Baby bump: 20 weeks (with ultrasound pictures)

The official halfway point … how did that happen?? Though at times (the first 12 weeks) it’s gone by so slowly, now that we’re here I feel like time if moving faster and faster.

This week was a big milestone (as most of you probably already know via Facebook) since we found out that Baby Borger is Baby GIRL Borger! And just for a fun comparison … I think our little daughter has grown a bit, wouldn’t you say?
 
20 Weeks: Me

• Overall notes of the week:
  • It’s a GIRL
  • Had swelling in my legs a couple days this week by the time I went home from work but I think it’s been solved by eating less Chipotle and Amy’s frozen dinners (sodium and sodium) and drinking more water.
  • Also, Charley horses in my toes are not uncommon.
• Food:  Nothing  really new here.  Egg sandwiches are probably still my favorite things right now.
• Bump: I think we already covered that above, ha.  Also, they told me at our ultrasound appointment the placenta is a little bit in front, which is why I may not be feeling baby move a ton.  I’m sure it’s still partly that I don’t know what to notice either quite yet.
• Mood:  Thankful, excited, and joyful.

19 Weeks: Baby

• Baby’s age: 20 weeks
• Baby’s size: size of a banana; approximately 6.5 inches
• Baby’s weight: approx 10.6 oz (though the ultrasound technician told us our baby’s weight was 11 some ounces … close enough)
• Our little girl has working taste buds and she’s gulping down several ounces of amniotic fluid each day.  We also got to see her drinking some during the ultrasound when the tech pointed out her little tongue moving around. Crazy!!

Ultrasound
The ultrasound was fun, I didn’t realize just how much you could see! She showed us just about everything; hands, feet, brain, heart, spine, legs, arms, etc etc. Here’s the photos we got to bring home … (click on pictures to see a larger version)
First up, the clearest picture of the head, on right, and on left, a view of the legs and the fact that Baby Borger is, indeed, a girl!

In this foot picture, you can see one whole foot with toes and then part of the other foot and on the right, the face.

And the last two: some different views of previous photos, showing it’s a girl and the face:

Baby bump: 19 weeks

In less than a week now we will know if Baby B is a he or a she!! That’s hard to believe but I can hardly wait to find out! Our appointment is on Thursday morning in which we’ll have the sonogram, see the doc, and talk to the midwife.  We’re happy that our hospital recently added a midwife to their staff and I’m excited to see what she has to say and to officially meet her.  I will report back later!

19 Weeks: Me

• Overall notes of the week: 
  • Found myself napping more than “normal” this week, and am finding that an after work nap does WONDERS for my evening mood (just ask Erik about this one).  And when I wake up, it’s still light out which gives me energy to actually have a real evening.
  • I think pregnancy brain has been hitting me.  At times, I literally just cannot think of words that I am trying to say, or I jumble them around.  I did that enough before, now it’s even worse! It may even show up in my typing, so beware.
  • Oh, and this week I got pulled over, not even because I did anything wrong, but because a car we recently purchased didn’t have a plate on the front of the car and apparently that’s illegal in Missouri (we hadn’t put it on yet, because there is no bracket for it) and I officially cried in front of the state trooper, something I would normally NEVER do.  I don’t know if it helped (though I didn’t do it on purpose, I literally couldn’t help it!) but he didn’t give me a ticket.
• Food:  Nothing really exciting to add to say about food this week, really.  I’m utterly loving egg sandwiches lately, and grilled cheese sandwiches. And chocolate.  Always chocolate. 
• Bump: I’ve been trying to decipher the feel of baby moving and/or gas, digestion, etc etc.  So far, I think what I describe as a feel of muscle twitching or muscle spasms is the baby but I just don’t know yet for sure.  I described it to my friend at work and she said that’s what it feels like to her too, so that’s exciting! We’ll see as time goes on and I start to feel baby more …
• Mood: See: “Overall” 

19 Weeks: Baby

• Baby’s age: 19 weeks, 1 day
• Baby’s size: size of a mango; approximately 6 inches
• Baby’s weight: 8.5 oz
• Baby is right now developing coating of his/her skin called vernix caseosa and is also working on his/her five senses.  Nerve cells for his/her sense of taste, hearing, sight and smell are developing in brain.

Baby bump: 18 weeks

A little bit behind but better late then never …

18 Weeks: Me

• Overall:  Notes of the week: was a bit more tired than the previous week, but still feeling good. Lower back still hurts easily. I’m ready for spring weather to get here, that always boosts my mood and energy up even more. Instead, it’s been snowing!
• Food:  The week in food started out normal, but then I started feeling ravenously hungry towards the end of the week. Usually when I get like that, it helps to get “treats”, this week my favorite treats have been Honest Kids juices, chocolate milk, chocolate, and carbs. Also, I can officially eat chicken again.  But yogurt? No way.
• Bump: Growing.
• Mood: This one always seems to be the same.  Ha, in a weeks time, there’s a lot of ebb and flow of emotions!

18 Weeks: Baby

• Baby’s age: 18 weeks, 1 day
• Baby’s size: size of an sweet potato; approximately 5.6 inches
• Baby’s weight: 6.7 oz
• My app tells me that my baby is growing rapidly which is why I’m so hungry, ha.  Good timing, iPhone app, good timing.

Baby bump: 17 weeks

17 weeks!

We had our 16 week appointment this week and Baby Borger’s heart is beating away at 155.  On April 4th, we’ll have our sonogram and get to find out if Baby Borger is a he or a she! Crazy and exciting!

17 Weeks: Me

• Overall:  Good. The only very noticeable thing is that I easily get a lower back ache when standing for a long time or walking around for awhile.
• Food:  I ate chicken this week and didn’t absolutely hate it! Ha, I’m sure not craving it or anything, but at least it didn’t make me want to gag (at least not that much).  Other than that, carbs are my friend.
• Bump: Getting bigger still … (duh). My friend (who is also pregnant) and I went maternity clothes shopping this weekend, and I feel pretty set for spring and summer.  Now the weather just needs to catch up with my clothes!
• Mood: During the day, mostly I’m golden.  When I’m tired, I cry a lot … at everything.  Nothing new here!

17 Weeks: Baby

• Baby’s age: 17 weeks, 1 day
• Baby’s size: size of an onion; approximately 5.1 inches
• Baby’s weight: 5.9 oz

Baby bump: week 16

March is already flying by! Seems like just yesterday it was the 1st and now we’re already “springing forward” with daylight savings time.  I always love it when the daylight starts getting longer though and it seems with each more hour of sunshine motivation gets greater and wintertime blues diminish. So bring it on.

In case you missed it, my last post was something a little different, showcasing a few of baby’s first gifts including a wonderful quilt made by my mom. Check it out.

16 Weeks: Me

• Overall:  Not a bad week, though it has come with some sleepiness as well.  It seems there were some nights I just couldn’t get enough sleep. I’ve also been feeling like my heart is beating in my stomach a lot. I’m sure it’s all that extra blood flow. I also notice if I walk around a lot my lower back starts to hurt until I sit down or rest.
• Food:  This week, every single day for my 10:00 a.m. snack I had a piece of cake and pickles.  That’s probably all I need to say about that.
• Bump: I think with my tiredness came a growth spurt. I felt like there was a lot going on down there this week and though this picture was taken later in the day that normal, I still think it shows!
• Mood: It seems that when it rains it pours. Along with being extra tired comes extra moodiness. I would know the moment I needed to go to bed this week because suddenly everything could make me cry. When your mind can no longer process simple things and suddenly everything that is nothing hurts your feelings, you know it’s time to give up and just sleep, ha.

16 Weeks: Baby

• Baby’s age: 16 weeks, 1 day
• Baby’s size: size of an avocado; approximately 4.6 inches
• Baby’s weight: 3.5 oz
• Baby’s heart is now pumping approximately 25 quarts of blood every day, continually becoming more active. Bones are hardening and legs and arms are completely formed. Even though eyes are closed, they are making movements and even senses changes in light.

Ellie

So who’s ready to “spring forward” this weekend? I’m definitely not ready to lose an hour of sleep but I am ready for longer hours of daylight! I love this time of year when the sun starts shining longer and brighter and the weather starts warming up.  One thing it usually motivates me to do is get outside and get moving more soaking up beautiful springtime weather.  Winter blues, be gone!

And insert: Ellie.

I don’t pay attention to many of the companies that contact me for a review because they're simply not something I'm interested in but workout clohes? Yes, I couldn’t pass this one up. Ellie is a fairly new company that specializes in “highest quality activewear” that is “no longer an overpriced luxury item”.  I’m certainly the type that is a cheapo when it comes to fitness clothing.  It can be SO EXPENSIVE and I’m just not going to shell out $60-75+ for a workout shirt or pants, in fact, I think the most I’ve spent is $50 and that was hard enough. I do, however, notice SUCH a difference in quality between the really expensive brands out there and cheaper clothes from somewhere like Target.

First, the complimentary outfit I chose to review: the “Truth or Dare” racerback tank, and the “Heartbreaker” black capris …complete with a side pose belly bump photo, of course …

                       

How’d I like it

I didn't know what to expect with Ellie’s clothing, and I’m definitely not afraid to give my honest opinion, but I was actually pleasantly surprised with their quality, comfort, and breathability.  I get annoyed with having to adjust shirts and pants while working out and immediately I could tell these items would not have that problem. I also really like that Ellie is made in the USA.  Just as promised, their clothing lines are all very cute and the number one bonus in my opinion, also very reasonably priced, especially considering the quality.

I would definitely purchase more Ellie without hesitation, though I will probably wait until after baby, as I don’t know if I can comfortably wear these babies for much longer! I do feel the sizes ran a tad smaller than I expected, but if you do get a size that doesn't fit, Ellie will happily expect returns and you can find the right size for you.

How it Works

First, you take Ellie’s style quiz to let them know your size and style preferences which allows them to tailor your shopping experience and show you the looks you’ll likely enjoy the most.

Second, you can chose to be a non member and simply shop from what’s available or to become a member which entitles you to choose any two pieces each month for $49.95 including free shipping.  Read: my above outfit for $49.95. For good quality workout gear? Pretty solid price! With a membership, you can skip a month or cancel anytime you want so there doesn't have to be a long-term commitment either.

Try Ellie

If you want to try Ellie for yourself, you can receive an extra 20% off by clicking the link below!

Save 20% on Ellie!

Baby bump: 15 weeks

Time for the 15 week update!

I have a few other posts in the works, but just haven’t put the effort into getting them finished yet. After inadvertently taking a couple months off of blogging from The Purple Carrot and beginning this blog, I haven’t quite  gotten into a blogging groove yet, but hopefully I find my way into one soon.
One thing that I won’t miss, though, is these weekly updates. So here we go …

15 Weeks: Me

• Overall: Still feeling good this week overall. I had a mini cold for a couple of days that made me pretty tired.  Thankfully, it was pretty short lived and I bounced back easily.  I’ve also had a few evenings where nausea has come back, but nothing too bad at all, just a bit uncomfortable.
• Food: Hmm, nothing really new on the food front this week, and not particularly any huge cravings or changes.  I’m pretty much tired of pasta, veggies and chicken sausage and have mostly been thinking about kale, especially The Westside Local’s kale salad. After recently moving away from downtown KC, I sure have wished during this pregnancy I could still walk right up the street and get all my Westside cravings but I guess it makes it that much more delicious when I can’t do that anymore.
• Bump: See above, ha. I feel like thanks to my sister and a few shopping ventures I’ve got a nice new wardrobe forming to suit my needs the next almost 6 months.  It’s actually been kind of fun for me finding pregnancy clothes while looking forward to spring right around the corner and being able to wear capris, open toes shoes and no coats. (But I suppose I shouldn’t jump ahead of myself toooo much seeing how there’s still lots of snow outside)
• Mood: Mood this week has been pretty good, I’d say, aside from the cold I kind of had earlier in the week that left me exhausted. Emotionally, I’m definitely still more “myself”, though those hormones can still take over at any moment without so much as a warning!

15 Weeks: Baby

• Baby’s age: 15 weeks, 1 day
• Baby’s size: size of a navel orange; approximately 4.0 inches
• Baby’s weight: 2.5 oz
• Baby is now able to rub its eyes, yawn, blink, and has the ability to grasp the umbilical cord.  Hairline is forming and hair is now growing on its head, and baby can also now hear sounds.

A few of baby’s first gifts

As I mentioned in my 14 weeks update post, I got a care package from my mom and sister about a week ago with all kinds of goodies!

In The Beginning

It included Baby Borger’s first quilt!  It’s no secret my mom loves to quilt (see her blog, Quilting with Kris) and I was excited to get this in the mail.  It includes blocks telling the story of “in the beginning” of the seven days of creation. Thanks, mom 
 
Purple Carrot Kid
And next up, a perfect outfit for a child of ours. No explanation needed:

Erik actually ordered this off Etsy as one of my Christmas presents before we found out we were pregnant. So when he gave it to me just a couple days after we did find out, it was a wonderful and precious surprise!
It’s hand painted organic cotton from Sweetest Hue. Love it!

Baby bump: Week 14

Hello, hello, hello! Moving right along onto Week 14 …

14 Weeks: Me

• Overall: Noticing more energy these days with a lot more motivation to get things done. I can actually manage to chop vegetables and make a decent dinner without being extremely pooped out as I was before. I also relied heavily on frozen Amy’s foods on “I just want to eat right now” kind of nights. Thank goodness for Amy’s! 
• Food: This week … pasta! Give me lots of pasta! I discovered some organic Smart Chicken sausages recently that have revolutionized my meat eating, ha. Chicken breasts are still not something I want, and I had a lot of meatloaf and burgers in this 1st trimester so beef doesn’t sound great either. These sausages are a welcomed changed! They’re precooked too, so my favorite thing has been to chop them up and throw them in a pan with sautéed veggies, a generous amount of olive oil, and then mix in with some pasta. Yum! See?

• Bump: Still slowly growing.  My favorite and wonderful sister sent me some of her maternity clothes and I also got a pair of maternity jeans along with a few shirts on my own.  Those jeans? Talk about comfortable! I notice when wearing real maternity clothes, the bump really jumps out too.  (See above photo with a few of those said maternity clothes, ha).
• Mood: My crabby tendencies seem to be fading more and more and my “usual” personality is in more full swing.  I can still have plenty of good cries, but then again, emotional me always could 

14 Weeks: Baby

• Baby’s age: 14 weeks, 1 day
• Baby’s size: size of a lemon; approximately 3.4 inches
• Baby’s weight: 1.5 oz
• Baby is probably sucking his or her thumb and wiggling his or her toes; kidneys are making urine and liver and spleen are doing their jobs, too; him/her is growing lanugo, a thin, peach-fuzz like hair all over the body.

Baby bump: 13 weeks

And now onto 13 weeks!  Our 12 week appointment was on Monday and the baby’s heartbeat was beating strong at 163! It felt surreal hearing that fast, steady thump-thump; it’s not something I’ve been able to experience before. Up until that point, there was always a part of me that was nervous, scared. I’m sure it was partly due to my last experience with an almost 12 week appointment in which we only found out bad news.

Though at the same time, I’ve been realizing this is life.  I’ll likely find myself plenty of other things I’m tempted to worry about, no matter how much reassurance I receive.  And I think whether an expecting mother has had a previous miscarriage or not, it’s normal to be nervous.  I can choose whether to worry about everything happening in life, playing through what *could* happen or to just trust in God and think about all the good things happening right now! Sounds easier said than done, I know!  But it’s also pretty ironic how we always tend to think the worst what-ifs … why, instead, don’t we think about the best possible what-ifs?

13 Weeks: Me

• Baby’s age: 13 weeks, 1 day
• Me: Feeling good this week, about the same as last. Though I’m finding that I don’t have to go to the bathroom quite as much. Most of my jeans are very uncomfortable and feeling obtrusive so I have started utilizing theBeBand.  Leggings are good too.
• Food: I ate my first pregnancy pickle this week. I don’t typically like stereotypes but this one came true.  The medium sized jar was gone in a matter of days and I’m going to stock up on some more later on today. I still don’t want any chicken or yogurt. Especially yogurt.
• Bump: Though I don’t think you can tell much of a difference in the pictures, I feel like my belly is very slowly growing (well, duh, I guess that’s a given).  But it is noticeable to Erik and I, especially at nighttime.
• Mood: I am feeling a little bit more “myself” as I move onto the second trimester. My body doesn’t feel as tired but emotional exhaustion has been hitting me hard come about 9:00 p.m. in which just about anything can still make me cry.

13 Weeks: Baby
According to my iPhone apps, this week:

• Weighs about 20 grams and is nearly 3 inches long.
• Baby now has the ability to open and close its fists and to make sucking movements with the muscles in its mouth.
• Digestive system is developing into its final shapes including stomach, liver, pancreas and intestines.
• Baby's eyelids are fused shut to protect its eyes as they develop. Bones and skull are solidifying and soon itsy-bitsy ribs may appear.

Looking forward to another week!

Valentine’s Day

Happy Belated Valentine’s Day!

Just wanted to stop in and wish everyone a happy belated Valentine’s Day.  Hope it was a good one!



We really didn’t do much …a house and a baby are really enough for me anyways : )  Erik did bring home some goodies though! First off, some fun mugs. (I’m a sucker for mugs. I even have a Pinterest board dedicated to them).

Next, a card and my favorite, Justin’s peanut butter cups.  Yum!!



Purple Carrot Kids

Also, new 13 week update post is up on Purple Carrot Kids today.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Purple Carrot Kids

In case you don’t “like” The Purple Carrot on Facebook, are in Instagram, or just didn’t see my latest post on them …. big news in Purple Carrot land!  I tried to think of a creative way to announce it, but I’m too impatient and have to simply come right out and say it ….

Yep! Excited to announce Baby Borger will be making his or her appearance in late August :)


Purple Carrot Kids

Naturally, and in order to avoid inundating The Purple Carrot with all things baby and pregnancy, I’ve created another more personal blog for such a purpose. Introducing … Purple Carrot Kids :: Where the art of real food meets family ; )

While I’ll still post updates here and there on The Purple Carrot, the main outlet and all the details for baby will be found on Purple Carrot Kids.

Our Miscarriage Story

While most of you won’t know this, as we really only told a small amount of people, about a year ago Erik and I miscarried at 8 weeks. Purple Carrot Kids was initially born then, but I have kept it private and pretty much dormant until now. The few posts I have left up from the past are our miscarriage story and a few posts of struggle afterwards leading up until now.  It was a very hard thing to go through, and by leaving up our story, I hope to be able to sympathize with others who have gone through the same thing and also bring encouragement as I go onto a second pregnancy after miscarrying. 

So there you have it!
We’re so very excited and blessed to be where we are right now, and thank you all for your words of congratulations!

Baby bump: 12 weeks

Here we are with Baby Borger’s photo debut at 12 weeks!  Our 12 week appointment is this Monday, the 11th, and I couldn’t be more excited to go in and hear that little heartbeat. Come on, Monday, get here! Until then …

12 Weeks Update

• Baby’s age: 12 weeks, 1 day
• Baby is as big as: A peach (3 inches long)
• Me: Feeling good so far this week. Have a little lingering morning sickness that mostly comes by at night when it does decide to visit. I must say, though, I never had really bad MS.
• Food: I think more than morning sickness, my general “ick” feeling as come from food aversions. The two main culprits? Chicken and yogurt. Eww!!!
• Bump: I can definitely see my belly getting bigger, especially at nighttime when I’m stuffed of food and bloated on top of it all. A small bump appeared as early as about 10 weeks.
• Mood: I’m a crank, to say the least. Just ask my husband. Really, I feel sorry for him. I’m mean, and it’s like I can’t help it.  So far, I’m easily irritated, certain smells make me gag and I get even more irritated (Chobani banana yogurt and the smell of the gym lingering on my husband when he comes home from work to name a few of the biggest ones). Of course, this also leads to many ‘a unexplained tears.  All in all, I guess I’m pretty normal then, ha.

That’s it for now! Back with more posts later.

I'm allliiiiiive! (And Good Health KC Magazine)

So … apparently I haven’t posted since NOVEMBER!?

However, I am still very much alive, ha. It’s been a whirlwind of a past almost three months with quite a lot of changes going on. Just to name a few:

• Erik got a job as a fitness specialist at a hospital in St Joe (a little bit north of KC).
• I got my old job back in St. Joe as a transcriptionist at an insurance company.
• Subsequently, we moved to St. Joe.
• We bought a house.
• Said house previously had a fire so right now there’s absolutely nothing in it. At all.
• Therefore, renovations are just about to begin.
• Until said house is complete, we’re staying at Erik’s mom’s house.

There is one more change that has recently happened, but we shall save it for a later date.  Don’t you think getting new jobs, a new town, and a new house is enough for one day? Yes, I thought so too.

We certainly never expected to be moving just a few short months after finally ending up in the perfect location downtown but sometimes life just doesn’t pan out quite the way we expect it to.  I already miss a lot about being so close to our friends and favorite spots; Little Freshie, Westside Local, and Quay Coffee just to name a few but we feel very much at peace with our new surroundings and we’re not very far away!

Good Health KC

Last but not least, check out this winter’s edition of Good Health KC Magazine, specifically page 46 ; ) Online edition can be found right here.

**Note: As you can tell if you click on the link, the left caption says the recipes are courtesy of American Heart Association but they’re actually from right here at The Purple Carrot. They must have just forgotten to change that part. Oh well!

 

It features our sloppy lentils recipe alongside homemade kettle style chips. An excellent combo if I do say so myself!

I will be back soon! It won’t take three months again, I promise.