Thanksgiving, Ring test, and....

Thanksgiving weekend was special and memorable for so many reasons. We spent the holiday in Indiana with my grandparents and had a wonderful time eating and eating and eating! I started to feel the baby right around 16 weeks, maybe a little earlier but it took me a couple days to realize this really is the baby! I appreciate all the descriptions everyone contributed to help me figure out what it might feel like. I have to say that I think everyone is very different. The most accurate way to describe my experience is having the sensation of popcorn popping in my belly. I'm pretty sure these are actual kicks...I don't think I ever felt "flutters" just the kicks. We've been told this is a very active little one but I'll get to that in a minute.

While we were in Indiana my family performed the "Ring Test" on my belly. For those of you who are not familiar, the ring test is supposed to predict the gender of the baby (according to some people). You place your wedding band on a very thin necklas chain and hold it steady over the belly (or some people have told me you can do it over your wrist). The ring starts moving (all by itself, it's true and very freaky). If the ring starts moving in a circular motion the baby will be a girl, if it moves back and forth in a line it will be a boy. Here is my ring test.

Or you can see it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4OFlx5xl58

It definitely moved in a circle! Sure enough, last night we went for our gender ultrasound and we are having a little GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is quite the active little lady according to the ultrasound technician. She was bouncing all around stretching her arms and legs, arching her back, practicing her kicks, yawning and putting her hands in her mouth! It was so amazing, I can't even explain. Greg was completely mesmorized by our tiny little girl and possibly a little intimidated at how active she is! I tried to tell him that ever since I started feeling her move it seems like she never slows down! We are so thrilled and feel so blessed to have a little daughter on the way :)

Flutter:

to wave or flap rapidly in an irregular manner

As a first time prego I feel so clueless. At my OB visit last week the nurse asked me, "Are you feeling any fetal movement?" Ummm....I dunno. I'll be 15 weeks tomorrow and I feel little pokes and jabs in my "low belly" all the time, but I think that is called round ligament pain (because I am growing....rapidly).

The nurse explained that I will start to feel flutters. Ok, that doesn't really help me either. All you previously prego ladies know gas and constipation are pregnancy's two best friends. I feel all sort of things going on in there! My pregnancy book says it can take longer for 1st timers to feel movement so I'm trying to be patient but I am so excited!

Please share with me your stories about "flutters" and "kicks". I would like to think I'll be able to distinguish my baby from say gas but I just don't know what I'm looking out for!

Goodbye First Trimester

Today I am 14 weeks pregnant. Some people say the first trimester is over at the end of the 12th week, and others would argue it is the end of the 13th week. Either way, the 1st third of my pregnancy is officially complete. I noticed the change in my symptoms right at week 12. It was almost like someone had pressed a button allowing my unpleasant symptoms to magically subside. I can not express how thrilled I am to have the 1st trimester behind me. I will not miss the:

-nausea
-barfing
-loss of apetite
-constant worry/anxiety
-zombie like fatigue
-20 nightly trips to the bathroom
-migraine headaches

The second trimester has brought on many new (more pleasant) experiences:

-extreme hunger attacks

-an intense love for salty foods
-reduced worry
-3 maybe 5 nightly trips to the bathroom

-my new bedtime of 8:30
-much more energy

-my highly emotional mushy side
-my round BELLY!

Whoa Baby!

What we have really been up to...

...trying to keep this cutie a secret for 13 whole weeks!

For those who have not yet seen the news on FB, Baby Polheber is expected to arrive in May 2011. Words can not express how thrilled we are. This baby is such a little miracle and we can not wait to meet him/her!