BABY BUMP UPDATE: 20 WEEKS.

How far along? 20 weeks!

How big is baby? As long as a Banana and as big as a melon! 

Total weight gain/loss: About 9 pounds.

Maternity clothes? Yup! I can still fit into most of my pre-pregnancy clothes, but it's more fun to wear maternity clothes... plus that way I get to show off my little bump! However, My jeans do not fit anymore... I am carrying very low so it is impossible to button anything. I invested in some maternity leggings as well as some maternity work pants and they the best/most comfiest things ever! 

Sleep: Luckily I am sleeping very good at this point. I only wake up once right now to go pee and its usually around 2:50am... on the dot... every single night.

Best moment this week: Well last week we were able to FIND OUT THE GENDER! And it was such an awesome day. My parents were in town and were able to come to the ultrasound along with my in-laws. It made it so special for us to have everyone in on the experience. My dad especially was amazed at the ultrasound. Although when they changed it to 3D, he said the baby looked like a monkey and a lizard.... so true.... but the cutest little monkey lizard I've ever seen!! We looked away when the ultrasound tech showed the 'gender' but the parent's saw. Then they went outside and decorated our car in ALL BLUE so when we walked out into the parking lot we would know if it was a boy or a girl! We had a strong feeling this whole time that it was a boy- but it was still such a great moment to actually know for sure! LET THE SHOPPING BEGIN! :) 

Movement: YES! Ever since day 1, my placenta has been growing anteriorly, which means it has been growing towards the front. This is why, according to my dr, I started showing my bump a little earlier than others because it was pushing my stomach out. But after researching about this, I heard that it could cause you not to feel your baby kick or move for a long time after most people because it kind of acts as a pillow that muffles movement which made me sad. But this week, it was almost like over night, I feel the baby kick and move alllllll the time. Mostly in the mornings right when I get up and then he seems to like to sleep all throughout the day when I'm at work and then right when it gets dark outside he goes to town dancing and punching. He is quite the night owl I have discovered. Yay for me..... But I love feeling his tiny movements. It is the craziest thing in the world. Tanner is always grabbing my belly trying to feel, but it's a little early for that. Hopefully within the next week or two he will be able to get a good feel!

Food cravings: Cheese pizza from Costco (very specific), fruit, anything Mexican or spicy, anything sour. 

Food Aversions: None really, except the foods that I hated pre-pregnancy, I hate even more now. No one better come around with Tuna or I might slap you. 

Gender: BOY

Labor Signs: None! Except my back hurts so bad sometimes I feel like I am in labor. Yikes.

Pregnancy Symptoms: BACK PAIN. That is really the only thing I can complain about right now. I have always had back problems since high school, but it's like on a whole different level now. Luckily I have an amazing, patient husband who doesn't mind relentlessly rubbing my back. 

Belly Button in or out? In! But I can see that it is tightening and making its way out.

What I miss: Honestly, I have the easiest pregnancy so far. I'm not going to lie, I miss having a tiny waist. I also miss being able to run very long distances without feeling like I'm going to honestly faint after mile 2 or the feeling of my back breaking in half while trying to run hills. But those things I know I can gain back after the sweet little babe is born. Also, I miss eating raw cookie dough from the bowl... in handfuls...without feeling guilty... because I'm super healthy like that.

What I am looking forward to: Decorating the nursery!! Now that we know it's a boy, I have the entire color scheme and everything picked out. We are going to go paint shopping this weekend and I'm so excited to finally start painting and making this all seem even more real! 

Upcoming appointments/events: My next OB apt is March 12th... And we have pretty much decided that my baby shower in Vancouver will be April 18th! The day after my birthday! I can't wait. Also painting the nursery is next on the To-Do list! 

Milestones: Feeling the baby kick/move so much & finding out the gender for sure!

How it all happened.

So let me begin by stating the obvious fact that I haven't updated in a while.
I guess that is proof enough of how crazy our lives have been the past 5 months.
From moving across the country (again), to finding our first house in Washington, to my new, first official post-graduate job, to finding out I was pregnant, to everything in between... it has been the most insane past couple a lot of months to say the least.
I still feel like we are nailing down a routine that just hasn't fallen into place yet. I am coming to terms with the fact that my life will ALWAYS be unexpected and that is the beauty of it.

Now I will share about how it all happened...

You know the cute stories about a girl finding out she's pregnant with her first child and coming up with a super cute way to tell her husband?
You know those super thought out, well planned and executed surprises all over Pinterest that are super intimate and romantic and you pin it to your "future life" album thinking "oh yes. One day. I am TOTALLY doing this".
And then, if you're anything like me, the moment is now and is happening and you panic and a cute, planned out announcement turns into an impulsive decision that includes a pee stick being thrown across the room. Welcome to my life.

So. That's basically what happened.

I had no idea that I was pregnant. Every time I have thought I was pregnant in the past, I was always wrong-- I just liked the thrill of buying pregnancy tests and totally freaking myself out I guess... (I'm working on that intuition thing...)
But I was aggressively tired and had missed a period... or two (I thought it was stress from moving and getting this new job). I finally caved and had this feeling to buy some tests. So I did. I bought the fancy digital kind that say "PREGNANT" or "NOT PREGNANT", that way there wouldn't be any squinting in the light to determine whether the second line was there or not.
The kicker: I didn't even tell Tanner. I didn't tell him that I bought these tests and I didn't tell him when I decided to finally pee on one. I just went into the bathroom and did it by myself... without really considering the fact that it might actually come back positive.

Well... it did.

And that's when the panic set in and all hopes of a cute announcement were completely thrown out the window. I took one more... "PREGNANT". Just like the first.

That's when I did what any newly pregnant, mature adult would do.

I walked out of the bathroom and Tanner was making something in the kitchen.
 I stopped about 5 feet away from him and without saying anything I threw the stick I just pee'd on straight at his head.

And that, my friends, was how I told my husband I was pregnant with our first child. 

Sometimes I shock myself with what I am capable of during times of panic. 

Then after he was really confused by why I just threw something at his head, he became even more confused when he realized it was a pregnancy test. He picked it up and when he saw the words "PREGNANT" across the bar, I was in such shock I even thought I had to interpret it for him.
I said "It says I'm pregnant" in a very awkward voice.
He said "Yeah... Um. I see that! Is this real!?"
When I started to cry... he knew this was no sick joke.

And he picked me up, spun me around and hugged me really tight for like 5 minutes.
I started to cry and shake and laugh and cough. I was out of breath for no reason.
I'm telling you... I have nailed awkward reactions. 

After the initial shock wore off a little bit (although it is even still lingering), we were beyond excited. We knew this was happening at this point in our life for a specific reason and we felt blessed to have been given this opportunity to bring life into the world.

Mostly, just seeing Tanner so giddy and excited made me the happiest I think I have ever been.
He is going to be a great daddy.
And I am going to try to be less awkward. No promises.
We love you so much already Baby Clark!

July.17.2015