Popcorn and Bubbles!

Today, while sitting in a training meeting for work (all about dyspraxia!) I felt the most amazing thing - the thing everyone describes but tells you that you won't be able to recognize it until it happens to you. At 18 weeks, 1 day, I finally felt it...

It's like butterflies! Or popcorn popping! Or bubbles! Little Wriggles is finally getting big enough and strong enough to make me feel his/her kicking. I know from now on it will just be getting stronger, but I wanted to remember today, the first day I felt my little miracle moving around on the inside. Today is the day that was worth all those rainy days, and I feel nothing but full of joy. It's another moment I'll never forget, like the moment that dark + sign showed up on the pregnancy test and I looked at the mirror and whispered to myself(almost too afraid to jinx it), you're going to be a mommy. And like that moment, I'll cherish this one for years to come. 

17 Weeks, the end of Month 4!

Time seems to be just racing by now, and I cannot believe I am at the end of month 4 of this pregnancy. At the beginning, just getting through each day felt like a triumph and every moment shuffled by at an extremely, slow, agonizing rate. 

Now suddenly someone has pushed fast-forward and I can't figure out where the time has gone. I know my job keeps me busy, and also I am less worried about our little wriggles. I definitely feel better and I'm back to almost-normal eating. 

This past week was filled with even more fruit, with each day generally including... a banana, apple, orange, kiwi, mango, nectarine, plum, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, and grapes. I also fit in vegies - carrots, celery, green beans, baby corn, tomatoes, red pepper, and broccoli. No wonder I'm having trouble squeezing in protein! I try to remember to bring hummus to school as well as a hard-boiled egg and some cheese. And finally, FINALLY, I've gained some weight (and kept it on!). I'm just at the bottom of recommended weight gain for Week 17, but at least I'm back up from the negatives. 

Because today has been so spectacularly, wonderfully calm and easy I took the time to do a collage of the first 4 months of being pregnant with Wriggles. I actually really enjoyed it! We skipped a few weeks here and there (oops!) and the colors were really difficult to balance, but overall I am very happy. I can tell such a difference between even 11 and 17 weeks - there really is a baby there now! I'll keep up with the weekly bump pictures and make the next collage after the next 9 or 10 weeks. Then I'm excited to see the end product when I have all 40ish weeks together + one with baby! I blame Pinterest for encouraging things like this.

16 Weeks and I NEED FRUIT

This week has been rather uneventful, but nonetheless I want to document everything. My bump is growing and almost looks like I'm pregnant now (and not just a bit tubby around the middle). I had a fantastic workout last Sunday at gymnastics (don't worry, I'm not doing anything remotely dangerous), but my calf workout led to muscle soreness for the entire week. I'm not kidding here, this has never happened to me before. Day after soreness? Yep! Two or three days? Sometimes. All week? Never! I looked this up and it seems that if you push yourself too hard you might experience prolonged muscle fatigue and pain. Whoops! Lesson learned and tonight's session will be even calmer. Also, I've managed to lose weight again and I can't quite understand how that's happened. I'm using MyFitnessPal to track what I eat, now time I'm checking to see I'm eating enough of the right nutrients, not using it to lose weight. It seems I'm under my required calorie amount almost every day, and this is most likely due to my sudden and constant extreme need for fruit!

I want everything, all of it, all the time. Strawberries, grapes, kiwi, pineapple, oranges, passionfruit, bananas, mangoes, apples, raspberries, cherries... the list seems never ending (and writing it is making me hungry again!). I'm also loving lots of veggies - carrots, avocado, cucumber, celery, green beans, broccoli, edamame... anything fresh and crisp and nutritious! It seems since I crave fruits and veggies to eat all day, I am less hungry for the calorie packed things, such as meats, dairy, and grains. Fruits and veggies just don't give you enough calories, and with my ever shrinking stomach I just can't fit very much in at a time. I'm still working on balancing my days and meals so I get enough of everything, but I guess as far as cravings go, it could be worse!

And now the fatigue has really receded and I didn't even need a nap today even though I was baking up a storm - banana peanut butter oat muffins, egg muffins (easy quick breakfast and snacks, anyone?), and zucchini & sweet potato soup! I also went shopping, cleaned the house, did my taxes, and now I'm blogging. Amazingly, I don't feel completely wiped out like I normally would! This is the perfect trimester - not too big, not too nauseous but ready to get things done!

15 Weeks and Feeling Better

I want to use this blog to help me remember this first, exciting pregnancy. But morning (all-day) sickness, travel, work, holidays, friends and family all seemed to get in the way and here I am not having posted for nearly a month! 

Take the tail-end of week 11 and the beginning of week 12 (Dec. 14-15), for example. I had to take the bus into work before our flights back to America, and I spent the whole bus ride trying desperately not to vomit. Then I got off the bus and tried to breathe deeply, willing myself to hold it all in, to think of anything but being sick. Finally, I was scouting for places to unobtrusively upchuck - I didn't find one and proceeded to projectile vomited all over the pavement and sidewalk. After cleaning myself up the best I could (in my work clothes!) I apologized to everyone around me and just kept repeating that I was pregnant. I needed them to know I wasn't hungover! Luckily I got a few sympathetic nods from people who understood those queasy first weeks. 

The day after the vomit episode I hit 12 weeks and was perfectly fine for the next three weeks. This was wonderful timing for our America trip, as it meant I could indulge in all the Mexican food possible. I had a delightful time sharing the news with my friends and family in a variety of creative ways, including my wrapped bump and a youtube video:

I didn't really do much documenting while I was visiting my family, as I was too busy seeing everyone and running around like usual. I did get to buy maternity clothes (too much fun! especially with the bump pillow!) Why didn't anyone tell me maternity stuff is so comfortable? I am never changing out of my comfy jeans again! No buttons, no problems!

Bump pillow! Can't wait to actually be like this!

Me in 3 months?

 My dear family friends were so incredible and threw me a last-minute baby shower. I felt so surrounded by love and happiness, it was a wonder I didn't sob all the way through (perhaps my emotions are a bit more in control now?) We played sweet games, chatted, ate yummy food, had delicious cake, made onesies, and laughed and talked for hours. 

 

Lovely quilt for baby!

Luckily things are still quite simple for me with a tiny bump, although I have passed into the exciting second trimester! I don't really feel more energetic, but I'm happy to be eating normal food again. I want it to both go slower (I'm loving growing a sweet baby!) to wanting it to go faster (I can't wait to meet my sweet little snuggle baby!). I've just gotten my next scan date - the anomaly scan - for February 8th so I'm really looking forward to that. Things seem to be ticking along just fine - no problems or concerns so far, and I'm just so happy to be here. I never thought I would be, and sometimes it feels like this must be a dream and it couldn't be happening to me! But here I am, rubbing my slightly protruding tummy and thinking about all the wonderful moments to come.