Pregnancy and Gender Wives Tales

Tomorrow is the big day!

Pending the baby cooperates, we will know if we are having a Mini Ashley or a Mini Justin.

Note: I got this picture off Google.
This is NOT my belly.

I did some research on gender prediction wives tales and here is what I found:

How Low Can You Go

This one you can do just by looking south: if you're carrying high, break out the pink. If your bump is low, you're carrying a boy.

People say I am carrying high: Girl wins.

Be Still My Beating Heart

Next time your OB pulls out the Doppler to listen to baby's heartbeat, ask her to tell you what the heart rate is. According to legend, 140+ beats per minute indicates a girl, and below 140 a boy.

The baby’s heart beat was 138 bpm at our last doctor appointment: Boy wins.

Salty vs. Sweet

Craving ice cream every single day? Some people believe this means it's a girl. If you have to have salty or sour stuff, then it's a boy.

This is tough – because I crave BOTH sweet and salty. I’ve been eating more sweets than normal, but my biggest cravings have been more salty and sour so: Boy wins.

Chinese Birth Chart

This ancient method uses your age at conception and the month you did the deed to determine gender.
I did the test and: Girl wins.

Potty Time

This one's a little out there. Pee in a cup (you've been doing it at all your prenatal appointments anyway, haven't you?), mix a tablespoon of Drano in, and watch to see if it changes color. Green = girl, and blue = boy.

I am absolutely not doing this…no one wins.

Even and Odd

Legend has it that the Mayans determined a baby's sex by looking at the mother's age at conception and the year of conception. If both are even or odd, it's a girl. If one's even and one's odd, it's a boy.

Considering how the Myans were wrong about the world ending…I’ll bet they are wrong about my baby’s gender, but since I am 26 and we conceived in the year 2012: Girl wins.

Unlocking the Mystery

This is one for a friend to try. Place a key in front of your preggo friend and ask her to pick it up. If she grabs it by the narrow part, she's in for sugar and spice and all that. If she picks it up by the round part, it's snips and snails.

I didn’t try this test yet! Maybe I’ll have Justin do this tonight!

Spot On

If you're breaking out like crazy, blame it on your girl babe. The belief goes that girls steal their mother's beauty, hence, those annoying zits.

I haven’t been breaking out that much…so: Boy wins.

Nice Ring to It

Pop off your wedding ring -- if you still can! -- and tie it to a string. Hang it over your belly. If it swings in a circle, a little guy's in your future. If it goes back and forth, you've got a girl.

We didn’t try this trick yet either! Maybe tonight we will experiment and I’ll update the blog post accordingly!

Queasy Does It

Sick as a dog during the first trimester -- or still? Signs indicate you're having a girl. Little or no morning sickness points to a boy.

I have ZERO morning sickness: Boy wins.

Boy = 4
Girl = 3

Looks like boy is the front runner!

What do you think!?

Is Baby Sieb a boy or a girl?

Much love,
Ashley

PS: Gender prediction information was taken directly from this site.

Baby Blowouts

My lovely friends are giving us their gently used jumper for Baby Sieb.

"Listen," Scott said. "I wouldn't take a used jumper from anyone. And I definitely wouldn't buy one from Goodwill. But our son broke the first one because was too big, so we got a new one recently; it's barely used. So there is no puke, puke, pee, or stains on it."

Obviously, this lead to the discussion of baby blowouts.

"Can you imagine if I am holding my baby and it get poops all over me?!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IMAGINE?!" Scott and Chad asked at the same time.

"Oh, that will absolutely happen to you," Chad added. "More than once probably."

The stories kept rolling and everyone kept laughing.

"But despite everything, everything is worth it, right?" I asked.

They both smiled and nodded their head "yes."

"Definitely," Chad said. "I wouldn't have more than one if I thought differently."

So while getting pooped and puked on is in my near future, I am still stupidly excited.

I can't wait to meet this little nugget that's growing in my belly!

Baby Sieb looking like a Teddy Graham at 10 weeks!
Next week, (s)he will be SO much bigger!!!

In the meantime, do you have any hilarious baby blowout stories to share?

Much love,
Ashley 

What If?

When I first found out I was pregnant, I promised myself that I wouldn't Google any of the following:

• What can go wrong with pregnancy?
• What are all of the birth defect out there?
• How can people die giving birth?
• What causes a still birth?

NOT that I don't want to be educated about these topics ....because these are all possibilities.

No pregnancy is the same.

No birthing process is the same. 

No baby is the same.

However, I didn't want to obsess over the negative.

And most importantly, I didn't want to play the "What If?" game my entire pregnancy.

I'd be lying if I said those thoughts don't cross my mind.

And sometimes I do get caught up in playing that dangerous game.

But I know that everything happens for a reason.

God has a master plan.

Last month, we had to decide if we wanted to do additional testing to help determine if Baby Sieb has certain birth defects.

These tests aren't covered by our insurance.

And they're very costly.

Not to mention, even if the tests come back to reveal Baby Sieb has a certain birth defect or Down Syndrome...there isn't much they can do....

And guess what?

We will love our little one no matter how he or she enters this world.

So we opted out of the tests.

Obviously this doesn't help battling with the "What If?" mind game - because those questions are still out there.

However, I've decided to focus on other aspects of my pregnancy journey...

I've spent my time writing and reading books that provide the education I need to fill those "What If?" gaps without obsessing over anything.

At our 20 week ultrasound on April 17th, we will find out the gender of our baby + they can tell us more about our baby's development.

We're obviously praying for a healthy and happy baby.

That's our only wish.

But, what if something is wrong?

What if....

Well- then that's just part of the journey.

In the meantime, I'm just going to cruise with the windows down.

And enjoy the sunshine and bliss that pregnancy brings into our lives each day. 

Much love,
Ashley

Body Glide Isn't Just for Runners

Did I just put on Body Glide to walk around the house in my nightie?

Yes.

Yes I did.

And I feel so much better.

Much love,
Ashley

What You've Missed

As you know, I've been in hibernation this winter.

Otherwise known as growing a baby.

Enough though I promised to blog more (and even write in my personal journal), sleeping always took priority over writing.

But, I'm slowly coming "back to normal."

My energy levels are higher today than the past two months combined.

So, what have you missed?

My biggest cravings are lemonade (freshly squeezed with lemon chunks floating around = the best).

I can't stop eating cereal and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches- both of which I rarely ate pre-pregnancy. 

My obsession with Pretty Little Liars has been replaced with Gossip Girl, which is definitely more trashy (I can't help myself).

Bandit never leaves my side (well that's not new, is it?).

I officially have six small stretch marks forming (SOMEONE HELP and say you have a secret cream that makes them disappear!?).

As of Friday, March 22 - I am embracing maternity pants. Having my zipper (from my 100% unbuttoned pants) jab into my stomach all day was a painful experience.

Justin and I have decided on a theme for the nursery if we have a girl! BUT we can't seem to decide / agree for a boy....this probably means we are having a boy.

My bump is busting out for the world to see. And this LBD (little black dress) shows it all!

Bump magic.

I have a full marathon relay coming up on April 20. And I haven't ran more than 3 miles since November. Everything will be fine, right guys? I have time to train still...right? Good thing my leg is only 4.2 miles!

I decided to write a book and have my outline and chapters developed. More information coming soon!

Work is keeping me busy (very busy), but I'm thankful that we still make work fun.

Flexing our Source-a-Saurus mascots.

My heart melts when Justin lays his head on my stomach and talks to Baby Sieb.

I can't wait until April 17th (the day we find out if we are having a boy or girl)!!! But I'm trying not to get overly excited because Baby Sieb could decide to be stubborn and not let us get a good view for the gender confirmation.

My ring is getting a little tight- so I'll be rocking a fake ring here in the next few months. Any suggestions on beautiful (fake) diamonds that don't turn your fingers green?

I had a pumpkin pie fro yo on Wednesday and pumpkin spice latte on Thursday.  I was immediately reminded that pumpkin flavors should be available year round.

The dividers at Orange Leaf are brilliant!

Pregnancy travel plans mapped out for the year include Washington D.C. to see The Campbells and a long-weekend trip to Las Vegas for Rodger and Lisa's 50th birthdays.

The Vera Bradley outlet sale is coming up in a few weeks and my excitement can't be summarized in a single sentence or two.

Alright, time to get back to my Gossip Girl marathon.

Much love,
Ashley

April 17- Save the Date!

Well, the number on the scale isn't terrible. I didn't get a definite view (because I'm so tall and the digital scale is too low).

I'm in the 240s...my first appointment I was 238.

So first trimester weigh in is less than 10 lbs gained! I'll take it!!! My doctor and I are hoping that I gain between 25-30 lbs.

Anyway, enough about weight. I'm not stressing about that darn scale. I'm growing a baby and that's amazing.

The doctor walked in and she busted me eating a banana.

"Hey, it could be a lot worse," she said. "Now, if it was a candy bar...I might be giving you a different lecture. But a banana- that's just fine!"

I'm jumping ahead here...BUT I wanted mac and cheese so desperately bad after my appointment.... and guess what? I passed it up for a fresh salad. Bam.

Anyway, Baby Sieb kept wiggling and moving and dancing while she was trying to find the heart beat....

She kept smiling while she was searching. They probably teach doctors that in Med School....

It's the same concept as parenting...if you act scared, your child will act scared and become afraid too!

Soooo one of us had to stay positive.

"Baby is playing tricks on us today," she said.

"Oh, did you hear that?!" she asked. "That was Baby moving!"

After Baby Sieb had a solo dance party in the womb that seemed to last four hours (okay maybe 2 minutes), we finally found the heart beat!

138 beats per minute!

Perfectly normal.

And she said my belly was growing and measuring with what it should too!

Finally, she scheduled my ultrasound (the big gender reveal ultrasound) for April 17th! That's a Wednesday. In case you want even MORE details, my appointment is at 10 am.

Someone (and by someone - I mean Justin) needs to hide my phone so I don't instantly share online with you guys the gender of our baby!

I want to surprise you guys some how.....

Hmmm, I am sure I'll come up with something creative :)

PS Don't forget to take the gender poll on my blog! So far, the majority of you think Baby Sieb is a girl!

What do we want to have?

A healthy, happy baby!

That's our only request. 

Much love,
Ashley

Smiles, Flutters, Breakdowns, and Celebrations

No, I didn't give up blogging for lent.

Sorry if I had you worried.

Life has been flying by (mostly in a good way). On Thursday, I left work early and headed to Decatur for a date night with my sister.

I had a chance to hug and kiss on my nephews and visit with my mom before we left for our big date.

Aunt Ashley kisses don't creep my nephews out yet.

Our date started at FlatTop Grill (basically build your own stir fry = amazing).  We had a lot of laughs and shared a lot of smiles.

And honestly, I needed it more than anything...

My beautiful sister and me before running to the concert!

Then we headed to the Luke Bryan concert! I was so happy and thankful Sarah brought me along (she received the tickets as a Christmas present). She is madly in LOVE with Luke Bryan and after Thursday night, I'm joining the Luke Bryan fan club. I mean seriously- his moves, his smile, and his voice...obsessed.

I was standing up and dancing to one of Luke's songs (I REALLY wish I could remember which one it was, but I was battling hard to stay awake at the same time) when I felt something magical.

I felt Baby Sieb flutter!!!!!

It wasn't like a fart bubble.

And it didn't feel like my stomach was growling from hunger.

The feeling was comparable to butterflies in my stomach (but not like the kind you get when you're nervous).

Baby Butterflies!

At that moment, I confirmed my suspicious that Baby Sieb is a girl.

And she too has a crush on Luke Bryan.

Disclaimer: I'll be happy if we have a baby boy, but I'm just basing my guess off the fact that the baby has a high heart beat and I've had zero morning sickness. When my mom was pregnant with all of the girls, she wasn't that sick. When she got pregnant with my brother, she was sick constantly. AND my sister has two boys and she was really sick when she was pregnant with them!

Gotta Get Down on Friday

I spent Friday morning eating pizza for breakfast with my nephew and telling stories. His imagination and ability to tell stories on the fly amazes me. He will definitely be a writer one day. I have no doubts. And I refuse to let him waste that creative mind!

We had lunch at Pizza Hut. And by "had lunch at Pizza Hut" I mean I dunked absolutely everything I ate in Pizza Hut's ranch dressing ....the best EVER! Can I get an Amen!?

Friday night we had dinner with Justin's high school friend, Jason, who surprised us by paying for dinner (so sweet!). His parents also came along...Rodger (Justin's Dad) and I made plans to do a 5K together!

"Well, I'm going to be 5 months pregnant then," I said. "So I'll probably be really slow!"

"Why do you think I'm budding up with you!?" He replied back laughing.

Fair point. Our goal is to finish in under 45 minutes, which is perfectly reasonable! I'm excited!

Breakdowns and Celebrations

On Saturday afternoon, I had yet another breakdown about my appearance.

I know, I know- I'm pregnant.

I'm growing a baby.

And I just wrote a blog post about how SILLY I am to stress about weight when I am growing a mini me or mini Justin, which is absolutely incredible!

But, it's just hard.

I'm getting back fat.

My hips just keep getting wider.

And I just have a gut.

There isn't a defined, beautiful baby bump yet. Although, I was teased with this "bump in the making" on Saturday morning:

Seriously, it's mainly the shirt + baby bloating that gives the bump illusion.
But any sign of a bump makes me happy.
So I'll take it.

I guess I just always thought my bump would appear earlier...and that everyone could just tell I was pregnant.

Instead, I'm just getting chubby.

And no one knows. 

So anyway, I went to Kohl's and quickly realized I am officially out of my original size. 

The arms are tight in clothes.

I need bigger bras or else I have back fat rolling out like Fifty Cent at Da Club.

I had pretty much given up on finding cute shirts or dresses.

And the mere sight of swimsuits brought tears to my eyes...

Then, before my very eyes, I found a maternity section!! I found an awesome t-shirt (that hides the unflattering parts of my body) and a dress / nightie for myself + a onesie for Baby Sieb.

Double win!

I wondered over to the workout area. And found myself wishing I was training for a half marathon. I tried to run the other day and I officially can't run half a mile without stopping + nearly having a heart attack. I've lost my running mojo....

Justin creeped up behind me and tried to goose me (aka grab my butt). However, it didn't work because I have a Justin-dar and quickly turned around to see him creeping toward me.

He instantly knew something was wrong.

"Baby, what's going on?" Justin asked.

"I'm just so discouraged," I said. "Nothing fits. And I'm getting so fat!"

"Nooooo!" Justin said back quickly. "We don't use that word, remember! You're getting cute."
 
He wrapped his arms around me. I was still facing away from him.

"Babe, this is just the beginning," Justin said. "You're going to be a lot cuter soon. I mean REALLY cute."

Despite my frustrations and emotions, I realized I'm super lucky to have such a loving and supportive husband.

My history with my weight and eating disorders is the source of my emotions right now. And I need to remind myself that I wanted this pregnancy more than anything.

I want to be a mom.

I want to be a healthy mom.

And acting, thinking, and feeling so hopeless about my weight is not healthy.

So, I'm a work in progress.

Everyone is, right?

My breakdown quickly escaped my mind after we attended a gender reveal party for one of Justin's close friends from high school.

They didn't know what they were having until the firework show (when everyone else found out as well).

It's a girl!
Congrats Mandee and John!

 I had a blast (and yes, I obviously want to have a gender reveal party now).

Justin isn't so convinced about having the party / not finding out on the spot!

"Ashley, we give each over our Christmas gifts at like...Thanksgiving! Do you really think we will wait and not find out until everyone else does?" He challenged me.

"YES- I think we can wait!" I replied back confidently. "Heck, we've waited long enough as is.."

"Well fine, let's just not find out until birth then," He said back, with a snarky tone. "I can do that."

"Get real, Sieb" I said.

Seriously, how perfect is this idea!?

Wear your guess!

 So, the debate for the gender reveal party continues.

In the meantime, take the gender poll on my blog + email (harass) Justin about all of your brilliant ideas for our gender reveal party! ;)

Much love,
Ashley

Mini Mordern Marketer

When I got back from lunch, I had a package on my desk from Eloqua.

We use Eloqua as our Marketing Automation Software.

And I'm obsessed with anything marketing / technology / social media / email marketing related ....everyone always jokes I have a crush on Eloqua.

For the longest time, I think they were worried I was going to quit my job, move to West Virginia, and start working for Eloqua.

Today, I received this ADORABLE onesie from Eloqua.

When I first saw this picture, I thought I looked like Quail-Man from Doug (TV show on Nickelodeon anyone?).

What a sweet gift!

Much love,
Ashley

Club Fetus

There was a party today at Club Fetus, but only Baby Sieb was invited!

Seriously, we saw our little Nemo dancing!

Okay, maybe Baby Sieb was just super pumped about having arms and legs instead of nubs.

But there we were, waiting for the ultrasound tech to say something about our baby's developments or my cysts, and then Baby Sieb started wiggling like crazy!!

I honestly wish I could have recorded it.

I mean really, have you ever seen a 10 week old fetus dancing?

Our little one gets it honest.

The heart beat was 158 beats per minute.

And the best news!?

Your prayers and good vibrations paid off....

BYE, BYE, CYSTS!!

Nearly all of the cysts are gone in my left ovary! And the cysts in the right ovary are shrinking dramatically. The doctor said I have nothing to worry about and they should be gone in the next few weeks as my hormones start to "level out."

The ultrasound tech did a few 3D ultrasound images. She warned me it might look a little creepy, but we all agreed it was VERY cool! 

The lights in the club must be too bright.
Baby Sieb rubbing his / her eyes.

Baby Sieb throwing his / her arms in the air + wiggling the booty.

Our little Nemo is growing and healthy as can be for 10 weeks!

After the ultrasound, Justin left. And I was back in the lobby waiting for my next appointment. I had to get my pap done.

So, you know I was looking forward to that (sarcasm). I had to put on that uncomfortable gown. The gown must be opened in the front so my boobs and belly keep flopping out every five seconds. And then I would frantically cover up as if someone was in the room with me....

This went on for about 45 minutes. 

After nearly an hour "patiently" waiting, I got so frustrated that I chucked my phone across the room on my bag.

As if that did any good...I felt like a jackass, but I'll blame the hormones for my pregnancy rage. I walked over, well more like waddled over, and tried not to overexpose myself to "said ghost of room 8" ...and then I put the phone back in my purse.

Just then, the doctor walked in and said he had an emergency surgery that afternoon. He apologized that no one told me he was running behind. I felt like he read my mind. OR there is a patient video camera rolling for the front desk ladies to review at all times, which would mean they saw my dramatic episode.

To ease my mind, they could have simply said, "Ashley, the doctor is running behind today by nearly an hour. Go ahead and order a pizza while you're waiting. The place next door will deliver and they have the best ranch dressing ever."

That, of course, is what happens in my fantasy world...where you can eat pizza for every meal and everyone has perfected the ranch dressing like Decatur Pizza Hut and Scotty's Brewhouse.

But, I love my doctor and he made me feel SUPER comfortable during the exam, which as many of you know, can be awkward and uncomfortable. 

"Everything looks great!" Dr. Jim said. "And your cysts are shrinking on their own, so that's wonderful. In just a few weeks, you'll be back here telling me that you feel like your normal self again. I promise you'll get your energy back soon, kiddo! Oh, and Pepper (that's the nurse who I love) told me a good story about you and your husband the other day!"

"Oh, she did?" I laughed, wondering which story she could have picked.

"Yeah," he said. "The story about how you two met- I love it. That's priceless."

"Ahhh," I said. "Yes- good ol' beer pong! Last Valentine's Day, I reenacted the night we first met! I set-up a beer pong table. At first I couldn't find ping pong balls so I thought about playing with small red potatoes!"

We both laughed.

"Well, it sounds like you have marriage figured out," Dr. Jim said. "It's about having fun together. And keeping the love alive."

When I get home from the doctor, I was starving. I went straight for the fridge and got some cottage cheese. I looked up and Justin was starring at me with a big smile on his face.

"What?!" I said. "Are you juding a pregnant woman for eating? Because you probably shouldn't!"

"No," he said, still smiling. "I just love you. I was starring at you and smiling before you even put that potato chips in your cottage cheese."

I shoved a chip in my mouth and said, "Well, I love you, too!"

Maybe we don't have marriage completely figured out. 

But Justin and I do have fun.

And we do everything in our power to keep the love alive- even when one of us is snarky and snacking on cottage cheese and sour cream and cheddar chips. 

Don't judge until you try it. 

Much love,
Ashley

The Positive Aspect of High Risk

Don't Google image search for anything I'm about to tell you.

I made that mistake and I'm scarred for life.

Just take my descriptions + non-artistic drawing and go on with your night. Or else you will think I have baby aliens growing inside of me too...

Anyway, if you do decide to Goolge ovarian cysts, you are NOT allowed to say I didn't warn you.

When Justin and I went in for ultrasound number one, it was not what I expected. This is my first lesson in parenting: few things go as planned. Therefore, patience is virtue.

I wasn't sure how far along I was...but because my last period was in November and there was a CHANCE I could be 8 weeks, so they scheduled my first appointment anyway.

I remember sitting in the ultrasound room with Justin and I had the nervous shakes.

I was cold.

I didn't know what to expect.

My cramps were awful.

I'm not saying I am super woman, but I do think I have a pretty strong pain tolerance.

But these cramps...well...they brought tears to my eyes.

I remember climbing into the shower one night after a long day at work and I just started crying.

"If this is what pregnancy is like, I am doomed," I said to myself.

The pain was so bad that my only way to eliminate my pain was to sleep (and you guys know I haven't had a problem doing that lately).

Anyway, back in the ultrasound room the tech lubed up the vaginal ultrasound machine (which ironically had a condom on it).

At first, she went to my ovaries...but I didn't know that's what she was doing.

I just saw giant circles...and I looked at Justin with a confused look on my face.

"Oh my," she said. "Well, no wonder you've had a lot of cramping. You've got quiet a few cysts filled with fluid."

Cysts?

Fluid?

But where is my baby!!!

Don't I have a baby in there!?!

What the hell am I looking at?!

I remember seeing at least three large black circles and a few smaller ones.

"So, what does that mean?" I finally asked.

"Well, it looks like you're filled with ovarian cysts," she said. "And they're pretty large."

She kept taking pictures of each cysts.

Measuring each one.

"Like, how large?" I asked.

"Well, they are about double in the normal size," she said.

"You see that little follicle here," she said before I could ask about the normal size. "Well, that's normal. And as you can see, this one is a lot smaller than the other ones."

My stomach felt sick.

I still didn't know what this meant for the baby, who apparently is snuggle buddies with my giant cysts.

By now, you want a stronger definition of an ovarian cysts, don't you? Well here you go:

"An ovarian cyst is any collection of fluid, surrounded by a very thin wall, within an ovary. Any ovarian follicle that is larger than about two centimeters is termed an ovarian cyst. Such cysts range in size from as small as a pea to larger than an orange." 

Once an ovarian cysts reaches more than five cenitmeters, they recommend surgery.

Why?

Well, the cysts gets too large...it will collapse my ovary. As a result, I will collapse because it will cut off my blood supply.

Scary stuff, right?

Here is the image I drew to spare you the painful Google searches.

I'm a writer- not an artist, people.

Now at this point, I know you are tempted to leave my blog and Google symptoms. Because I'm a mind reader (you're welcome)- I know this about you...so I've provided a list of symptoms below. In case you are wondering, they sound exactly like pregnancy, your period, AIDS, or cancer:

• Dull aching, or severe, sudden, and sharp pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen (YES)
• Fullness, heaviness, pressure, swelling, or bloating in the abdomen (Double yes)
• Breast tenderness (But isn't this because I'm pregnant!?)
• Pain during or shortly after beginning or end of menstrual period (Always)
• Irregular periods, abnormal uterine bleeding, or spotting (You got it!)
• Change in frequency or ease of urination (Consider me the VP of Frequenter Pee Club)
• Weight gain (STORY OF MY LIFE)
• Nausea or vomiting (meh- not so much!)
• Fatigue (Sorry, I almost feel asleep while typing, what symptom are we on again?)
• Infertility (Sounds familiar...we were one month shy of fertility medicine)
• Increased level of hair growth (On my head?)
• Increased facial hair or body hair (Well let's hope I don't have a mustache growing...)
• Headaches (Isn't that because I can no longer drink my Starbucks coffee!?)
• Strange pains in ribs, which feel muscular (My stomach hardly feels muscular, do ovarian cysts give you abs?)
• Bloating (I thought it's because I ate too much cheese?)
• Strange nodules that feel like bruises under the layer of skin (Do I have cancer?)

Finally, she measured all of my cysts...I have 5ish between both ovaries.

Suddenly our entire journey made sense...

And you know what?

There is JACK CRAP that I can do about it...except not stress out and pray. Ovarian cysts don't care what you eat, drink, or how many half marathons you run.

They grow on your hormones.

(And I am guessing years of birth control didn't help matters either).

Anyway, we finally moved into my uterus to see Baby Sieb...and instead of seeing a little tiny baby.

I saw another black circle.

She didn't say anything.

No one said anything.

"Well, I think that's a healthy sac in there!" she said.

(Of course, this made Justin laugh. I promise we are mature enough to be parents). 

Finally, a black circle with purpose!!!

"And if you look closely you can see a little tiny yok sac," She said. 

I left the doctor's office with a week of lab work ahead of me and another ultrasound in my near future.

We will have no problem hitting our out of pocket deductible with this pregnancy, Justin joked.

Two weeks later, I was back at the doctor's office. My lab work indicated my hormones were increasing every two days (as they should) and my cramping was ten times better!

Oh, it is love- from the first time that I met you...

"My cramping is so much better, " I told the ultrasound tech. "I think my cysts are shrinking!"

This time, she went straight to my uterus...and before my very eyes...there was BABY SIEB!

Seriously, how cute is Baby Sieb!?
I feel like he / she is dancing in this picture.
"Heyyyyyy sexy, lady!"

And then she turned on the (insert machine that detects the heart beat) and we could not only hear, but SEE our little Nemo's heart beat.

It was such a magical moment.

I looked over at Justin and we were both smiling with watery eyes.

All those months of negative tests.

All those tears.

All of those painful periods.

All of those minutes of anticipation before each test...

Every single heartbreak was worth waiting for that very moment.

After we saw the baby, she measured my cysts again.

Even though my cramping stopped....the cysts had grown.

Now, most of them were pushing five centimeters.

"Is there anything at all I can do?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"No honey," she said. "Just try not to stress and worry. We will just keep a close on everything."

Saturday marked my tenth week being pregnant. 

Tomorrow, I'm going back in my my third ultrasound.

The positive aspect of being high risk is seeing our little Nemo so often!

Despite all of the mass chaos going on in my ovaries, I feel so blessed and lucky to be in such great hands and get even more pictures of our little one.

I think God knew I'd want extra pictures for my Belly Book too!

Obviously I have about 4 journals.

I really hope I don't need surgery...and that my cysts have gone down in size.

If praying is part of your life, please say a little prayer for us tonight / tomorrow.

If you are more interested in positive thinking, we will take all the good vibrations we can get.

And if you're just as excited to see our little one as much as we are, just tune back tomorrow for more pictures.

Thanks for your constant love and support. I cherish all of your positive words and encouragement.

Much love,
Ashley

Happy Belly, Happy Baby

Are you sick of me blogging about pregnancy yet?

Sorry I'm not sorry.

It's all that consumes my mind these days...and we all know weight loss is completely out the door at this point.

Today, I had my first fitting room melt breakdown at Target.

I didn't throw a huge fit or even cry.

So perhaps the term "meltdown" is dramatic.

Instead, I just starred in the mirror- completely frustrated and overwhelmed.

Maybe it was the dress that didn't fit right and gave me back fat. Meh!

Maybe it's the cramps I've been having all day long.

Or maybe it's the lack of caffeine and constant fatigue that owns my soul.

I put the dress back up and headed toward a different section of the store: the maternity section.

My good friend Mel told me about Bella Bands, which allow you to "flaunt your bump and keep your pants up."

Sign.

Me.

Up.

I tweeted last Friday that I really need new leggings or pants because walking around the office with pants buttoned is probably an HR violation. 

Good thing we don't have a formal HR department...

So here I am...blogging away with my Bella Band wrapped around my tummy.

I think Nemo likes the new comfort around his / her home.

Happy belly, happy baby....

And happy mama! 

Much love,
Ashley

Overnight Bump

So I am pretty sure this happened overnight!!

Or I'm bloating from the grilled cheese I ate yesterday.

Either way...

Much love,
Ashley

It Finally Happened

Well guys, it finally happened.

I ate something that baby Sieb hated..and as a result, I rushed to the bathroom!

It happened last night.

We had a happy hour event after work, and I was struggling to stay awake.

Thankfully, my Shirley Temple gave me a sugar rush to keep my eyes open!

Anyway, I was super hungry and couldn't figure out what I wanted to eat (per usual).

All of the appetizers sounded like heart burn and a tummy ache, so I had my coworker pick our app.

He went with Irish Nachos: steak fries with cheese, sour cream, and pico de gallo.

It makes me want to puke just describing it...

I had two bites and Nemo was pissed.

I rushed to the bathroom and collapsed to the ground. No one was in the bathroom at the time, so that was a plus...

Then (stop reading if you have a sensitive stomach), I looked over at the wall and saw what appeared to be poo smeared on the wall.

That's it.

It all came up...and the door opened up.

Wonderful, I look like a drunk girl who can't keep it together at 6 pm.

My makeup was running down my cheeks and my eyes were watering. My throat was burning.

I looked in the mirror:

"This is real life," I said.

And then I realized the girl next to me lot only thinks I am drunk...but also crazy for talking to myself.

I fixed my makeup, popped in a piece of gum, and ordered 4 more large waters...

Pregnant or not, I don't think anyone should eat pico de gallo on fries.

Consider yourself warned.

Much love,
Ashley

Napping In Elevators

What has my life come to?

I literally took a nap in the elevator.

Everyone keeps telling me that I'll get my energy back again soon.

I'm counting down....the seconds...until my burst of energy arrives again.

This morning I told Scott (a close friend and coworker) that I took a nap on the elevator. And that I'm completely exhausted.

"This is a lesson, Ashley," Scott said. "Even though you don't know it yet. This is a lesson that whether this baby is in you or not, he or she will always take all your energy. Your life is over, Ashley."

Of course Scott was trying to make me laugh, but he has a point.

Being a mom means the baby comes first.

Always.

And no matter how tired I am, I'll always wake up to help, feed, change, or snuggle with our little one.

It's only just begun!

Much love,
Ashley

Pregnancy Symptoms + Ashley

"Welcome back!" Justin told me this afternoon. "I am happy to see you awake and moving."

Awake and moving- those are two interesting concepts these days.

I'm blessed to say that my number one pregnancy symptom is fatigue. Maybe I shouldnt' use the word "blessed" because my on-the-go personality is going crazy with a 7 pm bedtime.

But honestly, I probably needed this rest.

My body definitely needed the rest.

And so did my marriage. I forgot how much I love just laying around with Justin. Nothing to do except for snuggle up and debate who killed Allison on Pretty Little Liars. 

Anyway, I am lucky to say that I've had little to no morning sickness.

I haven't thrown up once!

A few times I've felt nauseous, but I drank some water and tried to eat a few crackers. If that doesn't work, I just take some TUMS and fall asleep. 

Friday evening was the worst. I had heartburn from eating spicy soups at work earlier in the day. The only thing that sounded good was a grilled cheese, campbell's chicken noddle soup, and a Sprite. Thankfully Justin went to the store and whipped me up a dinner perfect for someone with the flu.

Saturday I tuned into a bear in hibernation! I truly slept / laid around watching the rest of Pretty Little Liars (yes, I'm addicted). The only time I got up and moving was around 6 pm. I went to pick up my pre-natal vitamins. Justin also called and asked me to pick up some lemons for my blueberry-lemon water. 

Of course, I ended up picking up two bags of chips, chip dip, cake mix, icing, and stuff to make rice crispy treats. I'm happy to report that I didn't eat all of these foods for dinner. Instead, I spent the night baking for the Super Bowl festivities.  

So in terms of craving, nothing has really taken over my life. I can tell you that the thought of Taco Bell makes me want to vomit on the spot. And my favorite snack is Special K cereal. 

So let's talk about mood swings. Yes, I have them. And sorry for anyone who has been in my path during one of my breakdowns- I'm sorry...there is probably more to come.

I am usually a pretty emotional person, but now I find myself crying at more things than usual. 

I cried at the end of the Butler game a few weeks ago. I don't even follow college basketball. I can't name a single player on the Butler team.

I cry during EVERY Hallmark commerical. 

I cried when I saw a man running with his dog. Seriously- just a normal dog. And a normal guy. But they looked happy, so I cried. Maybe it's because I miss running (it's hard to run when you are sleeping).

I cry when I don't know what I want to eat. Or when nothing sounds good. Or if I see a sign for Taco Bell.

I cried when I heard a Lady Gaga song on the radio the other day. I have no clue where she is and that makes me sad. 

Anyway, here is your recap:

• I'm a sloth.
• I haven't spent one evening beside the toilet. 
• I'm obsessed with figuring out who killed Allison from Pretty Little Liars. 
• Taco Bell makes me want to curl into a ball and cry.
• Because I cry about everything.

My doctor has been listed as "high risk" still- so that means I'm visiting them for an ultrasound and doctor visit every two weeks. I'll explain more tomorrow. Don't fret- I'm doing just fine and Nemo is definitely growing like a tumbleweed!

Much love,
Ashley