 of them being very healthy.

Gender: Your guess is as good as ours, but next week is the big gender ultrasound! I can't believe that in less than a week we'll know if it's Baby Girl Layman or Baby Boy Layman! We're both so excited for our gender reveal party! This may possibly be the last week for "Lucy" Love--or maybe I'll just continue that throughout anyway! ;o)

Movement: Nope, not yet! I've felt a few flutters that might possibly be a bit of movement, but nothing major yet. I'm keeping the dr's words in the back of my mind that it could be at 20 weeks or a little beyond before a first time mom recognizes those movements as what they really are. Patience, patience, patience...


Sleep: Is still great, but I've definitely been getting up more often to use the bathroom! I also had a great friend contact me this week about her body pillow. She only used it for a little while & is willing to pass it on. I'm thinking this will definitely help me out, I keep waking up a little paranoid that I'm sleeping on my back...even though when I wake up I'm still on my side.

What I miss: Cold turkey sandwiches, caesar salad, raw cookie dough..this definitely hasn't changed. I've always been the one to lick the bowl when making anything, and that just isn't possible right now...no brownie batter, cake batter, pie dough, or cookie dough for me! ;o(

Cravings: Still nothing crazy in the cravings department but if I had to pick something right now I'd say fresh fruit. It seems like I could just eat piece after piece of fruit, which I guess if I'm going to have a craving is a good one to have. I've been keeping bananas, peaches, nectarines, pineapple chunks, red grapefruit, etc. on hand to take to work for a snack and also to have in the evenings when I'm craving something sweet. The only issue with fresh fruit is that it really doesn't fill you up very well, so I've been trying to include something with protein as well. I want to watch what I eat, but I also know that healthy weight gain is important for Lucy!

Symptoms: My expanding waist line is certainly the most noticeable symptom, but the slight back pain & round ligament pain is still around every once in awhile. Otherwise I'm still feeling great!

Maternity Clothes: Bella Bands are being used with practically every pair of capri pants, jeans, dress pants, etc. The only thing that I don't have to wear them with are my new shorts I purchased a few weeks ago. My tops are still all my regular tops, but I'm definitely opting for the ones that are a little longer to provide enough coverage for my baby bump. I've already decided that leggings, dresses, and tunics will be my best friends in the fall!

Best Moment this week: He may kill me for saying this, but I would say that the best moment this week is Nick starting to talk to the baby. It might just be good night baby or bye bye baby in the mornings, but it seriously is the most adorable thing & I just love hearing his love for our child. I know he's going to be an incredible daddy! And of course all the gender reveal plans are being finalized, I stopped by the cake place yesterday & they are so excited to be a part of our fun!

Baby Gear Advice: This week, what about car seats. It seems that according to Baby Bargains, my two best options are Graco SnugRide or the Chicco KeyFit. I have one way that I'm leaning right now, but it's really for no reason other than style. Any opinions from all you experienced mom's out there?

I'm loving all this advice! The suggestions for strollers, baby monitors, and baby furniture have been so helpful!

And of course, here's the belly photo with a complete head this time, but a blurry face & a cheesy smile...thanks for the suggestion Hubby! ;o) I also have no idea why I'm leaning backward, it seems like I always do this in the bare belly photos!

5 comments:

Jennifer Coffer said...

I don't think you can go wrong with either car seat you are considering. Speaking from experience I have loved the Snugride, but I have heard positive things about the KeyFit as well. They are the two we were between, but like I have mentioned before we went with the SnugRide because of the recommendation from the child life/car seat specialist at Cox. The basic fact is that they are both safe car seats that do what they are suppose to if they are installed correctly, which is something else the specialist at Cox helped us with. I would suggest (if you haven't already done so) to go "test" them both out and see which one is more comfortable for you to carry. Also, just another piece of advice if you go with a travel system--make sure the stroller fully reclines for when the little one falls asleep in it. I didn't realize that not all strollers did and this is nice, convenient feature in my opinion.

Amanda said...

oh i can't wait to find out!!!!!! :) i'm so excited for you guys. and it is really exciting to start seeing the bump! what a miracle. hope your having a wonderful week so far! i need to email you and tell about how much i LOVED Flame! haha! it was amazing. :)

Hannah said...

oh my goodness- congratulations!! you have such a happy perfect life!! i can't wait to hear about if its a boy or a girl!

Jenn W. said...

I cannot wait to find out BOY or GIRL, BOY or GIRL -- I bet you just cannot wait! You look great. :)

Thelma Frayne said...

18 weeks and looking fantastic!