Measuring the belly - week 12

Today's TP test... still 11 squares. Funny, I feel bigger. (If you are confused, see Sunday, April 18)

Now that we have a functioning camera other than our iPhones, we're documenting the belly too! Here I am at 12 weeks. I'll probably do this every week... maybe every other week. Depends how fast I grow!

Baby Dreams

Last night I had my first dream about the symbiot... well, more specifically, the symbiot's birth.

In my dream, we were having a boy. The details are shaky for how and when we got to the hospital, but we did, and I was forced into having a c-section. And then I was out cold for hours and hours during the surgery. When I came to I was already home, and everyone had seen the baby but me. I don't really remember what he looked like, but he was HUGE and pudgey. In the dream I was so upset that I couldn't remember the last few hours, or days even, and that that I was the last person to meet the little creature I'd been carrying for 9 months.

Looking back on the dream, it's quite distressing. While I'm hoping for a natural birth, if for some reason an emergency c-section is needed I'll be OK with that. Whatever it takes to get the baby out healthy. My sadness just felt so real when I woke up...

I blame the Astros' abysmal performance last night for the funky dream. Or maybe it was the abysmal amount of Blue Bell I had for dessert. Either way, it was not fun.

Being pregnant gives me a schedule

Since I've hit week 12, things they are a changin'. Stuff is growing. Water is becoming more and more essential. Amidst it all, I'm finding myself settling into a nice routine.

For the enlightenment of those of you who have not yet had children, and the entertainment of those who have, I present: the pregnant lady comes home from work.

5:00 - leave work
5:02 - unbutton pants in the car
5:04 - crank the a/c to full blast
5:09 - turn the a/c off... possibly turn on the heat
5:15 - get home, keep pants up between car and garage
5:16 - shoes off, pants off, any extra layers off
5:17 - chug a liter of water
5:18 - pee for the 27th time today
5:19 - lay down for a nap
5:56 - get up to pee
5:57 - pass back out

Napping is optional of course, but highly recommended. Timing is negotiable... but if you're thinking of procreating you might as well memorize this routine because this too will be you one day. Mark my words.

I'm late for my nap.

Measuring the belly

For the first time last week, I wore one of my belly bands for an entire day. As soon as I found out I was pregnant bought four fun colorful bands from this shop on Etsy. We snapped a side pic of me at week 6-ish but since nothing else has really changed we haven't done a pic since... I think I just look like I'm eating too many burritos. But there's definitely more definition there now so I think we'll start the pics again, and share of course.

On one of the baby websites I read, some of the women have started measuring their bellies with toilet paper and counting the squares. Easy! So as of Friday, gestational age was 11 weeks and I am 11 squares around at my widest point.

Next step - to buy a scale so I can see how much weight I lose/gain during this adventure. Lost 2 pounds so far, which is great considering my doc only wants me to gain about 15 pounds total. Easy... right?

My Blog Constitution

After keeping this to myself (mostly while I made failed attempts at perfecting the color scheme) I'm finally making the blog live.

And so...

These posts, unless noted, are my opinions. Mine, not someone else's, not regurgitation from my doctor or parenting magazines. I call it like I see it, kind of like I do every single day, and my intention is never to offend anyone.

That said, you can't please everyone all of the time. So I'm not going to try.

My intention is not to convert people to my ideas, talk about how I'm right and everyone else is wrong, attack other parenting styles, opinions, prenatal rituals, or ways of thinking. Ever. This is my chronicle of my thoughts and feelings and habits until November, as they relate to the symbiot, and nothing ambitious by any means.

And finally, this is where I'm going to get detailed. I'll be throwing out measurements, hormone levels, technical terms and whatever other crap they're going to monitor on me until November. This is the only place you will see this information because I am fully aware that not everyone cares... but I'm glad some people do.

"And that's all I have to say about that."

Jumping jellybean

Well, I left this quite alone for a while... but it's ok, because honestly, the last few weeks have been really, really boring. No morning sickness, no more really weird out-of-the-ordinary smells (though I can still smell for miles), no growing to speak of...

But today the baby jumped. During my second appointment and a really quick ultrasound, I saw and heard the heartbeat again. I couldn't really make out the shape of the little symbiot, although I know now it looks much more human. It was very still for a bit and then BLOOP! It jumped! My doctor and I both laughed, it was great to see.

I'm knocking on the door to the second trimester... and I am SO SO ready!

First Ultrasound

First ultrasound today! I was so surprised to see AND hear the heartbeat. We saw a very small sour patch kid who looks like it's blowing a bubble of gum. That's the yolk sac, which will be the baby's sustenance until the placenta is formed. My doctor moved the due date back a week to November 3, based on the size of the baby.

Pics!!