Technically I'm 18 weeks tomorrow but I had time so I'm doing the update today. I continue to not think about this pregnancy very much although I most certainly have a bump so I'm reminded every morning when I get dressed that things aren't totally normal.
I spoke to my doctor yesterday (can I just say again how much I love her?!) and learned that while most of my bloodwork is normal, I am anemic and slightly Vitamin D deficient. The anemia isn't a total shock, I have felt really tired lately and have been getting headaches and I was anemic with Juju. The Vitamin D does surprise me because I have spent a lot of time in a pool in direct sunshine this summer. I do however cover myself in sunblock which I suspect has something to do with me not being able to absorb Vitamin D as well. So, in addition to prenatal vitamins and flax seed oil pills I am now taking an iron pill and Vitamin D gummies. Fingers crossed I can remember all of those pills each day. I'm also trying to eat more of an iron-rich diet.
I'm surprised by how little I care about the sex of this baby. With Juju I really really wanted a girl. I didn't grow up with brothers so the idea of a boy was foreign to me. And maybe it was easier for me to imagine a little kid who looked like me. I assumed I would always feel this way but if I am being completely honest with myself, I really don't care. I just want a healthy baby, boy or girl. I can't believe I'm saying it but I will be happy if it's a boy, I swear. Juju on the other hand is totally convinced that it's a girl (her rationale is "it's a girl because I'm a girl. And we need to wear the same clothes and share things.") She told me it was a girl the day I confirmed to her that I am pregnant and she has no problem telling other people this statement of fact either. For some reason I keep thinking it's a girl too. While I would love for this to remain a mystery until I deliver, I think for Julian's sake we will find out so she can get used to the idea (not that she has any doubt in her mind at the moment). We will be taking her to my 20 week appointment for the advanced ultrasound and hoping the doctor can give her the news she wants to hear. . .
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Week 17 update
This is the week I almost forgot I was pregnant. If I didn't have the "My Pregnancy" app on my iPhone to remind me that I was 17 weeks today I wouldn't have remembered to post here! The app is actually pretty lame but did come in handy today.
There is not a ton to report. I feel some weird feelings in my tummy which is probably the baby but they aren't the fun pokes or movement I felt a few weeks ago.
Juju has changed the baby's name. I found this out when she started telling people that the baby's name is Pickle. She told me she likes that name better than Pumpkin. Pickle it is. This girl has food on her mind 24/7.
My hormones are still funny - I know this because both my body wash and deodorant are failing me today. Mental note: never hug a pregnant woman in the summer.
I couldn't go to prenatal yoga today. I really missed it. I've been doing some swimming which is a fun exercise to do while you're pregnant, but it's not the same. I miss the zen-like atmosphere of the yoga studio.
I hope to have more updates to report soon! Oh, a big shout out to my friend Julia who gave birth to a baby boy yesterday!
There is not a ton to report. I feel some weird feelings in my tummy which is probably the baby but they aren't the fun pokes or movement I felt a few weeks ago.
Juju has changed the baby's name. I found this out when she started telling people that the baby's name is Pickle. She told me she likes that name better than Pumpkin. Pickle it is. This girl has food on her mind 24/7.
My hormones are still funny - I know this because both my body wash and deodorant are failing me today. Mental note: never hug a pregnant woman in the summer.
I couldn't go to prenatal yoga today. I really missed it. I've been doing some swimming which is a fun exercise to do while you're pregnant, but it's not the same. I miss the zen-like atmosphere of the yoga studio.
I hope to have more updates to report soon! Oh, a big shout out to my friend Julia who gave birth to a baby boy yesterday!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Quick update
I failed to post a week 16 update. Sorry about that. My sincerest apologies to the 3 people who read this blog!
I'm tired so this will be quick. I went to prenatal yoga last week and kept up my promise to do it every week but unfortunately this Wednesday I can't go due to a dental appointment I'm not able to change :(
I met my doctor last Tuesday and I LOVE HER. I am so happy. I was a little nervous switching doctors midcourse and of course kind of scared to commit to someone I had never met but all of that went away when she greeted me. She is so warm and friendly that I felt totally comfortable with her. I actually felt like she is someone I would want to be friends with.
So far I feel like I'm in good hands! She did an ultrasound and things looked good but even if I wanted to know the sex (and I'm not 100% sure I do) the Pumpkin was not in the correct position to give any hints.
My next visit is at 20 weeks. I will try to update again on Wednesday when I will be 17 weeks. Thanks for reading!
I'm tired so this will be quick. I went to prenatal yoga last week and kept up my promise to do it every week but unfortunately this Wednesday I can't go due to a dental appointment I'm not able to change :(
I met my doctor last Tuesday and I LOVE HER. I am so happy. I was a little nervous switching doctors midcourse and of course kind of scared to commit to someone I had never met but all of that went away when she greeted me. She is so warm and friendly that I felt totally comfortable with her. I actually felt like she is someone I would want to be friends with.
So far I feel like I'm in good hands! She did an ultrasound and things looked good but even if I wanted to know the sex (and I'm not 100% sure I do) the Pumpkin was not in the correct position to give any hints.
My next visit is at 20 weeks. I will try to update again on Wednesday when I will be 17 weeks. Thanks for reading!
Monday, August 13, 2012
Hormone-o-rama
I have been feeling good this pregnancy but the one thing I have noticed that's different for me these days is that I can't help myself from crying at the littlest (and not so littlest) things. And I don't just cry a little in the way I might have in the past at a sad movie or a close friend's wedding, I am actually finding myself bawling, tears, runny nose and all and I can't seem to stop it until I let it all out. I think I am freaking Jonathan out just a little bit.
I noticed that it started when my friend Amy (who is also pregnant so she did warn me ) sent me a link to a blog post from a mom about her birth. She was sending it to me because the post talked about how this woman had a party during her delivery, complete with friends, champagne and party favors which we both thought was kind of amazing. But, the post also included the story of how the mom's second child brought a surprise she wasn't expecting. (I don't want to give too many details in case you decide to read the post yourself. It's quite beautiful, so you should, but remember to have some tissues handy, especially if you are pregnant!). The unexpected outcome of the birth was emotional but I caught myself really sobbing at all of the references to the first child and how when the mom went into labor she knew it was the last time she would be the mom to an only child, how her daughter's life would be forever changed by having to share her mom with someone else, etc. It pulled on some strong emotional chords I didn't even know were there.
Two days later, I had a horrible stomachache (which turned out to be food poisoning!!) so I retreated to my bed and decided to watch something on my iPad. I can't explain why I didn't pick something light but I ended up watching "The Business of Being Born." (Side note, this was a real technological reality check for me - 4.5 years ago I had to go to an actual movie theater to watch this movie when it was in wide release. Now I can dial it up whenever I want through Netflix and watch it in my pajamas curled up in my bed with my iPad. That's pretty amazing).
My movie-watching experience was much more emotional this time around than it was when I saw it while pregnant the first time. It reminded me of Juju's birth, it reminded me of what's coming up for me in a few months, and it was pretty powerful to hear so many women and couples talk about their varied birth experiences. I had tears in my eyes for a few of the stories but then when Jonathan and Juju walked into the bedroom towards the end of the film, I lost it! I was sobbing and clutching Juju and telling her how much I love her and how the day she was born was the best day of my life and how everything changed, yadda, yadda, yadda. She was totally confused and couldn't understand why I was crying yet telling her I was happy. Jonathan ushered her out of the room so I could get a hold of myself. I am actually laughing as I type this, it was pretty funny but in the moment I had absolutely no control of my emotions. When I returned to greet them in the kitchen with a smile (and no tears) a few minutes later, Juju informed me that "you're not allowed to cry when you are happy." I'll try to work on that. . .
I finally meet my OB tomorrow. It's funny that I've been pregnant for almost 16 weeks and haven't even seen the person who is going to delivery my baby yet. I have high hopes for her, while she is an MD, she also trained as a doula and with a midwife before going to medical school so I think she is a great blend of what I'm looking for. Fingers crossed.
I noticed that it started when my friend Amy (who is also pregnant so she did warn me ) sent me a link to a blog post from a mom about her birth. She was sending it to me because the post talked about how this woman had a party during her delivery, complete with friends, champagne and party favors which we both thought was kind of amazing. But, the post also included the story of how the mom's second child brought a surprise she wasn't expecting. (I don't want to give too many details in case you decide to read the post yourself. It's quite beautiful, so you should, but remember to have some tissues handy, especially if you are pregnant!). The unexpected outcome of the birth was emotional but I caught myself really sobbing at all of the references to the first child and how when the mom went into labor she knew it was the last time she would be the mom to an only child, how her daughter's life would be forever changed by having to share her mom with someone else, etc. It pulled on some strong emotional chords I didn't even know were there.
Two days later, I had a horrible stomachache (which turned out to be food poisoning!!) so I retreated to my bed and decided to watch something on my iPad. I can't explain why I didn't pick something light but I ended up watching "The Business of Being Born." (Side note, this was a real technological reality check for me - 4.5 years ago I had to go to an actual movie theater to watch this movie when it was in wide release. Now I can dial it up whenever I want through Netflix and watch it in my pajamas curled up in my bed with my iPad. That's pretty amazing).
My movie-watching experience was much more emotional this time around than it was when I saw it while pregnant the first time. It reminded me of Juju's birth, it reminded me of what's coming up for me in a few months, and it was pretty powerful to hear so many women and couples talk about their varied birth experiences. I had tears in my eyes for a few of the stories but then when Jonathan and Juju walked into the bedroom towards the end of the film, I lost it! I was sobbing and clutching Juju and telling her how much I love her and how the day she was born was the best day of my life and how everything changed, yadda, yadda, yadda. She was totally confused and couldn't understand why I was crying yet telling her I was happy. Jonathan ushered her out of the room so I could get a hold of myself. I am actually laughing as I type this, it was pretty funny but in the moment I had absolutely no control of my emotions. When I returned to greet them in the kitchen with a smile (and no tears) a few minutes later, Juju informed me that "you're not allowed to cry when you are happy." I'll try to work on that. . .
I finally meet my OB tomorrow. It's funny that I've been pregnant for almost 16 weeks and haven't even seen the person who is going to delivery my baby yet. I have high hopes for her, while she is an MD, she also trained as a doula and with a midwife before going to medical school so I think she is a great blend of what I'm looking for. Fingers crossed.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Babymoon booked!
Jonathan and I have been talking about going on a Babymoon since the day we found out I was pregnant. It's funny that we need the excuse of a pregnancy to plan our own vacation but we really never do seem to get away without Juju in tow. And I guess we're realizing it's now or never since we won't have the chance to get away once the Pumpkin arrives.
After getting off a 15.5+ hour flight from Tel Aviv in June (I was about 8 weeks at the time), I announced that I do not want to get back on a plane for a LOOOONG time. I started brainstorming ideas about where we could babymoon near home but in the end I decided I was willing to take an airplane as long as it was a quick trip.
Jonathan has been traveling every week for work since about March so he has been racking up points and status on both Southwest Airlines and with Starwood Hotels. I have been stalking the Starwood website for ideas and there are really so many options, the same goes for destinations on Southwest. When your vacation is almost totally free, save for meals and incidentals when you're there, the possibilities really are endless!
To help narrow things down I decided that I had two priorities (luckily Jonathan was willing to go along with almost anything I wanted). They were: 1) to stay in a really nice hotel since I won't be able to do much and want to just relax in a nice room and enjoy the hotel's grounds and 2) to go somewhere semi-remote and really different from LA. I don't want the pressure of visiting a city and feeling like I have to pack a whole lot in to my vacation. The idea of going to San Francisco and Seattle sounded appealing to me but since I've already been to both and would feel like I wanted to cover a lot of ground while I was there, I nixed those cities. One night a few weeks ago when I couldn't sleep I started watching the 80s comedy "The Great Outdoors" which made me want to go somewhere we would be able to connect with nature a bit. I just want to relax and look out the window at a pretty view of trees and sky.
Last night we hastily made a decision and booked our trip. We've never booked anything so quickly but I think it's a great choice and I'm really excited about it!! This winter we are headed to Deer Valley/Park City, Utah and we are staying at the amazing St. Regis. The photos and reviews online are incredible and I'm particularly excited about the fact that in a few weeks Jonathan will become a Platinum Starwood Preferred Guest which means not only will they have to upgrade us as they do now, but they will have to upgrade us to the nicest room they have available (truthfully, even their standard room is beautiful so I don't think we'll be disappointed) and since the most important thing to me about this trip is the room I am freaking out with excitement. I am looking forward to sleeping in (if my belly will let me), using the pool, reading books and magazines, eating great food and sipping hot cocoa. I'm totally freaked that I don't have the right clothes for a Utah winter (especially when I'll be in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy) but I'll figure it out. I can't wait!!
After getting off a 15.5+ hour flight from Tel Aviv in June (I was about 8 weeks at the time), I announced that I do not want to get back on a plane for a LOOOONG time. I started brainstorming ideas about where we could babymoon near home but in the end I decided I was willing to take an airplane as long as it was a quick trip.
Jonathan has been traveling every week for work since about March so he has been racking up points and status on both Southwest Airlines and with Starwood Hotels. I have been stalking the Starwood website for ideas and there are really so many options, the same goes for destinations on Southwest. When your vacation is almost totally free, save for meals and incidentals when you're there, the possibilities really are endless!
To help narrow things down I decided that I had two priorities (luckily Jonathan was willing to go along with almost anything I wanted). They were: 1) to stay in a really nice hotel since I won't be able to do much and want to just relax in a nice room and enjoy the hotel's grounds and 2) to go somewhere semi-remote and really different from LA. I don't want the pressure of visiting a city and feeling like I have to pack a whole lot in to my vacation. The idea of going to San Francisco and Seattle sounded appealing to me but since I've already been to both and would feel like I wanted to cover a lot of ground while I was there, I nixed those cities. One night a few weeks ago when I couldn't sleep I started watching the 80s comedy "The Great Outdoors" which made me want to go somewhere we would be able to connect with nature a bit. I just want to relax and look out the window at a pretty view of trees and sky.
Last night we hastily made a decision and booked our trip. We've never booked anything so quickly but I think it's a great choice and I'm really excited about it!! This winter we are headed to Deer Valley/Park City, Utah and we are staying at the amazing St. Regis. The photos and reviews online are incredible and I'm particularly excited about the fact that in a few weeks Jonathan will become a Platinum Starwood Preferred Guest which means not only will they have to upgrade us as they do now, but they will have to upgrade us to the nicest room they have available (truthfully, even their standard room is beautiful so I don't think we'll be disappointed) and since the most important thing to me about this trip is the room I am freaking out with excitement. I am looking forward to sleeping in (if my belly will let me), using the pool, reading books and magazines, eating great food and sipping hot cocoa. I'm totally freaked that I don't have the right clothes for a Utah winter (especially when I'll be in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy) but I'll figure it out. I can't wait!!
Week 15 update
I'm at 15 weeks today and feeling pretty good. I definitely look pregnant and last week I actually felt the baby move for a few seconds. I can't believe how early on I was able to notice but since this is a second pregnancy I know what the feeling is and it most certainly was not gas.
I have continued with weekly prenatal yoga although I should probably try to go another day of the week as I am starting to feel some slight discomfort in some parts of my body and stretching at home doesn't seem to be enough.
Otherwise not much else is going on with this pregnancy and sometimes I forget I am pregnant. Jonathan helped me get two big boxes of maternity clothing out of storage in the garage and it was really exciting to have an instant new wardrobe that didn't cost me anything.
I have continued with weekly prenatal yoga although I should probably try to go another day of the week as I am starting to feel some slight discomfort in some parts of my body and stretching at home doesn't seem to be enough.
Otherwise not much else is going on with this pregnancy and sometimes I forget I am pregnant. Jonathan helped me get two big boxes of maternity clothing out of storage in the garage and it was really exciting to have an instant new wardrobe that didn't cost me anything.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Name (part 2)
I explained to Juju that "Uterus" is not an appropriate name for her future brother or sister. I think she understood. Either way, she has chosen another name that I think is much more fitting. She has dubbed the new baby "Pumpkin." While it's not as clever as "McNugget," I think it will do just fine and she seems very pleased with her choice.
If anyone in this blog audience has any objections (or better suggestions) speak now or forever hold your peace.
If anyone in this blog audience has any objections (or better suggestions) speak now or forever hold your peace.
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