Things I Think the Baby is Doing

Following is a list of things I think are very possible the baby might be doing in utero:

• The YMCA
• Somersaults 
• The Macarena
• Hiccuping
• Boxing (or at least sparring)
• Flips
• Ice dancing
• Seeing how many times it can flip in a row
• Seeing if it can make me throw up from internal motion sickness (is that a thing?)
• Seeing how long it can keep me from falling asleep at night
• Cha Cha Sliding
• Playing with the umbilical cord
• Tap dancing
• Practicing the backstroke (or breaststroke, as the case may be)
• Handstands
• Trying to figure out which was is up

Pardon the mirror selfie, but I want to give you an update as to what I look like at 30 weeks.  I already feel huge, so I don't know how I will keep growing for 10 more weeks, but I'm sure it's possible!

Practice Makes Perfect

Last weekend Brad and I babysat the Herman boys.  How did we do?

• Brad changed his first dirty diaper - and boy oh boy was it dirty.  Nice work, Asher!  
• I played with both boys in the basement for a while - it's getting harder and harder to get up and down from the floor and hold Asher's hands while he's walking and clean up toys from the floor - this belly of mine is in the way!
• Riley - I mean Iron Man Tony - has more energy than ever, if we even thought that was possible.
• Asher took a nap and woke up with a pacifier in his mouth AND one in each hand and it was the cutest thing ever

These kids are 100% boy.  I was so exhausted I needed to take a nap.  Seriously.  I took a power nap while Brad played with Riley in the basement and Asher took his nap.  

Erin and Chris, how do you do it???

Tummmm tu tum tum, TUUUUUMS

Oh Tums, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways.  For someone who has never had heartburn before, this is quite the shock.  

For the last 3-4 weeks, I have been having major heartburn.  When I eat carbs, when I eat fruit, when I eat...just about anything.  Is this fun?  Heck no!  I carry my bottle of Tums with me everywhere I go, and I'm constantly popping a couple here, a few there, more a few hours after I eat because randomly the heartburn is back - don't worry, this is all doctor approved.

According to old wives tales, heartburn during pregnancy means the baby will be born with a lot of hair!  So what do we think, will Baby Stamm come out with a Jew Fro?  Maybe long luscious locks that I can french braid?  If the myth is right, then I wouldn't doubt it!  But for the next few months, I will continue to keep my Tums by my side and wonder what will come next.  

The Best Part of the Day

The best part of the day - when I wake up in the morning, lay on my back, and feel the baby kick.   It wakes up right when I do (coincidence?  science?  maybe it was up way earlier and I am just feeling it now?), and always gives me a bunch of good thunks to remind me that there's something in there.

It's just a few minutes when I'm still groggy and waking up, and now I have a reason to just lay in bed and enjoy these crazy, bizarre, alienesque feelings.

There are a few different kinds of kicks, and this is how I categorize them:

• Flicks - it feels like I'm being flicked from the inside.  This is the first kind of movement I ever felt - I didn't know what was happening but I told my mom what it felt like and she said "yep, those are definitely kicks!"
• Punches - these are deliberate punches and kicks that always surprise me.  Some of them are so powerful that you can SEE them form the outside!  It looks like the baby is trying to bust out.  The first day I saw these punches, it was 5:55 and I left work early (sorry Mommy) so Brad could feel and see.  It took a lot of staring at my belly, but after a while he saw some big ones!  It's a very strange thing to see and feel.
• Floppy Fish - toward the bottom of my belly I feel the baby move, but it really feels like a squirmy little fish wriggling around under my skin.  So weird!

We're Pregnant with Baby Stamm!

Welcome to the blog!  I will be posting here occasionally so everyone can stay up to date with what is going on with the expanding Stamm Fam...and yes, I am expanding.

To catch on on lost time, I want to give a week-by-week of the highlights of my pregnancy so far!  I have learned so much about how each woman's pregnancy is different - some have morning sickness, some have swollen feet, some get achy backs, the list of lovely pregnancy side effects goes on.  

Overall I have been very lucky - a little bit of morning sickness and backaches, a lot a bit of hunger and sleepiness, and a ton of excitement!  

Week 1  This time, as I have learned, is counted before the pregnancy and there are actually 10 months of pregnancy.  Who knew!

Week 2  Another week of not actually being pregnant

Week 3  We found out we were pregnant (pretty much right away)! 

Week 4  Riley used his 6^th sense and told me I was pregnant (how did he know???)

Riley: "There's a baby in your belly"

Me: "There is?"

Riley: "Uh huh"

Riley: goes back to playing

Me:  Thoroughly weirded out  

         

Week 5  Baby goes on its first cruise - to Bermuda!  I eat a lot and take unexpected naps.  I sneakily climb the rock wall but do not go on bumper cars or surfing.

Week 6  It's so hard to keep all of this a secret!                      

Week 7  I have first doctor's appointment where they confirm the pregnancy.  We finally get to tell our family we’re pregnant!

Week 8  Baby goes on its second cruise - to Japan!  I had a small medical emergency in Tokyo but everything is totally fine and I get an early sneak peak at the baby on our first (unintentional) ultrasound.  The doctor didn't say anything to us the entire time except "heartbeat!" when she looked on the ultrasound.  What a relief.  I also got to experience the dreaded Japanese gynecological chair of doom.  Not an experience I would recommend.

Week 9  I learn that seaweed does not smell or taste good during pregnancy.  Being a vegetarian (and a pregnant one) in Japan is super tricky.  I eat a lot of mashed potatoes, pringles, and cheese sandwiches.   

Week 10  Still cruising Japan

Week 11  Brad and I go for our first trimester screening ultrasound.  This is to measure the skin at the back of the baby's neck and to check for any chromosomal abnormalities that could indicate Downs Syndrome.  We were given the all clear!

Week 12  Hawaii or Bust!  Brad and I go on an early babymoon.  Brad surfed, went stand-up paddle boarding, rode a bike down Haleakala, and I cheered him on from the beach and the support vehicle.  No semi-dangerous activities for me for now.

Week 13  We are getting excited to announce to the world that we are pregnant!

Week 14  We officially announce that we are pregnant (yes, on facebook).  We got so much love and excitement, and it feels good to have our secret out there.  This is how we announced it:

Baby Stamm coming in March. Future Nittany Lion or Badger, Class of 2039!

Week 15  We start looking for day cares - boy is this an expensive part of having a baby!

Week 16  Working on growing a healthy baby

Week 17  I turn 30!  And have no wine on my birthday.  Sad but worth it.

Week 18  I try to begin working out again - it's hard to do exercise when you're so sleepy all the time.

Week 19  I've started to show, and I start wearing maternity clothes - what a relief.  Mommy and Grandma take me maternity clothes shopping - a Linker/Asman tradition.

Week 20  We have our 20 week ultrasound – the baby is moving around like crazy!  We decided that we did not to find out if we are having a boy or girl (but Riley says it's a girl and I trust him.  Refer to week 4).

Week 21  Everyone starts asking if we're having a boy or girl.  I want to answer them with this:

Week 22  I can feel tiny kicks - it feels like I'm being flicked from the inside.  I rush home from work and sit on the couch and Brad and I stare at my belly.  He can see this kicks too!  It is such an amazing (and bizarre) feeling, and I'm glad Brad can see/feel it too.

Week 23  The baby attends their first political rally - Erin, Michele and I went to the Hillary Clinton rally to stand with her and show our support.  Here is what I sported:

Week 24  I'm feeling big kicks!  Sometimes a few in a row, and I can see them from the outside.  What a bizarre feeling.  Whenever the baby kicks, I tell Brad to put his hand on my belly and the baby stops kicking.  Always.  I hope this isn't a sign for what's to come.

I'll keep you up to date with what's going on.  We can't wait for our pregnancy to progress and to keep growing this healthy baby!