Baby K: Week 15

Wow, Baby K is at the 15 week milestone, and I'm finally blogging in real time! (ok...I'm a little behind, as Baby K is now more like 15 weeks and 5 days, but you get the idea)

Since the baby is about the size of an apple, I thought I'd dedicate this post to the honeycrisp apple, with is just so oh.my.goodness.amazing I can't even handle it. I don't know how I missed out on these apples for my entire life until this year, because they are wonderful. Go eat some!

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In other news, I'm starting to feel slightly less exhausted and not sick at all. So, 15 weeks is treating me well.

However, this week's belly shot is (sadly) another headless shot. Steve always takes some cropped like this and some with my face so I have options to choose from. However, midway through I had a complete mental and emotional breakdown about how horrible I think I look. I cried...a lot. This was worse than the night at the beginning of my pregnancy when I cried about peanut butter.

I completely lost it and there was NO WAY my splotchy face was going to be on camera. I'm still struggling with the in between stage of feeling bigger and bigger without the validation of officially looking pregnant. Instead, I just can't wear any of my normal pants, my dresses are barely zipping, and I can't button my winter coat. I never in my life thought I'd be praying for a bigger belly!

Anyway, here's the bump picture of the week - the only one I had to choose from, so I hope you like it!

Baby K: Week 14

(In cased you missed it, check out our big announcement and Baby K: Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 and Week 13.)

Let's celebrate! Baby K is the size of a lemon right now at Week 14. Seems fitting, as I'm obsessed with lemonade!

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Anywho, nothing new to report on the exhaustion front. Still tired, no matter how much I sleep. I've started telling people at work the news. It's kind of awkward, you know? When I got engaged, it was pretty easy to just flaunt my left hand and it spoke for itself. Should I just start sticking my belly in peoples faces? Ugh.

To give myself more "energy" this week, I made some mini apple pies. Jealous? You should be. They were amazing!


Actually Steve was craving pumpkin pie, so I made one for him (I'm not a pumpkin fan). With the leftover pie crust, I made myself the apple pies. Everybody wins!


Charlie is getting more and more excited about the baby.


But don't worry, Charlie, you will always be our first baby! How can you not fall in love with that face?


And now, your 14 week belly shot!

Baby K: Week 13

(In cased you missed it, check out our big announcement and Baby K: Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 and Week 12.)

At week 13, Baby K is as long as a shrimp! To celebrate, maybe you should think about dressing your baby as an adorable little shrimpy this Halloween. No?

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This was an exciting week, as we had our second midwife appointment! I can't say enough how happy we are so far with the nurse midwives office we are going to. So far, both midwifes we have met with have been incredibly warm, excited for us, and patient to answer any questions we may have. They're never in a rush or make us feel like we're just fitting into their jam-packed schedules.

We were finally able to hear Baby K's heartbeat! We heard a galloping 150 bpm heartbeat and officially confirmed that there is a baby in there and I'm not just getting chubby from all of the bagels and cream cheese I've been stuffing my face with.

I also broke down this week and bought some full-panel maternity jeans from Old Navy. I'm not going to fight the good fight to wear my normal jeans. I'd rather opt for extreme comfort, which I've definitely found with this fabulous tummy panel. Love it! Ladies, embrace the panel.

Sorry for the headless picture today...I was looking just too tired for my own good. No need to scare anyone.

Baby K: Week 12

(In cased you missed it, check out our big announcement and Baby K: Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10 and Week 11.)

Week 12 of Baby K is the week of the lime! Since we all pretty much know how big limes are and don't need the visual, I thought I'd introduce you to Lime Cat:

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At week 12, exhaustion continues! Trying to stay up past 9:30pm is still a struggle, and I've started so many tv shows only to never see the end.

On top of everything, Steve and I ate a fancy schmancy dinner at Alinea for our last fine dining hurrah for awhile. We assume this won't be in the budget for a very long time. Since our reservations were for 9:30pm on Thursday night, I worried how I'd handle starting dinner at my bedtime. Not only dinner, but a 3-hour dinner at that.

Fortunately, I made it through awake and oh so happy as we enjoyed the most amazing food either of us have ever had. I'll do a separate post to re-cap of the super delicious courses we were served. We left in awe of the food we'd just eaten and incredibly full. I've been struggling to eat big meals these day, so 16+ courses but my belly into overload!

We also picked out some furniture for the new house: a sleeper sofa, dining room table, and dining room chairs. We finally have grown up chairs! I can't wait to share all of our fabulous finds.

Anyway, speaking of my overloaded belly, I present you with this week's belly shot. Not as rotund as last week (or else I'm just sucking it in!).

Baby K: Week 11

(In cased you missed it, check out our big announcement and Baby K: Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9 and Week 10.)

It's Week 11, folks! Baby K is about the size of a fig. Which of course made me think of Fig Newtons. Fun fact: I only like to eat the outside and never the filling.

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I still have been downright EXHAUSTED these days. It's amazing that one person can be this tired when I'm doing nothing more than going to work, coming home, and sprawling out on the couch watching tv. Here's hoping I eventually become less of a zombie.

In other news, while I thought I was out of the nausea woods, it turns out morning-riding-the-train-nausea has gone, leaving evening-trying-to-relax-nausea behind. Oh, and some acid reflux! Yay.

Honestly, though, I still feel very lucky that my overall symptoms have not been terrible at all. However, I am looking forward to things (hopefully) easing up in the next couple of weeks so that the last thing I say to my husband each night is no longer "I don't feel good."

Since I have been indulging just a little bit more than usual, I did treat myself to some cupcakes. Usually when I bake, it's for something special and I care how things look. When faced with an "OMG I need cake" moment, anything would do. As long as it was white cake with vanilla frosting and sprinkles.

These babies were absolutely, amazingly delicious and totally hit the spot!


In other news, here's an 11-week shot of the bump in progress. It's starting to take on a life of it's own, but overall I still just look like a chubby girl wearing too-tight clothes!

Baby K: Week 10

(In cased you missed it, check out our big announcement and Baby K: Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8 and Week 9.)

Woo hoo! We are at Week 10. Baby K is about the size of a kumquat. I don't really know much about kumquats. But think about my last post and how big a grape is. Have that picture in your head?

Now take a look at this:

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Baby K had quite the growth spurt this week! Can you believe it? Maybe that's why I'm feeling even chubbier...

I am happy to announce that my train-related nausea has finally subsided. I can right the train forward, backward and sideways without turning green. This is such a huge relief! I am, however, starting to really feel exhausted...I fall asleep on the couch at about 9:30pm every night. And why is it I can have the most wonderful sleep on the couch, but then when I transfer to my bed, I have complete and total insomnia?

Overall, though, I feel like I've been pretty lucky so far with this pregnancy. My only major nausea has been on the train. I haven't thrown up. I have no major food aversions besides spinach and a few other vegetables. I'm tired but functioning. I've discovered my ultimate comfort food is a toasted bagel with cream cheese and I could eat about 20 a day. I'm not craving anything else in particular. I've given up caffeine except for the occasional latte. Life is pretty good!

Here's to Baby K as he/she keeps on cookin'...and next week I am making myself get on a regular belly shot schedule. Since I am married to a photographer, there is no excuse for not having pictures...and I know everyone dies a little bit inside when a post has no pictures of me.

Baby K: Week 9

(In cased you missed it, check out our big announcement and Baby K: Week 5, Week 6, Week 7 and Week 8.)

Here we are at Week 9 already! Baby K is about the size of a grape. Grapes make me think of wine, and this week Baby K is reminding me that I can't relax with a lovely glass of red or white.

However, if I could drink, I could totally go for a glass of Black Chook. It's an Australian sparkling shiraz and it's super delicious. Go find a bottle and think of me when you have a glass (or two...or three...).

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Things have been incredibly busy during Week 9 with a huge (i.e. exhausting!) event for work and then our 2-year wedding anniversary! Oh, and Charlie (our pup) came down with kennel cough, which is the single most horrible thing ever. It's like Charlie knew we were going to have a baby soon and be up all night and exhausted, so he decided to prepare us for it now. I feel like I haven't slept for a week!

We have a fancy dinner coming up in October that will be our official celebration, so on our actual anniversary we ordered in Indian food and watched whatever was saved on the DVR. I've been dying for Indian lately, but I've been getting full so quickly that I didn't get a lot of it before I was stuffed.

No belly shots again this week...I am lazy. And chubby. I am starting to feel really "blah" and my clothes are not fitting me well. Instead, check out the gifts Steve and I gave to each other! We both turned to Etsy for unique and fun anniversary gifts.

I bought this bowl from Etsy seller Clayful Whimsy. I love how it tells our story - when we met, got engaged and got married.


And aren't the love birds adorable?!


Steve bought me this beautiful necklace from an Etsy seller - LOVE it!

Baby K: Week 8

(In cased you missed it, check out our big announcement and Baby K: Week 5, Week 6 and Week 7.)

We've successfully made it to Week 8, and Baby K is the size of a kidney bean!

If I truly wanted to show solidarity right now to my unborn child, I'd pick up one of the kidney bean costumes for a mere $1,120.00 and be a human legume. Doesn't she look happy?

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In other news, Week 8 in the Kooky household has been an exciting one! We had our first midwife appointment which went well. We weren't able to hear the little bean's heartbeat, but not for lack of trying. Our midwife said that it's often hard to hear it this early on, so we have to wait 4 weeks to hear it at our next appointment.

We really liked the nurse midwife practice we chose. It's at a smaller hospital on the northwest side of Chicago, and in addition to have access to all of the certified nurse midwives in the practice, they also have a close relationship with an ob-gyn practice (in the same office!) should you have any high risk situation that needs attention by a doctor.

Earlier this year we watched the documentary The Business of Being Born. And while documentaries are always biased to one side or the other, we liked what we saw about certified nurse midwives and learned more about them. I like the low intervention rates and more personal attention this practice offers. And, on the flip side, if I want an epidural, I can have an epidural! They don't force natural childbirth on you unless it's what you want.

To add to the excitement, we also told my parents that they'll be grandparents and my sister that she'll be an aunt! They're all very excited and it was awesome being able to share the news with them.

While we haven't kept up on taking (bloated) belly shots, here's a picture Steve oh so kindly took at our appointment. I hate being wrapped in paper!


Nerdiest picture ever!

Baby K: Week 7

(In cased you missed it, check out our big announcement and Baby K: Week 5 and Week 6.)

Baby K is now in Week 7 and is a happy little blueberry.

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I, unfortunately, am less than a happy blueberry. I'm nauseous. It's even worse than last week and my train ride went from highly uncomfortable to stomach clenching panic as I wonder what day will be the one where I don't make it through the ride without major embarrassment.

I don't even like blowing my nose on the train, so puking is out of the question. Do you just run off at the next stop and find the nearest garbage can? But what if you can't make it off the train in time? I am terrified!

Hopefully, though, I only end up with a lot of nausea and little-to-no puking for the duration of the first trimester. I can hope, right?

We're still waiting for things to feel more "real"...hopefully our first doctor's appointment in a week will do the trick. I even took another pregnancy test yesterday just to make sure it was positive (it was...immediately).

Here's to making it through another week's commute! Oh, and here's a happy (and bloated!) belly shot!

Baby K: Week 6

(In cased you missed it, check out our big announcement and Baby K: Week 5.)

It's Week 6 and Baby K is about the size of a lentil. I couldn't pass up this delightful picture of cartoon legumes. Hopefully Baby K is as happy as these three and keeps on growin'!

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The good feelings of last week are slowly but surely going away and are being replaced by nausea. A lot of it.

I have a 45-minute commute each way to work on the train. I've always had really terrible motion sickness, but only in cars, boats and buses. The train is my happy place where I read and sleep.

Now I try and figure out an exit strategy, should I need it. Or else I prepare myself to just puke into my lunch bag and act like nothing happened. So far my insides have not made it outside, but each and every day is a worry. And I hate it.

Otherwise, I'm just a little bit tired, trying to eat healthy snacks throughout the day and just read everything about babies I can get my hands on! We are loving our little lentil.

Baby K: Week 5

(In case you missed it, there's a new addition on the way for Growing Kooky! I'm excited to start sharing the weekly posts I've been writing week by week.)

So, here we are. Week 5 of Baby K! How exactly did we land at this fabulous moment...?

I took a pregnancy test on a whim...we weren't even trying this month, but since I was late I took a shot. It was in the morning on a work day, so Steve was still asleep. Needless to say, my jaw dropped when I saw the little plus sign appear.


Then I started sweating. A lot. And then I ran to my computer to Google the hell out of this brand of test and if the instructions in my specific box of tests just happened to be incorrect. Apparently, a plus is a plus is a plus.

Even though we had wanted to start a family, seeing the positive was a total "holy crap" moment of excitement and fear and everything in between.

When I finally confirmed beyond a doubt that what I had in my hands was a positive test, I grabbed this onesie that I had bought months back from the Etsy shop amytangerine. I'd thought it would be a cute way to tell Steve.


I woke Steve up in a flurry of words, including "positive" and "pregnant" and shoved the onesie and test into his sleepy face. Poor guy. I then made him get up and take pictures of the onesie and test. At 6am.

And then, with this huge news on my mind (and I'm terrible with secrets) I had to actually start my day and make it to work.

It's the start of Week 5, so Baby K is the size of a sesame seed. Teeny tiny. Since there aren't any fun sesame seed pictures out there, I thought I'd share this whimsical photo of a hamburger, and you can just imagine Baby K as one of those seeds.

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Beyond my stomach being a little bit off and burping and hiccuping a lot, overall I'm feeling fine. Here's hoping this good feeling continues!

Growing Kooky... New Addition!

Yep, "Growing Kooky" will be growing a little bit kookier over the coming months as we await for "Baby K" to make his/her appearance around April 21, 2012!


I've been blogging week by week, so stay tuned for posts detailing all the excitement, nausea, and expanding waistline!

To top it off, we're also in the process of buying a new home in Chicago! We're excited to have a cute little place to take Baby K to when he/she arrives.


Lots of exciting things to come!