About Us

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The purpose of our blog is to share our journey through life with family and friends while we leave our mark on this world. Our 20's have been very kind to us and as we enter the 30's we are hoping to continue to enjoy our time in this thing we call life. I should have called this blog "Traveling through Life".

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

16 weeks

June 21st.
We signed up for our Bradley Classes that start in August! You gotta love a class that tells you to bring pillows with you each time. This is the only class I will take because they also cover newborn care, breast-feeding and exercising.

I haven't read as much as I probably should about pregnancy because reading about everything that could go wrong would only stress me out. With labor and delivery though I know I might have some control over how things progress and I want to know everything I can to stick to staying drug-free. I am currently reading Ina May's Guide to a Natural Childbirth and Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way.

It's been a pretty quiet week on the baby front. I think a growth spurt is in the works because I'm starting to feel my stomach sticking out more. Maybe I can say I am feeling little flutters inside but I could be mistaking it for something else.



Tuesday, June 25, 2013

15 weeks

June 14th.
I read that pregnancy can bring on some crazy dreams and so far I have had my fair share . They started at about 12 weeks. This week was the first time that I dreamed about my baby though. In the dream we had already brought it home and it was a little boy. He was really tiny and had blonde hair and blue eyes.

I’ve felt pretty good except for my first dizzy spell. I sat down as quick as I could and I felt better. I hope I don’t have too many of those.

My lower abdomen is starting to get harder so it’s only a matter of time before I pop out there. First thing in the morning before I get out of bed my stomach is pooching out a lot and is hard! It’s like everything else settled down and gave the baby room to pooch out. The first time I felt it I was freaked out. It’s definitely an adjustment.


Monday, June 24, 2013

14 weeks

June 7th.
Whew! The second trimester. It’s crazy to think I’ve completed a whole trimester. I know time is going to fly by now that more people know. I told my work this week. Really just my boss, HR and my unit. Everyone seems really excited for me. I will slowly continue to tell more people but we are still enjoying having a little secret. Until I am obviously showing I feel no need to tell everyone. Right now I just look like I have packed on some weight.

So far this week I have felt really great. On the food front I’m able to eat more types of foods again. Matt can count on me to eat dinner with him instead of eating separately.

I read that the baby’s hands and feet are about ½ inch long. So precious and tiny.



Friday, June 21, 2013

What's it going to be?

We have been calling it poppy for the longest time and that sounds feminine to me so I refer to it as she. “She wanted ice cream. “ She wanted me to take a nap.”

Matt thinks it is a girl but I have a strong feeling it is a boy. I don’t want to get my hopes up one way or another so we will patiently wait for July 12th to come around. The big ultrasound.

For fun I wanted to test out some of the old methods for determining the sex of a baby.
Pee in a cup with baking soda in it and see if it fizzes. It did not fizz = GIRL
Less morning sickness means boy.  I had my fair share = GIRL
Craving sweet stuff or salty stuff? Sweets = GIRL
Chinese Predictor Chart says GIRL
My skin has broken out more= GIRL
Is the fetal heart rate over or under 140 beats? Over = GIRL
Ring Test. Put your wedding ring on a string and dangle it over your belly to see if sways back and forth or in a circle. Back and forth =  BOY
Mayan Method. If your age at conception and year of conception are both even or both odd mean Girl. I was 30 in 2013 = BOY
Dearly departed great-grandmother’s message from above = GIRL


Thursday, June 20, 2013

13 weeks

May 31st.
Our baby has fingerprints this week! This is a big accomplishment for this forensic science nerd.

In the first trimester the baby’s growth is very minimal because the vital organs are developing. Now is the time that its rate of growth is the fastest. From last week to this week it grew 1 inch putting them at 3 inches. That is huge considering it takes 12 weeks just to reach 2 inches. My point in saying all this is I have noticed! Right at the start of this week my jeans were very uncomfortable. I don’t visibly look pregnant yet but at this rate of growth it won’t be much longer.

We had our 2nd prenatal visit this week. The Dr. found the heartbeat instantly and she said it sounded perfect between 140-150 beats. She said my blood pressure and weight were great and the blood work showed that my vegetarian diet is providing excellent protein and iron to the baby. I told her some important delivery wishes I had and she supported them. She said as long as no emergencies arise then they will let me labor however I choose to.



Wednesday, June 19, 2013

12 weeks

May 24th.
I know I have another week to go in first trimester but there is something about that 12 week mark that made me relax a little more. I’m still not showing and I think with my height I will be able to hide it for a lot longer. I just feel a little thicker around the waist. My appetite continued to improve and my energy was better that it has ever been. I am hoping the second trimester will have me running circles around Matt.

We are 90% sure we are doing the Bradley Method. This is where they coach you are your husband how to have a natural drug-free delivery. Really your husband is your coach and support. Matt will be able to recognize the stages of my labor and know how to react to me as my pain progresses. If we can do this I think it will be an amazing bonding experience for us. I contacted the trainer in our area. She said she has been teaching this for 20 years and 90% of the women she has taught have had a drug-free success. We will start the classes in August. I know labor is coming and I will be as prepared as possible but right now I don’t want to think about it. I just want each day to pass as it needs to and allow our little poppy to develop.




Tuesday, June 18, 2013

11 weeks

May 17th.
I decided to tell one person at work. If something should have happened to me while on the job I needed someone to know. I knew this person could keep the secret for a couple more weeks so I didn’t worry about telling them.

Though I hadn’t gained any weight yet I felt like some caught up to me this week. Needless to say my pants felt a little tighter this week and I started to think about maternity clothes. I tried some on one day just for fun. They are pretty comfy and I know once I switch to them it will be hard to ever go back to regular clothes.

My diet improved and I was able to add back some veggies that have grossed me out for weeks. Fruit has been my best friend through this but I knew I was eating too much of it and I needed more balance. I got some exercise in this week but I am still going to bed pretty early every night.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Telling Family at 10 weeks

On the Saturday of Mother's Day weekend we went to Fowler for a cookout. We wanted to show up early enough to tell Matt’s parents privately before other family showed up. I thought of an idea of placing the announcement on a wine bottle and giving that to Wanda as a gift. I made a small discrete label and stuck it on the bottom of the bottle so she wouldn’t notice it. She opened the bottle of wine and Matt started telling her a story about how this winery was known for putting custom labels on the bottom of the bottles. Wanda listened to his story and then just set down the bottle of wine. Then Matt said “Wanie look at the bottom of the bottle!” On the bottom the label read “Baby Sondgeroth Ready to Enjoy on December 6th”.

She screamed instantly and was very excited about the news. We then told the rest of his family throughout the day.

On Sunday we went to Terre Haute to tell my family. When I buy my mother a gift for any occasion I always buy her an outfit. She almost expects it and likes the clothes I pick out for her. I wrapped her gift as normal but at the bottom of the bag I wrapped up another very small package. I bought her a baby onesie that said “I Love My Grandma”. For some reason my mom thought I was buying her a vacation for mother’s day so when she got to the little package at the bottom of the bag she thought it was her trip information. When she opened the onesie she froze and wasn’t sure why I had bought this for her and then it sank in. My entire family was shocked and very excited.

I’m really glad that we were able to fool every one for so long because we wanted big reactions out of both sides and we definitely got them.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Change in Plans

I have always planned on waiting to tell family until 12 weeks. It has been fun having this little secret between us and I haven’t been ready to share it. A while ago I briefly thought it would be nice to share it on Mother’s Day which would be 10 weeks but I decided against it. Then the day after we heard the heartbeat my grandmother called me and told me she had a little medical scare but she was ok. I started thinking a lot that time is so precious and I would hate to not be able to share this wonderful news with my mamaw. I started to feel this was a sign from God that it was ok to tell our news. I talked it over with Matt and he was 100% ready to tell family. We decided Mother’s Day would be the big reveal for both of our families.
 

Friday, June 14, 2013

9 weeks

May 3rd.
Finally the first Dr. Visit! We went at about 9.5 weeks. I needed confirmation that there was actually a little bean in my belly before I would let myself get excited. And I needed to hear the heartbeat. I prepped Matt with what to expect. It’s weird that we go to the Dr. by ourselves as young adults and this time he was going with me. I started to get really nervous. I knew this was the day she would either have really great news or terrible news. The visit started out pretty routine and she did all the normal exam stuff. Then without me realizing it she had the miniature ultrasound machine on my stomach. And this is when I held my breathe. It felt like she was searching for 10 minutes even though it was probably 10 seconds. I heard a heart beat but I knew it was mine and she confirmed that. Then all of a sudden I heard a very fast loud heartbeat. I knew it was the baby. She said it sounded perfect at about 160 beats a minute. Amazing sound! I was relieved. It was very surreal to think there was a little heart growing in me. After the doctor left the room Matt jumped up and kissed me. I think he also realized he just heard the most amazing little sound.
We left there in shock, kind of like the day we got a positive test. This baby just became real to us.
Most of the sickness is much better this week. I’m eating better but still not as well I want to. My energy has been better but I am still exhausted at night and have needed several naps. My clothes still fit. I haven’t gained any weight yet even though some days it has felt like it.
( No photo this week, wasn't feeling photogenic.)

Thursday, June 13, 2013

8 weeks

April 26th.
Another weekend spent in bed. I really don’t know how I survive the work day because once I am home I just want to lie down. The food options are still limited. I really want to like good food again. I have noticed that I lose my breath a little more easily which makes me want to lie down even longer. I read this is normal most of the time because your heart is pumping more blood around your body. I will tell my doctor about it next week and hopefully she also says it’s normal. I am hoping it doesn’t last the entire time because it makes me feel really out of shape.
In the middle of this week I started to feel better. The weather warmed up and I think that helped me a ton. I was able to get sunshine and fresh air. My energy increased but I still had the same palette. Praying it all continues to improve from here.
I causally started looking at maternity clothes online just to see what was in my future. I ended up buying five shirts because they were super cheap.  I can always return them.
It has felt like an eternity waiting for the first Dr. Appt. and finally it is one week away. Praying for the best.

7 weeks

April 19th.
Starting to get more nauseous in the mornings. I had to start showering at night because I would feel sick standing in the shower in the morning. I just feel yucky most of the time. I hate thinking about what I am going to eat because it grosses me out and nothing ever sounds good. Vegetables are very unappealing right now. I spent this weekend in bed too. I get nauseous if I am standing too long plus I have felt exhausted. Growing a baby is hard work!
We’ve been trying to lay low on the weekends because I never know how I will feel but this weekend we attended a party for our brother in-law. I was really nervous about this because it was at a restaurant where there would be plenty of smells to gag me. That morning I felt really sick and started to think about the excuses I would have to give as to why I couldn’t go.  I got better and snacked on preggie pops and pretzels right before the party. I was so glad I was able to hide what I was going through. Hopefully just a few more weekends of avoiding family.
                                          

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

6 weeks

April 12th.
And then 6 weeks hit. Something changed at the beginning of this week. I was very limited in the foods I could eat. Saturday and Sunday I was in bed all day. We saw Matt’s parents on Sunday and I did my best to hide how tired I was. Exhaustion hit hard at the end of each work day. One day I had to leave early because I was no longer functioning.  I went to bed early every night.  When I felt hungry I had to eat instantly or I started to feel sick. Whatever I’m experiencing this week is manageable; I just need to keep something in my stomach.  Water was unappealing and I made smoothies a lot.  I decided a long time ago that when I felt good I would eat well but if I felt bad I would do whatever I had to do to survive. This week I also started eating lunch in my office instead of in the break room. I could barely handle my own food let alone everyone else’s. My palette changed drastically and I wasn’t proud of my food choices. Matt has been the best husband. He hasn’t complained about eating as a bachelor and he has made lunches and smoothies for me when I couldn’t stand to look at food.

This photo shows how I was feeling.......

5 weeks

April 5th.
Breasts still tender. I decided there are too many bumps on my drive to work. Energy and appetite were good. Switched up my normal breakfast routine and ate more cereal which is very odd for me but the ice cold milk was great. I’m fearing the coming weeks and praying I do not get morning sickness. I was so concerned how I would hide it at work. By the end of the week my palette had changed. I didn’t feel sick but I only wanted to eat certain foods. Very bland comfort foods. Some foods started to gross me out already.

I had to go to the dentist this week and I had to tell them I was expecting so I could skip the x-rays. They were completely fine with it. They talked to me about how to take care of my teeth and gums since pregnancy can weaken them. She said that the bacteria in your mouth love the increased hormones which is why pregnant women can get bleeding gums. Yuck!


Tuesday, June 11, 2013

4 weeks (Poppy)

I found out at 4 weeks and had 6 more weeks of waiting until my doctor would see me.  I read books and websites for knowledge. They told me the little ball of cells growing inside of me was the size of a poppy seed. I couldn’t believe something that small was responsible for the discomfort I already felt. The name Poppy stuck and we referred to it as that all the time.
I thought I would be a nervous wreck in the beginning and worry about everything but actually the opposite happened. I was very calm and knew that I had no control over what was happening in the early weeks and the only thing I could do was take care of myself. I took things day by day because I knew they were critical. 
This week my breasts were very tender. This is how I knew I was pregnant. I had some mild cramping that I felt was normal. My energy was the same. My appetite got smaller because I instantly started watching everything I ate. I also made sure I stayed consistent with exercise. I knew I was now training for the biggest race of my life.
 

Little Details

The name will remain a secret until the birth day.

We will find out the gender and I love the idea of a gender reveal party.

Matt would kind of like to have a boy first because he is afraid that he won’t get one unless it’s first. I’ve thought about this over the years and my mind kept changing. Whatever God gives us is what was meant for us. I just want a healthy baby.

Right now we both want two kids but we’ll see how this first one treats me. Ideally I would like one of each.

I love my Doctor so much that I chose to stay with her and drive 40 minutes while in labor instead of waddling out my back door to the hospital behind our house. I hope she holds up to the expectations I have for her. She’s very calm mannered which is what I need in this situation.

I plan to stay Vegetarian. I discussed this with my doctor a while ago and she supports me. Once I can stomach it again I will eat permitted fish.

I have every intention to have a drug-free natural delivery; however everyone has their limits and if labor takes me beyond mine I will reconsider my options. I know it is different for every woman and I have no idea how I will do.

I will need a coach to stay focused on a drug-free delivery. I am looking into the Bradley Method where the husband is trained to be the birth coach. I think Matt is strong enough for this role but if we decide not to do it I will hire a Doula.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Adjusting to the News

Even though we had a positive test we knew we still had a long road to go so we kept quiet about it and hoped for the best. I had to remind myself every day that I was pregnant because it didn’t seem real.


I called my Dr. to make the first appointment. She wouldn’t see me until 10 weeks which I knew was typical but it still made me nervous. 10 weeks is a long time for a first timer who has no idea what to expect. I took another home test a week later to make sure it was still positive.

I decided a long time ago that I did not want to tell anyone the news until I felt comfortable. I knew Matt could keep the secret but I had been hiding everything from Sara, she didn’t even know we were trying. Sara was going to be in town when I was a little over 5 weeks. Even though it was still really early I knew this was my only chance to tell her in person so I told her and swore her to secrecy. I think she was in shock for a while but then got really excited for me. We spent most of the afternoon talking about pregnancy. It felt really good to finally talk about this.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Telling Husband

A few months ago I thought of a creative way to break the news to Matt. I always knew I would tell him instantly but I wanted him to be surprised that I was actually taking a test. I grabbed the gift I made and started pacing around the house. I was still in shock, he was sleeping soundly. I knew I wouldn’t relax until I told him so I woke him up. I said “Happy Easter, I have a gift for you”. He was groggy and didn’t understand what was going on yet. This is exactly the state I wanted him in because otherwise he would be on to me. Back in December I wrote a poem using several Pearl Jam song titles. The poem revealed the big news to him. Halfway through reading he realized what was happening and started smiling. Then he opened the Pearl Jam baby onesie I attached to the poem. He finally asked, “Are you pregnant”?  Finally I was able to calm down. We sat in bed for a while talking and then we broke the news to Cody, which went over smoothly.

That morning we saw a stork on our pond. In the afternoon we had Easter lunch with his family. We have been keeping the secret of us having kids for over a year but we really had a secret to hide now. When we were going to our table at lunch Wanda asks me if the Easter Bunny brought us anything good this year. I kept my cool and thought if you only knew.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Positive

December seemed to creep up so fast but we were both ready. We had planned to go to Antigua for my 30th birthday. Right after we returned home we retired our passports and started trying. 

I decided I wouldn’t be the woman who takes 10 pregnancy tests before her period was due and I would wait to actually miss a period. I was so regular that if I was late it had to mean something.
At the end of March I had a feeling that it had worked. I had symptoms that were stronger than normal but I tried not to read into them too much. My period was late and on Easter morning, I took the test.
Instantly I saw two lines appear. Two lines = Pregnant. What happened to the 5 minutes the box said for the results to appear?!?  I went into instant shock. We both wanted this but I wasn't sure if God had this in our plans. I stayed in the bathroom a while and whispered a few profanities. Matt was still asleep and I was praying he didn’t check on me so I could gather myself to break the news to him.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Planning

We went back and forth about wanting kids for a few years and neither of us ever felt ready. It’s probably because deep down there were still some things we wanted to accomplish. Finally in January 2012 we both agreed that we did want them. We decided we would start trying later in the year, maybe in August. So right then in January I already felt like I was running out of time to prepare. I worked on getting myself as healthy as possible, which is the whole reason I started counting calories. The months passed and I dropped 16 more lbs on top of the weight loss I had maintained from a few years ago. I felt great and I knew when the time came that I would be ready.

Then came May.

We went to Ireland in May knowing this would probably be our last big trip. The last night in Ireland, which was also Mother’s Day, we had dinner in a pub with a really great atmosphere. The Guinness was flowing and we had been talking for a long time when Matt announced to me that he was ready to start trying when I was. I have been waiting to hear this from him for so long that I couldn’t believe he was actually saying it. I was caught off guard because this was months earlier than we planned.

On the plane ride home something happened that always happens at the end of one of our trips. We started discussing another trip and we knew our August start date would probably be pushed back. We were ready for a tropical vacation which is how I always imagined spending my 30th birthday.

December became the new start month.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Announcement

Our biggest adventure yet!  A little being with a mixture of Matt and I’s genetic material will be joining this world around December 6th. Yes we are expecting a baby!

I plan to write on here about this pregnancy. Some weeks may be uneventful but so far there has been a lot for me to document. I will post daily until I get caught up with my current week. As you read through these you will see this is something we started planning a long time ago but kept it a secret. Enjoy!