My humps, My Lovely Baby Bump

So I never knew how difficult it would be to take a picture of my bump by myself. I finally figured out if I took in front of my mirror, I could see the display on the back of my camera so I could actually see what I was taking a picture of! I have been meaning to take pictures since I found out I was pregnant but always forgot. I can no longer deny my bump so figured now was a perfect time to start taking pictures since I am beginning to grow much quicker now. These pictures were taken at 19 weeks, almost halfway through my pregnancy. Enjoy :)

19 weeks :)

I haven't posted lately as not much has been going on. I went back to the Dr. last week to do the second blood draw for the 2nd part of the screening test for downs/chromosomal defects. I also had a quick checkup that day, and Baby's heartbeat was a strong 150 bpm. I asked the Dr. about sleeping positions, as most pregnancy books tell you not to sleep on your back past 4 months. I am normally a side sleeper but lately sleeping on my sides has been uncomfortable. My hips start to ache which makes my legs hurt and I have been getting cramps in my calves. She told me this was the #1 question she gets from her pregnany patients. She told me for now it was fine to sleep on my back if I was comfortable. She said if I can sleep comfortably without having shortness of breath, then Baby was also getting enough oxygen. She said pretty soon, I wouldn't be comfortable on my back due to the extra weight around my tummy. This has helped since before I would roll over on my back due to my hips hurting, then wake up freaking out about it! I still sleep on my sides some, but I am using about 4 pillows (1 under head, 1 in front of belly, 1 between knees, and 1 behind back) which is definitely helping. Apparently the hormone (I think its Relaxin) that helps your joints loosen up is what's causing my hip pain. Thankfully between the pillows and my favorite chiropractor (love Dr. Kelley!) I am doing just fine...I better be since I know its only going to get worse!

We go back May 4th for our next ultrasound and check up. Corey and I have both taken the day off in hopes that we will be able to find out the sex of Baby Burns, and we can finally have a shopping trip that day! We did buy a small baby blanket and a onesie while visiting his Grandparents in the mountains a couple of weeks ago. The onesie has a weiner dog on it (it honor of our first baby Izzie), but it has little puff sleeves so if its a boy I will have to return. But there was only 1 and it was on sale, so I had to get it just in case! We are ready to buy the baby furniture and bedding, and start registering for everything else. I am trying to get our spare bedroom cleaned out so that once we decide how to decorate we can get started.

I still haven't felt Baby Burns move yet, but the Dr. said it may take me up to 22 weeks with this being my first. Can't wait to start feeling Baby move, as that will also make me feel better between appts. For now the only way of knowing that everything is going OK is when we get to hear the heartbeat.

Well that's really all that has been going on, thankfully I am still being blessed with a pretty uneventful pregnancy. Please continue all of your prayers for us, and thank you again for them!

Love,
Ashley, Corey, Izzie and Baby Burns

16 weeks (4 months)

Time is flying by! I am now a little over 16 weeks. Feeling really good lately. Starting to have more "round ligament pain" with my pelvic ligaments beginning to stretch more. Only tends to hurt if I get up too quickly, sneeze, or sometimes just for no reason. Unfortunately I always sneeze 3-4 four times in a row, so those sharp pains hurt! I am beginning to notice my tummy rounding out a bit below my belly button - feeling a little puffy lately! My family and Corey are noticing the changes more than me most of the time. I need to get better at taking some belly shots as soon I will be showing a lot more all of the sudden. Right now Baby Burns is about the size of an avocado. Baby is weighing about 4-5 ounces and is about 4-5 inches long. Baby is getting ready for a big growth spurt, by the time we go back to the Dr. in just 4 weeks Baby will have doubled its weight and added 3-4 inches!

Had my 4 month checkup yesterday. My blood pressure was a little high when I 1st got there but I think it was from running around before getting there which makes me a little short of breath the bigger baby gets! After laying on my left side for about 5 minutes my blood pressure was back to normal. Once the Dr. came in I got to hear Baby Burns sweet heartbeat again and it was very strong :) Now they have no problem finding the heartbeat - it comes on as soon as the doppler is pressed to my tummy. I will go back in 2 weeks for the 2nd blood test screening for downs/etc. Not worried about this since I passed the 1st screening and nuchal.

Exciting news - Corey and I go May 4th for our anatomy ultrasound. After they check all of Baby's measurements, if Baby Burns cooperates, we should be able to determine if we are having a boy or girl! We had thought about letting it be a surprise but I am too excited to find out! We are ready to buy some baby clothes and start figuring out how we want to decorate the nursery. Can you believe I haven't bought any baby stuff yet?! Besides that 1 pack of diapers I have been holding out until we knew the sex of the baby - this has been very hard for me as I am sure you all understand knowing me!

I am going to try and attach a video (sound only) of Baby Burns heartbeat. I think the Dr. and I were talking in the beginning (sorry forgot I was recording) but towards the end you should be able to hear it :)

Thank you for all the continued thoughts and prayers for our family - love you all!

Love,

Ashley, Corey, Baby Burns and Izzie

Officially in my 2nd Trimester!

So I am now 12 weeks 4 days along. Went back to the Dr. yesterday for the nuchal screening ultrasound, some bloodwork, and a checkup. The nuchal ultrasound (screening for my risk of downs syndrome and other chromosomal defects) lasted about 30 minutes because Baby Burns didn't want to cooperate. Apparently the tech needed him/her in exactly the right position in order to get the measurements she needed. I didn't mind, the longer it took was the longer I got to watch our baby :) It was really cool to see him/her since it now looks a lot more like a baby in there! Instead of nubs it now has full arms and legs, with fingers and toes! Baby Burns kept putting its arm up by its head and even looked to be sucking its thumb at some points. You could see the profile facial features also. Baby Burns was sleeping at first and then kept jumping all around frustrating the tech! These stubborn features make me thinks its a boy! But who knows, Corey and I are both stubborn, so no matter what we have it will probably be a stubborn child! Thankfully my screening results were normal, but they also do a blood test that we will have to wait about a week for those results.

After having the blood taken for that test and to test for antibodies in my blood since I am A-, I met with one of the Nurse Practioners for a checkup. This time they could hear the heartbeat through my belly with the doppler! I knew the heart was beating good because I also got to hear it for a minute during the ultrasound going a healthy 159 beats per minute. My checkup was quick and painless. They mainly just gave me some literature on the 2nd trimester and scheduled me to come back in a month.

I am so thankful to finally be out of the first trimester and to be able to finally feel good about announcing my pregnancy. I am beginning to get some energy back which is good because my house needs a good cleaning! This past week I bought our first pack of diapers from Sam's (well actually my parents were kind enough to pay for them!). We figured if we start buying diapers now, we will have a good stash going by the time Baby Burns arrives.

I am starting to notice some of my clothes getting snugger! Thankfully I had some pants that are now big on me from losing weight before getting pregnant so I can wear those. I bought this handy item called a Be-Band from Target which goes over my pants and holds them up if they are too big and you can even wear over unbuttoned pants that are a bit too tight. I think wearing it over too tight pants is uncomfortable but it works good with pants that are a little loose. My sister was kind enough to buy me some maternity pants this past weekend at Goodwill. They were really good quality (motherhood & Gap) and most of them fit so they will come in handy as I get rounder. I am also looking forward to visiting Corey's grandparents in Asheville next month as they have a Gap and Old Navy with the maternity sections so I can buy some outfits. I think I should be beginning to show by that point, and the Dr. told me that in about a month I should be able to feel Baby Burns moving :)

Well that is basically all the news for now. My mom is spending the weekend with me and Izzie as Corey is away for a bachelor weekend in Clemson. Should be nice to have some girl time :)

Thank you all for the continued prayers for us and Baby Burns!

Love, Ashley

Heard the Heartbeat!

I am 10 weeks and 4 days along now. Corey and I went back to the doctor this morning for a checkup. I knew they were going to try and hear the heartbeat so I was a bit nervous! I really haven't had any morning sickness at all and have been starting to feel better as far as the "hungover" feeling so without many pregnancy symptoms I have had myself a little worried that maybe everything wasn't ok. When the nurse took my blood pressure she asked me if it ran high and I told her "No just really nervous - I'm sweating through my pants!". The doctor came in and let me know my blood work results. Thankfully I am not a cystic fibrosis carrier. My Rubella immunity came back equivalent which means I am not as immune as I used to be. Thankfully we don't hear much these days of german measle outbreaks so I should be ok, but they want me to get re-vaccinated after the baby is born.

Next the Doctor tried to listen for the heartbeat with the Doppler. After about 10 minutes she couldn't find it. She told me it was still pretty early to hear, and depending on the way my uterus was sitting it could be difficult. They gave me the option of coming back in a week and trying again or waiting around to get fit in for an ultrasound. I decided to wait since I am a worry-wart and knew I wouldn't get any good sleep if I had to wait.

Thankfully the wait was only about 30 minutes for the ultrasound tech. After hopping up on the table and getting squirted with lots of ultrasound goo (surprisingly it was nice and warm!) the tech got started. Right away the most amazing, beautiful sound of our baby's heartbeat could be heard in the room!!! They have a TV setup in front of the exam table so we could see the heart monitor on the screen and see Baby Burns. He or she was moving its little leg buds around and kept turning its back on us. How amazing it was to see our "mini" baby since the last ultrasound just looked like a little blob on the screen. I sneaked a look at Corey and even he was tearing up! So even though I had to freak out at first, I am so thankful for the blessing in disguise of having to have the ultrasound done so we could see our little one and hear/see its strong heartbeat!

I go back in 2 weeks for the nuchal screening. Its about an hour long ultrasound and blood work where they will test my risk for down syndrome and other defects. Please keep us in your prayers that the tests come back fine.

I am so thankful to be having a very uneventful pregnancy so far. I really thought I was going to be awful sick, so I am counting my blessings to just feel hungover and tired. The bloating and heartburn aren't fun but such a small price to pay. In just a few short weeks we will finally be in the 2nd trimester. I am looking forward to getting over that hump and starting to get some energy back.

Thanks for everyone's continued support and prayers. I will keep you updated. My sister has a scanner so I am going to try to get over there to scan our 6 week ultrasound picture and the one from today.

Love, Corey, Ashley & Baby Burns (and Izzie too)

8 weeks

So this week I am 8 weeks along. Can't believe its been almost a month since we found out we are expecting - time flies! Thankfully I am still feeling pretty good. I guess I am one of the lucky few who doesn't have severe morning sickness. Some days I feel a bit "hungover" but mostly I am feeling good with the exception of a bit more tiredness.

This weekend I am looking forward to my valentine's date with Corey, and next weekend Corey will be heading to Cane Island for my dad's "Wee-Cane". I think he is looking forward to some "guy" time.

I think most of our close friends and family have been told about my pregnancy so its been awesome to be able to talk about it openly. We still aren't saying anything on facebook, but its nice to chat in person or on the phone with others.

This past week one of my best friends gave birth to her first child, a boy named Maddox on February 4th. He weighed in at almost 9 lbs! Still don't know how she was able to push him out, but congrats to Kisha and Lenny! I can't wait to meet the little guy, and it makes me excited that we will have kids less than a year apart.

Well there isn't much else to post for now...next dr appt coming up on the 26th.

Keep the prayers a coming - we are very grateful for them!

7 weeks

This week we have begun telling more family and a few close friends about our pregnancy. It is so fun to see Corey so excited. I think it took him a bit more time to finally realize he was ready to start trying for a baby, so to see him like this has been great. This Sunday, I had a miserable day. I felt nauseated all day, and had a headache. I didn't even get out of my pj's and spent most of the day in bed. Corey was such a fantastic husband (not that he isn't always), and spent his day cleaning the kitchen, doing 4 loads of laundry, raking leaves, taking over dog duty, going to the grocery store, and finally bringing home dinner for me! It was nice to be so taken care of.

During the week I don't feel as bad. Makes me wonder if my body realizes I need to be able to get up and function at work, and on the weekends the tiredness and everything just catches up with me. Sunday (my sick day), I found out that a dear cousin of mine had passed. This weekend, we will be traveling to Columbia for her funeral. I am really looking forward to seeing my extended family even under such horrible circumstances, but also hoping I won't feel so bad this weekend while traveling.

I have so many friends and a cousin that are all expecting also, so Corey and I are looking forward to having a child the same age as them. Corey has already started tossing around name ideas, and thankfully so far we don't disagree on many that we do or do not like. For once we seem to agree on a lot of things :) Now that we have seen the ultrasound it seems real that I am actually growing a child in there! I had a freaking out moment this weekend when I realized that we are actually going to have a baby to care for! Thankfully it lasted just a split second and then my excitement took back over.

We still have a few more weeks until we go back to the doctor, but I will post if anything new or exciting happens.