P2 - 11 weeks

We finally told Jase the big news a couple weeks ago.  It was getting harder and harder to keep it from him because his sitter's daughter is pregnant and he constantly comes home saying things like, "I wish we could have a baby" and "when are you going to have a baby in your belly, mom?"  After he spent a weekend at my mom's while I was out of town for a bachelorette party, we decided to tell him that night at dinner and it went something like this...

Me:  Do you think we should have a baby at our house?
Jase:  Yes
Me:  Well, guess what?  Mommy has a baby in her belly!
Jase:  (looks under the table) Let me see!
- I stand up and show him my belly - Kiel & I are laughing
-He looks at me a little baffled for a minute so I sit down while Kiel is still talking to him
-He silently gets down from his chair, crawls up in my lap, gives me the biggest squeeze, smiles and says,

"I love you, mom" 

 -In true hormonal, pregnant fashion, I cry.  I am still kicking myself for not recording him.

When he gets mad, he lashes out and usually says things like, "I don't like your truck, dad" or "You're not my best friend," but recently, on occasion, he's added, "I don't like that baby" to this list of insults.  For now, it's kind of funny.  We will revisit this in about 7 months.

Jase has started talking to the baby which absolutely melts my heart.  The other day he walked up behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist and asked, "How's that baby doing in there?"  He will get really close to my belly and say, "Hi baby!  This is your big brother!  Keep growing in there!"  When he refers to the baby he usually uses the pronoun "she" but I'm pretty sure that's only because all the babies at daycare are girls, but he has said a few times that he hopes the baby is a girl.  Considering how gender specific he is when it comes to, well....everything...this is quite shocking to me.  The other night he was telling me all about all the things he's going to teach "our baby."  How to go potty, how to eat, how to brush teeth, how to dance and play with his toys that he's going to, "Share with his baby sister."  I reminded him the baby might be a boy to which he replied, "I will share my toys with a boy too, but our baby is a girl."  Ok!  Noted!

I was just starting to really appreciate Jase being a little older while we're embarking on this new journey so he can really be a part of it when he asked the dreaded question, "How's our baby going to get out of your belly?"  For now, "the dr helps the baby out" pacified him.  Sooooo not ready for this conversation. 
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On to baby news:

We had our 2nd appointment with Dr. Dalton on Tuesday, April 5th and it was just as exciting seeing this little one on the screen as it was with Jase.... 

Dr. Dalton says everything looks great and baby is measuring just shy of 11 weeks (10 weeks & 4 days), but the difference isn't big enough to change our due date so still shooting for the end of October.  We got to see baby waving and kicking at us...even got to see a little ear.

We will be finding out the gender, but that appointment won't be until 19 weeks so we should have awhile to wait for that.  After Dr. Dalton confirmed we want to know the sex, she asked if we wanted to know her prediction.  We were both pretty surprised that she could even tell at this point, but when our little one flipped over, it didn't take a doctor to tell us that we were looking at another penis.  As we have come to learn with Jase, modesty is pretty much out the window with us LOL!!!!!!!!!!!  She advised against painting any rooms blue because what we were looking at could be the umbilical cord and she cannot officially confirm for about 2 more months, BUT I will not be one bit surprised if that penis stays a penis.  Hopefully by then, Jase will have come to terms with the possibility of having a brother.

When we showed him the sonogram pictures and told him that was our baby, he turned into an adult right before my eyes.  He was in awe of how cute "she" is and "she looks like a little tiny peanut in this bottom picture, mom!"  I always tell him I'm going to "get his sugar" like my Grandma Russell did to us so he said, "Maybe our baby peanut will be salty and we can get her salt!!!"  CRACK ME UP!  I almost cried again.  I told him we saw the baby waving at us so he started waving at my belly and talking to the baby.  When will I learn to record these things?

I'm still feeling pretty normal for 11 weeks in.  I'm not nearly as tired as I was just a few weeks ago and I think I've been sleeping better lately, but I'm still eating constantly.  Just like with Jase, when I'm hungry it means I needed to eat something about 20 minutes ago.  It will just hit me like a brick wall and I instantly feel weak, white as a ghost and my extremities get really heavy.  I get nauseous and a little shaky, but as long as I eat something (I do not leave home without granola bars), I'm ok about 20 minutes later.  I've got all of my maternity clothes washed and hanging in the closet ready to wear, but I'm in a very awkward stage where my regular clothes are too snug but maternity clothes are still too big/stretched out from last time.  So I'm carrying hair ties around for my jeans and wearing loose shirts, which are few and far between.  I leave for Florida tonight for Nicole & Kyle's wedding - I am lucky enough to be a bridesmaid - and I've packed only comfortable maxi dresses.  Really looking forward to the warm weather...a break from this wind and cold will be very welcome come tomorrow!  Kiel and Jase are having a "guys weekend, party time, excellent" (think Wayne's world noises after all of that) as Jase was saying this morning - I already miss them terribly.

Our next appointment is schedule for 15weeks, May 3rd.  I'm slacking on the belly pics, but will try to be better about them going forward.  Until then...

Your Baby is as Big as a Lime

• You can't see it, but baby's moving fluidly and gracefully in there.
• Baby's skin is see-through, but is on his or her way to looking more like a baby.
• Baby's fingers and toes aren't webbed anymore.
• Tooth buds, hair follicles and nail beds are forming.

Your fetus is about 1.6 inches long, and she's got about a 1:1 head to body ratio. Baby now weighs in at about .25 ounces.

Around 11 weeks, you’ll probably notice some subtle changes, like an increase in vaginal discharge and a dark, vertical line appearing down the center of your belly (known as the linea nigra). It’s probably tough to feel calm right now, since your hormones are still haywire and you may still be feeling pretty nauseated. But know there’s light at the end of the tunnel—just two more weeks left in trimester one! Week 11 is a great time to start planning a babymoon: a romantic getaway with your partner. Just about everyone recommends you do this in the second trimester, since that’s when you’ll likely feel most energized (and we doubt you’ll want to do a lot of traveling once you hit trimester three). A babymoon isn’t just a cool way to celebrate your anticipation for baby’s arrival; it’s a great way to bond with your partner before baby starts taking up a ton of your time and attention. Hey, maybe you’ll also get to relax a little! So take your mind off your queasiness and start scouting some babymoon destinations. And if you need another diversion, imagine your growing baby, doing just fine in there, becoming more and more mature every day.

Pregnancy Symptoms at 11 Weeks

• Fatigue and nausea. Don't worry, you should start to feel more like yourself soon.
• Gas (like farting and burping—oof!) Are you getting used to it?
• Mood swings. Try some mind/body exercises, like yoga, to help you feel more Zen.
• Leg cramps, which can strike at night and interfere with your sleep.
• A dark line may have started to appear on your belly. It's called the linea nigra and it's totally normal during pregnancy.

-Nicole