13 weeks

what's new with baby: baby p is almost 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce! and he/she has fingerprints!!!

what’s new with mom: mainly just getting used to feeling bigger. i guess that won't stop! i feel extra large on different days and different times during the day, like at night after i've been eating all day! i've still been really tired and my lower back hurts on and off, but nothing too major to complain about. 

wardrobe: my formerly loose pair of jeans that i've been wearing without the belly band is now getting quite snug! josh and i just had quite the road trip over the weekend and i may or may not have had my pants unbuttoned and unzipped the entire time we were driving, just sayin'! i'm regretting not being more of a dress wearer. seems like they would be way more comfortable these days! 

cravings: nothing too crazy. i still wouldn't mind some onion rings from cheddar's. 

anything hard? i tell you, going up those three flights of stairs up to our apartment does not seem to be getting any easier. i was reading earlier this week that i'm taking shallower breaths and bringing in more oxygen, so i'm going to blame it on that and not just being out of shape. getting comfortable to go to sleep is also getting more difficult. 

best moment(s) of the week: this week we went to lexington, kentucky to celebrate a dear friend's wedding and see a ton of people we hadn't seen in years. it was definitely exciting to get so many congrats and excited squeals over being pregnant. baby p, you definitely have a lot of people that love you and are so excited for you! 

while in lexington you also got to see your grandparents and great grandparents! after much thought your grandma has decided that she wants to be "nana"! i think that sounds precious! 

at jenna's wedding

with the parents 

and grandparents!

nana got you the tiniest little UK hat! definitely wearing that at the hospital! 

pregnancy diaries: weeks 10 - 12

written 9/9

well the good news is that we survived moving! our house is still a bit of a hot mess but it is coming along nicely. baby p has some amazing "aunts" and "uncles" here in greensboro that were ready and willing to help us move all of our stuff up THREE flights of stairs! (we didn't know we were moving to the third floor until the night before we moved - i'm still getting over my shock.) thanks friends!

besides fretting over carrying a baby and all of his or her stuff up and down three flights of stairs, the pregnancy seems to be progressing pretty well. i've had more cramping this week but my friend angie assured me that it's normal "round ligament pain" as you get into your second trimester. it can be triggered by exercise - which i've been getting a lot of with all this moving business. so i've been trying to take it easy and not push myself, which is no easy task for this i-want-it-all-done-now type of woman. i'm working on it.

minus the cramping, i've been feeling good minus the yearly sinus yuck i've had on and off for a few weeks. i've still had some nausea but i think it's definitely easing up. yay! i'm still exhausted but that's pretty normal for me even when i'm not pregnant. i also haven't had any crazy cravings lately. i've been wanting cheddar's onion rings for weeks but that's not that unusual since josh and i have to plan a 2 and 1/2 hour trip to roanoke for that to happen and it's a special thing (unlike when we lived in indiana and went there at least once a week).

the best part about these few weeks was definitely getting to hear baby p's heart beat on august 29th. it took the doctor a minute or so to find it (so of course i started to freak out!) but when she did it was the most wonderful sound i had ever heard in my life. the heartbeat was 169 bpm! crazy fast! she said everything looked great! we go back october 1st and then october 30th to find out what we're having!!!

i promise to get better about the whole belly shot thing. josh is terrible photographer so i think i'm going to have to get out the tripod and play with the timer on my camera. those self-in-the-mirror shots are just never flattering on me. i think i'm definitely starting to look more pregnant and my pants don't fit that great even with the beband (which is still a godsend). i'm also anticipating a new "pregnancies diaries update format" in an effort to keep myself from endless rambling. tune in next week to see if there's any improvement. :)

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baby p,
thank you so much for putting up with me while i've been moving stuff around endlessly. i really do hope you have a happy, stress-free home in there. it's so exciting to talk about "the baby's room" as we've been moving in. i'm trying to not put too much stuff in your closet, but i think you will definitely have to share it with the christmas decorations due to the limited storage in our new place. don't worry, it's a big closet. i'm already so excited about meeting you. i love you so much and i pray that you are healthy and happy all the time. i also pray that i will be a good mom to you. thanks for the being the blessing that you are.
love, mommy

pregnancy diaries: weeks 6 - 9

written 8/23

well i was hoping to get these weeks posted seperately but my life has just been crazy lately! my parents came to visit in the middle of that time, i took (and passed!) the National Counselor Exam meaning i did nothing but study for a couple weeks, and we've been preparing to move over labor day weekend! and when i do have time to blog i'm exhausted! i don't even feel like writing this now but i know if i don't get my butt in gear with this whole blogging thing i'm really going to be mad at myself!

anyway one of the most exciting things during these few weeks was our first (and second) prenatal visit. the first one was a "confirmatory ultrasound" on august 2nd which turned out to be surprisingly uncomfortable and wonderful all at the same time! (i had no idea they did ultrasounds any way besides the movie - goop on the belly - way. imagine my surprise when they had me take off my underwear - and then the shock for the real deal!) anyway it was wonderful to see our tiny precious baby and see it's even tiner heart beat flashing on the screen! baby palmieri measured in at .76cm! can you believe that!? according to the measurements i am due on march 22nd or 23rd, but according to the calendar i'm due march 18th. anyway the following week we went in for lots of information, vitamins, and bloodwork. and i did not pass out! i was very nervous since i hate blood and needles and i passed out the last time i got blood drawn, but i guess i'm growing up!

well while my parents were visiting my mom and i went shopping to look at baby stuff. what a fun and overwhelming time that was! i was still trying not to get my hopes up at that point so i refused to do anything besides look. i also purchased what quickly became my new best friend: the beband. this thing has gotten lots of action since being purchased - to the point that i've been wearing it almost every day. pants unbuttoned with the beband on top is the way to go. i have one pair of jeans that i saved when going through all of my clothes and getting ride of stuff a few months ago that were a little too big that i'm still wearing without the beband but that's about it. getting dressed every morning is quite the challenge becasue i'm indeciseve more than normal and nothing is fitting quite right. i'm not showing yet so i'm really just feeling chunky.

in addition to the chunkiness i've been completely exhausted. i come home from work, think about how i should pack something, and then watch t.v. and lay around. it's pitiful. i really wish nesting started sooner! i've also continued to be naseous but nothing too terrible. and i smell EVERYTHING so that gets old. for weeks 5-7ish i was craving all things lemon but that has eased up. then week 8ish nothing sounded good and i ate bland/cheesy things like a six-year-old: grilled cheese, baked potato with cheese, mac & cheese, etc. and then week 9ish i craved pasta every day for several days. josh liked this and claimed that his baby is a "good italian boy!" (or girl).

nothing else too major has happened during this time that i can think to share. i'm getting more excited every day thinking about our little blessing! most of our family and close friends know at this point (a little sooner than i would like sometimes) but we are excited and praying ever day for our little miracle!

pregnancy diaries: weeks 4 & 5

written 7/22

well these couple weeks have gone pretty well, i guess. i'm questioning lots of things about how i'm feeling and what i'm doing. ah the new anxieties that come with feeling completely and utterly responsible for a new life. i'm feeling nauseous and hungry quite a bit, which leads me to feel like i'm over-eating and just getting fat. "they" say you shouldn't really start showing until 12 weeks, but i feel like that's going to happen sooner. and "they" say you should only gain about 3 pounds in your first trimester, and i'm pretty sure i'm going to blow that out of the water. i seriously feel so hungry! is that normal!? my baby is tiny! how is it so hungry!? anyway, i'm trying to not freak out and just listen to my body, because that's the best thing to do, right? even if i gain 50 pounds (god willing that won't happen!) it will be worth it if the end result is a healthy baby, and hopefully i will lose it quickly with breast feeding, right?

anyway, i guess the main complaint is the nausea and hunger right now. that and feeling totally exhausted. and emotional. and maybe moody. so maybe i'm just whining? but regardless of all of this i'm so excited to be pregnant! we've told our immediate families and a few close friends at this point and they've all been so excited.  i think a lot of people knew we were "ready" for a baby (we have been married 5 1/2 years and i FINALLY finished school in january) so i won't say anyone is shocked - but definitely excited. telling people does make me a little nervous - what if something goes wrong? - but at the same time i know people will support us no matter what and i don't feel like life was meant to be lived alone. i know that no matter what happens god is in control. that's what matters.

pregnancy diaries: the beginning

written 7/17

well, i'm super excited to announce that i am expecting a baby, due march 2013! you saw the pic. anyway, getting pregnant has not been as easy as i thought it would be, and there have definitely been a series of several disappointments since the beginning of this year. i know six months of trying is NOTHING compared to many people, and i'm so thankful that the lord has blessed me in this way. i'm not taking this for granted for a moment and i'm constantly praying for the health of my tiny baby. i'm nervous and feeling like crap and experiencing all those other wonderful pregnancy symptoms. but i wanted to back up and chronicle this experience from the very beginning so i'll have record of such an exciting time in my life!

i began suspecting that i might be pregnant several weeks ago, pretty much immediately after it actually happened actually. i was feeling quite exhausted and had a couple other small symptoms, but i never said anything about it to josh or anyone because i didn't want to get my hopes up and be disappointed again. (this has definitely happened a few times in the past several months - chemical pregnancies, i think.) i held off as long as i could on taking a test, until i felt like i was sufficiently late. finally on saturday july 14th, i peed on the stick , and lo and behold, two little lines popped up! i was ecstatic and completely in shock at the same time! after several minutes of shock i took the test out and held it out to josh, who was sitting in his recliner playing monopoly on his ipad. apparently he had no idea what a pregnancy test looks like because he grabbed it, said, "what's this?", and immediately dropped (an accident) it and picked it back up. i stood there rolling my eyes waiting for him to figure it out. eventually it registered what he was holding and he looked at me and said, "YOU'RE PREGNANT!?" i stood there smiling and nodding, with tears of joy filling my eyes. he got up and gave me a hug, both of us just standing there silently trying to grasp the reality of the situation.

josh, being the problem solver that he is, was discussing paternity leave, baby names, and finances within minutes. it was so cute. the next two nights he made me dinner and has been completely adorable. he even brought me flowers and a card! the message read: "i am very excited to start a family with you and i know that you will be an amazing mom! i'm looking forward to the next chapter of our life with kids. however, you will always be my first love. i love you so much!" sorry ladies, he's taken! and he's constantly asking me if he can get me anything and how i'm feeling. speaking of that, i've been feeling like crap. nauseous during the day, bad cramps at night. i'm hungry and thirsty. and my sense of smell is really good now! anyway, there's much more to come! i hope you'll enjoy this journey with me!

it's faint but it's there! 

yippee!

look who's back again...

my big fat greek wedding, anyone?

it's true, i suck at this whole blogging thing. to the two of you who read this (especially krystal), i'm going to try really hard to get better at it. i promise. they say if you're going to be really awesome at blogging you should blog everyday. i just don't feel like i can be one of those people. so i guess my alternative is every few months? not really, that's stupid. anyway, if you were concerned, you really haven't missed much. the big change in my life is that i got a real grown-up job! yay! i have a desk and a descent paycheck and everything! woohoo! i'm now working as an intensive in home therapist for therapeutic alternatives. i'm working with kids and teens and their families - going into their homes and providing therapy, psychoeducation, and case management. all the kids have a mental health diagnosis (typically depression, bipolar, oppositional defiant disorder, schizoaffective disorder, etc.) and many have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse. it's definitely a challenging job but i'm so excited about working with youth again. i've been doing a lot of training and i will finally being doing visits on my own this week. yippee!

again, i'm going to work really hard at being better at this! say a prayer for me!