15 weeks

Sorry I haven't posted in a couple of weeks. I am 15 weeks along now, and I'm feeling pretty good. I'm past the queaziness and constant snacking, so that makes life a bit easier. I still get fatigued pretty easily, but I suppose that's just expected. Here's what the BabyCenter says about Baby Starnes at this stage:

"Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light."

Here's a picture of my belly now, though it looks awfully similar to my belly at 13 weeks:

Things are going well in Charleston. I'm really enjoying my Dermatology rotation here, though I hate being away from Chris and home this long. I haven't done much around the city yet because it's just not that fun to explore on my own, but I'm hoping to get in at least a few of the big sites before I leave on the 31st. Unfortunately, I won't truly be back in Memphis full-time until late August. I'm doing a Junior Internship in Family Medicine in Jackson next, so I will be there Mon-Friday for the first three weeks I'm back in TN.

While I've been away from home, Chris has been diligently painting the nursery and the trim in our house. We picked out a neutral color for the nursery (Mesa Tumbleweed) that will go with any decor and make it easier to sell the house when the time comes. I think poor Frankie is feeling neglected already, though...Chris has to put up a baby-gate to block Frankie from the room he's painting in, and Frankie just lays on the other side staring in and occasionally knocking items off the shelves in the hall to get Chris' attention. I'm afraid this is probably only the start of Frankie getting less attention, but I'll always have a place in my heart for that cute, blue-eyed Cocker.

Something to look forward to when I get back: we have our big ultrasound that should tell the gender of the baby on August 26th. Yah! Stay tuned...

13 weeks in Charleston

I was 13 weeks yesterday, and above is my new belly shot to prove it. I had to use the self-timer again, so sorry for the poor quality. I went shopping for maternity clothes at Target and Motherhood Maternity yesterday because I'm having trouble buttoning all of my pants now. I found a neat belly band that will allow me to wear my regular pants longer and help hold up any too big maternity pants. I was the only customer in Motherhood Maternity most of the time, and there were two sales-ladies working--I've never had more undesired help in my life. I felt like they had me try the whole store on!! I imagine they were disappointed when everything I purchased was on sale.

We had a nice vacation at Myrtle Beach last week with Chris' family. We mostly enjoyed sitting by the ocean and reading. On our drive down to Charleston on the 4th of July, we stopped in North Litchfield to see some Memphis friends, Jacob and Tricia Cartner, who were there visiting family. They took us out on their boat and we did some fishing--Chris caught an 8 foot shark!! Okay, actually it was about 8 inches...he wouldn't even let me take a picture of it.

I'm pretty well settled in Charleston now, and my family here has already been spoiling me. Everyone I've worked with in Dermatology has been really nice, and I'm finding my way around pretty well now. My only major complaint is dealing with the traffic around the medical center--I have to allow an hour for traveling to get there on time in the morning. I haven't done any sightseeing here yet, but I hope to soon.

Anniversary and Vacation

Yesterday, June 25th, was our four year anniversary. It's amazing to both of us how fast the past four years have flown by. It's been a great four years and remarkably easy on the marriage front. Chris has been more supportive than I ever dreamed, and he's made the challenges of school much easier to bear. The next year holds many new frontiers for us--parenthood, graduation, possibly moving, and eventually two incomes :) We're excited about what the future holds and trusting God in His wisdom to guide us.

Today we'll be leaving for Hickory, North Carolina. We'll spend a few days there visiting his family, and then we'll travel down to Myrtle Beach with his family for a short vacation. Chris will come back home on July 5th, and I will start a four week rotation in Dermatology at the Medical University of South Carolina on July 6th. I'm not excited about being away from Chris that long, but at least I'll be in a neat city with plenty to do. I'm also sad to be leaving Frankie behind--we're putting him in a kennel this week, so he won't get to enjoy the beach with us. The picture above is to show you what I'll be missing while I'm gone--two peas in a pod.

I'll try to keep the blog updated while I'm gone. I imagine there will be a more obvious bump by the time I come home. Please pray for traveling mercy.

11 weeks

Today marks week 11 of pregnancy. According to the bump.com:

"Baby's now the size of a lime! Your fetus currently enjoys a 1:1 ratio between body and head, and has skin so transparent that blood vessels show right through it. But fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds, and nail beds are forming -- setting up a significantly more attractive future."

I took my first bellyshot today (above). I had to use the self-timer on the camera, so forgive the odd angle. I can still wear most of my pants, but they're certainly more snug and less comfortable than usual. Today I actually wore a pair of maternity pants for the first time because most of my pants needed ironing (haha), and these pants were definitely more comfortable with the stretchy waistline.

I got off early today and came home and took a 2 hour nap!! There's a lot that needs to be done around the house, but I just haven't had much energy. The 100 degree weather doesn't help much either. Chris has been wonderful and understanding in all of my moodiness, cravings, and laziness. He never complains about running to the grocery store when I can't get a particular food item off my mind, and he's done the majority of cooking and cleaning around the house for weeks. I'm certainly lucky! Pray God will give him continued patience and perseverence for at least another 29 weeks.

Cribical Decision

After finding the dresser yesterday, I spent much of the remaining day on the internet looking for cribs that would fit with that style. We landed on the crib above, which is the Basset Baby Southampton 4-in-1 Convertible Crib at Babies R' Us. I think it will fit nicely with the dresser without being too traditional. We'll be able to use it for many years, too, because it converts to a toddler bed, a daybed, and a full-sized bed. I'm excited to add another piece to the nursery image in my mind, and I know Chris will be glad that I won't constantly be searching for cribs online.

Next big item on my list: a glider/rocker. Babies R' Us used to carry an Amy Coe rocker that I absolutely love, but we can't find it for sale anywhere now. I've actually gone so far as to contact the store to ask if they ever plan to re-stock it...still awaiting a response. Nevertheless, the picture below gives you an idea of what we'd like to find.

birdies

I'm posting a second time in one day because I'm excited about a mobile project I've decided to undertake for the nursery. I found this idea on another blog, and I love it because you can personalize it with whatever fabric you like. It involves a good bit of sewing by hand, but I think it will be worth it in the end. I'm not sure yet whether I'll go for the birds on the branches look or the more traditional mobile, but I think either would be adorable.

Shabby Chic Dresser and Registries

First, I apologize for the month-long hiatus. There hasn't been much baby-related news over the past few weeks, and I've just neglected the blog.

I had a prenatal check-up yesterday, and everything went well. I'm now 10 weeks and 4 days along. The doctor was able to find the baby's heartbeat with the doppler, and that tiny little heart was beating away 160 times a minute (which is good). I was thrilled we could hear the heartbeat this early--this is typically the earliest you can pick it up with the doppler. Since I'm going to be in Charleston, SC all of July, my next prenatal appointment won't be until August 10th. I'll have my big ultrasound in August also, so we should find out the gender then (yah!).

I've registered for some items on Babies R' Us and Target recently. I've been amazed at how much (expensive) gear these little people come with. I'm trying to keep the limited space of our house in mind, but it's really hard to know at this point what we'll actually need and what's just excess. I've tried to keep the big items as neutral as possible so we can use them for future kids too. I do look forward to finding out what we're having so I can register for clothes and such specific to gender.

Chris and I found an antique dresser (pictured above) today that we love and have decided to buy and use as dresser/changing table. It's painted and distressed with a shabby chic look. I had been looking more at modern baby furniture, so this has definitely changed the direction of things. I'm excited about it, though, and I think we can use this piece for a long time.