What Is In A Name?

A lot apparently.  There's less than six months to go and we've not really thought too much about it. 

I know what I'd like and I think they're lovely names for a boy or girl, but Steve although he likes the girl's name is not liking my boy's name idea.

There's a lot of pressure on getting it right, not causing bullying, funny initials etc.... 

And not to mention once you've got a name, hoping someone else doesn't 'bag' it first!  Cousin Nicola has already told me her name ideas so I'm safe there, but cousin Joanna is having a baby after Christmas so I'm hoping she doesn't go down my name road.  I'd be gutted.

It's hard as well with me wanting to keep the names a secret.  Steve's already told his parents, which he told my parents, so we then told them our ideas, but as they're only ideas at this stage I guess it's ok.

14 Weeks!!

How far along: 14 weeks

Total Weight Gained: I wish I knew!  Forgot to weigh myself.  Again.  :(

Maternity Clothes: Some, but I can get away with larger regular items.  Just wish it weren't so chilly at the moment.  Friends and sister have lent me their's but they had summer pregnancies, so there's not really anything thick and woolly and warm!!

Stretch Marks: None as yet.  Little tummy itches though.

Sleep: Not too bad.  Its getting better, although I seem to wake at 2.00am needing to wee, and then I fall back asleep and wake at 4.00am absolutley busting!  I actually worried about wetting the bed the other night!!  I didn't mind!

Best Moment of the Week:I really feel that I have a genuine bit of a bump now, and it's not just fat.  Of course when dressed it could be fat, but I wore a wrap cardigan and Steve saw me and commented on the baby bump and felt it.  I think it's there!

Movement: Nothing concrete as yet.

Food Cravings: Nothing new.  A guy from work keeps asking if I fancy coal and anchovies yet.  No David, the answer is no.  Many times no.  Ooh, except I am drinking a lot of milk this week.
 
Gender: No idea yet. Most friends and family are betting on a girl though.

Belly Button: Still in there.

What I miss: Being able to roll over easily in bed without twinging.

What I'm looking forward to: Feeling some movement soon I hope.

Milestones:  We've made it to the second trimester.  Hurrah.

Maternity Bras

Well, I got measured today in Mothercare and on hearing how many women go up loads of sizes, I wasn't sure what to expect. I've not had a lot of problems with my current bras to be honest, but on reading that if intending to breast feed you shouldn't be in underwired, I thought it time to get maternity ones without wire in.

Ordinarily, I'm a 34F, and on being measured I'm a 36F!! No huge jump there! Just an expanding rib cage! Hee hee! I guess it's still early days, and it may go up again, apparently the biggest weight gain is around weeks 24 to 30 but I think I'm not doing too badly so far. So they didn't have my size in, but it's ordered and I'll be in them by the end of the week.

Of course, I've not weighed myself as I don't own scales, but I shall step on my Mum's scales tomorrow and have a little check. If cousin Nicola has put a stone on already, I wonder what I've put on.

Ooh, and I got my second Bounty pack today. They'd had a new delivery at Boots, (stock seems a bit hit and miss a lot of the time apparently) so this one had a newborn nappy in - so tiny, some wipes, sudocream, other bits and bobs and lots of leaflets, vouchers and a galaxy chocolate bar! Shame I'm still a bit bleurgh about chocolate.

I've spent this evening signing up for baby clubs to get more freebies and offers and it's felt most productive! Less than 6 months to go now!!

Leaking

And no, not me. At least not yet. I was rather horrified to read on a baby forum, a women 15 and 1/2 weeks pregnant had experienced leaking nipples with 'a watery juice' coming out and she was querying whether this was normal or not.

Eeeek. I asked Zoe, who works in the next office about it, and she said that didn't happen with her first baby until 30 weeks, and not at all with her second, although then on recollection, she did say she had all sorts of milky accidents where one time she was preparing to breast feed Ella, and she realised Ella was covered in milk, all over her face and it took a moment for her to realise the milk was pouring out of her! As in proper squirting out into the face of her baby!!
Another time she said that she was doing a nappy and felt that her feet were wet, and wasn't sure why, until she realised both breasts were projectile squirting milk downwards.

She was laughing about it, saying she'd forgotten that until now, and I was laughing too as it seemed so very extreme, but in all seriousness, 'seriously'? Boobs with no control? That sounds terrible :( She's advised I get some breast pads in case it starts with me soon. Moooo.

13 weeks and 3-4 days

This one looks rather skeletal!!
And here it is looking a bit more baby like and cosy!

I know it's Steve's baby as it was all curled up and happy asleep and didn't want to be disturbed. It flailed it's little fists as us as the sonographer poked at it with the wand thing, and was not wanting to play at all. Just like Steve in a morning! Gosh, imagine if it's like a little Steve :( I'll have to train it from the start and not let Steve have too much input!!
~

So then we had to head out and go for a walk with some jumping, drink a cup of tea and go back after 30 minutes. The baby was more cooperative at this point and they were able to get the measurements they wanted.
~

Then - duh duh duh - it was time for the ominous blood tests. I made quite a scene. We were heading down a corridor which was taking us closer and Steve was teasing me about junkies which I didn't want to hear, so I began to cry. I made it down the corridor to the waiting room and we got a number to put us in the queue and it was on 14 and we were 21 :( So we waited and I was ok, and Steve was actually managing to be supportive, but when it was our turn, as I stepped into the room and saw the chair with arm stirrups I began to cry again. Not noisily, just tears, pouring down my face!
~
The nurses were lovely, both came to help and look after me, they tilted me back, gave me extra pillows, but my left arm veins weren't playing either, so it was the right arm, and even that one was dubious for the amount of blood they wanted. But it was all done, with lots of tears, and apologies from me but I couldn't have contained my tears if I'd tried. It's just a reaction from me when in that situation. I'm not even afraid of blood, cuts, scrapes, grazes, I can deal with, but a needle in my vein sucking it out of me, that's where the terror lies. Veins. Urgh. Can't bear them!
~

So it was back to work and normality. I have an appointment with the midwife at 16 weeks at the Dr's, then a 20 week scan on the 27th November, then more bloods at 28 weeks. It makes it all seem nearer somehow pacing things out like that!
~

Still not thought about much else practical. Although I am now feeling more sorted in myself. I think I just needed the 12 week confirmation and I can look to the future a bit more now.

"Well Done"

This is what a lot of people are saying to us at the moment. It's an odd thing to say really, I think congratulations is more appropriate!! It seems that 'well done' is sort of saying, well done on managing the whole consummating thing, or well done on bits all being in working order, or well done on nature doing it's thing!

Hmm, anyway, even my Dad keeps saying 'well done' on seeing me! He patted my bump and said well done this morning. I had a few bump pats. It's getting more obvious.

Scan on Thursday. It's nice to think I can check everything's ok there. We're going to have a nuchal scan as well, which will give a risk of down's syndrome, and I have to have my bloods taken. Bloods, plural! Eek.

Roll on Thursday.

MMMmm.....milk

I'm really loving milk at the moment. I bought a pint from the student shop, and am just drinking it like it were water.

It's weird to think I may start producing my own soon. Mooo.

Hm, I still say 'may' and 'maybe' rather than will. I will be more positive after the 13 week scan.