20 weeks

HALFWAY THERE!!!!!!!! 20 weeks down, 20 to go. I can hardly believe how fast time is flying, and yet how much longer we still have to wait to meet our little one! I must say, it’s a huge relief to be over the halfway mark. The further away I get from all-day-sickness (and the closer to Baby!), the better.

Speaking of, I finally felt hunger again for the first time this week!! It was a long-awaited, highly anticipated feeling…that never went away. Yup, that’s right. I spent the better part of the last 5 months yearning for that empty stomach feeling to satisfy – and now that it’s finally arrived, it cannot be quenched. I must have eaten 3 consecutive breakfasts this morning, and alas, my stomach was still growling…

Makes sense though. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about pregnancy, it is that everything is an extreme. I sleep like a rock or I’m tossing and turning all night. I don’t have to pee or I’m going to wet my pants. I’m bawling my eyes out or laughing hysterically. There’s not much in-between. So I shouldn’t be surprised that it’s either food repulsion or gluttony. Now if the hunger truly never subsides, we could have a problem. But after 10+ weeks of what felt like the 24-hour flu, I’ll take it!

Plus, Baby needs nutrition for all the growing he’s doing! He weighs around 10 ½ ounces now and is about 10 inches from head to foot – roughly the length of a banana. His big project this week is swallowing and digestion (go figure). And in two short days he’ll be strutting his stuff on the big screen in front of mom-and-dad-to-be at the big anatomy ultrasound! Stay tuned for updates next week. We can’t wait!   

 
As for the week, it was a pretty busy one – complete with an in-law family dinner outing, final bridesmaid’s dress fittings, a Collin Hay concert downtown, and finally the big Lewis wedding weekend! Tom and I drove down to Peoria on Friday for the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, and evening drinks (mocktails for us, of course); and spent the rest of the weekend celebrating the union of two of our closest college friends, Allison & Doug. The weather was beautiful. The bride was gorgeous. The reception was fun. In sum, the day was perfect. And Tom and I were so honored to stand up next to our friends on the most important day of their lives and witness their undeniable love.

And you know what they say: first come love, then comes marriage, then comes….;)

 

19 weeks

I’ve been getting “the question” a lot lately, so for anyone else who might be wondering…no, Tom and I are not finding out the gender of our baby before it's born. Since there are many pros & cons for both finding out and waiting, we decided that it mostly comes down to when you want the surprise: before or after the baby is born. For us, we think it will be more exciting to find out in the delivery room, as our beautiful baby boy or girl is being handed to us for the very first time; the same way it is more thrilling to open up a Christmas or birthday present when you don't know what's inside. Having said that, I totally believe that each expectant couple must make the decision that's right for them and them alone, and that their personal choice should not be judged or ridiculed by others. (Can you tell I’ve met some very opinionated people on both sides of the aisle?!)

After making our decision to wait, we also decided to switch off referring to the baby as "he" or "she" every week. That way we avoid having to refer to the baby as the inhuman/impersonal "it" and I bypass the annoyance of typing s/he and him/her in every blog entry. The weekly fetal development updates I get use the same strategy, and this week they are referring to the baby as a female – and so shall we! So from here on out, odd weeks are ‘girl’ and even weeks are ‘boy’. Tom’s dad (who has a strong hunch he’s getting a grandson) pointed out that Baby will be born on a “boy week” at week 40. I was just about to consider it an omen when Tom pointed out that the baby could come at 39 weeks or even 41 weeks, making the point moot. And then I just about cried at the thought of going 41 weeks…

Anyway, Baby is hard at work this week developing her senses. She can even hear now! Tom has prepared for this step by talking to my belly every day. He even told it a made up story entitled The Princess and the Schlub, which suspiciously resembled the story of how the two of us met. What a funny schlub. I mean guy ;)

Overall, it was a pretty fun week. We spent some relaxing time at the cottage with the Leschkes, watched the first regular season Packer game with the Vandenbergs, and celebrated our friend Jackie’s birthday with burgers and froyo downtown. Speaking of Jackie, remember back in week 10 when I mentioned knowing another couple that is also expecting? The secret is out…it’s Danny and Jackie Knabel: our first medical school acquaintances, the first people we shared our pregnancy news with, and our best friends here in Milwaukee. Now I can finally post a picture of the adorable onesie they gave our baby to announce theirs. We love you already, Baby K!   

18 weeks

HAPPY LABOR DAY! Baby, daddy, and I spent a much-needed long weekend in Peoria, IL, partaking in pre-wedding festivities for our college friends, Allison & Doug! Tom and I were so excited to finally "introduce" Baby L to its Butler Aunties and Uncle! The bridal shower/bachelorette party day was a raging success (despite a vomiting relapse the morning of [sigh]), and the mini college reunion the day after was just what the doctor ordered. 

 

Baby Leschke is growing fast, already measuring around 5 ½ inches long and weighing in around 7 ounces. S/he is about the size of a bell pepper and is mastering the arts of hiccupping and yawning. S/he is growing ever-more unique, with his/her own set of fingerprints on his/her tiny fingers and toes! And while I can’t feel the movements consistently yet, Baby is twisting, rolling, punching, and kicking more than ever.

This is the first week I’ve really started to “feel pregnant.” My baby belly seems to have “popped,” and I’m looking more expectant and less like I just ate a few too many cookies. Consequently, my center of balance is slightly off, and I’m feeling a little clumsier on my feet. I also get faintly dizzy every time I stand up quickly and am having more trouble finding a relaxing position to sleep. Strangest of all, my pre-pregnancy pants are no longer comfortably accommodating Little L, so I’ve graduated to mostly belly bands and even a few demi panel pants. I thought the transition would be defeating, but so far the relief has outweighed the humiliation. Turns out liberation knows no shame.

The pregnancy also seems to be much more “real” to Tom now. Whether it be the increasingly visible evidence of Baby or the looming reality of being almost halfway to d-day, I’ve been getting lots more belly rubs, help around the house, and special treatment. I even woke up this morning to a beautiful fresh bouquet of flowers and warm donuts. While the extra attention is more than welcome, what warms my heart the most is the increased excitement in his voice when talking to people about our newest addition and his tendency to use inclusive terminology when referring to the pregnancy (“we’re pregnant,” “our doctor’s appointment,” “we are 18 weeks along now,” etc.). It reminds me that we are truly experiencing this together. Or, as Tom told me at the very beginning, “I’m in this with you 110%.” I’m one lucky girl.

17 weeks

It is with great hesitation that I say this...but I think I might be sort of starting to feel better. I'm trying not to get my hopes up in case things go south again, but I've had better control over my symptoms since my prenatal checkup on Friday. My doctor thinks my ongoing headaches are "estrogen headaches," and she is hopeful that I will be able to manage them through lifestyle changes (whew!). She increased my water and caloric intake and instructed me to eat more frequently throughout the day. She thinks this new diet plan will help with my headaches, nausea, and weight gain...so it's definitely worth a try! I thought I'd be miserable forcing myself to eat and drink when I don't feel like it, but it seems that keeping my stomach from being empty is key to keeping the nausea at bay (for the most part) and also diminishing the headaches. I haven't gained any weight back yet, but I've finally stopped losing - so overall, I'm on the right track!

Daddy-to-be had a lot of studying to do this weekend, but took some time off to watch the Packers preseason game with Baby and I at BWW on Friday and to get FroYo with our friends on Saturday. On Sunday, I took a day trip to Chicago with my parents to visit my sister, Kristen - who was bound and determined to find something cute and gender neutral (a difficult combination these days) to get her future niece/nephew. Grandma (Mimi) also got an outfit for baby that day, and Auntie Sarah had already sent a onesie combo and washcloths. Not to mention that all three of them have also already bought baby books and a few random other things (towels, blankets, toys, etc.). Needless to say, Baby Leschke is already officially spoiled! ;)

16 weeks

Greetings from purgatory! I must have spoken too soon about starting to feel better, because yesterday was undoubtedly the worst day of my pregnancy so far. I woke up at 5am with a blinding headache that would not allow me to fall back asleep…and proceeded to spend the rest of the day exhausted, in agonizing pain, and eventually throwing up. It was so bad that I started to feel weak and feverish by midday. To make matters worse, Tom was on overnight call and thus unavailable to monitor my temperature and force me to drink the appropriate fluids (per usual). Luckily, when doctor-to-be finally arrived home, he brought me some soup, got ice packs for my forehead, and put me to bed. What a guy.

I wish I could say my experience yesterday was a fluke or some short-lived, random bout of illness…but my headaches have been pretty relentless over the past week. For the most part, I’ve been having them all day every day –to the point where sometimes my only options are to take medication or go to sleep. Since sleep is not always a viable option (particularly in the middle of the workday), I have been turning to acetaminophen – which helps dull the pain, but is not a safe, permanent solution. I’m counting down the days until my next OB appointment on Friday to get some much-needed advice.

On a happier note, one of my best friends from high school visited Wisconsin this week! I’ve known Lauren since the first grade, and had the pleasure of living in the same city as her for the better part of 22 years. So when Tom and I left Indianapolis after college and she stayed, it was a tough transition. Seeing each other so infrequently over the past 3 years has been hard on us, so I always treasure the time we do get to spend together. And when we finally are able to catch up in person, it’s like no time has passed at all. The mark of a true friendship if you ask me!

As far as Baby goes, s/he is about the size of an avocado: 3 ½ ounces and 4 ½ inches long. Plus, s/he is expected to grow in height and double his/her weight this week! And here I thought my belly already “popped”– can’t wait to see what next week brings. Hopefully it will come with less headaches ;)

15 weeks

Sweet relief! I’ve felt relatively decent now for 4 days in a row. Granted, I’m nowhere near having my normal appetite back – but I also don’t feel like I’m going to throw up all over everyone…so I’ll take it! I’m still getting slightly nauseous when I go several hours without eating, though, so I’m highly looking forward to the day where I’ll feel hungry again instead of queasy. Plus I’m developing some particularly nasty headaches, so hopefully that doesn’t become habitual.

We had a pretty busy week this week. We met Tom’s mom and brother for dinner in Milwaukee on Monday, went to River Rhythms downtown with my colleagues on Wednesday, and went to Concerts at the Park in Hales Corners with our med school friends on Thursday. Tom also had his first overnight call shift at the hospital on Thursday, which was hard on both of us. But Friday we made up for it by going to the first Packers preseason game!! After a pretty disappointing Brewers season, it was exciting to celebrate the kickoff of football season in one of the greatest places on earth: Lambeau Field. 

We even walked away with a souvenir of Baby Leschke’s first Packers game…a 3-pack of GBP newborn onesies! (A must-have for any son or daughter of ours ;)

 

We stayed overnight in Oshkosh on Friday, and then headed to Little Chute with my parents on Saturday to see my Aunt Christie, Uncle Bill, cousin Scott and his brand new fiancé, Krista! We spent the afternoon grilling, sitting in the backyard, and celebrating the new pregnancy and engagement. It was great, as always, to see them and share in each other’s happiness.

But the really big news this week is….(drumroll please)….I felt the baby move for the first time!! It happened unexpectedly at work on Friday, and almost made me just right out of my chair! I had felt a few twitches/flutters in the past that made me question if it was the baby, but Friday’s movement was pretty unmistakable. It was a tumbling/rolling sensation I have never felt before in my life, and there was no other explanation for it. I eagerly called my mom afterward, who quickly confirmed my suspicions that I had, in fact, felt our baby for the very first time.

Then after lying down for bed on Saturday night, right as Tom put his hand on my belly to say goodnight to Baby, I felt him/her move again! It was almost as if Baby had sensed Daddy’s touch and was saying goodnight right back to him ;)

14 weeks

Nothing quite like spending the first official morning of my 2^nd trimester with my head in the toilet! Ugh. And my weekly pregnancy updates are mocking me with congratulations on getting my appetite and energy back. I wish! My doctor offered me nausea medication at my last prenatal appointment...and if I don’t start feeling better by the end of this week, I might just have to take her up on it.

I keep hearing that unhealthy mama=healthy baby, so that’s what I’m hoping for! This week, baby is about the size of a lemon, and his/her kidneys, liver, and spleen are starting to do their jobs. Baby has also started making facial expressions and is already sucking his/her thumb :)

In other news, Tom started his surgical rotation at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin this week, and so far it has been much more demanding than his previous one. He has been waking up at 4am and working 13+ hour days (boo!). But he’s taking it like a champ, of course, and making his wife and baby proud.

To relax after a long workweek, we spent some time at the cottage this weekend and got to see the Leschke’s close family friends, The Livermores. It was a long-awaited reunion for the “Liverschke” kids, and so much fun to share in the excitement of our pregnancy with everyone.

You are already anxiously awaited by many, Littlest Leschke!