Weekly Check-In (11 weeks)

How far along? 11 weeks 5 days
Weight gain/loss: +0 back to my pre-pregnancy weight, probably because food is unappealing lately.
Maternity clothes? Loving my Be-band but might need to get some real maternity pants soon.
Sleep? Needing slightly less than recently, but still loving it!
Best moment this past week? Being out on facebook and at work. It feels good that it's no longer a secret!
Food cravings: Ugh, not much. Bread I guess.
Sex: We will be finding out, not sure yet.
Belly button in or out? In
Movement: Only gas...
What I miss? I really want a glass of wine...
What I'm looking forward to this week: Just being pregnant :)
Milestones: "Your little scientist is already starting to explore their body, focusing most intently on touching their head, and especially their face and mouth. Their mouth in particular will provide them with hours of entertainment. This happens not only because your baby is gaining coordination, and is therefore able to move a hand on command, but also because their palms have gained sensation and can actually “feel” what it touches." From babygaga.com

We're out!

Our immediate families were told at 5 weeks. My co-teacher was told at 6 weeks. Our best friends and extended families were told at 10 weeks. Last night at 11 weeks, 2 days I finally cracked and posted the news on facebook! I'm so happy to be out!

I have been thinking about getting some looser tops, maybe even just getting some maternity ones but have felt like I was going to be caught doing something wrong! I walked past Motherhood Maternity in the mall a couple of weeks ago and wouldn't go in because I was afraid someone I knew would be walking through the mall and see me! It was like I was afraid of being caught shoplifting or something! When I bought my Be-Band at Target, I hid it under other things in my cart. As I was walking around, I ran into my cousin's girlfriend and almost had a heart attack thinking that she caught me. It was such an irrational fear. So what if someone saw me? My fear was that people were going to find out in the wrong order.

I had it all planned out, who was going to find out first, next, and so on. We would tell our parents and siblings first. My co-teacher would have to know because I was sure I'd be running from the room to barf (I feel so lucky that I haven't thrown up once so far!). Then, closer to the end of the first trimester we'd let our best friends know. I would have told my friend Kayla sooner but she has a big mouth. As it was, she sent a mass text to a bunch of our friends the night we told her and Pat. I was pretty pissed. Then we'd announce on facebook right at the end of the first trimester or the beginning of the second. I only lasted until 11w2d. Last night, Bill came home and said, "just put it on facebook, a bunch of people know let's just make sure everyone does." Ok, you twisted my arm!

So the congratulations have been pouring in which is so sweet. It's nice to know we have such supportive friends. Even people I haven't talked to since high school have been congratulating us. It's really touching.

One last cute thing. Last night before bed, I was hugging Bill goodnight while he was sitting at his computer. When I pulled back, he lifted up his shirt and kissed my belly and said, "I had to kiss the baby goodnight!" Awwwwwwwwwwwww.

Weekly Check-In (10 weeks)

How far along? 10 weeks 5 days
Weight gain/loss: +1 pound total (somehow I lost 2 since last week)
Maternity clothes? Loving my Be-band
Sleep? Needing slightly less than recently. I'm not totally comfortable though.
Best moment this past week? Telling our extended families and friends!
Food cravings: Lately it's been potatoes and breakfast food.
Sex: We will be finding out, not sure yet.
Belly button in or out? In
Movement: Only gas...
What I miss? Not being super emotional and hormonal!
What I'm looking forward to this week: Just being pregnant :)
Milestones: Our gummy bear is now officially considered a fetus as opposed to an embryo.

Sore throat, Coming out, and Anniversaries

It was just a matter of time before I'd get my first pregnant cold. I teach 6 and 7 year olds. They are extremely germy. I practically bathe in hand sanitizer all day long but my efforts are always futile because I tend to get sick about once a month from October to April. This is a very strange cold though. My throat feels raw, like I ate sand paper. The even stranger part is, that's it! I'm tired and slightly achy but just a sore throat, no head congestion, no chest congestion, and it's not strep. I've had it since Wednesday which is a very long time for me to have a sore throat! They always either turn into something else or I'm clawing for antibiotics because it's strep. As of today, I'm starting to feel less like I'm swallowing glass and more like I'm swallowing fire. I can handle it at this point.

I'm glad I'm feeling better because we've had plans all week to go out to dinner with our friends Kayla and Pat. Kayla is my third cousin and good friend. Pat is her boyfriend and Bill's best friend. It's so convenient with your friends are a couple! We also asked Bill's other best friend, Andy to go with us (my bff knows, she lives in DC and I'm in her wedding in June, I needed to let her now why I was postponing buying a bridesmaids dress!). We asked them to go out to dinner with us because we're planning on telling them we're pregnant tonight! I can't wait! We started spreading the news today. I called my dad's three sisters and my closest cousin who lives in DC. My parents are calling everyone else (I have a ridiculously huge family) on my side. Bill gave his mom the go ahead to spread the news to his side. I'm sure they all know by now!

And last, today is Bill and my 3 month wedding anniversary. We aren't the type to celebrate month milestones but I like to mention it if I remember. Today is also my friend Lauren and her husband's 3 month anniversary! We met over on the knot and are now due 4 days apart in August. Happy Anniversary Lauren!

Grotesque

While getting ready for bed last night, Bill pointed out that the veins in my chest were very dark. I looked down and was surprised at how prominent they were. I ran into the bathroom and was shocked to see that they were even more noticeable in the bathroom mirror with bright lights shining on me!

I tried to calm myself down by saying, it's the veins in your boobs, no one sees them but you and Bill. Then something caught my eye, a blue mark above my breasts. Holy crap! They go up to my collar bone! So I officially feel like this:
No skin, no organs, just veins and arteries. An anatomy teacher could use me as the diagram for his/her class!

Pregnancy sure does strange things to your body huh?

Weekly Check-In (9 weeks)

How far along? 9 weeks 5 days
Weight gain/loss: +3 pounds total
Maternity clothes? Loving my Be-band
Sleep? Loving it but with very vivid dreams.
Best moment this past week? Getting to see our little gummy bear on a 3D ultra-sound.
Food cravings: Changes daily.
Sex: We will be finding out, not sure yet.
Belly button in or out? In
Movement: Only gas...
What I miss? Not being super emotional and hormonal!
What I'm looking forward to this week: Starting to tell people.
Milestones: Our gummy bear's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear!

Damn Hormones!

Yesterday was a glorious Saturday. Glorious because I had absolutely no plans! My sister, Joelle, came over to watch the SU basketball game with me and to just hang out. We ended up watching the game, this week's Jersey Shore, and Sweet Home Alabama. A great way to spend a snowy afternoon. When Bill got home from work, we decided to go grab some dinner together. Joelle ended up deciding not to go as we walked to the car. I'm not quite sure why but I was kind of miffed about it because I had to change out of my sweat pants and 13 year old rugby shirt and get off the couch (the horror)!

She went home and Bill and I started driving toward the restaurant. As we got close we realized that the parking lot was overly full and I didn't want to sit and wait too long for a table. Right next to the restaurant is a Wendy's. Hour wait at a restaurant or delicious fast food? Not really a question is it? We got our Wendy's and went home to gorge. I got a side ceasar salad, 5 piece chicken nuggets (to put in the salad), and a frosty. I couldn't wait to get home! That's when the hormones set in.

I opened my ceasar salad to find copious amounts of cheese. I HATE unmelted cheese. I figured there would be a bit of parmesan (I can handle that) but this was some unknown kind and a lot of it. I started to pick it off and got more and more angry as I realized that there was just ridiculous amounts of it. Bill asked me what was wrong and I could hardly get out the words, "there's too much cheese on my salad" before the flood gates opened up. I began to bawl. Like hysterically crying. Over cheese. Damn hormones.

First OB Appointment!

Today was our first appointment with our new OB office. I wasn't expecting an ultrasound since we had one at 6 weeks 1 day but was super excited when they took us into the little room with the dildo cam! Our little gummy bear (I decided to call it that since I think it looks like a cute little gummy bear in the u/s picture!) is measuring perfectly for our EDD and had a heart rate of 180. We are so relieved to see the baby doing well and to hear that everything is just as it should be.
The nurse practitioner was super nice and seemed to be very intelligent. She really knew her stuff. I felt very comfortable with them. I loved that the u/s tech is right there and so is their lab where they draw blood. No separate appointments needed.

Well here's a picture to tide you over, I can't stop looking at it!

Weekly Check-In (8 weeks)

How far along? 8 weeks 5 days
Weight gain/loss: +1 pound total
Maternity clothes? Loving my Be-band
Sleep? Loving it.
Best moment this past week? Being back to work and getting through it
Food cravings: Bagels
Sex: We will be finding out, not sure yet.
Belly button in or out? In
Movement: Only gas...
What I miss? Not lying to people!
What I'm looking forward to this week: First appointment with the OB office tomorrow!
Milestones: Our little bugger is moving his/her little arms, legs, fingers, and toes!

Bionic Fatigue

One of the pregnancy books I'm reading, The Pregnancy Countdown Book: Nine Months of Practical Tips, Useful Advice, and Uncensored Truths, refers to the crazy exhaustion pregnant women experience in their first trimester as bionic fatigue. This is a pretty accurate description of how I've been feeling lately. No matter how early I go to bed, I am yawning and struggling to stay awake past 8:00pm. A friend of mine texted me on Thursday asking if I wanted to hang out, drink wine, and talk that night. Obviously wine was out of the question so that was a deterrent to hanging out but knowing this friend, leaving at 7:30 to go home to bed would have been unacceptable. I turned her down and said I had dinner plans with my parents (I ended up going over to eat with them but they understand when I leave early).

Then this same friend called me yesterday, Friday, to see if Bill and I wanted to go out to dinner with her and her boyfriend. I was willing to suck it up and just go since it was a Friday but Bill had a terrible day at work and was not in the mood to go anywhere. Secretly I was thrilled. I was in bed by 8 and asleep by 8:30.

I'm afraid our friends are going to start thinking we're avoiding them. I feel like a drug addict, passing up friends to get my fix. My drug of choice being sleep.

The books say this should go away by the second trimester. I'm not really complaining because I don't have much in the way of morning sickness so I consider myself to be very lucky in the pregnancy symptom department. However, it will be nice to finally wake up and have a life before the baby gets here!

Weekly Check-In (7 weeks)

How far along? 7 weeks 5 days
Weight gain/loss: +1 pound
Maternity clothes? I need bigger bras.
Sleep? Loving it.
Best moment this past week? Being on vacation from work!
Food cravings: Pancakes!
Sex: We will be finding out, not sure yet.
Belly button in or out? In
Movement: Only gas...
What I miss? Not lying to people!
What I'm looking forward to this week: Being referred to an OB.
Milestones: Our little bugger's fingers and toes are beginning to form!

Fear

I spent some time this weekend trying to figure out who I want my OB to be now that my first choice is out. My two main options were a group of 10 doctors in a practice that delivers in a great hospital or a single doctor who delivers in a not as great hospital. I like the idea of having one doctor who knows me really well but the group delivers at a better hospital and they have u/s equipment right in their offices. The proximity of the u/s machine isn't a huge deal but it is appealing and I've heard good things about them from a couple of reputable friends. I've decided to go with them. I'll call my gyno tomorrow and ask them to refer me to the group, hopefully they are taking new OB patients!

I'm really anxious to get started with an OB because my symptoms have kind of disappeared. I didn't have terrible morning sickness but I did feel crappy and most food sounded gross. My boobs were out of control painful. I still have slightly sore boobs but not bad. I'm not at all nauseated but still have a few food aversions. It's just scary. I should be happy that I feel good and if it weren't for the bump I probably would be relaxed but I keep reading about these poor women losing their symptoms and miscarrying. I'm just so afraid that I'm going to lose this baby. I want it so bad. I love it already.

Well, back to work tomorrow. It's been nice having 10 days off and I could stay away from the stress at work but it will be nice to get back into a productive routine.