Week 11: Belly Pictures!

Ok - so I went ahead and took a picture of my belly this morning. I did it myself and I don't think it's the prettiest shot out there, but ah well. I don't think it'll be pretty until it starts looks less like a fat belly and more like a pregnant belly ;)

Without further ado.... (lol - I first wrote 'adieu', but found this: "It's "Without further ado," not "without further adieu." "Ado" means "fuss" or "delay." "Adieu" is not a noun but a complete statement which simply means "goodbye." - lol!)

Week 5 belly shot - hmmm, I should have thought about putting the toilet seat down!





















Week 11 (that is, today should be either Week 11 or week 10, day 6). I'm actually kinda' holding my stomach in... ;)

Week 11: Baby Names

So, I have been meaning to write about this at some point, but got my first question here (thanks Bounty!) about if we have started to look at names for the baby. Of course, we have plenty of time; we don't know the sex of the baby yet; but I also know that this is something that takes people FOREVER to decide. And with good reason! Your baby is stuck with that name for the REST OF THEIR LIFE!

The short answer is: yes, we know what our baby's names will be. For anonymity purposes - I will say B or G in this blog for the names (b for boy; g for girl). Sorry!

So- What is the long story that I wanted to share about our kid's name?................. I am a naturally born (as opposed to naturalized - I'm not making a statement, just clarifying my culture growing up) white American, brought up in Northern California (Contra Costa County). My husband is Jordanian and grew up in the Middle East (mostly the Gulf). I bring this background info up because of how the baby's names are chosen within that culture vs with most people in the US.

In the Arab world - and this can be Christian, Muslims or Jews who are Arabs (although please allow for family preferences as I'm sure you can find people who DON'T do this) - people are MAJORLY into their family. If you think that the US is in any way family orientated - it is nowhere NEAR family-orientated compared to cultures in the Middle East and Asia (and bits of North Africa). In many of these places, there is a very BIG emphasis on the goodness of marrying and having kids and treating your parents well, etc.

How does this relate to a baby's name? Well, it is pretty common (although not for everyone) for men and women to know what their child's name will be by the time they are around 13 years old. At this time, the children are hitting puberty and one way to honor their transition into adulthood is to address them, as an adult, by their future children's name. (yes, the male names usually come first) You may have seen in the news or history books when someone is called Abu (name) or Om (name). This literally means Father of (name) or Mother of (name). (it also goes the other way with Ibn - son of (name)) You are proud of your children (of course!) and likewise - once the child is born, it adds to the idea that you don't want to do anything bad so that your parents are associated with something bad you do (obviously this can be more complicated, but I'm giving general gist's here).

So, my husband knew what he wanted to name his kids by the time he was 13. He would be CALLED by this name within his family. It's a pretty big deal.

Now, this isn't to say that I have no say in the matter. And I'm sure this comes up a bit more within Arab-to-Arab marriages... And, this does seem to only be something that comes from people who grew up in that area - I know Arab-Americans who have never put this thought into the naming of there kids (lol - which has created some drama as they name their kids and it's not following the 'traditional' practices... Well, more confusion on the part of the family still in the ME rather than drama. "The middle name is what? That doesn't make any sense! How will they know who the father is?")
Anyways, I know that if I don't like the names or something like that, I can discuss that and we would find a new name. But, this was also something that we talked about before we even got married (naming the kids with an Arabic name that is; more than anything else - although I think I knew the names because F would be called by it).

So, I like the names and kinda' think the entire process it interesting - also, I didn't have any names in mind anyways. :) Our biggest issue now is trying to figure out how to SPELL the names in English so that it is pronounced correctly. We are not going to switch the names because of this -- at some point I would like to move to the Middle East (probably the UAE due to jobs) and these names are super good ones for that area. The biggest problem in the US is the pronunciation - Americans usually pronounce one part of it with a hard 'a' where it should be more like an 'an' like in 'ton.' lol - we keep coming back to this and how to spell it to help it be pronounced correctly in the US! But, I technically still pronounce my husband's name wrong (I actually have to think in a British accent to pronounce Arabic correctly - it's because of the vowels) so I'm not too worried about this :) Poor kid!

So, I wanted to share this in my blog because it's a part of me and because I know that to many people it sounds like I'm losing out on the 'naming process.' I already got at least one comment on that. I like to share the background to the naming process instead of just saying, " yes, it's ___________" because I think it's a very unique cultural thing that is not bad... It's different from how we name in the US, but it's not bad.

In our family, the mix of American and Arabic cultures is a major part of who we are and I want to share that with people because I love to answer any questions people have - based on MY personal observations, of course - and I think that this type of dialogue is very important. I encourage my family to ask questions and likewise, please let me know if you have any questions. Btw, we have been married for about 5 years, so I should be able to answer most questions - heck, I've probably asked them, plus more!

Oh - yes, we also plan to raise our kids to be bi-lingual (I also want to throw in French, but I don't know much so I'm not sure that will happen). I have read a bunch of cool stuff about this, but please let me know if you have any advice. A friend of mine has 3 kids (she is German and her husband is American) and she said the biggest challenge is making the language learning fun and that the kids will tend to speak English to each other because that is the dominant language here and in school. (she had a great plan for a while where she would send her kids to Germany in the summer for soccer camp... fun + have to speak German to get along with other kids!)

Anyways - I did like the baby names link at http://www.bounty.com/babynames and found some Arabic names that I didn't know were Arabic!

Aida - Girl Meaning - Reward
Akilah - Girl Meaning - Intelligent, Logical
Amber - Girl Meaning - Reddish-Yellow Precious Jewel
Anisa - Girl Meaning - Friendly
Bethany - Girl Meaning - House Of Poverty
Cala - Girl Meaning - Castle
Jed - Boy Meaning - The Hand
Kadin - Boy Meaning - Friend, Companion
Kamilah - Girl Meaning - The Perfect One
Leila - Girl Meaning - Born At Night, Black (well, I think I knew this one)
Martha - Girl Meaning - A Lady (ok - I'm wondering about some of these! Huh, I found another one that says Aramaic so I can see that now)
Rihana - Girl Meaning - Sweet Basil
Selima - Girl Meaning - Peace
Shakira - Girl Meaning - Grateful (this makes sense - the singer is half Lebanese)
Tabitha - Girl Meaning - A Gazelle
Xavier - Boy Meaning - Bright (another one I question - huh, I looked it up and had Arabic, Spanish and Basque under origins!)

Week 11: should I start taking belly pictures?

This seems to be the time of pregnancy when most women do start taking pregnancy pictures. I did take a picture about a month ago - farewell pre-pregnancy body! - but it was in my pjs and I'm not sure if I want to show THAT off. I'll have to find another picture :)

I'm not the most consistent when doing stuff like this, but maybe I can get in that habit. It seems best to get some clothes that you can wear the whole time so that your focus is on the belly and not on anything else...

I think it would be fun to do... I sure hope I don't have an ugly belly!

I guess right now I also feel rather fat. I know, I know - I'm pregnant. But, I have gained more weight than your supposed to - 7 pounds so far instead of 5 MAX! And, you just don't look 'pregnant' in week 11. I do wear maternity pants for work - they are SOOO comfy! But, otherwise, I feel very NOT toned and basically lazy and kinda' fat. :(

I keep telling myself I'll be better once I get more energy and start swimming in the next few weeks. I used to go in the am, but I'm too tired so I'm going to try the pm. But, pm can be hard - it competes with evening commute and dinner! Come on B! A little effort! lol

So, wish me luck with all this and let me know if you liked taking the pics or are just kinda' eh about it. I'm not sure yet. It may be one of those things that I do and then just delete later...

Week 10 - Tired, tired, TIRED!!!

Tired, tired, tired!!!! I have been nothing but tired!!! And very distracted. I'm feeling like I'm getting behind on my work - although in reality I think I'm better off than I was a few weeks ago.

But, it's a very strange kind of tired. It's not a regular, I'm sleepy tired. Or a, I'm sore from working out. Or, I'm bored from work... It's a tired where you are... I guess it's kinda' like being sick with the flu. You just don't feel right and your brain is a bit foggy.

It's particularly bad for me in the morning. I am getting up later and later because I'm just too tired to wake up! Of course, I get up to go to the bathroom and then go lie down again. lol - I'm on the toilet for about 30 minutes... I'm not constipated, but it takes about that long to get things 'moving.' (I need to get some gas out first) Then, I just want to lie down again because I feel so tired. It was particularly bad yesterday and I ended up not taking a shower and being an hour and half late to work!! Thank goodness my boss is super and let me just stay late to make up the time (I'm doing that for an hour today).
It really sucks - mostly because I feel like I'm being lazy and more that I'm being a bad worker. I am taking FOREVER to do my tasks at work. That may be in part because things are a bit slow and un-exciting, but I think it's also because my head is a bit foggy! My cousin said to be sure to keep sticky notes around - I do that usually and do find that they help, but I'm also making a list of things to do. That seems to be helping a bit too. I may have to start putting deadlines on them though :)

I hope I stop feeling so tired going into the 4th month... I think exercise would help, but I've been so tired so far. I used to swim in the morning, but that's not working. I want to try in the afternoon, but that's when I go home and cook dinner and clean and stuff. So, I have to figure something out soon.

Week 9: clothes

In the last 2 days, I all of a sudden can't really fit into my pants. :( That's not very fun... I'm not really 'showing,' but I am certainly getting bigger. The good news - I weighed myself today and I'm the same as last week! That is a good thing, because this last two months I have CERTAINLY gained more weight than I should. I think it's because I have been so tired and not moving. I'm better now and my eating is a bit different as well - slightly smaller meals. My goal is to only gain about 1/2 pound every week or two until 2nd trimester. That is more 'normal' and on track.
But, my stomach is still kinda' sticking out. At work yesterday, I ended up unbuttoning the top two buttons of my pants while sitting down (I have my own office and wore a long shirt). The day before, I wore a skirt with the stretchy waist. (which I think made me look bigger) Today, I have some pants that usually don't fit well - they are doing ok :) Last night, we had dinner with friends and I wore that 'baby belt' over my jeans. It's kinda' like a black tube top that is meant to 'hold up' your pants so you can leave them unbuttoned until you get new pants.
I'm not a big fan of it - it LOOKS fine, but I also have a pretty big butt (!) and it kinda' slides up and so I'm always pulling it down.

This weekend, I'm going to go and check out pants. It seems so early, but I think it's about time. It seems like they now have pants that have the 'baby belt' built into the pants, which means they expand as the months so by. I'll ask the store if they hold up, but I need some work pants. I think I'm also going to need to get some long(er) shirts to cover my growing bump.
Looking online, the Maternity Place (or something like that)has decent pants for pretty cheep. I looked at Old Navy and Gap first because I always like when pregnant women wear their stuff - the pants are a bit more than the other place, but the shirts were very nice. So, I will shop around and see what is good.

Otherwise, today at work I'm pretty tired and distracted - yesterday I was pretty good! I don't like this changing back and forth... I am certainly better in the afternoon, so I have to start finding tasks to do in the morning that don't require much thought...

Week 9: Smells

Ok - I've decided to put in the week the week I'm IN - so in this case, I'm 8 weeks 3 days and IN the 9th week. That seems to be how most sites and books handle it...
Yesterday was the first day that I really noticed smell aversions. I always have seemed to have a heightened sense of smell - particularly around my period. But, nothing so bad. Until yesterday. I was ok for the day and then when I came home, I lied down. (I'm still very tired) So, my brother-in-law actually made dinner and when I came down - OMG! The smell was just... bad! It was just rice and chicken - nothing exotic, but it did NOT smell good. Now, my b-i-law makes VERY good food, so that was just weird. But, I couldn't really even eat it because I didn't like the smell. So, I heated up some corn and had that. But, the entire time, I was smelling other stuff and nothing was right. So, we finished and had ice cream (yay!) and then I actually got a fruit bar after that because I was still hungry, but didn't want smell. I don't think I'll do that again - I think the fuit bar may have too much sugar - but it was so weird. So, I'm not sure about tonight. I think that I won't worry about hurting feelings and just make something for me and let my husband and b-in-law get their own things. :) I did get really hungry about midnight (probably due to my lack of dinner) and so took a piece of pizza. Not really what I wanted, but better than nothing....

The other thing is that I am having a dickens of a time getting up in the morning. I'm not really neasuous, so it's not that, but I don't feel good. Kinda' like a have a good flu blug or something. So, I have been getting up - going to the b-room (thank goodness I don't have constipation!), sit there for awhile - tmi! but I need to sit for stuff to get going..., go back into bed, lie down for a bit more, then get up and get going. THIS IS NOT A GOOD PLAN! It taking me around 1 1/2 hrs to get up!!! I think it's because I need to eat, but I'm not a morning eating person and I CERTAINLY don't want crackers or something like that in the morning. I don't even like water in the morning!!! So, that is another thing I got to figure out. I'm hoping it'll go away after the first trimester.

If it continues, maybe I should see about getting into work around 10 am instead of 9 am...

Telling the Boss- week 8/9

So, I finally told my boss that I was pregnant today. I started with "I know it's early, but...." because - I am only 8 weeks and like 2-3 days pregnant. Hopefully, everything will go well...
Anyways, he was super understanding. He actually works a lot around his kids schedules and so was very nice about everything. I am going to see if I can't find a graduate student to intern during the spring for when I am out and I think that will work well. :)

Other than that - I REALLY need to get my work ass in gear. I feel like I have been very distracted and slacking off. Boss is out for most of this week so I need to use that time to FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS! Unfortunately, I have student workers (1 is great, 1 is :P most of the time, and 1 is too shy). So, that usually takes a lot of my energy, but I have projects for them to do so hopefully they will be out of my hair. :)

I am going to tell another coworker tomorrow that I'm pregnant and so I'll let that cat out of the bag!

First OB's Appointment

So, yesterday I had my first OB appointment. It was actually much quicker than I thought it would be. It was kinda' like a regular OBY/GN appointment, but with an ultrasound. The ultrasound, of course, we VERY cool and lots of fun to see. Because I'm so early (my due date got moved back 1-2 days, so I'm now 7 weeks, 6 days pregnant today), they did the internal ultrasound. Which means that instead of going over your belly, they lube up a dildo-looking thing and stick that in you to get the picture :) I heard about this before (thank goodness!), but it was still funny to see her lube that up, put a condom on it, and lube again before sticking it in me.

But, it was very cool to see the ultra-sound - my favorite was SEEING the heartbeat. That was so cool!!! We then heard it for about 5 seconds and went back to looking at the screen. Looking at it first, I thought the head was to the left, but it was the right. Now, I see it right away, but it's a bit disorientating at first.

We also saw the 4-D image, which wasn't that interesting as it didn't look quite so like anything ;) I was surprised that she did the 4-D; I always thought that was by request. I read another blog where she was deciding if she should do it because she always thought they looked like aliens and whatnot. But, my doctor did it right away! Hmmmm.
Anyways, they didn't take blood, but between weeks 10-12, I will probably go for another ulta-sound (outside her office because my insurance doesn't cover it inside the office) where they will test the size of the sac (?) behind the neck and take blood to determine any problems like Down Syndrome. They also determine if there are any other problems - the other two which would cause for reason to terminate the pregnancy. This is because those run a high chance of the baby not surviving more than a few hours after being born and so it recomended by doctors to terminate if these problems are found at this point. They don't recomend termination if Down Syndrome is found, since you can't tell how much the child will be affected by this.

I did some googling, and found that apparently almost 90% of people who find that their child will have Down Syndrome do terminate the pregnancy. I thought that was interesting because, obviously, the syndrome presents challenges, but there is so much unknown about how the child will grow up with it at this point. Of course, there is very little chance that the person would be completely independent and they usually don't have children.
Anyways, my stats:

Blood pressure - good (I can't remember what it was... 76/118?)
Baby heart rate - 168 beats per minute
Baby size - 1.3 cm (0.5 inches)

Yay! :) So, I will call about the second screening and blood test and hopefully all that is fine. Apparently, with that exam, there is a 5-10% of a false positive and a 75-90% chance they will actually catch anything wrong. If they think something is wrong, there is a second test that you can take which involves a needle that goes through your belly into the sack to pull out DNA stuff.

First Doctor's Appointment - 8 weeks

Tomorrow I *finally* get to my first doctor's appointment. I know, I know - there is a chance of miscarriage between 1-8 weeks, but I still think that for 1st time moms they should bring you in to at least confirm the pregnancy at 6 weeks. Of course, my mom was saying that before pregnancy tests, they waited until you missed 2 periods anyways to be sure you were pregnant. Ah, the state of women's health in the world. You would think that overall there would be more knowledge in this field...

Anyways: "Here's what you can expect your doctor or midwife to do on your first visit:" from http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-first-prenatal-visit_9344.bc

Take your health history
Do a genetic and birth defect history
Explain your options for prenatal genetic testing
Check you out and run some tests (a thorough physical, including a pelvic exam. She'll do a Pap smear. Next, she'll order routine blood tests to identify your blood type and Rh status, and a blood count to check for anemia. She'll also have the lab test your blood for syphilis, hepatitis B, and immunity to rubella (German measles). will ask for a urine sample to test for urinary tract infections and other conditions.

Counsel you and let you know what's coming

So, all of that seems pretty normal. F has decided to come with me, which is probably good - in particular if we do an ultrasound. I think he would like that. Plus, he can drive :) I'm going to work in the morning, but leaving at 12pm to pick F up and get to the doctors by 12:50. I am glad for the appointment because I've just been reading stuff and it'll be good to see exactly where they think I am. I can't really think of any questions - I mean, everything seems normal (besides my weight) and people have been doing this for years and years with much less knowledge so I figure they will tell me everything I may need to know or point out things. Right?

When I was just looking up this info on Baby Center, they had a video of a women being given an epidermal. I kinda' thought I would get that... watching the video, I'm not so sure. Of course, I don't like needles anyways, but it doesn't look fun. (or course, the whole thing doesn't look too 'fun,' but why add more? ;)) We'll see. The main thing I had always noticed was that people who did it naturally kinda' panicked during the pregnancy because their body felt out of control, while people with the epidermal seemed a bit more mellow. Then again, I can have births like my mom where we were born in 2 hours, 45 min, and 3 hours - respective to each kid. (I was 45 min - the doctor didn't have time to put on his gloves before I was born!

I'm not going to tell you anything if you give me stupid responses (8 weeks)

So, my sister is a nurse. Who, when she was in college, worked in a woman's health center at our local hospital. So, she has always been pretty good about giving advice in a pretty clear manner and not giving hype. But, she ticked me off today.
All and all, I don't think I'm too cranky being pregnant. I haven't been really sick, but have been nauseous. This past weekend I did throw up for the first time, but I don't think that had so much to do with pregnancy than the fact that I decided I wanted donuts at 1:30 am and ate a bunch of munchkin donuts holes. All that sugar and fried dough probably didn't help me much. Ah well. No more donuts.
But, this whole last month I have been pretty TIRED. That, and that when I would walk it is pretty hot outside (it is summer), means that I haven't been doing much physical activity. Now, I'm not the most physical person anyways, but I can tell there was a drop.
Also, normally, if I have more than 1,200 calories a day, I gain a pound. (I'm 5 foot, 7 inches) Now that I'm pregnant, I am eating around 1,800 calories a day - something that is normal. And, where before I didn't really follow so much what I ate, I'm not eating pretty darn healthy. I haven't even WANTED soda, coffee or most fried foods. I'm pretty much into complex carbs, fruits (that's very new for me - I don't really eat fruits), veggies (about the same as before, but corn is AWESOME!), and beef/chicken as normal.
But, I'm 8 weeks and have already gained around 5 pounds. Which, is more than what I should have at this point. Everything I read says, DON'T LOSE WEIGHT no matter what. So, I do figure that now that I'm starting to get more energy back (I hope it stays!), I will be more active and be able to better balance my activity and intake to stop gaining so quickly. (or, maybe I have twins or am further along than I thought... wishful thinking! lol)
So, my sister ticks me off because when I told her this, she is like, well you need to eat small meals. "I AM" Well, smaller. "I'M EATING ONLY 1,800 CALORIES A DAY." Hmm, maybe less bread. "I ONLY EAT 2 SLICES OF BREAD IN THE MORNING UNLESS I HAVE A SANDWICH FOR LUNCH" Less pasta? WTF? Like, less than what I do now? I don't do that much!!
Yesterday, my meals where:
Breakfast - multi grain bread with peanut butter
Snack - grapes
Lunch - Corn, Chicken breast
Snack - banana
Dinner - multi grain bread, 3 scrabled egges and 2 slices American cheese

For a total of 1,701 calories. Which, is pretty normal.

So, if I have enough energy, I walk at lunch about 30 minutes (to the mall and back). But, I haven't had much, so I figure that is why I have weight gain. And if I get my energy back, I can start walking more or start swimming again. All the sites say that swimming is the BEST for pregnancy, so that is easy for me. My body doesn't look too much heavier outside of my middle part and my chin a bit. But my arms acutally seem almostmost more toned and my neck is normal.

I was just annoyed at my sister for saying stupid things... We'll see when she is pregnant. She doesn't like to do much now... j/k

Week 7: tired with a house guest

WARNING: NOT SO MUCH ABOUT PREGNANCY AS MY GUEST :)
(who I love and is super sweet, but the timing is BAD)

This week is kicking my butt. :) I am very tired, although I think I'm tired because I feel pretty nauseous. Not throwing up or anything (hopefully I won't), but just very blah all the time. It's not making me want to eat. Actually - I really want to eat a chicken salad or tuna salad sandwich, but apparently I should stay away from mayo because it has raw eggs. :( Maybe I can make a chicken salad sandwich tonight with sour cream :) That works.

The other bad thing is that my HS friend is here (for about a week - she leaves tomorrow!) and while I'm glad she is here, there are 2 things:
1. Apparently, what I do is not 'work' and she thinks I can just take of time for her.
2. I am pregnant and not feeling 100% which I can't really explain because I'm not saying anything yet

I probably could tell her, but she is one of those people that would probably be all "oh, how sweet" and blah, blah, blah - there just isn't that much to talk about at 7 weeks and I don't want to go through the whole girly stuff because that's not me! Yes, I can obsess in my own way - but I don't go freak-out and girly like that. In fact, F and I have a basic no 'cutie' stuff for the baby :) Babies are cute - we just aren't really going for the pastels and stuff. Primary colors work better :)

So, I go to work and my friend goes around DC doing the tourist thing during the day. Then we come home, eat and relax. Thankfully, she does seem tired from all of the walking and tourist things so I don't have to entertain much.

It's funny though - she has been living in the Middle East/Gulf for about a year now - she is working at the ---------- ------------- School in elementary ed (I think part of the reason why she thinks my office job is easier than hers.... ha!! Her day is shorter and seriously is less stressful -- I deal with kids going through MAJOR changes in life and, as an administrative in this whole global endeavors, makes them feel like I'm responsible for their entire time abroad, housing, flights, etc, etc. :0 It's not bad - I love my field, but I swear, students are getting stupider and stupider and more dependent on 'adults.' Which, I have to break the news for them that when they go abroad they ARE 'adults' and are VERY MUCH expected to act like it) Anyways, I don't think my job is more draining than hers, but it's very annoying as people think most of my job is traveling and fun and IT IS ACTUALLY WORK!! Like any other job. Except I do admin stuff, marketing, teaching, supervising, accounting... all rolled into one! (which makes it fun, but it's not just doing nothing! shesh)

Anyways - I was getting too... She has been living in the MidEast for about 9 months. The thing about living abroad, particularly in many parts of Africa, Asia, Latin American and the Middle East, is that you don't really live IN the culture, but live within compounds or at least only meet up with other expats. This happens VERY often in the Gulf like Saudi, UAE, Qatar where you have cities with such large (40-80%) communities of expats and/or you live/work in compounds with only those people like where you are from. It can make for a rather odd experience because most of the time it now becomes 150 times harder for you to get into the local culture. Plus, go to someplace like the Gulf and you have to also come to grips that the Gulf is pretty 'new' and so your not going to find many old buildings and stuff because that's not how everyone really lived and most of the past 50 years has been spent building fantastic new buildings. AND, in the ME, most the culture is so that you don't really get 'into' the culture unless you know a family who is already there. It's a protective family thing. But, that makes it extra hard for visiting workers as well. Which leaves them with a culture that is working abroad, but really with other expats and, as people not having to pay much taxes and having their housing and other things covered by their employer... they have lots of cash. Which equals = eat out a alot and drink a lot. I get a bit frustrated about this, but - from the reasons above - I know why it happens and it's hard to overcome. (however, I do think if people tried to learn the local language, no matter if you don't need it!, it would help)

So, she is living in the ME and shops there and eats out and is getting a bit of the local stuff. (don't get me wrong from above :)) The funny thing is that restaurant food is different from home cooking ME food. And, at my house, we do the home cooking :) Which means, the meals are rice based. As a born and raised American - this is not a rice eating society. We are much more pasta-based. Which means that when you start in with a ME family, you are eating a bunch of rice. Which, can leave you feeling unfulfilled at dinner. So, I can tell that my friend is at that point, but I'm not offering any help. Which, is kinda' bad, but we don't really have anything else. The meal is made with rice and I can't really put pasta in there. Plus, the meal is more veggies and a bit of chicken which is also different. She is used to the ME eating out which is lots of snacks and stuff. Plus, the hummos and stuff is side things that don't mean much to the meal. So, that is a change, but oh well. I wish I could make some of the more fun meals like dumplings and stuff, but I'm not sure if she would like that either since the flavors are different from American food.

And she keeps saying that she doesn't like spicy because she would like to taste the food and not have her tongue burnt... F is holding his tongue and not saying anything to me, but I know he is thinking that her food HAS NO flavor and so the spices are there to help :) I tried to get that to my friend - the idea of do to other what you want done to you is tricky across cultures because some things like you like is NOT considered good in other cultures :) There are fewer universal behaviors than people think (and at the same side, more).

So, that is my daily posting - lots of fun with my friend and I still want to see her in the ME to see what they are all doing with their free time :)

7 weeks - exausted

Sorry - no post for awhile... I'm getting more used to the idea and there just isn't much to share from day to day! :)

In week 6 we told family and a few (4) friends that we are pregnant. I always wanted to wait, but I suppose it's ok to say stuff. I mean, what happens, happens and so far I don't think people would talk too much if something didn't go well...

So now I am about 7 weeks along. Yay! My first dr's apt is next Wednesday when I actually get confirmed that I am in fact pregnant. I keep taking a pregnancy test each week... does anyone else find that it's ridiculous that they don't bring you in earlier? At least for the first pregnancy. I mean, they didn't even tell me to take vitamins or anything so I have been taking things just 'on my own' for the past 4 weeks. I will write a better thing later about the unfairness between women's care and male care...

Anyways, really starting yesterday I am feeling nauseous. Not throwing up (I guess that's a good thing), but just nauseous. And mostly mid-morning through mid-afternoon. If I keep eating, that helps, but once it starts, I don't want to eat.

Plus, I'm getting REALLY tired. After this post, I'm actually going to drive home and take a 1/2 hour nap. I can't really sleep anywhere here (maybe the car) and it's summer so traffic and parking isn't that bad. I can't keep this up though! It's a very odd tired. A week or so ago, it was like exhausted, but different. Now, it's getting mroe into "I can't keep my eyes open." Not good for working...

Hopefully I will work something out. My friend is visiting and staying at our house and I haven't told her I'm pregnant (not until AT LEAST the first dr's apt) so I have to act perky and stuff and that is kicking my butt. I'm super tired. Which is also not good - shouldn't I exercise still? But, if I'm tired... Not good. I'm getting fat, I think. :( Ah well - maybe that'll help to prevent stretch marks ;)

I'll try to write more about what's going on and cool stuff I'm getting from my mom!

week 5 - dizziness

So yesterday and today I have been pretty dizzy. Well, it started Friday. I had something to eat in the am and then had a meeting that didn't let me eat until two pm. By that time I was VERY weak/dizzy. And for the last two days it had come and gone. Which seems to mean I need to eat more frequently. Or that I have low iron.
I do feel more awake today and even did a bit of wii this morning!

Faint - day 39; week 5

No, I didn't faint, but my goodness! I felt VERY faint! It was bad!

This morning I had my normal granola bar. I do know I need to get better about eating in the morning. At lunch, I had to go out to get some legal papers signed (well, I was a wittness) and by the time that was over it was around 1 pm!! I was very hungry and so got food and rushed back to the office - finally able to eat at 2 pm. Now, coming back, I felt a bit off, but by the time I got to the office - I was actually Faint. Like I was going to pass out. My blood presure must be so low. And my student workers are still dumb and don't do things very well or with much effort. (right now, they are reading and not doing anything productive) My boss called (and I was OUT!), which they told me about 1/2 hour after I had gotten back. And a student who I was supposed to have a meeting with at 2 pm apparently showed up early and hasn't come back yet. $20 she tries to blame me. Which - hell NO - I'm not putting up with that. Seriously - I work in int'l ed and if they think I"M unfair for not being in my office until when I said I would be, they have issues going abroad....

Anyways, I still feel very faint and so will finish what I need to do and GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE. I have a friend coming in today and we are seeing a movie at 10:20, but considering how I feel now, I want to lay down before that.

39 days - week 5

You're 5 weeks pregnant
Your baby's age since conception is 25 days / 3 weeks
There are 241 days until your due date! (86.1% to go)
39 days passed - 39/280 represented on the bar chart below

In the know: Your breasts may already be preparing themselves to nurse the baby. They may feel tender and will probably be growing larger. You can help relieve some of the soreness by wearing a soft cotton sports bra (even at night) and also make sure you are not drinking large amounts of caffeine. There are many signs of pregnancy, ranging from those that make you wonder if you might just be pregnant to those that even your caregiver will consider proof positive. Here's a look and the signs and symptoms you may experience, and how likely each one is to be correct! pregnancyandbaby.sheknows.com No kidding! As I mentioned before, my boobs are not so buggy as before (I won't really say 'tender,' but there is a difference), but I certainly can see that they have already grown! After they were itchy, I got some lotion with shea butter and coco butter (?) that has really helped a lot. I put those on every day. They said that because stretch marks come from under the skin, lotion can't really stop them, but it doesn't hurt and it'll help the itching which DOES come from skin stretching. The other thing today... I can't fit into my trousers!!!! Oh no! Why already? That doesn't make sense! Last week I was super bloated, but I'm not really this week. I don't see any difference and isn't it early for that? My weight is about that same... ????????? Now, in the past 8 months I did gain 10 pounds so my clothes were a bit tight. I guess that I have to either buy new trousers or figure out a way to make these work. (there is something like a baby belt that you can use to keep together your pants, while they are actually open? - I think I would need a long shirt to cover that up though) So, I may check that out this weekend to see how that works. I think I also need to buy this weekend something to send to my mom, brother and sister to announce that I'm pregnant. I think I found a good book online (But you don't look like a grandmother - or something like that), but I want to SEE the book before I send it. I don't want it to say something I don't like!!! :) I think for my brother and sister, it's going to be something small.... I'm the first one in my family (siblings - half my cousins are 10-25 years older than me, the other half about 10-15 years younger) to have a kid so I want to make it kinda' fun and special.

38 days - week 5

You're 5 weeks pregnant
Your baby's age since conception is 24 days / 3 weeks
There are 242 days until your due date! (86.4% to go)
38 days passed - 38/280 represented on the bar chart below

In the know: The baby is only about 2mm (1/10 inch) long, but is well nourished and is growing rapidly.

from pregnancyandbaby.sheknows.com

I like this daily email. It doesn't give much info, but I like to see that I am almost 20% through my pregnancy already. It makes me feel a bit less nervous about things. :) I know, I know - what will happen with happen. But, it makes me feel better :)

I need to figure out a better way to sleep. My neck is very sore today and I'm sure it's tied to how I'm sleeping. I'm mostly sleeping on my left - lol. They always say to do that and I didn't think I would because I sleep on my stomach and right side, but I'm actually more comfortable on my left! And I do have a body pillow - even now. I find that as I get ready for bed, I get more cramps and when I lie down, it's best to have my head down, on my side, with the body pillow. But, since my head is normally not to this side, I think it's messing up my neck muscles.

Oh - my 'days' right now really are estimates since I haven't gone to the doctor yet and don't go until week 8. (crazy, huh? They didn't even tell me to take pills or anything now...) I feel like I should be further along, but this is based off my last period. So, I'll update everything when I find out for sure... I mean, I won't change the dates here, but I'll post the 'correct' due date in a later post.

Day 37: week 5

Today I REALLY want something other than water. Not juice, but soda. So, I got a grape soda. No caffeine. It sounds like that should be ok, as long as I don't drink a lot of it. (sugar and other stuff not so good, but not so bad either) Of course, I took one sip and don't feel so much like it anymore. I don't really feel like the water either, but I'm still thirsty. :(
I'm trying to think of a way to tell my mom. I am more of less down to making a calendar for her to 'follow' us along with. Of course, I don't know exactly when I would be due (somewhere around Feb 18th from my figuring out) and so that makes the calendar a bit difficult to do. And, there are no calendars that go from June 2009- Feb 2010 unless you customize it. Which leads me to problem one. I wanted to make stickers like "dr's apt" "sonogram" "week 6-40" "felt kicks" and stuff like that.
But, that is a lot of work, so I may go back to a regular thing of sending her something with 'grandma' on it. Which would still be cute, but I like the calendar better. Because she lives in CA and and I'm in VA, I want her to feel involved. I think it'll be good for her after my grandma died this Feb.
The other idea I thought was cute was to take pictures in 'phrases' poses. Like bun in the oven, barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, pea in a pod, etc. I may do that still.
Also, I want to get something for my brother and sister with aunt and uncle on it to announce it to them. :)
Any suggestions?

Baby Sleeping
I found a good article today on when baby should sleep through the night: http://pregnancyandbaby.sheknows.com/blog/baby-sleep/when-do-babies-sleep-through-the-night/
Now, I may not be good when I have my own kid, but in general my idea of child rearing seems harsh to most people until I see these articles. (and this one: "Can a child have an eating disorder?") Because, I do think that the parents should BE the parents and that kids need to know their barriers and what they can and can not do and LEARN from the parents how to act. My friend's baby knows that when the mom is feeding her, she can be fussy and nothing will happen, but she eats fine with everyone else. Likewise, the baby still sleeps with her mom and she is almost 1 1/2 old! Of course, the baby won't sleep otherwise unless you go to her! We tried, when she was a little baby still to get them to understand that you can leave the baby crying if nothing is wrong, because sometimes babies just cry. They can't express they are tired, so they cry. They don't know how to fall asleep, so they cry. They don't feel good, so they cry. It's fine, they will stop after 10-15 minutes if nothing is wrong. And during those 10-15 mintues - YOU CAN'T BE IN THE ROOM! They see you and know you are there and so will keep it up! Babies are SMART! They apparently know how to manipulate people after like 4-6 months!
So, that is my plan and hopefully that will work fine. As long as I remain calm. And stick to my guns. Because I do NOT want to have a year old child who can't sleep on their own, be feed without fussing or anything like that!! You have to deal with the fussing to get them to do what needs to be done!!!

Day 36: Part 2

Maybe I spoke a bit soon...
This afternoon my boobs have been itching like crazy!!! I don't even think that they are getting much larger (I have noticed a bit, but not a lot), but they are much firmer than before this month. I still feel like they are not as heavy as last week, but itching is supposed to mean they are growing! On the way home, I am getting some shea butter lotion! I have been using lotion on them in the morning, but maybe it's not good enough. (gosh, with all this water and lotion I'm surprised I'm still ichy)
Second thing - around 3 pm I got very hungry. Then a bit frustrated because I didn't know what for. ... Taco Bell! I got a Cruchwrap Supreme which was awsome - veggies, meat and beans + a tortilla and a bean burrito (ugh - can do without that). Now, about an hour later, I feel a bit full, but I'm glad I got that today to eat...
This is after my lunch, but I need to start to change my lunch. Ugh - much more planning! I need to get stuff to eat in the morning and then a more well-rounded lunch. So far this week I had inari and a plum yesterday and apple today. Apparently, that is not enough.
And... every day I get tired around 4 pm. I'm tempted to change my working hours so that I can go home early... But, I would have to get to work earlier and that is probably not going to happen. Of course, as I mentioned before, I seem to be getting up quicker so maybe that'll work at some point! :)

Day 36: Week 5

Starting to do my blog with Day and Week since that annoys me when I start looking at other pregnancy blogs - I hear the symptoms, but I don't see WHEN!! (they usually figure to put in date by about the 6-7th week :))

It's weird because I don't really 'feel' so pregnant anymore. Last week (duh, I tested!), I felt more pregnant - albeit it is a lot like my period coming, but with just a 'different' feel. I could tell that my boobs got a bit bigger (and firmer), my eyes got a bit more tired, I naturally started eating better (then, once I knew, I REALLY ate healthier), I was very thirsty, thirsty for milk (I NEVER drink milk), and I had little cramps (and lots of gas). Now, I feel pretty normal. Kinda' like I had my period already and now it's over. Except at night. For the last two nights I have been SOOOOO hot!

"Week 5 of Pregnancy: Pregnancy Hormones Kick In

The level of hCG (the pregnancy announcer hormone) in your urine is high enough to be detected by a home pregnancy test, so you'll be able to confirm what you probably already suspect: you're expecting!" www.whattoexpect.com

Me: duh! I got confirmed last week. Actually, I still think that is interesting because my period used to be on a 45 day cycle and the month before this, it was like 25 day and so I really didn't think that I should/could be pregnant because I tested on something like the 20th day! Which makes me kinda' wonder exactly HOW far along I am. ... very odd stuff.

And with every odd thing that happens, I get a bit pissed off (well, not pissed off, but I find it interesting) about how much we DON'T KNOW about female medical conditions like pregnancy, hearts and all that fun stuff. Not fair.

So, I don't feel very different, but I don't notice anything that would mean that something bad is going to happen. It just seems like everyone is different and that you basically just wait for a bunch of stuff. .... You wait to see if your pregnant.... You wait for your first dr.'s appointment at 8 weeks... you wait for your belly to get big enough for new clothes... you wait for the birth itself. This is very inexact, which I'm normally ok with going with the flow, but I guess I'm just nervous in general if something happens.... But, I can't, so it's an odd in-between spot.

Week 4-5: Hungry

So, after getting mad at F last night (although it was normal and not hormones!), I woke up this morning quite awake- like a morning person! Yes, it was 11 am, but we sleep in on the weekend and more than that... I was PERKY!!!
So, I don't feel so neauseous or not hungry or bloated, but I have been snacking all day. Which is probably because I'm at home and have all this stuff around. Thankfully, after I wrote it all down, it's not too bad.
But know what is bad? I want to loose some weight. I'm not overweight, but this past 8 months I put on 10 pounds. I'm still trying to figure out why. As much as I can tell, in order to not lose weight, I can only have 1,100 calories a day. Even when I was swimming for an hour!! So now I'm a bit heavier than I'd like. And I shouldn't diet. Of course I won't, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that I hope all this healthy eating helps me out ;)
I really just want my neck/chin area to be thinner. My neck/shoulder is thinner, but I'm still waiting for the other part. Of course,last time I was home, I noticed everyone had that so maybe it's a family thing...
But, aparently I can still exercise. My problem Is that I wasn't very regular about it before so I'm not so sure how much to do now. Yoga seems safe (and swimming) do I'll just stick to those and walking at lunch. That should be fine.

Week 4-5: Paranoia

Sooo, now I'm worrying about every little thing. Well, not so bad, but enough to be googling everything that is going on. Since I am *barley* pregnant, there is still a chance this can not go through. So, what are the signs? And, earlier this week, I *felt* pregnant (hence my taking a test even tough it was early for my period,... but my period has been off latley), but now I don't feel all that different. I was hungry before and eating a lot of dairy, but now I'm not that hungry - or even all that thirsty. Have I just gotten more healthy and therefore my body is happy about that? Or does it mean something else? I'm not even all that nauseous- I was a bit earlier this week. My temperature is a bit high and I'm getting headaches.... see? Over-analyzing.

And the descriptions of miscarriage are so-so helpful:

Women under the age of 35 yrs old have about a 15% chance of miscarriage

What are the Warning signs of Miscarriage:

If you experience any or all of these symptoms, it is important to contact your doctor or a medical facility to evaluate if you could be having a miscarriage:

• Mild to severe back pain (often worse than normal menstrual cramps)
• Weight loss
• White-pink mucus
• True contractions (very painful happening every 5-20 minutes)
• Brown or bright red bleeding with or without cramps (20-30% of all pregnancies can experience some bleeding in early pregnancy, with about 50% of those resulting in normal pregnancies)
• Tissue with clot like material passing from the vagina
• Sudden decrease in signs of pregnancy

Ok - I think I'm ok. Unless I get #3-6...

I have starting writing down what I eat, which is helpful considering I got horrible gas two days ago. I'm not sure why, but it woke me up! :( Great - I'm gassy. How lovely ;) I don't think I'm constipated, but that gas is stopping stuff up.... lovely... I'm also feeling kinda' cramping (which may be more gas) on the right hand side. That sounds normal, I think.

Hmmmmmmmm, what do I feel like now? Pesto pasta! Although I just read that pesto may not be good early in pregnancy? Anyone know? That seems odd. Oh no! I just read that you shouldn't eat mayo because it uses raw eggs!!! Shoot - I love mayo and did have that this week. Awwwwwwww man! Maybe I'll have another pasta with spinach. That sounds healthy :)

week 4-5 - post 2 - Tired

So, I apparently meet my day at 4 pm. Start: headache and tired. Which is not good considering I wake up tired and have been getting to work late all this week. But, if that is the case that I'm tired at 4 pm, I should work on getting here on time so I can at least leave on time every day. I think work will be challenging.

Challenges:
1. Doctor's appointments (this may not be so bad, but I'm really going to use my sick leave! - 17 days worth right now)
2. Nausea/pee (I'm not thowing up, hopefully I won't)
3. Mentality - staying on track with paperwork and students
(need to better organize the files and processing procedures)
4. Prepare to leave - set up procedures book that we have been working on for 2 years. Get in there frequent emails, letters, billing info, etc.
5. Tell boss at.... 10 weeks? (should be pretty 'safe' at that point)

I'm sure I'll think of more

4-5 weeks along

So, I actually started a blog on another site before moving here. Her are some postings from the last few weeks.

So--- so far:

Tuesday, I had an idea that something was up. For the past few months (like 6), my period has been very abnormal. Last January (2008), after 10 years on the pill, I went off. I figured that 10 years was enough and that I shouldn't be on chemicals that long. Which didn't sit well with F as we were not ready for kids. We still are pushing it, but I don't think we would ever be ready, really. Anyways, so I was treated to a year of sex using 'pull out' which F was convinced works and considering I didn't get pregnant, I guess it did in our case. (I'll also checked my period to see when I was fertile and didn't have s-x (do they site you for writing these things?)during that time, but whatever). :)

This year, we decided that we can probably actually start going for it. Of course, between January and April - I had a 90 day cycle. Interesting... then the first month of 'trying' - we aren't that hard core - we had a whole argument about how this works. Right after my period, we... you know... and F thought that would be that. Like ovulation doesn't mean anything... To which I called his junk, 'magic sp--m' and therefore we didn't try 'properly' for the rest of the month to see who was right (I obviously was). hehehehe That was fun. Month two was... I think this last month actually and we were having fun with other stuff so that seemed to work fine. Oh, no - I had my period after 25 days in the Uk and then this is month 3, I think. (who cares?) Our philosophy is that it will happen when it happens and so not to sweat it. Yay! :)

Anyways, so this past weekend, things were feeling a bit different, but nothing unlike my period. But, if it was my period, I would be at like 22 days or something. I have NEVER had early periods, so this was new to me these past 2 months. Anyways, I always starting thinking things and I'm not pregnant, so I figure - "don't be scared - take a test and move on." So, I took the test and it was positive! I was surprised and that day did my whole read stuff and say, 'ok, it may be a fluke or something so I'll try again tomorrow." So, yesterday I took one in the morning (digital) and one in the evening - and both were positive! Very cool. I'm very cautious because things can go various ways, but it's still kinda' cool to know it's possible. (let's face it - there are plenty of reasons for not getting pregnant and so you just can't assume you will)

So, what is going on:
This past weekend and early this week, I have been gorging for ice cream (just a bit) and cheese. I was eating bread and cheese or quesidillas at 10 at night. I figure I'm low in calcium. Now, for the past two days, my appetite is low and I have gas. Not really giving gas, but cramps due to gas... booo... And I'm starting to be a bit tired with headaches. Which may be because I'm drinking tons of water and no soda. But, I'm not thirsting for anything like soda or coffee so that's ok. The last soda and coffee I had was this weekend. And I think you can have a bit, but not a lot.

I called the doctor and they don't see you until 8 weeks. ("don't you want to confirm?" "no, we take the at home test.") They didn't even give me instructions. So, I'm left to webpages to see what I can and cannot do. So, I started taking a multivitamin (they have the same as prenatal). That actually does seem go as I'm not craving milk. But, now I'm not that hungry at all! Ah well.

So, now I will update with what is going on until I make things public - my mom in 2 more weeks- everyone else after 8? 10? weeks.

Exciting!... but cautious.

Introductions

Hello!
I'm B and my husband is F. This is mostly a blog for my thoughts while I'm pregnant. There are tons of blogs out there and I'm just adding my story to them. I hope that this is helpful for everyone looking for pregnancy stories. We all have different experiences and so hopefully my notes will help others feel better.
I love the pregnancy blogs - especially after you first find you are pregnant. It's kinda' a weird time because you aren't telling many people about it, but you sure can feel it!
Enjoy this blog and please leave hints and comments!