Sweet relief

When people hear or see that I am pregnant, most kindly ask how I am feeling. I am happy to finally be able to say that I am feeling great...like myself again (plus growing belly). During that first trimester I waited anxiously for to reach the second trimester and get over the nausea, but that point on the timeline came and went with me still feeling like garbage. My neighbor (a new mama herself) told me that one day I would notice that I hadn't felt awful for a couple days and it would be like a little surprise gift. It took 18 or 19 weeks, but she was right. It took two or three days to take notice that I was feeling pretty normal and it has been such a relief. Now, I feel like I can finally enjoy being pregnant...which is good because it is obvious enough now for strangers to comment (always surprisingly brave of them, I think) and it is nice to be able to talk so positively about it.

This past week, we also took baby boy on his first (long) flight to go visit friends & Jason's family in Los Angeles. The 6 hour flight wasn't the most fun experience ever, but I made it and really enjoyed seeing everyone and getting a little break from winter! This week I have started to have some back pain and heartburn, but when we returned to Maine, I got to have my first prenatal massage (courtesy of my mom & dad- thank you!!). It was a wonderful relief for my pregnant self after spending the week walking around Southern California for many hours a day. Still, I will take the aching back over nausea any day because I can generally solve or at least improve it with some yoga or a backrub (courtesy of my baby's daddy).

Hair bows or bow ties?

18 weeks

 This baby is really starting to make it's presence known- lots of wiggling around in there day & night. So of course we have been dying to know if we are growing a son or a daughter in my ever-expanding belly and this week we finally got to find out! The day of our ultrasound (February 6th) felt like Christmas morning- I was so excited and anxious all day long. At our appointment, however, our lil babe was feeling comfy and cozy in a little pretzel shape and didn't want to cooperate for the ultrasound tech. So I will have to go back in a couple of weeks to try again. Still, she was able to take a photo of it's teeny tiny sex organs to put in an envelope and send home with us because this was something we both wanted to find out privately as a couple. J and I ate a candlit dinner before opening the life-changing envelope.

 

My plan was to go to the neighborhood bakery and ask that they put 2 blue or pink sugar cookies in a box for us to open after dinner, but when I stopped by after our ultrasound, the bakery that ALWAYS has pink & blue cookies alas only had pink heart cookies for Valentine's Day. So, was it a sign of our baby girl?? Or were the 3 baby boys I saw on my way into the ultrasound office a sign of our boy? Aren't you just dying to know? We sure were!

It's a...

 BOY!!!

We are thrilled (and I have so much to learn!). We celebrated with ice cream sundaes topped with blue sprinkles of course. I know that many people debate the decision to find out or wait until the birth day, but I have to say that I really love being able to talk to "our son" and "baby boy" and say "he" instead of just "baby" or "it." I can't wait to meet him, but we still have 21 weeks to go!

A Guest Blog

Chelsea thought it would be a good idea if I guest blogged and I agree.

Things have been a bit surreal. The pregnancy has not yet reached a point in which I'm always conscious of it. Chelsea moves so effortlessly and with the same postures that I can forget the changes she is going through. This evening while playing with Maisy, I imagined what it was going to be like when we would have to dodge a crawling baby while playing fetch in the house. It's not often I feel very in tune with the drastic changes that are soon to come, but tonight was one of those moments.

Chelsea has been feeling the "wiggle meister" for a couple of weeks now. The jealousy is unreal. It's fascinating and curious and intangible. When given the chance by friends and family to feel their pregnant bellies, I missed any kicks or squirms. To know that soon I will get that experience with my own kid is exciting and excruciating to wait for.

In a few days we go for our 18-20 week ultrasound, and if all is right, we should learn the gender of the baby. It will be nice to know and I think will help the whole process feel more real to me. I honestly don't have a preference one way or the other, but above all else, I just want our baby and Chelsea to be healthy.

Jason

Pop goes the baby

I have heard that some mamas-to-be experience the unexpected, out-of-nowhere belly pop and now I guess I am one of them. I woke up Monday morning thinking, where did this belly come from? It is pretty rock solid and makes me have to pee 20 times a day.

17 weeks

I have also finally started to feel the baby move! I felt the first flutter last week while in a work meeting and I completely stopped listening to the person answering my question and honestly had to try and not cry (a happy cry of course). Jason has asked what it feels like and it is pretty indescribable, but I told him "magic" and "the best feeling in the world." 

Post workout