Bumpdate~ Weeks 15 & 16

Snow day for me today!! That means I get to catch up on pregnancy weeks 15 & 16! :) I decided to title the posts "Bumpdate" as a baby bump update in case that doesn't make sense. ;) 

Week 15: (February 3-9)

Me this week-

For the most part, Week 15 was another great one! I've been feeling great and extremely lucky. Sometimes I even forget that I'm pregnant because other than my growing belly I don't typically feel any different. I hate to admit this but one day at school I had to get something from the top shelf of a cabinet in my classroom. I stood on a perfectly stable adult-sized chair and got it easily but a coworker caught me standing there and gave me a mini-lecture about how others can help with stuff like that because I shouldn't be on the chair. Big oops. And she's totally right; but it honestly didn't even occur to me. I understand that now and know I need to be cautious always, and even more so moving forward.

I've always had a difficult time accepting help from others, especially if it's 100% help. I have a hard time asking for help and a hard time accepting it. But that has to change and I realize that now. I am SLOWWWWLY accepting help and learning to say yes when people offer things, even if reluctantly. I can be stubborn sometimes. ;) One of my coworkers had a baby last year and always tells me to live it up because it's the only time it's totally okay to get special treatment like this. A few others have said the same and I know they're right but it's hard to get used to! Even when it comes to finding clothes for school (which is SOOO hard many mornings because I just wanna wear sweatpants every day), a bunch of coworkers have said it's fine to dress down a bit and just be comfortable (I only wore sweatpants on pajama day recently but I'm definitely not in dress pants and nice shoes either). I always say thank goodness leggings are in style because they are  Godsend and so damn comfortable! I often wear those or jeans with acceptable tops for school. I have a good number of maternity pants and tops now, but it's still a struggle some mornings to coordinate it all together and still feel cute. I'm starting to try and show off my baby bump more often. It's sometimes a fine line of looking pregnant or looking fat and I obv want to stick on the pregnant side. I can't wait til the majority of the public can tell I'm pregnant and not think I'm just overweight or question if mayyyybe I'm expecting. It's definitely something funny I think of often and laugh to myself about.

The weekend of Week 15 was fun because it marked 17 years of Scott & I being together. We were HS sophomores in 1999 and went to a semi-formal dance at West Point on 2/6/99. That night changed our lives (although little did we know at the time). We spent a lot of time hanging out and dancing together that night, and Scott called to ask me out the next night, 2/7/99. That was a Sunday and I always love 2/7 a little more when it lands on a Sunday. We actually saw and placed an offer on our current house on Sunday 2/7 in 2010 too (also Super Bowl Sunday). I said when it falls on a Sunday, that weekend seems to have extra good luck for us, and we have Bee with us now. <3

I had a realization this week of everything we've gone through. I will NEVER forget our journey or take a single second of it for granted. It's molded and changed us in so many ways and even though it was 4 years of hell in some ways, I also am oddly thankful for it all. I have a few new followers on Instagram (and you never know who's reading our blog posts) and I didn't want people to think I was/am slapping all our of excitement in their faces. I know it's painful to see others pregnant when that's all you want in life. But at the same time I always found inspiration and strength through some of the girls I followed in the TTC stages who became mamas. I celebrated that with them and it only helped drive me forward more. I hope others don't think I/We have forgotten what it feels like because I don't and never will. My heart breaks for others still trying and every time they get a negative on their test or have a miscarriage, it digs at me too and brings me right back to those same feelings too. I will never forget the hurt we've been through and the ugly cries that have poured out of me, or the sadness of it all. So I created this as a little recap of our journey to get where we are today.

We got come cute gifts this week, too!! My cousin, Jenn, crochets and does an amazing job with it! She makes crochet stuffed animals and sent us the cardinal and bluebird. Both have really cool symbolism as well and she included a paper about that. They're so cute and soft and handmade gifts are so fun. We also got an adorable valentine card from my long-time friend Chrissy. She drew a bee on the back and wrote "Parents-to-Bee" which I just loved. :) Thanks so much, ladies!!

Showing off my bump!! I kept singing "My bump, my bump, my lovely baby bump!!" to the tune of Black Eyed Peas "My Humps". HAHA :) 

Flashback to us from 2005... it's the oldest pic I could find of us. I tried to get a pic from 1999 but those are all packed away. When we put our house on the market last year, I packed up a bunch of stuff we didn't need for a while and those were the first to go and they're not exactly easily acceptable, so this will have to do! This was actually at our engagement party in 2005, in my childhood house. Happy 17 years, Scooter! <3

 15 week official bump shot :)

I'll leave you with this quote from Disney... I just love it. Happiness, like a lot of things, are often all about perspective. You always have the power to make a crummy situation even the tiniest bit better in some small way or another. 

Bee this week-
At 15 weeks, Bee is the size of an orange! Our little cutie is 4 inches and 2.5 ounces. 
According to my fav baby apps...
-  Baby is squirming a lot, even though I likely can't feel it yet (*I think I do from time to time but it's been inconsistent and every so often, or always feels different)
- Joints and limbs can all move now!
- Bee's body is becoming more proportional
- Bee's ears have migrated to the sides of the head & eyes are moving to the front of the face.
- Can wiggle fingers and toes :)
- Mama got her energy back (*Mostly true!)

The excitement of my kiddos at school is starting to calm down a bit, and understandably so since they are 5 and 6. We are measuring my belly every week and this week it grew just over an inch in circumference.... WOA! One of the boys asked how big it would be in June. I laughed and gave a guess, way bigger than I am now. Some of their eyes bugged out a little and we all giggled. Even though we aren't talking about it as much any more, they still bring it up in conversation every so often. Bee even popped up in a homework assignment this week too!

The assignment was to draw some things that were longer or shorter than a provided piece of string (which was maybe about 6 inches long). This one little girl drew "Mrs. Ricci's baby" as being shorter than the string! I love it! :) And she's right! At this point, Bee is little. :)

 The wall of staff baby votes for blue or pink is definitely growing!! This one was sweet because this particular coworker has nicknamed me Tink for the last few years. So I had to post. :)

Just something cute I came across. Loved the Pooh AND Bee theme. 

Week 16: (February 10-16)

Me this week- 

I happily called this week "Sweet 16" and we are thrilled to make it this far! I am STILL in SHOCK that this is our reality. I feel like it's been a 3 month- long dream still. We got our positive pregnancy test results from the fertility clinic on November 18th, so it's literally almost 3 months to the date since we have known and it's been so completely surreal each day. 

At exactly 16 weeks was our 16-week checkup with our OB. Scott has been at every single appointment with me so far and plans to do so as long as he can. This appointment was pretty quick since there was no ultrasound. The nurse took my vitals and I was bummed to hear I had gone up about 5 pounds since our 13-week appointment... Ooops. I cringed. Time to lay off the weekly McDonald's cravings. I'm officially up about 10 pounds, but when I think about being just over 1/3 of the way and they suggested about 30 pounds, it's not terrible. I just have to be smart about giving in to cravings even though it's so easy to want to be like "whatever, I'll eat what I want". Mini wakeup call. When the Dr came in, we got to hear Bee's heartbeat with the doppler device they use just to check that. It was around 137-140bmp. *(The last one a few weeks ago was around 155, so I can't even go by the wive's tales to tell if we've got a boy or a girl. Each heartbeat read shows a different sex, so we shall see what happens!) 

I was SO relieved to hear the heartbeat because I can't help but totally freak out and let my nerves get the best of me before each appointment. I wonder if Bee is okay in there or if I'm miscarrying with no symptoms. It's crazy but it's reality. I still am in doubt sometimes that we are in this and it's our reality. I know I will have this worry for the rest of our lives now, being parents, but holy moly. I can't wait for Bee to start kicking soon so I can be reassured he/she is in there. 

We also talked to the OB about the Zika Virus, my latest extreme fear. I'll try not to go into too much detail in this post about all my fears but it just seems so unfair and ironic that something like this is targeting pregnant women. And the fact that it's surfacing when it's finally our turn to shine. As if you don't have enough to worry about in a regular pregnancy, throw in fertility struggles, dealing with a miscarriage, and now a virus that affects fetuses? No way. Basically I keep saying I want to just stay in a bubble until August. We had originally planned a Babymoon (new spin on a honemoon- a mini getaway before baby arrives) and we were set to spend a relaxing weekend in Disney in April. Just us and the Polynesian Resort (where we've always wanted to stay). Sunshine, palm trees, a pool... pure happy. Then the ugly Zika monster popped up and I can't take that risk. Even though FL isn't totally affected yet, it's targeted to... and Disney is like THE go-to spot for tourists worldwide. I couldn't live with myself if we went and I got (or even thought I got) the virus. It's not worth putting Bee in that risky situation and our OB strongly agreed. So cancel we did and I just would like a bubble with a massage and a relaxing sunny weekend with Scott, inside the bubble. Anywhere with no mosquitos of any kind.

After the appointment, I met my BFF for lunch and then did some shopping. It was a great day off from work! :)

When I got back to school on Thursday, my substitute from the day before had left me a wrapped gift and a card. I opened the gift to see a frame for an ultrasound pic. How cool, I thought. I then looked closer and thought to myself "WOW, that looks JUST like Bee!"... I turned around to where I kept my pic of Bee on my wall, and it was gone. So I knew this pic was indeed my pic of Bee. So sweet. :) My sub knew the pic was there and had planned it. So now Bee sits on my desk in a place of honor.

Valentine's Day was in the middle of Week 16. Admittedly I don't always look cute or presentable so I took full advantage of being dressed up for Scott to take my Week 16 pic (which I now realize I didn't label and have to on my phone later.) :) 

We ventured to the mall for a Valentine's Day lunch and a little bit of shopping. We thought lunch was a good idea so it wouldn't be as busy as dinner, but we were proved wrong. The entire mall was a zoo, you would have thought it was perhaps Christmas Eve. Another reason we don't typically shop and why we kind of hate weekend chaos. haha. But we made the best of it and had a nice day. :)

Bee this week-
Our sweet Baby Bee is the size of an avocado this week! Woaaaa baby! 
This week, Bee is 4.6 inches and 3.5 ounces. Also...
- Bones are now in place in the ears, which means Bee can probably hear our voices as we talk and sing. *(I've totally been talking to Bee, mostly when we are alone at home or in the car. I can't wait for him/her to really hear more of us and begin to recognize our voices.) <3
- Beginning to make facial expressions.
- Eyes are finally working, making small side-to-side movements and perceiving light, although eyelids are still closed.
- Bee is growing hair, lashes, and eyebrows.
- Bee is forming taste buds.
- Fluttering sensations/movements may soon be felt by Mama :)

Even though we will wait to pick out baby shower decorations and a theme until after we know the sex, I can't help but look at all the adorable Bee themed baby stuff!! Lots of gender reveals and gender neutral things are being focused on the "What will it bee?" theme and "Mama to Bee" and "Parents-to-Bee". It's all so cute and so fun!! Even though I will likely go with a fully girly girl or totally boy theme, I want to somehow incorporate some aspect of a Bee somewhere. Whether a few balloons, or something on a cake, or something like these adorable cookies, how can you resist?

Today is the last day of Week Sweet 16 and it'll be fun to see what's happening in there tomorrow at the start of week 17. Every Wednesday we wake up and look to see what the apps say for the new week. Reaching a new milestone each week has been so much fun. I'm still feeling great but realizing how important it is to stay active. Yesterday I laid on the couch pretty much all day and my tailbone hurt all night. We read that since everything is getting moved around and squished in there, this is common. Mostly in the 3rd trimester, but it can happen now too. So it motivated me to want to just walk around and stretch/do yoga, etc. I plan to go to the gym and just walk on the treadmill to hopefully loosen some muscles a bit. I can't wait for spring weather to arrive so I can walk outside every day in warm, fresh air, and not have to be cooped up in the gym. Happily, headaches seem to be less and less too. I only had 1 this week and I think they're sometimes helped by eating more and drinking more water. It's easier to drink more at home than at school but I'm trying to stay super hydrated and constantly am filling my water bottle cup. 

Almost halfway there! Our next appt is during Week 18, where we will HOPEFULLY find out if Bee is a boy or a girl. We have our anatomy scan and now I'm nervous he/she won't cooperate for the big reveal picture. We plan on finding out for sure and can't wait to go all out team blue or team pink. We plan to have a small gender reveal party with our immediate fam & a few close friends and then after I announce at school, I'll post on here and on IG. Can't wait to find out, although either way we are thrilled! As I always tell my kindergarten kiddos, "You get what you get, and you don't get upset!". A baby is all we want and we are thrilled with either result. I have no idea what Bee is, just that it's a baby who's already loved so much. 

Sorry this was so long! I need to get in the habit of posting weekly but it just hasn't happened yet. 

Hugs,

Stace & Bee

XOXO

#TeamRicci 

"Mrs. Ricci's Having a Baby!!" (Sharing the News With My Kindergarten Class)

How does a kindergarten teacher tell her class she's having a baby??

There is no magic answer really but I was super excited about this from even before we were pregnant. My BFF, Alli, is also a teacher and when she was pregnant with her first child, she told her class of third graders through a game of Telephone (where you sit in a circle and whisper a message around the circle to everyone before saying it out loud). I've always loved this and since hearing her fun story I couldn't wait to plan something to surprise my class too whenever/if-ever that chance came around. 

Now, let's face it, 5-year olds are NOT great at the game of Telephone (ha!) so I did NOT tell them this way. I did consider it and we tried a few rounds of it the week or two before I announced (to try to test them out in a sense) but it was a dud. The phrase I would whisper would make it correctly through maybe 4 kids max and then change along the way and be something SO ridiculous and not even close to the original phrase by the end. I mean, the point is that it's a fun game but it's also to at least TRY for good listening and speaking to be accurate. Final verdict- I would not be telling them this way. On to Plan B... 

I was honestly almost as excited about telling my class as I was about telling my coworkers. However, I didn't want any coworkers to give it away to the kids accidentally so when I sent out my school announcement I asked them to please not say anything to the kids until the news was out. Thankfully everyone did a great job of that; I got plenty of excitement hugs that morning as the kids were arriving, but no one mentioned "baby", "pregnant", or even "Congrats" so they were all pretty oblivious. 

So here's what I did...

We had a science project due that day called The Mystery Box. Essentially, all the kids were asked to bring in a mystery item enclosed in a box so no one could see it. When it was their turn to share, the class would have to guess what was in the box through a few different ways (1. Without looking, reach your hand in and feel the object, 2. Shake the box and guess by the sound(s) and by the size/shape of the box, or 3. By listening to clues about the object). We had used the touchy-feely box as an example a few times earlier in the year to go along with sense of touch and the kids love it. I put a different object in there each time and usually make it something they may be familiar with. One by one they all have a chance to come up and put their hand in to feel the mystery object and silently think of a guess in their mind. When all classmates have had a turn they then make their guesses. So I used that! 

Before the kids arrived that day, I took the plastic baby bottle from our dress-up/kitchen center and placed it inside the mystery box. I chose this because it's something they are all familiar with and because it was a clue to my big news. I put this aside to save for later. Every day we have a "morning meeting" where we talk about the schedule for the day, we look at the calendar, the weather, count how many days we've been in school, etc. This is also a time to share any big news or current events. We had just had a long weekend for MLK Day and I told the kids I had a secret... it was a surprise and that it was very big news to share. I told them it was not a secret treat for them (so they wouldn't immediately think they were getting candy or that it was all about them as 5-year olds often can't help but think) and that it was something very exciting to ME and I wanted to give them clues to guess it. I even made a quick note on the board that said something like "Mrs. Ricci has a secret!! Can you follow the clues to guess what it is??" (Of course I wish I had taken a pic of it and I didn't... Whoops!)

Since we were sharing Mystery Boxes that day anyway, I told them I would go first as it related to my news too. I had told myself to not have high hopes because they're little kids and wouldn't possibly match my level of excitement. Low expectations is often best when doing stuff like this because they often surprise you. The kids all sat in a circle and I reminded them of the rules that they would each get a turn and they were not to make a peep while others were guessing. No "I know what it is!!!!" or giving away clues or whispering to their neighbors. I only mention this because while I always expect at least a small degree of this, they were all completely silent!! Like crazy quiet, like little angels awaiting their turn and to hear my big secret. I think they were actually excited to hear! :) I complimented them on how they were waiting so quietly and patiently and then finally all had a turn so I asked them to raise their hand if they knew what was in the box. Most hands shot up and they, of course, guessed correctly... "A BABY BOTTLE!!". 

Yup... so now onto the secret. 

"What would a baby bottle have to do with my news? Can anyone guess my secret?" (A decent amount of hands shot up, happily to my surprise!) I asked them to say their guess, in a quiet voice, all together. Sure enough, I heard quite a few say (kind of confused/shocked) "There's a baby" or "You're having a baby!" and "You're having a baby??????".... hahaha. :) :) :) 

All smiles and giggles (no surprise!), I tell them YES, I'M HAVING A BABY!!! The girls started cheering (as expected) and the boys were either kind of confused and/or happy (more than I expected so that's a plus!). I quickly told them the basic facts that they needed...

1. The baby is VERY TINY (showed them with my hand how it was only a few inches long, if that).

2. The baby won't be born until the summer so they wouldn't actually see it until they are in 1st grade.

3. My belly looks normal now but we're going to watch it get VERY big for the rest of the year. 

4. I don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet... but we will know soon! 

5. Summer is not tomorrow or next week, or even next month. It's going to be a long time to wait. 

I have to say, they were all so so excited and SO cute and sweet about it! I was very happily surprised and it went so perfectly! My teacher aide was with me for the reveal too and even she was impressed by their reactions (we both had low expectations for the boys). 

The kids asked about the other clues (I previously told them I had other clues if they couldn't guess yet... or if I changed my mind on how to tell them last min!) so I pulled them out of my bag, one by one. 

1. A stuffed animal giraffe. 

2. Baby blocks that spell B-A-B-Y.

3. Teeny baby socks. 

4. A baby book.

5. The ultrasound pic from the day before. 

When I got to the ultrasound picture, I explained that it's often a tricky picture to look at so I would explain it first. We told the kids that because the baby is in my belly and so tiny, we can't see it yet so special cameras see and take a special picture. I explained what a profile was and pointed out where to look to see the baby and how it was positioned. I then walked around the circle slowly, giving them all a chance to see and pointing out Baby Bee's head. They were seriously SO darn excited. It was so cute!! They kept calling out "Awwwww!!!!", "So cute!!!", "Look at the baby!!", "I see it!", and more "Awwwwwwww!!!" from the girls! One of my boys even said "I think it's a boy... because he has short hair like a boy!!" (HA!). We explained that especially at this point, babies don't have hair yet, and even when born they may only have a teeny bit. But it was SO cute I had to include it. 

This was seriously so much fun and my excitement poured out to the classroom. I loved that the kids were excited. We even took a vote on whether they thought boy or girl, and we explained that whatever had the most votes this time didn't mean that would win (as our classroom votes usually work- LOL). Of course, pretty much all the girls voted girl and the boys voted boy. There may have been 1 exception on either end but ultimately it was a tie anyway. One of my girls was absent but came in about an hour later. I felt bad she missed the whole event but I had some of my most excited girls tell her my big secret. They shouted "Mrs. Ricci's having a baby!!" and this little girl (who has a new baby brother) immediately said "Oh wow, that's cool!". :) 

The rest of the day was a buzz of excitement. Any time we left the room and saw new teachers in the hall, or if any other adults came in the room, a group of kids would shout and announce "Mrs. Ricci's having a baby!!!". It honestly made me laugh or just beam every time. 

When lunch time came around, I called over 2 girls from my class last year and whispered it to them that I was having a baby. Literally within minutes I think half the cafeteria knew and for the rest of the day kids in 1st and 2nd grade were coming up and telling me congratulations and that they were so happy and they knew my baby would be cute. Kids are so funny! 

One heart-warming moment was when four middle-school girls came running down the hall to my door and were practically screaming and giggling with excitement. They had overheard 2 teachers talking and asked who it was about. They said me and they begged to come see me (we are in a small K-8 school so it's not uncommon to see "the big kids" from time to time). They all gave me big hugs and said they were so excited. I had them all when I taught 1st grade so it was very sweet that they wanted to come down and share the excitement! It made me feel so loved. (*The next day, a 5th grade girl asked her teacher if she could come see me too and it was for the same reason. She wanted to congratulate me, give me a hug, and say how happy she was when she heard the news and wanted to make sure it was true. So sweet!!)  Obviously the kids in the building have no idea of the struggle we went through. The most I would say, if anything, is that I've wanted this for a long long time and I'm so happy. 

The girls in my K class crack me up... they love the dress-up "kitchen" play center and for months a few of them have been pretending to be pregnant (remember, one has a baby brother anyway so it's totally normal behavior anyway). We have 2 baby dolls and they shove them under their shirt and walk around saying they're having a baby. I knew those girls would be the most excited and of course now someone is pregnant on a daily basis in that play center. Except now they either pretend to be me or their baby is due in summer too! A few girls have birthdays at the end of July and are so excited Baby Ricci is due then too! One of the boy moms emailed to tell me all of the boy's play animals at home that week were pregnant... every single one of them. So cute! lol... they seriously crack me up.

A few days after announcing, I randomly saw one of the 2nd grade boys in the hall. He turned and said "Congratulations, Mrs. Ricci". I started to say "Aww thank you!" and he cut me off, clearly not done with his sentence. "...on being President.... of the school", he said.... I paused for a second and then it hit me that he must have misheard "President" for "Pregnant". Poor kid! I explained "no no, I'm not President... You may have heard "Pregnant"... I'm having a baby!". He, looking very confused and not as excited, said "Oh.... Cool." Sorry kiddo, not President. Less exciting to you; More exciting to me! 

The girls keep giving me extra hugs and saying it's either for the baby or will say "Hi baby" as they hug me. It's seriously the sweetest. This little Bee is surrounded by love 24/7. I told the kids they would get to watch my belly get very big and that we could measure my belly every week (an idea I saw online from another teacher) so we started that last week since it's now noticeable. I think it'll serve as great data for measurement and graphing eventually... so I'm totally throwing in educational value here, too! 

A few of the kids have drawn pictures for/of the baby too (all on their own) either at home or during free time at school! The one below is a drawing of "Mrs. Ricci, Mr. Ricci, and Baby Ricci". :)

(Funny story about the one below... I let the kids free-draw/write in their journals and one of my super creative/imaginative/bright girls drew and wrote this the morning of my announcement "A rainbow peanut." Little did she know that I would be announcing NOR little does she know the double meaning here. To ME, this was a huge sign that Baby Bee is okay. The baby you have after a miscarriage is called a Rainbow Baby... and a teeny fetus is like a peanut. I also referred to both embryos/babies early on as Peanuts... So A Rainbow Peanut, on the day I announced, almost brought me to tears... woa! Way cool!) <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

What Do You Think, Blue or Pink?

I also came across a cute freebie worksheet online too about my teacher having a baby. I sent it home for the parents to help the kids complete it and my amazing teacher aide hung them in the hallway. We got some funny answers for baby names, sizes, and due dates. Some were vague "Baby will be born on _____." Someone wrote "Friday". 1 in 7 shot, kid. Go place a bet! :) Also got some BIG babies and some microscopic babies! Too funny. Some kids even guessed the baby name as their own name. **Note: We are keeping the name a secret so it's anyone's guess at this point. That can be a different bet later on in the school year.** 

My awesome teacher aide also had the idea to take staff votes too and to hang all the guesses in the hallway (seriously, she's the best!) so we have a growing list of votes until we find out at the end of the month. 

Staff picks are on paper baby bottles, in pink or blue. Our art teacher drew Pooh Bear on it and everyone who guesses is writing their name and either a message or an additional guess. Someone even wrote a weight guess of 6lbs 4oz (truly a peanut!). The overwhelming guess of girl over boy is hysterical and I can't help but wonder, according to the wive's tales if that really means I'm gaining weight in all the wrong places and breaking out... bc I am. lol. Not that it has to be girl- I blame my McDonald's cravings for that and literally have no idea which it is at the moment. Not all votes are in; we have until the end of the month to get guesses in. Leave your guess in a comment below! :) 

I'm likely forgetting fun stories and details but I can always add them later. The same keeps happening for my weekly updates. I later think "Ugh- why didn't I do this or take a pic of that or add that story?". Pregnancy Brain- it's a real thing, people! I blame that! I have yet to draw on a chalkboard I bought (bc my photo apps on my phone are pretty handy backups) and I keep forgetting to take weekly pics on the same day or wearing the same outfit... but it's all human. It's normal. Bottom line is I am loving every minute of this. It's so so fun! :)

Thanks for sharing in the excitement!! <3

Love,

Stace

#TeamRicci
XOXO

Pregnancy Weeks 13 & 14... Chugging Right Along

Alright, alright, I'm already behind on baby bump updates- whoops! No excuse really other than laziness. :) But combining 2 weeks isn't so bad and then we're up to date again! ;)

Week 13: (January 20-26)

Me this week-

We made our official announcement at the very end of week 12, so technically 13 was right around the corner from that. It was SUCH a fun week at school and I had fun 4 pregnancy saying shirts for each day that week. Just now realizing I didn't take pics of them all on me that week but I will make sure I post them when I wear them again. Everyone at school (even the kids in my class) were anxious to see what the new shirt each day was so that made it fun! :)

Other than the fun of announcing to everyone that week (which was huge and fun every day), there wasn't much excitement that week otherwise. It finally snowed that weekend (first "real" snow this year... we've only gotten like a dusting or an inch prior) so we were semi-snowed in that Saturday and just took it easy. 

I've been feeling great and read that any nausea and exhaustion would start to go away at this point, the end of the first trimester. I've been SO lucky and blessed to not have nausea once. I've had a post-nasal drip-like thing going on since November and I'm always a bit congested but I read from a few reliable sources that extra estrogen can cause this to happen (I was on the shots and now obviously producing more) so I'm chalking it up to that. I also get headaches about 1x a week almost guaranteed and being only able to take Tylenol, which doesn't usually do the trick to be honest, I sometimes suffer from them because they are sometimes migraine-like. But if that's the worst of it, I can't and won't complain. Scott's been more than amazing and sometimes just having him home makes it start to feel better (weird but honestly true). We've found that sometimes McDonald's, as weird as it is, makes it go away (a McDouble & some fries from a particular place near us has the freshest food always and it's so not healthy but has either been a craving lately or a headache relief sometimes). 

Other than the headaches and congestion, I feel great. Tired still (took an hour and a half nap this week!) and almost always hungry (I'm always sneaking a handful or two of crackers, especially plain Goldfish crackers, in my mouth at school... hehe). But again, tired and hungry are kind of fun! Sleep and food- who doesn't love either or both?! 

I was also lucky enough to have 3 special deliveries to school that week!! The day I announced at school, 2 fruit arrangements arrived!! One from some coworkers and one from Scott (PROUD Daddy-to-Bee)!! The following day, Scott sent roses too. So cute. :) 

 

Super proud Daddy shirt. :) I have one that matches, in pink (and that says Mommy, of course!) <3

We found this before Christmas and got it on sale after. I have to admit I wasn't crazy about it at first but this was also before the Bee nickname, by chance. Then I absolutely loved it because of the double literal meaning. :) :) 

The end of week 13 is when Bee really started to POP and be visible to others!! We went to take this pic, I lifted my sweatshirt and we both went "WOAAAAA, hey belly!!" :) :) :)

Bee this week-

At 13 weeks, Bee is the size of a peach!! A sweet little peach! :) 

According to The Bump (which has a cool, free app I use), here are some fun facts. 

He/She has already started to form pretty much everything a functioning body needs and is literally a teeny little human and no longer resembles a gummy bear. This week, Bee is forming vocal cords and teeth... already has fingerprints... and his/her intestines are moving from the umbilical cord to their more permanent place in the tummy. 

Bee is now about 2.9 inches long and weighs about .81 ounces. Proportion-wise, his/her head is now about 1/3 the size of the body (it started off way bigger). 

Week 14: (January 27- February 2)

Me this week-

The end of week 14 is where we are currently and WE. STILL. CAN'T. BELIEVE. IT!!!!! :) :) :) It's honestly so so surreal. We will just have random moments where we'll be like "OMG... We're having a baby!!!!" or we'll be in the grocery store and I'll pass the baby aisle and go "Soon that'll be us"... but mostly just lots of random moments of shock where it's "WE are having a BABY!!" and we are just so ridiculously happy and over the moon about it. 75% of the time at home I'll rest one or both hands on my belly. If I/we are just relaxing and watching TV, chances are I'm just bonding with Bee and my baby bump. I often fall asleep that way too, and same for Scott. He will rest his hand on my belly in the same situations and I can usually tell by the look on his face that he's thinking about how happy this is and just taking it all in and soaking it up. 

As I said before, Bee's baby bump started to really pop just before 14 weeks. I'm also wearing whatever clothes I want, as opposed to trying to hide it like before we announced, but I do also think it's not just cheeseburgers and snacks anymore! ;) It's definitely noticeable to others now. 

I'm still feeling the same as before- occasional headaches, congested, and hungry. Less tired, which is great! I almost didn't even feel pregnant last week except for getting bigger. :) Let me clarify, less tired in general... but easily tired when walking a lot, or going up stairs, and especially at the gym. 

I've still been going to the gym on occasion. In the early weeks of pregnancy, the fertility Drs suggested I wait until we saw a heartbeat and then take it easy. Pretty much anything I've been doing consistently before pregnancy is fine to continue, along with low-key, low-impact exercises like walking, stretching, and prenatal yoga. So I've been to the gym a few times to walk on the treadmill (ok technically only twice so far but I'm working on that now that I'm not to tired!) and I've been back to Zumba on and off when it fits with my schedule. If it was up to me I would be there every Wed/Sun that my friend Marisol teaches, but occasionally things have come up and that's slowed me down. I've been doing Zumba for almost 6 years now and  usually have high energy in every class so it's SO funny to me now that I have to always modify and do low impact moves whenever possible because A) it's smarter to and/or B) because I'm just too winded to do anything else. It's hysterical to me because that's really where I feel a huge difference. It's also a wakeup call that I need to keep going and I need to add in more than just 1-2 classes a week. My goal is to at least walk a few times a week and/or stretch or do a prenatal yoga/pilates DVD I have. This is always easier said than done but I don't want to gain an unhealthy amount of weight OR set myself up for labor failure because I have no muscles to help push! 

I did go for a walk today if that counts! My back was so tight yesterday and last night that I feel like I just need to at least move around a bit each day so I walked around the block (it was 50 degrees and is supposed to be oddly warm this week so I'm taking full advantage) and then I did like 50 squats in the kitchen and I'll try to stretch a bit later too. I have to push myself to remember every little bit counts and it'll only help me more in the end. Luckily when spring and really nice weather finally arrive it'll hopefully help even more.

I've also recently developed a new love/hate relationship with clothes. I've begun to hate a lot of my current clothes (mostly all bottoms) because they're now too small. The first time I put on a pair of my regular pants and couldn't button them was a bittersweet experience. Mostly a sweet one because it's for the best reason ever, but also bitter because it's hard to accept that you can't fit into or button/zip your pants. I've been on the fine line of laughter and tears lately with clothes. Finding acceptable outfits for school was hard some days (I just want to LIVE in yoga pants or sweatpants and hoodies)... And then I discovered MATERNITY PANTS... God's gift to pregnant women!!

We walked into a maternity store after our last appt (the day we announced). I immediately confessed and admitted to the store employee that I had NO idea what I was doing/looking for but I desperately needed pants. Leggings/Skinny jeans... HELP! I quickly learned that your pre-pregnancy size is most likely your maternity size (HALLELUJAH!!- Way to make a woman gaining weight quickly feel good!) and went from there. She made my day by saying I was likely a small in pants, I tried a few one, was assured they would stretch through the pregnancy with me, and we were done and on our way. This was back at the end of week 12 but I forgot to post it then and in week 14, maternity pants are a Godsend. I love them and may continue to wear them post-baby, and for the rest of my life. haha. Mayyyybe not kidding! A good friend told me she often breaks them out each year on Thanksgiving too and I totally know why, respect and understand that, and will likely be joining her on that. The day I have to go back to buttons and zippers and non-stretch pants will likely be a sad day in the future. lol. I highly recommend a pair of maternity leggings for even those without kids because they're just so damn comfy and forgiving. They've re-boosted confidence if even just a bit! :)

(Amy found these stickers in her classroom and passed them on... so cute!!)

(My bump is more obvious in some shirts over others.) :) :) 

My FAV pregnancy product. This stuff feels amazing and is good for stretch-prone skin. Plus I LOVE the name :) :)  (Not even intentional- it was a gift from a friend.)

We got two of the sweetest gift boxes this week. The top left one is from my mom and was just for Scott- all Florida Gators themed baby stuff. He LOVED it!! A few days later, we got a package from Mark & Stacie (now first time Auntie & Uncle!!) with lots of fun baby goodies (a book, a frame with belly stickers, 2 sweet baby outfits, a Gators blanket, and a super soft and cozy bunny. LOVE it! Thank you all!! <3 <3 

Bee this week-

This week, Bee is the size of a lemon!! :) :)

Some fun facts from The Bump...

- 3.4 inches

- 1.5 ounces 

- Bee's probably thumb-sucking and wiggling his or her toes in there!

- Baby's kidneys are making urine, and the liver and spleen are doing their jobs too. 

- Has almost doubled in weight since last week and keeps on growing! 

I swear today (Feb. 1, 2016) I felt something I hadn't really before. On the way home from school it was almost like a light scratching feeling every so often about 2 inches below my belly button. It didn't hurt and it was actually kind of cool and comforting. I can't wait until we can see another ultrasound soon and until I can feel Bee kicking and moving around more in there! 

Our next actual ultrasound is at the end of the month, when we'll hopefully find out if Bee is a boy or a girl. Gladly accepting votes for Team Blue or Team Pink!! Leave a comment with your guess! :)

To close this week, I was packing up our leftover needles, syringes, and meds, and decided to make some art out of it. I've seen a few others do stuff like this and it's kind of a neat way to make the leftover needles fun. I sat on the kitchen floor and wrote out "Baby Bee", "Hope", "Love", and "#Team Ricci". This isn't even all of them but I ran out of steam after just doing a few before packing them up. 

Have a great week, everyone! Happy February (HOW did THAT happen!??). 

XOXO,

Stace & Bee 

#TeamRicci