Baby Bump at 17 weeks

This is how you should feel when you are pregnant.....

This is how I feel. Happy to be 17 weeks along!

Fit Pregnancy

Now that I am on medication for throwing up and I have the okay from the doctor, I have started working out again this week. I am now 17 weeks pregnanut and I am just starting to enjoy being a mommy to be. Exercising for just a half-hour a day is one of the best gifts you can give yourself and your baby. Pregnant women who work out regularly have a lower risk of gestational diabetes, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure and excess weight gain, plus fewer aches, more energy and, after delivery, a faster return to their prepregnancy shape. What’s more, new research shows that babies of exercising moms have lower rates, years later, of obesity and diabetes. So how could I not want to work out.

This week I have successfully gone to the gym for an hour each morning 4 days this week and I am planning on going again tomorrow morning to try out a dance workout class. I have been going to the gym with a new friend of mine Janielle at 7:00am. It makes for a fun, easy, and wonderful conversation filled workout. We have quickly become good friends due to the fact that we have a ton in common and we are both really really good looking :) I've noticed I have more energy during the day, I have been sleeping better at night, and I feel better about my body and the health of the baby.

Here are some guidelines that I found online to dictate how I plan to workout throughout this pregnancy:

Make the most of your 30 minutes

A half-hour a day is ample time to fit in your weekly dose of cardiovascular exercise, strength training and stretching. Here are some tips for organizing your workout:

On three to five days per week, do a purely cardio workout. Try walking, swimming, the elliptical trainer or stationary bike. If you can’t fit in 30 minutes all at once, break up your workouts into 10- or 15-minute increments; you’ll still get the benefits.

Twice a week, do a 10-minute, total-body strength circuit. Repeat the circuit (if you feel up to it) for a total of 30 minutes. Susie Shina, a trainer with prenatal expertise in Atlanta, recommends doing each exercise for 60 seconds using bands, dumbbells or simply your body weight (e.g., squats and push-ups).

Don’t forget to stretch. Finish your cardio or strength workout with a few minutes of simple stretches, focusing on your chest, lower back and front and rear thigh muscles.

Don’t waste any time commuting to the gym. Pop in a prenatal Pilates or yoga DVD and work out at home.

Wish me luck!

2009 KISW Rockgirl Calendar Video

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid30881435001?bclid=1556123991&bctid=28755369001

SYTYCD

Every Monday Night I have my girls over to watch recorded episodes of so you think you can dance. We started this in Season 3 and stopped for a while but we are up and running again. We typicially lounge around in pajama attire, have snacks that one of us brought, then we discuss whether or not the dance was good, bad, or ugly.

Let me introduce you to my fabulous SYTYCD addicts.

Meet Tara and Genevive. I look past the fact that they are broncos fans and Gen has better control over my remote. Not only are Tara and Genevive amazing dancers, but in my single days Genevive would come out with me and dance like there was no tomorrow....then Tara would come pick us up. Here is a picture of them dancing the night away at our wedding.

Sam is the newest addition to our SYTYCD fan club. She has grown to make fun of the dancers just like the rest of us. She's fitting in very well. Here is a photo of Sam and I dancing one night. We even make the same face when we dance together.

Our Second Ultrasound

I went to the hospital on November 12th for some blood tests to test for down syndrome, spina bifita, and other diseases. When I got there I learned that it was actually blood tests and an ultrasound! If I would have known we were having an ultrasound I would have had Brad come along so he could see. They were super nice and recorded the entire ultrasound on DVD so Brad wouldn't miss out on a thing. When we had our first ultrasound the baby looked like a grape. This time the baby looked like a tiny baby with 10 fingers, 10 toes, long legs, and a big tummy. It was really emotional. Its crazy that that is growing inside of my body, totally amazing. I couldn't believe how tall our baby was. Our baby sleeps just like Brad with one of its hands behind its head and then the legs crossed. The baby also had hiccups, pushed of on my stomach to roll over, slept some more, woke up and waved. It was really neat. I can't wait to meet our little Tiny Tesch.

Mom, Dad....You're gonna be Grandparents.

After Brad got back from telling Laney the news, we wanted to share it with our family. On October 29th Brad and I had both of our parents over to our house for their "Anniversary Dinner." That mornign I had a doctor appointment with my new OB doctor, Dr. Sweeney. She was really great, talked to me about some of my concerns and made me feel much better. I took the entire day off work since I was so nervous about having everyone over to tell them the big news. I cleaned all day, made homemade baby manacotti for dinner (there was a hint in there :), and paced the hosue for a few hours until they showed up. Once they arrived Brad and I gave our mothers their anniversary present in an envelope. My mom went out to her purse to get her glasses. I needed them to open them at the same time so that they bith got the news at thte same time. So I said, "Debbie, you have to wait since we got you both the same thing." My mom said, "Well I don't want it if we got the same thing." Brad laughed and said, "Okay rememeber you said that." When they opened up the enbvelopes the first thing they saw was a photo of our Ultrasound at 8 weeks. Our mom's jumped up and down, started crying, and were so excited for us. Once you open the card there was a poem that read:

I do not have a face to see,

or put inside a frame.

I do not have soft cheeks to kiss;

I don't yet have a name.

You can't hold my tiny hands,

nor whisper in my ear.

It's still too soon to sing a song,

or cuddle me so near.
But all will change come May 23rd

when they say I'm due.

I'm your new grandson or granddaughter;

I can't wait till I meet you.

All I ask between now and then

is your patience while I grow.

I promise I'll be worth the wait,

because of all the love we'll know.

So as you're waiting patiently,

please pray lots of prayers for me.

I cannot wait to be a part of this wonderful family

Love Tiny Tesch

The night went great, everyone was really happy and excited. I couldn't ask for a better family and I'm so relieved that everyone knows! It was so hard to keep the secret.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Apparently this is a condition that I have according to the doctor. Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) is a very severe form of morning sickness. It is described as extreme vomiting, dehydration, nutritional deficiencies, and electrolyte imbalances combined with a first trimester weight loss of approximately 10% of your normal body weight.

Most affected women have numerous episodes of vomiting throughout the day with few if any symptom-free periods, especially during the first three months. This can lead to hospitalization. Although usually resolved by 21 weeks, it often lasts the entire pregnancy. This is a condition this a complication of pregnancy affecting fewer than 1 percent of pregnant women. In cases of hyperemesis gravidarum, the expectant mother is afflicted with extreme and persistent nausea and vomiting (20 to 30 times a day), will lose between 10 to 20 percent of her body weight and will suffer electrolyte imbalance.

In the beginning I would throw up on an average of 15-20 times a day. Right now I am averaging about 5 times a day on medication. I went into the hospital before we shared the news with our folks for severe dehydration. I was given 2 bags of fluid since I was so dehydrated. Here a few fun pictures of my adventure in the ER. My Very first IV. Gross I know.

Laney's going to be a Big Sister!

Brad traveled to Kansas to tell Laney the big news that she was going to be a big sister. Laney loves animals and the zoo, so Brad took her in a little wagon and walked around the zoo. They saw the mama lion had a big tummy and Brad asked her if she thought the mama lion would be a good mama. She said, "I think so Dad." Brad asked her if he thought Nikki would be a good mommy. She said, "I think so Dad." Brad said what would you think if Nikki and I were having a baby and you were going to be a big sister. Laney said, "I think that would be alright Dad." Then she said, "For real?" and got really excited.

A few days later I talked to her on the phone and she told me that if the baby is a boy that it should be a lion for halloween and if it was a girl it should be a tiger or a T-rex. She is so adorable. I told her that when I talk to her on the phone the baby moves around in my tummy and it feels like butterflies tickling my tummy. She giggled and said, "Its because the baby is excited to meet its big sister and is saying get me out of here, get me out!" I cried happy tears and told her how much I love her.

How lucky am I to be her step mommy.....I can't wait to see her little smile again.

Grandma Herman

I traveled to Spokane, WA to go to a training to learn Introduction to GIS mapping system. Luckily, Spokane is were my Grandma lives so I spent a few days visiting with her. Grandma made me breakfast everyday, we chatted about anything and everything since her TV didn't work. I was really sick and really tired when I was visiting so I went to bed early every night. Even though I was away on work, it felt a little like I was on vacation. Every chance I get I like to go to Spokane and visit with my Grandma. I stay in my dad's old bedroom, its kind of cool. My grandma's house has a really cool basement that my grandpa built. I use to love going down there when I was a kid....and I still do.

(I'll post pictures once I get them downloaded)

The day I flew home Brad was actually flying out of Seattle to go visit Laney and tell her our big news! I had already spent 4 days away from Brad at that point and I would have to go 5 more days without seeing him. It was definetly hard being away from each other.

Our Baby's First Picture

On October 16th Brad and I went to Island Hospital for our very first Ultrasound. They typically wouldn't do an ultrasound this early, but because I was so sick and my stomach was much bigger than it should be at 8 weeks, they thought I should have an ultrasound to determine how many babies I had in my belly, how big the baby is, and how far along I actually am. The ultrasound technician was really nice and explained everything that was happening. The Ultrasound technician said that there was only one baby, but the baby was 2cm larger than normal. Which means that our baby is going to be a big one. The ultrasound technician determined our due date is May 23rd, 2010 which happens to be the anniversary of our wedding day.

Watching the ultrasound was really exciting. I couldn't believe that something was being created inside of me. It was truly magical. I can't even explain the feeling. The Technician showed us a little firefly on the screen which was the baby's heartbeat. It was so fast! I couldn't hold back the tears. Here are the two ultrasound pictures that we received from the hospital.