21 Weeks: Over the Hump

This has been the best pregnancy week so far.  I've really enjoyed knowing baby's gender - much more than I thought I would - and it's been fun sharing with people and referring to her as "Aggie."  I've felt great - been sleeping well, getting exercise and only needed to take one nap (after a weekend of 6 naps).  Still haven't felt any definitive movement, though maybe I've felt something.

Over Memorial Day weekend, Jason laid new laminate flooring in the baby's room and 

the hallway - it looks fantastic.  But poor Jason, it was much slower, tougher work than either of us expected.  I wasn't much help - between the 6 naps and not being able to bend over much because it made my tummy sore - he did 99.8% of the work.  And he had to lay the flooring the room twice.  The first time, we left the carpet pad down because it was in great shape, but it made the floor very bouncy.  So, we pulled it up, tore up the pad and then he relaid the floor.  He was quite the trooper.  The picture is of the baby's room, which is still functioning as the cat's room.  Once my mom arrives in for the summer, we'll start decorating.

Jason and I have been slowly realizing just how much this baby is going to change our lives.  And that we have no way of really preparing for it.  That it's best just to be open to the change and let it unfold as it happens.  It's exhilarating, really, to be so open.  I normally try to plan and prepare for everything.

I must confess, though, today wore me out.  I worked a full day, then ran errands, picked up the dog, went to the park, ran more errands then came home and fed all the pets.  And I'm pooped.  I can't imagine the fatigue that scenario will gain once a baby's added.  

Cheeseburger Wins It!

We are having a girl!  Jason was right all along.  

She is healthy and developing just fine.

Our first name choice is Agatha, and we'll hold on to Zelda as a back-up, just in case she clearly isn't an Agatha when she's born.

We are thrilled, since we both really wanted a daughter and have for a long time.  I'm a tiny bit sad about not having a boy.  I had been preparing myself for a son - I didn't want to be disappointed just because our child had external genitalia instead of internal.  

But now, bring on the cheeseburgers!  We be havin' a girl child!

Week 20: Halfway!!!

The baby bump.  I finally feel like I look like I have a baby bump, rather than looking like I just ate a very large meal.

Ultrasound is Friday - we'll find out if it's a cheeseburger or a hot dog in there.

Week 19

Seeing this picture, I know my nurturing instincts have already kicked in.  I want to say, "Yo!  Liver, stomach, intestines - move over and give that kid some room!"

I am doing much better than last week.  Saw the doctor and got on some antibiotics and they've pretty much cleared all the yuckiness up.  And gave me a wicked yeast infection.  But at least I don't feel like death warmed over.

In the past two weeks, I found out my two pregger friends are having a boy and a girl respectively.  We find out a week from tomorrow.  I may delay next week's post until we have the results.  My friend, Sarah, is certain we're having twins.  Please send non-twin vibes our way.

What else?  Oh!  I celebrated my first Mother's Day!  I received earrings and breakfast from my fabulous baby-daddy and a card from my folks.

I'm kind of wearing maternity clothes, though  most my pants sag 'cause I don't have the belly to hold them up.  I can still wear my regular pants, though they are snug when I sit down.  I wish it would hurry up and get warm here, so I could just wear skirts and dresses.  I had a dream last night that it was September already and summer was over and we didn't have any hot weather.  Talk about a nightmare.

Not sure if I've felt the baby kick.  Occasionally, I'll get a quick dull pain in my abdomen - is it the baby?  Gas?  Something else I'd rather not know about?  

I'm on the TV again!

The commercial runs through twice.  It's going to be aired next week in Yakima, WA, during the American Idol finale.  The woman playing my doctor is actually my boss.

18 Weeks = 5 Months

I love pregnancy math - it's kind of like new math.  You used to think 20 weeks was 5 months, but no, in pregnancy it's 18.

So, still getting over my cold which might be allergies.  Or not.  Lots and lots of coughing.  So tired of the coughing.  At least snot has stopped coming out my eye.  Yes, you read that right, and yes, that's really gross.  But what the hey?!?  Snot.  Out of my eye.  As you can guess, I have not focused much on the fact that a being the size of a watermelon will be coming out of my cervix five months from now.  Right now, the snot out of my eye is all I can handle.

Other than that, been feeling all right.  Sometimes my lower abdomen gets a little sore.  Still haven't felt the baby move - or I have but thought it was gas.  Thankfully, the massive gas attacks have held off while I've been dealing with my coughing and sneezing.  My body can be nice like that.

I had a great birthday celebration this past weekend.  My dear friends, Heather, Sarah, Maralea and Sid, came to visit, bringing with them a delicious Vegan cake that I am still eating on.  Oh yes, and they brought their sparkling personalities and much patience for my crabby, snotty, coughing self.  And Jason was a trooper, picking up the slack when I felt like absolute crap.

It's still two weeks until the Ultrasound and I'm anxious.  Not because I'm dying to find out the sex, but because I want to make sure the baby is still in there.  Where it would have gone without me knowing, I don't know.  But I'm a worrier, so I worry.  It's a lot of pressure, carrying a baby.  So far, the baby seems to be doing just fine on it's own and so is my body, without much assistance from my mental self.  But I have a hard time trusting that.  I wish I could have an Ultrasound once a week, though that would probably just make me want one once a day.  Can you imagine after the child's born?  It's a lot to take in.  

Plus, I just finished reading Heather Armstrong's (aka dooce) new book, It Sucked & Then I Cried (thanks, Heathy!).  It's about how she got pregnant and started in a down word, depressive spiral (is there an upward moving depressive spiral?) and how she rose out of it again.  Great book.  But, I could see myself in the descriptions of her depression and I'm scared. I really don't want to go back to my dark place - with or without a baby, but especially not with a baby.  I am still taking my meds, though sometimes my hormones override them.  I have a great doctor I can call anytime.  I'm just afraid.  Last week, while prepping the house for our guests, I started down the OCD road and didn't realize it at first.  Once I did realize it, I turned myself around and got off that path.  Which is great.  Yay for me!  I guess I'd just hoped that path had been erased and was no longer an option.  I just hope I can keep realizing it before I tumble over the cliff.

Okay, enough navel gazing - which is getting easier with each passing week of pregnancy.  I'm off to read and to try not to cough.

Thanks for reading.