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September 24, 2003
It’s my birthday! How’s that for an opener? Yes, I still get excited about birthdays. Many of my friends are of the opinion that after a certain age, birthdays just aren’t that big of a deal anymore. I kind of agree with them, but at the same time, I still feel like today is MY special day and I want everyone to know about it! Plus, Aden is so excited about presents and cake and candles, how could it not be a big deal? Woohoo!
You know, this summer when we began TTC I kept secretly thinking, “Please let me be pregnant by my birthday, please, please…” and I just feel so lucky that it happened. I mean, here I am, 9 weeks and 3 days along. I’m almost into the double-digits! And getting closer and closer to the end of the first trimester as well. So, another big, “Woohoo!”
How am I feeling? Well, that is unfortunately not a question that can be answered with cheers and exclamation points. I’m still tired, especially around dinnertime, but I haven’t had any more of those days where I couldn’t function at all and only wanted to sleep. So, the fatigue is lessening a little but my energy reserves are still low.
The nausea comes and goes, and I wish I could figure out why it is so bad one day (or week) and non-existent the next. Around 8 weeks I was not feeling nauseated so much as I had earlier, but I was having a very hard time thinking of anything that sounded good to eat. I remember that phenomenon from my pregnancy with Aden. In his pregnancy journal at 8 weeks, I wrote, “I still haven’t been too sick but there are a lot of things that don’t taste good or don’t sound good. Like, all the food at Thanksgiving didn’t taste that great…” That has definitely been an issue again. Last Thursday I cooked my favorite dinner (chicken and noodles on mashed potatoes) and nearly cried because it just didn’t taste right!
But this week, on top of not finding anything that I want to eat, the nausea has been worse again. Sunday I woke up feeling queasy, still felt queasy after breakfast and throughout the morning, had a brief respite during a lunchtime visit to my FIL’s house, then felt positively ill at the grocery store that afternoon and didn’t have the slightest desire to eat dinner until after 7:30 that night. That was the worst it’s been, but it’s just so frustrating. (sigh) On the bright side, I guess that’s why I haven’t gained any weight yet!
Last but not least on my nausea rant, a milestone. Last Wednesday I made the mistake of taking my prenatal shortly before dinner, rather than afterwards, and after only three bites of dinner I lost it all in the kitchen sink—the first and only time I have thrown up thus far. Don’t want to forget that precious moment… And let me add that it took 5 days to convince myself to take a prenatal again after that. I’ve had to institute a bribe system for myself—prenatal taken right before bed with something really yummy, like juice or soda, and then followed immediately by a treat like Nerds candy! I highly recommend that system. :)
Ooh, and one more weird thing—my taste buds have totally changed! Normally, when I’m not pregnant, the only treat I ever want is chocolate. But now I find things like Nerds, gummy bears, and fruit roll-ups irresistible and I tossed out nearly half a pan of brownies because they just didn’t sound good. Has anyone else had an experience like that?
I am starting to get really impatient for some of the more positive aspects of pregnancy. I can’t wait to hear a heartbeat! My first doctor’s appointment is not until October 9 and my first midwife appointment is October 18. That’s too far away! I had already seen my doctor and heard a heartbeat at this point with Aden, so that adds to my impatience. I also am looking forward to really showing (more than this general pudginess in my abdomen) and to feeling the baby move.
You know, call me crazy, but I would swear I’m having Braxton-Hicks contractions already! Just one or two on the odd days, but it still seems really early. Has anyone else experienced them this early? They’re so distinctive, that unique feeling that a little (or big, as time goes on) ball in your stomach is contracted as tight as can be. Derek suggested that maybe I just had an intestinal upset but anyone who’s had a B-H contraction knows that there is no mistaking it for anything else. Any thoughts? And I am also wondering at what point the uterus rises above the pubic bone enough to be felt. I’m pretty sure that has happened already too. Maybe with all of these questions, I should call my midwife for a chat!
I received a packet of information from my friend Sarieah who is a doula. I really want to hire her for the birth and be able to use all of her knowledge, experience, and support to have the best labor and birth possible. But I’m a little unsure about spending more money ($475) when I already plan to have an awesome midwife there and am spending $1800 on that. I feel like they probably have different priorities though, and it will be worth it to have both present. Plus my midwife, Fran, lives 1 ½ hours away, so it might be very helpful to have Sarieah there to support me until Fran arrives. Has anyone out there had a doula at a homebirth, or not had one and then wished they would have? Had one and felt it was extraneous, redundant, or unnecessary? I’ll admit I’ve never heard anyone say that about a doula, but there’s a first time for everything. I would love to hear any stories, pro or con.
Can you tell I’ve been a little obsessed about planning this birth already? And I’ve still got at least 30 weeks to go… :) It’s just so exciting to me!
But I will switch gears for a moment so I don’t bore you to death, or at least bore you on a different subject. :) Time to talk about Aden!
I am just loving this age. Two has not been terrible at all so far. He is just such an amazing little person and so fun to be around. His enthusiasm for life is infectious. His latest phrase, when asked if he wants to do something, is, “Oh yeah! All right! Okay!” followed by running off to do whatever it is. He also is putting a lot more thought into what he says and he loves to use the phrases “How ‘bout…” and “Umm…” For example, I might ask, “Hey Aden, do you want a drink?” and he’ll reply, “Yeah! Ummm… How ‘bout…juice!”
Another trend I notice is trying to figure out rules and the order of things. Yesterday he wanted to watch a train movie but we needed to go to the store right then, which made him really mad. I kept telling him he could watch a train movie as soon as we got home, but it just wasn’t working and he was starting to throw a big fit. I kept trying to calm him down and explain that he could still watch a movie when we got home, but it seemed he could barely hear me through his crying. Then suddenly it was as if a switch had flipped. He started laughing and saying excitedly, “After, umm, we go in car to store, Aden, um, Aden come home and watch a TRAIN movie!” He also expresses this new interest in rules through defining things with the word “only.” “ONLY Aden sleep in my bed.” “ONLY say no to doggies.” “ONLY Mama gets that drink.” I think it is the beginning of the bossy stage but it’s interesting to watch nonetheless.
Well, I suppose that is enough ramblings and milestones for one entry. I hate to finish on a down note but I had just written all of this and then we got some bad news about Derek’s job that I am trying to digest. I feel like crying or throwing things so I should probably wait to talk about it until I’m a little more rational. Until then, please send good thoughts and also come and talk to me!
How did pregnancy change your taste buds?
When did you start having Braxton-Hicks contractions?
Do you know approximately when the uterus rises above the pubic bone or how big it is at 9-10 weeks for a second pregnancy?
Have you had a doula at a homebirth, or wished you had, or wished you hadn’t? Do you think both a doula and a midwife are necessary, or redundant?
Is/has your two year old gone through these stages? What can I expect next?
Take care!
Tara
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