Now THAT'S a BUMP!

Luke is growing, so is my belly. We've put on 11 pounds and someone has decided to push my stomach out of his way. I've been dealing with heartburn and indigestion. I stop eating around 4 or 5 so I don't have to sleep sitting up. Aaron finally felt some kicks. It's tricky, baby Luke might be practicing karate and as soon as I tell Aaron to put his hand on my belly, he stops. I have a 23 week check up next Monday. I'm not having any different cravings. I did eat a whole pack of starbursts yesterday...but they were soooo good. Here are 2 belly pics, one is from 9 weeks ago (13 weeks 3 days) and the one on the right was taken today (22 weeks 3 days).

Where's the cute pregnant lady?

Yesterday was a doozy! Roo had a swollen lip so I took her to the vet. She decided to jump in the car before the hatch was open all the way and gouged her head. The vet said she probably ate a spider and it bit her on the lip in an effort to get away, as for the gouge, no stitches were required. Later we went to the park and on the way back, Roo barfed in the car. It was a winner of a dog day. I was wearing warm clothes because it was cold, when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I felt extra large and in charge. I couldn't wait to be pregnant and have a cute baby bump. I see cute pregnant women all the time. I am not one of them. I think I've popped a bit in the last few weeks.

flutters, kicks and a disapearing belly button

I felt the first kick on 11/11. It felt like someone thumping a melon, or in this case, my uterus. They are few and far between, but I know that's going to change. I was at the store yesterday and felt 3 strong kicks against my hand, so he's getting bigger. My stomach is tender to the touch and my belly button is getting shallow. Sleeping has been a bit of a challenge. I'm most comfortable on my left side, but not for 8 hours. I know this is only the half way point and I'm going to wish for the way I feel right now in 10 more weeks, but it's all relative. I have an appointment with the birth center on Monday. The last time I saw my midwife, she said my fundal height was high..."could it be twins?" I told her, "NO WAY! there's only 1 baby in there". She followed up with, "ultrasounds miss twins all the time." We had an ultrasound scheduled for a few days later, there's definitely only 1 baby in there. I heard that you can hear the baby's heart beat with a stethoscope around 20 weeks. I'm going to try to find a quality one before family visits next week. I think it will be fun.

Star Wha?

We're having a boy. His name is Luke Tiberius Meyers. He enjoys orange juice, apple cider and long walks with the pups. We are going for a Star Wars/Star Trek thing with his name. Aaron doesn't appreciate Skywalker as a middle name as much as I do. We hope to raise a geek, but will probably end up with a jock. We'll check back in 10 years.
The pregnancy as a whole is going great. The charlie horses and round ligament pain in the middle of the night aren't so pleasant, but I'm not complaining. I've been doing prenatal yoga videos and feel really good afterward. I can't tell for sure if I've felt him move, but I'm sure that will change in a couple of weeks. Cravings have stayed the same. I've had grapefruit for dinner more than once this week. I'm definitely getting my drv of Vitamin C. I am not going to get any flu shots this year. This is controversial to some, but the right choice for me. I've been taking vitamin D as suggested by my midwife. It raises your immune system, keeps you happy in the dark, cloudy months and helps baby have more bone density. There are other benefits as well. Here's a small article I found on the subject.

We're having a...

BABY! I'll post it on facebook after 3pm pst. My intuition was correct. Aaron had a dream 2 months before I was pregnant about following our child around and what it was. He was correct as well. Maybe it doesn't mean anything, but it's still fun to think about. I'm being vague to keep it a secret from my FIL. It's a little more real every day. TTFN.

it's a boy...or a girl...

Tomorrow is the big ultrasound and also some more blood work. We went back and forth on finding out what we're having. It will be as much of a surprise tomorrow as it would in 5 more months. 1/2 of my inlaws want to know, I don't know how that's going to work. The blood work is for the second half of the quad marker test. It tests for spina bifida and other neural tube defects. At 16 1/2 weeks, I can no longer sleep on my stomach and am having a lot of pulling and pain if I do anything too strenuous. Still haven't felt the baby move yet, but it should start any day. The craving of the week is definitely citrus. Orange juice and pineapple juice, grapefruits, pineapple. I can't get enough of it. Here's a new belly pic for comparison. What a difference 3 weeks makes!

Craving of the week and crazy emotions

I don't have much to report. I have noticed an over reaction to little things. I had my heart broken because my husband thought a girl that looks nothing like me was pretty. I was crushed and at the same time, knew it was ridiculous. He'll never say that again. I've also noticed cravings more and more. Lately it's been bananas. Which is much better than last weeks nacho craving. All I wanted was cheese sauce and jalapenos. Yesterday we were on a walk with the pups and I swore I smelled bananas. I had one when we got home, and I made banana pudding with bananas on top for dessert. I ate a waffle with peanut butter and a banana on top for breakfast. Maybe the next craving will be salad. Until then...

2nd Trimester and The Battle of the Bump

It was bound to happen. I knew it was coming. I even prepared for it. I bought 4 pairs of maternity pants at Goodwill and wore them for the first time yesterday. I can't believe I was so uncomfortable for so long. I showed them to Aaron...he said he was sorry I was so fat with child. That's how he shows his love. Jerk. We've hit the 2nd trimester and will find out what we are having in 4 weeks. It feels like it is going by so fast, yet not fast enough. I'm starting to show a little bit, but there is still a bit of "not baby" bump that will round out in a couple of months. Here's a sneak peek of what's to come...

Feeling good in the neighborhood.

I've been feeling pretty good since about 8 weeks. I still have "dog nose" and can smell everything. I've gained 3 pounds and still have some food aversions. I haven't felt nauseous at all for 3 weeks and have been drinking water by the gallon. So many amazing and strange things happen to ones body when pregnant. Even at 11 weeks, I am amazed at the changes I am already experiencing. Our next appointment is September 29th at the birth center. We'll be able to hear the heart beat on the doppler, then October 1st we are meeting with a genetic counselor to see if Aaron and/or I are carriers of anything. It's a precautionary measure because Aaron is an Ashkenazi Jew and could be a carrier of TaySachs and other horrible things. I'm sure everything will be clean and little beluga is safe from all genetic abnormalities.

What's in a name?

Beluga is a great name for a fetus. Not a 5 year old. We have thrown names around for a couple of years. If we had a boy 2 years ago, he might be named Luke Skywalker Meyers. I'm still for it, the Mr, not so much. We agreed on a girl name 2 years ago, and finally decided on a middle name for her. The boy name is impossible to agree on. Jack, Joseph, Luke, Jonah, Noah, Isaac...all shot down. We have a middle name for our son, but no first name. So, if we have a boy, Beluga Tiberias Meyers it is! (I'm kidding, mom.)

ETA: I've just been informed, Luke and Noah are back on the table :)

Baby Beluga

We are having a little whale! Well, that's what s/he looks like at 7 weeks 3 days. We saw Beluga's heartbeat and this pregnancy is starting to feel a little more real now. I'm feeling pretty ok right now, but there are good days and bad days. We've decided to go with a birthing center. The doctor I've met with only works with the hospitals and that's not where I want to deliver. The main birth center in Eugene is being relocated and will not be completed and reopened until Mothers day. That's a few weeks too late. Having a baby is a lot like planning a wedding. There is so much to do, but you can't do it all at once. When I get a little overwhelmed, I try to remember that there are still 7 months to go. Aaron wanted to start buying furniture and painting the nursery right away. I'm just trying to eat enough food every day.

August 5, 2009

This was the day I knew I was pregnant. I woke up still tired. I didn't want to eat breakfast. I was extra sneezy and thought I was coming down with something. Then it hit me. I'm either sick, or I'm pregnant. As someone who has meticulously charted their cycles for 10 months, I had a stock pile of dollar tree pregnancy tests. I got home from running errands that day and decided to test. It was negative so I threw it in the trash. Then I realized that I didn't wait long enough for a result and dug it out. There, on the counter, were 2 little pink lines that would change my life forever. I couldn't believe it, yet knew it all along. Aaron was at work when I found out, and I wanted to tell him in person. I went to the store and bought a digital test. I drank 2 liters of water and was on the phone, arguing with dish network when Aaron got home. I got off the phone with them and went to the bathroom to take the digital test. That was the longest 60 seconds of my life! The hour glass on the test was just blinking, blinking, blinking. Then, finally, PREGNANT. I came out of the bathroom and told Aaron I'd gotten him something. I handed him the test, he smiled wider than I've ever seen him smile. Then he hugged me and said "congratulations."