18th Week

In all my posts I have attempted to be as positive and optimistic as possible but I am going to comment on something negative this week. The most negative aspect about being pregnant (and I think this is worse for first time pregnancies) is the worrying. I am a worrier by nature and being pregnant has elevated this issue to def-con 5. The first three months I worried about losing the baby on a minute to minute basis due to the many issues that can cause a miscarriage. I also worried about the small amount of alcohol I ingested along with the pack of cigarettes I shared with my little one the first 4 weeks (before I knew about my impending bundle of joy). I worry every time I need to take medicine (Tylenol for headaches and toothaches, Antibiotics for a sinus infection, etc.) even though a trained professional has given me the OK. I worry that I am not eating well enough, that I am not gaining enough weight, that I am gaining too much weight, I worry that I sleep on my back too much (which could kill me and the baby) and I worry about several other insane little things that could go wrong- all mentioned in What to Expect while Expecting.
I just had a month of limited worrying because I was out of the first trimester, I am feeling great and life has been going very smoothly. I started feeling the baby move last week- Monday and Tuesday the baby didn’t stop moving all day long and I was loving life. I finally had proof that he/she is doing well in there and I couldn’t have been happier. Then I had my wisdom tooth out on Tuesday afternoon and I still felt some movement that night but since then I have barely felt anything (a little flutter here or a twinge there) and once again the worrying has commenced even though I have read and been told by several people that this will occur- that I will feel the baby a lot one day and then not at all for a couple of days. I have come to the realization that I am going to worry until the day I die because I will always be a mother – I will always have a child that could get hurt, or a teenager that will do something stupid, or an adult with a broken heart or the inability to realize their dreams. So I consider the worrying a curse and a blessing- a curse because I am sure my heart will give out early because of all the panic over stupid things and a blessing because I have someone I love enough to worry over constantly. It is a blessing because I am someone’s mother, that having a baby is the best thing I have ever done with my life and has made me so happy (I haven’t even meet the little one yet). So, I will take the constant worrying because all the positives outweighs this one negative and my goal is to worry only about today and not about tomorrow, or any other future date.

The Pregnancy Boom

The above picture features 5 pregnant ladies at Hilary's baby shower last Saturday- it is absolutely amazing the amount of woman I know right now that are pregnant. I know at least ten couples that have decided to start a family or to expand their family this year and I am so happy to be part of it.

17th Week and Movement

I have discovered the most amazing part of being pregnant- feeling the baby move. I started feeling little flutters last week but was definite that it was the baby last Wednesday (January 20th) while standing in my Boss’ office- my face lit up and I stopped the conversation to describe what it felt like. Since then I have only felt random flutters until this morning when I ate Lucky Charms and drove to work, which caused the baby to start dancing in my uterus all morning. I have been looking forward to this moment ever since I was a little girl and felt my cousin kicking my Aunt. I am so fortunate to feel my little one so early and I am so thankful to have such an active little monster. Some people have commented that I will not love the little flutters when they turn into kicks and punches (especially in the middle of the night) but I don’t think that will happen. Every kick, flip, roll and punch is a blessing and an indication that my baby is healthy and a live – I am sure I will complain once or twice but I hope to keep it to a minimum. My only wish is that I could share this moment with Brian – that I could give him this wonderful gift but we will have to be patient and soon enough he will be able to feel the baby’s movements on my belly.
On another note, Brian and I went to our friend’s baby shower this weekend (Congratulations again Mike and Hilary). There were 5 pregnant ladies at this party ranging from 32 weeks to 17 weeks and it is amazing how different each one of us and our pregnancies are. It was really great to be able to share stories and it was educational for me since this is my first while it is the second pregnancy for 3 of the girls. There were two very beautiful babies in attendance and watching them made me even more excited to meet my little one.
I am doing a good job with exercising three times a week but I am having an issue refusing cake or dessert, which would explain the two pounds I gained last week. This week will be rough since I will have my last wisdom tooth pulled tomorrow but luckily it will not harm the baby - I will just be sore for a couple of days.

16 weeks

Today was our 16 week appt and we are doing very well. I feel great and the little monster is moving around like crazy - the doctor commented that my baby must be on roller skates in there:) My Sister went with me and was able to hear the heart beat for the first time, which was really cool that I could share that with her and we both left the office with big goofy grins on our faces. My next appt is in 4 weeks and we will be able to find out the sex and have the ultrasound that goes through all of our baby's anatomy.

I have made a couple of comments on Facebook about a fear of gaining weight and my desire to exercise- I would like to clarify my thought process here so people don't think I am a freak. Yes, I know I am skinny and I started this pregnancy at my ideal weight -132 at 5'8. I am now 136.8 and that is perfect weight gain for the first 16 weeks. I hope to gain 25 pounds through the entire process but I only want what is best for the baby and I totally dont care if I get big - it is a beautiful process and I am willing to give up my body for the little one. My fear is that I will gain 100 pounds, be out of shape and not have the stamina needed to give birth. So when you hear me talking about exercising and worrying about weight gain - it is really my worry for the health of my baby and my ability to provide a nice cozy home for the next 5 months. I also feel great now that I am going to the gym three days a week and feel like I have control over something in this pregnancy (for those of you who don't know - I am a total control freak so it is nice to have it over staying in shape).

I also want to thank everyone that has posted a comment on this blog. I attempted to respond individually but have not figured out how to:) I love hearing the suggestions and the encouragement!

January 4, 2010

Happy New Year!! Last year was an interesting year, full of wonderful events (our new home, my thirtieh birthday, and the announcement of our bundle of joy) and I can not wait to see what this new year will bring us. We spent New Years Eve at home with Brian's sister and brother-in-law and their two boys (Braeden and Bryson). I was actually able to stay awake until the ball dropped (with the help of a two hour nap) - first time I have been awake and sober for this event in many years:) I did get to experience the pregnant designated driver on Friday night - I am perfectly happy giving up alcohol for the little one but I was slightly jealous when everyone was pretty tipsy while all I wanted to to do was go home and climb into my nice cozy bed.
Today marked the official end of the first trimester- yeah!! Overall I feel great, morning sickness is all gone, I am not as tired, I am capable of functioning after work, and the mood swings are gone. I started going back to the gym and I am walking for 30 minutes on the treadmill a couple of times a week. I have also started eating more healthy, which is much easier now that the Holidays are over, fruits and veggies are not as repulsive as they were and meat seems to be more appetizing. I am not sure what my starting weight was when I got pregnant but I think I gained 5 pound the first 8 weeks but did not gain any weight from 8 to 12 weeks. I am looking forward to my next appt to see what I have gained between 12 and 16 weeks- I don't think it will be much. My stomach seems to be expanding every day but I am still able to fit in my own clothes - I just need to wear the bella band because I cannot button or zip my pants. My loving husband did buy me a couple pair of cargo pants from Old Navy this weekend, which have an elastic waist and have plenty of room to grow and they will be more comfortable than jeans with the bella band.
Well I have rambled on long enough - I hope everyone has a Happy New Year!!