Pregnancy Heavy Post - 13 Weeks

This post is going to be very heavy on pregnancy talk (like most of my posts lately), click away if that is not what you want to read today.

Bullet point lists are awesome and cover a lot of ground so that is what I’m going with today.

·         I decided to get the blood work done to go along with the 1^st trimester scan.  I understand that it might come up as a false positive but it was just not sitting well with me that we skipped it.  I had to jump through some hoops and make several phone calls and stop at a lab on my way home from work the other day but the blood has been drawn and sent away for testing.  Thank you all for your comments regarding this screening.  If the results are positive for anything I will cross that bridge when I come to it.  After reading your comments and taking into consideration that the doctor didn’t find anything else that would indicate a problem, I’m really trying to stay positive that the results will be a great big negative.

·         I’ve told some more people in my office about the pregnancy.  Well, actually I showed them the sonogram pictures.  It was great to spread the news some more.  I told the people that I work most closely with (other support staff) and the one lady that suffered 4 miscarriages before having to have a hysterectomy.  I told her via e-mail, after working hours.  I didn’t want to tell her in person because I know how much it would sting and I didn’t want to catch her off guard.  I wanted to give her a chance to cry if she needed or blurt out some expletives in private.  She was happy for me and gave me a big hug when she saw me the next day.  I did not share the pictures with her.  I am going to try and be very sensitive to how much it’s going to hurt her to watch my growing belly.

·         Speaking of the belly…I think it’s starting to pop.  It’s still mushy but I’m taking that to mean that the inside is pushing the pudge further out.  I have definitely noticed that my pants are extremely tight.  I have a hard time buying pants on a normal day so I can only imagine how hard it’s going to be to buy maternity pants.  All the small local stores don’t carry anything so I have to go to the mall Saturday morning to try and find a few things.  I tried looking online but I just can’t buy pants without trying them on.  I have enough shirts right now so they are not a priority.  I just wish my mom or step mom were closer to me so that I didn’t have to go by myself.  My SIL can’t go because she’s throwing our niece’s b-day party Saturday afternoon and I just can’t wait any longer for pants.  I’m excited but it also makes me a little nervous.  I think that is the Infertile’s fear coming out.

·         I rented a home Doppler for 2 months.  The day it came we used it twice.  The first time was to make sure we could find the heartbeat and we did and it was amazing.  BJ does the honors of actually searching around for it.  It took a bit to get used to how slowly you have to move it around.  He found mine twice before finding the baby.  The second time that day was to let the Little Guy listen.  He thought it was “cool”.  We have used it twice since then and the heartbeat is getting easier to find.  The funny thing is that BJ thinks I worry too much but the 2 times we’ve used it since the first day have been his idea.  I was going to suggest it yesterday but before I could, he asked if we were going to listen to the baby.  I like that he wants to do that and that he understands the peace of mind it gives me.  I think seeing the baby on the screen has made him realize how much he loves this little baby and he wants to check up on it as much as I do.

·         I have created an e-mail list of people that have expressed interest in getting baby updates.  People like my parents, my ex-MIL and her SIL (so my ex-aunt-in-law), my SIL, my co-worker/friend and a couple of other people.  I have sent 2 updates so far and the responses have been very positive.  Everyone loved the pictures that I sent around.  My dad forwarded my message to some of our family in MO to share the news and one of my cousins e-mailed him back with how happy she is for us.  Isn’t it amazing how happy babies make people?

·         I’m nearing the end of my first trimester.  WOW….just wow.  Everything I’ve read has said that the sick feelings and the fatigue and the food aversions will slowly start to disappear.  I hope so, but it actually seems that it all has intensified this last week.  There’s more and more I can’t eat and I’m feeling sick for longer each day.  I haven’t thrown up, which is good, but I still feel icky.  I’m happy about it, don’t get me wrong.  I just can’t wait to eat some broccoli again and some chicken breast for dinner.  Green vegetables and white meat chicken have been the worst for me so far.  I actually read that those are the 2 most popular food aversions.  We eat chicken a lot for dinner.  I’ve been able to force half a breast down because I know I need the protein but even that is hard to do.

·         I looked into a prenatal yoga class at the hospital where I will be delivering (OMG, did I just say I’d be delivering?  As in a BABY?  Wow, again) but they don’t have a class right now.  They have to have 4 people signed up and I am the 3^rd.  I’m on the waiting list but not holding out much hope.  I have checked into a couple of places close to work but they are too far from my office for a lunch hour class.  Does anyone have a recommendation for a DVD to do at home?  I used to do Pilates on a regular basis but haven’t done anything like that in a long time so I’d need a beginner workout.  I really wanted to do a class with other pregnant women but it doesn’t look like that is in the cards as there is no other place near my home that offers classes.

·         I’m feeling a bit hormonal which I’m sure is not a shock to anyone that has been pregnant before.  My eyes water very easily these days.  Sometimes, just thinking about the precious life that is growing inside of me brings me to tears.  Typing that sentence made my eyes water.  BJ thinks it’s funny when I get teary at the simplest things on TV.  I’m not used to those moments yet but thankfully they pass quickly.

·         I saved the pictures from the NT scan onto my desktop so that I can open them whenever I want to gaze at that precious little baby.  I even talk to it sometimes.  I know that might seem a little whacky but rubbing my stomach and talking doesn’t seem to cut it for me all the time.  I like looking at the profile picture and telling the baby how much I love it and how I am so excited to give Eskimo kisses to its little nose and how I long to caress that little head while nursing.  My heart gets all fluttery just recapping that conversation.

Ok, so that is where I’m at right now.  This has gotten a bit long so I won’t go into our visit to the big baby store this time.  I’ll save that for another day.  Maybe I’ll group it with my maternity shopping experience that I plan to have this weekend.  Thank you all again for being there for me and offering such good advice and helping me along this journey.  This is all new to me (even though I’ve read countless pregnancy blogs) so experiencing all these things can sometimes be a little overwhelming.  I’m glad I have this space to come to and get advice and support.