$hopping while Eric is out

So I have been kind of down on myself the last few weeks and feeling chunky, what better thing to do then SHOP to cure these emotions.  Maybe not cure, but for sure lighten the mood.  Eric is in Vegas this weekend for a bachelor party so I had my friend up to play.

I was with Megan (mother of two) and her oldest daughter Charlee (almost 3 years old) at the  Mall of America buying up whatever we could find.  The craziest news of all was when I asked to be measured at Victoria Secrets... I found out I was a DD!  That is cray cray!!! I have been wearing C's for 10 years.  I continue to read that my boobs will be growing and may be crazy sensitive but I haven't noticed too much.  This was a wake up call.  I guess when you live with them everyday all day you don't notice the changes as much.  So I treated myself to 4 new bras for the first time in years.  And they were on sale too!  Then we hit up a maternity store and the prices were out of control so we got the hell out of there and wondered into our favorite stores.  I bought large and XL in everything, made sure all the shirts were LONG, and am very happy with my purchases.  I've also heard from a handful of moms that they wore yoga pants all the time while pregnant.  I'm cool with this... my jeans are not that comfy anymore.  

Charlee was a wonderful shopper!

It's a peach!

12 weeks 3 days bump!

Feeling FAT!

Everyone keeps saying you aren't fat you are having a baby, but it doesn't make me feel any better.  I can't wait to start showing!  Right now, I am bloated and feel like i have a "muffin top."  I also can't wait for the glory trimester to start taking affect.  I hear that in the next couple of weeks (hopefully days) I will start to have more energy.  I am currently 12 weeks and 3 days along.  I don't want to sound all negative because I believe I am actually very blessed with how easily my pregnancy has been going, BUT I can't take much more of this exhaustion and bloating.  Plus, the weather is changing and its cold, dark, and not summer anymore.  I have been brought to tears so easy the last few weeks its crazy.  The first month, it was cool because I was hoping to be pregnant and noticing new things like my sense of smell and wonderful ability to sleep like a rock.  The second month, i was happy to be pregnant and really trying hard to keep it a secret but failing.  I was also peeing ALL the time.  The third month, I was sick of having no energy, noticing how tight all my pants are, and really happy to hear a strong heartbeat growing in my tummy!

I am most looking forward to month 5.  I hope that at that point i have a cute belly and lots of energy!  It  will also be my best friends wedding, Christmas, visit from my mom, and probably some cool gifts.  I'm just being honest.  

All in All: Life is still good.

Weekend Dinner!

We made some really good FOOD this weekend!  Eric did most the cooking but I sure enjoyed eating it all...

Halibut Soup (the Bomb!)

http://bobbiskozykitchen.blogspot.com/2012/04/halibut-soup-or-just-call-it-epic.html

most of the recipe was taken from this site but we altered ingredients (as shown below).

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled then sliced in half and cut into half moons

1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped

4 large cloves of garlic, chopped

Kosher salt

Cracked black pepper

6 cups chicken stock

1 15-ounce can of hominy (white or yellow)

2 pounds halibut cut into 1-inch chunks- Ours is fresh from ALASKA!!

1 medium zucchini, cut in half and then cut into half moons

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Served it with a fresh salad and baguette!  So deliciously good.

Halibut Catching

this if from that site too, ours didn't have sausage and I forgot to take a picture

mOOd SwinGS!!

Yikes... I've been all over the place and then some.  ITs been a whirlwind in our house.

• I've been crying when my tummy shows but smiling while taking pictures of it
• dreading having a whole day of events I am supposed to attend but then enjoying myself once I'm at them
• Getting extremely upset at Eric when he can't figure out what I want or what I am thinking
• having lots of trust issues and asking for every little detail
• Being REALLY excited about a little human growing inside me
• feeling alone... and this really hurts my husband but he isn't pregnant nor will he ever be
• Cooking and Enjoying some good food that makes me smile
• wanting to hang out with my friends with babies and wishing a close friend was prego too
• anxiety is off the charts when I don't know what is going on 
• Jealousy (or anger) when Eric talks about how much he has changed his life because I compare it to how much my life has changed.  All this is stemmed form me badgering him to begin with
• And worst of all, all this emotion has made my sleep less peaceful

Man the hormones are making me Cray Cray!

I guess (I know) it is all worth it and amazingly Eric has been able to deal with it all.  He isn't perfect but I'd want to shake me if I was him.  

Read Up on BabyCenter to confirm this is all NORMAL: http://www.babycenter.com/0_mood-swings-during-pregnancy_253.bc

Trimester One!

Today 11 weeks and 3 days...Baby Denali is the size of a large plum this week.  About 2.5 inches and 0.5 ounces.  My uterus is now the size of a large grapefruit and has begun to migrate from the bottom of my pelvis to the front-and-center position in my abdomen.  

Maybe this is why I can't keep my jeans buttoned anymore!  I'm feeling fat this week, but in a good way because it makes me smile.  I ordered (from Amazon) two Baby BE Mine Belly Bands for $35 (black and white) and a Abdominal Binder Waist Trimmer for after I have the baby.  I know its crazy to think about after the baby already but I'd like to get my tummy back quickly.  My goal is to only gain 25 pounds.  Our midwife said that is completely reasonable and healthy for me.  The main reason (a material reason) I do not plan to gain more than 25 pounds is because I already weigh 175 pounds and the thought of hitting 200 pounds makes me FREAK OUT!  I think I carry my weight good and I'm comfortable in my body but the number psychologically drives me nuts.  I know lots of other women who weigh 175 pounds and they do not look like me.  No offense but I work hard (most the time... minus McDonald's) to stay fit and healthy.  However, I still have very low energy and haven't wanted to go the the gym or workout much harder than long walks.   I'm counting on some energy returning during my second trimester and looking forward to it.

 I actually slept through a night without waking up to pee!  I have not been able to do this in two months.

This first trimester has not been too hard on me.  I have been lucky enough (knock on wood) to be without morning sickness and food aversions.  My husband has also been cooking dinner most nights and taking care of lots of the cleaning!  What a good man :)

Here are some of my First Trimester Photos:

week 4- the day we found out!

10 weeks

12 weeks

Sometimes I eat McDonald's...

Egg and Cheese Biscuits!!!

i KNOW... it goes against all my FOOD beliefs but they are just so good.  Don't worry, I DO NOT eat the meat, EVER!

Today when my jeans wouldn't button, I went to McDonald's!  I'm just being honest.  And to tell the whole truth... I ate two!



NOW, I am going to go on an hour walk with my dogs!  For Real.

Biscuit: about 390 Calories x 2 = 780 gained!  -   Walk: About 277 calories burned

 EQUALS:  I'm a FAT ASS today!

                            

Baby MADE!!

August 2012 Continued- 
Our drive home from Chicago to Minneapolis (we flew out of Chicago to Alaska) on Aug 19th took about 8 hours and consisted of baby names, downloading baby apps, planning out the due date, reading about the development of our fetus, talking about how much our lives were going to change, realization that I was hopefully done drinking but also thinking about how much i was going to miss it, and talk about being careful not to get my hopes up too much because I may (actually most likely) not be pregnant yet.  It takes the average woman ONE YEAR to get pregnant.

I started to notice some things!  I was EXHAUSTED.  I could SMELL everything.   I had read all the signs of pregnancy and these were the main two.  I started to assume I was pregnant.

I took FIVE pregnancy tests!  Yes, I'm crazy.  I started taking tests 6 days before my missed period (like the box says you can do) but didn't know exactly when my next period was supposed to come because of the 24 day cycle that had just happened.  After the FOURTH NOT PREGNANT test, my husband made me promise to wait until two days after my missed period!  I was crying because I was coming to terms that I probably was not pregnant.  August 26th would have been 26 days since my last period so we decided to wait until August 28th to take another test.  I continued to "act" pregnant by not putting anything into my body that I wouldn't do if prego.  By August 28th I would "know" due to the missed period or  I'd be drinking because I had gotten my period.  As you can tell, the test on August 28th was positive and brought me happy tears!

All my crazy planning had worked.  I couldn't believe it.  A miracle was growing inside of me!!!

The journey officially begins!!!!!!

Baby Makin... from the beginning!

We had the pleasure of making out baby in ALASKA.

It was even slightly documented!  Don't worry only the pictures of where we worked on making a baby will be shown, no kinky or rated R photos :)

So lets start back at the beginning:

Sometime between November 2011 and January 2012: My husband and I decided that we would start our baby making around our one year anniversary!!!  August 2012!  I was SO excited and agreed to stop harassing him about how bad I wanted a baby.

March 2012- I went to NYC to visit my friend and discovered (through conversation) the many perks of NOT being on birth control.  I had been on BC since i was 16 years old and had always been scared about the severity of  camps and bleeding if I were to go off.  Not to mention: the chance of getting pregnant before planning to.  My family has a history of extremely inconvenient periods and great fertility.  This friend let me know that condoms would work just great and I would actually learn my cycle, understand my body, have WAY less mood swings, maybe get some pimples, grow a stronger and healthier sex drive!, and best of all I would not be putting all those crazy hormones into my body any more.  I was sold, happily married, and planning to go off birth control in about 6 months anyway.

April- I got my last period via the Nuvaring and went off BC without looking back.  We bought two huge boxes of condoms (after asking my other friend who enjoys the many benefits of not being on BC what types she prefers).  I researched what should happen: the average woman has between a 26 and 28 day cycle; I should track the first day of each period; ovulation occurs exactly half way between periods; you really can only get pregnant when/around ovulation.  I got my period naturally 26 days later at 9am.  I had cramps 24 hours before my period... they were manageable but more painful then the month before.

May- My sex drive was out of control (sorry if this is TMI)!!  I got my period exactly 26 days later around 9am. This was so exciting for me too!  The camps were less than the month before I was starting to feel confident that my cycle was baby producing capable.  I had this fear of not being able to get pregnant for the last 5 years.  I had no reason for this fear and it drove my husband nuts when I'd get emotional about it because he is rational and this feeling was not.

June- Period arrived again like clockwork around 9am 26 days later.  I met another couple that was planning to start trying for a baby in August and learned some good baby making strategies:  have sex four days before you are supposed to ovulate and then every other day after that; also, morning sex is the most fertile.

July- Period arrived again!  I made sure to have LOTS of fun this month.  It was the best summer of my life!!  We enjoyed every weekend with different family and friends doing everything we wanted to do.  We took FULL advantage of our single life style and made sure to drink often.  I was getting so excited to try for a baby that I had clocked out the exact day I thought my ovulation would occur- August 15th.  I took some ovulation tests to double confirm my cycle was normal and was pleased when the smiley face appeared.  I went to a holistic doctor with my aunt of a prenatal visit too.  I researched prenatal vitamins... hardcore and stated taking them.  I learned about DHA and why folic acid is so important for a fetus. I bought my bridesmaid dress two sizes bigger than what I needed in hope that I would be 5 months pregnant at the wedding.

Yes, Researched!!! and recorded exactly what I wanted my Prenatal to have.  

Purchased and started taking- two fish oil, two calcium, and on prenatal!

Fit into Size 10

... Ordered Size 14

August: Baby makin Month has finally arrived!-  my period arrived 24 days later!  It was actually July 31st.  What?!?!?!? Why?? I had everything planned... this took me by surprise.  I started peeing on sticks about 8 days after my period began and then we departed for Alaska on August 9th.  We arrived and traveled out to my moms land outside of Talkeetna.  We had NO running water or electricity and it was perfect.  I decided to stop taking the ovulation tests, completely relax and start having sex every other day and in the morning when possible.  All this equals the BEST vacation ever!  

Our Baby Making Suite!

Landed on a Glacier!!! Part of my relaxation :) - Watch Video

Our Hotel in Homer: it may have happened here too!

Look closely at the bottom of the Dollar!
We left this at the Salty Dawg in Homer, AK for good luck.  

It's Official... I sneeze and pee!

and it pisses me off! And makes me laugh...

I've been doing my Kegel exercises each day too.
I have allergies to ragweed and it doest help with the amount of sneezing I do.   I peed TWICE in the last 72 hours.  Now, its not a lot of pee but its defiantly not something I want to continue to do for the next 6 months.  Its only happened when I'm standing and not at home.  Oh man... what is going to happen when my baby is actually on my bladder? I'll most likely be in pads each day...

Moral of the story: Everything can't be enjoyable about pregnancy.

Cottage Cheese, Tomatoes, and Avocado!

Pregnancy Power Foods!  And I'm loving it.
Just slice, dice, and mix.  I eat it like a salsa with Red Hot Blues (organic chips that rock our world).

Avocado: folic acid, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6
Cottage Cheese: calcium, protein
Tomato: lycopene (an antioxidant) best absorbed with fats like avocado 

Mine doesn't look as pretty because I mix it all up 

Now, some people have issues with avocados and how much FAT they have.  It drives me nuts!  This is some of the best type of fat you can consume.  I'm sure you are eating other fats, and they most likely are not providing the nutrients that an avocado does so I don't get it.  I don't think I am any fatter because of the fact that I can eat an avocado in one sitting.  BUT, I usually limit myself to half.

YUM!  Its almost gone...
My husband, on the other hand, thinks its "gross" and isn't indulging with me.  He hates cottage cheese.

Picture Practice...

Expecting DaD

Expecting MoM

So the reason I have chosen these two pictures is because I wanted to show you how we practice setting up the shot and then how Eric takes the shot.

I always start by placing him in the picture and framing it correctly (or what I think is correct).  Then he is supposed to examine it and take a very similar photo of me.  Notice this is not the case in the above photos. 

 

Never the less, these were taken the DAY WE FOUND OUT I was pregnant...

August 28th at 5:30am!!! 

We are having a BaBy!!!!

I'm back and excited to say... We are pregnant and couldn't be more excited!!!

I've been told (actually read) many time that I should start a pregnancy journal so I have decided to BLOG instead.  My diary begins today:  TEN WEEKS AND ONE DAY into my pregnancy.  I'll still be talking about food so don't worry, but you may choose not to read this if you are not into BABIES because that is what I will be talking about :)

This is my first pregnancy.  These feeling, emotions, and physical changes are a first for me.  I have been doing LOTS of research and gaining tons of knowledge so I don't feel alone or under educated on the matter but its still all firsts for me.

We have chosen to use Midwifes and I plan to have as NATURAL of a child birth as my body will allow.  I know, I know there are always circumstances where this may not be possible BUT i have total faith in my body and its ability to do what it was built to do!

Yesterday, we heard our babies HEARTBEAT.  It was amazing, crazy, emotional, and scary during the search for it.  I had no idea that a mini human, currently the size of a small LIME (about 2 inches), could have such a fast heartbeat.  I was so impressed and proud of my little guy (or gal).

Its a lot smaller than this lime

FYI: this is not me

Things you should know:
1) We made our baby in ALASKA!
2) I have come up with some "names" that my husband will NOT agree to name our baby.  The list will continue to grow, but here is a start:  
         DENALI- not the truck (damn you truck)! but the national park in Alaska that Eric and I flew   over and landed on during our vacation.  I would name a baby girl this but it has been vetoed because of the truck.
         ALASKA- vetoed only because Eric does NOT want a name that has anything to do with a state, country, season, month, color, or emotion.  I think some of these names are beautiful (like April one of my dear friends names) but he claims they are too "hippy" and "in season" so I guess (i'm being sarcastic) i have to agree.
        MYRON- vetoed because our last name is Meyer... LOL just say it "Myron Meyer."  This was my grandpas middle name and he recently passed.  We like the name just couldn't do that to our kid.
3) I am hoping that blogging will allow people who are interested in what i have to say, find it fun to follow and read.  At the same time, I hope that those people in my life who think this is all i talk about will find this no longer is true because i will use my blog to share my thoughts and not have as much to say in person... i hope.  I also think it is completely normal that this miracle growing inside me is ALL i want to talk about :)
4) I feel so blessed and lucky.  I am more grateful than words can describe for the life i am living.

Baby, bAby, baBy, babY, BABY!

PS: I secretly hope i'm prego with twins.