What a Difference 4 Weeks Makes! Bean Bump Watch Commences.

Hello, readers! I have returned. I know, it has been 2 weeks, but not a whole lot that is terribly interesting has happened very quickly. There is, however, a marked difference between 12 weeks pregnant and 16. I thought it would be fun to photo-document the growth of my "baby bump" for Bean (or "Fang, 2.0" as my Dad calls the baby - I was the original Fang), to look at one day, and decided that the difference that I am just now starting to see might be enough for a decent update.

12 weeks, 4 days pregnant. Not much happening that you can see yet. I miss those jeans.

I took a shot at 14 weeks as well. Still not much going on, on the outside anyway. A lot was happening developmentally though, according to Baby Center:

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth.

All that work going on, and not much bump to show for it:

14 weeks, 2 days.

Over the next couple of weeks, though, everything began to get a lot more snug. Then, almost overnight, I woke up, and I couldn't suck it in anymore! 

16 weeks, 2 days. Excuse the lovely armpit shot.

Those of you who know me well know that the idea of voluntary weight gain, (the Doc wants me to gain 30 lbs!), has not been easy to embrace even though it is all for a great cause. I have been working hard to try to keep fit while pregnant so that I can get back to those favorite jeans and pre-pregnancy clothes without too much of a struggle once all is said and done. That said, it is exciting to finally see the beginnings of a tiny bump! Hopefully before too long, I will get to feel that first kick, too. With all that is going on in week 16, I am looking forward to it. Belinda, our helpful Lab mix, has been doing some reading as well  and tells me it won't be long before that happens. 

Someday, I will be a great babysitter.

Stay tuned.

14 Weeks and Counting... Welcome to Our Blog!

Welcome to our little family blog. As you all know by now, Joe and I are expecting our first baby on January 4, 2012 and we couldn't be more thrilled! Tomorrow will mark the beginning of the 14th week of my pregnancy, firmly putting us in the second trimester, which is a nice relief!

So far things have gone really well for us. Morning sickness, skin outbreaks, fatigue, (and maybe a few mood swings) aside, we have a lot to be thankful for. We have had two ultrasounds to see our little Bean, (as we are calling him/her), and everything looks wonderfully normal. Thankfully, we also seem to have found a wonderful Doctor and OB-GYN practice where we live in Virginia.

Bean's First Picture, 8 weeks, 2 days.

Pregnancy is a journey, and we will try to keep all of our myriad friends and family up to date here with posts and pictures as events unfold. I will be the first to admit that this is not my forte, and projects like this occasionally end up in fits and starts, but I promise to do my best. So without further adieu, welcome to our little corner of the internet, and we will try to keep it updated as often as possible. Thanks for stopping by!

Bean, 12 weeks, 2 days