Farewell, Second Trimester

I’m a little mad at myself for letting so much time pass since my last pregnancy update. As a result, this is gonna be a long post. I need to document everything since I’m using this as a journal entry of sorts.

The day we found out our cute baby girl’s gender feels like forever ago! I remember being on cloud nine for days after that first ultrasound :) I had a constant smile plastered on my face and felt overwhelmed with happiness every time I looked at the ultrasound pictures. That lasted about a week and then the fear of not knowing whether my baby was still alive and okay in there set in again. Waiting 4 weeks in between doctor visits to know whether your baby still has a heartbeat is torture. Fortunately, week 17 brought with it the best reassurance of all—baby kicks.

I was home for lunch on March 28^th (meaning I was exactly 17 weeks and 1 day pregnant) and I was determined to feel this baby girl move! I had been told it would feel like a fish swimming around in there or butterflies in my tummy. I had also heard that shining a light on my stomach could cause the baby to move because she could sense light by that time (despite the fact that her eyes were not yet open). So...I sat on my couch very still and proceeded to bug that baby of mine. I grabbed my cell phone, opened my flashlight app, pulled up my shirt, and placed the light directly on my skin. I immediately felt a weird jolt/flutter inside me (I probably scared the poor kid). However, I was still unsure whether that was the baby. So, I decided to move the light around for a few seconds and then sit very still with my hands on my stomach and my legs propped up on our ottoman. After about 3 minutes of waiting I felt three distinct “taps” right where my right pointer finger was laying on my skin. It was the cutest, sweetest thing. After that, I noticed the baby all the time and it has been the most exciting experience ever. Nothing is cooler or weirder than feeling your baby move inside you. My husband finally felt her move when I was about 18 weeks. She was shy for daddy J Now she gets extra excited whenever I start eating. It’s pretty fun.

 With week 18 came a baby bump that was finally visible to more than just me! Though still quite small, it was finally obvious my baby girl was in there. I also started to get some pretty annoying upper back pain at that time from sitting with poor posture in my desk chair at work every day. That pain lasted a few weeks. I also had my anatomy ultrasound this week, but the baby was too stubborn to show us her cute face/head/heart so they told me I would get to have another ultrasound the next time I came in so they could get a better look at her lips and heart to make sure everything was developing normally. So, even though we came out of that appointment with no exciting ultrasound pictures, I was grateful to have another opportunity to see my baby girl!

With week 19 came my worst pregnancy symptom of all. I woke up around 4:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 4^th with extreme pain on my right side. My first thought was that it was just round ligament pain or something so I tried to roll over and fall back asleep. Unfortunately, no position helped relieve the pain. All of a sudden I felt the need to throw up so I rushed out of bed and into the bathroom. However, nothing came. I stood up, paced back and forth writhing in pain, and then tried sitting down on our couch as I wrestled with the idea of calling my mom and waking up Colby. The only things I knew were that I was pregnant, I had never been in so much pain in my life, and that the pain just kept getting worse as time went on. I finally forced myself to realize this was not some regular pregnancy symptom that would soon go away and I better get help.

I walked back into our bedroom and quietly said “Colby, something’s wrong.” He immediately woke up and jumped out of bed in fear. He rushed to my side and held me as I writhed in pain. I couldn’t even relax in his arms because it hurt so badly. Both of us were nervous something was wrong with the pregnancy and I’ve never seen my husband so concerned. It was pretty sweet, actually.

He drove me to the ER and they immediately gave me some morphine to help with the pain. Unfortunately, it didn’t do much. Once they realized I was still seriously struggling, they gave me another dose and I could finally sit still. Colby laid on the hospital bed with me and just held me. At this point we had no idea what was wrong. After a while they performed an ultrasound and confirmed that everything was okay with our baby girl, which gave me even more relief. I then gave them a urine sample, in which they found blood. That told them it was most likely kidney stones, but since they didn’t see them in the ultrasound (and I couldn’t have a CT due to my pregnancy) they couldn’t give me any “for sure” answers. So, I was sent home with some medicine, pee strainers, and a  packet of information about what to do if my symptoms worsened.

I was fine for the rest of the day so I decided to be brave and go to work the next morning. Not a good idea. For an hour and a half I was okay. Then at 9:45 I felt my side starting to tighten up and get sore…within 15 minutes I was silently crying at my husband’s desk in pain (the benefits of working in the same office building as your husband). He dropped me off at home, but had to go to work so I called my mom and she talked to me for about 2 hours as I had to go through another pain episode without the morphine. I didn’t want to take the medicine the hospital sent me home with because I was scared what something that strong might do to my 19-week old fetus. However, I finally gave in and took one pill after a few hours…unfortunately it didn’t do much. My sister came over to care for me and her husband (fiancé at the time) gave me a blessing. 5.5 hours after the pain started, I was finally able to handle it with the help of a heating pad. Longest day of my life. A few hours after my blessing (around 7:00 pm), I passed the stone.

Weeks 20-22 were filled with wedding festivities for both my brother and sister’s weddings so I was quite distracted with family in town and lots to do. However, everyone got to feel baby girl kick while they were here and I think they were all more excited to see my baby bump than they were to see me ;). This kid is already stealing everyone’s hearts! Around week 22 I started getting Braxton Hicks contractions regularly (I had a few earlier in my pregnancy, but didn’t know that’s what they were). Not really a fan of those. Though they don’t “hurt,” they are quite uncomfortable…especially as my uterus grows. I am also now plagued with leg cramps that hurt so badly they wake me up at night! I have audibly gasped a few times as a result of my calve muscles cramping up while I sleep. Definitely not a fan of those either :).

The baby’s kicks got much stronger around week 23 and I began to notice that when I would lay on my side at night, she would always kick the place where the bed was hitting my belly. Guess she likes her space. If you put a heavy hand or arm on my belly she will kick that spot too. It’s actually quite adorable. I had my second anatomy ultrasound around this time and was told everything looked perfect except for one small thing that showed up in the left ventricle of her heart… I guess they see it all the time, and most of the time it just ends up being feedback from the ultrasound, but they scheduled ANOTHER ultrasound for my next visit so they could take a better look at it. She said if it did end up being an issue, it would just be a very minor one. Unfortunately, the thought that perhaps something (even minor) was wrong with my baby girl left me in tears all day long. It was a rough day. Luckily, I had that third ultrasound a couple days ago and they said her heart is absolutely perfect, so they stressed me out for nothing! I have never been so relieved!

With week 24 came baby hiccups! Cutest ever. My whole belly bounces in rhythm and I can feel it strongest down near my bladder. LOVE the hiccups.

Other symptoms: round ligament pain, nosebleeds, always hungry, nausea without throwing up

I am now 27 weeks and officially in my third trimester. One day less than 3 months to go! Can’t believe I am gonna be a mama so soon. I have so much preparing to do before our home is ready for this wee one. There is definitely no more hiding this baby bump…it just sort of erupted around week 21 and has been getting more and more obvious ever since! And though I was 3 pounds “underweight” at my 18 week appointment, I have now officially gained 20 pounds since the start of my pregnancy…so I’m definitely on track now. Still a little in shock about the numbers I have been seeing on the scale (and I’m a little scared to see how much more I gain in the next 3 months), but it’s good for the baby, so I am just trying to embrace my new, larger self.

How cute are those little legs? She’s so dainty and wonderful. I talk and sing to her all the time and she will kick in response. It’s so cool growing a human inside you. Super weird and super uncomfortable at times, but honestly the most amazing thing in the world. I feel blessed beyond belief. I can’t wait to meet her. 

It's a...........

Pink or blue? Girl or boy? 

Yesterday at 4:00, Colby and I got to go see our baby in an ultrasound for the first time! And it was amazing—I am obsessed! Seeing proof that your baby is growing inside you is the most incredible thing in the world! 

Turns out Baby Zimmerman is a GIRL! And goodness, she is ADORABLE!

I am so happy we finally know the gender so I can stop calling our baby “it” and say “her!” I love her so much already. I haven’t been able to stop smiling since we first saw her up on the screen…and I can’t help but look at our ultrasound pictures about every 10 minutes J

This is a picture of my belly exactly one week ago yesterday (at 14 weeks and 4 days)...it doesn't look much different now so I figured I'd just post this one.

After the ultrasound appointment we ventured off to buy some pink balloons and other props for our little “gender announcement photo shoot.” Buying these cute little booties was by far my favorite part! Especially considering the fact that we could see her cute little feet so vividly during the ultrasound. The picture with her foot in the air is definitely my favorite picture next to her sweet profile. I hope she has enough room in there! Haha. Can’t wait to put these little booties to use!

 Anyway, here are some close-up shots from our photo shoot. Enjoy! We are extremely excited, as you can tell.

It's a GIRL!!!

Farewell, First Trimester

Today marks the start of week 14...which means I am officially in the second trimester. At last! Baby is the size of a lemon this week—about 3 1/2 inches long. 

This means that Baby Zimmerman can now squint, frown, grimace, wiggle toes, pee, and maybe even suck his/her thumb! So adorable. I can't wait to see this little cutie in an ultrasound. I am still feeling about the same as I have felt the past few weeks...though lately I am twice as hungry and I have noticed that the movements of bending forward and slouching do not feel pleasant. When my stomach is squished like that it feels a little achy and breathing is much more difficult. Abnormal? I have no idea. Either way, sitting up straight feels more pleasant so my posture is much improved lately.

I have my next doctor's appointment a week from today, but it will just be to listen to the heartbeat again. However, a week after that I can go in for a free ultrasound to find out the gender! Can't wait to find out if we're having a boy or girl :)

I'm still hardly showing, but if I wear a maxi dress or something tight fitting you can definitely see evidence that there's a baby in there! Here is a picture of me last Thursday at 13 weeks and 4 days:

I love this baby so much already and I have only heard its sweet little heartbeat once. What a blessing being pregnant is! Even with all the nasty symptoms that come along with it, I wouldn't give up this opportunity for anything in the world. It's such a miracle to think that a little human is growing inside me and I can't wait to start feeling the baby's kicks and movements! Exciting things to come in trimester 2 :) Hopefully the next time I post we will be announcing the gender!

Pregnancy: The First 11 Weeks

Yes, it's true—I am 11 weeks pregnant and couldn't be more excited about it! Before I get into detail about how the pregnancy has been so far, let's back up a little... (disclaimer: this post talks about periods and other girly things...boys—beware). Also, sorry about how long this post is...I'm using this as a journal entry of sorts so I wanted to get all the details down :)

First, I should probably mention that I went off the pill back in July and my period only came every two months since then (I skipped it in September and November). We didn't start trying to get pregnant back in July...I just really couldn't handle the pill anymore so we used other methods of birth control.

So, as mentioned in my last post, Colby and I flew to NY for the holidays this year. About a week before we left Utah I started getting cramps and was pretty annoyed because that meant I would most likely be visited by my "favorite" monthly visitor on Christmas eve or Christmas day. However, on December 12th Colby and I had made the decision that we were finally ready to start trying to get pregnant so I was glad the cramps meant my period was coming back. We had a feeling it might take us a while to get pregnant since I had been so irregular. Anyway, the cramps came and went every couple of days (and when I say cramps I mean an achy feeling in my lower stomach/back...no sharp pains). Pretty normal for me about a week before I get my period and I didn't think anything of it. So, we flew to New York (the day before we left I slipped on our icy stairs and fractured my elbow...but that's a story for another time).

While we were home for the holidays I noticed that the cramps were a little stronger than they had been in Utah—but that didn't really phase me either. They usually get really bad the day before I get my period...so at this point I was expecting it to come at any moment. Well, Christmas came and went and no period came. After a week or so of this I started to get suspicious...but pregnancy really didn't even cross my mind yet. So, I turned to my handy medical adviser: google. I think I googled something along the lines of: 8 days of cramps but  no bleeding. (haha, so sorry if this is TMI) I was very surprised to see that a lot of the results said "cramping can be a sign of early pregnancy." Immediately my heart jumped and I hoped so badly that somehow it was true. However, even though we weren't trying yet, my two skipped periods in September and November tricked me into taking some pregnancy tests that were negative so I really tried not to get my hopes up.

I called my two cute sisters over to the computer and secretly showed them the search results. They immediately burst out in giggles and smiles and told me I HAD to get a pregnancy test just to see. So, a few days later when my mom took us to Walmart I snuck away and bought one...not wanting anyone to know I even had it in case it was negative again (my family really wanted us to have a baby...we even got children's books for Christmas before any of us knew!).

After the ball dropped on New Year's Eve we all hung out for about half an hour before everyone started drifting up to their rooms to go to sleep. At this point that pregnancy test had been hiding in my purse all day and I couldn't wait any longer. I snuck upstairs to an empty bathroom, peed on the stick, and then flipped it upside down and put it in the sink where I couldn't see it. After a couple minutes I decided to be brave and see what it said. Yup, pregnant. I literally did a double take I was so surprised! We had JUST started trying and I skipped my period altogether in November. I grabbed that test, rinsed it off and jumped up and down all by myself in the bathroom. I was SO happy and SO excited. Then doubt and fear kicked in and I started to wonder if it was possible for a test to give you a false positive.

So, I put the test in my back pocket and went out into the hallway. Colby passed me and a huge smile erupted on my face but I disguised it with some fake story about how I was laughing at his expression or something. haha. I didn't want anyone to know until I took another test to prove it was true! Not even Colby.

So, around 1:30 a.m. I tried to go to sleep. Needless to say, it was one of the worst night's sleep I've ever had. All I could think about was that positive pregnancy test hiding in my purse. Finally, morning came and I rushed to my purse to grab the second test from the box...turns out there wasn't one in there. I bought a pack that only came with one. Panic set in and I knew I had to run into town to buy another. Fortunately, Colby was still asleep and my family was all downstairs eating breakfast so I snagged my little sister Nicole and told her to come with me to buy another one (she didn't know I had already taken the first one we bought...I told her I wanted to have two before taking any).

So, I ended up buying two more tests. I am a little paranoid, as you can see. No one even knew we left...it was great. When we came back inside I took the second test and sure enough, positive again! At this point I was on cloud nine and I couldn't wait to tell everyone. Though I wanted to tell Colby first, he was in the shower and my sister Lauren was about to leave for the day to go to Palmyra (and Colby and I were flying back to Utah in a few hours). So, I brought her into the laundry room and just showed her a picture of the  positive test on my phone. I think she was just as excited as I was!

Now it was time to break the news to Colby. He was finally out of the shower and in our room packing so I came in to help, pulled two of the tests out of my pocket, and said "Hey, we can't forget to pack these too." Haha...the silly boy stared at them and said "Ugh, did you take one of those while we were here?" (He didn't realize he was looking at used tests and thought that I was hoarding more things from my mom's endless supply of bathroom products). So I said, "Haha, yes...I took both of these." He stared at them for a few more seconds and then realization set in. I wish I could say he was ecstatic and thrilled like I was, but this poor boy was not ready for us to get pregnant as quickly as we did...we both thought it would take us a lot longer. He wasn't mad, he was just in shock and he told me we couldn't tell my family until he got used to the idea. haha. So...we finished packing and went downstairs for lunch.

Finally, it was time for us to leave and Colby agreed it was time to let them in on our news. This video explains the rest better than I can :)



Once we got back to Utah I made an early appointment with the doctor's office so we could try and figure out how far along I was (since you usually determine that by the first day of your last period...the one that I never ended up getting in November). The midwife determined I was about 6 weeks along based on my symptoms.

I started on prenatal vitamins as soon as we got back and waited for morning sickness to hit. Fortunately, it never came. No throwing up at all for this lady! However, I am STARVING all the time and I feel like I'm gonna pass out/throw up every time I feel any sort of hunger pain. I have to be snacking hourly in order to function. I've also been extra tired (I'm in bed by 9 or 9:30 every night) and my chest has been VERY sore...but it has grown a little too, so I'm not complaining ;) The smell of most foods makes me feel nauseous and I gag ALL the time at work. I pee a lot but have troubles with other bowel movements. But, other than that, it has been a pretty easy, breezy 11 weeks. The baby is the size of a lime and I can't wait to find out if it's a boy or girl!

I had another appointment on February 11th, the day after my 25th birthday. That's when we got to hear the heartbeat and it was the sweetest sound I've ever heard. The next day we posted this picture on Facebook to let the rest of our family/friends know our exciting news. I am so ready to be a mama and I can't wait to meet this little angel inside of me!!

Lately.

As always, it has been far too long since I have updated this blog. Oh well, at least I’m trying.

Here is the reader’s digest update of the past few months:

We celebrated our very first anniversary at the place where we had our very first date, Happy Sumo. We love sushi—and if you know us at all, you know this to be true. Look at the handsome face I got to stare at all through dinner. He’s dreamy.

We also spent the night up at the Peery Hotel in SLC. Fortunately, I didn’t hear the rumors about it being haunted until after we checked out. Look how cute the bathroom was!

Not long after our anniversary, we visited the Sumo again with my cousins, siblings, and their dates. It was a fun time. Love these people :)

Colby and I decided to turn our sumo obsession into something useful, so we learned how to make sushi all on our own. Best. Decision. Ever.

As fall approached I made these amazing pumpkin cookies from a recipe that my friend Shelby was kind enough to share. Another great decision. You can find the recipe here.

Halloween came so I was forced to get crafty and make some Halloween costumes. Colby was a lion and I was a tightrope walker.

My work is awesome and everyone decorated and dressed up—my team was a circus.

My friend Christy and I spent almost 14 hours making a DIY ottoman and bench from two tables we had. Worth it? Yes. Will I ever do it again? Highly doubt it. The tutorial can be found here.

On November 19^th, I got to celebrate the life of my incredible husband. He’s the big 2-5 now. Kind of a big deal. Naturally, we had a sushi party to celebrate. It was pretty dang awesome. We owe a BIG thanks to Jared for being our sushi-chef for the night!!

For Thanksgiving I made my favorite sides: fresh green bean casserole and an Italian sausage, apricot, pecan stuffing. Delicious. The recipes for those are here and here.

Following Thanksgiving came a traditional visit to Temple Square to see the lights. My favorite :)

Then it was off to NY for the holidays!! We loved spending time with my family and celebrating the best time of year. It was truly an amazing two weeks and it was hard to see it come to an end. Not to mention, on my last day home I got the best New Year's gift of all---but I'm saving that for my next post :)

Home Sweet Home

Colby and I moved into our new apartment in Pleasant Grove over labor day weekend. In case you didn't know, when we moved back from Washington in June we left our stuff in our storage unit and moved in with Colby's parents. It was great to save rent for a couple months and spend time with them, but I can't even tell you how happy we are to be reunited with all our stuff and to have our own kitchen/living space again. It has been so fun setting up house and being there just the two of us...it feels like we're newlyweds again! I guess living in someone else's basement for a while has its pros :)

We are now located a minute away from the Mt. Timpanogos Temple, 10 minutes from my work, 5 minutes from Colby's family, 15 minutes from Colby's school, and right in the middle of all our friends. It really is quite perfect. Though this new apartment is slightly smaller than our last, it is much homier and the kitchen/pantry area is SO much more amazing. Not to mention we LOVE our cute new landlords. They have been so hospitable and sweet during our move-in process. We can't wait to get to know them better. 

Though the task of unpacking originally seemed like it would never be completed, I'm pleased to announce that we are very close to done. We still have pictures to hang, boxes to get rid of, and lots of books to unpack, but everything else is good to go. I painted and decorated our bookshelf, hung our EAT letters, found a place to display my painted mason jars and tissue paper flowers, and set up the kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom, and master bedroom. Things are looking good. Guess we'll start inviting friends over soon!

I Left My Heart in NYC

Well, our trip to NY to visit my family was amazing. Though we were there for two weeks, it really did fly by. We arrived on the evening of Aug. 9th and went straight to bed so that we could surprise my sister Lauren for her birthday the next morning. It was fun getting to spend her special day with her.

We spent time in the city shopping...

seeing friends...

eating food...

napping...

beaching...

and recreating old family pictures.

We spent time upstate eating junk food...

baking fancier junk food...

swimming...

picking veggies from the garden for homemade salsa...

and having a blast.

Needless to say, it was hard to come home and get back into the swing of things. I miss my family so much already! Now I'm counting down until Christmas!