Week 10: Cravings & the Ickies

Week 10 kids.  

Although he/she is the size of a date -- an inch and a half long, from head to bottom -- and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, the baby now has completed the most critical portion of its development. This is the beginning of the fetal period, a time when the tissues and
organs in the body rapidly grow and mature. If we could take a peek inside the womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

Nausea and exhaustion keep rearing their ugly heads and I'm counting down the days until 2nd trimester when, apparently, we enter the pregnancy promise land- no nausea, more energy, and starting to look as pregnant as I feel.

Meg has been super supportive of me during "icky times", "sleepy times" and "bitchy times"- mostly when she plans a meal and I can't stomach it and then can't tell her what I want.  But I do have cravings.  Cheeseburgers.  Ice cream.  Bananas.  I really miss having caffeine.  And I'm sure I'm going to get weird looks when I get my venti decaf iced coffee... cream, 1 splenda because who really likes the taste of straight coffee anyway?

I started to miss booze recently for the first time- mostly because it's getting warmer outside and all I want to do is sit outside with the biggest glass of white wine in the land.

And someone recently asked me about our birth plan...

I plan on asking for any and all drugs, legal otherwise, and then telling them to squeeze me like a Crest tube.  Bravo to the women who go the natural route and want to "feel" the joy.  You enjoy that.

Week 9: Abs of Strudel

Week 9 y'all!  Lil Bit is an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. His (or her) essential body parts are accounted for and the heart is dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form.  The baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there
but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. She (or he!) has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. Now that the baby's basic physiology is in place, it is poised for rapid weight gain.

As for me, my abdominal area feels like I just did an abs of steel workout (didn't do it) and, occasionally, like my inner female parts are being stretched like taffy.  This is extra great when I'm trying to sleep.  So adding the sleep deprivation to the daily sleepies I already had leaves me unable to form complete sentences.  Another thing about the abs:  A lot of women who are small in stature can see baby bumps progressing by this point.  Having the "equator" that I have makes the bump less obvious, but... this is what this blog is for right?  So here we go:

Nausea is still kickin' and food/smell aversions are much more prominent.  Why is it broccoli that smells like rotten garbage to me and cheese is still delicious?  Just cruel.  Don't worry- Meg is helping me "make good decisions" as far is food is concerned, but she also knows when to back the hell up and let me have a craving.

I've also become a little addicted to pregnancy apps.  I may have a couple that I check every day- they mostly give similar info, but some show you visuals aids and, let's face it, why read when someone can read to you?

Baby Bump: This one is good for weekly video updates and some educational videos.  It also has a thriving community so when you think something is a little too crazy to share with your partner you can post it there.

Pregnancy ++: This one is also great for info and daily updates.  You can also see week by week digital imaging of what the baby may look like.  It uses a graphic design version, a contributed 2d scan and a contributed 3d scan (which scares the crap out of me because it looks like a gecko).

My Baby Beat: This is a new one.  Using the mic of your iPhone you can perform a pseudo Doppler audio ultrasound.  Our Baby's Heartbeat At Week 9

We continue the wait until our next sonogram (May 5)- MARGARITAS FOR ALL (except me)... In the meantime...there's a mug of cookies and cream ice cream calling my name.

Week 8: Pregnancy Nausea, Give Me All the Carbs

Week 8 y'all!  The babe is just over 1/2 inch long, about the size of a kidney bean. New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from the hands and feet, eyelids practically cover the eyes, breathing tubes extend from the throat to the branches of the developing lungs, and the "tail" is gone. #science In the brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways.  And the heart now has 2 chambers! #googledthis




I'm dealing with the nausea... and although I've been lucky enough that I'm not actually getting sick, it doesn't mean that I don't look like a "post-frat party freshman the morning after" every day.  So sorry in advance for that.  I just try to graze all day- mostly on carbs (thanks pregnancy).  I did a reading at a wedding this weekend and OF COURSE a wave of nausea hit me just as I was standing up in front of everyone.  Amidst a beautiful passage on love and devotion I was thinking "Would it be tacky to pop a Ritz"?

I'm also feeling exhausted, still, all the time.  Meg is super happy because I finally want to go to bed at 9pm, which is her preferred bedtime anyway! But I'm serious.  If I've just eaten, or it's 2pm (sorry job)...or 8pm... I'm gonna yawn all over you.  I may even "rest my eyes". #thanksforthatonegrandmamasselli  The interwebs say to not fight it, so please understand, at least for the first trimester, that I'm gonna party hard, but only like an 8 year old cause I'm gonna crash your party and not in the Lindsay Lohan way.

What I Feel Like Sitting On the Table In
The "Gown"

Yesterday I had my first appointment with my OB/GYN since being discharged from the reproductive clinic.  First of all, I have perfected standing in nothing but an ill-fitting tie-up gown  (I can NEVER remember whether the nurse told me to have the opening in the front or the back) and some footies.  There's really nothing quite like someone giving you a breast exam while they're asking about your regularity as you stare at the calendar images of kittens in a tiny hot air balloon.


After more blood work (how is it possible I have any blood left?) and some bathing suit area inspections I was told all is well.  I also received more paperwork than if we were signing a mortgage on a home and was informed about some future testing options that we can opt to have, or not have. We'll cover those another week.  Our next ultrasound is at the 12 week mark (which is where the miscarriage rate drops to 5%) where we should be able to hear the heartbeat. The ultrasound is scheduled, appropriately, on Cinco de Mayo. Party hard or go home, right?

Week 7: Morning Sickness, Mother Nature's Hazing Ritual

Hey team.  We are at the 7 week mark and our little nugget is the size of a blueberry.  It is producing brain cells at 100 cells a minute and developing arms, legs, and the mouth!




I'm still exhausted at all times of the day and have now successfully slept on all modes of transportation, in two time zones and through half of a conference call.



I'm also starting to feel things expanding and stretching.  It's like your uterus is tired of living in a studio and it has decided to flip this house into a duplex.  I struggle with the internal desire to start showing and I can't stop thinking about what I will look like.  For right now I'm just gonna say I'm carrying it in my ass.




The "crazies" are starting to surface a little more each day.  It feels like forever until you have your first ultrasound so there's nothing but blood work to calm the psycho within and remind me that yes, I'm still pregnant.  So I maaaaay have taken a couple more pregnancy tests through the past couple weeks. ( I know, I know).


I've been experiencing some food aversions this week and, sadly, nausea.  It's a weird thing to feel as I had gastric bypass when I was 18 and I think I've only gotten sick once since (tequila is a beast from hell).  So my body basically fights the urge to get sick- it's a vicious cycle.  The first real bout of "morning" sickness hit on my plane trip back from Virginia.  You don't know fear until you feel morning sickness at 33,000 feet.

Monday we went in for our first ultrasound at 7 weeks + 2 days.  It was both awkward and amazing at the same time.  The ultrasound tech located the baby quickly and, in all honesty, it looks like someone sneezed on the screen.  It's a little blip, but it's our little blip.  We were able to see the heartbeat and I really can't describe what that's like.  Imagine meeting Barbra Streisand, Idina Menzel and Bette Midler at a Nutella bar.  Then imagine your future child's beating heart.  That's all I got.  All things looked good- heart rate at 137bpm and is measuring out for its due date of November 15th.

Meg and I agreed not to buy any baby things until we're at least 3 months along, but man is it hard to resist! Since we graduated from the reproductive clinic (yay!), the next step is to see the OB next Monday. Stay tuned!