11 Weeks

First of all, excuse the ridiculously short shirt....I almost forgot to take a picture this morning and then remembered right before leaving, so I had to take off my little sweater that was over my shirt so you could see. You will notice that the bloat is better than it has been. All of my books and apps on my phone say that at this point, the bloat eases up, then an actual baby bump will start to form as the uterus begins to move from the pelvis to the lower abdomen.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 11 Weeks!
Size of baby: Lime, about 2 in. long.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I haven't weighed myself, but I think it's 3 or 4 pounds. On Thursday, I hadn't gained any weight since my last doctor's visit, so that's good.
Maternity Clothes: I'm still wearing most of my normal pants, either with a Be Band, or a ponytail holder. I can't really button most of them anymore. I did buy a pair of maternity jeans from Old Navy last week and they are the best things EVER!! I have a feeling I'll be needing many more pairs of them in the next few weeks. ;-)
Gender: I'm dying to know! Part of me really thinks it's a girl, but then I think it will be a boy just because I think it's a girl! HA! It doesn't matter to me either way, as long as my sweet baby is healthy and happy!
Movement: Not yet.
Food Cravings: Not really. I'm easily persuaded by food commercials on TV....IF it's something that even remotely sounds good to me right now! I'm still not into dishes that are rich in flavor. The thought of eating a real heavy, herby, pasta dish right now makes me gag. The thought of eating most meat does the same. I do eat some chicken though, but I haven't cooked any at home in weeks. It's weird, I'll eat chicken nuggets, but the idea of cleaning a raw chicken, then cooking it (regardless of how it's cooked), does nothing for my stomach right now!! Chicken used to be one of those weekly store purchases for me....NOT anymore! Another weird thing.....I'll start eating something, for example, Stouffer's Chicken & Broccoli Pasta Bake that we had last night, and it's all good....I'm eating it and it tastes good, but after about halfway through it I can't eat another bite because I start feeling sick from the taste of it. It's very strange and it happens a lot. I find something that appeals to me, but halfway through it, and sometimes even before then, I have to stop because the taste starts making me gag. The things that have become staples to me are chips, crackers, cheese cubes, cookies, yogurt, fruit, burgers (but not ones made at home...again, weird!), french fries.....looking at that list, it's a miracle I've only gained just a few pounds! HA!
What I miss: Being able to eat things I like!
Sleep: Sleep has been a lot better the last several nights. I woke up yesterday to my hips hurting, but other than that, it's been really good!!
Symptoms: Fatigue, nausea (but it's getting a little better), I still have the random "close-calls" I talked about last week. I'm also still moody and irritable at times, have sore ta-tas (hey, I have no shame), taking frequent trips to the bathroom, food aversions, and the bloat(which has gotten better also). It's supposed to go away and start forming into an actual bump in the next week or so!!
Best Moment this week: At my appointment on Thursday, I got to hear baby's heartbeat! It was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. I knew it would be fast, but it's so crazy how much faster it is than my heartbeat!! It was about 160/bpm. I have it recorded on my phone and love to listen to it when I want. The doctor said everything is looking great, all of my monthly tests they ran came back great and it was wonderful to hear that! The doctor is very pleased with the progress. I go back in about 4 weeks and can't wait to hear the heartbeat again. Saturday, we had one of my long-time childhood friends, Rebekah, (who was also my maid of honor) over on Saturday to watch Bama STOMP the CHOMP!! It was so good to see her and spend some time with her. She lives about 45 minutes or so away and we're both so busy that we don't get to see each other much. We ate some good football foods....RoTel dip included, of course...and she brought cupcakes that she made. They were made of confetti cake w/strawberry icing! SOOOOOO good!!
What I am looking forward to: I only have 2 more weeks in the first trimester! This is hard to believe, but I am so excited. I'm ready to look pregnant, instead of bloated and fat! HA! I am so excited about this wonderful weather we are having...even though it will be back in the 80s later this week. Fall is officially here and I can't wait for boots, sweaters, Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings, decorations, and everything that comes with the next few months! It's my absolute favorite time of year. I know that has nothing to do with Baby Puckett, but it makes me happy, and it's a good thing when mama's happy, right? ;-) I realize I ramble a lot in these posts....you'll just have to forgive me. I'm usually a lot more eloquent. :)

I hope you all have a fantastic week!!