20 Weeks "Bumpdate" HALFWAY THERE!

20 Weeks!

Baby: We have hit the halfway mark in pregnancy! Baby is the size of a banana measuring around 6.5 inches and 10.2 oz! He looks like a mini human now with tiny features and all parts are developed. Now it's time to grow, grow, GROW!! Baby Pro is mainly just growing bigger and stronger now- but there are key developments going on such as nerves in the brain which control the senses, these are still forming, eventually enabling him/her to smell, see, hear, taste and touch. He/she is starting to taste the foods that I eat in utero and studies show that he will likely prefer those foods when he enters the real world. 

Bump: This is the week that I finally "popped." Others could tell and I can tell my body is changing. This is the biggest miracle I have ever had the privilege of being a part. God is truly amazing the way he is knitting this baby together in my womb. We feel so blessed. 

Maternity clothes? Yes, this week I finally had to buy some maternity jeans and looser fitting yoga pants. My clothes were getting too tight in the mid section! Maternity pants are so COMFY. Haha! I had an entourage with me while shopping to find them and the guys cracked me & all the other women in the maternity store up with their reactions to the "belly band" attached to the jeans. This was a new experience for everyone! We can all see how all jeans need to have this expandable waste line! Haha

Favorite moment of the week:  Getting to spend the weekend in Fayetteville AR, visiting friends and family and seeing the Razorbacks win in the 4th over time against Auburn! 

Movement:  October 21st was an amazing night! I had been feeling a lot of movements. Tyler finally got to feel baby Pro move and kick for the first time!! So excited to be on this journey together! 

Cravings? Loving savory snacks. Pizza tastes really good to me right now. 

Sickness? SO SO SO happy that I have not experienced the "round ligament pain" I had experienced the past couple of weeks. I am feeling really good now! No sickness or pain.

Gender prediction: We find out SO SOON!!! Cannot wait for our 21 week ultrasound! 

Labor signs: None.

Mood/energy: Very good!

Sleep: Great!

Exercise: Same as last week, currently teaching new lessons at PiYo and man I am so sore from it- in a good way! Loving these new moves and music! I am noticing my balance is not as great as before. I have a little something throwing me off! ;) 

Diet/Weight: We will see at my next appointment! 

Prayer needs: Just for continued health during these cold months and that the baby grows strong and healthy! 

Looking forward to: FINDING OUT THE GENDER! Two bumpdates away from finding out if Baby Pro is a boy or girl! So excited.

Thankful for: Having good friends and family in Arkansas and getting to spend time with them! 

Until next time, 

Dorothy & Baby Pro

19 Weeks "Bumpdate"

Baby: Baby Pro is as big as a mango!! Weighing 8.5 oz and is around 6 inches long!  Right now the little one is working on his/her five senses! Nerve cells for his/her sense of taste, hearing, sight and smell are developing in her brain. He/she now has a skin covering called vernix which is like a protective layer around his skin while he soaks in amniotic fluid all day. 

Bump: Felt a lot of growth happening this week. Starting to see more of a bump!! Sharp round ligament pain 2x this week. Starting to feel movements more often and stronger! 

Favorite moment of the week: This weekend was one of our friends John & Kea Scott's gender reveal party. Kea and I are one week apart! It was fun attending the party, seeing friends and guessing the gender! The ladies all guessed right! It is a girl!! 

Miss anything? I am going to miss my jeans and some of my yoga pants. This was the first week that they were starting to get tight on me in the mid-section! 

Movement: getting progressively stronger & more noticeable! I love it!!! Sometimes he/she will move a lot when I start talking! It's so cool. 

Cravings? THIS. 

Haha! This was my first "gotta have it now" craving... Called Dominos around 10:30pm & it got here around 11pm. We scarfed it down while watching "Parenthood." It hit the spot! Such a fun & random night. 

Sickness? Tyler was battling a virus & hives for the past week. He finally kicked it and is feeling way better! It was definitely my turn to take care of him! I can't remember the last time he has been that sick for so long. 

Gender prediction: I keep referring to our baby as a "him." I have a feeling that it is a boy. I could be totally wrong, but I would be shocked if it is a girl. Tyler is starting to think it's a boy too. It is a mover- that's for sure! So we either have a little b-ball player or a little dancer on our hands! 50/50 shot! :-) ONE MORE WEEK until our 21 week ultrasound- Oct 29th- and we find out for sure!  

Maternity clothes: Bought my first maternity shirt this week! I had to buy it because it was my first top I tried on where I could really see the "bump" coming out! 

Mood/energy: feeling pretty good! 

Sleep: I have been waking up at random times in the night to get water or something to eat. For some reason, my mouth just gets so dry at night! Usually can go right back to sleep. Also my skin has been very dry as well. I'm trying to moisturize often! 

Exercise: Teaching PiYo 2x a week and also get exercise just practicing it to teach a new lesson this week. Staying pretty active while teaching dance. 

Diet/Weight: I will find out at my next appointment on the 29th! Feeling good about my diet (pizza was a splurge) and read recently that my our little ones taste buds are developing and that he/she will most likely be interested in the foods that he is used to getting in the womb. So that is a great challenge for me to have well balanced meals! 

Prayer needs: thank the Lord that Tyler is healed! Pray for continued health & that I do not catch what he had! I have some congestion & a sore throat- so I am praying it doesn't develop into something more! 

Looking forward to: Our next prenatal appointment! We will have our 21 week ultrasound! 

Thankful for: A healthy pregnancy thus far! 

Until next time,

Xoxo- 

Dorothy & Baby Pro

18 weeks "Bumpdate"

 

I am now 5 months pregnant! Woohoo! Getting closer to that halfway point (Week 20) & 2 weeks away from finding out the gender of our little love! 

Baby: is the size of a sweet potato now! 

Weighing 6.7 oz and almost 6 inches long. Baby Pro is growing like a weed. Can you believe he/she's yawning, hiccuping, sucking and swallowing? And she's twisting, rolling, punching and kicking, too. Now baby Pro is big enough that I am starting to feel a lot of movement! In fact, at our last prenatal appointment- our doc had to move the doplar wand around so much to keep up with where the baby was moving. She said "you guys have an active little one! Good thing y'all are young!" Hahaha. I guess we have a little acrobat on our hands! 

Bump: This week I can definitely feel some growing pains! I know it is growing because of the "round ligament" pain I am experiencing in my lower abdomen. Round ligament pain is common in the 2nd trimester around the halfway point in pregnancy. Usually it is a dull pain that comes and goes throughout the day, but sometimes it is a very sharp stabbing pain that lasts for a few minutes then goes away. I have experienced the sharp pain probably 4 times in the last 2 weeks. When it does get sharp i usually try take a hot shower to ease the pain. The first time I felt round ligament pain, I was very panicked because I had never felt that sensation before (very different than menstrual cramps) and I broke out in a cold sweat, could hardly move & threw up. My doctor said that I should not be alarmed as many women, especially first time moms, experience this "round ligament" pain as the ligaments that are on the outside of the uterus (womb) have to stretch and lengthen to accommodate the growing baby. So all in all, I know that is some major growth happening this week. 

Favorite moment of the week: Easy! Both my students from BHS dance team and Ballet Yahweh performed their routines this weekend! The dance team that I coach performed at the Friday night varsity football game and did a fantastic job! I am so proud of them for their hard work, great attitudes and sharing their talents with others! 

 

Also the omega class from Ballet Yahweh performed twice this weekend. Once at the Branson Landing: 

AND at their home church on Sunday (Fbc Forsyth). They praised His name with dancing and it was so beautiful! 

Miss anything? Not really!

Cravings? Not anything specific this week. 

Sickness? This week Tyler has been battling a bad cold, body aches & incessant cough. I felt sick last Monday and rested a lot and I felt a lot better the next day. Unfortunately Tyler is still sick, in fact- as I am writing this he is picking up his prescription from the doctor! Praying he gets better ASAP and that I don't catch what he has! 

Gender prediction: hmmm... I think it will be a boy or a girl!! ;) 

Labor signs: none

Mood/energy: normal

Sleep: I am sleeping well, except the two  nights I was awakened by the round ligament pain. 

Exercise: Still teaching 4 workout classes a week, but next week I will be cutting it down to 2 a week.

Diet/Weight: At the beginning of pregnancy I weighed 125. I went up to 130 but at my last appt I weighed 129. My doctor said I am torching through so many calories right now with all the activities I am involved in, which is great- but I also need to be gaining a little more weight. So she recommended that I cut back two of my fitness classes that  I teach. She also said I need to eat more... Which, I don't think that be a problem! Lol! 

Prayer needs: Just for Tylers health and that he can get the rest he needs to recover quickly! Also, that I will stay healthy as I help take care of him. 

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender!!! Woohoo! Oct 29 cant get here soon enough! 

Thankful for: Dr. Allison! She is a great doctor and she shares in all our excitement. She always answers any questions we have and is very knowledgable. I left the last appointment all giddy and smiling ear to ear as we were able to hear his/her heartbeat and told at the next appointment we will find out the gender! It is getting more and more real and we are both so excited! 

Until next time-

Xoxo, 

Dorothy and Baby Pro! 

17 Weeks "Bumpdate"

It is so hard to believe I am nearing five months pregnant! On week 20 I will be halfway through with pregnancy and 1 week away from knowing whether Baby Pro is a boy or girl! So exciting! 

Here's a chart to help visualize: I am in my second trimester, finishing out month 4 & week 17!

Baby: This week, Baby pro's body will start filling out by adding that cute little baby fat. His/her hair is growing, eyelashes are coming in and facial features are getting more distinct. Each week, she's adding fat and muscle and become stronger, so his/her kicks will become stronger. Keep in mind, he/she still only weights 3-1/2 ounces- Even though this doesn't seem like much weight, if you put it in perspective, baby Pro has been doing plenty of growing. For example, he/she's more than doubled her weight in the last two weeks, and by the end of this trimester she'll more than quadruple her weight -- by week 28 she'll weigh in at 2 lbs! He/She will also double in length & in just 3 more weeks will be the size of a banana! Here is another apps description of how big our baby is...  

Haha!!! These apps are so funny!

Bump: To me, I can feel my baby growing so I feel like my bump is starting to show... I don't think it is that noticeable to stangers though. In fact, when I was teaching dance last night one of the students moms overheard me talking about my pregnancy. She came up to me and  said "You're pregnant??! I would have never known!!! You are still so tiny!" So, I definitely think he/she has not "popped" out yet... But probably really soon! 

Favorite moment of the week: getting to stay with Tash and John in Fayetteville and seeing my friend Shelby Taylor get married to her love. It was such a beautiful wedding and a fun reunion of k-institute class and my college friends.

Miss anything? I have a feeling I am going to be missing my skinny jeans here soon. 

Movement: Nothing yet! Still waiting for those first little flutters! 

Cravings? Mac & cheese / always green "naked" juice, cheeseburgers

Sickness? I experienced round ligament pain this week due to the growing baby applying pressure to my ligaments. On Wednesday it was so sharp for about 5 minutes, I could hardly stand it! Since then it has been more like a dull pain that comes and goes in my lower abdomen. I definitely think our little one hit a growth spurt this week! 

Gender prediction: Getting so close to finding out- ever since my dream, I have been thinking it will be a boy, but before that both Tyler and I were thinking "girl!" Maybe it's because we couldn't think of boy names we liked for the longest time. 

Labor signs: None. 

Mood/energy: My legs & feet seem to be getting a little more tired after being up for a long period of time, but overall- my energy has been a lot better this second trimester. 

Sleep: still sleeping really good! 

Exercise: Teaching PiYo 2x a week & OneBeat 2 X a week! Also teaching dance has kept me very active. Here's a pic I took on my way to teach this week!

Don't miss your chance to come out to support the Branson pirates at their last home football game Friday @7pm Oct 9th- the dance team that I coach will be performing during halftime & I just know they will do a fantastic job! 

Shout out to my students at Ballet Yahweh who will be performing at the Branson Landing this Saturday, October 10th at 3pm for "Paint the Landing Pink" event supporting breast cancer awareness month. I guarantee you that your heart will be blessed! We have a big weekend ahead! 

Diet/Weight: I will know my total weight gain at my appt on Tuesday! Last time I went I had gained about 5lbs in the first trimester. 

Prayer needs: Ofcourse, that the baby will continue to grow and get the nutrients it needs to be strong and healthy! Pray that Tyler and I will continue to prioritize and serve eachother even after the baby comes and to continue going on dates/have intentional conversations to keep our marriage strong. I've heard the first year after having a baby can be tough on a marriage, so I am wanting to keep the Lord at the center of our new little family and let Him guide us through these times & fill them with joy! 

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender in a few short weeks!! Eek! Anyone have any predictions? 

Thankful for: So many things! Right now, it would probably be my little snuggle buddy Darling, who has brought so much joy into our lives! Hard to believe she is nearing 3 years old in December- I can only imagine how fast time will fly with our new little sweet pea! Can't wait to see how Darling is with a new baby! I'm sure it will take no time for her to accept him/her as part of the "pack!" 

xoxo,

Dorothy & baby PRO :)  

16 Weeks "Bumpdate"

16 WEEKS

baby: baby pro now weighs in at a whopping three to five ounces, and he's four to five inches in length. He/she can hear noises since his tiny bones in his ears are in place and functional! I love that his/her tiny little eyebrows, eyelashes and hair is starting to grow!  The tiny muscles in his body, especially the ones in his back, are gaining strength, so he can straighten out a little more. Thanks to his/her developing facial muscles, baby can make expressive frowns and squints! 

Favorite moment of the week: has to be when Tyler and I went on a hike this past weekend. It was so beautiful & a great time to get to talk to eachother without distractions! Loved getting time away, even if just for a couple of hours!

Miss anything? Miss seeing my precious little nephew. He is doing great and all of the pics my sister sends me are just adorable. 

Movement: none yet!  

Cravings? Cinnamon crunch bagels from panera. 

Sickness? Dull aches in my lower abdomen (uterus)- it's called "round ligament pain" and it occurs when the ligaments stretch to accommodate the size of the growing uterus (womb). 

Gender prediction: I had a dream that I had the baby- I didn't even have to go through labor (wouldn't that be nice!!) and I dreamt that i had a boy!!! He was as cute as could be. Tyler still thinks it could be a girl. We are 5 weeks away from finding out & cannot wait! 

Labor signs: none

Mood/energy: pretty normal

Sleep: like a baby! 

Exercise: considering that all my undertakings right now are pretty active, I am getting plenty of exercise! 

Diet/Weight: I will know for sure at my next appointment on Tuesday! 

Bump: starting to show a tiny bit! I can still fit in all my regular clothes tho! 

Looking forward to: finding out the gender and feeling the first few kicks! It could be any day now! 

Thankful for: the students I am teaching at BHS & at Ballet Yahweh! It has been fun getting to know them better and see them using their God-given talents! 

Until next time-

xoxo,

Dorothy & baby PRO :)  

15 Weeks "Bumpdate"

15 WEEKS

Baby: Baby Pro is the size of an orange! Weighing in at about 2.5 oz and measuring 4 inches long! 

Something I am super excited about this week is that our baby's bones in his/her ears are hardening, and baby Pro is now able to hear sounds, including my heartbeat, speaking, and breathing!! Since last week the arms and legs have grown longer than the head. This is significant, since the head has been the biggest part of the body until now. Taste buds are forming, and the fingernails and toenails are growing longer by the day. Eyelids are stills fused together but he or she can notice light/dark. 

Favorite moment of the week: On Saturday night, Tyler and I found out that Krispy Kreme Donuts was doing a "dress like a pirate day" to get a free dozen donuts- so obvisouly, we had to do it!!! We quickly went through our closets for anything that closely resembled a pirate and this was the end result!!

Ahoy! We got me booty!!!! Spur of the moment date to get free donuts was a success! We had a fun time throwing this all together. Thanks Krispy Kreme!

Fave moment #2: Finding out a dear friend of mine is pregnant and going to be due around a month after me!! I am so excited to go through this together and I can't wait for our babies to be friends on the outside :)

Movement: Not yet! 

Cravings? Not really!

Sickness? Lately, I have felt pretty normal except random bouts nausea when riding in a car/ congestion/ indigestion- which I found out are common symptoms of pregnancy at 15 weeks. So unfortunately, I'm right on track. :/

Gender prediction: I still feel unsure. Don't really have an "intuition" yet about the gender. Tyler is pretty positive it will be a girl. We would be blessed either way!

Labor signs: None! 

Mood/energy: Still trying to lay down and rest when I feel tired. This week was a whirlwind, as I jumped right in to a busy schedule after I returned from my trip to California. I started teaching dance at Ballet Yahweh, taught 4 fitness classes, and taught the high school girls the tryout routines/ held tryouts on Wed-Fri for the BHS dance team. With all of these things happening this week, my body was pretty tired and sore! It won't be that exhausting every week, so I am ready to get into a schedule and be able to make sure I am getting enough rest and "putting my feet up" as my dad would say. I am loving my new positions at Ballet Yahweh and coaching the high school dance team!

Sleep: Sleeping very well! 

Exercise: Refer to "mood/energy" post above. 

Diet/Weight: Total weight gain thus far is 5 lbs! Supposedly from here on, I should gain somewhere around 1 lb per week until baby comes! Thats a total of around 25-30lbs. Some advice my sister gave me was to not necessarily "eat for two" but just focus on eating nutrient dense foods to make him/her strong and healthy! I definitely try to take snacks with me so I don't have an empty stomach. Baby doesn't like that!  :)

Prayer needs/praises: You can pray that God would continue to help us grow together and prepare us to be a great team while learning together how to raise this child! 

Looking forward to: Feeling the first flutters of the baby's movement! Can't wait! 
Thankful for: So thankful for a healthy pregnancy so far! Also, very thankful for a great group of friends and community that loves us and encourages us along this journey! Grateful for the great friends God has placed in our lives! 

xoxo,

Dorothy & baby PRO :)  

13 & 14 Weeks "Bumpdate" & 1st Trimester Review

13 WEEKS! 

My 13/14 week update is really special because I am in Santa Barbara, CA as I arrived right on time for my little nephew's arrival.  It has been really fun being able to snuggle, hug and kiss my new nephew Samuel Lee Poverelli.

Here is my little nephew sporting the onesie I gave to my sister and her husband to announce that we were expecting! It was so fun to dress him in the onesie we gave them- it says "Only Grandchild BIG COUSIN!" as he will be a big cousin in March!

Samuel Lee at 4 days old! 

Samuel Lee made his debut bright and early on Sept. 4th 2015. It was perfect timing since we arrived later that night. We saw little Sam for the first time that next morning, 1 day old and as perfect and healthy as could be! He stole our hearts from day one! Mamma, daddy and baby are doing just great and it has been fun to see Stephanie as a mom. She is really enjoying all that motherhood entails and getting to know her little one! I am getting a lot of practice, snuggles, sleepless nights and bonding time as well! It's been such a sweet time of seeing family, taking care of the new mama and baby, and we've gotten to get out and explore some hot spots around here! We've gone to the beach, walked down the famous State street, seen the "mission" and rose gardens, gone shopping, ate at some YUMMY local restaurants and we gone to the farmers market down town & ate at the Wharf on the water. We are trying to soak it all in. 

On the last day in Santa Barbara, I also moved on to the second trimester- 14 weeks!!! 

This outfit was not so good for a bump picture, but still wanted to document the "barely there" bump at 14 weeks! 

Review of my first trimester:

First trimester summary:

It is so hard to believe I am 14 weeks pregnant and starting my second trimester already! 

Baby: In week 13, he or she is already around 3 inches long. baby pro is the size of a peach! 

Tiny vocal cords and teeth are forming! Although he/she is still tiny, she already has her own fingerprints. A crazy fact I did not know is that the baby's intestines are moving from the umbilical cord into its new permanent home in baby's abdomen. In week 14, our Love Bug’s immune system is starting to develop! The immune system will take several months or years after birth for it to reach a healthy, adult level, but he/she’s on her way! 

Bump: Still is not super noticeable, but I can tell it's there! It has not "popped" out to where it would be obvious that i am pregnant. 

Favorite moment of the week: Hearing about the news that my sister delivered a healthy bouncy baby boy! Seeing and holding my new little nephew for the first time was for sure a highlight. I feel like Gods timing could not have been more perfect in helping prepare my heart for motherhood. I already want one of my own after holding and helping with Samuel! Our babies will be 6.5 mos apart. I love being able to ask questions and see my sister being a great mom already! 

Miss anything? Missing my husband a ton!!! It's hard being away from Tyler! Everything is so much better when he is around! We have had a lot of fun the past week but I do wish that he could have come! 

Movement: Not yet! 

Cravings? Loving anything with cinnamon and butter.  Also still loving buttered popcorn in the theater. Occasionally pickles. 

Sickness? Feel so thankful to be feeling completely myself the past week! Symptoms like nasea & headaches have pretty much dissipated. I feel more energetic this week! 

Gender prediction: Considering that we just bought some of the cutest clothes for a little girl, i have a feeling it may be a girl. But I could be entirely wrong! I will find out in 7 more weeks! 

Labor signs: None! 

Mood/energy: Feeling back to my normal self in energy and mood! I do cry easier in sad movies, but no mood swings! 

Sleep: like a rock! 

Exercise: Since we have been in California this week, we have been walking around and exploring most days! We have hiked & walked the beach, walked down state street, explored on a Surrey around Solvang, CA and gone swimming. Tried to do something fun and active every day. Also, I've been on a lot of walks with Samuel. He loves to move! 

Diet/Weight: Eating out a lot this week, so you know how that goes. Lol! I will find out my total weight gain thus far at my next appointment coming up this Tuesday! 

Prayer needs/praises: Praising God that my sister had a great labor and delivery with no complications! Thankful we got here safely and praying we are safe on our return home tomorrow! 

Looking forward to: Having dance team tryouts and starting to teach at Ballet Yahweh next week! Also, debuting a fun new 80's Piyo lesson in group fitness class this week! Better believe I will have some leg warmers on in class!!!
Thankful for: FAMILY that loves the Lord, prays and laughs together! However chaotic it may be when we all get together (we can get pretty loud and crazy lol) , we always know we will have a good time and have a support system no matter what. 

xoxo,

Dorothy & baby PRO :)