16 Weeks - First Flutters

Yesterday I started my new job. The question of whether or not I am showing was resolved, when all 3 of my office mates told me they had figured out on their own that I'm pregnant. I was worried they would think I'm fat!

I caved last week and bought some maternity clothes. Their great. The pants feel like PJ pants! I'm up to 120 pounds...the most I have ever weighed for a total of 5 pounds of baby gain. I already am starting to feel so big, I can't imagine what life will be like in another month or two!

And this week's most exciting news is that this morning I'm pretty sure I felt the baby! I've read a lot of descriptions of how the moment would feel, but I think my friend Niki described it best--like little ball bearings. At fist I thought it was just a grumbly tummy, but when I placed my hand on my tummy and focused on the flutters, they bounced around in one area--just like the little ultra sound dance.
Here is this week's Speck Development Update (courtesey of babycenter.com):

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

Speck - Week 15...Shopping!!

15 Weeks Pregnant

Well, little speck isn't so little anymore and we might need to find a new nickname! The link above comes from 3DPregnancy, which has a ton of interesting information as well as some very cool 3D rotatable images of the baby's development week by week.

My weekly self weigh in and measurement is a Monday night ritual, and I'm writing this on Monday morning, so I don't have an update...but I've definitely popped this week. As Jami said, anyone who knows me knows that I've never had a gut and that I'm preggo...but to any outsider I still think I look more chubby than pregnant. Yesterday I had to resort to the rubber band on my pants trick because buttoning them was just too much work, and I've ordered a Bella Band to help get a couple more weeks out of my jeans.

Sometime this week I'm headed off for a shopping spree for new work clothes. The new job is biz casual, whereas the last job was either suits or street clothes, so I really don't have anything that fits the new dress code anyway. I think I'm going to stick with non maternity clothes for now, and buy a couple sizes larger than my normal 2/4, and ideally these new clothes will work for a while after the baby comes as well.

A little hint to the grandma's-to-be: my favorite store, Anne Taylor Loft, does not carry their maternity line in Colorado--but they do at the Columbia Mall and Santana Row...

Job Update...

Just thought I'd let you all know that I got a job!!

After having 3 meetings with the soon to be new boss, I decided that the best thing to do was tell him the truth (after I had the offer letter in hand). I had a lot of concerns about how he would respond, but everything worked out and I can safely say he is still glad he hired me.

I start work on the 27th of this month (the same day Erik starts his new job). The position requires minimal travel, the office is nice and close to home, the benefits are great, and the salary is higher than I was earning before. I'd say that overall, this is a better job than the one I left 10 weeks ago.

So now I can relax, know I will be insured, and just let Speckers grow!

14 Weeks - Pregnant, who?

I skipped week 13 out of superstition and general uneventfulness, so here we are at week 14...OFFICIALLY in the 2nd Trimester now by all counting methods.

I'm pretty much feeling not at all pregnant right now. My skin is back to it's normal, smooth, zit free complexion. The gas and bloating of the last 3 weeks has returned to a normal, pre-preggo level. I've only gained 1 pound since August 11th. My waistline hasn't gotten any rounder (though it did measure one inch longer today). No mood swings, no crazy behavior, nada.

I have this fear that I will go in for my next ultrasound (on the 22nd) and they are going to say "we're sorry Mrs. Kubec, you were never really pregnant!". If I hadn't seen speck swimming around with my own eyes I'd think I was making the whole thing up.

On the other hand, not looking or feeling preggo is a good thing for the job search. I've pretty much made up my mind that I am not going to tell my future employer about my "condition" prior to a job offer, and even after that I think I will wait until I'm settled in. In fact, I am still toying with the idea of pretending it is new news when I am ready to break it. The travel and the stress of unemployment were causing my cycle to be irregular (Mr. Boss), and now I finally understand why the food in Mexico was so gross!!

One sign though that I am in deed pregnant--today I had a craving for a tuna sandwich (speaking of food). I have NEVER had a desire to eat a tuna sandwich...I didn't even know how to make one!

And here you have it, your Speck Progress Report for week 14, provided courtesey of baby-gaga.com:

At about 3.5 inches long, their little body and limber limbs are coordinated enough for loads of complicated motions. In fact, their whole body is moving right now! You're not feeling it because their current size is still a bit too small to make an impact you'd recognize. Still, their movements are recognizable on an ultrasound...Your baby is also starting to develop the ability to move their eyes this week, although the eyelids still remain fused shut. What's more, they can make all sorts of fun facial expressions as they practice squinting, frowning, and grimacing. Cute development of the week: their little hands can grasp at things and they may already be sucking their thumb!