10 Weeks - Baby Westerholm

On Monday of this week, I had off from school for MLK Day, so I went to get my blood work done. I'm not a big fan of needles, and they often extract some tears. I know, I know - I'm working on becoming an adult!

I always warn the person drawing my blood. This time, the lady was very nice and tried desperately to keep me calm. I was actually pretty proud of myself because I hung in there - no tears - and then she blew a vein in one arm. Still! No tears! She moved to the next arm, but missed the vein!

That pushed me over the edge! Poor lady. I cried. She apologized. I apologized and reminded her that I was pregnant and over-emotional. She called in someone else to try to get the job done and luckily that lady was successful!

I was reminded of the importance of staying hydrated while I was in there. The first lady suggested that my veins were hard to hit/find because I hadn't been drinking enough water. Since then, I've tried to steer myself toward drinking water more times than not.

For the past two weeks, I've left the doctor with a sonogram to peek at constantly. This week, I don't have that! I miss those experiences already! I wish it was feasible and affordable to do that weekly. For now, my next appointment is on February 4, days before we plan on sharing the news with our families, then shortly thereafter sharing the news with our friends!!!

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along:

10 Weeks

Due Date:
August 21, 2015

Movement:

None yet!

Sleep:

Sleeping well, but still having multiple dreams nearly every night.

What I Miss:

Drinking something other than water!

Cravings:

Food. Salty food. Sweet food. All food. Any food. I'm HUNGRY all the time!

Symptoms:

My appetite is staying steady and strong.
I'm just as emotional as last week.
I'm still exhausted! On the weekends, I've been known to take several naps. Going to bed anytime after 8:00 pm on any night of the week suits me just fine!
I'm also breaking out...yuck! I thought pregnant women are supposed to GLOW?

9 Weeks - Baby Westerholm

This week I had my first official appointment with my OBGYN, Dr. Kirchner. It was pretty quick, but I did get a new picture of Baby Westerholm. The most exciting part? I heard the baby's heartbeat!!! It was 162.

It happened so quick that I didn't think to ask Dr. Kirchner if I could record it for Brandon. I felt a little guilty, but I know he'll be at the next appointment and it will be even more special for him to hear it in realtime. I can't wait for that!

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along:

9 Weeks

Due Date:
August 21, 2015

Movement:

None yet!

Sleep:

Sleeping well, but having non-stop crazy dreams. Then, I wake up thinking they're real - feeling mad at people who did nothing in real life. That's not fun!

What I Miss:

Caffeinated Sweet Tea & Coffee (I don't think this will change!)

Cravings:
Food. Salty food. Sweet food. All food. Any food. I'm HUNGRY all the time!

Symptoms:

My appetite is through the roof!
I'm emotional! I've officially cried and had no clue why.
I'm exhausted. Growing a baby is hard work!

8 Weeks - Baby Westerholm

On January 8, we had our first appointment with Dr. Kirchner's office. Brandon was able to go with me and saw our baby for the first time!

We met with Dr. Kirchner's sonogram technician, Courtney, who showed us just how much Baby Westerholm had grown in 2 short weeks. The baby was about 10 times the size! We were completely shocked when Courtney showed us our baby's heart beating away on the screen.

We never anticipated getting to see the heartbeat so soon, but it was a huge relief and suddenly made everything REAL! Courtney measured Baby Westerholm's heartbeat at 162 beats per minute.

We also got an official due date since the baby was easier to measure than he/she was at 6 weeks. Baby Westerholm is expected to arrive around August 21, 2015, just in time for Brandon's birthday on August 30!

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along:

8 Weeks

Due Date:
August 21, 2015

Movement:

None yet!

Sleep:

Sleeping great, once I fall asleep!

What I Miss:

Caffeinated Sweet Tea & Coffee

Cravings:

Breakfast Tacos (I think it's the salt!)

Symptoms:

Still having occasional stomach cramps, but they've eased a lot. 

6 Weeks - Baby Westerholm

We had our very first OB appointment with Dr. Remsing on December 22. Brandon was unable to go because it was a last minute appointment.

Due to the way I had been feeling, I was seeking some reassurance that, although I knew our pregnancy was in the very early stages, everything was OK. I was actually very surprised, and incredibly relieved and overwhelmed, when Dr. Remsing immediately told me that the baby looked healthy and strong!

Here's our very first - and very small - picture of Baby Westerholm!

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along:

6 Weeks

Due Date:
Unknown
Possibly August 18-20, 2015

Movement:

None yet!

Sleep:

Sleeping great, once I fall asleep!

What I Miss:

Caffeinated Sweet Tea & Coffee

Cravings:

None yet!

Symptoms:

At night, when I lay down I have experienced painful stomach cramps. A warm wash cloth and Tylenol seem to be the only things that make me more comfortable. Because of this, we squeezed ourselves into an early OB appointment with another doctor since I couldn't get in sooner to my regular doctor. I wanted to be sure things were OK. Dr. Remsing said that the cramps are from my uterus stretching. I'm hoping for relief soon!