RLP (aka OMG & WTF?!)

If you're not familiar, allow my friends at BabyCenter to hook you up on the deets:

You may feel round ligament pain as a short jabbing sensation if you suddenly change position, such as when you're getting out of bed or out of a chair or when you cough, roll over in bed, or get out of the bathtub. You may feel it as a dull ache after a particularly active day — when you've been walking a lot or doing some other physical activity.

Hmmm, fairly accurate. But it also happens when you sneeze, blow your nose, pee, or do anything other than just sit and breathe. It's a real treat. I should probably just sit around more and eat Cheetos, because, well, I feel pretty fantastic when I'm doing that. Especially if I'm watching reality tv.

Apparently, the round ligaments (RL) surrounding my uterus are causing me so much pain (P) because as the uterus grows, the ligaments stretch and thicken to accommodate and support it. I'm all for building a nice little nest in there for Baby S, but this is getting to be a real pain in the abdomen. (Totally weak attempt at humor due to RLP distress. Obviously. I'll do better next time.)

Weekly Survey: 13 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Still only up 2lbs from my starting weight, but the plan is to put on another 2lbs by my next appt.
Next Appointment: At 16 weeks- 2/16/09
Maternity Clothes: I wore my first maternity shirt out the other night, but mostly since I think it's cute and not at all matronly.
Stretch Marks: Nope
Sleep: The past week has been a little better. I'm only getting up to pee 3 times a night now, so that helps keep me asleep longer.
Best Moment This Week: Telling two more sets of parents and then my closest friends about the baby!
Movement: Nothing yet
Food Cravings: My appetite has increased this past week and while I still crave red meat (I'm trying to cut back), I'm also all about anything salty...popcorn, french fries, olives...ok, make that FATTENING and salty :)
Planning/Preparation: I'm in the middle of three pregnancy books. I'm on preparation overload.
Belly Button In/Out: In
What I Miss: Running (I never thought I'd say that). Chai Tea Lattes. Flat Stomach.
What I'm Looking Forward To: I get to workout this week!
Contractions: Nope
Milestones: Adios first trimester, Hola #2!

All That Beefaroni I've Been Craving?

Yeah, this is what is does to you. To be fair, I'm certain there's a subtantial amount of ice cream and Cheetos in there, as well as a smidge of baby. I think the last time was this soft was in the late college days of pounding down a large Papa John's with pepperoni (extra garlic butter sauce, please) at 3am. Three times a week. For an entire year. Ah, the good old days.

12 weeks

Roses: I can still button my skinny jeans!

Thorns: They are a new pair I just bought in a size up from the pair I bought 4 short months ago.







13 Weeks

Aaaand this will be the last time you get to see me with my shirt up, unless I end up being one of those ginormo pregasaurs who is still cute at the end, and I can't resist showing you the belly.*

*This will not happen if I have an outie or one of those lines...what are they called? (note to self: check Mayo book on that again...linea negra? That sounds wrong....)

Oh, and I'm getting love handles. No one told me about that. Thanks a lot.

Just sayin' hi!

Weekly Survey: 12 Weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm up 2lbs from my starting weight
Next Appointment: In 4 wks
Maternity Clothes: First shopping trip a few days ago (I'm sure the Mr was bored silly), and I picked up 2 shirts and a pair of jeans at Gap Maternity that don't fit now but will soon enough.
Stretch Marks: Nope
Sleep: Same insomnia issues, and I have to be dragged out of bed every morning.
Best Moment This Week: Seeing the baby rolling around, waving, kicking
Movement: None that I can feel, but based on the u/s this kid doesn't sit still
Food Cravings: I could eat corned beef and pickles every single day, and indulged in a huge sandwich on Sunday. I'm still on all things beef, but trying not to OD on red meat. My new drink of choice is club soda with pomegranate juice and a lime. So not the same as a cocktail, but I'm sick of water.
Planning/Preparation: I've become obsessed with looking at nurseries online and drooling over cribs that I know I'll never buy since they cost more than my bed, but damn, there's some cute stuff out there. I guess that counts as planning.
Belly Button In/Out: In
What I Miss: Pilates. Most of my jeans. Excedrin Migraine.
What I'm Looking Forward To: Clearance to exercise in a week. Prenatal Yoga. Maternity Jeans. No more headaches.
Contractions: Nope
Milestones: Wrapping up the 1st trimester!

This Pregnancy Thing's Not So Bad

By all accounts it would seem that I'm pretty lucky to have escaped many of the dreaded first tri symptoms. Morning sickness sounds positively terrible, and aversions to pretty much everything but bread doesn't really gel for a food lover like me. More than any of other symptom, I'm thankful every day to have avoided this. Speaking of food, I know plenty of women who had a terrible time giving up sushi their first tri. Well, this girl doesn't eat anything that swims- no problem there. I was never big on caffeine, not much of a coffee drinker, could take or leave a cold cut sandwich...so, no big adjustment for me. I mean, people seem to have huge issues with this stuff. I can't imagine drinking so much caffeine that you go into withdrawl and get headaches when you're not consuming it anymore, but apparently this is what keeps the Starbuck's you see on every stinking corner in business.

I've always had terrible insomnia, so not being able to sleep and struggling to find a comfortable position were nothing new. However, feeling like it's 500 degrees in my bed and making 4-6 trips to the bathroom every night certainly hasn't been the norm for me until about 6 weeks ago. How is it that I'm so tired at my desk every afternoon that I feel like I could put my head down and sleep for 8 hours, but when I actually get into my comfy bed, I can't will it to happen? And when I do fall asleep, I have the most vivid (and borderline insane dreams). A few recent additions: one of my best friends telling me she's actually a transgender, another about someone stealing a crate of peaches from me while I chased them for months to get it back, and last night I hung out with the Kardashian sisters all night. Shoot me.

The worst has been the headaches; they go on for days, and Tylenol is child's play. My humidifier seems to be helping the bloody noses though I'd love to go back to 3 weeks ago when, at age 35, I'd never had one in my life. I hardly miss wine anymore. Hardly.

Still, I'm very lucky. I'm having a baby :) *

** remind me of this when I'm bitching about stretch marks, water retention, heartburn and the numerous other joys my Mayo Clinic book assures me are in my future.

Weekly Survey: 11 weeks

Now that I'm wrapping up the first trimester, I guess it's about time I start keeping track of all these little things I'm sure I'd otherwise forget about one day when my life is a steady stream of diapers, night feedings, and crying...and I need a reminder of how excited I once was for this baby to arrive!

Total weight gain/loss: Up a total of 1.5 pounds in 11 weeks, but it feels like 10.
Next Appointment: Tuesday, January 19; first trimester screening
Maternity clothes? I'm about ready to bust out the Bella Band and say adios to buttoning my jeans.
Stretch marks: Nope. Well, none that are new!
Sleep: Hahahaha, yeah. Getting up 5 or 6 times a night to pee really doesn't leave much time for sleep.
Best moment this week: Seeing how happy my family was when we told them about the baby.
Movement: Nada.
Food cravings: Beef. Italian beef, corned beef, beef chili, steak, Beefaroni (yeah, seriously). For some reason, I've been all over red meat this week.
Food aversions: None
Planning/Preparations: I suppose I should get on some planning soon.
Belly Button in or out: In
What I miss: Wine, skinny jeans, bras that fit.
What I am looking forward to: Telling the rest of the family and our friends.
Contractions: Not even close.
Milestones: Telling my family about the baby and actually seeing facial features in the last u/s!

Weeks 5-10 Recap

November 25, 2009:
On the three year anniversary of the Mr. proposing, we had a positive pregnancy test! What a great day-before-Thanksgiving surprise!

November 27, 2009:
On my 35th birthday, a blood test confirms that we are, in fact, having a baby- due date August 2, 2010. Two hours later I bought "What to Expect While You're Expecting" at Target and read it over lunch....not at all excited, right?



I figure that I'll be positively ginormous in a few short months and might like to look back at what used to be me. So, this is it, my "before" shot.







The next time I remembered to snap a pic was at 8 wks, and I'm clearly more bloated already!


There are cuter pics I could post, from the early ultrasounds, but I'm sure that it would just look like a blob to anyone but me- we were "lucky" that since I'm old and ended up being pretty sick a couple of times early on in the pregnancy we've had more ultrasounds already than most people get in 40 weeks. By week 10 we'd seen the baby's heartbeat 3 times!




I'm nearly out of the first trimester, and so far the hardest thing has been keeping this from everyone we love. We'll share with family at 11-12 weeks and then with friends thereafter, but I'm a blabbermouth, so it has been tough. Let's be honest, I'm no strange to a glass (read: bottle) of wine, so pretending to drink or coming up with excuses for not drinking has been a part time job.

Otherwise, I've been getting stir-crazy with my Dr's orders not to work out in the first trimester (this is the longest I've EVER gone without exercise), eating more and more (though the Mr will tell you I'm still not eating enough), and peeing pretty much constantly. Oh, and I'm TIRED. Maybe since I'm getting up to pee all night, but I cannot keep my eyes open most of the afternoon, and I'm ready for bed at about 8pm.

All worth it though :)