*touches wood*

In from the park.
No jogging today, not with this head.
Just walked.
Throbbing only slight.

Touch wood, touch wood, touch WOOD today will remain this way....

Ate a banana for breakfast.

Ick

Couldn't eat much yesterday.
Down 3lbs today.
Feel faint and sick.

Ick.

Tooth throbbing less upon waking.
But just waiting for it to kick in.

:(

No Updates

Probably no updates for a bit.
Extreme pain.
Won't be leaving the couch/bed much I imagine.

Fun's Over

Second trimester fun is over.
I've been laying in agony on the couch all day.
I have - I assume - a rotten tooth.
It was playing up when my mum was here but it went away again.
Then about a week ago it came back and kept me awake a few nights.
And then today - bam - it took over.
You think a natural childbirth will hurt?
NOTHING on tooth pain.
NOTHING on this agony.
I've been using numbing gel, mouthwashes, everything I can think of and the entire left side of my face is throbbing.
Throbbing isn't even the right word to describe it.
It's just....
agony.

My show stuff?
Screwed.
My pregnancy energy?
Screwed.
My food and fitness routine?
Screwed.
My sleeping at night?
Screwed.

All I can do is lay and hurt.
And sure, I can make an appointment to see a dentist.
But can I pay for any sort of treatment while I'm working on my prenatal payments?
No.
I can't.

So really I'm pretty much screwed all around.

Oh and I *finally* have a good appetite for the growing baby.
But can I fucking eat?

No.

Screwed.

Piercing

I went ahead and took my nipple piercing out.
I could have kept it up until breastfeeding but my body is changing so much I wanted to go ahead and do it now.

Providing boy doesn't read this blog, I get to strip down in front of him tonight and go "what?! what isssssssssss it?! what's missing?!?"

Heh.

BELLY!

No longer worried about the 2lbs.
Are you kidding me?
LOOK AT THIS BELLY!!!

Shoot.

I need to quit jumping on the scales.
I'm down another two pounds.
Good lordy, I'm *trying* to eat.
But thus far...3 months in...I've only gained two pounds in this entire deal.
And I can tell you, it went straight to my chest (feels like 50lbs gained there, mind you)

I'm off to eat some tangelos!

Running.

So the past week of running at the park was fine.
I'm a little bit shorter of breath than normal but I can't figure out if that's due to a lack of exercise in first trimester or due to body change (I'm supposed to be more short of breath in second trimester).
But I seem to have my ENERGY BACK!
HOLY COW BELL BATMAN!
Yesterday I bounded in from my run and made my lover the BEST pancakes in the WORLD for breakfast (photos coming, they looked and tasted soooooo good).
Then I did five hours worth of drawing.
Then I made boy ricotta and pesto stuffed chicken breasts with rice for dinner!

So.
First trimester blew hot chunks of mouldy cheese.
But second trimester? Totally ROCKS.

I love running again.
I love running at the park.
I love the change of seasons.
And I love inhaling the earth as baby and I bound along.

Oh, Gush.

I'm not one of those girls who sits and gushes about the most amazing things in her life. If something is ridiculously cool I normally grin and say 'dude, that's sweet'.
I don't pinpoint 'highlights of a lifetime'.
For example I adore my husband and loved our wedding but I don't gush about it a whole bunch on a daily basis.

Well!

Maybe I just turned into a gusher.
Because I can say, without a doubt, I just experienced the most amazing moment of my life.
And I *can* pinpoint that.
And I *will* say, if asked!

On September 23rd at 11am, I heard our baby's heartbeat.

From an email to my father:

Guess what I've been doing today?
I've been LISTENING to your grandchild's HEARTBEAT!!!

I had a prenatal this morning and the nurse said we probably wouldn't be able to hear it but we'll give it a go. And she hunted around with cold goop on my belly and then....
OH.
MY.
GOSH.

I think - thus far - one of the most amazing moments of my life.

The heartbeat was so calm, so peaceful. From all the ones you hear about they're fast and rapid so I didn't expect this beautiful, calm beating.

However...I have a horrible habit of tensing my body when I'm happy. I've always had it. I curl my feet, I get a burst of energy and I -literally sometimes- jump for joy.
So every time the nurse found the heartbeat and I'd hear it I would get a flood of joy/rush of adrenaline and my stomach muscles would tense up.
So she kept losing it!
We called Brennen in and she found it again (she said they're easy to lose even if you've just found one because babies like to hide a lot!) and after about I swear...only 4 seconds....I grinned like a loon and she lost it and said "I GIVE UP! THAT'S IT! THAT'S ALL YOU GET! YOU'RE TOO HAPPY AND GIGGLY ABOUT THIS"

Tee hee hee.
And that's okay, because it was enough to have me still floating.
And Brennen got to hear.
And that's all I needed.
We heard it together.

I was going to call you but you probably can't take skype at work.
I may try and call you this weekend!
I love you, dad!
xxxS.

So.
Um.
Yeah.
*shuffles feet*

Gush.

Week 13.

Fetal development in pregnancy week 13: fetus in third month

This is your final week in the first trimester and your little weed continues to grow and grow and grow. Of the three trimesters, this one has been the most important for your little one’s development. Assuming you’ve carefully adopted a healthy diet, continue to exercise and get ample rest, your little one is set up perfectly for even more growth and development in tri-two! Way to go! He or she now weighs about 2.5 ounces and is roughly 3.5 inches in length. Little hairs, known as lanugo, will start to cover their body this week, as their sense of taste and smell are further refined. Their cozy little amniotic sac is also increasing in size and mass as it continues to fill with more fluid.

And how's mom doing? Congratulations on a successful first trimester! A lot has happened (and there’s a lot more to come). You should be proud of your hard work and sacrifice. Giving up lattes, soda, and wine is not easy. Even if you snuck in a few of these goodies over the past 13 weeks, don’t dwell on it—there’s a lot to look forward to! Besides, now is the perfect time to rededicate yourself if you have had a few lapses. Remember, every day and decision is an opportunity to improve your eating and exercise habits—your baby and your body will thank you in the long run.

If you’re the planning type, you can celebrate the beginning of your next trimester by purchasing some choice maternity clothing to fit your elegantly evolving new shape. The good news is some fashion designers are realizing that being pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t look sharp, sexy, sporty, or whatever your particular style might be. Cruise the online stores for a preview of the range of fashion out there for pregnant women—even if the local shops are still stuck in the nineties, you can always hit up some chi-chi online store based out of NYC! If you’d rather wait a few more weeks (until you really start to show) before making any purchases, then get ready to dig out your sweat pants, over-sized t-shirts, and any other comfy loose fitting clothes you’ve got at your disposal. At the very least, just unbutton that top button on those pants that still “almost fit”. Come on, you’re pregnant! This is definitely not the time to suffer for fashion.

Busy

Apologies, I've been busy! And not updating.
I think I owe a gaga update, plus prenatal news.
*nods*
*leaves to write stuff*

Who?

Who is going to buy my little fetus some pineapple lumps?
Go on.
Gooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooon!

It's the ONLY thing baby wants to munch on and I can't get any.

*bursts into tears*

Oh and prenatal tomorrow.
Bah!
Weigh-ins and vaginal exams and weird people touching me.
HOWEVER!
Boy and I may get to hear zee heartbeat.

*grins like a loon*

What? NO!

Everybody assumes I'm getting an epidural.
What?
Um.
NO.

Pain is part of the process of birth.
And I don't want the excessive drugs.
And I believe in the torment of it all.

I want a NATURAL childbirth.

You know what else is odd? When the nurses at the clinic find out I'm going to breast feed they all exclaim "Good for you! And good for baby!" in surprise.
Apparently it's not so common anymore.

WTF?!
My boobies were given to me FOR this purpose, yo.

I'm so confused by the world.

Week 12

Week 12: Your uterus? Yeah, it's a softball now
Fetal development in pregnancy week 12:fetus in third month

Even though your little Einstein’s body is still growing quite rapidly 2 inches long right now, the overall super-speedy growth of their amazing brain continues to leave the head proportionately larger than the body— and is actually slightly more than one third of their total body mass! The head and neck are still straightening at this point as can be seen by their little chin lifting off of the chest. Your baby is also actively rehearsing “breathing” by using amniotic fluid to prepare the lungs for future air respiration.

The big news: your little pooper is now officially going to need diapers! Although a majority of the waste produced is transferred to the mother’s system for discharge (to avoid having it linger in the amniotic sac), some urine is released to the amniotic fluid and your baby will actually breathe it in before it passing it on to your for discharge. Not to worry, urine--in this particular form, is completely harmless to your baby.


And how's mom doing? Logically, as your baby is growing bigger, so must your uterus. By now, your once-flat and relatively small uterus is stretched to the size of a softball (12-14 cm), but that’s nothing: by the time you deliver it will have grown to 15 – 17 inches (37 – 42 cm). Your uterus is slowly increasing at a rate of approximately one centimeter per week. If you've got a burning sensation that extends from your breastbone to your throat, you've got heart burn or acid indigestion. To lessen this unpleasant experience: eat smaller meals and avoid fried, spicy, and fatty foods. Otherwise, there's always TUMS, but check with your healthcare provider first

As your pregnancy becomes more physically visible, you’ll have to adjust to people asking you when you’re due and giving lots of unsolicited advice from women who’ve “been there.” Additionally, this is probably the right time to share your pregnancy news (if you haven’t already) with close family and friends and anyone you want to have involved in your pregnancy. Allowing your friends and family to have role in your pregnancy encourages participation and support for the future—when you’re really going to need it!

Nom Nom Nom

Baby is addicted to grapes!

4 Months!

Into the 4th month today!
Helllllllllllo second trimester!
*VERY* pleased to meet you!

Cocoa butter for my belllly
makes my tummy nice and smellly
better than watching telllly
this cocoa butter, on meh bellllly!

Heh

I am going through some classics.

Baby learns The Beatles, today. :D

No Real Weight

No real weight gained, still.
I stopped working out ages ago (about to start again today) and I've been eating as well as I can so...

So I'm beginning to think I may give birth to Thumbelina.

No, seriously.

Dear Diary 12/9/08

Irrational pregnancy fears begin...

Noticeable Change

In my body today!
That was beautiful to wake to.
My belly more round and my nipples doing this weird, over-talked about 'large and dark' thing.

Hoorah!

There's a baby in me!
Things are starting to change in less of a GEE FIRST TRIMESTER SUCKS kinda way and more of a 'ohhhhh, look at that' kinda way.

Pink vs Blue

When I was younger and wondered about having kids (about 7 years ago) I was dead-set on wanting a boy. To shoot cans with, climb trees with, to rough-and-tumble with.
Over the past few years, hanging out with my girlfriends, I've been surrounded with little girls. And my friends love to dress them up and play with them. So when I first thought about having a child this year, I wanted a little girl.

Now, though, when I think about having a little boy I see it as a complete miniature version of Brennen and my heart beats wildly and I get goofy happy.

I love Brennen more than I love myself so I want a tiny version of him, much more than a tiny version of me.

If I have a girl I hope it is packed full of Brennen.
And if I have a boy I hope it's a mini version of him.

Either, of course, will make me happy.

I just can't decide!

Week 11

Week 11: Just plum cute!
Fetal development in pregnancy week 11:fetus in third month

Maybe you’ve noticed… your baby is a super-duper grower! Your lil' fetus will be gaining a substantial amount of weight this week and has already achieved fruit-size-status comparable to a plum. What's more, your little scientist is already starting to explore their body, focusing most intently on touching their head, and especially their face and mouth. Their mouth in particular will provide them with hours of entertainment. This happens not only because your baby is gaining coordination, and is therefore able to move a hand on command, but also because their palms have gained sensation and can actually “feel” what it touches.They're also developing their swallow reflex this week. And lastly, your baby's smelling and other olfactory senses will begin developing this week, which when combined with the maturing taste buds, will provide your baby with their first experiences of taste and smell.

And how's mom doing? If you’re still enduring the joys of morning sickness, it should finally be subsiding to the point of non-existence by the end of this week. The growing placenta combined with your little one’s developing pituitary gland have given you a break on hormone production, so now your can focus on the fact you’re about to enter the second trimester of pregnancy, which can be most aptly characterized by lots of growth for both you and your little uterus-tenant.

At this point you should be making a conscious effort to gradually increase your consumption of healthy, vitamin-rich food, but remember: THIS DOES NOT MEAN LIFE IS NOW AN OPEN BUFFET. Think about it, if it’s not good for you, then it won’t do any good for your developing baby. If you’re finding that you’re still hungry after dinner, don’t simply default to having extra ice cream for dessert. Have a second helping of vegetables and fish, or whole grain bread with jam. Good nutrition is absolutely vital for your baby's brain and body development.

Additionally, make sure you’re taking “me-time” to center yourself and focus on your body’s interactions with your baby: listen to relaxing or inspiring music, read good books, think happy thoughts, you know, all the mentally stimulating stuff that puts you in a good mood and makes your pregnancy feel like a positive experience. In other words, watching international news isn't recommended. The better you treat your body and emotions now, the healthier and happier your child will be once “they’re on the outside.”

One Week

ONE WEEK UNTIL SECOND TRIMESTER!

A wooooooooo woooooooooo!

Intimates

I went shopping in Sears the other day.
It was the first time I've been to the baby section by myself.
Normally there are either friends or family with me, pointing out all sorts of things - which I nod and acknowledge but don't really think about.
The other day I wandered around looking at play pens and high chairs and day dreaming. It was just so....intimate....compared to being with others. It was just me and the baby, walking, looking, thinking. It was beautiful. In the midst of a huge grin Brennen called. I confessed to being stupid and goofy in the baby section, at which point he confessed to having just been stupid and goofy while visiting my baby blog. Then we both kinda sat there in a stupid and goofy silence on the phone.

Awwwwwww.
Heh.

That was Saturday, I believe.
Beautiful, shiny, our-little-trio Saturday.

Marmite

I want marmite.
Iiiiiiiiiii wAnT MARMITE!
Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Waaaaaannnnnnnnnt MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARMITE.

Curses!

Pah!

I just tried on my size 4 running pants.
Er.
Baby says NO.

Week 10 - EW, there's POOP

Why does this site think the peeing and pooping is charming?
THEY'RE DOING THAT *IN* MY BODY YOU KNOW.
*shakes fist*

Fetal development in pregnancy week 10: fetus in third month
Your astonishingly tiny baby has been hard at work growing as fast as possible—almost doubling in size in the past three weeks! Amazingly, you’re in for a repeat size doubling performance within the next three weeks! Your tiny champion still weighs less than a quarter of an ounce but has already completed the most critical stage of their development. Using Doppler technology, your doctor or gynecologist can let you hear their tiny rapid fetal heartbeats this week (145-165 beats per minute!). Chances for miscarriage are greatly reduced when the heartbeat can be detected, so take a sigh of relief if you’ve been needing one—it hasn’t been an easy ten weeks! What’s more, they’re getting ready to make their first baby poop! Your little one’s major organ systems are developing, including a functioning digestive tract capable of moving food all the way through their bowels. The final shiny gold star on their fetal behavior chart for the week: your little scrapper has already developed defense mechanisms to protect them on reflex!


And how's mom doing? More good news for mom: the placenta has grown substantially in size and function and is now beginning to manage some of your child’s hormones, finally taking some of the hormonal burden off of you! Since the placenta has gradually taken over the hormone production for your baby, you should finally start to notice that much-awaited decrease in morning sickness symptoms. Like everything else, though, this is just a general guideline... if you have lingering effects for another couple of weeks, don’t fret (or fret, but don't blame us)—pregnancy is not a standardized procedure so much as an individual journey

Beeble Booble

What?
After stuffing my gills I am down two pounds.
The trickery!

Justice

My mum and my sister get to party in London next week.
I get to party at the prenatal clinic where a complete stranger puts their nasty hands up my beautiful vagina.

Where is the justice?