18 Weeks

This week...

Baby Bell is the size of a... sweet potato or a bell pepper, according to two different websites. The baby is about five and a half inches long and about six and a half ounces, almost doubling in weight from two weeks ago! So that's where all those extra snacks are going... :)

My bump is... officially here - there is no hiding it! Usually one side of my belly looks a little more "pushed out" than the other, so I assume that is where the baby is hanging out. I shared that I was pregnant with everyone in my office on Monday because it was becoming really challenging to "suck in" when I walked down the hallways - now I am free! I have gotten a few maternity shirts that I love to wear with yoga pants. If I could wear yoga pants to work, I swear I would never take them off.

I have been feeling... pretty good! The days of feeling sick are becoming fewer and fewer. I have noticed that I become short of breath when I am active for too long, but that is a sign that the baby is growing, which is good. At my 16 week appointment, the nurse found my blood pressure reading to be elevated, which I am attributing to stress over all the little to-dos. For those who are wondering, I don't advise moving to a new city, starting a new job, buying a house, and having a baby all at the same time. Just don't do it! Once we figure out our childcare situation, I have a feeling my stress level will significantly decrease. For now, I am still using lists and my planner to try to curb my anxiety.

I have been craving... cold fried chicken, watermelon, cheddar and sour cream potato chips (baked), and chicken in a biscuit crackers. Random, I know. Plus, Michael introduced me to Sheridan's frozen custard this past week - yummy!

Our favorite thing has been... finally feeling the baby move!  It is still very faint, but I can feel a little movement, usually when I am laying down before bed, or when I am just waking up in the morning. I can’t wait for the movements to become more pronounced and for Michael to be able to feel them too!

We are looking forward to... our 20-week sonogram and anatomy scan, where we find out if Baby Bell is a boy or a girl. It is crazy to think that in just two weeks we will have an answer! We are currently thinking about how we want to share the news with our family and friends!

Michael's 29th Birthday!

Michael celebrated his 29th birthday this past weekend! Wow...29...he is getting pretty old! Last Sunday, the day before his birthday, we celebrated with a family barbeque at his Mom and Dad's home. There was lots of food, lots of laughter, and most importantly, lots of cake - german chocolate cake to be exact! The next day, Michael and I celebrated on his actual birthday by going out for dinner at a local pub and having Sheridan's frozen custard - a new favorite of mine! Here are some pictures from the celebrations...

German chocolate cake - Michael's favorite!

James' drawing for Michael

John's drawing for Michael

A singing birthday card - always a hit with the kids!

Present from Angie and Tim - fancy golf clothes!

A new hybrid golf club from his lovely wife (aka me!)

Ready to play, with the exception of the club being for a left handed player...
Good thing I kept the receipt!

2nd Anniversary

On Monday, July 7, 2014, Michael and I celebrated our two year wedding anniversary! We had an AMAZING dinner at the Melting Pot, of which I ate entirely too much! But that is okay - I am eating for two, right? :) Year two was great, but we are so excited for all of the wonderful things that will be happening in our third year of marriage!

4th of July Weekend

A few years ago, we started a tradition on the Schultz side of the family - spending Fourth of July weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri - a tradition that I absolutely love! 

We spent this Fourth of July playing a lot of golf - 45 holes in two days! We also spent a lot of time out of the lake just catching up! Here are some pictures from the weekend!

Now that is a power shot...

Yes indeed, he did get sunburnt laying in the water...

16 Weeks

This week...

Baby Bell is the size of a... avacado! Yum! The baby is about four and a half inches long and about three and a half ounces.

My bump is... still growing! Some days it "feels" bigger than it does on other days - probably dependent on what I am wearing. I also feel like my belly button looks weird. I already had an "outie" and it seems to be becoming even more of an "outie" - if that makes any sense. In the last two weeks, I’ve had to say goodbye almost all of my jeans, but there is one pair that I can still make fit with a belly band. Luckily it is summer, which means it is the season of summer dresses - perfect for a growing bump!

I have been feeling... off and on. There are some days that I am feeling great and other days that I go back to feeling sick. I am told that this pattern may just continue throughout the pregnancy. This past week was my first time feeling a little back soreness. Nothing to worry about yet, but knowing that I just had back surgery in January, and I am little nervous about what is to come when I start putting on more weight. I have been sleeping a lot - it is not uncommon to find me reading in bed by 8:30pm with lights out by 9:30pm.

I have been craving... not really anything specific, which is nice because I am already a pretty picky eater. Lemonade has replaced apple juice as my drink of choice - thanks to some unsettling mornings after drinking apple juice! I have also added Brown Sugar Pop Tarts to my morning routine on the unhealthy days. I also caved and had a Dr. Pepper this week - everyone says a little caffeine is okay, but I had gone cold turkey on soda since I found out I was pregnant. The Dr. Pepper was amazing - sugary, but amazing!

Our favorite thing has been... starting to think about everything we need for the baby. While it is a little overwhelming, it is also really fun! I have loved looking at pictures of nurseries and thinking about how we want to decorate the baby's space. Being a bookworm myself, I have already started a list of all the books I want the baby to have! 

We are looking forward to... celebrating the Fourth of July this weekend with my family at the lake! We’re also starting the countdown to next month when we find out if Baby Bell is a girl or boy!!

Baby Bell's First Sonogram Photos

We had our first ultrasound on June 12th and got to see Baby Bell for the first time. The whole appointment took less than 15 minutes, but so much happened! First we got to hear the baby's heartbeat - 157 beats per minute. It took a few tries before I could actually hear the heartbeat because I kept laughing every time I heard something. My laughs would cause her to loose the heartbeat. After four to five tries, I finally calmed myself down and was able to hear the little beats. A few tears were definitely shed as the reality of being a mom started to set in.

After hearing the heartbeat, we were able to actually see the baby on the big screen. The baby was so active - rolling around, jumping, punching, and kicking. It was so awesome to be able to see the baby while it was awake and having fun! The baby measured 10.4cm, which was right on track with our due date of December 18th.

Here are the photos we got to take home with us...

Our first picture of Baby Bell!

Baby Bell waving hello!

Baby Bell's little foot!