My Pregnancy: Week 5

Baby's now the size of an appleseed!

Your embryo (looking kind of like a tadpole) is starting to form major organs (heart, kidney, liver, stomach) and systems (nervous, circulatory, digestive).  Baby's presence in your uterus triggers production of hCG (the hormone detected by pregnancy tests)...which triggers production of other hormones like estrogen and progesterone...which trigger all those great symptoms you've probably been noticing!

It has only been a week since I took that test and confirmed that you are coming.  Crazy.  I'm beginning to get a sense of just how long these next 30 weeks are going to be.  The biggest highlight this week was that we decided to tell your grandparents, aunts, and uncles about you.  For my family, I made them all Valentine's Day cards with name tags inside that said, "Hi, my name is Aunt Annie."  For Dad's side, a simple phone call was more than enough to send them through the roof.  We weren't going to tell anyone for a while yet, but we had some insurance issues, and it was Valentine's Day, and I needed to be able to talk to someone before I exploded with joy.  No one else will know about you for quite a while though, if your grandmas can keep their mouths shut that long.

I don't kow if it was just because I knew I was pregnant, but I definitely started noticing a lot more pregnancy symptoms this week.  The biggest one was the total and complete exhaustion that set in a few days ago.  My mom (your Granny D) always told me how that was her main pregnancy symptom and it seems I inherited that.  I'd always suspected I would, but I was shocked at how hard and fast it set it.  I can easily sleep for 10 hours at night, lay around most of the morning, and still be tired in the afternoon.  If I didn't have to work, I'd be sleeping a whole lot more!

The second biggest symptom I've noticed this week is how much thirstier I am on a regular basis.  I was never a huge water drinker, but now I can't seem to get enough!  I have at least doubled (if not tripled) my liquid intake over the last week.  The downside is that also means two to three times as many trips to the bathroom; usually including at least one in the early morning hours.  Guess it is something to get used to since I've heard that will only increase as time goes by as well.

Love you Baby!

My Pregnancy: Week 4

Baby's now the size of a poppyseed!

Now safe in your womb, the ball of cells (blastocyst) is splitting into the embryo (your future child) and placenta.  Outside this microscopic spcik (the amniotic sac and fluid are forming into protective cushioning.

Your tiny little baby is busily settling into her new home (your uterus) though it may just feel like PMS to you.  So in addition to the miracle of life, you can also welcome these beautiful first gifts of motherhood: bloating, cramping, and manaiacal mood swings.

This past week I was feeling pretty crappy--bloated, nauseous, slightly crampy, etc.  Since this was supposed to be the week of my period, I dismissed these symptoms as PMS, disappointed that we had failed to conceive.

But as the days went by and still no period, I started to notice small but significant differences in how I was feeling compared to how I normally feel during this time of the month.

So, I took a pregnancy test and was rewarded with a positive result!  Suddenly, knowing why I was feeling sick made it not seem so bad. :)

It's Positive!

Dearest Baby Ziebarth,

Wow.  I love seeing that written out.  Baby Ziebarth.  My baby Ziebarth.  Your dad and I have been waiting for you for months now.  Our lives were turned upside down shortly after we decided we were ready for a baby. Months went by and we felt displaced and more dependent on others that we would have liked.  Fortunately, with the beginning of the new year, our lives finally stabilized and you were once again a top priority in our thoughts.

A couple of weeks ago, I was an emotional wreck for no apparent reason.  Whenever this happens, I know that special time of the month is coming.  Disappointed, I told your dad that I didn't think we were pregnant.  He comforted me and we agreed that we wouldn't give up hope.

This lask week, I started feeling pretty crappy, emotional, and downright drained.  As time went by, I realized that this was different.  I took a pregnancy test, hoping that the sickness I was feeling was my body's way of telling me that you were there.  I was rewarded with a positive result and was ecstatic, to say the least.  I rushed upstairs and showed your dad the test.  His face immediately lit up with a huge smile.  He kept asking, "Really?  Really?" as he picked me up and twirled me around.  Yes, we are going to be parents!

Since then, I have had little else but baby on the brain.  I spent hours reading, researching, and planning--to the point where I couldn't get my brain to shut off and go to sleep even though I was exhausted.  I figure I'm only about 4 weeks along, which puts you with an estimated due date of 10/11/11.  I am keeping this record of your growth so that someday, when you ask me what it was like, I'll be able to show you with more details than I may recall later.

Baby, I want you to know that your daddy and I love you so very much already and can't wait to watch as you grow and develop to the point where we can finally meet you. 

Love,

Mommy