One baby decision I meant to mention is we decided not to do the screening tests that are available at this point in pregnancy.
Screening tests use blood samples and ultrasound measurements to
assess the baby's chances of having certain chromosomal problems,
including Down syndrome, and trisomy 13 and 18 (which are almost always associated with profound mental retardation).
BUT the test only give us a ratio that expresses the chances of having a
problem, not a definitive yes/no. This
information is supposed to help us decide whether to undergo further diagnostic testing later, which does carry a chance of miscarriage.
The advantage of screening is that it would give us information about
baby's risk of having certain problems, presumably offering us reassurance that nothing is wrong. But
screening doesn't pick up all cases of
Down syndrome (21% not detected), so it may identify a false negative, saying the risk is low when in fact the baby has Downs. Conversely, screening may identify a false positive, leading us to undergo further testing and to worry about baby's
well-being unnecessarily.
I suppose one of the reason to find out this information is to decide if we'd like to terminate the pregnancy. This wouldn't be our decision regardless of any of the test results. Our O.B. told us that if our baby has Downs or other developmental abnormalities (such as a heart condition), we'll likely be able to detect this during our ultrasound at Week 20. Another reason would be to prepare ourselves early mentally and emotionally to have a child with special needs, but given that the odds of false negatives and positives seem high-ish to me, we're choosing to just hope for the best and not worry ourselves.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
The Countdown is ON
Okay... it's been on... but one of my clients (whose annual event this year is the day after my due date; and incidentally is one of my biggest projects... good timing, Baby) wanted to add a countdown timer on their website to countdown to the conference. It seems funny to me whenever I see it... 194 days til our due date! I can't tell if that seems soon or really far off. I am honestly at least slightly bummed I'll miss the event; it's in San Diego (which is beautiful in March and such a warm relief from Oregon), plus I've been on this event for over 5 years and have a large role onsite as the speaker contact so most of the Association knows me and says hello, and I get to walk around with a radio and clipboard and make decisions and be all official. Oh well, there's always 2014.
12 weeks. I can't believe we're almost through the first trimester. The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, toes will curl, eye muscles will clench, and the mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. The intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into the abdominal cavity about now, and kidneys will begin excreting urine into the bladder. Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. Baby's face looks unquestionably human: eyes have moved from the sides to the front of the head, and ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, baby is just over 2 inches long, about the size of a lime, and weighs half an ounce.
In my experience of it, the biggest change recently is how uncomfortable I am at night now because of my hips. They ache in the back, particularly at night. I can't quite find the right stretch to make it feel better. For the last few weeks, I've been trying to teach myself not to sleep on my back, since after this trimester, apparently lying flat on my back can cause my uterus to press into a vein in my back that returns blood from lower body to my heart. Matt bought me a Boppy body pillow; it's C shaped and probably is comfortable once I have a large tummy but right now, it's a bit awkward. I think I figured out a n shape solution that is helping though. I can't tell if my hips hurt from not being able to turn onto my back or if it's mainly because they're expanding. Either way, not comfortable.
Strangely enough, it's been relatively easy to give up alcohol and caffeine. The former is not surprising considering that Matt and I rarely have alcohol at home; I usually only had a beer out with dinner sometimes or a glass of wine at a friend's house. HOWEVER, it's worth noting that apparently I COULD drink if I want to. It's recommended that pregnant women don't drink because it's not fully understood how alcohol affects a fetus, and because officials can't agree on what the recommended amount should be, particularly because fetal alcohol syndrome is so devastating. Still, Matt will barely let me take a sip of his beer at Bend Brewfest; rude! Coffee, though, I thought would be impossible. I was still drinking a little half-caff (which we'd switched to because Matt had been getting headaches) each morning through the first few weeks. The recommendation is under 200 mg a day. Then suddenly one morning, I just didn't want it at all. I just wanted a cold glass of water. Coffee sounded just awful. And it's mostly been that way since. Weird. It only tastes good when it's half milk with chocolate, thus mochas still seem appealing once in awhile.
Everything otherwise, despite my little complaints, has been very easy and mellow compared to some stories I've heard. Some days though, I just feel weird. Or just not good. All weekend I just felt irritable and tired but restless, like I just needed to nap for like 5 hours. Still, we've gotten a lot done recently. Particularly because there is a bad fire somewhere nearby so all weekend there was a think smoke haze in the air. My nose wouldn't stop running.
Last weekend, we took Matt's old garage-sale dressers and re-fab'd them for the baby's room.
We thought this blue was a beautiful color and would look nice under cream for either a boy or girl. The little girl across the street though is now convinced we're having a boy since she saw us painting these blue. Umm but I'm a girl and blue is my fav color. Sorry to burst your gender-cliche bubble.
We had some pretty funny conversations about how crackle paint actually works. It's like magic...
We also just bought a corner changing table, as recommended by my cousin Erica. Yes, this does put us in the line of fire, but we've heard it's easier and more comfortable to have the bum facing us directly than standing at baby's side.
My mom helped me make some lovely new curtains for the living room and dining room... not baby related. When I originally moved in and had beige carpet and light furniture, we made deep red curtains, which now with dark furniture and floors were much too dark. These make the whole room seem so much more light and airy. And... now I'll be able to see grimy little handprints.
And because I WAY overestimated how much paint we'd need for the dressers, we had plenty to finally re-do the china hutch Matt bought me for a wedding gift last year. It looks amazing! I'm so impressed.
I know china might be a little silly. We've only used it once, for Thanksgiving last year, so far. But something about receiving it as wedding gifts made me feel so adult. And I've always loved china hutches for some reason. I don't know what it is. We were also given my great grandmother's Old Country Roses china tea set, which I also adore (bottom shelf). I was hoping it was a bit older than it is (1962 is the pattern) but I love that it was passed down to me. And Matt has one plate from his grandparents' collection in there too (the blue & white on the top shelf). It's special.
So otherwise Matt's counting down the minutes til football season (seriously, obsessed. I love him). He warned me this last weekend that was our last weekend without football. I desperately wanted to go on a picnic but considering the smoke, we just laid low. Bummer. I have a devious plot though to get him into this recessed shelf project for our guest/baby bathroom one of these weekends. But for Labor Day weekend, I'm dragging him (at least briefly) to my college buddy's wedding, then I'd love to go to State Fair just for the day. We'll see. Obviously, there will also be a lot of football.
12 weeks. I can't believe we're almost through the first trimester. The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, toes will curl, eye muscles will clench, and the mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. The intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into the abdominal cavity about now, and kidneys will begin excreting urine into the bladder. Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. Baby's face looks unquestionably human: eyes have moved from the sides to the front of the head, and ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, baby is just over 2 inches long, about the size of a lime, and weighs half an ounce.
In my experience of it, the biggest change recently is how uncomfortable I am at night now because of my hips. They ache in the back, particularly at night. I can't quite find the right stretch to make it feel better. For the last few weeks, I've been trying to teach myself not to sleep on my back, since after this trimester, apparently lying flat on my back can cause my uterus to press into a vein in my back that returns blood from lower body to my heart. Matt bought me a Boppy body pillow; it's C shaped and probably is comfortable once I have a large tummy but right now, it's a bit awkward. I think I figured out a n shape solution that is helping though. I can't tell if my hips hurt from not being able to turn onto my back or if it's mainly because they're expanding. Either way, not comfortable.
Strangely enough, it's been relatively easy to give up alcohol and caffeine. The former is not surprising considering that Matt and I rarely have alcohol at home; I usually only had a beer out with dinner sometimes or a glass of wine at a friend's house. HOWEVER, it's worth noting that apparently I COULD drink if I want to. It's recommended that pregnant women don't drink because it's not fully understood how alcohol affects a fetus, and because officials can't agree on what the recommended amount should be, particularly because fetal alcohol syndrome is so devastating. Still, Matt will barely let me take a sip of his beer at Bend Brewfest; rude! Coffee, though, I thought would be impossible. I was still drinking a little half-caff (which we'd switched to because Matt had been getting headaches) each morning through the first few weeks. The recommendation is under 200 mg a day. Then suddenly one morning, I just didn't want it at all. I just wanted a cold glass of water. Coffee sounded just awful. And it's mostly been that way since. Weird. It only tastes good when it's half milk with chocolate, thus mochas still seem appealing once in awhile.
Everything otherwise, despite my little complaints, has been very easy and mellow compared to some stories I've heard. Some days though, I just feel weird. Or just not good. All weekend I just felt irritable and tired but restless, like I just needed to nap for like 5 hours. Still, we've gotten a lot done recently. Particularly because there is a bad fire somewhere nearby so all weekend there was a think smoke haze in the air. My nose wouldn't stop running.
Last weekend, we took Matt's old garage-sale dressers and re-fab'd them for the baby's room.
 |
| Step 1: lots of sanding (thanks to me); Step 2: apply base coat |
We thought this blue was a beautiful color and would look nice under cream for either a boy or girl. The little girl across the street though is now convinced we're having a boy since she saw us painting these blue. Umm but I'm a girl and blue is my fav color. Sorry to burst your gender-cliche bubble.
We had some pretty funny conversations about how crackle paint actually works. It's like magic...
 |
| Step 3: apply special crackle paint (clear); Step 4: apply top coat and watch it break |
 |
| And with some new hardware, these look amazing! |
We also just bought a corner changing table, as recommended by my cousin Erica. Yes, this does put us in the line of fire, but we've heard it's easier and more comfortable to have the bum facing us directly than standing at baby's side.
And because I WAY overestimated how much paint we'd need for the dressers, we had plenty to finally re-do the china hutch Matt bought me for a wedding gift last year. It looks amazing! I'm so impressed.
 |
| We left the interior dark blue and it really shows off the china. |
I know china might be a little silly. We've only used it once, for Thanksgiving last year, so far. But something about receiving it as wedding gifts made me feel so adult. And I've always loved china hutches for some reason. I don't know what it is. We were also given my great grandmother's Old Country Roses china tea set, which I also adore (bottom shelf). I was hoping it was a bit older than it is (1962 is the pattern) but I love that it was passed down to me. And Matt has one plate from his grandparents' collection in there too (the blue & white on the top shelf). It's special.
 |
| Note Jack right behind Matt's head; that's Jack's new fav spot |
So otherwise Matt's counting down the minutes til football season (seriously, obsessed. I love him). He warned me this last weekend that was our last weekend without football. I desperately wanted to go on a picnic but considering the smoke, we just laid low. Bummer. I have a devious plot though to get him into this recessed shelf project for our guest/baby bathroom one of these weekends. But for Labor Day weekend, I'm dragging him (at least briefly) to my college buddy's wedding, then I'd love to go to State Fair just for the day. We'll see. Obviously, there will also be a lot of football.
 |
| Look at the hammock we made them with our legs while trying to watch a movie. |
Thursday, August 23, 2012
A Little Heartbeat!
Today at our appointment meeting our O.B., we heard our baby's heartbeat! It's such a surreal thing. The dr. took some kind of microphone (doppler?) and rolled it over my uterus, so at first we only heard rustling noises. She'd said there was only a 50% chance we'd hear the heartbeat. Then, she found it (much lower than I thought it'd be, down by my pelvic bone). It sounded like... a very fast heartbeat. If I was more high-tech, I'd figure out how to put this MP3 on here; this is what it sounded like. I wondered if I'd be moved or cry... I didn't; it just seems so surreal... but awesome.
I've read that some women think it sounds like a stampede of little horses. Sounded like a heartbeat to me. Dr. also said she heard a lot of movement so apparently our baby is active. It sounded like a very healthy heartbeat to her and she said our chance of miscarriage is now only 3% for the duration.
Now mostly through 11 weeks: Baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig,
is now almost fully formed. Hands will soon open and close into
fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under gums, and some bones are beginning to harden. Baby's already busy kicking
and stretching, and these movements will become more frequent as baby's body
grows and becomes more developed and functional. I won't feel your
baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the
hiccupping that may be happening now that the diaphragm is forming.
This week, I am feeling better. Still no nausea so I probably won't have any (yay!). I'm not feeling quite as exhausted (I think Week 9 was the most rough), though I've decided I need to schedule a nap sometime before 3pm each day because I have a really hard time making it past 3pm without napping. No food aversions, although some things definitely don't sound good at times. I have noticed my (terrible/nearly-non-existent) sense of smell has improved; at breakfast on Sunday I had really not wanted eggs and the smell of Matt's eggs from his plate were pretty overwhelming. I have heartburn/indigestion almost every night after dinner; I haven't been able to isolate what it is I'm eating that makes me feel so... gassy, bloated, awful.
I haven't gained any weight yet, according to the dr. today. That's good news in my mind, considering I'm not supposed to gain more than 5lbs in the first trimester and I've only been walking and just trying to eat well and balanced (but not really monitoring my calories, etc). I'm not really into desserts cause of my heartburn in the evening but I'm not strict about not having foods I want sometimes. I had some fries with lunch. Last night I had strawberry ice cream (which was a weird choice for me). I swear though I'm one day away from breaking down and buying some maternity clothes. Is it too early for that? Only one bra still feels decent to wear. I have one pair of shorts that fit and one pair of jeans. All other pants are feeling a bit too tight or I can't button them. The good news is I have lots of elastic waist skirts. I'm starting to notice a little pooch that I can't seem to suck in. It doesn't look like a cute lil baby belly to me, yet; it looks like I need to work out and do some crunches.
I've read that some women think it sounds like a stampede of little horses. Sounded like a heartbeat to me. Dr. also said she heard a lot of movement so apparently our baby is active. It sounded like a very healthy heartbeat to her and she said our chance of miscarriage is now only 3% for the duration.
This week, I am feeling better. Still no nausea so I probably won't have any (yay!). I'm not feeling quite as exhausted (I think Week 9 was the most rough), though I've decided I need to schedule a nap sometime before 3pm each day because I have a really hard time making it past 3pm without napping. No food aversions, although some things definitely don't sound good at times. I have noticed my (terrible/nearly-non-existent) sense of smell has improved; at breakfast on Sunday I had really not wanted eggs and the smell of Matt's eggs from his plate were pretty overwhelming. I have heartburn/indigestion almost every night after dinner; I haven't been able to isolate what it is I'm eating that makes me feel so... gassy, bloated, awful.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
1/4 Made
Tiny nails are forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin. Baby's limbs can bend now; hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over the heart, and feet may be long enough to meet in front of the body. The outline of the spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from the spinal cord. Baby's forehead temporarily bulges with the developing brain and sits very high on the head, which measures half the length of the body.
My body seems to be starting to show some real changes too. I can't get over how much my "ladies" have grown. Our (potentially broken) scale says I've actually lost weight but I definitely have a little gut that's harder to keep sucked in (maybe that's because I don't have much core strength though). I've been trying to walk more often. Need to consider doing yoga (it's always just seemed so boring to me) or a little light weight training. It's just hard to imagine a little being in there. Sometimes I picture a little baby yelling "FEED ME!" in a very deep voice (like that man-eating plant in "Little Shop of Horrors"); that idea cracks me up.
I've definitely been feeling more of the desire to nest in the last week. On the weekend though, we set out to camp at "our" spot on the very popular and accessible-only-by-boat section of Sparks Lake. We
had paddled out there on Wednesday night and setup our tent in our
spot. Matt joked that he hoped 1- that our tent was still there, 2- not
torn up or damaged and 3- without a big pile of poo right in the middle
of it from someone angry that we'd claimed the spot. Fortunately, the
tent was there, untouched. Unfortunately, Matt did such a great job of
prepping us to camp last time that, in addition to the fact that I was
very very tired, I didn't help pack at all. Thus, also unfortunately,
after leaving Friday night, we realized we hadn't brought enough food
for two nights. I still maintain that we could've at least made it
through Saturday lunchtime, maybe even dinner. But Matt wasn't
convinced. Paired with the fact that this time we brought different
sleeping pads, which was not an improvement, we decided to only spend
one night. Also, it was very cold at night up at 5,400 ft. The girls
crowded Matt in his sleeping bag (luckily mine is a mummy bag with
barely enough room for me to move). This time we did remember their cute
little vests, or in Ellie's case- camo snuggie. Matt thinks it makes
them look too sissy. But it helps keep them warm; they don't have a ton
of fur. Ellie this time was much more brave, after we leashed her to a
tree for most of the evening to keep her from running off at the sight
of the campfire. By the next morning though, she was at least sitting
quietly on our laps. So Saturday later morning we packed up and went
home. |
| Do you think he actually jumped? |
The rest of the weekend we spent working on some house projects; Matt was a superstar and washed the cars and fixed some things and reorganized the garage and mowed the lawn. AND he fixed our "new to us" bassinet..JPG)
Next week, we have our first appointment with our O.B., not that this necessarily matters since her nurse told us she only has a 30% chance of being the one on call when we go into labor. As long as it seems like their O.B.s will be open to what I'd like for my birthplan (assuming the best), I'll be happy and I don't care so much who delivers our baby. The exciting part will be finally hearing our baby's heartbeat! Maybe then it'll seem even more real!
Oh... AND.. check out how amazing our garden looks now, thanks to Matt's green thumb!! We harvested our green-bean-like-peas, and we've already harvested and enjoyed some carrots. I'm about to cut that rhubarb back for the 4th time!
Friday, August 10, 2012
Ok, Now I Feel Pregnant
Until this week, I could definitely have mistaken being pregnant for a lot of other conditions-- being stressed perhaps, hot weather, busy at work, not working out much, etc leads to me being a bit more tired (esp in the afternoon) and feeling a bit bloated, flabby and out of shape. I could 100% see how if you had an irregular period so it didn't seem unusual you didn't have it, or you thought your birth control was being affective, you could not know you were pregnant for awhile. Everything I felt (aside from nip pain... though maybe I could've said that my hormones were just crazy that month for some unknown reason) I could've written off as something else.
And now it's Week 9 and it is unmistakeable to me. I am exhaustingly exhausted. I understand now when Dr. Uri said I'd feel I'd been hit by a bus. I felt tired before. This week, wow, I was just exhausted. I wake up tired and achy-uncomfortable, I feel tired and sluggish all day but just awake enough most of the time to feel irritated that I probably couldn't nap, then in the afternoon when I do lie down, I accidentally napped for two hours, wake up still tired, make til evening, barely have energy to make dinner, then sit exhausted on the couch, a little too tired to do anything but stare mindlessly at the tv and just wish it was later so I could go to bed. It's been a little bit of a tough week in that regard.
And the moodiness... yeh that's gotten worse. I hadn't noticed that until this week either. Now I just suddenly feel irritated by things that didn't irritate me much before and I'm snippy and a little short with Matt sometimes. Or I just suddenly feel sad (like I want to cry about something but there's nothing really to cry about).
Baby is officially now a fetus (no longer an embryo) and is now nearly an inch long, about the size of a grape or strawberry, weighing just a fraction of an ounce. The essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female until 18-22 weeks. Eyes are fully formed, but the eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. Baby has tiny earlobes, and the mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that baby's basic physiology is in place, s/he's poised for rapid weight gain.
I do seem to feel hungry more often. Luckily I seem to be blessed so far in that I haven't had any "morning sickness" at all. Not much food aversion either, although nothing ever sounds good to eat. Not only is the whole "eating for two" a wives' tale since baby doesn't yet require me to eat for two, but also eating feels more like a chore than a pleasure. I feel myself getting hungry and just think "oh no, now what am I going to eat." Nothing ever really sounds good. Almost every food suggestion just sounds gross and not appealing. Matt might as well be suggesting liver pate on a slab of bologna covered in mayo gravy; sometimes that's how appealing normal food sounds. I've decided that pregnancy "cravings" aren't really cravings in the traditional sense; it's just the only thing that sounds decent to eat. In my case, it's burritos (which I haven't even indulged), like the Parrilla Grill burritos in the huge tortilla with that moist rice and black beans and just a little salsa and some chicken, and sour cream. Yum. I've substituted at home making avocado and cheese quesadillas on corn tortillas, which are only mildly good. And fruit usually sounds okay.
Matt is being a dutiful and supportive Dad-to-be, though at times, maybe a bit too concerned. We had lunch out the other day and he repeatedly encouraged me to order the NW salmon, which I did, and it came with brussel sprouts. He remembered that I'm supposed to avoid sprouts but had to look it up himself whether that meant that brussel sprouts were okay to eat. At this point, I'm pretty aware of what I need to avoid. Which, for those not in the know, includes the following:
* unpasteurized soft cheeses, including blue cheese and feta
* unpasteurized milk or juice (fresh-squeezed)
* cold deli meats (unless heated to steaming), hot dogs, things that contain nitrates
* sprouts... and a general caution of anything that may have salmonella (uncleared areas after preparing meat) or unwashed vegetables
* raw meats, and fish with high mercury including tuna
* undercooked eggs or raw eggs (so no cookie batter, homemade eggnog, homemade caeser dressing, etc)
* deli salads, and picnic foods that have been sitting out without ice/cooling
* refined breads and sugars, caffeine, alcohol
And then there is a short list of medications I can take if I need relief of any kind: mainly Tylenol, and thankfully Tums. Because, yes, I have had heartburn, and, most uncomfortably, gas. That's probably the worst part. Pregnancy so far is really a very glamorous time ;) I know it will only get more so. And, lucky you, I'm not too embarrassed to discuss it. I'm tired of hearing women say "nobody told me ___ about being pregnant or giving birth." Well, I'm going to figure it out and tell ya.
The plus side is I get out of more housework. And... I'm looking forward to just next month being in the second trimester when I should get a lot more energy back, and maybe even start showing and feeling the baby move, though it sounds like that might not be til later October. Oh, and... although it's a strictly "look but don't touch" time (I really wasn't expecting the soreness!), it's kinda nice to be (how to say... knowing that my dad and brother read my blog) "filling out" more in my top. That's a positive change, mostly.
I don't know if I'd ever say I went through a "baby crazy" phase, except for a couple months when we'd just started trying (I was reading a lot about pregnancy and watching birthing videos and how-to videos on things like swaddling babies). If I'm not close to the mother, I'm not even really interested in holding others' babies. But if I love the mom, like Jenn and Mandy's babies, um yeh I never want to give those kids back once they're in my hot lil arms :) But I've just never really been super into babies and baby clothes (yeh they're cute)... Now that I'm pregnant, whenever I see a baby or picture of a baby, I'm overcome with this strong desire to hold my baby, like I cannot WAIT to hold my baby when it's born.
I'm taken back to this moment when I held Jenn's son Chase (at 2 months old) at Mandy's wedding and he snuggled in; I was in love; I would've stopped time in that moment forever and been the happiest; it was a beautiful feeling and he wasn't even my baby. It's also the case that Chase also holds a special place in my heart because I heard his first scream at the hospital when he was born (he's the one who showed up a month early during Mandy's bachelorette trip). Hearing his first sounds... it didn't CHANGE my life, because I'd always thought I wanted kids someday but... it made me realize how much I wanted to eventually have my own children, and experience all it has to offer. And it changed the course of the relationship I was currently in, leading me to leave it and seek out for a better future father for my future children. Which I found in Matt :) Because, really, I suddenly felt this obligation as a future mother to provide my future children with a loving and supportive and wonderful father. When I chose Matt, I didn't only choose him for the kind and loving and passionate and wonderful partner he was to me; I chose him for the future father that I can see in him, and that he wanted for himself.
The part so far that's the most beautiful about this pregnancy is getting to share this new adventure with Matt. He is the most patient and thoughtful partner. He educates himself and tries to keep me healthy and on track and hydrated and well fed. He's always making sure I'm comfortable enough and trying to anticipate my needs. It's often more than I need, being I've gotten used to being pretty independent, but it's so nice. Especially when I feel so tired and some days I just want to whine about it or whine about how I want ice cream sandwiches or how my hips get achy at night now that I'm practicing trying not to sleep on my back (anticipating next month). I feel so lucky to have a man who's interested in this pregnancy. Poor guy, though-- he's having sympathy symptoms. He reminds me that he's been a little nauseous for weeks, and also tired, taking on some of the pregnancy symptoms for me. He's so sweet and sensitive.
Last weekend, Matt ran his 5th Cascade Lakes Relay and received a special red t-shirt for running every year of the race; it had five images, one for each year, of an ape slowly turning into a man; I wanted to write above the years: 2008 Bravely Joined, 2009 Getting Through, 2010 New Love, 2011 Newlywed, 2012 Knocked Up. I'm proud of him. He actually did really well and felt better than last year, surprisingly because last year we trained a lot beforehand and this year, about a week out, he thought he had another month to train. Originally he was hoping I could drive his van so at least I could be part of the experience, but the team decided that it would be too crowded so I stayed home, which was actually fine with me; I wasn't looking forward to sitting in the driver's seat for that long, and in the middle of the night. He seemed to have a great time though and enjoyed the teammates in his van (unlike last year). Too bad they came in 50-something-ish... probably cause I didn't run ;)
This weekend, I'm going to muster up the energy to go camping again. I feel the urge to just lie around and try to work on some house projects, but I know that I'll be happy we took advantage of the summer this year and actually went camping and used our new tent and canoe. We pitched our tent a few nights ago so here's hoping it's still standing.
And the moodiness... yeh that's gotten worse. I hadn't noticed that until this week either. Now I just suddenly feel irritated by things that didn't irritate me much before and I'm snippy and a little short with Matt sometimes. Or I just suddenly feel sad (like I want to cry about something but there's nothing really to cry about).
Baby is officially now a fetus (no longer an embryo) and is now nearly an inch long, about the size of a grape or strawberry, weighing just a fraction of an ounce. The essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female until 18-22 weeks. Eyes are fully formed, but the eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. Baby has tiny earlobes, and the mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that baby's basic physiology is in place, s/he's poised for rapid weight gain.
I do seem to feel hungry more often. Luckily I seem to be blessed so far in that I haven't had any "morning sickness" at all. Not much food aversion either, although nothing ever sounds good to eat. Not only is the whole "eating for two" a wives' tale since baby doesn't yet require me to eat for two, but also eating feels more like a chore than a pleasure. I feel myself getting hungry and just think "oh no, now what am I going to eat." Nothing ever really sounds good. Almost every food suggestion just sounds gross and not appealing. Matt might as well be suggesting liver pate on a slab of bologna covered in mayo gravy; sometimes that's how appealing normal food sounds. I've decided that pregnancy "cravings" aren't really cravings in the traditional sense; it's just the only thing that sounds decent to eat. In my case, it's burritos (which I haven't even indulged), like the Parrilla Grill burritos in the huge tortilla with that moist rice and black beans and just a little salsa and some chicken, and sour cream. Yum. I've substituted at home making avocado and cheese quesadillas on corn tortillas, which are only mildly good. And fruit usually sounds okay.
Matt is being a dutiful and supportive Dad-to-be, though at times, maybe a bit too concerned. We had lunch out the other day and he repeatedly encouraged me to order the NW salmon, which I did, and it came with brussel sprouts. He remembered that I'm supposed to avoid sprouts but had to look it up himself whether that meant that brussel sprouts were okay to eat. At this point, I'm pretty aware of what I need to avoid. Which, for those not in the know, includes the following:
* unpasteurized soft cheeses, including blue cheese and feta
* unpasteurized milk or juice (fresh-squeezed)
* cold deli meats (unless heated to steaming), hot dogs, things that contain nitrates
* sprouts... and a general caution of anything that may have salmonella (uncleared areas after preparing meat) or unwashed vegetables
* raw meats, and fish with high mercury including tuna
* undercooked eggs or raw eggs (so no cookie batter, homemade eggnog, homemade caeser dressing, etc)
* deli salads, and picnic foods that have been sitting out without ice/cooling
* refined breads and sugars, caffeine, alcohol
And then there is a short list of medications I can take if I need relief of any kind: mainly Tylenol, and thankfully Tums. Because, yes, I have had heartburn, and, most uncomfortably, gas. That's probably the worst part. Pregnancy so far is really a very glamorous time ;) I know it will only get more so. And, lucky you, I'm not too embarrassed to discuss it. I'm tired of hearing women say "nobody told me ___ about being pregnant or giving birth." Well, I'm going to figure it out and tell ya.
The plus side is I get out of more housework. And... I'm looking forward to just next month being in the second trimester when I should get a lot more energy back, and maybe even start showing and feeling the baby move, though it sounds like that might not be til later October. Oh, and... although it's a strictly "look but don't touch" time (I really wasn't expecting the soreness!), it's kinda nice to be (how to say... knowing that my dad and brother read my blog) "filling out" more in my top. That's a positive change, mostly.
I don't know if I'd ever say I went through a "baby crazy" phase, except for a couple months when we'd just started trying (I was reading a lot about pregnancy and watching birthing videos and how-to videos on things like swaddling babies). If I'm not close to the mother, I'm not even really interested in holding others' babies. But if I love the mom, like Jenn and Mandy's babies, um yeh I never want to give those kids back once they're in my hot lil arms :) But I've just never really been super into babies and baby clothes (yeh they're cute)... Now that I'm pregnant, whenever I see a baby or picture of a baby, I'm overcome with this strong desire to hold my baby, like I cannot WAIT to hold my baby when it's born.
I'm taken back to this moment when I held Jenn's son Chase (at 2 months old) at Mandy's wedding and he snuggled in; I was in love; I would've stopped time in that moment forever and been the happiest; it was a beautiful feeling and he wasn't even my baby. It's also the case that Chase also holds a special place in my heart because I heard his first scream at the hospital when he was born (he's the one who showed up a month early during Mandy's bachelorette trip). Hearing his first sounds... it didn't CHANGE my life, because I'd always thought I wanted kids someday but... it made me realize how much I wanted to eventually have my own children, and experience all it has to offer. And it changed the course of the relationship I was currently in, leading me to leave it and seek out for a better future father for my future children. Which I found in Matt :) Because, really, I suddenly felt this obligation as a future mother to provide my future children with a loving and supportive and wonderful father. When I chose Matt, I didn't only choose him for the kind and loving and passionate and wonderful partner he was to me; I chose him for the future father that I can see in him, and that he wanted for himself.
The part so far that's the most beautiful about this pregnancy is getting to share this new adventure with Matt. He is the most patient and thoughtful partner. He educates himself and tries to keep me healthy and on track and hydrated and well fed. He's always making sure I'm comfortable enough and trying to anticipate my needs. It's often more than I need, being I've gotten used to being pretty independent, but it's so nice. Especially when I feel so tired and some days I just want to whine about it or whine about how I want ice cream sandwiches or how my hips get achy at night now that I'm practicing trying not to sleep on my back (anticipating next month). I feel so lucky to have a man who's interested in this pregnancy. Poor guy, though-- he's having sympathy symptoms. He reminds me that he's been a little nauseous for weeks, and also tired, taking on some of the pregnancy symptoms for me. He's so sweet and sensitive.
This weekend, I'm going to muster up the energy to go camping again. I feel the urge to just lie around and try to work on some house projects, but I know that I'll be happy we took advantage of the summer this year and actually went camping and used our new tent and canoe. We pitched our tent a few nights ago so here's hoping it's still standing.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
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