Third Prenatal Appointment - Week 16

My third appointment at the birth center was at 16 weeks and 2 days and Chef was out of town traveling for his new job. We made the appointment before he got his new job and since this wasn't a BIG appointment, I went by myself. My goal at this visit was to beg for an ultrasound so they could tell me what sex the baby was. At the very beginning of the appointment I watched a video about feelings and how they may be changing in this stage of my pregnancy and then I got to meet a new, but AWESOME, midwife. We started the appointment discussing my holiday weight gain, or lack there of. She couldn't understand for the life of her how I only gained ONE pound over Christmas and New Years, considering most people that aren't pregnant gain more. She then told me all my blood work came back fine to which I asked, "What all were you looking for?" I was tested for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. Why? because they don't want disease infested vaginas delivering in their birthing pools. I like this concept. The midwife asked if I was having any cravings. TABASCO! She thought that was hilarious and said it would be quite interesting to see if it persists, you know with pregnant women being extra susceptible to heartburn and stuff. She checked the baby's heartbeat and it was a strong 145. She asked if it was moving more regularly and then proceeded to palpate my abdomen to check and see if my uterus has grown to where it is supposed to be. Everything was all good. So then it came time for me to beg to see the baby. Our conversation went a little like this:

Me: Oh, I haven't seen the baby since I was nine weeks along.
Midwife: Well, everything sounds good!
Me: I can't wait to find out the sex of the baby.
Midwife: You'll do that at your next appointment for the anatomy scan.
Me: UGH! I can't wait that long!
Midwife: It's only three and a half weeks and I'm sure your husband would want to be there for that.
Me: Or, I could just tell him today.
Midwife: You'll make it, I promise.

DAMN IT! The waiting game begins. As it turns out, I had to schedule my next appointment around Chef's new schedule so our anatomy scan and sexing of the baby would be at 21 weeks of pregnancy. Five weeks is much longer than three and a half. I occupied myself in the mean time by getting some solid ideas (and ordering) what I wanted for our nursery.

Zumba Mommy

One of my favorite Zumba songs to teach is called "Zumba Mami." I've changed the game to become a "Zumba Mommy." Here I am at 16 weeks getting ready to teach one of my Zumba classes in my maternity Zumba pants I got for Christmas. Finally, some real pictures of my baby bump that people still mistake for a food baby occasionally.

Not so pregnant from the front, even in pretty tight clothing and four months along.

The side is a different story. I promise there's a baby in there and not an overstuffed Chipotle burrito.

Christmas 2011 - Pregnancy Gifts?

This year we spent Christmas at my parents' home. Chef had to work on Christmas day of course so as soon as he got home we packed up and headed 120 miles north to spend a few days with my parents and my sister. My parents are so insane. They waited for us all day before they opened presents and ate dinner. So we got there around 7pm or so and ate dinner. Everyone was starving, especially me. After dinner we all opened presents one at a time by the tree. Chef and I brought the presents we had for everyone including the dogs. It's normal in my family. My mom had presents for our two dogs as well. I'm skipping all of the mumbo jumbo and getting to the fun stuff. My sister bought me the "What to expect when you're expecting" book. SCORE! I was 15 weeks along at Christmas and had not yet made any effort to get any books to read about pregnancy. I got maternity clothes from my mom and pops. Thank God. Two pairs of maternity jeans and shirts along with what I like to call maternity Zumba pants. They also got me this sexy see through maternity workout shirt that shows off my growing boobs a bit. They are the best. I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable in my workout clothes even though everything is stretchy. There is something about where things sit on your body when you're pregnant that makes regular clothes so uncomfortable even if they fit. So, the second pregnancy buy comes from my parents and not me...once again.

Me and baby at 15 weeks. Little bump, baby moves constantly at this point. According to myself, you can't tell that I'm pregnant from the front but from the side it's a different story

Maybe its the pattern on my shirt that hides my bump. Who knows.

Chef and my parents' dog, Cass. He's a lover, not a fighter.

My mom and her sass-tastic short haircut. This woman is the life of every party.

This is my sister and their mini Christmas tree. I think you could have stacked two of those trees on top of each other and still have space for a star at the top with how high the ceilings are in that house. Lesson learned for next year.

Baby Registry - Already?

My sister is planning my baby shower for Chef's and my family. She called me at about 14weeks preggers and asked for a list of people and where I was registered. Say what? She said because people have to travel hundreds of miles we need to let them know a little sooner so that they can make travel arrangements. I get that, but I hadn't even been thinking of things like that just yet. She charged me with the task of starting some registries so she would at least have something to put on the invitations. I thought, "Hey, no problem, I'll get online and knock this out in 30 minutes." Two and a half hours later I had six things in my registry and I was beyond frustrated. Now I know why people start their registry at 8 weeks. The issue that I am having with the registry is that I believe that I am too practical. I don't like all of the offensively bright colors used on baby stuff. Even though we are finding out the sex of the baby, I still want gender neutral EVERYTHING so that we can use it again for other children in the future. It just seems very practical for me not to have to buy the same thing again in the opposite color. WTF? People are insane. I've also learned that crib bedding is beyond expensive. Why on earth will I pay $200+ for something that covers one fourth of a real bed? Seriously. I don't sleep on $200 sheets and neither will this baby. Talk about luxury out of the womb. Thank God for amazon.com. This is starting to turn into a rant so I will change the subject and talk about what I know I want for our baby.

1. Convertible Crib - I'm willing to spend a pretty penny here because it grows with your child and eliminates having to buy a toddler bed 2 years after you shell out a ton of money for a baby crib.

2. Cloth Diapers - I know it's 2012 but cloth diapers have changed. I swear if it wasn't easy or practical, I would not be doing it. We're looking at the gDiaper system as the most convenient option for us. Between Chef's chef coats and my workout clothes we wash clothes every other day as it is. So, throwing in a load of diapers won't break the system. Over the long run, cloth diapers are cheaper than disposables and they won't give the baby all of the secondary issues from wearing an artificial fragrance soaked in pee on their butts. No diaper rash over here.

These little things are so cute. At almost $30 for two diapers or $80 for a 6 pack, I registered for them in hopes that people will understand that it's an investment upfront. And if no one will buy them for us, we'll get them ourselves. HAHA. I also have a friend who cloth diapered her son and have some leftover fuzzibunz with the organic inserts that she's willing to give me to supplement my gDiapers.

3. Breast pump - Breast is best. The end. I am not spending over $300 on a Medela pump though. Try again. I'm getting the Avent double electric. The reviews are phenomenal.

Gender Preference - Boy or Girl?

As my pregnancy progresses and it's becoming more noticeable that I'm not fat, just maybe carrying a baby, people ask me what do I want to have. Most moms say, "I don't care as long as it's healthy." Whatever. I have an opinion but its not really direct. All my life I had pictured myself having a girl. I thought I would be an awesome mom to an adorable little girl and I only wanted girls. Now that I'm expecting, I looked at my lifestyle and think that having a boy would be the bomb dot com. Firstly, my son would be on every football team and I would be that crazy team mom that's running up and down the sidelines with him yelling and screaming the whole way. I think that having a boy would be a good practice run for my girls. They are lower maintenance. I wouldn't have to wake up early to make sure their hair was in order and other girly stuff. I am also NOT a girly girl. I rarely wear makeup and my most comfortable clothes are made from denim. Don't get me wrong, when I need to look nice I always do, but that's not on a daily basis. It's too much work for me.

So what gender bun does Chef hope is in the oven? He says he hopes it's a boy, but I don't believe him. He swears it's a girl and that he will have to buy a gun. I think he really wants a daughter and he's convinced himself that that's what it is. I think he wants that "daddy's little girl" thing. Either way, boy or girl, I know I'll be the disciplinarian aka the "bad parent". Whatever. I've been adequately prepared for that role. *Thanks Mom*

Symptoms... Weeks 12-14

I think I should call them side effects instead of symptoms. That's what it feels like.

Moving out of the first trimester into the second brought on a whole new set of changes for me. I'll list them and share what I have done to remedy the situation or send out a cry for help because I haven't yet figured it out.
1. Itchy skin - Maybe because it's cold but probably not. I suffer from severely itchy boobs and a really itchy tummy and sides. This is most likely due to stretching. My boobs went up another half a cup size pretty rapidly so Lord help me. Chef hates to see me scratch the way I do because I go for blood so this is what I've been using to help out.

I (Chef) usually put it on right after I get out of the shower because it melts with body heat. It's not fragranced because I use it on my face as well and my face is so sensitive. It goes into your skin and leaves it moisturized but not greasy. I hate feeling greasy.
2. VEINS - Sorry to keep you updated about my boobs but this blog is REAL. My boobs look like road maps. The have protruding green veins that scare the crap out of me.
3. Energy return - I can function again... sort of.
4. Back pain - As my front expands my lower back is trying to carry the load. It's not bad during the day but it catches up with me at night. I'm already using extra pillows to help me sleep at night.
5. Headaches - As someone who has suffered from migraines since I was in the 6th grade I know how to handle these but I just need to watch the medication I use to tame these beasts.

This takes care of the back pain and the headaches. It puts me right to sleep for a minimum of 8 hours. LOL. Gotta love that rapid release.
6. Breakouts - I have never had so much acne in my life. Seriously. I didn't go through the acne when you're a teen thing. No worries, I'm experiencing it at 26. FUN (AWKWARD) TIMES
7. Hair growth - ridiculous hair growth. EVERYWHERE. I need to shave my legs like twice a day now. Sometimes I go to bed fuzzy... That's why I'm married. UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. Love you Chef! I am a fan of the Brazilian wax. At the place where I go, I can't go until I'm in my second trimester probably due to liability. Three whole months. I can't wait to see Claudia.

This is the running list of changes that are happening. If more pop up, I'll share.

My Birth Plan

I have had some questions about what exactly my birth plan entails. Without further ado...

I don't really have one. I'm a go with the flow kind of girl. We plan on taking a hypnobirthing course in the next couple of months to mentally prepare me for the pain. Nothing would make me happier than to have a natural vaginal delivery but if God has other plans I won't be upset. I am coming into this open minded and realize that sometimes C-sections are necessary. Quite honestly my mom should have had one for me. I was too big for her close pelvis and got lodged in there for a while. I will guarantee you this though, if it is in the good Lord's plan for me to give birth vaginally, it will be done without the use of any medical intervention. Am I scared? Absolutely, but I feel this is something that was meant for me. Besides, who can turn down a water birth?