Introducing Peach...in 4D!

Here is a glimpse into what our little peach looks like at almost 27 weeks :)





Isn't it amazing??! When we went to the doctor at 19 weeks, Peach was jacknife position where the legs were all the way up by the head. Peach apparently likes the position because at 27 weeks, it was also in that position. You can see the legs up by the head. Peach definitely has my lips and we think maybe Hot Pants' eyes. The verdict is still out on the nose but we think its mine. Wouldn't be nice if Peach was a perfect 50/50 combo of us?!

My first pregnant cold :(

So I seem to have caught my first pregnancy cold...and it sucks ass. I've had the dreaded pregnany sinitius thing where I am always sneezing and blowing my nose anyway but it has progressed into a full-blown cold complete with no sleep the previous night before. I don't even know why I'm at work today.

So while I was in the bathroom at work this morning, blowing my nose, peeing for the 100th time, I noticed something about myself. This is a little-known fact about me...I hover EVERY SINGLE TIME I use a public restroom. I have done this for as long as I can remember and probably built up some serious leg muscles as a result. Now that I am 22 weeks pregnant and 15lbs heavier, I wonder if my toilet-hovering days will soon be over. Does this mean I have to actually take the time and line up pieces of toilet paper just so I can enjoy a pee? I mean, I understand that is a must for a #2 but that's serious business....but for a pee?!? Come on!!! At the frequency of my bathroom trips, that will surely add an additional 2.5 hrs in my bathroom time. Well, my plan is to hover for as long as I can and hope that it will somehow contribute positively to natural childbirth techniques when its time to pop this baby out.

The other thing that I think about sometimes (or quite frequently) to the point where I obsessively calculate the # of lbs I am supposed to have gained to be on target every week, is my weight gain, aka fat fears. I had told myself early on that 30lbs is my maximum. I don't want to gain more than 30lbs during this pregnancy. I see some of the other pregnant women who gain weight on every part of their body and I shudder. I can't help but think you get really fat when a person grows in your body, but I would also like to point out that babies do not grow in your arms, thighs, or face, so those things better not get fat. Please send good skinny vibes my way...

One thing we can cross off our to-do list...Hot Pants and I have finally completed our registry! It took a lot of time plus blood, sweat, and tears getting me interested enough to have it completed, but its done! I can now rest for a week before starting on another "project."

HP asked me last night if we can slap Peach on the side of his/her head if they ever start talking with a Southern accent. I doubt that will ever happen but I can't say its not a fear of mine. The South is ok and all but I don't really want to be "fully integrated" into the South... especially not while we are still plotting our escape. One reason is that the South is still bitter about the Civil War. They call it the War of the States, the war of nothern aggression, and the war of southern independence, but NOT the Civil War. Topics that include Civil War, Obama, slaves, calories, avoid. Grits, Walmart, being in the military, sweet tea, college basketball, butter, talk as often as possible. Is this really where we want to be for the majority of Peach's formative years? hmmm something to think about. Who knows we probably will be stuck here for awhile so we better make the best of it and hope that they end segregation in schools (kidding). We just wish for a more culturally diverse environment, that's all.

Knowledge is power

We now know a little more about the occupant inside my belly. According to our sonogram yesterday, "Peach" is measuring right on target, heart is beating beautifully, and appears to be healthy and in great shape. Yipee! We were also able to see some x-rated stuff, albeit grainy and ink-blotty, but we were still able to see the sex.

Peach yawned during the sonogram and it looked like an alligator-alien-fiend. It pretty much confirmed I had an alien parasite feeding off me.

So now that we are pretty much halfway through the pregnancy, its crunch time for getting everything ready for the baby. Here is a list of the things we need to start doing the next few months:

-Complete registry
-Think about labor and delivery plans. Read those books you purchased.
-Schedule a hospital maternity/nursery tour
-Decide if childbirth/parenting classes are necessary
-Decide whether or not a doula is necessary
-Plan NY trip at end of Oct (non-baby related)
-Prepare birth plan
-Call heath insurance about due date
-Finish nursery

Gotta get crackin'! I leave you with this new picture of Peach at 19 weeks.
See if you can make out this supposed human baby...

Doctor's visit next week

...and I can't wait!!! When I first got pregnant, I did some research into which type of prenatal care I wanted - an obgyn or a midwife. I normally would prefer the holistic approach but I didn't know anything about babies and weren't sure if midwives used real science or just magic. Then I found a doctor with wonderful reviews. I switched obgyns immediately even though my new doc is 40 mins away.

You see, the obgyn I used to have is the same obgyn I had since I moved to Winston-Salem 4 yrs ago. I chose her because I liked her name and she was pleasant when we met. Our relationship consisted of 3 annual encounters and I wasn't sure how to measure her up. I mean, really, the stakes have been changed now that I need to make the decision based on the fact that this person could be pulling a screaming creature out of my triangle some day. This decision was not to be made lightly.

And so I am 18 weeks in and quickly approaching the halfway point. I figure it would be a good time to reflect on the past 18 weeks my belly has been growing (10.8 lbs to be exact!) and share often unspoken shocking facts that I learned since getting knocked up. Here I present to you, 10 shocking facts 18 weeks of pregnancy has taught me:

1. PEE - guess what? I can do a cool trick now. I drink water and watch it flow from my bottle, to my throat, and straight out my bladder.
2. Not only is my belly growing, but so is everything else. My arms, sides, thighs, and body parts I didn't even know I had are getting bigger by the day. The other day when I wore a dress, MY THIGHS ACTUALLY RUBBED TOGETHER WHEN I WALKED. This can't be good.
3. Google isn't always a pregnant girl's best friend. I can't tell you how many times I looked something up based on what I read and I swear I'm either going to start bleeding profusely down there or contract some mysterious disease and give birth to a stillborn.
4. Fitted pregnancy shirts are better than the flowy kind. At least you can tell I'm pregnant and not just really fat.
5. People are extremely noisy. I know they are just trying to be helpful but I don't care about your advice or how it was like 20 yrs ago when you were pregnant. If I wanted to know what it was like, I'd consult the google doctor(see #3).
6. Now that I'm pregnant I find that I am more liberal with broadcasting the gross side-effects of pregnancy...the gas, bloating, hairy stomach (yes, my stomach got really hairy), ....I never thought I would be like this but I just don't think I give a shit anymore.
7. Laziness has become my middle name, but so has sleep, nap, do-nothing, relax, and chill. I have stopped taken any interest in the dogs and can't seem to get off my ass to spend any time with them outside.
8. Ironically, the times I DO get off the couch, the dogs are attached to me like a cell phone on a 15 yr old that loves to text. They must be next to me at all times now (it might have something to do with my shoving all sorts of foods in my mouth and them hoping to catch a crumb). Its too bad they don't hop in the shower with me; they can use a bath soon.
9. The wonderful sneeze and pee. Its bad enough I'm sneezing all the time now but I have to worry about pee escaping each time I do. Thank goodness for panty liners!
10. POOP. I'm not constipated but lets just say its not going well...

I have survived! Whoo hoo!!

My nausea has gone away for the most part. It felt like I would never feel normal again and it got worse the week before it got better but I am soo glad its finished!!

I am starting to show though when I weighed myself yesterday, I had only gained 2.2lbs. I feel like all my weight shifted to my stomach and now I am teetering on the line of "is she getting a beer gut??!.... or is she pregnant?" I can't wait to get out of these phase (for purely aesthetic reasons).

I am much more tolerable to be around and I actually have a little bit of energy to do things that does not involve the couch or bed or sleeping. I still can't make it outdoors because IT IS INSANELY HOT WHERE I LIVE. As soon as I go outside, I start sweating bullets. Plus, we have a heat advisory so if there's any time to trust the news, now is the time. Hot Pants thinks I'm just being whiny and lazy but then I remind him that I am busy growing a human being and he shuts up (not really).

Yesterday was our 2nd doctors visit. I had the dreaded pap smear and then the pelvic exam. Then we listened to the baby's heartbeat using this recorder looking device. At first, we heard a lot of "swooshing" which we learned were kicks! and then lots of movement! then some karate chops! and then finally the heartbeat. It was pretty neat. Fun fact I learned....the baby is not in your stomach...it is in your uterus. I think I knew this but I was trying hard to explain my imploding gut. Oh and speaking of, my stomach is a complete mess right now...I have these tiny red dots that look like acne but it comes and goes and reappears in different spots so I am not sure what they are. It is also extremely hairy. Hormones can be a bitch.

Our next appointment is Aug 22nd and we will most likely find out the sex of the baby! I swore Ian to secrecy about it and we have more or less come up with a name for each gender. That will be a secret too. I can't wait!

In the meantime, I am mentally preparing myself by watching lots and lots of natural birth videos. It is grotesque and leaves me with shivers and I don't think I can ever do it. But I guess I'm trying to psych myself out and imagine the absolute worst pain in the hopes I can get through it naturally. That's the goal. Not sure how realistic it is since I am a complete baby when it comes to period cramps. We shall see...

PS - Found out last week one of my good friends in NC is pregnant too!!!! It was a complete shock and she is 2 1/2 weeks behind me but I am grateful to have someone go through it with me. Her due date is only 18 days after mine!

Thoughts on surviving the 1st Trimester...

Truth is, I am barely hanging on....

I am on my 10th week and if I am anything like the women all the pregnancy books are talking about, then my nausea should be gone in 2 more weeks..I.CAN'T.WAIT.

Its so hard to tell when I will be sick and when I feel ok. It comes and goes and can change within the half hour. My new pregnancy symptoms besides the nausea, frequent urination, and terrible sleep, is GAS- and lots of it! I read that your digestion muscles relax when you're pregnant, slowing down digestion so nutrients can be better absorbed for the baby....well...I am usually digesting my lunch from 12:30pm to 10pm when I go to bed.... I work in an office cubicle and have considered bringing in a shower curtain to contain the farts that are ricocheting out of me.

I get feverish in the evenings and the newest symptom I am experiencing this week is back pain and headaches. WTF?? I rarely get headaches and don't usually get backaches. Now I have both. I weighed myself this morning and have not gained any weight so far...so why is my body acting like I am 8 months pregnant?!? I had no idea how pregnancy would feel but I did not anticipate this........at this point, I am done and just want the baby out. Can we fast-forward to Jan please? (On BTW, we went for our 1st prenatal visit last Sat and the doctor confirmed I was 8w6d then. My due date is Jan 16, 2012). See what this pregnancy is doing to me...I can't even remember to update this blog with breaking news!

Hopefully the next time I write, I will be feeling awesome....I promise if I stop feeling nauseous that I will do a physical activity 5 days of the week. Promise!

One last thing- Hot Pants has developed what he calls "sympathy gas"....the farts that come out of him rivals mine 3-1. Multiply that by pregnant-heightened-sense-of-smell. WOW!

How I've Changed

and no, its not some deep emotional change, more like habits.

-I used to be a champion sleeper. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I'm out until the morning. Now, I toss and turn and wake up several times during the night...even when I don't have to pee.

-I no longer snack. I used to be the snack queen. I would substitute dinner with a family size bag of chips. Now I eat 5 meals a day and have no desire to snack (maybe some light snacking). I used to have to end meals with something sweet...not anymore.

-After a meal, a strong aftertaste lingers in my mouth and usually tastes like strong onion breath to me. I had Hot Pants smell my breath yesterday and he said it smelled fine but it tasted like a firey furnance of simmering feet and onions to me. And trust me, if it DID smell like that, Hot Pants would have broadcasted it without me asking. What the hell!? I can't brush my teeth everywhere I go. Maybe gum is the solution?

-I now drink juice! And I love it!

That is all I can think of for now....our baby doctor appt is this Saturday and I can't wait!!!