15 weeks

As I promised here is my picture from 15 weeks. 

Pregnancy Highlights:



How Far Along: 15 weeks


Size of baby: A navel orange 


Total Weight Gain/Loss: -6.  Yes I am eating, just making a lot wiser choices in food!
Maternity Clothes: I can still where my own gym clothes and a few pairs of stretch carpi's other than that most everything else is maternity.
Gender: We have our ultrasound set for October 6 at 4:30pm.  Hopefully Bean will cooperate!
Movement: Nothing that I can say is a concrete baby movement

Sleep: It is not good.  I am up about every hour changing positions cause my hips hurt.  I am trying to sleep on my side but it is just so painful.  I may move to my back and prop myself up real good and see if that takes care of the hip pain.  I have never been a side sleeper and so it has been hard to make the change. 
What I miss: Sleeping the whole night through, I am tired of waking up sleepy
Cravings: A good breakfast burrito with lots of green chili.
Symptoms: just my hip pain this week
Best moment this week: Scheduling our ultrasound

14 week checkup

Today we went to the doctor for our check up and everything looked great!  We were able to get the baby's heartbeat on the Doppler and it was 150.  She did say that my uterus is all on the left side of my abdomen but is not worried about it.  She said that when it comes out of your pelvis it sometimes leans to one side but most women it is on the right...I just have to be different!  They are going to watch it as things progress but she believes that it will move back to the center as the baby gets bigger.  I weighed in and I had lost 1/2 pound since last appointment, which I was happy with.  I have been eating more and still trying to watch what I eat.  Well, the midwife was not happy with my weight loss.  She said that I should be gaining weight and I need to watch everything I eat.  I tried to tell her that the last midwife told me it was okay for a woman my size to gain very little if not anything.  Apparently she does not share the same views.  I honestly felt like I was being lectured because I had done something wrong and I really have done a good job of watching everything I put in my mouth.  We try to cook out on the grill as often as we can and eat veggies every meal as well as lots of fruit.  I will try to do better about the food I take in but when my body tells me to stop then I can't force more food down...don't know what more the midwife wants from me!
On a good ending note we scheduled our next appointment and that will also be our gender check ultrasound as well.  It is scheduled for October 6 at 4:30.  We will be just shy of 19 weeks so we hope the baby cooperates so we can finally know what we are having! 
Reid and I will be walking this Saturday morning in remembrance of my Grandfather at the Walk to End Alzheimer's.  Then next weekend we are going to Albuquerque to go to the state fair and rodeo! 

PS: Sorry we did not get a picture taken this past weekend because we had Alice, Braeden and Paege visiting!  We will definitely get one up this weekend!

12 and 13 weeks

So, I slacked off and didn't report last week but I promise to catch you up.  I hit 12 weeks August 20 and things seemed to be going good.  I did learn that I can not wear any summer sandals without my feet swelling!  I prefer tennis shoes or flip flops but it is too hot for tennis shoes and I can't wear flip flops to work so I am sticking to about two pair of shoes for work.  Hopefully come the cooler days I can go back to wearing my boots.  I still feel a little nauseous at times but for the most part I would say it is 95% gone.  My energy has been renewed and I don't feel like I am exhausted by 6pm.  I am still making it to the gym 3-5 nights a week, which I am very happy about.  If I don't make it to the gym I try to spend some time in the pool while it is still warm.  Speaking of warm it is still extremely warm!  I can not imagine being 8 months pregnant when it is 100 outside, I am miserable just being 3 months along!  This weekend I hit 13 weeks and spend the weekend miserably hot because our AC went out once again.  Thankfully they did send a guy out and he said it was a bad installation of the entire unit and it honestly should be replaced.  Unfortunately, something did break and he could not replace until today.  So we spent yesterday and out of the house at a movie, shopping and swimming.  Hopefully at 5pm tonight it will be fixed or else mama will not be a happy girl! 
On a positive note, I want to tell you how proud of Reid I am.  When we moved it this is the yard that we were given:

It was not fun having to clean the dirt out of the pool every day because the wind seems to never stop where we live.  Reid was determined to make grass grow and I am proud to say he accomplished it! 

As you can see there are a few spots that need a little help but it is lovely to have grass finally.  The dogs love it and I love it because we don't have dirt constantly blowing in the pool.  Thank you honey for giving us a pretty yard we can enjoy! 

Okay, time for the belly shots.  Sorry the quality is not the best, I think Reid was shaking when he was taking them!
12 weeks:

13 weeks



How Far Along: 13 weeks



Size of baby:  One source tells me the size of a shrimp the other tells me the size of a peach


Total Weight Gain/Loss: -5 or 6 depending on the day.  Yes it is okay for me to lose weight while I am pregnant!  They want me to eat as healthy as possible and stay as active as possible.
 Maternity Clothes: Yes, they are about the only thing that is comfortable!  I still wear many of my dresses from before but rarely any pants unless they have stretch ability.

Gender: I am such a planner and am so ready to find out but I know we still have over a month before we find out.

Movement: Nothing yet, but am excited to begin to feel our baby kick

Sleep: I am surviving.  Some days it is really good and some days not so good.  I am a stomach sleeper and seem to always turn over so I have bought me a body pillow that helps me stay more on my side rather than directly on my stomach. 
What I miss: Being cool...seems like all I do is complain about how hot it is.

Cravings: I crave Mexican food but I tried eating it and was miserable so will stay away from it
Symptoms: a little nausea here and there and occasional feet swelling due to wrong shoe choice

Best moment this week: Watching Reid talk to "bean" through my belly and telling him how much he loves him/her. 



11 week checkup!

Saturday we hit the 11 week mark and things are progressing nicely.  The above ultrasound was done at our checkup and the tech said doesn't it looks just like a teddy bear!  Wednesday, August 10 we met with the midwife for the first time and she said all of my blood work looked great and we got to hear the heartbeat which was a strong 148.  I have had many people who have said anything over 140 is a girl...guess we will see in the next 6-9 weeks, we really don't have a preference as long as the baby is healthy.  We did find out that we RH incompatible because I am A- and Reid is O+.  For those of you who don't know what it is I have a description for you:

Rh incompatibility

Rh incompatibility is a condition that develops when a pregnant woman has Rh-negative blood and the baby in her womb has Rh-positive blood.

During pregnancy, red blood cells from the unborn baby can cross into the mother's bloodstream through the placenta.

If the mother is Rh-negative, her immune system treats Rh-positive fetal cells as if they were a foreign substance and makes antibodies against the fetal blood cells. These anti-Rh antibodies may cross back through the placenta into the developing baby and destroy the baby's circulating red blood cells.
When red blood cells are broken down, they make bilirubin. This causes an infant to become yellow (jaundiced). The level of bilirubin in the infant's bloodstream may range from mild to dangerously high.
Because it takes time for the mother to develop antibodies, firstborn infants are often not affected unless the mother had past miscarriages or abortions that sensitized her immune system. However, all children she has afterwards who are also Rh-positive may be affected.
Rh incompatibility develops only when the mother is Rh-negative and the infant is Rh-positive. Thanks to the use of special immune globulins called RhoGHAM, this problem has become uncommon in the United States and other places that provide access to good prenatal care.

Our doctor assured us there is nothing to be worried about and that they will keep a close eye on us as things progress but that our first shot will happen around 28 weeks. 

Here is the official 1st belly shot that was taken at 11 weeks:

How far along?: 11 weeks 2 days

Total weight gain: -4.5

Maternity clothes?: I've started wearing maternity pants in the last week.  I am a very lucky girl because my best friend from high school has let me borrow all of maternity clothes so I won't have to buy much of anything.

Stretch marks?: Nothing

Sleep?: I've always been a stomach sleeper and I can't do this anymore cause it hurts so I wake up alot

Best moment this week?: hearing the heartbeat and seeing how much the baby had changed since our 7 week ultrasound. 

Food cravings?:things sound good for a moment but then it usually passes.  I've had a lot of nausea but thankfully only been sick twice.  I've found two things that I can not eat while preganant and the sad thing is I love both of these things: spinach and cucumbers.

Labor signs?: None

Belly button in or out?: Completely in

What I miss: nothing right now

What I'm looking forward to: feeling the baby move

Milestones: 11 week check up went great

McDaniel Family 2012

Well, the McDaniel Family will be a little larger in 2012!  On July 1, we found out that God has blessed us with the addition of a child.  Reid and I were extremely shocked but excited for this opportunity.  We have had our first appointment and had an ultrasound to confirm that everything looks good.  Our official due date is March 3, 2012.  If you know me and my family then you know that our birthdays always seem to fall on other birthdays or special days.  For instance, I was born on my mom's birthday and my older sister was born on our grandmother's and cousin's birthday.  Well March 3 just happens to be my father's birthday and the day before happens to be Reid's sisters birthday.  So, this baby may just follow in my family's footsteps!
My pregnancy so far has not been too bad.  I have been sick once but only because I took my vitamins on an empty stomach...won't do that again!   I am working full-time so by the time I get done I am pretty tired and try to be in bed between 9 and 930.  I am still making it to the gym 3 or 4 times a week but have toned down my workouts.  My biggest battle has been nausea that comes and goes.  The best thing I have found is to chew a piece of wintergreen gum and it seems to subside.  Our next appointment is August 10, we will keep you updated as things progress!  Thanks for all your love and support, we are excited for this journey!

The New House!

HOME SWEET HOME!!

This is our new house, and we love it!  We are out in the boonies and border the BLM property on one side and a few neighbors in the far distance on the other side.  This house and property is much larger than our previous house but it is nice to have the extra space in the kitchen and to have a designated space for Reid's office.  He now has an entire living room designated his office and will be spending lots of time in there once the semester starts in August.  Here are a few pictures of the house while we were still unpacking:

The living room...to the left is our kitchen and dining room and to the right is our two guest bedrooms and bathroom.

The wonderful friends that helped us move and build our bed!  Thanks Patricia, Flint, Stacey and Gabe!

Our great backyard!  We love our pool, it has been very enjoyable during the hot summer months!

As many of you know Reid is passionate about his vegetable garden, so we attempted to plant one at our new home.  I am sad to say that we had to go to war with the rabbits and sadly we lost.  The rabbits demolished our garden two times so we are making weekly runs to the grocery store to get our fresh supply of vegetables.  

A beautiful sunset from our front porch...heavenly!

Our first rainstorm since October 2010...we were thankful for the moisture!  Since July 4th we have had some wonderful rainstorms and have actually seen a few of our plants in the garden starting to come alive...we will see if the little bunnies destroy it for the 3rd time.  We love our new home and do not regretting moving out into the "country."  I must say it amazing to see how much better I sleep when I don't have Spanish music playing until 3am and fights at the neighbor's house.

PS: we have plenty of room for any visitors that need a break from their everyday life...come on down!

Mr. and Mrs. Reid McDaniel

Well, lots has happened over the past 8 months Reid and I got engaged and have since been married.  We spent a lot of time deciding when and where to get married but seemed like we were never going to please everyone so we ended up getting married on March 26th and were so happy our family and friends were able to celebrate with us.  We knew we wanted a country feel to it and that is exactly what we got.  Reid and many family and friends helped cook the food and it was absolutely wonderful.  My cousin Jennifer came from Dallas and made the beautiful wedding cake and unique grooms cake.  We were pleased that Reid's mom, sisters, brother-in-law and three nieces were able to make the long drive to join us for our special day.    Here are a few pictures from that day!

My Parents

My sisters and I

Paege and I...she was so happy she could wear her wedding dress!

Reid's Family

Myself and Reid's sisters

Me

My husband

Us

Our First Dance

The Wedding Party

Boots all around

Our beautiful cake...Thanks Jenn!

Reid's Cake

Our rings

Praying



My flowers and boots

Happily Ever After!



Thank you all for making our special day so wonderful, we are truly very blessed!

The week we arrived home there was a swat situation on our street and had to have our house and yard searched my police.  We decided that it was time for us to move so we started looking and found a great house for us to start our new life in.  We will be moving April 23 and will be posting pictures soon!  Now we have lots of room for visitors...come on down!