16.5 weeks, and the Proud-Parents-to-Be

Hello and Happy Mother's Day to all!
This weekend felt extra special for us- today we had a picnic in the Arborretum across the street from us and saw all the blooming lilacs. It was nice to be pampered today by my adoring husband for Mother's-to-be Day.. :)

This picture is from yesterday, so 16.5 weeks. We thought we needed a picture of the proud papa-to-be as well. I'm feeling wonderful, loving the new curves of my growing belly, and really really enjoy being pregnant!

Much love and hugs,

Amy

All is going really well- 15.5 weeks

Hello everyone!


I hope all is well. Here is a picture from 15.5 weeks- sorry for the delay! Last week we had another prenatal visit, which was awesome. We met at our house with our amazing midwives, and the visit was 1.5 hours, most of the time just talking about our feelings about the pregnancy and answering all of our questions. She said that the baby is measuring right exactly where it should be!

I've felt the baby kick a few times now in the past two days, which is really exciting. It felt sort of similar to a gas bubble, but not really.

Other very exciting news from last week is that we presented our thesis! Actually, Osei did all the presenting and all of the work. Again, this is for his Masters in International Education Development, and his thesis looked at the academic achievement gap and proposed a social enterprise solution involving human milk donations and related services to fund enriched early childhood education. Here is his website for anyone interested: www.pumpandjump.wordpress.com.

Big hug to all of you!

Love,

Amy

14.5 weeks

Dear all,


Osei and I are both amazed to see this growing belly! We're now nearly 15 weeks, and I feel really great. I no longer have to pee every 20 minutes, and my energy level is back to normal, and outside of one fateful Tuesday a few weeks ago, I've not been sick at all. I feel like myself again- just a hungrier version of me!

Thank you all for your kind notes and encouraging words- I can't tell you how loved this makes me feel, and how much I appreciate it! Osei and I really wish we could share this time with you in person, but I guess a weekly picture will just have to do.

Hugs and blessings to all!

Amy & Osei

13.5 weeks (April 18)

Hi all,


I hope you are all well. This is from yesterday, just over 13.5 weeks. I'm continually amazed to see my belly growing, and more recently this week, it has sort of hit me in a new way that wow, we're actually going to have a baby! Not that I didn't realize this before, but it hit me differently!

Big hug to all, and I miss you all!

Love,

Amy

12.5 weeks- growing and growing and growing!

Hello all,
Just about every day I tell Osei, "Wow, I REALLY feel like I look pregnant today, more than EVER before!" He thinks this is very funny, but very seriously, I am continuously amazed to see this little belly growing!

This is 12.5 weeks. Last week I had my first ever day of truly awful morning sickness. It was absolutely brutal, but the good news is that it only lasted one day! This week I start the second trimester, which is very exciting!

Much love and hugs to all,

Amy

How time flies- 11.5 weeks

Hello all,

This is from 11.5 weeks. This week we had our first prenatal this week with our lovely midwives. I can feel the top of my uterus, which is a finger or two higher than my pubic bone. Right now my belly feels (looks) really pointy, and the fetus is about the size of a small lemon. I finally feel like myself again, and I feel like I have my energy back. I still cry at cute pictures of little kittens, but that is another story!

Love to all,

Amy

Because my mother asked me to send a picture- 10.5 weeks

Hello all,


I didn't send a picture this week because we took the picture in a rush and it wasn't my favorite pic, and though I'm wearing maternity clothes, the outfit certainly doesn't highlight the growing bump. So I'm not sure this week looks any different. My mom asked me about the picture, so I am happy to send anyway. But isn't it a cute maternity outfit I found from a mom on craigslist?

Love,

Amy

What a difference a week makes- 9.5 weeks

So, this isn't a month, but a week later. Things are a changing!

Hugs and smooches to all.

Love,

Amy
 

* Okay, confession to all.*  When I sent this email at 9.5 weeks, I was convinced my belly had suddenly just popped overnight.  It actually hadn't.  For a few weeks, I'd parade around the house showing Osei how pregnant I looked, and how big my belly was getting.  And naturally, when it came time to take my picture, I stood tall, engaged my core, shoulders back, and well, made sure no belly of mine was hanging out!  At 9.5 weeks, after I took the picture and relaxed by abs, Osei finally caught on and we re-took the picture.

8.5 Weeks (from March 15)

Hi lovely ladies,
First, this picture is for your personal use only. No internet reproductions please! (And definitely no facebook!)

Osei and I have been taking weekly pictures since 5 weeks to eventually make a little album, and we thought that every month, we'd do a more formal picture, so those of you living far away can see the bump start to grow. I'm definitely starting to notice a difference... it is more obvious in comparison to the other pictures. And by 7pm, I look like I'm 5 months at least. Yay for major bloating! This picture is from 8.5 weeks. I'll send you another at 12 weeks.

Anyway, enjoy, and thanks for all being part of my life and letting us share this exciting time with you!

Love,
Amy
 

The worst kept secret ever

So, I haven't posted on my blog since mid February.  It has been a busy spring.  In fact, it was a busy winter.  What with all the back-to-back blizzards that hit Boston this winter, apparantly Osei and I found other creative indoor activities to keep ourselves busy.

A few days after my last post, we learned we had a little bun in the oven, expected to make its debut somewhere around the middle or end of October.

Though I've been slacking on keeping my blog updated, Osei and I have been quite diligent about taking weekly pictures of the pregnant belly slowly growing.  At 8 1/2 weeks, we began sending a weekly picture to a few very close friends and family, who all live far away from us.  We wanted to be able to include them in our pregnancy even if we couldn't see them in person.  The list has grown since then, and finally, at 27 weeks, I just had the great idea to post these little updates on my blog.  I'm going to start from the beginning and work my way forward.  Hopefully I will catch up before October rolls around!