18 weeks and counting

Technically, I was 18 weeks last week. Seeing as how I am moving at a slug's rate of speed I will go ahead and give a fun 18 week update with a 20 week update coming up soon.

How far along? 18 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 4 lbs gained so far
Maternity clothes? All maternity and not ashamed.
Stretch marks? Yes...I am getting stretch marks in places I never dreamed of getting them. I've been lotioning up to try to avoid them but one circumstance involving sleep and a cockroach has got me shying away from my cupcake-scented lotion.
Sleep: Sleep is on and off. Solely sleeping on on side of another is tough. I long for some back sleep!
Best moment this week: realizing that I am almost halfway there.. BOOM!
Miss Anything? Raw sushi. Beer. Port wine. A margerita or two...or three.
Movement: Ooooh yes. Little one loves to do flips especially during worship time at church!
Food cravings: So far I've been raising Miss Gwen on bean burritos. While cravings have been at a minimum I have wanted some chicken tenders something fierce today.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really sick...but anytime I think of BBQ and Chinese food I make funny face and shiver a bit.
Have you started to show yet: Yup! The belly is poking out. I never thought that it would feel so tight, like a drum.
Gender: We found out that Ackerbaby is an Ackerlady!
Labor Signs: Not really. I've been having sharp pains for the past 4 weeks but I figured it was baby moving around
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? Both. I was one to wear my rings 24/7 but they've been getting kind of tight so I take them off at night and then more than likely forget to put them on in the morning.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time.
Looking forward to:  Going to the beach for Labor Day. A year ago I miscarried so it will be wonderful to celebrate and enjoy looking at the ocean over my growing belly. Watch out Edisto Beach!

Without further ado...

Boy or girl? Girl or boy? I would say that this was one of the first thoughts that ran across my mind when I first found out I was pregnant.

Would the little one in my womb that was turning somersaults be a little ballerina or a baseball player? Bang on the drums in his father's footsteps or tickle the ivory's in mine?

So today we went to Prenatal Peek to find out. We watched as Ackerbaby turned flips and wiggled in my tummy. His/her little hands and feet wagging and waving. Instead of finding out at the ultrasound place, my mom bought two outfits from Belk, one boy and one girl, had the salesclerk wrap them in identical gift wrap and then put a card on each one indicating the gender of Ackerbaby. When we left the ultrasound room, the tech put a bow on the present that indicated the correct gender of the baby. We then went to Olive Garden with friends and family to find out....

So...without further ado....Ackerbaby is actually an....

Ackerlady!

Baby's First Lullaby

This post is as much to record a specific moment and time in the history of Ackerbaby as it is to let you, my family and friends, in on our little life.

At 16 weeks, baby can "hear". I'm not sure if this is mostly through vibrations and I am sure that Ackerbaby feels like "The Little Mermaid", having to listen though all that fluid, but I surely hope he/she enjoyed the first "lullaby" I sang him/her.

What song?

Carolina In My Mind by James Taylor

While this song is about our sister state, North Carolina, I love the sense of nostalgia that goes along with listening to James Taylor's voice and listening to this song in my Mom's car. I like to think that the song is about our South Carolina. The Carolina that will be the home to our little one. 

16 weeks and counting. Boy or Girl?

I am 16 weeks pregnant today. Or four months. Or 112 days.

However you want to count the measurement of pregnancy, I am definitely more pregnant than I was a few short months ago.

My waistline is growing, there are little movements in my tummy that could be contributed to either gas or Ackerbaby. My vote is for Ackerbaby.

Over the past four months, I have learned what miserable really means with almost 6 weeks of non-stop nausea. I honestly told the hubs that if my whole pregnancy was going to be plagued by nausea that we would have to adopt the rest of the our children.

I have learned what faith is by putting the life of my little one in God's hands and just enjoying having the baby here for as long as God decides to let me have him (or her). Also by stepping out and putting in my notice at work. Yep, that's right. I am going to try the good ole "stay-at-home mom" routine. (More on that later).

I have learned that sometimes spilled milk really does make you cry and yes, it is just because of the hormones. I have learned that putting your car keys and other random items in the refrigerator is a normal occurrence and that sometimes you will forget to wear your bra to work. Preggo-brain is real and it is here to stay.

So, I have learned all these things but what I have yet to learn is the gender of Ackerbaby...and that, my friends, we will be finding out this weekend.

Many people have weighed in. Some think Ackerbaby is going to be a girl, the majority think it will be a boy. I have dreamed that it was a girl but I have always called him, him.

So weigh in...what do you think Ackerbaby will be? Boy or girl?

Conquest!

In my last post, I mentioned that I would be writing about another huge announcement that involves beer, swords and shiny objects.
Well my friends, those shiny objects FINALLY arrived yesterday.
Over the past year and a half, Mr. Ackerman and his best friend of umpteen years have been praying and working on opening their own brewery here in Columbia.

Conquest Logo created by Jess MacCallum

Let me start by saying that I am SO incredibly proud of Mr. A and his partner. What started out as a dream and some talk over beers has finally turned into something tangible. A dream that has been realised. Through hard work and honestly a considerable amount of intervention from God (what??? Did I just say God and beer in the same blog post?) things have slowly come together.

Opening the very first crate - a hot liquor tun!

Conquest Brewing Company is located at 847 Stadium Way, near Williams-Brice Stadium. The brewery will produce a string of regular beers (including Sacred Heart IPA, Artemis Blonde, Brutus Stout and a hefeweizen) and will expand to seasonal releases as well as limited release beers such as The Finisher (sounds daunting, no?).

Hot liquor tun

Columbia has had a few brew-pubs including Hunter Gatherer and Liberty Tap Room but has not harbored a production brewery for many years. With cities such as Charleston, Asheville and even Myrtle Beach sustaining 1-8+ breweries, Columbia should be able to harbor at least one and hopefully more will pop-up around the Midlands making the area a beer mecca.

Tap handle designed by Mr. A and Mr. E (Joseph's partner).
Fabricated by Laserformn & Machine, Inc.

So far, Conquest has received tons of support for the local community (thank you, thank you, thank you to all who have commented, tweeted, messaged and called) and looks forward to brewing it's first batches and opening in mid-late September, right in the mix of football season. Check out coverage from the Free Times and WLTX.

If you want to keep up to date on the brewery, visit them on Facebook, Twitter or their Web site (currently under construction).

And remember: History is written by the victor.

The One About Baby A

Since we have officially announced our little news on Facebook (because you know that NOTHING is official until you post it on Facebook), I thought I would write a bit about our news!
Joseph and I are expecting a little bundle of joy! Or in layman's terms a baby. Knocked up. Pregasaurus-rex.  A bun in the oven.

Studio 13 Photography by Corrie Defelice

I will be 14 weeks tomorrow. It seems like just yesterday I took a test and instead of one measly line, there were two. Two. Two lines. Check the box. That means I'm pregnant. While there was extensive joy when I found out, there was also worry and a tinge of sadness for the baby we lost last year. There was such a cloud that followed the miscarriage that when I took the pregnancy test and saw that it was positive this time around, I got in the shower and cried with mixed emotions. But God is good and sovereign and has blessed us beyond our imagination.

Studio 13 Photography by Corrie Defelice

The first trimester came and went. Let me tell you something about the first trimester...whoever came up with "Morning Sickness"  lied. It was all day sickness and it comes with extreme fatigue. Instead of going to bed at 10:30-11:00 pm like usual, I turned into a pumpkin around 9:00-9:30 pm much to my husband's dismay. It felt as if we had no time together because I was going to bed so early. In the moment, I honestly thought this phase would never end. I forgot what it felt like to want to eat and to actually enjoy it.

It was also hard to balance the idea of complaining about the discomforts because of the miscarriage. Right after I miscarried, I would see friends complain on Facebook about their pregnancy ailments and I would get so upset because "at least they were pregnant". But now I know first hand their discomforts, but how do I complain about something that clearly means my little baby is growing and thriving?

Studio 13 Photography by Corrie Defelice

I have now graduated to official "Maternity" clothes as my regular pants and jeans do not fit. I tried every trick in the book to stay in my pre-maternity clothes including using safety pins and hair ties to keep my pants up to wearing loose, baggy tops that weren't so tight. But I find that I love maternity pants. They are super comfortable and I don't think I will ever go back.

And has anyone ever told you about prenatal vitamins? Um, hello long nails and long, glossy hair! I am a nail biter so it has been like a dream to have long, beautiful nails. I am due for a manicure soon. But what no one ever told me about is the horrible skin that comes along with pregnancy (for some women at least). I have had breakout upon breakout and nothing helps. Whatever happened to the "glowing skin" of pregnancy? It completely skipped me.

Studio 13 Photography by Corrie Defelice

Let's just go ahead and get it out in the open: smaller bladder. Yeah. The toilet and I have become best friends. At work, the stairs have also become my best friend since I see them ALL the time while running to the first floor for a bathroom break. But what happens when I have to waddle down and up the stairs? The dreaded elevator in our old building takes forever. I am talking a good 20 seconds for the door to open once you have reached your floor...so the question at hand is, what will I have more patience for? Taking 10 minutes to waddle up the stairs or 10 minutes to take the elevator? We shall see.

Studio 13 Photography by Corrie Defelice

So I am "due" January 22. Between now and then, I am sure I will have many questions and many things to figure out. I plan on posting updates and how I prepare for birth. Look forward to seeing my birthing plan, gender reveal, hospital baby bag, quest for baby names, wait...you have to get baby furniture?, birthing music mix, my reasoning for an "all natural birth" (which mainly has to do with my fear of needles) and all of the other things that happen while pregnant.

***Up next...another HUGE announcement which involves beer, swords and shiny objects.***

Never Say Run

I know, I know, I know. I’m terrible at this thing called blogging. I post a few posts and then I disappear for a day, or two, or two months. That’s okay though, because I am here now.

Back in May, I ran my first 5k. If you remember, I posted my excitement over the prospect of being a “runner” here and I also talked about my doubts. I vividly remember the first meeting, we all stood, stated our name and why we joined the group. As recounted in the above mentioned blogpost, I said, "Hi, my name is Jessica Ackerman. I used to run for punishment when I used to play softball and would miss a pop-fly. I am hoping to get a renewed sense of running."

I never imagined how hard running would be. How rewarding running would be. How addicting running would be.

Weeks went by and I stuck with it. Every Tuesday (or Thursday) and Saturday, I would meet with the group to run. Whether it was freezing cold, raining or hot as the dickens, I went. I gave a 7 week update and was very intimidated by the 8 week routine...a whole 20 minutes without stopping.


The Run for God group



Well, let me tell you, that 20 minute run was the BEST run of my life. It was so effortless. When the final whistle blew I couldn't believe that I had just ran that long. Over the next several weeks, we continued training and then the "big day" came.

The "Get in the Pink" 5k. That morning, I woke up early and had breakfast, donned my neon green running shoes and was ready to go. Upon arriving, I saw all the red "Run for God" shirts and was immediately comforted. The nerves were replaced by excitement.

After a little Zumba warm-up, we walked down the the start line. Then I had to pee. I ran to a nearby gas station and made it back to the startline just in time.


Zumba!

 I ran with a dear friend that I met through the program, Diane. As we ran through beautiful downtown Columbia, we thanked the police officers who were blocking off intersections for us, the volunteers and waved at those who were looking on from their houses. Diane and I talked of God and she was a huge source of encouragement. Towards the end, I was getting pretty worn out. With the finish line in-sight, I told Diane to go ahead and I slowed my pace a bit. I finished in 35 minutes.

Diane and I before the race

I wanted to cry. I am pretty sure I have never been so proud of myself. My husband might have even gotten a little teary-eyed (don't tell him I told you). It was so wonderful to hug Diane at the finish line and then welcome all of the other Run for God runners as they crossed the line.
Two weeks after the "Get in the Pink" 5k, I ran the "Jailbreak" 5k in Lexington. This run was a lot harder. It was super hot and I had just found out some amazing news that hindered my running performance. I walked/ran this 5k, keeping a close watch on my heartrate. I remember at one point, children had gone in their back yard (which faced the route) and had a sprinkler hanging over the back fence to give the runners relief from the hot sun.

My mom came up to watch me run (she even made me an amazing shirt in honor of Officer Joe McGarry). At the end of the race, I caught up with another Run for God runner, Kathy, and we finished together.
Of course my mom was crying when I crossed the finish line and the nurse in her kicked in making sure I rehydrated with water and fruit.

I need to thank Brooke for getting me to do the Run for God program and for keeping me accountable!

Brooke and I before "Get in the Pink"

For now, my running career is on hold while I re-adjust to all of the change going on. I look forward to starting again in the near future!