To my Baby Kangaroo 2.15.14

This week you are about the size of a lime, and you look like a miniature human. It is shocking to me that you are only 12 weeks old and no longer look "alien".

My symptoms subsided a lot this week. One day I had a bad headache in the afternoon/evening, but it went away when I slept. I experienced chapped nipples one day. Very strange. They hurt and when I looked at them, they looked like my lips when I forget to put on chapstick and spend the day outside in the sun and wind. I put lotion on them (big mistake - they burned and stung) and then did some research on the best treatment. Most women recommend lanolin, which is the same lotiony-type substance that women use after each breastfeeding session. It's almost waxy in consistency. I found some at Target - instant relief!

I'm continuing my same weight training and cardio workout at the gym. I can get through the routine, but am extremely tired when I finish. Used to, I would feel energized after a workout. Now I come home and make dinner and can barely keep my eyes open to watch a television show.

I have a meeting with HR on Monday to discuss maternity leave options. Our next prenatal appointment is Friday. I'm not sure when I'll tell my supervisors, but it probably needs to be fairly soon.

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To my Baby Kangaroo 2.8.14

This week, at 11 weeks, you are about the size of a fig, or about 1-1/2" long. (I should say that all these food comparisons on the pregnancy websites make me hungry for those foods. I haven't had a good fig since the end of summer...) Your fingers and toes are forming, and you are starting to grow fingernails and develop teeth under your gums. And you are only the size of a fig!! This is so crazy to me...

This week, my pregnancy symptoms have reduced. My boobs do not hurt as much; I do not have as many food aversions. Hunger comes in waves still. Sometimes I won't be very hungry and then I'll want to eat three bowls of cereal (I don't, of course, but I want to!) This week we had another round of winter weather, so I only made it to the gym twice. The other days this week I was trying to get home before the sun went down and the melted ice/snow had a chance to refreeze on the roads. I also haven't been over to play with Freddy this week except for once. But he was inside several days due to the cold anyway.

I had my six month dental check up on Friday. My dentist said it is normal for my gums to bleed during pregnancy, and they do on occasion. Especially when I floss. Sometimes I look like a vampire. My next checkup is when I am 9 months pregnant, so he said to hold off until after you are born. Unless I have some dental issues in the meantime, but he said my mouth looks very healthy.

I am almost ready to tell my supervisor. We are starting a new software later this year and I am the lead on the conversion and implementation process. We will go live with the program during my maternity leave, so I am trying to come up with another person to get involved now. Everytime I think I am ready to tell my boss, then I get a little scared and chicken out. I don't want to be treated differently because I'm pregnant.

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To my Baby Kangaroo 2/2/14

This week, you scared me a little bit. I had some spotting on Monday. I called the doctor's office on Tuesday and they said to call back if it started again. It did. So I called back on Tueday afternoon and set an appointment for first thing on Wednesday morning. I told your dad about the appointment, and tried to be strong and tell him I didn't need him there. But he saw through my "tough" facade and surprised me by coming to the appointment. Turns out everything was OK, and  we even got to see our first glimpse of you.

You are about an inch long in the ultrasound. You waved at us during the ultrasound. Your heart was beating about 160 beats per minute. We didn't get to hear your heartbeat but we could see it. According to your length, your due date is still August 31. This week you'll grow about 1/4", and be about the size of a kumquat. According the the scale here at home, I've lost 4 pounds since I found out I was pregnant, but according to the scale at the doctor's office, I've gained 2 pounds. 

This week I had a cold for the first half of the week. Cough, congestion, drainage, gunk. Luckily, Robitussin and Mucinex are on the approved medication list. I'm pretty done with cough drops, too. I forget how gross they make my mouth feel until I've gone through a bag of them. Other items that helped this week: running a humidifer at night, and using saline mist in my nose multiple times a day. Because of the cold, I was unable to go to the gym until Wednesday evening. 

Symptoms this week? Still experiencing food aversions, but they could also be blamed on the cold and lack of appetite. My boobs are no longer sore, but frequently there are stabbing pains in them. The uterus area of my body feels like it is stretching. 

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To My Baby Kangaroo 1/26/14

This week, the food aversions continued. I made homemade pizza earlier this week and it smelled so good, but one look at it and I wasn't sure I could eat it. I choked it down. Then made the mistake of taking the leftovers for lunch at work. They're still in the work fridge. Cheesy foods, chicken and seafood are still major turnoffs. I am loving carbs, PB&J sandwiches and fresh fruit. I had some issues with nausea earlier this week, but as long as I snacked the nausea subsided. With all this snacking, I expected to be gaining weight. Not so. I stepped on the scale yesterday morning expecting at least a 5 pound weight gain i the last 2 weeks. Not the case. I've lost 4 pounds. But I feel like I'm eating like a horse. I'll eat seconds at dinner. I snack all day. One thing I've noticed is that I think my water intake has reduced. If I drink too much water, my stomach gets wiggly feeling. I used to be able to chug a 16 oz glass and now I'm taking small sips.

I talked with my personal trainer at the gym about my strength training routine. She said to keep going with my current routine. Once I gain weight, I'll probably need to switch out a couple of the items. I doubt I'll be able to continue pull ups throughout my pregnancy, even if they are on the assisted machine... She said to switch out to the vertical traction machine or lat pulldown machine. They both have similar shoulder movement as pull ups.

Today is the Christmas get-together with mom's side of the family. Somehow we're announcing to the family. I was thinking right before the dinner prayer. We'll have to see how it goes.

This week (week 9) you are the size of a green olive and you actually look like a baby human.

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To my Baby Kangaroo 1/18/14

This week I bought a Bellaband from Target. Think tube top with elastic at the top and bottom in addition to all the spandex. It holds your pants up when you aren't able to button them anymore. It came in handy this week on Jeans Friday - my jeans were digging into my belly just a little and the bellyband made it so I could leave the button undone and my zipper would stay up. Genius device. Also, it only cost $16, which is a lot cheaper than maternity pants. And I'm not near ready to buy maternity pants.

We started telling selected friends this week about you. Next weekend we'll tell my mom's side of the family at our Christmas celebration. Last week I ate lunch with your great-uncle Joe and I thought I was going to spill the beans. We went to Olive Garden, and everything creamy was making me nauseaous - not a good thing when both my favorite soups there are creamy. So I got a calzone instead. The tomato sauce gave me horrible heartburn.

This week, I felt really bloated at the end of the week. Yesterday at work I could not get enough to eat. Same thing today - for lunch I made a grilled cheese sandwich and made myself wait half an hour before making a second one. I'm trying not to gain weight during this first trimester, but it's hard to not eat when my stomach is growling so much. Even drinking plenty of water didn't help.

In addition to aversions to creamy foods, I can't handle seafood right now. I really like fried fish and shrimp, but I can't do the texture right now.

Last weeked, I also found out that you'll have a cousin born around the same time as you - Uncle Will and Aunt Danielle are also expecting in August. I'm already dreaming of trips to the zoo!

I may be going to a conference for work in mid-April. By that time I'll be about 20 weeks pregnant - hard to believe I'll be halfway to meeting you. We are converting to a new software this year - we'll be close to wrapping it up by the time you arrive.

I am thinking about dropping my gym membership. As a City employee, I get free access to our two fitness centers. I used to go to them, but got annoyed at the broken equipment and all the people that were there. But cancelling my gym membership would free up a lot of money - almost $700 a year. I'm concerned if I stop paying for a gym membership that I'll stop going as often. Part of the reason I go now is because I'm motivated by the $55 per month I pay. I want my money's worth!

I know it's early, but I've started thinking of what to put on your registry. I would like to buy a lot of the big stuff used if possible. Your aunt Lyndsey offered to give us the dresser and bed that your cousin Lilah had. They are thinking of getting her a big-girl bed. I can't believe how fast she is growing!

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To my Baby Kangaroo - 1/12/14

Last night we announced your impending arrival to your grandparents. I made sugar cookies shaped like baby carraiges and iced them with your anticipated arrival date. After dinner,  your Dad and I announced we had made special, customized desserts and packaged them in individual boxes. We delivered them to the table. My mom opened  her box and noted they were pretty cookies. Then both grandmothers read their top cookies that said "Grandma" and both said "OOhh" a the same time. And then said "It's about time!" I heard my Dad chuckling, and my brother didn't say anything, but ate all of his cookies. I still need to deliver Grandma Betty's cookie box.

This week, I had my first doctor's appointment. The OB/gyn came recommended from a friend who is also pregnant. I think we'll get along just fine - he preaches everything in moderation. He recommended I gain between 20-35 pounds over my pregnancy, closer to 20 since my pre-pregnancy BMI was in the obese range. I've gained about a pound since my pregnancy started. Even though it isn't much, my pants are fitting weirder.

The symptoms I had this week included sore breasts yet again (I think I'll need to buy bras the next size up soon as I am currently experiencing boob muffin-top in my bras.) I also had a lot of nausea this week, even when I was keeping my meals spaced out. I tried ginger candies but they didn't help much.

The doctor calculated my due date as August 31. Seems fitting that you'll be a holiday baby (Labor Day), as I was almost a New Year's baby and your dad was almost a Halloween baby. Right now you're about the size of a kidney bean.

I'm not sure how gardening is going to work this summer; I think I'll need a lot of help weeding and harvesting this year!

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To my Baby Kangaroo 1/5/14

This last week was pretty uneventful. The only symptom I continue to have is painful breasts. I am grateful I have not been plagued with nausea or food aversions.

My first doctor's visit is this Thursday, for lots of lab work and examining my lady business. When I made the appointment, they said there wouldn't be an ultrasound so your Dad isn't planning on attending. But future visits, he'll be there. I compiled a list of questions to ask the doctor, and I'm sure I'll add more before Thursday.

I started looking for books on pregnancy and the first year of baby. There are several that I'm thinking of buying. These books continually show up on lists of "must-have books for moms":

Mayo Clinic Guide to Healthy Pregnancy (very good book)
Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth (not worth it, glad I can resell on Amazon...)
The Happiest Baby on the  Block
The Baby Book: Everything you Need to Know about your baby from Birth to Age Two

I also came across a pretty hilarious pregnancy blog: pregnantchicken.com Especially check out the Awkward Pregnancy Photos, Cake Wrecks- Baby Shower Edition (I swear I'd die of laughter if someone made the cupcakes for my shower. You'll know which cupcakes I'm talking about once you get to them.), and Porn for Pregnant Ladies (there isn't any total nudity, sorry). Pregnant Chicken has a good list of books, but the books I chose were also on lists when I googled "best pregnancy books".

Yesterday, I took Freddy to the vet for his rabies shot update. He was very well-behaved in the car; it was just me and him. Usually my brother or dad rides along to contain Freddy. Yesterday I put a sheet all over the backseat and let him roam as he wished. He stood or sat on the seat and looked out the passenger window, and then he would get bored and come to the driver side window. I could tell he was nervous because I gave him a treat at a stop sign and he took it and then spit it out. It was even one of his favorite treats, a Beggin Strip. After the vet visit, we went to Hardee's and got bacon egg and cheese biscuits. It is forecast to get really cold and snowy this weekend, and so mom and dad gave Freddy a bath yesterday so he could stay inside. Then in the evening, I got a phone call from dad, who thought I'd like to talk to Freddy. Mom put me on speaker phone and I talked a little; I'm sure the pooch was wondering "where is Mom's voice coming from?" haha...

I know there's probably nothing I can do to help ensure that you are not allergic to Freddy or the cats. I sure hope you don't take after your Dad in that respect. I'm going to ask the doctor but I have a feeling he'll just look at me like I'm stupid. I've read that the first 6 weeks post-delivery should be pretty tame in the exercise realm because everything is healing. I was hoping I could walk Freddy as part of my recovery. But I don't know how you'll react allergy-wise. (And I hope Freddy doesn't think you're an overgrown squeaky-toy.)

I'm hoping to tell our parents next weekend. I'd like to have a family dinner after we get more information from the doctor on Thursday. I'm 7 weeks along right now. You are 1/2" long, the size of a big blueberry. Your arms and legs are paddle-like, your face is starting to take shape, your pancreas, liver and heart are working, and your brain is taking shape.

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