Half Way! 20 Weeks...

So... The question for the week:

Boy or Girl?

.... I've looked at so many wive's tales that I don't know what to think anymore. My mind says "BOY"....But everything else screams "GIRL!"

Wives Tale #1:

Highs and Lows: If you're carrying high, break out the pink, because its a girl! If your bump is low, you're carrying a boy...

Whelp. I'm carrying high.

Girl 1
Boy 0

Wives Tale #2: 

Be Still My Beating Heart: According to legend, 140+ beats per minute indicates a girl, and below 140 means boy...

Welp. We were at 158 beats per minute at our 16 week appointment....

Girl 2
Boy 0

Wives Tale #3:

Sweet and Sour: Sweet cravings means it's a girl. Salty or Sour cravings point to a boy.....
Well, I craved sour stuff at the beginning of the pregnancy (lemons, lemon drops, sour war heads), and now it's sweet (starbursts, scotcheroos, ice cream). So I'm not sure which direction this one points me to... so I call it a tie.

Girl 2
Boy 0

Wives Tale #4... Supposedly this is NEVER wrong....... ok?

Chinese Birth Chart: If your Age at Conception (22) and the Month of Conception (June... 6th Month) equal up to be even, you're having a girl. If they equal up to be odd, it's a Boy....

22 + 6 = 28... EVEN.

Girl 3
Boy 0

Wives Tale #5:

Potty Time: Pee in a cup and mix a tablespoon of Drano in. Green = Girl, Blue = Boy.

My pee turned Orange......! Which isn't on the option list... So that gets tossed out.

Girl 3
Boy 0

Wives Tale #6:

Even or Odd: Legend has it that the Mayans determined sex by looking at mothers age at conception (22) and the year of conception (2012). If both are even or both are odd it's a girl... If one's even and one's odd... it's a boy.

2012 & 22 = Both Even.... 

Girl 4
Boy 0

Wives Tale #7:

Spot On: If you're breaking out like crazy, blame in on a girl!  Girl's steal their mother's beauty, hence, the annoying zits....

Definitely breaking out.....

Girl 5
Boy 0

Wives Tale #8:

Nice Ring to It: Tie your wedding ring to a string. Hang it over your belly. If it swings in a circle, a boy is in the future! If it swings back and forth, you've got a girl...

Mine swings in a circle!

Girl 5
Boy 1

Wives Tale #9:

Queasy Does It: Sick as a dog during the first trimester indicates a girl. Little or no morning sickness points to a boy.

I had a whopping 2 days of morning sickness...

Girl 5
Boy 2

Wives Tale #10:

Forward or Sideways: If your carrying in front, you've got yourself a boy. If you expand horizontally, it's a girl.

I feel like a watermelon has attached itself to my belly.... 

Girl 6
Boy 2

Wives Tale #11:

A Little Extra Padding: If your spouse is indulging in pregnancy cravings and is packing on the weight, you're having a girl!

Brad has LOST weight and about 3" in his waist!

Girl 6
Boy 3

Wives Tale #12:

Legs: If your legs get really big, your having a boy. If they stay in shape, it's a girl.

My legs aren't what's growing, my ass is!

Girl 7
Boy 3

Wives Tale #13:

What Do You Think: 71% of the time, the mom is right on the gender before it's known.

I think it's a boy. I've always thought it was a boy. 

Girl 7
Boy 4

Wives Tale #14:

Protein: When you crave meat and cheese, it's a boy!

Ask Laura Bro... I constantly talk about Applebee's and Red Lobster and Texas Roadhouse steaks. And I eat string cheese like it's going extinct.

Girl 7
Boy 5


Anyways, enough with the gender prediction. I could go on and on with the wives tales. You've seen the count! Now let me know what you all think!!
You have until Thursday November 1st to make your prediction.

The past week has flown by. Brad has been able to feel the sea monster kick and punch from the inside a bunch. He loves it. The other morning we were laying in bed and I could have sworn the baby was trying to kick him out of bed. I'm also able to watch my belly squirm and move when the sea monster decides to do summer-salts and flips. I can also see when it kicks too!

We're pretty excited to find out the gender this week. Brad and I keep talking about what we predict it's going to be... we will see who wins the guess! Brad says that since he always thought it was a boy it's going to end up being a girl. I'm still set on it being a boy. I don't care what the wives tale says, I just feel "boyish" lately. Lol. If that makes any sense.

I'm not excited to keep the gender a secret until we get to go home next. Brad is in Kansas City next weekend so we can't go home to tell our family (half of which don't even want to know the gender... they want a surprise....). How the heck am I supposed to keep this a secret for that long?!?!

Anyways. More updates next week! Maybe I'll be able to spill the beans by then! :)

1 Week Short of Half Way There!

Oh Emmmm Geeee!
19 weeks!
Where has the time flown? :(

I know people probably will think I'm mental for saying this, but I'm not ready for this pregnancy to be half way done!

We also find out baby Punt's gender next Thursday! How exciting is that!?!? The only down fall of finding out on Thursday is that Brad made me promise to keep it a secret for a 10 days! That is due to his JOB.... grrrr. He has to be at a show next weekend, so the earliest we could go home to tell our relatives baby Punt's sexual anatomy, would be November 10 and 11. THIS did not make me very happy. A WHOLE WEEK (plus some) knowing... I'm going to slip. I KNOW it! There's no way that secret is staying in my brain and not leaving between my teeth for 10 days! I told Brad I'll just go home on the 3rd by myself and tell everyone. He didn't like that idea too much.

Anyways. Baby Punt is officially going to be a soccer player/football kicker. This little shit is definitely learning how to get my attention. I'm still lucky enough to be able to go all night without having to get up to go to the bathroom still, which I am great-full for. I also have been without charlie horses for over a week now, which again, has been very nice! My sleep is returning to me too, but occasionally I still have issues staying asleep the whole night.

With few side effects present currently, I'm more than excited to experience the rest of this pregnancy, but I hope it doesn't go as fast as the first half has so far! I'm really, truly, actually enjoying this adventure. Even with only seeing Brad on weekends. It's annoying not having him home to boss around all the time, but, it's nice for me to relax and chill at home alone.

Nothing much has changed in the last week, accept my overall size. I think I gained bout 3 inches in my circumference in the last week, but that's about all the change I've noticed.

Here's week 19's Photo!

Grandpa Stan

Brad's family has had a very rough few months. Stan Yates, Brad's step-grandpa, was diagnosed with cancer a while back. He had been fighting for months, with little results. Chemo would effect the cancer for a day or so, and his "bad" numbers would sky rocket a few days later. 

Brad and I rushed home Friday night to go see grandpa Saturday morning. We received a text at 8 AM Saturday that Stan had passed away in the night. 

Stan was a strong man, fighting against something I could never imagine having to go through. 

Today Brad and his family laid Stan to rest. Brad said the funeral went well and that the family is doing good. Stan will be missed by us all, family gatherings won't be the same, but, we will adjust. Grandma Yates is holding up fairly well, despite the lack of sleep from the most recent hospital visit, and a severe cold that overcame her immune system due to what I would assume to be stress. Grandma is a strong woman though, and she stood by Stan's side the entire fight. 

Stan is no longer in pain, or suffering from his cancer. His battle is over and he has won! He's forever in the arms of his magnificent creator. I'm sure he's looking down on us smiling because his new life is so amazing. :)

Here are the Obituaries of Stan Yates.

http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/state-and-regional/obituaries/stanley-yates/article_7350409f-cecf-5212-b6ee-899a78322386.html

http://www.mfhonline.com/sitemaker/sites/MEMORI5/obit.cgi?user=763219Yates

18 Weeks and... and.... What was I saying?

Gah!

18 weeks. I CANNOT believe how fast the time is FLYING by!
I'm enjoying this whole pregnancy thing so much I am not ready to say it....
My bun is almost half way cooked!

aaaaaand.... I totally don't know where I was going with that.

Anyways. PREGGY BRAIN has taken over. Officially. I can't keep right from left anymore.
I'll be typing a paper or report for a class... and I will completely start typing something that has absolutely no relevance to the topic the paper is supposed to be on. For example: today I was writing up a lab report for AnSci 425 which is super swine.... as I was proof reading through it tonight.... I noticed I completely switched from swine to my AnSci 411 information on Meatless Mondays in the K-12 school lunch program.... WTH.

Well, I just finished my 425 report and it was supposed to have been done an hour ago. Whatevs.

18 weeks. I can't believe it. I hate to admit it but I am totally starting to show. Just within the last couple of weeks I have noticed a drastic change in my midsection size. My t-shirts officially are tight on me... welp. I guess it's time to go... SHOPPING! Haha. My mom bought me some maternity clothes online and delivered them a couple of weeks ago. Needless to say, I'm not big enough yet to fill out maternity shirts, but I'm sure the day is fast approaching. On the bright side... I'm still squeezing into my regular jeans. Sure, the buttons no longer get used and I always need a belt, but, eh, I'll take it!

I never figured I'd be the happy pregnant type... but even with the few troubles that I have. I'm loving it. Sure, the ribs are killing me and the charlie horses are the devils spawn... but I'm surviving! and I'm loving every minute. The kicking has really picked up this past week. I am now feeling it a lot more often. I get kicked on average I'd say probably 15-20 times an hour. Hehe. It still makes me chuckle! As we speak, the little fart is settling down for bedtime... (at least I hope) and it's kicking and pawing its way into the nest. :-D

Today I had the career fair, and I was able to talk to multiple swine production companies that have facilities in SW Iowa. Hopefully I'll be hearing something back from some of them about a future career. I may be pregnant, but baby Punt is not stopping me from finding a job. I'm just going to keep chugging through it. CHOO CHOO.

Anyways: Here is the Photo of the Week!

Week 17... is it Soccer Season?!

AAAH!

17 weeks down! My oh my how the time is flying by. I cannot believe that in just 3 weeks Brad and I will know...

It's crazy to think that our little one is about 5 inches long and weighs nearly 5 ounces... that's just over a quarter of a pound!

I also find it crazy to think that every day the babies bones grown thicker and stronger, transitioning from cartilage to bone.

Another interesting fact I learned this week is that Baby Punt is practicing sucking and swallowing... preparing for birth already... eh?




Each and every week I get these calendar updates on my email telling me all of these interesting facts. I love learning about what baby Punt is doing inside that den. of "it's"... his?... her's?....  Whatever. I'm getting more and more excited as the days go by to learn if there will be a Mini Brad or Mini Me!

As I was reading through my updates... it began talking about snoring. And NO... I DO NOT SNORE... but this quote made me laugh out loud in the middle of the office today. I got stares of "retardation" from the 4 grad students I share it with....


And I Quote: "If your partner finds your new snoring habit about as sexy as a hippo in a thong (which, by the way, you're starting to feel like), take heart. " 

I DO NOT SNORE... yet. :s. Ask Brad... he may feel differently about this subject. I'm not sure. After all, he's not home enough to notice! (I mean that jokingly... not as in... my husbands never home, I may as well change my relationship status to "single" kind of way...) It's just the name of the Cattle Business game. 

Another thing I learned this week was about the dreaded (dun, dun, dun)... STRETCH MARKS. 

GULP. Ok ok. I already know I'm screwed on this exam. I've been told that escaping them is pure luck. I've also been told they're hereditary. Well.. If they're hereditary... hand me that F because I know they're coming. If its luck... you may as well hand me an F again... because this pregnancy stuff has been extremely nice to me so far and I know "fits gunna hit the shan" eventually. 

So last week I was talking about fluttering and movements that Punt Jr. has been conducting inside of my uterus. I also mentioned that I was so excited to feel the kicks of the little one. Well. I have been extremely blessed so far this week on that part. As my heading says... "Is it soccer season!?"... because that's sure how it's beginning to feel. I have really been able to notice kicking these past couple of days as I'm sitting down and relaxing or just sitting in class. The first few kicks I really didn't know what I was feeling. They felt like someone was just kinda sorta poking me in the belly, but I've come to realize its mini Punt trying to get my attention. Even as I write this post I've been welcomed by a little sea monster pogo-sticking inside of me. It's kinda silly of me but when its the "boom boom boom" kicks it takes me by surprise. My favorite kicks are the ones that are "boom............... boom boom...............................boom" and they are all spread out and sporadic. Either way, it has been quite exciting these past few days for me. :)  

I started wondering yesterday... when I realized that my stomach was making obnoxious noises... what does it sound like in there?!?! I mean... my stomach growling makes me chuckle... but if I was stuck in that uterus I'd probably be thinking "get me out before Sasquatch eats me!" Hehe. It just makes me chuckle thinking about it. For any of you who know Brad... I just imagine a mini Brad inside of me and the crap that little turd would be thinking..... If this baby is anything like it's father... welp... We may as well as start our own TV show on Comedy Central. 

Here's week 17's photo! The bump is definitely growing! 

Ugh. Anyway. 4:30 and I am shot. I have a large lab practical (exam) tomorrow for my meats lab so I better sign off of here for now before I type a 28 page review over the last week of my pregnancy. School takes preference for the next 8 weeks and then I get to enter "grownup" world. eek. 

Later Gater's.

Roz 

Week 16... slipped by!

Whew. Ok. I hate to make excuses for not posting every week on the week... but school has been extremely hectic lately. Eek. Graduation is just around the corner! I'm already half way done with the semester!

Monday morning Brad and I had our 3rd OBGYN appointment. We thought I was supposed to have blood drawn to finish our genetic testing for genetic diseases, but, the Dr. said they don't do it until a Minimum of 16 weeks. Well.. I was 15 weeks and 6 days.... A DAY SHORT. So... On November 1st I will have my blood drawn (20 weeks) AND we get to find out the gender!

The baby's heart beat slowed down a little bit to 150. The Dr. said this was pretty normal, and that we should start making our guesses on the sex of the baby! I am SO looking forward to finding out!

I started having really bad rib aches and pains about 2 weeks ago (at about 14 weeks). I had called the Dr's office and talked to a nurse and she thought that this was probably due to having a lot of movement of my inner organs because the baby is starting to really take up some room. On Monday, the Dr. diagnosed me with intercostal inflammation. This is swelling in the muscles between my ribs due to pressure from the baby. I was informed that I can take Tylenol when the pain gets overbearingly painful, but not to rely on Tylenol for a relief. I have been using a heating pad when I go to bed to help me relax a little. I cannot sleep on my left side at all due to pain, and sitting through class all day really doesn't help the issue. I also have been having a hard time riding in the car as the position of sitting causes my ribs to push out even more. I am starting to get accustomed to the pain, but it is still a nuisance.

Overall, the ribs have been my only major symptoms of pregnancy... or at least its the only one that really affects my daily life and annoys me. I have had a pretty calm pregnancy so far... and that makes me think that  this child is going to be hellacious when it comes out! haha. I love being pregnant though.. so far. Everyone has told me that pregnancy is the hardest thing you'll go through.. but I've been actually enjoying it. I'm so excited to meet the little guy/gal and I'm really looking forward to the parenting process. ... call me crazy... I know.

I'm starting to really feel movements now, and it kinda freaked me out for a few days, but now I'm getting used to it. I really feel it when I'm sitting on the couch or sitting in class. I can also feel it shortly after I eat a meal that is super filling. I'm so excited to start feeling the kid kick! :) ... until the excitement wears off... but I'm sure that will be a while.

Here is a 16 week picture! I will be sure to post another picture next week so you all can see my growth!