Nothing New

This week there has been no new material that has to do with me or baby.  We are in the blob stage, yes I'm pregnant, yes the baby is growing but no one can tell! Baby Bean no longer has a tail, which is great because that would just be plain ugly.  I have been better about exercising, however today I will not be walking due to a thunderstorm.  I have been taking my folic acid but mostly forgetting to drink my tea.  I still weigh the same but my fat pooch is growing.  Ace and Coon still push my buttons daily to remind me they WON"T be forgotten when Bean comes.  I did the dishes this morning which completely wore me out.  At least I feel like I accomplished one thing today.  I should be getting ready for mommy group, but that requires me to get dressed.  I set out a wheat blueberry bagel to eat for breakfast when all I want is a big mac.  I justify eating a bowl of oreo frozen yogurt because its yogurt and I added a banana.  Baby Bean still has no name and B is still gaining weight.  Thats all folks.

Gender Bender

Since agreeing to find out the sex of the baby it has driven me insane, more so than I already am.  More than anything B and I want a healthy baby no matter what.  With that being said, we really would be blessed with a boy. Six weeks just seems too long to wait to find out for sure. So.......... I have been doing all kinds of crazy old wives tales, quizzes off the internet, baking soda test ect.  Half say boy half say girl.  Good to know since it was already 50% chance either way.

My fear is that it will be a girl and I will feel disappointment, since we have looked forward to a boy. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, I would just rather have a boy.  Girls seem like such a difficult task, to raise a feminist that is independent or to have a girly princess? Neither really fit with me :(  The next problem i have is names, for those of you who think its too early just zip your lips! We have picked a boy name that I love, we refer to my belly by only that name.  I have always had a favorite girl name but sadly does not flow with Morris.  Maybe thats part of the reason I am put off by having a girl, because dear Etta will never be an Etta.  If it is a girl I hope that a name we both agree on falls into our laps because I'm tired of searching.  I want a name I love and am proud of, not just a name I like.

Baby needs a name and a gender asap! Not just for mommy's sanity but also to give the bean and identity.  I firmly believe the bonding process starts in the womb, the sooner the better.  Anyone that has name suggestions please send them my way.  If its a name that still allows me to call her Etta as a nick-mane, you will win hands down!

Pregnant Friday Nights

Friday nights have forever changed at our house.  We used to go out drinking with friends, bar hop until 2,  drive out to the beach and not have a care in the world.  Now they consist of indecisive dinner plans, birthing videos and early bed times.  Baby Bean isn't even here yet and its been close to a month since we went out for a date! Granted I should be taking much of the blame seeing as I am the one who can't get off the couch, BUT.......... I still want to have fun!  Sexy has now been replaced with sweatpants and sweatshirt.  Cuddling is a thing of the past, " don't touch me while I sleep".   Instead of sweet perfume we have flatulence contests to see who is more repulsive, gross I know.

How far along? 9 weeks and some days 

Total weight gain/loss: zero for me 10-15 for B

Maternity clothes?: Yes, have not got dressed to leave the house though 

Stretch marks? none yet

Sleep: nap throughout the day, night sleeping is more difficult 

Best moment this week: Technically this was last week but hearing Bean's heartbeat 

Miss Anything?: sushi 

Movement: gas bubbles 

Food cravings: none this week

Anything making you queasy or sick: everything food related 

Gender: scan at the end of december

Labor Signs: Negative

Symptoms: Rounding belly, gas, nausea still, sore boobs 

Belly Button in or out? in!

Happy or Moody most of the time: constant form of cranky I think, Sorry Dear 

Looking forward to: The second trimester, I want my old self back 

Baby's first portrait

Last night B and I got to see Baby Bean! Its crazy to be able to love something so small and precious.  Two weeks ago we saw Baby Bean, yesterday we heard Baby bean.  As a person who hides feelings, I was caught off guard to feel tears forming every time I heard the heartbeat.  There is truly no words to describe how amazing and wonderful it is to see the heart flicker on the screen.  

The appointment went well, baby is measuring on track, and has a healthy strong heartbeat.  Mommy is doing great with the exception that I need to eat more spinach and dark leafy veggies.  Daddy also got told he has to clean up after Coon, due to the possibility of toxoplasmosis.  Personally I think some people over exaggerate things, I was a technician for crying out loud! I have been exposed to everything from bats with rabies, sarcoptic mange, and plenty of parasites.... I will be ok!

We return in 4 weeks for another check up.  No more baby scans until 20 weeks, what a bummer.  B asked why we had to go if they won't even show us the baby? See even though he plays tough guy he looks forward to seeing our baby just as much as I do.  At our next visit I will have my blood pressure taken, fetal doppler to hear baby and measurements of my tummy.  Over all we had a great visit and are thrilled to know that the baby is growing rapidly and is healthy!

Baby Bean at 9 weeks!

The little baby above is the culprit for all the bloating and nausea

The speedhill is now a speedslope :(

Walking

I read constantly about pregnancy and how to prepare myself for the best delivery, so when the common denominator was walking I thought no problem.  Boy was I wrong.  I always liked to walk, walking is relaxing without being overly tiring.  Since becoming pregnant walking has not been so easy.  B and I have walked a few times here and there but not consistently. Everyday I tell myself to get off my rear and do one lap around the block ( 3/4 of a mile) it rarely happens.  Yesterday I thought I would kick my sickness in the butt by walking.
Trip 1: I got all prepared, changed out of pj's into workout pants, got the ear phones so I could listen to pandora, and had breakfast.  Not even to the end of my driveway and I'm feeling tired.  I make it all the way around and talk my weary self into going around once more.  Two laps total a mile and a half, not to bad if I could do it everyday twice a day.  The second lap was a little more difficult, fighting the urge to hurl at each step, sweaty profusely, and dying of thirst.  I made it though! I was so impressed with my earlier performance that I thought I would do it again.

Trip 2: After Dr. Phill, I told B that I was going to walk two more laps before he got home since I was feeling good and it was about to get dark.  What started out as an easy 30 minute walk turned into over an hour of torture.  After my first lap, I ran into my neighbor who is very sweet but talks forever and has a very unruly bulldog.  After running into them going one way I was determined to steer clear the second lap ( my mistake).  I took a left at the end of the road not a right, not a big deal except only certain roads come back to our house.  Instead on turning around and going home after walking down the road I took another dreaded left.  Now an additional mile from home I have ended up in the ghetto and its getting darker.  This second left leads me out to a main road, similar to a highway in the country at 6 o'clock rush hour.  I walk a ways on the highway and make a right at the next subdivision.  Stupid considering this street does not go to my house either.  Bammm back at the highway just closer to home this time.  By now I have been walking for an hour, blisters have started forming on my feet and its dark.  I finally make it to a street where I know I can get home, yay! approximately one more mile and I will be home.  B finally calls and asks where I am since he has been home for quite some time and I am no where to be found.  Beyond exhausted I arrive home.  What may have been a fun walk before I was pregnant, is now a joke and would not have been attempted had I used my brain when making a left or right choice in the beginning.

To reward my 6 mile walk I thought frozen yogurt would be a great idea, tastes like ice cream but only a hundred calories.  I talk B into taking us to the store, even bribing him with the idea that I would pay.  We get to the store which turns into a shopping trip, yogurt, foil, water, frozen pizza, ect.  In the same parking lot as the store there is a dairy-queen, B suggests a blizzard and food since the dinner we had an hour ago has worn off.  I say to him that I will eat a blizzard too.  Yes we did just buy yogurt, pizza and snacks but none of those compare to DQ.  You know your pregnant when you make a late night food run, get what you need and still order fast food.  I ordered my small blizzard, B ordered a blizzard and a chilli-cheese dog(yuck). I ate half of my blizzard and was finished, B devoured his whole meal and was still hungry..... Who is eating for two now? In conclusion B in now going to be called Tempelton, and I will remain at zero weight gain!

Confessions

This past week I confess I only drank my prenatal tea twice.  I confess I have eaten nothing with nutritional value.  I confess saturday I ate garlic bread and a tray of cookies.  I confess I nap on and off all day. I confess I have not been walking.  I confess I am spoiled rotten.  I confess my mood swings are out of my control.  I could go on and on but will stop there.

I was absolutely spoiled this weekend.  Thanks to B we went shopping, got pedicures and saw a movie.  He really is the best! Thanks to him all my maternity shopping is done! I now have a dozen tops, pants, shorts, and dress pants. I am in the process of purging some older clothes to make room in my over stuffed closet.

So far this week I have mommy class, day with the cousins and a baby appointment.  The rest will most likely consist of sleeping and attempting to eat.

Stat update
Weight-132
Bust-bigger
Waist- another inch bigger
Belly-continues to grow
I will provide inch measures when I find the tape measure
Food that tastes good- bread, cookies
Food that tastes bad- everything
Symptoms- tiredness, nausea, thirsty
Clothes- grey shorts, big tee shirts

8 Weeks and 1 day

Friday I succumbed to my growing belly and purchased maternity pants.  Not only was this emotional in itself the clerk had to mention that I was showing quite a bit.  Thanks b****, like I don't know my pants don't fit.  Any-who, I sacrificed my mental state for comfort.  The items were on sale, free gift baggie and the store was empty so I guess it worked out.  My second appointment is in just four short days!

Last night while at a bbq with friends I got asked the usual questions: how am I feeling?, am I puking?, and then one I wasn't prepared for was who my doctor is.  I replied confidently that I had a wonderful midwife and did not need a doctor.  That caused quite the stir, I was not anticipating such negativity.  It is my choice after all.  Are all women this ignorant? Woman have been having babies for millions of years!!!!!! While those of you that may disagree with my decision it is not your place to give input, quietly refrain or stop asking questions.  At the end of the conversation I knew that in my heart I believed and trusted in the natural birthing process.  While I may have been offended at there comments, I never wavered in my decision.  I continued to throw fact after fact about why my choice worked for me.  

On the topic of natural birth B and I spent friday night watching the documentary of "The business of being born" a great example of how birth should be.  It also gave B and insight on why I want a home birth as well as the less is more approach.  Amazon has gotten my allowance this week, as I eagerly await a butt-load of books!

The holiday season is getting closer and closer, my list of things to do keeps growing.  I am impatiently waiting until next month to start working on christmas gifts for close friends and family.  I have cards to get, pictures to take and gifts to make( literally).


 Belly is growing soooooo fast

Very round belly from the front