4 Month Photos!

I am 18 weeks into my pregnancy and had been feeling great until this weekend.  I've been really tired, kinda nauseous, and a little dizzy this morning.  I was in the process of making homemade waffles with fresh peach slices on top (yum!) and I had to have Mike finish them because I felt like I might faint.  I didn't, thank goodness.  Anyway, my symptoms are probably a combination of pregnancy and being post-night shift.  Back to day shift tomorrow, so after the slight shock to my system of waking up at 5AM, I will hopefully feel better being on a regular schedule again.

But, onto more fun things...my 4 month pregnancy photos!  Mike took them on August 13th.  I've been trying to do them on the 14th of every month, since the 14th of April was the start of my pregnancy, but Mike wasn't going to be home on the 14th, so I cringed and made do with the photos a day early.  A little crazy that that annoyed me?  Probably, but cut me a break; I'm pregnant.  I'm gonna use that excuse as much as possible for the next few months. :)

Anyway, here are the pics!

Oh yeah, I forgot until I looked at them that the other problem with these pics is that I'm wearing my glasses!  We had just gotten back from Seattle the night before and I didn't have my luggage, so I had to use different contact solution that night.  Well, apparently I didn't read the bottle well enough before using it because it is not the kind where you can take your contacts out and put them directly in your eye in the morning.  You have to rinse them first.  Needless to say, I did not, and it burned like you would not believe!  My eye was red for the rest of the day and I had to wear my glasses, which is something that I never do.  Ahhh, the joys of lost luggage.

P.S.  I will also tell Mike to not cut off the top of my head next time!  Pffft!  Where is my sister when I need her???

Ha ha, now that I look, this one isn't centered either, and I can't blame this one on Mike!  I guess it's obvious who got the photography genes in my family.

So there you have it.  4 months along and 5 months to go (or less!).  I'm feeling pretty decent, though getting slightly more uncomfortable.  I can feel my skin stretching and my belly is really tight now, which is a weird feeling.  Glad I got rid of the belly button ring when I did!  To those that know me I am definitely showing, though to a stranger on the street it's not obvious yet.  Still in that kinda awkward stage, but little by little I'm growing!  Mike and I weigh ourselves and measure our waists every Wednesday morning when we wake up, and once a month I measure my breast circumference too.

Starting weight: 127.8 lbs          Current weight: 134.2 lbs

Starting waist: 29 1/2 inches      Current waist: 32 inches

Starting breast: 34 inches           Current breast: 35 3/4 inches

I've gained about 7 pounds so far, about 2 1/2 inches around the waist, and 1 3/4 inches around the breast.  So those are my stats.  I don't really feel like my boobs are growing, but I guess they are according to the measurements.  They do feel heavier though, so I've starting wearing my maternity bras, which have thicker straps and are just all around more comfortable.  I bought two nude colored ones for everyday wear and one black sleep bra, which is soooo comfy.

So in pregnancy news, I've had a few nosebleeds (maybe 2 or 3), and I almost never get nosebleeds.  But, I've read that can be another symptom.  I also got back the results of the penta screen (AFB test), and they were normal!  Yay!  Now we can rest a little bit easier.  Still not sure if I'm going to be billed for that test though.  We'll see.

My next item of pregnancy news is waaayyy more exciting ...I've felt movement!  I think I first felt a little something when we were in Seattle, though I'm still not sure if it was baby movement or my food not sitting right with me, ha ha!  It's hard to tell the difference this early on.  I haven't noticed any movement except at night when I'm laying in bed.  Even then it's very slight.  I told Mike that it feels like pop rocks (remember those?!) in my belly.  Either that, or sometimes it feels like bubbles.  I can't wait until it's noticeable baby movement... and I really can't wait until Mike can feel it too.  He was so cute in Seattle, because when we were laying in bed and I told him that I might've felt some movement he came over to me, put his hand on my stomach, and said "I want to feel!".  Poor guy, he was so excited.  And then I told him that he can't feel it yet.  He looked so dejected. 

So far I am really the only one experiencing the pregnancy, which is normal I know.  But he wants so much to be a part of it, and that is such an endearing characteristic.  He tells me that he wants to know how I'm feeling and when I feel movement.  Last week at the beach I had this weird tightening in my stomach on the one side and I didn't know what it was.  Mike's mom told me it was the baby, which was pretty cool.  Then later that night Mike asked me to describe exactly what it felt like. 

I know that everyone says the woman becomes a mom the day she gets pregnant and the man becomes a dad the day the baby is born (or the day you take the baby home depending on who you ask ;)).  I guess that's the truth because I've had to change my diet and my habits, and not drink alcohol or too much caffeine, and watch which meds I take.  I've felt the cramping, the nausea, the fatigue, the dizziness, the abdominal stretching, and now the movement.  He's changed... nothing.  He's felt....nothing.  I can understand why he feels a little left out of the whole pregnancy thing.  But soon enough he'll be able to feel the baby move too, and then soon after that he'll be able to hold our baby, live and in person!  Then he'll understand.