And then there were 3...

(Journaled on August 26, 2011)

We are expanding. Actually, I am the only one who is expanding. We are adding to our family may be a better way to put it. We are having a baby! As I type this, it is so incredibly hard for me to believe that this is our new reality. We are 13 weeks along, which means we have had about 8 weeks to let this news really marinade and become something as common as saying, “I love pizza!” but somehow, it feels like a complete out of body experience any time I think about it, let alone say it out loud.

I will probably write out our story in more detail, but for now, it's just amazing that our desire to be parents is coming true. I don't know that I have ever felt more polarized emotions in my entire life! Is it really possible to feel elated, ecstatic, sad, scared, confused, joyful, ready, completely ill equipped, brave, mature, immature, etc. all at the same time?! I think when you find out you are going to be a parent, the answer is YES!

These first 13 weeks have been, in my opinion, pretty normal, according to all the books I've read and the wisdom other women have shared. One of the reasons I knew I was pregnant even before the little tell-tale second line showed up on my home pregnancy test is that I was so fatigued, I thought I might have mono. Not a day has gone by that I have not stopped between noon and 2pm to take a nice, long nap. Thankfully, I had 3 weeks off from work this summer, which coincided with weeks 5-8 of the pregnancy, when I was the MOST fatigued. Once I went back to work, I have been able to run home on my lunch break and take a 30-40 minute nap on days that I am really struggling. So blessed to live 2 miles away from work!

Of course there has been morning sickness along with fatigue. I have been nauseous every day, but by putting myself on a 3 hour eating schedule, eating small meals, and avoiding foods that don't agree with me right now (like yogurt! really?!), the vomiting has been kept at bay. If you ask Denny, however, he would tell you that I've been sick as a dog, but I think that's because he's never seen my sick and listless for weeks at a time. 

We had our 8 week check-up on July 25, when we got to see the little gummi bear for the very first time!



It looks like a gummi bear, right?! Our little baby Seliga!

We saw a head, 2 arm buds, 2 leg buds, the beginnings of brain matter and a spinal cord, and saw a tiny little heart beating at 173bpm!! Talk about surreal! Simply amazing... and the sense of relief that I felt when I saw that little person clearly on the screen, heart racing and all... I can't even begin to describe it.

The midwife gave us a good report as well. She said everything appears to be progressing fabulously, all my numbers look good, but she did say she would like me to gain a little bit more weight. Apprantely I'd lost 2 lbs., probably because I hadn't been eating quite as much. I thought for sure I'd gain weight, especially since I had been eating so often, but seems that tiny little meals don't quite do the trick.

We got to go on the vacation of a lifetime earlier this month! That deserves its own post (or 3), so stay tuned for that. 

Things I miss so far:

• Coffee!-- I had switched to decaf around February, but I got sick one morning after breakfast at about 6 weeks, and have not able to look at the stuff since.
• Dancing-- Not that there has been anything to work on, but I have been so stinkin' tired, I wouldn't be able to dance if my life depended on it.
• Ice Cream-- Oh, ice cream! I just don't have a taste for my favorite food right now... : (
• Salads and Green Veggies-- Strangest aversion I've experienced so far.

Stay tuned for more!