Bumpdate- 19 Weeks

How far along: 19 weeks, 5 days

Baby is the size of: still a mango, just a bigger one.

Extra poundage: guessing by the increasing size of the belly, i'm guessing at least 7. this Friday i have an appointment so we shall see!

Bump status:getting bigger! i notice i get uncomfortable a lot quicker and easier in most any position.

Favorite food of the week: cottage cheese. totally forgot how much i love it!

Heartburn worthy foods: no heartburn this week! i have been very good about avoiding foods that i know will give it to me since i'm so sick of the heartburn.

Favorite piece of clothing this week: maternity pants! i wore them 3/5 days at work this week and it was so nice to not be distracted by a freaking pair of pants at work.

Movement: i haven't been focused too much on this this week because i've had other stomach issues (think: prune juice), but today while drinking a Preggatini and watching Homeland i felt a bunch of kicks in a row! it was pretty sweet, and i've felt it a few more times since. i can't wait for the hubs to feel.

Sleep: still great! thought Dave claimed i forced the Preggle over on his side one night, in which he subsequently slept on the floor to get more room. oops.
Pee trips in the night: pretty consistent at 2.

Guilty pleasure: nacho cheese Doritos. the other day i HAD to have them and bought myself a bag within the hour. i can't believe i haven't had them so long! they are delicious! and i still have 1/2 a bag left :)

Baby purchases this week:  none. but now that we are fully moved in, i plan on cleaning out LW's closet to be, and getting more organized with all the things we'll need.

Looking forward to: more movement!

Preggatinis: Baby Bump Breeze

it's no wonder that, as any red-blooded American woman would, i've been missing the refreshing goodness of adult beverages. just last week we got our bi-annual shipment of St. Supery's Moscato wine. i already warned Dave that we were saving ALL OF IT until i could have it. and going to the Hollywood Bowl just isn't the same without  your cheese AND wine.

luckily, until this hot weather recently, i haven't been jonesing much for anything alcoholic. in fact, much of the time, it sounds or smells pretty disgusting. but one of our good friends picked this book up for me and last night i tried my first Preggatini! it's a very creative book on mixed non-alcoholic beverages that even have a "de-virginize" section for Dad!

last night's first foray into the Preggatini's was the "Baby Bump Breeze." The ingredients were fairly simple:

1. 2 ounces cranberry juice

2. 3 ounces pineapple juice

3. 2 ounces blood orange Italian soda (which can be hard to find. the easiest way to make Italian soda is to find Torani syrup-available at Bev Mo, and mix it with some Pelligrino. BAM!)

tada! the Baby Bump Breeze!

p.s. i MADE Dave give it to me in a fancy cup, not just a regular glass. i needed the full effect.

isn't she lovely?

yes, my friends. it's the post you've all been waiting for.  last week at our ultrasound we found out that Little Wood is a GIRL! i have to admit, i had no feeling one way or the other before the ultrasound, but was still shocked to hear that she's a she! isn't she cute:

she was actually not very cooperative and kept turning away at JUST the right moment. so there's a teensy weensy chance that the ultrasound tech may have misread the gender, but not by much. i have to admit, at such as early stage the ultrasound was still very blurry to me. the wee babe is still pretty small and for most of the time i was staring at a static-y looking screen. but i was so glad Dave could be there with me to see LW. 

in honor of my new found daughter (SO weird to say!) i purchased an outfit to celebrate. of COURSE it had to have owls! isn't this the cutest!?

and what onesie is complete without some leggings? i couldn't say no to these. i'm not going to be a super girly mom, but a girl's got to have the basics:

all in all, we are both excited to know that a baby girl is in our future. it won't be long before she's here!

Bumpdate- 18 Weeks

How far along: 18 weeks, 5 days

Baby is the size of: a mango

Extra poundage: i'm going to stick with the 5 lbs i know i gained for sure. we don't have a scale at home anymore and the bathroom at the dr's office with the scale was occupied the last time i was there.

Bump status: still a baby bump. the associate at Gap told me i was very petite when i told her how far along i was!

Favorite food of the week: meh, not a whole lot. lately i haven't felt really hungry at all. i'm still making myself eat, but in the afternoons i have to remind myself. 

Heartburn worthy foods: Umami Burger's cheesy tater tots. they are GOOD but man do they burn all the way down. thank goodness i knew this ahead of time and took some Tums!

Favorite piece of clothing this week: i wouldn't say it's my favorite, but my new Maxi dress from Target is pretty darn comfy. i got a few comments at church on the color, even though i was a little afraid it looked like a bathing suit pattern.

Movement: there have been three separate instances this week where i SWEAR i felt movement comparable to kicking. there were three bumps in a row, but i'm still not absolutely sure. now when i lay down, i try and be as still as possible, hoping i can feel it again.

Sleep: pretty freaking good.
Pee trips in the night: 2. there was even 1 night last week when i only went once! so exciting.

Guilty pleasure: i've been digging A&W root beer quite a lot this week. so refreshing! 
Baby purchases this week:  finally, i can say yes! at our ultrasound we found out the sex of the wee babe and i bought some gender appropriate clothes. separate post to come! 
Looking forward to: bonding more with LW, especially now that i know what we're having :)

p.s., how much better is this picture? i got a new camera this week and it's glorious!

stretchy pants

this last week at work has proven most uncomfortable. last Monday i attempted to pull on a pair of black dress pants and they wouldn't even come close to zipping.  not even the belly band could manage this one. so, i relegated them to the back of the closet for another day. my only pair of maternity pants still needed to be hemmed so i was beginning to find myself up a creek.


at lunch that day i decided to go to the Old Navy in Fullerton since they are only 1 of 2 in my area that carry maternity. so i drove myself over, only for the first associate to tell me they don't carry it anymore, and that i would have to drive to Brea. i was super pissed because i had JUST checked the website before coming over and it clearly stated they carried maternity! I was so irritated that i actually wrote to Old Navy when i got back to the office and let them know that they needed to update their website. i think it was the panic setting in that i was quickly approaching a pantless wardrobe.  there was a Target Greatlands in the same shopping center so i figured i would see if they had any work pants i could find. i've since come to find out that i simply don't fit well into Liz Lange for Target. they are too baggy and just don't make me feel good about myself. but i did find this little number instead!

yes, it's not work appropriate but i haven't found a lot of maternity that i like so i figured i would take advantage of the situation.

anyways, my mission on Saturday was to actually find pants so i went to South Coast Plaza.  they have the only Gap in the vicinity that also carries maternity, even though it's a bit of a pathetic selection. i found pants that i liked, and they even had the right length for my short legs, but there were no pants in my size with the right length. i also was a little hesitant in spending $65 on them. i figured if i couldn't find anything else i could always order online. but i wandered over to Destination Maternity and had someone pull a crap load of pants into a dressing room for me.  and lo and behold, pants that fit me exist! and only for $35!! i can't wait to wear these to work (i never thought i'd hear myself say that) and not have to constantly adjust my belly band to make sure i'm not flashing the entire world.  i picked up some in black:

 

and some in gray:

this is a scary picture, but the stretchy band is going to give me a run for my money, this i'm sure. i'm going to check back for more colors, because i can't beat the price and they're pretty darn comfy. here's to stretchy pants!

It's a...

any guesses on what color i will be painting my nails this morning??

Bumpdate- 17 weeks

How far along: 17 weeks

Baby is the size of: a sweet potato- how cute!

Extra poundage:  i haven't checked since my last doctor appointment, but i'm willing to guess i've added at least a pound.

Bump status: definitely getting out there. i haven't had a stranger ask me if i'm pregnant, but i catch people lingering just a little longer than normal

Favorite food of the week: cheese! and i just got an email back from Trader Joe's telling me my favorite Blue Cheese and Pecan dip is pasteurized! so now i'm going to eat the rest of the tub. gladly.

Heartburn worthy foods: i had a lamb kabob the other night at one of our favorite Greek Restaurants, Orea, and while i didn't get major heart burn, i did a wee bit. luckily, i think my heart burn days are dwindling for now.

Favorite piece of clothing this week: sports bras. not only did we move this weekend, and a sports bra was quite essential, i've had to start sleeping with one on as well. i haven't adjusted in size AT ALL up top, but when i wake up in the morning, it's like i have two, heavy, achy, sandbags dangling from my chest. owwee.

Movement: nothing for sure. i felt two tickles the other day and a weird feeling yesterday. but since i haven't felt anything consistent, i'm guessing it was just rogue underwear.

Sleep: better. starting to have a love affair with my pillow. the weather is cooling down (except for the two 100+ days over the weekend when we were moving) and i have been sleeping deeper. amazing.
Pee trips in the night: 2-3. i'm trying to prepare myself for my upcoming ultrasound by drinking lots of water so i'm going a little more.

Guilty pleasure: probably cheese. i keep buying these cheese plates from Trader Joe's and they are the ultimate snack. i can't help myself.

Baby purchases this week:  still no baby purchases. i think after tomorrow's ultrasound that all may change, especially since we've moved and now have a bedroom and closet for the wee babe.
Looking forward to: movement. i have to say at this stage in the game, i'm super anxious to feel LW move around in there. it would provide me with some reassurance that things are a-ok!

p.s., i need to get a photographer who doesn't blur every photo they take of me!

is this a good look for me?

a few posts back i remarked on my gradual foray into maternity wear. i also mentioned the pros and cons of the idea of the "belly band." while i do like the flexibility it gives me in remaining in my pre- pregnancy pants, i hate hate hate that it gives me a lumpy midsection i just can't hide. i still don't understand how people say they wear this in lieu of actual maternity pants. i guess if i wore, ill-fitting, drapey, maternity shirts 24/7 i could get away with them, because then i wouldn't look like this:

see how obvious? this doesn't look natural.

anyways, since i nearly flashed everything below the belt last week at work when my belly band scooted up and my zipper was obviously down since i can't zip them anymore, i decided it was time to take the plunge and buy some new pants.  somehow i scored the last pair of black dress pants at Target today (what, pregnant women don't need to wear nice pants to work? sheesh!)  and walked away with these:

they are very scary in this picture and actually don't look this awful. mine don't have those horrendous pleats, but you get the picture. i'm hoping they are as amazing as everyone says they are!

babies are expensive!

or should i be more specific at this point and say that pregnancy is expensive?

case in point:
it's been hot out. and i literally feel at times like i am an oven. needless to say- sweaty and tired. so we've been sleeping with the air on and it's been GLORIOUS! i feel like i can breathe, and it's actually nice to snuggle under the blankets instead of feeling like they are smothering me to death.

but then the electric bill came over the weekend and my party has ended, per the husband. our bill had tripled! seriously Southern California Edison? don't you know how hot it is? i feel like if i didn't have the air on at night i would suffocate both myself and my unborn child. not to mention that my downstairs neighbor has been running her AC 24/7 and her unit is blowing hot, exhaust air right into our bedroom window non-stop. i should say that our initial bill was not huge- in fact, it's under $50 so even if it tripled, it's money well spent in my opinion.

so we are going cold turkey, or rather HOT TURKEY, and sweating it out at night. it's been miserable. it feels humid and stifling in the house and my sleep the last 2 nights has been mediocre at best. coupled with the fact that i somehow pulled the h-e-double hockey sticks out of my left groin muscle (thank you Hollywood Bowl), going to bed is not my favorite activity anymore. i have literally prayed every day that God would provide respite from this awful weather. it's SEPTEMBER. i'm sick of hot weather, and so is Little Wood.

and that's my first pregnancy rant. i hope you enjoyed ;)

Bumpdate- 16 Weeks

 

How far along: 16 weeks

Baby is the size of: a turnip

Extra poundage:  checked in at the doctor having gained 5 total, which i'm told is perfectly on track.

Bump status: more bumpy every day! still not super firm

Favorite food of the week: nothing is really striking me right now as my favorite. i can still always go for fruit and yogurt.

Heartburn worthy foods: it was a little touch and go a few nights ago with Fresh n' Easy's chicken alfredo, but in the end i didn't feel too bad and quite enjoyed myself.

Favorite piece of clothing this week: i had to go back to work this week after a few days off and mostly experienced everything that was NOT comfortable (aka, nylons). but i have to say that i sported some leggings last night at the Hollywood Bowl and was beyond comfortable.

Movement: nada. the doctor reassures me that since this is my first, i may not until week 20. crossing my fingers!

Sleep: good. getting more used to my Preggle every night!  
Pee trips in the night: 2

Guilty pleasure: Lucky Charms cereal!

Baby purchases this week:  just bottle #2 of my Mustela double action stretch mark cream. LW, you better be nice to me on the stretch mark front. 
Looking forward to: our ultrasound on September 19th

4 Month Dr. Appointment

i had my 16 week appointment today and joined the packed waiting room with a little apprehension.

let me just take this moment to pontificate on waiting room etiquette. if it's otherwise completely quiet (and packed, i might add) then you shouldn't carry on a rather loud conversation with your neighbor. it's weird and annoying. and when someone is taken in to see the Dr. before you are, you should keep all your comments to yourself. and finally, when that person leaves the office and you are still in the waiting room yapping to your friend, you shouldn't sigh loudly, trying to make a point.  maybe you should have been a little more conscientious about your waiting room habits.  i'm just saying.

back to my appointment. since my last 12 week visit, i was expecting to start showing and maybe even feel Little Wood start moving. but my bod's just pudged a little and still no action in utero. i wasn't super worried. but i'm in a weird place, my morning sickness having subsided and still not feeling very pregnant. all that to say i could tell i would have a little bit of high blood pressure when going to the doctor, as i looked forward to hearing the heartbeat again.  it's not uncommon for me to experience this on a usual visit to the doctor, as i've been told i have "White Coat Syndrome" and tend to get nervous before appointments. i even have my own blood pressure cuff for home because a previous doctor thought i had a real issue at the age of 25 and made me take it at home. anyways, i digress.

after a quick pee in cup and 15 minutes of waiting, i got to spend my 6 minutes with the doctor.  and yay! we got to hear the heartbeat! it was still super fast and the doctor predicted a boy. we should be so lucky. and the good news is we will find out on the 19th for my ultrasound!  i'm so glad the hubby got to come again today and that he will make it for the ultrasound.

Preggle me this

a few weeks ago i decided to purchase a body pillow to help me start sleeping on my side. usually, i'm a "sleep in whatever position is comfortable" kind of girl. but now people are telling me which way i have to do this and that and i just can't do it without a little help! since there were practically 12 people at my office who were all pregnant at the same time last year, i asked them for some help. only other people know how to sleep on their side, unlike me, and therefore didn't use a body pillow. rats. so i took to what i know best.

amazon.

only there are 50 different types of pillows and everyone says each one sucks and is great at the same time! how is this possible? so i took the plunge and bought one that looked the least weird, but still has a funny name: the Preggle. behold:

yeah, i know, it still looks weird. but i needed a pilow that i could use with my regular Temperpedic with. so many of the body pillows are an "all-body" experience and require you to wrap your entire frame around them, like so:

 

seriously? how do you get in and out of this thing? and what if you have to go to the bathroom? you don't take it with you, do you? all the pregnancy forums rave about this pillow but i feel like it's the Husband Repeller.

i already feel bad enough sleeping with my back to him the whole night (he sleeps on the right, and since i have to sleep on my left side, well, you get the picture), but this thing is like having an affair.

anyways, the Preggle has some cool features. so far, this is my preferred method of sleeping- with my regular pillow and Preggle in this position:

i sleep the best when it hug it pretty darn close to me, and my bottom leg is straight under the pillow, with my top leg resting on top.

the only draw back so far is that this pillow is HUGE. it's super girthy, and when left under my blankets, it looks like a person is still sleeping in my bed. i have to crawl OVER it when coming back from the bathroom and it takes a few minutes to untangle the sheets and comforter from around it. it has a weird "air flow" strap whose purpose i have yet to figure out.  the price was right at $44, so i guess i can't complain. my only hope is this baby settles down a little and isn't so puffy. otherwise it's going to continue to feel like we're having a threesome.

Bumpdate- 15 Weeks

everyone has probably seen the plethora of pregnancy blogs where women track their weekly bump, moods, etc.  Seeing as how i was turned onto maternity blogs for this same reason, i figured i would regale you all in a similar fashion. only i'll get whimsical and call them my "bumpdates." enjoy!

How far along: last day of my 15th week

Baby is the size of: an avocado! 

Extra poundage:  well, at my 12 week appointment, i had gained 1 whole pound. but not long after i had gained an extra 3, so i'm going to say 4 all together. at least until my 16 week appointment this Friday.

Bump status: i feel like i have an "overall rounding of the stomach", not necessarily a bump. i feel like i'm carrying high already, and don't have the telltale lower bump. plus it still kind of disappears when i lay down. all in good time...

Favorite food of the week: watermelon! i think i ate 10 of the 12 pound watermelon all by myself last week.

Heartburn worthy foods: i didn't know this before today, but apparently Z Tejas' Shrimp and Guacamole tostadas! Tums, here i come.

Favorite piece of clothing this week: my jersey, fold over skirts! thank Heaven for spandex!

Movement: none yet. i keep paying attention hoping to feel Little Wood but he/she is staying quiet for now!

Sleep: pretty good. i'm trying to train myself to sleep on my left side, but i wake up halfway through the night with a sore ear and need to roll over. My newly purchased Preggle pillow is taking some getting used to, but i will prevail.
Pee trips in the night: 2. This is down from the 3 that I was making a few weeks ago. without fail, i have to go around 1-2, then again at 4:30. grrr!

Guilty pleasure: my little bit of caffeine! i allow myself 1 drink per day, and i've been alternating between Coca Cola and Starbuck's Chai Tea Latte. 

Baby purchases this week: i actually haven't purchased a single baby item myself (i count the Dodger onesies as a hubby purchase)! i think i'm subconsciously waiting for our anatomy ultrasound before i do. that, and a room for LW to store said purchases...

Looking forward to: my 16 week appointment, and some heartbeat action. then scheduling our ultrasound!

maternity garb

maternity clothes have always terrified me. i'm not sure if it was because of the actual styles or just the meaning behind wearing them, but they still scare me just a little.  i'm really not in the maternity clothes phase yet, but am still keeping my eye out for what i may like.

i'm still too small to fit into most maternity options, but my regular clothes are uncomfortable to say the least. people keep telling me that i should just buy regular clothes, but in a size larger. i'm not really a fan of that idea because i don't want to look like i'm buying clothes that don't fit me. and while they may give me more room in some areas, it's going to look like i'm swimming in them in others.

i have purchased exactly ONE "maternity" skirt, and i actually think it's pretty cute. i think it's only maternity because of the stretchy waistband, but who cares! It's comfy and i like it:

of course i don't fill it out like this momma does, but that will come soon enough.

in the meantime, and on the weekends, i'm sticking to stretchy maxi and jersey skirts. they are SO forgiving and i never feel uncomfortbale. i picked up a similar skirt as this at Nordstrom the other day:

it's a little different style but the same color and i can mix and match a lot with it. and yesterday, whilst hanging out with my step-mom, she let me borrow some of her Old Navy fold over jersey skirts that she isn't using. Hallelujah! i'm wearing one today and it's heaven.

for my tops, i've been digging into my Target Mossimo Micro-Rib tank collection. I seriously have at least 10 of these in a variety of colors: white, black, brown, navy, pink, mustard yellow, lime green, purple, red, emerald green... Ok i have a lot of them but now they're coming in handy to wear with all my solid colored skirts! Boo-ya! And i've always bought them in a medium so they're longer and now i couldn't be happier because they smooth out my bulgy mid-section.

so far, my changing body hasn't bothered me too much. to be honest, i'm much more comfortable (let's be truthful- skinny jeans aren't all they're cracked up to be) on a daily basis.  i'm trying to enjoy this time while i can, because i know larger days are around the corner!

baby bag

aside from the infamous dodger onesies we bought the wee babe, i haven't done much shopping.  mostly, we just don't have room in our apartment. as it is, i'm keeping all the lovely gifts i've already received in a huge gift bag next to the dining room table. we've been looking for a new place to move, seeing as how we've put off purchasing a house for at least a year, but that's a post for another day.

i've known for quite a while that i wasn't going to be a mom who lugged around a Winnie the Pooh bag, or heaven forbid, a Vera Bradley bag with some gaudy quilted pattern. tell me, how is this a good idea?

anyways, i'm not judging. but this was definitely designed for more of the mini-van type o'mom. which, i most certainly am not (nor will be).

for whatever reason, a baby bag was one of Dave's biggest concerns. we were walking around Nordstrom Rack the other day and he told me to remind him "to get a nice diaper bag- like Burberry." umm, HELLO! no complaints from this lady. however, being a woman, i know how ridiculously priced designer bags are, and can't even imagine how much extra they would charge to sew a few extra pockets into the inside to make it baby friendly. nonetheless, i've been keeping my eyes open.  don't get me wrong, i love me some designer handbags, but i also couldn't justify spending upwards of $500 on a beautiful bag that will no doubt end up with remnants of poop or vomit on it. i think i would cry at the sight (and almost at at the thought).

just last week i was perusing the pregnancy forums and lo and behold, someone shared that kate spade was having a75% off sale. did you hear me, 75% off! and who knew ms. kate made baby bags! not me! since we don't know what we're having and i plan on using just this bag instead of lugging it PLUS a purse around, i wanted something i wouldn't mind carrying all the time, and that was gender nuetral. and one that Dave would carry if i asked him to. hi yo! i found the "Cambridge stripe stevie baby bag" that we both thought would do the trick:

it was about a half hour of frantic emailing back in forth while we were both at work because the sale ended that day and i had this fear that the only bag i'd found that i liked so far would be out of stock, but phew, it wasn't. i know it's a little "beachy" themed but still thought it classy. the inside is silver and comes with at least 8 pockets and a baby changing pad. i love it:

it's a nylon material which means it probably cleans up well (eww, already thinking about what i will be cleaning off) and has enough room for my cell phone.  all in all, i'm pretty excited to whip this baby out when needed.

Goodbye First Trimester

people say that the first trimester is the worst and from my experience, it sure lived up to it's name. wowee, it isn't fun feeling like death all the time and sleeping for 12 hours, only to wake up and still feel tired.  it's also emotionally exhausting. there is so much to wrap your head around, to give up, and to accept.

some emotional moments: nearly crying at Sea World when Shamu came out. for some reason, i couldn't believe how beautiful those huge whales were and i just kept thinking how COOL was God! luckily i was wearing my sunglasses so Dave didn't notice how ridiculous i was being. another emotional moment: crying the week of my birthday when i was beyond tired of feeling sick all the time, feeling like i would never feel better, and pissed that i couldn't do any of the cool spa treatments at Glen Ivy- where Dave was sending me for my birthday.

had to give up: WINE AND BEER! no, i'm not a lush, but holy cow what goes better with pizza than an ice cold beer? not root beer my friends....; hot baths with bubble baths- i literally take a bath EVERY night. well i used to. but since i don't want to hard boil my baby (to borrow Jenny McCarthy's words) and i don't want another yeast infection (sorry, TMI. but you should know that you're more susceptible for such things when you use fragranced soap in the tub), i had to say goodbye to baths. caffeine: i didn't give this up for the whole first trimester but went without completely for 8 weeks. wowzers. i didn't like it. not because i needed the caffeine but because i missed the taste of some tasty treats: coca-cola, coffee... yum; and finally- i had to give up my prescription face cream. this was probably the worst out of everything. i have been struggling with acne since my teens and after 3 years with my dermatologist, we finally figured out what worked. only now i had to give everything up! i was terrified that Little Wood would take away my clear face and laden me with blemishes galore. while i have broken out a bit, it's not has bad as i thought it would be. and at my last appointment, my dr. said i could use one of the creams. Hallelujah!

had to accept: the future- it was going to be drastically and amazingly different, no matter what. eventually there would be lounging around with just the hubby and I- and it made me terribly sad at first; my pants were no longer fitting- probably a first in my life. i've been pretty much the same size for much of my adult life and i liked my pants, just the way they were.

Here are some of the must-haves from my first trimester, which i would recommend to anyone else going through their 1T:

Mustela Double Action Stretch Mark cream: this was my first official purchase as a pregnant woman. i've yet to see the power of this cream, but figured i would start using it early to prevent those unsightly marks. i know it's genetic, but i just have a bad feeling my skin isn't super durable. luckily my mother doesn't have a blemish on her from pregnancy, and i can only hope i follow in her footsteps. anyways this is a great smelling cream and a little goes a long way. though, that doesn't stop me from using a lot! it's around $38 a tube, and i'm nearly on to my 2nd bottle. i don't care about the price though, because i will do whatever it takes to keep those stretch marks away from me!

Preggie Pop Drops: DO NOT confuse these with Preggie Pops- the lollipop version. those suckers (quite literally) come in an array of disgusting flavors like lavender and ginger- two things that do not need to be anymore a nauseous, pregnant women's mouth.  i unknowingly stuck a ginger one in my mouth and almost yacked at the taste. i then proceeded to throw it out the car window.  anyways, Preggie Pop Drops are a must have for MS and traveling. i don't know about anyone else, but being in the car made my MS even worse, especially when my dear husband was driving. i figured out that i needed to be a driver and consume mass amounts of preggie pop drops to combat any length of car ride. but it worked! these are awesome sour candies that you can buy on Amazon or Babies r Us. I recommend Babies r Us because when you need these, you can't wait. and it was about $5 for a pack of 20 or so. money well spent.

CitraNatal Harmony prenatal vitamins: these are prescription prenatals that changed my life. as i mentioned before, my Nature Made vitamins were making me queasy and tasted disgusting.  I mentioned this fact to my doctor, and the fact that i was getting a little "backed up," if you will, from all the iron in my vitamins, so she gave me a sample of these vitamins. They are gel caps, vanilla-scented, and have a stool softener. you can laugh now, but when it's your turn, you will take whatever you can get to get you to go. and these work. don't get me wrong, it's not like ex-lax, but it makes everything a little easier. and i never get sick from them. amazing! it's a prescription so it takes a bit of planning to make sure i don't run out, and it's also a little more expensive then purchasing a large bottle of regular prenatals from Costco. but it still only costs me $9 at the pharmacy and that is money i will gladly play to not vomit up my vitamins.

BeBand- this is the Target version of the belly band which means it's the same product as the $50 one, but only costs $16.99! i've mainly used this to bridge the gap between not being able to snap my work pants and buying maternity pants that i'm still too small to fit in to. i've heard people say they used these for the entire pregnancy and never bought maternity pants and frankly- i think they are liars. this is great to just get you by, but eventually it won't cover up the fact that your pants aren't zipped, that your butt is saggy from ill-fitting pants, and that you have extra bulge in your mid-section that's attributed to 12 piece of fabric (pants, under shirt, belly band, shirt, etc.). it just doesn't look right, but i'm using it as long as possible to make the best use out of my suit pants.

all that being said, i was more than happy to bid farewell to my first trimester and walk into the warm, energizing arms of the second trimester.  i've heard nothing but great things about you second trimester, so lay it on me!

doctor, doctor, give me the news

i'd read that it was common practice for doctors not to see you for your first appointment until 8 weeks, but i was still a little bummed when my doctor did just that. i had to wait almost 3 weeks! in the meantime, did i act pregnant? how was i supposed to know what i was and wasn't supposed to eat? it seemed like it took forever for my appointment to arrive.

i didn't really have a ton of expectations for my first appointment, having never been to one, but i was still a little surprised at how uneventful it was. i'm so glad Dave was able to meet me, but felt bad when the dr. suggested i have a Pap smear! oops! sorry Dave, i bet you didn't plan to see that at my appointment! luckily he had a magazine to keep him company, even though it was still awkward for me. though i'm sure it won't nearly be as awkward as shoving a baby out my va-jayjay in February.

anyways, after the obligatory pee in a cup and the goody bag with some sweet pamphlets, i was nearly on my way. since i was only 8 weeks, the dr. couldn't find a heartbeat with the doppler, which didn't worry me.  then i was off to the lab to get poked and blood drawn and i was done! i walked away thinking, "am i really pregnant? no one told me so..." it was kind of weird.

i had my first ultrasound the next Wednesday which absolutely TERRIFIED me.  not because i was scared of the results but because i knew i would have to drink a TON of water and hold if for a prolonged period of time. if you know me, you know that if i have to pee, i have to go NOW. there is no holding it.  imagine my dread when i got to the office and they were running behind! i had to go a little, otherwise i was going to go a lot in the waiting room chair. it took the edge off but was still awful. then i got to see Little Wood and even heard the heartbeat for a smidge of a second! and i forgot how bad i had to go.  it was worth it.

my only other appointment was my 12 week and Dave and I both got to hear the heartbeat :) it was pretty awesome, and quite a weird feeling to know there really IS a baby in there. i'm really looking forward to feeling LW move around in there. sometimes it's hard to wait so long in between appointments when i'm not showing and can't feel much. i've heard i'm not far off now, and hope i will actually know it's the wee babe when it happens!