14 weeks

8/27/09
This has been a great week. I am firing on all cylinders again and even did a two mile swim. Baby is the size of a lemon now and my belly is a tad bit bigger but nothing you'd recognize in a picture yet. I will probably have hubby take a new bump picture at 16 weeks.

Something new: Allergies.
Its crazy. At first I thought I was fighting a cold. Then I thought maybe it was a one or two day thing. Nope! This whole week I have had so much congestion, repetitive sneezing and a snotty nose. I have allergies! I have never ever in my entire life been allergic to anything, and now it appears that I am allergic to pollen and dust. I hope it runs its course through the pregnancy and then goes away forever :)

I learned so much this week about your first BM after labor! Yet another example of what nobody tells you about!

I know gross, right?
My friend is about to pop, she is due in two weeks with her second and she was telling me last night about the pain associated with your first poop after birth. Let me tell you, and I will spare you the details, it sounded horrific! If you tore, or have hemorrhoids, do research!! None of my books mention this. Even though they give you stool softener you are so backed up it doesn't really work.

After some research this is what I am going to do a day or two after birth:
• Papaya pills (chewable over the counter) 3 times a day
• Add 2 tablespoons of Castor oil to a smoothie (be careful not to take it before birthing, it could induce labor and also make the baby poop in the uterus)
• Eat fiber
• Take the stool softeners

Our first baby purchase!

We were so excited to make our first purchase for our little one. We got the Baby Trend Zanzibar play yard with bassinet. We got a super deal!

Even though our nursery theme will be robots (no matter if its a girl or guy :-), this play yard will be next to our bed for the first weeks before the transition to crib. This unit is also very easy to fold and unfold and will be useful when we go out of town or need to send the tyke to grammy and pop for the night. He/she will be able to sleep in this play yard up until 2 years they say!

I love how it has pockets for accessories, it has a little motor thing that makes the bed vibrate, not to mention, it matches our home decor colors :-)

13 weeks

Time for the first bump picture. For those who have been asking and wondering here it is. Its enough to stick out of my cute tank tops and make me look like I have consumed too much beer, but not enough to be "oh she's pregnant" so I have been keeping my clothing very lose and flowing. As soon as I have a definite "pregnancy" bump I will work it :-)

We had our second checkup on August 19 and got to meet Dr. Dana Chortkoff our OBGYN. She said that I have gained 2 LB (total of 132LB) since our 8 week check up and listened to the heartbeat on a Doppler. It was a healthy 150BPM (Average is 140-160) I also got some blood drawn for down syndrome testing. I was disappointed that we didn't get another ultrasound as we would love to get another visual of our little one. Nate has been amazing as everyone can expect and plans on being at almost all the appointments. Dr. Chortkoff said that our bean is almost 3 inches. We have another one of these appointments in a month.

12 weeks

I feel great! I have no complaints what-so-ever. My bump is little but its there. What's more is the little bit of tiredness I have experienced is subsiding. A week ago I I decided I needed more that sure and carbs for my breakfast. I started with whey protein shakes but found them to be too "flavored" and "milky". Our friends told us about Sam Gerard's "Ultimate Meal" so although is on the pricey side I read up on it, found it to be safe for expecting moms and bought some along with a "bullet". Every morning I combine it with Almond Milk and a fruit like blueberry's or banana. I was adding ground flax seed but have since learned it is not recommended for pregnant woman.

The Ultimate Meal is 100% Vegan, Mostly Organic, and High Raw.
It's Loaded with nutrients - Even though I get plenty of vitamin and minerals throughout my week by trying to rotate foods and such, I'm still interested in making sure I have as many bases covered as possible. Additionally, The Ultimate Meal has a number of things that I would like more of in my diet.

So, how does it taste? It's good. I'm not jumping up and down, licking my lips and wanting to lick the glass to get every last drop of it, but I'm also not grimacing and making icky faces either. If you're avoiding fruit for some reason, then you can make it with a raw nut/seed milk (hemp would be great) and add a sweetener such as stevia.

Bottoms Up!

11 Weeks

As I have said to many of my friends, I am more concerned with what to do with the little "guy" once "he" arrives. I know I want to make life as easy for "him" and for us as possible and get the maximum amount of rest. This desire to be a confident mother has lead me toward books that are more about infant care than actual pregnancy. I think if I was having a tough pregnancy with allot of illness or weird experiences my outlook may have been different. After plenty of asking, visiting blogs, reading twitter and hounding moms on facebook, my first purchase was "What to expect when You're expecting" This book scared me. It didn't have enough for me on the routine and sleep methods and I found the birthing information a little frightening. I am very concerned and have nightmares to reading about the possibilities and scary stuff is not good for me. I do know my friend Jessica loved it.

The next book was "A girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy" This book has been a light overview of pregnancy and the first weeks after birth. Its comical and a very enjoyable read written from the stand point of your friends advice. Still though I have not been satisfied with the aftercare, so my search continues.