This week went by so fast. Between an all-too-abrupt weekend and an insane work week, I feel like week 16 didn't even happen! We had a great weekend with friends, including two birthday parties and several hours at the beach both Saturday and Sunday. We haven't spent much time out at the ocean this summer, so it was good to get a little extra sun. 

I managed to squeeze in a doctor's appointment on Wednesday morning between two deadlines at work. It was a quick in and out appointment- a little blood work and a quick listen to Frankie's heart on the doppler. The doctor was happy with my progress and I was glad to hear he was also satisfied with my weight, despite how guilty I feel about my many midnight bowls of cereal.

The rest of the week was a blur of work deadlines, trying to keep the house somewhat in order, and teaching a macrame class. I had trouble all week even remembering what day it was or how far along I was. I actually had my first "pregnancy brain" moment, too- Daniel took the dog on a walk early Thursday morning and found my house/car keys just sitting out on the front porch... they'd been there all night! So glad no one came up onto the porch and took advantage. 😳 Thank goodness the weekend is nearly here!

On Sunday, our immediate family gathered together for lunch before our early gender ultrasound appointment. I'm not big on gender reveal parties, but I knew that just sending a text of an ultrasound photo to our first-time-grandparents also wouldn't do. We decided that inviting them to a private ultrasound and "letting my uterus make the reveal" was a great way to compromise. 

I brought cupcakes and pins for everyone to wear their guesses- taco or hot dog 😂? After lunch, the future grandparents, my sister and BIL, and our best friends walked across the street with us to the private ultrasound office. Having everyone with us was so special, but because my family's always got the jokes, I couldn't stop laughing and the ultrasound was bumpy at times! The room is set up so that the future mom and dad have their own little TV in the back, and all the "spectators" sit in the front of the room with couches and a much larger TV for them.

With the ultrasound up on the big screen for less than a minute, my sister announced it was a girl, even though the baby was wiggling all over the place. I told her to hush and to let the professional do her job, but just a moment later, I saw it too. Definitely a girl. The room erupted in cheers from the soon-to-be grandparents. I was so thankful to my best friend, Emily, for recording my reaction (even though I told her not to!). I had totally been expecting a boy, but when I saw the tech type in girl, I just immediately began sobbing. Something inside of me broke and I realized how badly I'd wanted a daughter all along. My relationship with my own mom has always been extremely special, complicated, and close. Something about experiencing that for myself as a mom just speaks to me. Suddenly seeing her as my little girl on the screen changed absolutely everything. I haven't been able to stop tearing up all week, just thinking about Daniel with our little girl and how much she will adore him. The two of us taking walks with a tiny lady in pink (if she wants to wear pink of course!). I know she will test me, especially as a naturally moody lady myself. But my heart is just exploding out of my chest! Every five minutes I'm finding myself tearing up and I have to get over it soon or I'm going to turn into a puddle. 

We already knew her name... we actually knew her name long before we got married. Probably within the first year of dating. I cannot tell you how weird it is to say it out loud and know she isn't just a hope anymore. She's real. Daniel's maternal grandmother is Frances, and we knew we always wanted to name her for grandma. My sister, Grace, is one of the most special people on this planet, and I knew I wanted to name her to honor Grace, too. There are several other "nods" to other important parts of our lives... Daniel's paternal grandmother was Jackie (thus why we're calling her "Frankie"), my brother in law is John Frank, and Frankie is one of my favorite Bruce Springsteen songs. It just all fit together so nicely. So welcome, Frankie (Frances) Grace Russo. We can't wait to meet you. Sorry in advance for all the crying I'm bound to do. 

How far along? 15 weeks 

Maternity clothes? My belly made the "pop" about half way through the week. It was seriously like I ate a big meal and it just never went away. No option but maternity clothes now!
Stretch Marks? No, not yet. 

Bladder Watch: I feel like I'm spending my life in the bathroom .
Sleep? Not the worst, not the best.

Best moment(s) this week: Hands down, finding out we're having a DAUGHTER! 

Miss Anything? Normal eating habits... I'm starving/so full I could vomit without any middle ground. 

Movement: A few flutters at night when I'm laying still, but nothing consistent at all. High probability its still gas.
Food Cravings: I'll stop being absolutely starving soon one day, right?

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope! Yay, second trimester! 

Gender: BABY GIRL 💟 
Labor Signs: None

Pregnancy Symptoms: The boobs hurt much worse this week. Like, much much worse. Also, my pelvis feels bruised, but I know its just stretching. I'm getting uncomfortable when eating "normal" sized meals, which bums me out because I'm hungry 45 minutes later. And, of course, the crying. 

Belly Button in or out? In 

Rings on or off? On, unless I have a salted pretzel (yummmmm) 

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am a word more than happy! I cannot believe I'm having a daughter! 

Looking forward to: Shopping and registering for Frankie. It's so completely surreal to put a name to her. She was just a blob before! Now she's a human!

Baby's first road trip! Emily and I took a little vacation on Monday night to spend a few days with our girlfriends in Tampa. Tampa is such an unexpectedly gorgeous city, it makes me daydream about what Jacksonville's riverfront could be if the city gave a dang. We spent Tuesday and Wednesday getting pampered, drinking fake champagne, shopping, EATING (OMG the cheese grits I had at Graze), and seeing Taylor Swift at Raymond James Stadium! Not really what I would have expected this babe's first show to be, but I had such an amazing time- really one of the best performances I've been to. 



In other news, I simply cannot stand it... we find out baby Russo's gender on Sunday!

In just TWO DAYS, we will find out if baby Russo is a boy or a girl (or a puppy 😂). To prepare, I thought it would be fun to look at some old wive's tales about gender. 

Heart Rate: GIRL. It's a boy if the heart rate falls in the low range (110-130s). It's a girl if the heart rate falls in the high range (140-160s). At our first trimester screening, their heart rate was 160... of course, this does not take into account if you've had soda recently or anything like that. Fetal heart rate, just like ours, varies. Gotta love the wives tales.

Morning Sickness: GIRL. If you're nauseous all the time its said to be a little lady. If you come out of the first trimester unscathed, a boy. Considering I barely ate for two months, lost 8 lbs, and vomited almost daily, I'm going with girl. 

Chinese Calendar: PUPPY. This one doesn't quite work for IVF babies. You use your age and the month the baby was conceived. So, if we go with the month the embryo was created (April), then BOY. If we go with the month the embryo was defrosted and transferred back in to me (May), then GIRL. 

Cravings: PUPPY. Legend says if you want sweet stuff, it’s a girl. Salty/savory, it’s a boy. This one’s a bust, because as long as it’s unhealthy, I want it. The beginning of pregnancy had me loving sweets, but lately its been all loaded potatoes, salsa, and mac and cheese. And donuts. And chocolate. See? I can't decide. 

Ramzi Method: GIRL. This one can be tricky. When you look at your ABDOMINAL ultrasound (if its transvaginal, the results are flipped), if the placenta is on the left side of the photo, its a boy. On the right side of the photo, girl. Ours is on the right, as far as I can tell. 

Linea Negra: BOY. If the dark line on your belly goes above your belly button, boy. If it stops below your belly button, girl. Mine so far has only been above my belly button on my actual stomach area.

Mom's Intuition: BOY. I’ve just felt that way from the very beginning, with no rhyme or reason. A few dreams here and there. The cards are stacked against me, apparently 😏.

Dad's Prediction: GIRL. He also just has a feeling. And I wont lie, seeing Daniel with a daughter might make my heart burst right out of my chest. He would raise a kick-ass daughter!

He says both genders would be so much fun for many different reasons, and I completely agree with him. We love both names we have picked out and know that they will have tons of friends of all ages and genders in our neighborhood... it really and truly does not matter. Just tell us already! 

Totals:
Boy-2
Girl-4
Puppy-2

No matter which, we're dying to find out! What are your guesses?

How far along? 14 weeks
Looking forward to: I think you can probably guess... baby boy or girl???

Information is conflicting on when the second trimester actually begins (13 or 14 weeks), but as of today I'm officially done with my first trimester, no matter which way you slice it. Just six-ish more months until I meet our little one. Time for the fun trimester of pregnancy! Tight dresses, macaroni and cheese, vacations, finding out the gender! Woohoo!

How far along? 13 weeks

Our first trimester screening appointment was Wednesday afternoon. I was more than a little anxious, several of my IVF friends had recently gotten bad news about their pregnancies and cycles and it can be hard not to let the possibilities creep in. Daniel hadn't seen the baby since our very first scan at 6 weeks (jelly bean blob) and I hadn't since 9 weeks (gummy bear blob). Even at 9 weeks, the baby had started to look more like a human but WOW. I don't think I was really prepared for just how much things would change in just three short weeks. We saw the baby's profile, including a little nose and lips, saw fingers and elbows, and listened to the heartbeat (160 bpm... healthy and strong!). They measured the fluid at the back of baby's neck to check for markers of chromosomal abnormalities, and everything looked good. Still low risk. The technician told us the baby was very laid back, with its legs up and feet crossed at the ankles... just chilling out with their hands up near their face. Please stay chill, little one! It was an EXCELLENT appointment and I'm so glad Daniel was able to come. The next time we see baby in a little more than two weeks, it will be to find out if they're a boy or a girl!

I also attended a baby shower for our neighbor and also baby Harper's first birthday party this weekend, my first few events as an "openly pregnant" lady. It was really fun and felt a little surreal to be part of the mama club now. It was also so interesting to chat with my friends, all with very different birth and pregnancy stories, and realize that we all have many of the same anxieties as I do... feeling like we don't fit in as moms, feeling unprepared for a baby (even when you paid a lot of money to have one!). Whether the pregnancy was totally unexpected, or meticulously planned, we all kind of end up in the same boat in the end.

How far along? 12 weeks