Two weeks ago my sister & mom threw us an amazing Gender Reveal Party. The theme was Lures or Lace. They did such an amazing job & the decorations were so cute! We were able to have it at our apartment club house & were blessed that so many friends & family came to celebrate with us. It’s so fun to celebrate!

Link to our Gender Reveal video

It’s a …

GIRL! We were both totally shocked & thrilled! We’ve watched the video so many times & smile every time. We’re thanking God for healthy baby girl & can not wait to meet her!

 

Friday marks 21 weeks & our reveal party! We can’t believe it’s already time to find out what we’re having. These weeks have been flying by! Honestly, its mind blowing that we’re already this far along. Starting to feel the pressure to get more stuff prepped.

Week 15

Week 16

Week 17

Week 18

Week 19

Week 20

How far along:
20 weeks. Half way mark!

Baby’s size:
Baby is the size of a Banana, about 6.5 inches and weighs about 10.2 ounces.

Weight Gain/Bump Status:
I’m up about 8 pounds. The bump is officially there! It totally popped out after the 4th of July (18 weeks). Felt like I went from wearing regular pants one day to not being able to button them the next!

Gender:
Gender reveal party is this Friday! We can’t wait for the anatomy scan to take a peak at our little kitty & then celebrate with our family & friends. The theme is Lures or Lace. So perfect for us!

I still have no indication wether it’s a boy or girl. Neither does Alvaro. We’re gonna just be so happy either way!

Movement:
I started feeling movement about a week ago but am pretty sure the first time I was sure it was the baby was the 13th. I texted my mom & sister to describe what it felt like and the confirmed it was probably the baby! Then on Sunday (7/16) Alvaro had his head on my tummy listening to the baby & he felt it move/kick!! We’d both lay super still then as soon as we felt it move we’d look at each other & ask if the other felt it!! Crazy how exciting that was fun to experience together. Also nice to know that the feeling wasn’t just in my head. 🙂

Food Cravings/Aversions:
Haven’t been really craving anything. But eating lots of blueberries & cherries. Love all the fresh fruit that’s in season & we’re going to keep picking them up from the Saturday market. Alvaro also made the most amazing guacamole last weekend. I’m going to convince him to make some every week! 🙂

Workouts:
My workouts have been a little sporadic during the week. I was housesitting for my parents for 2 weeks so that threw my routine off a little but I’m working to get back on track. I’ve been so tired lately but want to get back to walking during lunch. Thankfully Alvaro & I have been running Saturday and Sunday for the last couple weekends at Bush Park. I’ve also started going to yoga once a week at the Y. Feels so good to stretch. I definitely feel a difference the following day.

Maternity clothes:
I’m wearing full on maternity clothes now. I think this really changed around the 4th of July. I can still fit into a few tops or jeans but the bump is pretty big!

Symptoms:
Feeling pretty good! The sides of my belly have been getting a little sore. Feel like a pulled muscle which I’m sure is what’s happening! But it’s not too bad & usually feels better in a few hours.

End of June & first week in July I was feeling pretty emotional. There was some other stuff that I think was impacting that as well. Luckily we received some good news & that seems to help with the emotions as well.

Reading:
I’m doing terrible at my reading and am still reading Eat, Play, Sleep: The Essential Guide to Your Baby’s First Three Months by Luiza DeSouzza   . I really need to sit down & just finish it. I have a few others on my list to read & I’m gonna run out of time at this rate!

Best moments:
I think the most memorable moments for us are the firsts. First time we felt the baby move, first time we heard the heartbeat, and first time my bump really started showing

We’re so excited for our reveal, to see our baby on the ultrasound, and to find out if baby kitty is a boy or girl!

– Cathy

Friday marked 14 weeks pregnant & the beginning of my 2^nd trimester. Feels like it’s been forever but also gone by really slow. I know our little one will be here before we know it & we can’t wait. Since this is my first update I’m including some bump update pics (really no bump yet) for the last few weeks & a stats update.

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14

How far along:
14 weeks! Really crazy to think that we’re a third of the way done already. It didn’t really feel ‘real’ until we told our families after the 8-week ultrasound and saw the heartbeat.

Baby’s size:
Baby is the size of a lemon, about 3.5 inches. Last week it was the size of a jalapeno. Maybe that’s why I’ve been craving tacos & guacamole so much 😉

Weight Gain/Bump Status:
My weight has been fluctuating a little, but I’m up about 3 pounds. No real bump yet. However, I feel like my stomach is a little larger than normal. I’m not sure if I’m bloated, lost some stomach muscle, or what is going on but I’m hoping that goes down a little once the bump pops.

Gender:
We should find out the gender mid-July. I haven’t really had any ‘feelings’ one way or the other, but a couple weeks ago I dreamt that Alvaro was holding & playing with our little baby girl. Can’t wait to see if that was foreshadowing the gender! My sister is planning to throw us a gender reveal party. It’s going to be so much fun to celebrate with friends and family.

Movement:
Nothing yet.

Food Cravings/Aversions:
Most aversions have subsided over the last few weeks. Thank goodness! For a while scrambled eggs & chicken were not appetizing to me at all which is strange cause I usually eat them nearly every day. The smell of coffee still bothers me though, another thing I LOVED pre-pregnancy. Nothing crazy on the cravings end yet. A few weeks back I was craving a lot of red meat. Burgers, tacos, spaghetti, etc. That has gone back to normal, especially with the aversion for chicken pretty much disappearing. However, I’m always up for a burger! Also I’ve been craving a sweet treat every couple days, but I think that has more to do with my sweet tooth. 🙂

Workouts:
For the most part workouts have been going pretty good. Especially with the nicer weather I’ve been able to go on a nice long walk on my lunch breaks & Alvaro and I are running in the park a few nights a week. My goal is to do 3-4 workouts each week. My next goal is to also add in some yoga 1-2x a week. I feel like my body could really use the stretching and help prepare it for delivery.

Maternity clothes:
My sister & good friend gave me tons of maternity clothes. Two huge totes! I’m so grateful for them willing to bless me with that & I likely won’t have to buy too much. Maybe a few nice pieces for work but I’m hoping I can mostly use the pieces they gave me. Since I haven’t really ‘popped’ yet I haven’t been wearing much maternity clothes. I’ve worn a couple tops & jeans for one day. The tops fit okay, but the jeans were too big & didn’t stay up well throughout the day. I think I need a belly to help them stay up! However, I’m sure I’ll be there soon enough.

Symptoms:
I’d say over the last week & a half my morning sickness symptoms have all pretty much subsided. I haven’t thrown up in a couple weeks (the last time was due to swallowing a vitamin wrong). I wasn’t sick every morning, but often felt sick and made getting ready in the morning a slower process. I’m glad that part seems to have passed for the time being. My energy level is also now back up to normal. I’ve been trying to be more aware of what time I’m going to bed & taking little power naps after week if necessary. That seems to be making a difference. Speaking of bed, I’ve been having some strange dreams! Nothing real scary or bad, just really strange and have them nearly night. That never happened prior to pregnancy! I’ve also had a few emotional days, but those phases typically only last a couple hours.

Reading:
I’ve been reading Eat, Play, Sleep: The Essential Guide to Your Baby’s First Three Months by Luiza DeSouzza and I’m really enjoying it. I feel like it has a lot of just simple practical advice for a first time/new parent. What supplies needed, how to diaper a baby, breastfeeding tips, etc. I’m about a 3^rd of the way through & look forward to the rest of it.

Best moments from trimester:
A few major ones stand out. Telling Alvaro about the baby & the look of complete shock and excitement on his face. Hearing the baby’s heartbeat for the first time. Telling our families. Also telling our extended friends & family. The love & excitement from everyone in our lives is amazing. We have so many great people excited with us.

Alvaro & I are just so thrilled and feel so blessed to be starting this next adventure of our lives. We can not wait to meet our little one!

– Cathy