Week 17

Welcome back to the show!

How Big is the Baby
This week my little one is 17 weeks and babycenter.com has this to say:

Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she’s around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

I’m introducing Peanut to my love of books by listening to audiobooks on the 30 minute drive to and from work each day. I figure those little ears need something to practice on.  Currently on the iPod:  James Patterson’s Sail.

How I’m Changing
As with last week, I can (obviously) still feel the little bump. In fact I had two coworkers tell me they noticed a little baby bump this week. Each day, multiple times in fact, I reach down to feel my growing belly almost to check and make sure it’s still there.

I have expressed to several people in the past few months that I’m still not fully believing this whole motherhood thing is happening because I still feel so NORMAL! (Yes, I am super aware of just how lucky I am.) I will definitely be thrilled to feel those first punches and somersaults if for no ore reason than to be reassured daily that Peanut is alive and (literally) kicking.

How I’m Feeling
I touched on it above, but I’m still feeling great! I have noticed I get headaches a bit more frequently, but that is more due to lack of hydration than anything else.  I try to drink as much water as I can, but lately unless I have it super ice cold, I really don’t want it.  My worst time drinking liquids of any sort is at work, so I bought a big bag of ice and plan to start bringing my huge water bottle to work with me.  If nothing else at least the palm trees on the front will make me smile!

Anything Else New
I figured out I have somewhat gotten over my dislike for beef a few days ago.  Jeff and I went to Dorothy Lane on Tuesday to pick up some food for dinner as I hadn’t gone grocery shopping like a good little wife that day.  As we stood there, looking at the massive amounts of prepared food in the cases, nothing looked appetizing to me.  I figured I just wasn’t hungry!  Then, Jeff suggested we walk by the meat case.  There, with a glorious halo around them, lay two thick, juicy porterhouse steaks.  We splurged a bit and got a couple.  I figured I would eat some that night for dinner and take the rest to work the next day for a decadent lunch.  Sixteen ounces of well-done beef (and bone) later, I sat back from the table with a “ooomph” as the porterhouse before me had disappeared.  I still have no idea how I ate that much beef in one sitting.  I had never been able to do that before pregnancy and I seem to eat less now than I did before!  At any rate, I realized then and there that I didn’t necessarily have a beef aversion, just high standards!  (Obviously I don’t plan on making a hunk of steak my dinner of choice, but once in a great while you gotta give in to baby’s cravings, right?  Next time, I’ll opt for the smaller, more aptly portioned filet or NY strip!)

Another food related tidbit:  Dorothy Lane has peaches in stock again!  I believe DLM must wait for a certain grower to declare their peaches ripe, because I have never had a sweeter, more flavorful peach in my life.  I wait all year for peach season and then stock up on as many as I can eat without making myself sick.  I never knew I liked peaches so much until last summer, when I couldn’t get enough.  In fact, Carolyn is planning a visit up here in a few weeks JUST to get peaches!  OK, well, it’s more to see her friend she hasn’t seen in six months, but peaches are another lure on the line.

In baby registry news, I have tentatively put a few pieces of furniture and other big ticket items on my registry.  I am nowhere near deciding if these things will make it onto the “official” list, but they are the best things I’ve seen so far.  I will not be making any final decisions on anything until we find out the gender in a few weeks.  So…fair warning to all you grandparents out there…don’t get anxious and go on a spending spree quite yet! 

Lastly, I got a wonderful and unexpected surprise from my dear husband a few days ago.  We were sitting outside enjoying our (nearly finished) patio when out of the blue he asked me if I wanted to go to Best Buy to get an iPad.  I thought he was joking, but when I looked at his face he was serious!  I asked him why and he just shrugged and said he wanted me to have one.

Now, you must understand, I have been wanting an iPad for about as long as they’ve been around.  My father-in-law got one for Christmas and I very nearly tried to pocket it on the way out to the car!  Then my dad told me he got one and I became giddy with desire.  Maybe, just maybe when we visit this weekend I could bat my eyelashes, turn on that Bethany charm, and *presto!* the iPad would make it’s way into my car for the return trip to Dayton.  (Yeah, right…he told me if I stole his iPad he’d steal something important to me…like my arm.  Since my arm is kind of an important baby holding appendage, I conceded and decided the iPad would be more at home in Cleveland.)

We went to the store, picked out a gorgeous piece of machinery, and went home to play with it.  To be honest, I felt bad for a while that he’d spent so much money on me, but at his insistence, I tried to get over it.  Today, after work, I came home and spent some quality time with it, and we became fast friends.  I’m sure when the iOS 5 comes out later this year, we will be much, much better friends!  I ♥ Apple!  So many cool things can be done with the iPad but one app I quickly downloaded after Carolyn’s jolt to my memory was the Pampers’ Hello Baby app.

We originally saw this on Emily’s blog and I was excited to try it out for my very own!  It’s basically just a growth tracker, but it’s got a little more information than some others out there.  Plus it shows the baby actual size!!  The iPad is still very new so I’m taking suggestions for must have apps. 

So, dear friends, as you can tell everything is going along swimmingly.  I have a doctor’s appointment next Thursday and then hopefully they will schedule me for my gender revealing ultrasound!  Jeff and I are beside ourselves with anxiousness over what we are having.  And I am not so patiently waiting for all the pieces of this maternity puzzle to fall into place!  Mothers have to have enormous amounts of patience so I figure the more I try now, the better at it I’ll be!  Until next time, friends!

Side note:  I am still planning on putting a patio blog up about our finished patio, but it will have to wait until after my mom comes for her visit in August.  I tried to take pictures of the patio yesterday and Jeff asked me to wait so my Dad, Step Mom, and Mom could be surprised in real life first.    Blame him for the hold up!

A Forgotten Love

When I was a little girl, I was rarely without a book in my hand.  From the time I could read, I begged my parents to take me to the library as often as they could, emerging with stacks of books so tall I had to nearly walk sideways to see where I was going.

In the beginning, Dr. Suess’s odd characters and the Berenstain bears kept me company, often teaching me lessons about sharing, cleaning up after myself, and being kind to others.  The words that poured from the pages of those books into my young, moldable sponge of a brain stayed with me forever, as most children’s books do.  To this day, I can still remember reading The Berenstain Bears Clean House and then rushing to my bedroom to straighten, organize, and label all my possessions…before immediately taking them back out of their shoeboxes to play with them again.

One of my favorite things to do, however, was go shopping.  Some may think an eight-year-old wanting to go shopping is quite strange, with the lack of focus and concentration so often associated with such young children, but I was different.  Now, you must understand, when I say “shopping” I mean sitting under racks of clothing on the floor of the department store, book in hand, and escaping to the worlds of Nancy Drew and the Bobbsey Twins.  I would sit unmoving for hours, helping Nancy or Bert, Nan, Flossie, and Freddie solve their mysteries, while my mom went about her shopping business.  Every so often she would move me from one location to another so she could keep an eye on me, but, after switching spots, I would pick right back up where I left off and immersed again I would become.

Fast forward to my preteen years.  Now, even better than going to the library, I would beg to go to a bookstore.  Every six weeks when the report cards would come out, I would look carefully at the grades and decide how many “treats” I would get for doing so well.  Then, I would rush home, thrust the card in my mom’s face, and pull her out to the car to go to Wal-mart, where I would get one, or sometimes even two, brand new R.L. Stine books.  By the time we drove the five minutes home, I was already several chapters invested in the book.

The best, however, was again when we went shopping at the mall.  Now that I was older and more interested in clothes and shoes, I didn’t spend as much time hiding under the racks of clothes reading.  Instead, I would join my mother in picking out clothes.  Then, after our arms were full of purchases, we would head THERE.  To the coveted bookstore.  You must understand, to go to a mall while living in Northwest Tennessee, was quite a feat.  Our closest mall was an hour away AT LEAST.  The good malls, however, were two or two and a half hours away in Memphis or Nashville, respectively.

This means, as you may have figured out, that the good bookstores were at least an hour away.  This also means that when we found ourselves standing before the bookstores, I would ask the same question I always did.  “How many books can I get today?”  Sometimes, when I was really good, I got five or six!  I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.  I never minded driving that far to go to the mall because, on the way there, I would spend the hour talking with my parent and, on the way back, my nose would be buried deep in a book.  That was before I got nauseated reading in cars!

The older I got, the more invested I found myself in books.  I loved writers like Sandra Brown, Stuart Woods, James Patterson, and Sidney Sheldon.  Both my parents liked these authors as well, and I would often find myself discussing various books with them and getting recommendations for new reads.

In college, any time I went to visit my dad, one of the first places I snuck off to was the massive bookcases in his bedroom.  I always new the top shelf was off limits, as those were the new books waiting to be read.  But the other nine shelves in the room were free for the taking (as long as I remembered to bring them back).  One year for Christmas, my stepmom got smart and gave my dad a little gadget that embossed “From the Library of (my dad’s name)” on whichever page of the book he chose to use it on.  From then on, I always new which books were his and it reminded me to return them as soon as I was done.

After college, I got out of the habit of reading for some reason.  I’m not sure if subconsciously I wanted to take a break from anything school like or what, but I didn’t read very much at all.  Sure I would bring a book on the plane with me when I traveled, or read one if I was given it as a gift, but for the most part, reading was not high on my list of priorities.  I listened to several books on tape during my sometimes lengthy drives to and from work, but paper books just never worked their way into my hands.

This summer, it all changed.  I’m not sure how and I’m really not sure why, but all of a sudden the passion for reading has been ignited in me once again.  I was watching Oprah one day and Rob Lowe was on talking about his book Secrets I Only Tell My Friends.  The book sounded interesting so I logged on to my library’s webpage and requested it.  Then I googled celebrities’ autobiographies and found a list of a bunch of books I might be interested in.  After fifteen minutes of searching, reading synopses, and adding books to my request list, I had about twenty books waiting for me to read them.  Two days later, I left the library with a canvas bag full of literature.

My favorite things to read are psychological thrillers, but I am looking to branch out to some non-fiction books and maybe some educational things.  I often find my mind wandering when I read something I’m not interested in, so I try to pick books that really stimulate my brain.  I love the way the words on the page come alive in my head.  I have always said reading for me is really like watching a movie.  The words I read have a way of transforming into images and movement.  Instead of reading, I am visualizing the story.  I do believe Edgar Allan Poe had a way of getting a bit too descriptive with his writing though!

Today, I am still into Sandra Brown, Stuart Woods, and James Patterson.  I have added Harlan Coben, JD Robb, Janet Evanovich, and of course J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer to my list of favorite authors.  In fact, I have read each of the Harry Potter and Twilight books at least twice, if not more.  I am always looking for my next “favorite” author and always taking suggestions.

I find the escape into worlds of make believe as thrilling today as I did when I was little and will hopefully never lose the desire to read again.  Reading is one of life’s little pleasure and I hope to cash in each day for the rest of my life.

Week 16

Hello, world!  Today I am 16 weeks pregnant.  Here’s the most current update to how it’s going!  (Please excuse the lack of makeup.  )

How Big is the Baby
According to babycenter.com, Peanut is about as big as an avocado and about 4 1/2 inches long.  His eyes and ears are about in the right place and soon, he’ll be able to hear what we are saying.  I guess I need to start figuring out if I want to introduce him to my “friends”: Barenaked Ladies, Jack Johnson, and Aerosmith now, or stick with the classics like Bach and Chopin.  Maybe a good mix, eh?

How I’m Changing
I am starting to notice a little bump right below my stomach.  It is a little harder than it used to be and is sticking out more than normal.  It actually feels like I’m slightly bloated, but I’m assuming it’s just Peanut making her presence known.  (Have you noticed I alternate between calling Peanut a he and a she?)

I have had some groggy days lately, which just reminds me that I’m pregnant.  I did, however, have more energy when I went for my walk the other day, so I’m trying to convince myself to go.  Exercise is a fickle thing…some days I’m anxious to get out and do a little moving.  Other days, it’s a constant internal battle to get moving!  I find once I start, it’s not bad, especially if you are listening to a good book or motivating music.  Carolyn’s motto that I’ve adopted for my own is “I’ve never regretted doing exercise.”

My belly doesn’t get in the way yet, but it is more noticeable.  I leaned over a counter last night at work and I felt a slight resistance.  Then, this morning, I flipped over on my stomach (still trying to enjoy the last few weeks of “tummy time!”) and it wasn’t uncomfortable, but I could definitely feel a little pudge.  Jeff is so excited for me to get a belly and every day he feels my stomach to see if there’s a change.  It’s really cute. 

How I’m Feeling
I’m still feeling great!  I keep wondering how I got so lucky and I guess I can just thank the great genes I have.  My mom said she didn’t get that nauseated when she was pregnant and never threw up, so that’s something.  I also haven’t experienced many of the symptoms other women seem to (constant urination, constipation, lack of sleep).  I’m sure these will catch up with me as the trimesters progress, but for now I’m enjoying the break I was given.

Anything Else New
This week has included a lot of talk about baby showers, baby registries, and the like.  In fact, while reading Abby’s blog last night, I got the urge to create a baby registry just to add the Beaba Babycook to my list.  I am a huge list maker and have lists for everything from movies I want to see, books I’m interested in, and a never ending chore list that seems to keep growing and growing.  Creating the registry was more about remembering things other mamas tell me than anything else and it was a place to keep all the suggestions localized.  So, with that being said, I encourage all you moms out there who have suggestions for products you couldn’t live without (as well as those you have but never used) to send them on.  You can Facebook me, email me, or comment here.  I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Missed last week?  Here’s Week 15!

Comfort Food

The smells of garlic and tomatoes simmering on the stove.  The crunch of Rice Krispies cereal combined with marshmallows and butter.  The thick, smooth feel of potato soup gliding down my throat.  Some days just call for comfort food.

Today started like many other off days for me.  Jeff quietly woke, got ready for work in the near dark, and kissed my forehead lightly before heading out the door to his job.  I, still groggy from yesterday’s shorthandedness at work combined with Father’s day celebrations, turned, pulled the covers over my head, and slipped easily back into sleep.  Usually, I jump out of bed after Jeff kisses me goodbye, but that was not the case today.  The baby needs more sleep, I decided.

Groggy, I poked my head out from under the covers, glanced at the clock (an hour had passed), and slowly pulled myself into a sitting position.  Time to face the day, I thought.  That mentality lasted about 10 seconds; long enough for me to walk to the couch, plop down, and turn on the TV.  The real world could wait another hour.  It is my off day, right?

After procrastinating as long as possible, I turned off the TV and made a grocery list.  There were a couple things I had been wanting to try and a few other things I wanted to savor again.  Armed with my list, a stack of reuseable bags, and my wallet, I climbed into my SUV and prepared a mental list of stops I needed to make.

Two hours, three grocery stores, and a little bit too much money later, I was back at home unloading groceries.  While chatting with my mom over some very bright spots in the past few weeks, I quickly put away my finds and prepared to make Rice Krispie Treats.  I have always loved the sweet, crunchy dessert and, since there is no baking involved, have been making these yummy morsels since before I could see over the counter.  Today, I added a special treat:  Heath bar pieces.  They are, in a word, scrumptious.

Next, I decided to make Rachael Ray’s Spaghetti & Meatballs.  The last time I made this, I had to substitute a few ingredients as I didn’t plan well enough ahead.  This time, I made sure to grab everything on Mrs. Ray’s list to make sure it was authentic.  Let me tell you, the smells of pasta sauce cooking away on the stove are unparalleled in my opinion.  The warm scents of garlic, tomatoes, fennel, onion, and pepper simmering together remind me of my childhood, of my grandparents (minus the garlic…and she called herself Italian!), and of the love that comes with making something from scratch.  It is, quite possibly, one of the best smells of my life.

I would like to share her recipe with all of you lovely people in my life.  I want to thank you for visiting my page and giving me all the great feedback over the years.  I appreciate each and every one of you and I don’t think we take enough time in our lives to share those words.  I have quite recently been reminded of how much we take for granted and how swiftly, seemingly overnight, anything in life can change.  Now, having waxed philosophical on you, I share my comfort food.

Rachael Ray’s On Top of Ole Smoky, All Covered With Cheese
(with modifications)

For the meatballs:
12 ounces ground pork
12 ounces ground sirloin
3 slices good quality bread, crusts removed
1 cup milk
Nutmeg
1 large egg, beaten
1 large handful parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 ounces proscuitto, chopped (I found cubes of it at my Kroger)
1/2 cup grated pecorino
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375º.  Add the pork and sirloin to a bowl.  Season liberally with salt and pepper.

In a food processor, pulse the bread into fresh breadcrumbs, add the milk and let sit.  The bread will soak up the milk resulting in more moist meatballs.  After a few minutes, squeeze some of the milk out of the breadcrumbs, and add the bread to the meat mixture.

Add the egg, half of the parsley, the garlic, the proscuitto, and romano cheese to the meat mixture.  Drizzle mixture with olive oil, then mix thoroughly, but do not overwork.

Place a baking rack over a sheet pan.  Form your meat mixture into bite sized balls.  I used a medium ice cream scoop to make easy work of this task.  Cook in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned, but not cooked through.

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 red chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped (I, for some reason, could not find a red chile pepper, but I did find some already prepared stuff in my Kroger’s produce section)
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Heat some olive oil (three turns of the pan) over medium high heat in a large pot.  Once the oil is warmed, add the fennel seeds, chile pepper (I used a hearty squeeze from the tube), onions, and garlic.  Season with salt, pepper, and oregano.

Stir 4 to 5 minutes and then add the tomato paste.  “Reawaken” the paste by letting it cook for 30 seconds, then add in the wine.  Scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan and let the wine cook off a little bit (about 1 minute).  Add your stock and tomatoes.

Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer.  Add the basil and parsely.  Slide the meatballs, once done, into the liquid and let cook for at least 30 minutes to combine the flavors.

My dad adds Italian sausage to his “spaghetti and meatballs” and I, not being one to argue with tradition, followed suit.  I browned my sausages in the oven and then slid them into the liquid.  I prefer to let my sauce simmer for hours rather than a mere 30 minutes. When dinner time rolls around, I will cook up a pot of spaghetti, make a quick Caesar salad, and brown some rolls.  You could also use this meatballs and sauce recipe to make delicious Meatball Subs.

Now, with a pot full of sauce making quiet pops on the stove behind me, and with a plate of Heath Rice Krispie treats to my side, I am going to dive, head first, into Portia de Rossi’s autobiography “Unbearable Lightness”.  I may or may not emerge before dinner.

Small Changes, Big Differences

When you’re pregnant, you hear a lot of talk about having a healthy pregnancy.  You need to eat well, get some exercise, and drink lots of water.  Here’s how I feel about those things:

Eat Well
I am having a relatively easy time with this one.  As I mentioned in my announcement blog, I am craving fruit (and carbs) and really couldn’t care less if I didn’t get red meat.  Aside from the fact that any red meat I have has to be well done (which tastes like flavored rubber), it just doesn’t appeal to me.  I have also found out that I can’t eat as much at once as I used to be able to, so I find myself nibbling all day.  I try to stick to my eating habits I developed a few years ago (carrots & cream cheese, string cheese, almonds, FRUIT, yogurt, etc) but every so often a piece of candy slips in.  I am currently loving Tootsie Pops, but only because I found a bag of Halloween candy at work that needed to be marked 75% off. 

I am really missing ham sandwiches though.  I know I can still eat deli meat if I microwave it to the point of smoking, but I just really prefer cold deli meat.  I have begun taking Lean Cuisine pizzas to work for lunches.  I’m not exactly thrilled to be eating all that salt, but if I didn’t take those, I’d end up going across the street to Chic-Fil-A every day.  (Seriously, being two feet from that restaurant is dangerous for me!)  All in all, I’m pretty happy with my diet.

Get Some Exercise
I was 15 weeks yesterday and, aside from a few zumba classes I took at the beginning of my pregnancy, I hadn’t done ANY working out; not even walking.  I figured I’m on my feet and walking all day at work (9 hours a day, 5 days a week), it was enough exercise and I didn’t need to do any more.  When Carolyn told me she thought I should start adding in a little exercise, I made that statement.  She asked me “are you getting your heart rate up for 30 minutes straight during work?”  My reply was “only when a customer upsets me and I can’t calm down!  “

I thought about her point and decided she was right.  Today, after watching everything on my DVR by 9a, I thought to myself, “I could watch Twilight again or I could go for a walk”.  Good girl that I am, I pulled on my workout clothes, grabbed my iPhone, and hit the pavement.  I walked 40 minutes (and 2 miles) while listening to Rob Lowe’s Stories I Only Tell My Friends.  (Side note:  Rob Lowe talks too fast.)

On the way home, I walked by one of my favorite spots in my neighborhood.  I love water and I could sit on these stones and listen to the water all day.

My dog-in-law and I love this bench.  At certain points of the day, we can both sit in the shade and feel the breeze blow.  It’s very peaceful.

The walk was good, yet hot, and by the time I walked through my front door, I was parched.  I grabbed a big glass of water and sat down to cool off.  And write this blog post.  I’m hoping to walk three times a week for at least 30 minutes.  I’m not trying to run marathons, I’m just trying to get a little extra movement in.

Drink Lots of Water
Carolyn can tell you that I have a big drinking problem.  Lol…that sounds wrong.  Let me explain.  Most people drink when they get thirsty.  If I did that, I would have maybe a cup of water a day.  I just don’t get thirsty that often and, when I do, I don’t drink much.  When I tell Jeff I’m parched and ask him to get me a glass of water, he knows better and grabs one of the little 8 oz glasses and fills it half way.  If I drink that whole thing, he’s surprised.  He, on the other hand, has to have the big 16 oz glass completely full and typically drinks 2-3 if he’s really thirsty.

I have never been a big drinker.  I remember when my Dad and I were on the little train ride around Disney World when I was younger, I asked him for a drink.  I said, “But Dad, I’m so thirsty!”  He said I had to wait.  When I finally was able to get my hands on a beverage, I think I took three sips and said I was better.  What a waste of $5!!  I’m sure he helped me drink it, but still.

I have to remind myself to drink throughout the day.  I try to keep something nearby just so it’s a visual reminder, but it’s still hard.  I’m trying my best to drink as much water as possible, but sometimes I just really don’t like the taste.  I’m adding in fruit juices, teas, and lemonades as well, just for some diversity.

Recently, one of the girls I worked with at my last store started experiencing contraction like pains.  She was only about 26 weeks, so this was scary.  After she went to the hospital to figure out what was wrong, they told her she was dehydrated.  This was a wake up call.  If anything is going to get me to drink more, it’s the health of my baby.

Hopefully soon, the patio will be finished and I can go outside after my walks, lay on the hammock (I hope to be purchasing soon) and read a book.  Relaxing after exercising feels fantastic.

 

15 Weeks

I am not very good at journaling.  I never kept a diary.  I do, however, want to remember as much of this pregnancy as possible.  Plus I think it would be a great thing to share with Peanut when he/she gets older.  I’m hoping to do a weekly post, but let’s be honest.  I’m not the most diligent when it comes to blogging.  Well, regardless, here’s my 15 week post:

How Big is the Baby

Peanut is about the size of an orange.  That doesn’t seem very big, does it?  It’s not, but it is at the same time.  There is an orange hanging out in my body!  Whoa!

How I’m Changing

In the past few weeks, I haven’t really changed much.  I did a little bit of changing in the first trimester (mostly in the chest area). I haven’t gained any weight yet, which my doctor says is pretty normal, especially considering all the produce I’m craving.  I have, however, had to go up in pant size.  I think this is all very odd.  No weight gain (according to the scale) but my belly is bigger.  Hmm…  Some days I think I can see/feel a bump and other days I can’t.  I’m sure in a few weeks there will be no doubt about the bump I see, but for now I’m patiently waiting for Peanut to start poking out.

How I’m Feeling

I’m feeling fantastic!  No nausea, not nearly as tired as I was in the first trimester, and sleeping through the night.  I’m enjoying sleeping on my back and stomach as much as possible now, because I know in the near future, I won’t be able to.  In fact, I’m enjoying everything about my bed now.  Sooner or later, bed will be a distant memory!

I’m just trying to relax and enjoy this ride.  I have been reminded recently what a true gift it is to be able to carry a child and I’m savoring every minute of it.  I’m trying to appreciate all the little things while patiently waiting for my Peanut.

Please excuse the horrible lighting. I’ll do better next time.

It’s Finally Time

Hello, blog world.  You may or may not have been wondering where I’ve been for the past several months.  I could tell you I’ve been super busy, that I’ve be away from my computer (like anyone would believe that), or some other crazy excuse as to why I haven’t blogged in a while, but the truth is I just plain didn’t feel like it.

It’s not the first time I’ve taken a blogging break and I know it won’t be the last.  The reason I know this is because we are expecting again.    You may be familiar with my miscarriage story from last year.  Let me fill you in on what’s been happening since then:

After losing Baby D, I was sad, but determined to keep my head up.  I was a good girl and went for my blood work each week until my hCG levels were back to zero.  (For those of you who aren’t familiar like myself, hCG is a hormone produced when pregnant.  Doctors can use a blood sample to determine if you are or are not pregnant by looking at this hormone.  When you have a miscarriage, you have to go back each week for them to test your levels until they are below 5.  I had to have my blood drawn 5 times before they cleared me.)

After getting back to “ground zero”, I was told to let my body go through two normal menstrual cycles before trying again.  By February, I gave myself the green light.  We started trying again.  February’s trials did not result in anything.  I was determined not to stress about it, as I figured that would only make the conception more difficult.

In March, we had scheduled a glorious vacation to Maui.  An entire week of sun, sand, and surf passed.  We enjoyed ourselves immensely and I think it’s safe to say it was one of the best, most relaxing vacations I’ve ever been on.

Two weeks after we got back from Maui I started to feel a little funny.  I would  get slightly dizzy and then it would go away just as quickly as it came.  I felt a little queasy, but then I’d eat or drink something and I’d be good as new.  The most noticeable different was my breasts.  They were…growing…  I asked Jeff if they looked bigger and he said no, but I knew they were.  Plus they felt a little more tender than normal too.

I just knew I was pregnant.  I had told myself to wait until April 7 (Thursday) to take a pregnancy test since that was 28 days after my last menstrual cycle, but on Sunday (April 3) I couldn’t wait any longer.  I took the test, placed it on the back of the toilet tank, and walked away for 2 minutes.  Jeff came in the room and I told him what I was doing.  He eagerly waited with me.  After the loooooong two minutes, I walked over to the toilet, and picked up the test.  I looked at it and it read “pregnant”!!  I was jumping up and down, screaming, and hugging Jeff. That week in Maui really paid off!

We had decided not to tell anyone this time because we didn’t want to go through the heartbreak of telling everyone the bad news just in case that happened like it did last time.  Well, that lasted all of about five minutes.  I told Jeff I had to tell someone or I would go crazy!  I texted Carolyn the above picture and within minutes she texted back congratulating me.  

A couple days later, I was really having a hard time not telling people, namely my family.  Finally, after talking it over with Jeff, we decided telling parents was OK.  Thankfully.  It’s very hard to keep a secret you’re this excited about!  I called each of my parents and, like Jeff and myself, they were cautiously excited.  No one wants to get their hopes up just to get disappointed again.  In the end, we ended up telling a few more people than we originally planned, but I was determined to keep this secret from Facebook and WordPress for a while longer.

Weeks passed relatively uneventfully.  This time around I experienced some nausea, but for the most part I was still pretty symptom free.  I would have a few waves of nausea hit me, but I never got sick.  I thank my lucky stars for that one every time I think about it.

Finally, it was time for my 8 week appointment at the OB.  I had such a horrible experience with my last OB, I decided to switch offices this time.  Everything, from the moment I contacted them, was different.  I felt so much better about this office!  I felt like they actually cared.  They gave me so much information this time around!  I am one of those people who would rather be more informed than less, so I appreciated the time each person took with me.

At the first appointment, they did the basic doctor’s office stuff:  weight, blood pressure, heart rate, vaginal exam, etc.  I informed the nurse practitioner that I had miscarried the year before so she scheduled an ultrasound for later in the week.  It was really just to give me piece of mind, but I appreciated it nonetheless.

The three days I had to wait in between the doctor’s visit and the ultrasound dragged on!  It felt like forever.  Finally, it was time.  Jeff met me at the doctor’s office and, together, we saw the first glimpse of our peanut:

The ultrasound tech said I was actually measuring at 10 weeks instead of 9, so my due date got bumped up a week.  Since our little one is due in December, the earlier it gets here and the farther away from Christmas, the better!

I left the office with the biggest smile on my face.  I couldn’t wait to share the news and pictures with my family and close friends who knew I was pregnant!  I finally had confirmation that I was in fact pregnant.  I huge weight lifted off my chest and I was able to breathe a little easier.  Guess I better enjoy it while I can, huh? 

The real test was making it to the second trimester.  That was my ultimate goal (at that point anyway).  I wanted to hit 13 weeks and still be going strong.  So I patiently waited and tried to keep as much worry away from the situation as possible.

Wednesday, June 8, dawned bright and warm.  I had planned to go to my second doctor’s appointment in the morning and then spend the rest of the day relaxing with my friend Chrissy at the pool.  I got up and kept myself busy that morning with chores and the like until it was time to head to the doctor’s.  I felt like I had to wait forever, but finally I was in the room with the doc.  He told me to lay back and proceeded to use the doppler to listen to my little one’s heartbeat.  I asked if I could record the audio on my phone and he agreed.  I am so glad I did, because I have that quick little heartbeat with me at all times.  Every time I listen to that beat-beat-beat-beat, I smile.  I can’t wait to experience even more special times with my peanut.

To make things even better, this appointment was the day before I reached Week 14.  I had done it.  I had carried my baby successfully into the second trimester!

Needless to say, Jeff and I are over the moon thrilled about being pregnant.  I’ll admit I have my moments of panic.  We will be responsible for this little bit.  We will make decisions that will shape the future of another human being.  But I also am so excited to see a little piece of me walking and talking.  Jeff and I talk about the future quite a bit…what we think the baby will look like, whose traits Peanut (our nickname for the baby) will have, whose demeanor, etc.  We both think it’s a boy, but only time will tell.

I will be 15 weeks tomorrow.  I can’t believe I’m over 1/3 the way through.  It’s really flying (and creeping) by.  I’m not really starting to show, but my pants do feel tighter.  I haven’t gained any weight so far, but I’m not really surprised since I was a little overweight to begin with.  I figure my body is just catching up right now and eventually I’ll start to put on the pounds.  I’m trying to eat as healthy as I can while still listening to my cravings.  Speaking of cravings, mine include FRUIT!  I’m loving strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, and grapes right now.  I am not really liking the beef so much, which I’ve heard is pretty typical.  I’m excited that my craving is for something healthy and I hope that continues throughout the pregnancy.

My next appointment is July 7th and our gender ultrasound should be a few weeks after that.  Yes, we will be finding out the gender and I’m sure I’ll be sharing that news, but for now all we can do is wait.  And I’m OK with that.

Keep on cooking, Peanut.  The world will be yours soon.