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Friday, March 25, 2011

Things I Miss

One of the first things you learn when you become pregnant is all the things you can't have or can't do.  There is a list of foods to stay away from, a list of medications you can't take, a list of activities you shouldn't participate in.  Most of it is common sense.  Some of it is a bit overboard. And some things your body just simply refuses to tolerate.  I won't say that I have followed these do's and don't's to a T (for example, I cannot give up my Dr. Peppers completely) but there have been a few things that I have stayed away from.  So here are some of the things I have being missing over the last 5 months.

1. My waistline - I wasn't exactly skinny before I got pregnant but I wasn't fat either.  But it is going to be a long time before I have waistline that can be classified as anything other than round.

2. Fish - The week after I found out I was pregnant, we went out for catfish for my brother's birthday.  One bite and I was done.  I haven't been able to touch the stuff since.  Now I have always been a seafood lover.  Not anymore.  I can't stand it right now.  I can't even stand the smell of it.

3. Sushi - Given that fish is off the list, this one shouldn't be a surprise.  Sushi is also high on the list of no-no's because of the high mercury content in many types of fish and the fact that most of it is served raw.  Personally, I only eat the cooked stuff because the textures of the uncooked bothers me so much.  Sushi isn't even something we eat a lot but there have been times I have really wanted it.  However, I think the smell would bother me so much that I wouldn't even be able to enjoy the experience.

4. Alcohol - I love a glass of wine with dinner or a cocktail out with friends.  I know that having a glass occasionally would be OK.  The nurse at my doctor's office even said as much.  However, this is one thing that I have given up for now.  And I am hating it.  I just love how the perfect glass of wine can complement your food. That is going to be one of the first things I do after delivery: enjoy a nice drink.  I can almost taste it now.

5. Pants that fit - I won't say I love maternity pants but I don't totally hate them either.  It has been nice not having a waistband feel like it was cutting you in half but I do wish they would stay up better.  I am constantly having to pull my pants up.  And let's not even get into the length.  I realize the pants could be hemmed but I just haven't had time to bother with that.  It's so annoying.

6. Pretty shoes - I have an extensive shoe wardrobe.  It is one of my great weaknesses in life.  But the first 5 months has found me mostly in tennis shoes and flats because anything with a heel would bother my back.  Now the swell has started to kick in so flip flops it is.  Fortunately, I live in a place where flip flops are acceptable 365 days a year and, since I own 12 pairs, I can constantly change out my selection.

7. Sleep - I know I have said this here before but I will say it again.  I'm tired.  I want to sleep on my stomach.  I want to be truly comfortable so I can rest.  For about the first 4 months, I could still sleep on my stomach for a portion of the night.  Now my belly is so big that rolling over onto my tummy is not even remotely comfortable.  I think the best two nights of sleep I have had in the last 5 months were when the doctor told me I could take Benadryl for my sinus infection.  I was out like a light and slept like a baby.  It's tempting to try that again except that it's so hard to wake up the next morning.

8. My Sonicare - Yes, I am talking about one of those fancy electric toothbrushes.  I won it at my office's health and wellness fair and I love it!  Well, that is until I got pregnant.  My gag reflex has been so sensitive, I could barely stand to use it.  So back to a manual toothbrush for me.  And my teeth just don't feel as clean.  I know that is something that should go away pretty quickly after delivery and I can't wait.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Observations on Pregnancy (Part 2)

One of the major things I have learned over the last 5 months is that every woman handles pregnancy differently.  For example, no one could believe I started showing at 9 weeks.  That wasn’t possible.  It was only gas.  But it was possible, at least for me.  I am only 5’2” (OK…5’1”) so I have a fairly small build which leaves little room for the baby internally.  I knew my growing belly wasn’t gas because it felt different, harder from my normal stomach.  I get weekly emails telling me what milestones I should be expecting that week and most of the time I have already experienced them by the time I receive the email.   Here are a few more things I have observed that I think are worth sharing.

My Growing Belly:  I have enjoyed watching and feeling my belly grow and realizing I have absolutely no control over it.  It catches me off guard sometimes when I will see my side reflection in the mirror and I realize that the changes I think I am feeling are not my imagination but are really visibly there.  Add to that the flutters of movement and I am constantly amazed at what is going on inside me.  At the same time, it causes me a bit of panic if I don’t think the baby is moving enough.  But then I just have to keep in mind that everything is OK and I shouldn’t panic until I have proof that there is a reason to panic.

Lack of Sleep: I was exhausted during my first trimester.  I was usually in bed by 9 if not earlier.  I kept hearing that the 2nd trimester was great because you had all this energy.  They lied.  I’m still worn out all the time.  Of course, it’s probably because I don’t sleep well.  I am normally one of those people who sleeps so soundly it takes a lot to wake me up, like a Mack truck driving through my bedroom.  However, between the potty breaks and having to sleep on my side, I am just not getting any deep sleep.  Hence the tired all the time.  Last night, I could barely keep my eyes opened once Chris left for work and I was in bed counting sheep before he even hit briefing at 9:45.

Baby Brain: I never believed the whole idea that being pregnant zapped your memory until I got pregnant.  Now I can’t remember anything.  I used to have a pretty decent memory and now not so much.  Chris will swear he told me something and I don’t even recall having a conversation with him.  It’s quite frustrating but at least I have an excuse and most people (surprisingly) understand.  However, I am ready to have my brain back.  I miss it.

When I first started writing this post a couple of weeks ago, I had several more things I wanted to talk about.  It should come as no surprise that I can’t remember them all now.  So, expect a part 3 to observations on pregnancy before too long.  That is if I can remember the password to my blog.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Finding Out

Yesterday we had the big anatomy ultrasound.  I realize the doctor how more to look at than just determining if the baby is a boy or a girl but I was already anxious enough going into the appointment so I could hardly stand how long it was taking to find out.  The technician started at the head and worked her way down.  We got to see the baby's profile, even though we couldn't see the baby's face because the hands were in the way most of the time.
Then she moved on down checking out all of the organs we could see.  Everything looked good and it always reassuring to see or hear the heartbeat and know that everything is working as it should be.  Apparently, I do a good job at growing humans.  When we got down to the legs, I knew we would be finding out soon but I got a little worried when I saw the feet sitting so close together that we weren't going to be able to tell.
But I guess those technicians know what they were doing because she was able to get a pretty clear shot of the baby showing off what it was.
Yep, it's a boy!  We were a little surprised because we had been thinking girl all along but it looks like I am destined to be surrounded by males again just like I was growing up.  I think Maverick was the most disappointed to find out it was a human baby and not a puppy like he had been hoping for.  Now that we know, the shopping can begin.


Monday, March 7, 2011

Observations on Pregnancy (Part 1)

So, obviously I have been remiss in updating my blog.  Sorry about that.  I have been intending to write for several weeks now but between illness and exhaustion it just hasn't happened.  That being said...let me get on with the post.  I have been composing this post in my head for several days so I hope I can remember everything I wanted to write.

There have been several things I have noticed since I found out I was pregnant that I have found interesting.  Some of it has to do with the changes in my own body while some has to do with the changes in behavior of those around me.  Right off the bat, I noticed that as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I felt pregnant.  Prior to that, I just felt weird.  I was tired and slightly queasy all the time but it wasn't anything that couldn't have been explained away for various reason.  However, that first + sign changed everything.  Suddenly there was an explanation for why my coffee tasted weird and why I could compete with a drug sniffing dog for his job.  But then there have been several other aspects of being pregnant that I didn't expect.

Skin: I had heard that the hormones associated with pregnancy would effect your skin but boy, this one really is messing with me.  I have always had skin that was more on the oily side.  Not super oily but enough so that I need oil control makeup.  Until I got pregnant.  My face started to seem drier although not truly dry.  I guess more what you would call normal.  The products I was using before I got pregnant were suddenly too strong and I had to find something that would work better with my changing skin.  I am still searching for what I think might be the right product but I can tell you I have used about 3 different cleansers and 4 different foundations. It has actually been rather frustrating.  But I am not having serious breakouts.  For that, I am grateful and I realize it could be much worse.

Hair and Nails: Those lovely horse pills I take daily know as prenatal vitamins definitely have a visible side effect.  My hair and nails are growing like weeds.  I went in for a hair cut about a month ago and I am already at the point where my hair is uncooperative and driving me crazy.  I definitely think a trip to the salon this weekend is necessary.  I probably trim my nails every week or so in order to not claw my eyes out when I take out my contacts.  I am still waiting for the luxurious pregnant hair I am supposed to have.  I think I am missing that aspect of this experience.

Maternity clothes: Apparently I am one of those lucky people who has no where internally for the baby to go but out.  I have been wearing maternity pants since the weekend after I found out (around 7 weeks) because nothing fit comfortably around my waist anymore.  Two weeks later, I had enough of a belly that I needed longer shirts so back to the store it was.  Now, I don't mind the clothes that much.  They are actually quite comfortable but I want to beat the designers who use ugly, cheap fabrics and don't think short women get pregnant.  It is hard to find things that are cute and not plain and even harder to find pants short enough to fit without being rolled up a mile.  I know I could get them altered but when you only have a couple pairs of pants that fit, it is hard to part with them for more than a couple of days.

Illness: By illness, I mean all aspects of illness associated with pregnancy.  I am one of the lucky ones who didn't have to deal with a lot of morning sickness.  A couple of weeks towards the end of the 1st trimester were really bad but beyond that it wasn't terrible.  My bigger issue as been heartburn and the reflux that goes along with it.  Some days it doesn't matter what I eat or drink, I am going to have heartburn.  And for someone who has never had it before, it sucks!  There are certain things I still can't eat because they will make me violently ill but I have learned that proper snacking is the key to controlling a lot of the upset tummy. The other illness aspect has been that fact that getting sick seems to be amplified when pregnant.  I had a sinus infection a couple of weeks ago that literally knocked me on my butt.  I felt like I had been run over by a truck and ended up out of work for three days because of it.  Immediately after getting off antibiotics for the infection, I was on preventative tamiflu as a result of Kiddo's bout with the flu.  By the end of February, I felt like a walking pharmacy.   We all still seem to fighting the sinus crud (even Mav) which has kept us out of commission for a good month now but hopefully, that will all clear up soon.