10 weeks

Well, it's official! Baby has graduated from an embryo to a fetus. Which means the most crucial part of development is over, and during the coming months baby will be rapidly maturing and growing. S/he has little finger- and toe-nails already and "peach-fuzz" hair is staring to grow. Baby's limbs can also bend now and s/he is swallowing and kicking like crazy! Can hardly believe s/he is already about the size of a kumquat...or that I had to look up what a kumquat was.

In case you were wondering, it was not my prenatal vitos that made me toss my cookies last week - it was what I ate with my vitamins. I realized this after eating the same thing as an afternoon snack at work and subsequently having another bad reaction on my car ride home. The culprit? Yogurt. I can hardly even say the word without gagging now. This is unfortunate as yogurt is technically a pregnancy "super-food," but apparently baby thinks it is a super-don't. Since "the incident" I have been avoiding Chobani at all costs and haven't had to run to the bathroom again...yet.

Baby had a lot of "firsts" this week! First concert, first 4th of July, and even made his/her first future friend. Baby’s first concert was Florida-Georgia Line, Thompson Square, and Luke Bryan at Summerfest...in hopes of encouraging baby's love for country music. We went to the show with Deidre (one of my best friends from high school) who, when she found out about she was going to be an Aunt, said she hopes it's a girl so she can buy her cute clothes ;)

Baby’s first 4th of July was nice. Tom had off work, so we went home to Oshkosh and spent the day with my parents and my sister, Kristen. We had appetizers and drinks on the lake (virgin bloody for me of course), saw a movie (during which my family was embarrassed by my uncontrollable laughter), and had a cookout for dinner. Then the whole drive home we saw fireworks light up the sky as proud Americans celebrated our independence. So happy that baby will be a citizen of this great country.

Finally, we spent Saturday afternoon in the park with our good friends, who announced that they are also expecting!! They shared the news by giving us a personalized onesie for Baby Leschke that says "My Best Friend is Baby [last name here]" on the front and "First Play Date February 2014" on the back. In the interest of keeping their secret, we are of course not revealing their identity...but we couldn't be more thrilled for them. My friend and I are so excited to be able to share this experience together, take maternity leave at the same time, and have instant future friends for our little ones. Life is good :)

9 weeks

 

NAUSEA. That pretty much sums up this week for baby and I. It turns out my strange food aversion/eating relief cycle is indeed a fun form of morning sickness  (or, as I like to called it, all-day-sickness). Except now the food aversion part has turned into full-fledged nausea, and the relief after eating only lasts approximately 20 minutes or so. Oh, the joys. Plus, I had the pleasure of experiencing my first round of physical illness this past weekend, which I am hoping was just the rare result of taking prenatals on a mostly empty stomach (fingers crossed!).

On a more positive note, Tom and I got to tell another person about Baby this week! One of our best friends from college, Stefanie, came to Milwaukee on business and spent a night with us. So instead of feigning illness to explain our avoidance of adult beverages, we decided to just take the opportunity to tell her in person (albeit a little early). She was so happy for us, and we were relieved to just tell the truth and be able to talk about it openly.

Telling lies and keeping secrets has definitely been the hardest part so far. This pregnancy is the most exciting and important news of our married life, so it’s counterintuitive to be hiding its existence from the people we love. And, with all of the happy hour and party invitations I have been turning down, I’m pretty sure my friends and coworkers are starting to think I’m super lame. Plus, I’m starting to run out of different variations of “I don’t feel good” and “I’m busy” excuses.

Well, as much as I would love to write more, it’s 10pm and waaaay past my bedtime. Okay, so maybe I am super lame…but at lease I have a pretty good reason for it ;)

8 weeks

Well, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, we finally had our first ultrasound appointment today!! There's nothing that quite prepares you for the moment that you first set eyes on the life growing inside of you. It's like God giving you a glimpse of a miracle he's creating. Seeing that tiny little form up there on the screen with an unmistakable heartbeat brought us an overwhelming joy that we never could have imagined...

...not to mention relief! For the first time today, our doctor was able to confidently tell us that the pregnancy is progressing normally and that everything looks great. Baby is measuring at 8 weeks, 0 days exactly (just as predicted), and has a very strong heartbeat of about 150bpm. Best news I've ever heard! And totally worth the agonizing 8 weeks it took to hear it ;)

Although our 2D ultrasound was not yet able to distinguish them, baby already has little fingers and toes, and - much to the neuropsychometrist's delight - it's brain cells are forming primitive neural pathways! Baby is the size of a kidney bean, and although I can't yet feel it, is spontaneously moving and shifting all by itself.

Baby also has its Daddy back! (for now). Tom took his boards exam on Friday, and the "three" of us spent a much-anticipated long weekend celebrating. We went to two Brewers games (both of which they won!), saw a couple of movies, tried out a new (and delicious!) brunch spot after church, took a 5-mile walk downtown by the lake, and spent a day at the zoo.

Then finally, Baby Leschke, we saw you...for the very first time today. And as small and blurry as you were, you were beautiful. And we love you so much already.

7 weeks

Another big week for baby! S/he has doubled in size since last week and is starting to develop little hands and feet! It’s crazy to think that such huge transformations are taking place inside me without me feeling a thing. Well, I shouldn’t say I don’t feel anything. I do have raging heartburn, and – sadly – my decreased appetite has seemingly turned into a global food aversion (sigh). It’s especially complicated because I have no desire to eat anything at all; but the longer I go without food, the sicker I feel. If I can actually force myself to eat something, I do feel some relief…so I guess it’s just the initial ingestion process that’s ailing me. Is this my own weird, personal version of morning sickness?!

1 week and counting until our first ultrasound appointment! While I hate to admit it, I’ve been relatively anxious thus far – so I’m hoping our first sonogram will ease some of my first pregnancy worries. By this time next week, we should be able to see a heartbeat and measure the baby’s development and progress. Hopefully we’ll be right on track!

Also by this time next week, Tom will be finished with his step 1 medical boards exam!! This Friday, all of his hard work and studying will finally pay off as he takes the biggest and most important test of his life. We are so looking forward to putting this arduous and stressful time behind us and having the chance to spend more time together…just the three of us ;)

Finally, a very happy Father’s Day to all current and expectant fathers out there! I was blessed with one the best, and I am so thankful that my baby will be, too. Tom is the most loving and devoted husband, and there is no doubt in my mind that he will be the consummate father as well. Baby and I are so lucky to have him in our lives.

6 weeks

A mere two weeks ago, baby was only the size of a poppy seed. Today, baby is the size of a sweet pea with a heart the size of a poppy seed! His/her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears are starting to form- as well as the rest of his/her brain, muscles, and bones. Can’t believe how quickly the baby is developing.  As Tom would say, "S/he is already growing up so fast!" ;)

This past week I had my first set of labs done (so. much. blood.) and scheduled my first ultrasound (June 24^th can’t come soon enough!). I also had to set up a first trimester screening and genetic consultation. I learned that I’m going to have prenatal appointments every four weeks until I’m 28 weeks along, every two weeks until I’m 36 weeks along, and then every week until the baby comes! And I thought I could save up my sick time for maternity leave…ha!

As far as symptoms go, no major new developments. Still have little-to-no appetite (accompanied by insatiable thirst), can’t go an hour without a trip to the ladies’ room, and haven’t slept through the night since the big news. The biggest change (besides losing my incessant need for salsa – to Tom’s dismay) is my endless fatigue. This weekend, I pulled a major mom-move and fell asleep on the sofa by 9pm. Y.I.K.E.S. Hopefully I get some energy back soon – any little bit would help! 

To help keep active (and – let’s face it – stay awake), Tom and I have been going for long walks on the trails through the woods near our apartment. It’s been nice to get outside, breathe some fresh air, enjoy the weather, and spend some quality, uninterrupted time together (especially since that will be rare come February!). Being frustrated by losing my more challenging workout routine, however, I went online and purchased some prenatal workout DVD’s…so we’ll see how that goes! We also bought our first pregnancy books this week: The Complete Book of Baby Names and What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Plus my thoughtful sister, Sarah, sent me Baby Bargains and The Girlfriends’ Guide to Pregnancy. Good thing I love exercising and reading, because it looks like I’ll be doing a lot of it over the next 7 ½ months. Can’t wait to get started!

Happy Anniversary!

Mom- and Dad-to-be celebrate 2 years of wedded bliss. This time next year there will be three of us :)

"Then" 6/4/11

"Now" 6/4/13

5 weeks

 

Big week this week. Baby is the size of a sesame seed! And so is mom’s appetite. Not feeling nauseous or getting sick, but definitely not interested in eating food. I’ve been sticking to frequent, small snacks consisting mostly of fruits, veggies, and yogurt. Despite my general disinterest in food, there is one thing I can’t get enough of: SALSA. That’s right, my very first pregnancy craving! Before this, I was rather ambivalent toward salsa – and now I cannot get enough. Tom is quite enjoying this new development, as he is an avid salsa fan and – for the first time in our marriage – a jar (or 2 or 3) can always be found in our cupboards.

Other than that, the only other symptoms I’m having so far are heartburn (which I’ve never really had before), frequent trips to the ladies room (which I had had before, but not at such an astonishing rate), difficulty sleeping (complicated by the train and my beloved husband’s snoring), and unquenchable thirst (which can only be satisfied by milk and/or water). Nothing too overwhelming, though, and overall I feel pretty normal so far. Knock on wood!

In other news, we made our first pregnancy announcements this week! Sadly, we didn’t make it one day before telling our friends Danny and Jackie who live with us in Wauwatosa. They got married on the same day (and at the exact same time!) as us, have been going through medical school with us, and have been on par with us regarding starting a family. We knew they would find out within the week (when I would have to turn down alcohol during happy hour), so we met them at Gille’s Frozen Custard on our way back into town and – for the first time – shared our big news! They were beyond excited, and it made it feel even more real to have other people know about our little one.    

Having spent a week in secret agony, we spontaneously decided to tell our families the following weekend. First, we drove to Oshkosh to visit the Vandenbergs. Having always shared an unconditional love for the Milwaukee Brewers with them, I purchased a maternity Brewers T-shirt with the words “Future Fan” and an arrow pointing to my stomach. When we came through the door, my Dad absentmindedly pointed at my shirt, saying “How ‘bout them Brewers?” When all he got in response were raised eyebrows from me and a boyish grin from Tom, he looked a little closer – then did a double take. His eyes widened as he looked up at me and said, “NO WAY! Really?!?” My mom, overhearing my Dad’s reaction from the adjacent room, came racing in yelling, “I KNEW IT!” before even seeing the shirt. In true motherly fashion, she had – in fact – known it. 

The next day we headed to Wautoma where all but 1 Leschke were gathered for a weekend at the cottage. Tom’s childhood is often characterized by his adoration for superheroes and his tendency to dress up as his most beloved idol: Superman. So, disguised as a combined Mothers/Fathers Day gift, we wrapped up a tiny Superman onesie and attached a note that read: COMING FEB 3^rd, and gave it to Tom’s parents while the family was gathered in the sunroom. Tom’s dad laughed. His mother cried. And champagne was served for everyone…but me (and Tom, who has chosen to also abstain from alcohol– as he would say – “ in solidarity”).

Finally, (I told you it was a big week!) – we had our very first prenatal appointment, where we learned about the laundry list of things one should not eat, drink, do, or think while being pregnant. Bye-bye booze. Bye-bye soft cheeses. Bye-bye hot tubs and bike rides. Hello nine months of crazy, beautiful, scary, exciting, mysterious, magical wonder.