Lots of new milestones...

I'm horrible at blogging.

So, starting this past Tuesday, a day before I hit 17 weeks, some new stuff happened...

1. I can feel the little symbiote in there swimming laps and doing somersaults... and whatever else fetuses do in their spare time. It's always right before bed and it's pretty indescribable. My friend Brittnee let me borrow her home doppler, which has been interesting the two times I've listened. It's like drive-by heartbeats... pretty cool. I'm trying not to use it too much, I don't want to get too used to it. Plus, surprises of this sort are more fun.

2. The hair on my stomach is turning black. I don't want to talk about that.

3. Maternity clothing is more and more a part of my daily life. It depends on the day, but the rubber band with the jeans isn't cutting it like it used to. I have my closet sectioned off now based on tops that are too tight on my belly. I am more and more grateful every day that I get to wear whatever I want to work, within reason of course. And my yoga pants totally pass for dress pants.

4. We got a free dresser for the baby's room off Freecycle. It's a 6-drawer Ikea piece that will double perfectly as a changing table. Just need to sand it down and paint it before we move it upstairs.

Speaking of paint, we painted the living room and rearranged the furniture. Much more open... and baby-friendly, funny enough. We can see everything on the floor from the kitchen now, and the dead corner that used to plague my every waking moment is no more.

Also, my TP measurement for the past 2 weeks has been 11 squares. No change... although I can definitely tell a change in shape. We'll keep growing and see what happens!

Two weeks from today we find out if symbiote is a boy or girl. I'm excited to find out!

Check up, check in

I was a little disappointed that there was no ultrasound with my most recent appointment on May 13. I was hoping to see more baby acrobatics! That's ok though, everything was great, 150 bmp heartbeat and baby was very low.

In the days since the appointment I've started feeling for baby. We've borrowed a stethoscope and have had a little luck hearing baby's heartbeat and movements. I'm starting to tell the difference between what's just digestion and what's baby jiggles. It's a different kind of bubbly feeling.

As I'm typing this, baby's doing something..... I really can't wait to be used as a punching and kicking bag in a few weeks!!

Speaking of a few weeks, June 14 we find out if we're having a Male Symbiotic Jellybean or a Female Symbiotic Jellybean. Exciting!

A lot of women I talk with wanted their docs to do ultrasounds early to try and figure out the sex. At week 12 or 13 some trained technicians can tell, apparently. But it's funny... For the first time in my life I'm ok with waiting for something. I was the kid who knew where the Christmas presents were and peeked at them all (sorry Mom!) but this is one little present that I don't mind waiting for.

Week 15!

"Later today" does not usually mean "3 days later"... but whatever.

Week 15 belly!



Next time I get pregnant I'm taking "before" pictures. I honestly can't remember how flat (or not) my stomach was before this started. I feel like I just look like I ate too many cookies... constantly... for about 15 weeks. I can feel a difference in the firmness of my stomach below my belly button though. I wish I could take a picture of firmness, haha.

There we have it. I can't say I feel awesome about how I look... I just keep telling myself I've lost 7 pounds, this is all for the best and it's all baby, not fat.

This is where I apologize for neglecting the blog

I'm really good at neglecting every blog I've ever had. This one is no different.

So here's a super quick rundown of everything I missed last week...

At week 13 my TP measurement was 10.5 sheets. I shrunk, somehow. I think it's because my ass is migrating to my belly. Seriously, I am kind of upset that it's retreating.

In other news, I finally got a scale via Freecycle, which is pretty much my favorite thing ever. You post "wanted" or "offer" posts to the group, and you get to give or get stuff. It so happened that I was able to trade my unflattering dress pants with pockets (that made me look wider) for a nice, clean, functioning scale from a very nice KISD teacher who had recently lost 70 lbs. after a gastric bypass and was still wearing her size 20 pants. She's still shrinking, and funny enough her two sisters also got gastric bypasses after she did, so those pants still have a lot of life left in them.

Anyway, the scale. I hate scales, I always have. I have always preferred to go by how my clothes fit rather than pay attention to the numbers, either of my weight or my clothing size. However, as my doctor has decreed that I only gain 15 pounds while carrying the symbiote, I have to actually track my weight. Yay.

Good news is... I've lost 6 lbs. since the pregnancy started. Pretty amazing to me, as none of that went away because of morning sickness. We'll see what happens over the next few months.

Also, symbiote has an e in it. I've been spelling it wrong.

That pretty much catches everything up to now. Almost... week 14 belly pics and TP measurement will be up later today.

Happy Mother's Day!

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.