20 Weeks Half way there!!!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 20 Weeks

Size of baby: The size of a small cantaloupe: 6.5in, 10,6oz (our baby is actually measuring at 10oz

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained About 12lbs

Maternity Clothes: A mix of Maternity and regular clothes. Pants are mostly maternity I am still wearing my regular shirts.

Gender: I know!!!! But I can't tell....yet! After our gender revealing party on July 2 I will announce the big news. It is SO hard to slip.

Movement: LOTS of movement. Joe still has not been able to feel the baby but I feel the baby ALL the time. It is SUCH an amazing thing!!! I love every minute of it.

Sleep: Not so good. I wake up several times a night to reposition/pee.

What I miss: Brushing my teeth without throwing up, and just feeling well in general and sleeping!!!

Cravings: My cravings have kind of gone away, I still prefer salty over sweet but nothing specific.

Symptoms: Nausea, throwing up, fatigue, feeling blah

Best Moment this week: Finding out the gender for sure! But I also LOVE feeling the little one move. It makes my heart leap everytime!!!

16 Weeks (every four week update)

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 16 Weeks

Size of baby: The size of an Avocado: 4.6in, 3.5oz

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 5lbs (my weight constantly fluctuates from gaining to losing to staying about the same. Depends on how much I throw up that day.

Maternity Clothes: A mix of Maternity and regular clothes. With most of my regular pants I have to use the rubber band trick, but the maternity pants are still a little on the big side. I am still wearing my regular shirts.

Gender: I am leaning more toward boy at this point. Will find out the end of June and plan to have a gender revealing party on July 1. Can't wait!!!

Movement: Not for sure. I probably have felt the baby, but it isn't consistent and therefore is hard for me to determine for sure what I am feeling.

Sleep: Not so good. I wake up several times a night to reposition.

What I miss: Brushing my teeth without throwing up, and just feeling well in general.

Cravings: My cravings have kind of gone away, I still prefer salty over sweet but nothing specific. However, a friend did point out to me that I ate a cup of ice cream and then some dill pickles right after, which is a typical craving you hear of, but I DID NOT eat them together...yet.

Symptoms: Nausea, throwing up, Sore muscles, fatigue

Best Moment this week: Thinking I MAY have felt the baby. (and since I only update every 4 weeks because I am a slacker, a highlight this month....) was seeing my sweet little baby at our u/s. S/He even gave us a little wave!!!

12 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 12 Weeks 4 Days

Size of baby: The size of a Plum

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 5-7lbs (my weight constantly fluctuates from gaining to losing to staying about the same. Depends on how much I throw up that day.

Maternity Clothes: Not yet. Still wearing my regular stuff.I have worn a few maternity pants for fun and OH MY WORD are they COMFORTABLE!!!! I may never go back to regular clothes.

Gender: Don't know yet. Most people I think have a feeling one way or the other. I kind of thought boy at first even though I want a girl, but now I don't feel swayed one way or the other. Maybe twins?? haha

Movement: Not yet. However I swear every once in awhile I have an odd feeling.

Sleep: I wake up every night/early morning to pee and sleeping in isn't as much fun because I wake up feeling sick not rested.

What I miss: Brushing my teeth without throwing up.

Cravings: My cravings have kind of gone away, the only thing I really craved this week was mashed potatoes.

Symptoms: Nausea, throwing up, headache, and itchiness.

Best Moment this week: Hitting 12 weeks and being out of the "danger zone," also coming up this week on Wed. I get to see the baby for the first time. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

10 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 10 Weeks (tomorrow 4-14-11)

Size of baby: The size of a Prune

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 4lbs (my weight constantly fluctuates from gaining to losing to staying about the same. Depends on how much I throw up that day.

Maternity Clothes: Not yet. Still wearing my regular stuff. Although baggier clothes are more comfy.

Gender: Don't know. I'm hoping for a girl, daddy is hoping for a boy.

Movement: None yet.

Sleep: I wake up every night/early morning to pee and sleeping in isn't as much fun because I wake up feeling sick not rested.

What I miss: Not feeling sick and being SO exhausted.

Cravings: Anything salty. I don't really crave this but Milk ALWAYS tastes good.

Symptoms: Nausea, throwing up, Cramping, Tired

Best Moment this week: Setting up my appointment for my first Ultrasound.

7 Weeks

I'm 7 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 7 Weeks 5 Days
Size of baby: the size of a raspberry.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Nothing
Maternity Clothes: Not yet. Still wearing my regular stuff.
Gender: Don't know. I'm hoping for a girl, daddy is hoping for a boy.
Movement: None yet.
Sleep: I wake up everynight to pee. Otherwise, not bad.
What I miss: Drinking Soda and not worrying at work about what I'm being exposed to.
Cravings: Anything salty. Especially Salt and Vinegar Chips
Symptoms: Nauseated, just feeling gross
Best Moment this week: Putting the News on Facebook

A Once in a Lifetime Family Newsletter

Dear Family and Friends,
I know, shocking. Me writing a family newsletter. Must mean there is something really important to share. And in fact that is true. There are a LOT of important things to share. I update my life on facebook via status updates and occasionally on my blog (which I plan to do more of in the future.), however I rarely sit down and write an actual letter reviewing many important things at one time. So here it is, and it is probably the only one for about another 5 years so enjoy! haha Anyway, the past two years have been incredibly exciting and life changing. A timeline of events.

May 8, 2009- Graduated from Maranatha with a 4 year Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (even though actually
graduating means nothing for getting a job)
June 9, 2009- Took the NCLEX state nursing boards for the first time
June 11, 2009- Found out I didn't pass and still couldn't work as a nurse (MAJOR LET DOWN) Decided to give that
a few months (90 days to be exact, seeing as that is how long I had to wait to retake boards) and focus
on other things.
June 20, 2009- Married my BestFriend
June 21-28, 2009- Found out Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Billy Mays died via Mexican TV on the only day
we watched tv on our honeymoon. (But I guess this wasn't really an important detail of our lives
seeing as we had no emotional attachment to any of these people. Back to the good stuff.
July 10, 2009- Celebrated my 23 Birthday
August something, 2009- Bought our first puppy. A two year old Husky/Australian Shepard named Coda
September 2, 2009-Took the NCLEX again feeling more prepared and less distracted by small details as an
upcoming wedding.
September 4, 2009- Found out I PASSED boards and could now actually work as an RN.
November 2, 2009- Got my first job working as an actual nurse. (In October I worked as an "RN" but really an MA
while i continued to search for a job that would hire me without experience.)
The rest of 2009 and beginning of 2010- Celebrated a lot of things for the first time as a married couple.
June 20, 2010- Celebrated the first year of survival as a married couple.
November 23, 2010- Signed all of the papers and received the keys to our first house!
January something 2011- My car decided to bite the dust and the clutch went out. Which is only ONE of the many
issues that faithful little neon has had.
March 2, 2011- We bought our first car as a married couple and my first car to buy and actually have to pay for. A
2007 Chevy Trailblazer. LOVE IT
March 23, 2011-November 9, 2011- Only God knows.
November 10, 2011- Or sometime around that date we will be welcoming our first BABY into the world!!!!! Lord Willing.

We couldn't be more excited!!! Joe is really hoping for an 11-11-11 baby so that he can remember the baby's birthday. haha I am hoping for a girl and of course daddy is hoping for a boy, but like any parents will be totally content with what God gives us. We should find out in July what we are having then the shopping can really begin! Right Grandma????
We realize we are incredibly blessed and definitely don't deserve God's awesomeness but we will take it and do everything to his glory!
Love Always,
Abi, Joe, and Baby Struska

Nurse

The last few works at work have been pretty miserable long days. The worst feeling as a nurse is going home at night feeling like I haven't done anything for my patients all day, yet I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off all day. The patient load seems to be growing as well as the acuity of the patients. I hate days like that. However, days like that make me SO thankful for days like today in which the day went at a good pace. Busy but not ridiculously busy playing catch up all day, and to top it off a patient that seems to be hard to please let me know that they appreciated me and gave me a cup full of flowers. Things like that remind me that I am making a difference and there are still some people out there who appreciate it. Another thing that makes a HUGE difference in my attitude to help patients is the use of the words please and thank you. Some people have completely forgotten their manners and the worst patients of all can seem nice if they just say please and thank you. I realize a lot of our patients can't do a lot of things for themselves, but I am SO much more willing to help and go above and beyond if they are just grateful for helping them. Something I really hope to remember as I age and anyplace I go. Restaurants, hospital, bank. Any of those people I'm sure would appreciate a touch of kindness. Sorry about my rant but this is what's on my mind tonight as I get ready to go to bed and get up and go to work again in the morning.