I am 32 weeks pregnant now, so we will most likely know the answer to our biggest question sometime in the next 6-8 weeks! Still seems like a ways away, and in these next few weeks is when the curiosity will hit its peak as we begin the nesting process to set up Baby Punkin's room and resurrect the various baby supplies we will be setting up throughout the house.
So while I don't have the answer either, I do hold the most clues to the secret only Baby Punkin knows - will they be a sister or a brother to Addison and son or daughter to Mommy & Daddy?
I'll list out all the "clues" I have and note what the clues were with Silly Baby.
Food cravings
In my first trimester with Baby Punkin, I had huge cravings for all things salty, meat and cheese. I do always enjoy salty food, but this was taken to another level especially in the meat category - couldn't get enough!
While the impulsive cravings for salt/meat have subsided a little, I do favor meaty meals more than I did non-preggo. However, in recent weeks my cravings for sugary/chocolate treats has grown where I need a little dessert each night. This was the same in my Silly Baby 3rd trimester.
A lot of the cravings I have for sweets (cookies, ice cream, DOTS) coincide with my need for heartburn relief. I've been a big fan of hot chocolate too more as a coffee substitute in these cold weather months. I do sometimes want coffee, but when I've had a sip, I don't want it anymore. With Silly Baby I was repulsed by coffee the entire time and never tempted.
Looking back, my only real craving with Silly Baby was fried chicken. We had it almost every week for my entire pregnancy. My other big craving was Swedish Fish, as a heartburn remedy but also as an impulsive craving. When heartburn kicked in this time around with Baby Punkin, I stokced up on Swedish Fish, but much to my surprise, I don't really like them this time around! DOTS are much more preferable.
I was on a much bigger sweet kick with Silly Baby and it started earlier on.
Appearance
Skin
Boys give their mothers beauty, girls take it away. I disagree with this statement. I truly did feel like I was glowing while pregnant with Silly Baby. I tend to break out fairly often, and with Silly Baby, my skin cleared up in the first trimester and I didn't have any breakouts the rest of the time!
With Baby Punkin, I breakout less but I'm certainly not flawless. My skin tone was even and smooth with Silly Baby - this time it's blotchy and more yellow-ish in tone.
Nails
My nails grew great with Silly Baby, just as I had always heard. This time around with Baby Punkin, however, they really are not much different than in my non-preggo state. Normally, my nails grow well for a few weeks and then one by one they begin chipping and pealing - same thing is happening this time around. They haven't grown out any longer than normal and don't seem any stronger.
Extra Weight
I'm on track to gain about the same amount as I did with Silly Baby, and at the same pace. With Silly Baby I never really *felt* fat - but this time around I definitely do. I don't know if it's just that I'm more sensitive to it because I know how hard it will be to lose it all afterwards or if I'm actually carrying the weight differently.
I definitely feel fat in the thighs and butt (and I look fat there too!!). I've also filled out a bit more up top too, which did not happen with Silly Baby.
Belly
With Silly Baby, the popular vote was that I was having a boy based on my appearance. My belly was up high, round like a basketball and out front. Obviously that was wrong!
This time, I've gotten both guesses based on how I'm carrying. My belly is mostly out front this time around, but I think maybe a little wider. Baby Punkin belly also definitely lower. Now, I've heard that with second pregnancies, the belly tends to be a little lower because the ab muscles are a bit more relaxed the next time around - so I'm not sure how much I can read into that.
I never felt all that huge, or overwhelmed by my bulging belly even though looking back at pictures of the last few weeks, I really was pretty big! This time I am feeling like the belly is really growing and really popping. I've gotten comments related to both - some people say "Wow! You've really popped!" And other say "You really aren't that big for 7 mos along." The latter may just be coworkers trying to be polite ;)
Ailments
Body Aches
This is where the biggest differences come in for me. Baby Punkin has been a lot rougher on me than Silly Baby. With Silly Baby, my biggest complaint was heartburn. I would get body aches, but not until the 3rd trimester and only if I over-exerted myself like going for too long of a walk, bending and lifting or being on my feet doing housework all day. But, usually then my aching was just my legs being tired. Towards the end, I wanted Tim's help to get up off the couch. I could get up on my own, but it was harder and I'd get achy in my back and belly. However, this time, I don't have that same type of ache when standing up.
With Baby Punkin, it's much worse. A few weeks ago, my sciatica began acting up. Well, now I have pain in my left hip, shooting down to my thigh 24/7. It's so bad that I MUST get up every 20min or so at work and walk around or else my hip will lock up. But then on the weekends or on days off at home it's no better being on my feet and bending and twisting all day. Lifting Addison can be very painful and the hardest thing for me to do is stand up from a sitting position and walk. If I don't do it slowly and pause before taking a step, I hobble for the first several steps or the numbness in my hip is so bad I nearly fall over. Seriously, I feel like an 80-year old! I don't have the pregnant lady waddle yet - that didn't kick in til right at the end with Silly Baby, but when that happens, I'm going to be REAL entertaining to watch walk around with my bum hip and waddle!
I try some stretches, but nothing makes it go away. I even had a prenatal massage over the weekend that felt great while it was going on, but I still felt the pain and numbness when I walked out of the spa.
Heartburn
On top of that I also have the around-the-clock heartburn. At first, when the heartburn kicked in, it didn't seem as bad this time around but probably because I was already prepared with all the remedies I used with Silly Baby. But in the last couple months it has been just as horrible as it was the first time around.
Belly Aches
In my first trimester with Baby Punkin, I was much more nauseous and had more instances of getting sick than I did with Silly Baby. And, with Baby Punkin, I've had more instances of food not agreeing with me. For instance, I apparently can no longer eat eggs. Over the holidays, I had scrambled eggs on two separate occasions and both times with in a matter of an hour I ended up in the bathroom for several hours with stabbing stomach pains and terrible nausea.
I'm not sure how much I can blame being a working mom of a toddler for the difference in how much worse I'm feeling this time around. But, last time I had it pretty easy. I wasn't working past 30 weeks, lived in a small condo with no stairs (now I have two flights of stairs I'm going up and down constantly when I'm at home) and had much less housework to do and no extra-active toddler to chase around, pick up and carry or sit on the floor with!
So wow! This post was just a big pile of complaints from me it seems! Not my intent, but there's certainly a lot going on with this 'ol body of mine!
I've got some updates from my last couple doctor's appointments that I plan to post up in the next couple weeks. I have my last ultrasound in 2 weeks and then start going to the doctor once a week after that until Baby Punkin arrives. We are rounding the corner to the home stretch!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Baby Punkin Gender Predictor
Let the Guessing Begin!
Ok, so as stated in the last post, we did not find out Baby Punkin's gender. So, just like with Silly Baby we will be doing a baby pool and I will be guessing and second-guessing everyday what Baby Punkin's gender is.
Since no one but Punkin knows, let's have some fun with it.
Chinese Gender Predictor
Based on the age I was when Baby Punkin was conceived and the month of the year when we conceived, the Chinese chart claims that Baby Punking is a....GIRL!
The month we conceived was June and I believe I was 31 at the time. However, being that my birthday is June 17 and the "estimated dates of conception" based on my due date of March 14 is June 18-24. Soooo yea, that's a close call!
Although, it is worth mentioning that when I took this test for Silly Baby, it was correct in predicting a girl.
Gender Predictor Quizzes
I took three different quizzes because the first two came back differently :)
The first one I took was a whole bunch of random questions that I wasn't sure what answer would mean girl or boy, which I guess is good! That test came back GIRL.
Then I took a test like I did with Silly Baby that was based on old wives' tales and that one came back BOY.
So, as a tie breaker, I took another one that was some wives' tales and some questions just on how I'm feeling/looking/eating. That one came back BOY.
So, a bit of a head-scratcher, don't ya think?
In my next post, I'll list the reasons I think it's a girl or boy and compare it to my Silly Baby pregnancy too!
We'll be starting to collect guesses for our Baby Punkin Pool this month, so if you see us - you can submit your guesses if you wanna make it intersting :)
Stay tuned!
Ok, so as stated in the last post, we did not find out Baby Punkin's gender. So, just like with Silly Baby we will be doing a baby pool and I will be guessing and second-guessing everyday what Baby Punkin's gender is.
Since no one but Punkin knows, let's have some fun with it.
Chinese Gender Predictor
Based on the age I was when Baby Punkin was conceived and the month of the year when we conceived, the Chinese chart claims that Baby Punking is a....GIRL!
The month we conceived was June and I believe I was 31 at the time. However, being that my birthday is June 17 and the "estimated dates of conception" based on my due date of March 14 is June 18-24. Soooo yea, that's a close call!
Although, it is worth mentioning that when I took this test for Silly Baby, it was correct in predicting a girl.
Gender Predictor Quizzes
I took three different quizzes because the first two came back differently :)
The first one I took was a whole bunch of random questions that I wasn't sure what answer would mean girl or boy, which I guess is good! That test came back GIRL.
Then I took a test like I did with Silly Baby that was based on old wives' tales and that one came back BOY.
So, as a tie breaker, I took another one that was some wives' tales and some questions just on how I'm feeling/looking/eating. That one came back BOY.
So, a bit of a head-scratcher, don't ya think?
In my next post, I'll list the reasons I think it's a girl or boy and compare it to my Silly Baby pregnancy too!
We'll be starting to collect guesses for our Baby Punkin Pool this month, so if you see us - you can submit your guesses if you wanna make it intersting :)
Stay tuned!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Week #20 Doctor's Appointment
The BIG Ultrasound!
For many parents, the 20-week ultrasound is the time they find out if they are having a boy or a girl. But once again, the O'Neills are kicking it old school and not finding out the gender until we meet Baby Punkin!
Baby Punkin's 20 week ultrasound was on Saturday, October 29. I do have to admit, I was a bit more intrigued this time around - sorta hoping I'd see something, or clearly not see something. But alas, I'm not so good at reading ultrasounds so I couldn't tell anything. Plus, I think the ultrasound techs maneuver differently when the parents aren't finding out. The closest we got to a "peek" was when the tech showed us Baby Punkin's leg. But, it was hard for me to make out anyway so I didn't know which end was up to know where I needed to look for a *hint.
So all along since the beginning of this pregnancy, and heck - even before - I just had the feeling the second baby would be a boy. Mostly because, hey it'd be nice to have one of each and the "Simon tradition" is to have a girl, boy then a girl! So just feels natural that way.
But now, after the ultrasound, since I didn't obviously see anything, I'm wondering if it's a girl. I had similar doubts after Silly Baby's ultrasound. I didn't think I saw "it" but didn't want to be over confident and that is when I started wondering more and more if Silly Baby was a boy.So again, it's life great mystery and we'll find out in a few months :)
As for the ultrasound itself, we didn't get many good looks at Baby Punkin. They were curled up in a little ball, upside down and very low so the tech had difficulty. She poked my belly and moved the wand at all angles to get a better view. She even had me cough a few times in hopes that Punkin would move into better sights. No luck!
She got all the measurements she needed except for a few of the head, which of course are very important! So I had to go back four days later for another quick ultrasound to get those last few measurements.
Everything measured right on time and looked good. Baby Punkin's heart rate is in the 150s, so could indicate a girl since that is an old wives' tale that girls' heart rate is above 140 and boys' are below 140. So we shall see!
My next appointment is November 23rd, just a quick 24 week office visit.
For many parents, the 20-week ultrasound is the time they find out if they are having a boy or a girl. But once again, the O'Neills are kicking it old school and not finding out the gender until we meet Baby Punkin!
Baby Punkin's 20 week ultrasound was on Saturday, October 29. I do have to admit, I was a bit more intrigued this time around - sorta hoping I'd see something, or clearly not see something. But alas, I'm not so good at reading ultrasounds so I couldn't tell anything. Plus, I think the ultrasound techs maneuver differently when the parents aren't finding out. The closest we got to a "peek" was when the tech showed us Baby Punkin's leg. But, it was hard for me to make out anyway so I didn't know which end was up to know where I needed to look for a *hint.
But now, after the ultrasound, since I didn't obviously see anything, I'm wondering if it's a girl. I had similar doubts after Silly Baby's ultrasound. I didn't think I saw "it" but didn't want to be over confident and that is when I started wondering more and more if Silly Baby was a boy.So again, it's life great mystery and we'll find out in a few months :)
As for the ultrasound itself, we didn't get many good looks at Baby Punkin. They were curled up in a little ball, upside down and very low so the tech had difficulty. She poked my belly and moved the wand at all angles to get a better view. She even had me cough a few times in hopes that Punkin would move into better sights. No luck!
She got all the measurements she needed except for a few of the head, which of course are very important! So I had to go back four days later for another quick ultrasound to get those last few measurements.
Everything measured right on time and looked good. Baby Punkin's heart rate is in the 150s, so could indicate a girl since that is an old wives' tale that girls' heart rate is above 140 and boys' are below 140. So we shall see!
My next appointment is November 23rd, just a quick 24 week office visit.
Friday, November 18, 2011
2nd Trimester: Weeks 14-19
Week 14
By Week 14, we had told everyone about Baby Punkin. Everyone, but my employers. When we first shared the news with our parents around week 11, our plan was to tell our friends next, once we hit week 12. Then, our jobs. Tim easily told his coworkers and bosses in week 12.
Well, the day after we announced the news to our parents, there were some big changes at my job- my coworker and boss were no longer there. So I went from not being nervous at all to tell my boss - knowing that I could do a ton of work ahead of time and I had a coworker who could easily cover for me on my leave. I had a close relationship with my boss, and we had even in passing talked about it me having more kids some day, etc.
But that morning everything changed. I went from being a part of a 4-person marketing department to a sorta 2-person marketing department. But the other person left was new and didn't know any of the work I did so would not be ideal for covering me while I was out. And, part of the dismissal of my boss and coworker was a strong trust in me to handle the entire marketing department's workload. That's not necessarily the best time to say, "Ok, well that's fine for the next 5 months - but then I'm going on a 12-week maternity leave."
But I wasn't about to pull a Katherine Heigl in "Knocked Up" and try to keep it a secret as to not jeopardize my career advancement, but I also wanted to get some good face time and prove my capabilities to the CEO (who was now my direct boss)before dropping that bomb.
So around week 14 I was getting to the point where I was going to start wearing maternity clothes soon, so before anyone suspected anything, I wanted to come clean. Plus, it was making me so nervous that I just wanted to get it over with.
I first spoke to HR who was very receptive to it and just explained my leave benefits and some paperwork. Then, the next day I went in to tell the CEO. I was so nervous as he had expressed how much he was relying on me in light of the recent changes, I didn't want to stress him out either! But, he was also very receptive and congratulatory. He's a family man himself so understands it. He appreciated me telling him so early on which has given us months to prepare and plan for how to handle my lead. So, whew! But this was definitely one of the most stressful moments of this pregnancy!
16 Weeks
(Snippets from my journal - 9/28/11)
It was a secret for so long and now all of a sudden, now that everyone knows - I'm in the thick of things...Literally! I'm busting into maternity clothes now. My nausea has subsided, but the appetite remains big.
19 Weeks
(Snippets from my journal - 10/18/11)
I'm starting to feel pregnant and starting to show a bit too. I can still conceal it in certain shirts and to the general world it's not obvious. But when I wear a maternity shirt, I really do look pregnant, which is good because I'm really starting to gain weight! I'm up 8lbs from all the weight I lost in my 1st trimester. Yikes!
Baby Punkin has been moving around. I felt it slightly around week 16, not always certain it was Punkin. But by week 17, I felt the little pokes. I'm used to it now but it gave me the heebie jeebies at first just like with Silly Baby.
By Week 14, we had told everyone about Baby Punkin. Everyone, but my employers. When we first shared the news with our parents around week 11, our plan was to tell our friends next, once we hit week 12. Then, our jobs. Tim easily told his coworkers and bosses in week 12.
Well, the day after we announced the news to our parents, there were some big changes at my job- my coworker and boss were no longer there. So I went from not being nervous at all to tell my boss - knowing that I could do a ton of work ahead of time and I had a coworker who could easily cover for me on my leave. I had a close relationship with my boss, and we had even in passing talked about it me having more kids some day, etc.
But that morning everything changed. I went from being a part of a 4-person marketing department to a sorta 2-person marketing department. But the other person left was new and didn't know any of the work I did so would not be ideal for covering me while I was out. And, part of the dismissal of my boss and coworker was a strong trust in me to handle the entire marketing department's workload. That's not necessarily the best time to say, "Ok, well that's fine for the next 5 months - but then I'm going on a 12-week maternity leave."
But I wasn't about to pull a Katherine Heigl in "Knocked Up" and try to keep it a secret as to not jeopardize my career advancement, but I also wanted to get some good face time and prove my capabilities to the CEO (who was now my direct boss)before dropping that bomb.
So around week 14 I was getting to the point where I was going to start wearing maternity clothes soon, so before anyone suspected anything, I wanted to come clean. Plus, it was making me so nervous that I just wanted to get it over with.
I first spoke to HR who was very receptive to it and just explained my leave benefits and some paperwork. Then, the next day I went in to tell the CEO. I was so nervous as he had expressed how much he was relying on me in light of the recent changes, I didn't want to stress him out either! But, he was also very receptive and congratulatory. He's a family man himself so understands it. He appreciated me telling him so early on which has given us months to prepare and plan for how to handle my lead. So, whew! But this was definitely one of the most stressful moments of this pregnancy!
16 Weeks
(Snippets from my journal - 9/28/11)
It was a secret for so long and now all of a sudden, now that everyone knows - I'm in the thick of things...Literally! I'm busting into maternity clothes now. My nausea has subsided, but the appetite remains big.
19 Weeks
(Snippets from my journal - 10/18/11)
I'm starting to feel pregnant and starting to show a bit too. I can still conceal it in certain shirts and to the general world it's not obvious. But when I wear a maternity shirt, I really do look pregnant, which is good because I'm really starting to gain weight! I'm up 8lbs from all the weight I lost in my 1st trimester. Yikes!
Baby Punkin has been moving around. I felt it slightly around week 16, not always certain it was Punkin. But by week 17, I felt the little pokes. I'm used to it now but it gave me the heebie jeebies at first just like with Silly Baby.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
1st Trimester Doctor's Appointments
Mommy Punkin's first prenatal appointment was set for July 19th. I took the positive test on July 9th, but as I mentioned in my earlier post , I wasn't quite sure how far along I was - I could have been very early on, so didn't want to jump on an appointment so quick because typically they do not want to see you until your 7th week or so.
But, when I called to make the appointment, according to my last period I was 6 weeks pregnant so I set the appointment for about 10 days just to be safe in case I was not 6 weeks along.
When we went in for the ultrasound, I explained that I might not actually be over 6 weeks along because of my odd cycle, but the tech said they'd be able to determine from the ultrasounds measurements.
She first attempted the ultrasound from the outside but saw nothing, other than the sac to confirm that I was indeed pregnant! So I had to have an internal ultrasound, like I did with Silly Baby,but unlike Silly Baby, I did not see Baby Punkin immediately. In Punkin's defense I was only 6 weeks along versus with Silly Baby I was already 10 weeks! The tech had to point Baby Punkin out to us and the only thing I could really make out was the flicker of the heartbeat. Definitely a different experience than with Silly Baby which was more like "BAM, Here's a baby!!" Baby Punkin was so tiny and early on it seemed like it would be forever until I was *really pregnant. But I think having that mentality right away has served me well to not rush through the pregnancy, or have it feel like it's dragging on. It also helps that I know each step of the way what's going to happen next and this time around there is much less to prepare for to create any extra stress.
S
ince I was so early along, the Dr wanted me to come back again in a week so they could get a better look at Baby Punkin. So one week later I got to see Baby Punkin again...they were still pretty little - basically just a little bit bigger of a dot than the first ultrasound.
The next appointment a few weeks later was the big blood work one. With Silly Baby, I fainted after all this blood was drawn, so this time I was prepared. I told the nurses right away that in the past I've fainted, so they took me into an exam room and had me lay down. Two nurses came in with me and one just chit-chatted with me the whole time. I felt sorta silly requesting special treatment, but it worked! I wasn't even light headed or nauseous like in times past.
The next appointment was at 12 weeks, I had more blood work done because a few tests were missed the first time around (ugh).
I got to see Baby Punkin again for a very quick ultrasound to measure the neck, etc. By then, Punkin was definitely a little peanut baby - much better than the little dot! The Dr went over my blood tests and found that my thyroid was a teensy bit high so they needed to test the other components (I don't know exactly, it was a lot of medical speak!) So - more blood work for me. BUT again I did just fine, so maybe my phobia is weakening! The end result of the further testing was just fine, thankfully!
So that's a recap of my first trimester doctor's appointments. Nothing too exciting - the second and third trimester appointments are much more entertaining!
I'm gradually catching up here...Next post, I'll dive into the 2nd trimester!
But, when I called to make the appointment, according to my last period I was 6 weeks pregnant so I set the appointment for about 10 days just to be safe in case I was not 6 weeks along.
When we went in for the ultrasound, I explained that I might not actually be over 6 weeks along because of my odd cycle, but the tech said they'd be able to determine from the ultrasounds measurements.
She first attempted the ultrasound from the outside but saw nothing, other than the sac to confirm that I was indeed pregnant! So I had to have an internal ultrasound, like I did with Silly Baby,but unlike Silly Baby, I did not see Baby Punkin immediately. In Punkin's defense I was only 6 weeks along versus with Silly Baby I was already 10 weeks! The tech had to point Baby Punkin out to us and the only thing I could really make out was the flicker of the heartbeat. Definitely a different experience than with Silly Baby which was more like "BAM, Here's a baby!!" Baby Punkin was so tiny and early on it seemed like it would be forever until I was *really pregnant. But I think having that mentality right away has served me well to not rush through the pregnancy, or have it feel like it's dragging on. It also helps that I know each step of the way what's going to happen next and this time around there is much less to prepare for to create any extra stress.
S
ince I was so early along, the Dr wanted me to come back again in a week so they could get a better look at Baby Punkin. So one week later I got to see Baby Punkin again...they were still pretty little - basically just a little bit bigger of a dot than the first ultrasound.
The next appointment a few weeks later was the big blood work one. With Silly Baby, I fainted after all this blood was drawn, so this time I was prepared. I told the nurses right away that in the past I've fainted, so they took me into an exam room and had me lay down. Two nurses came in with me and one just chit-chatted with me the whole time. I felt sorta silly requesting special treatment, but it worked! I wasn't even light headed or nauseous like in times past.
The next appointment was at 12 weeks, I had more blood work done because a few tests were missed the first time around (ugh).
I got to see Baby Punkin again for a very quick ultrasound to measure the neck, etc. By then, Punkin was definitely a little peanut baby - much better than the little dot! The Dr went over my blood tests and found that my thyroid was a teensy bit high so they needed to test the other components (I don't know exactly, it was a lot of medical speak!) So - more blood work for me. BUT again I did just fine, so maybe my phobia is weakening! The end result of the further testing was just fine, thankfully!
So that's a recap of my first trimester doctor's appointments. Nothing too exciting - the second and third trimester appointments are much more entertaining!
I'm gradually catching up here...Next post, I'll dive into the 2nd trimester!
Friday, November 4, 2011
1st Trimester Recap
Secret, Secret
One of the hardest things about my 1st Trimester with Baby Punkin, was keeping it a secret. With Silly Baby, I didn't suspect pregnancy until week 6, didn't take a test until week 8 and our first doctor's appointment was at 10 weeks. We told our parents in week 11 and all of our friends in week 12! In that time, there was only one gathering (a game night w/friends)where I had to hide it and pretend to drink - otherwise I had it pretty easy!
Not so much this time around. Since I suspected it in week 4, took the test right away and had our first doctor's appointment just before week 6, I had 6 weeks of secret keeping ahead of me. And, of course this time, we were in the midst of one of our busiest summers to date! Every weekend we had some sort of gathering or event, so every weekend I had to come up with a plan on how to hide it and pretend to drink/hide the fact that I wasn't. This also made me realize, even though I'm not much of a drinker anyway, it amazed me how alcohol was suddenly a huge part of our social life. The difference is that even though I'm not a big drinker, I'll usually have one or two - and we all know that's the first red flag to go up when you see a woman not drinking at all!
Vommy Mommy
I was VERY nauseous from the very beginning with Baby Punkin. July and August were awful. The nausea subsided in September and completely ended by October.
With Silly Baby, I was nauseous almost every morning, but as long as I ate some crackers or cereal, I was fine and by 10am it would be gone for the day. With Baby Punkin, it would come and go at the drop of a hat. I almost always felt sick when I woke up.
However, same as Silly Baby, I didn't actually throw up all that often. A couple times with Silly Baby, and a handful of times with Baby Punkin. But the hard part this time was that it would come out of nowhere. I would be feeling just fine and BAM! I'd get lightheaded, nauseous and have to stop what I was doing. And of course I had to act as though I felt just fine when it would hit at work or at a gathering!
It was worse on the nights and weekends at home, most likely because I was up and about much more than at work playing with Addison and doing housework. Tim got used to me doing housework one minute, and the next minute laying on the couch looking like death. [TMI Warning] The nausea was so bad some days that I wish I could just throw up to make myself feel better! But usually, I couldn't even make myself throw up. My gag reflex was very sensitive so brushing my teeth became a very difficult task. Same with anything that I thought looked/smelled or sounded gross. If I saw or smelled food that I didn't like it wasn't just an "ew" thought like normal, it would floor me and I'd have to leave the room. The thought of whatever the food/smell was would leave me nauseous for like an hour! And sometimes, I'd be enjoying a meal, then halfway through - all of a sudden it would gross me out and I wouldn't be able to finish it. So then that food had to be added to the "I guess I don't like this anymore" list.
The worst was the weekend before we finally got to tell our parents about Baby Punkin. I could barely get off the couch all weekend. Some food would sound good, then bad and nothing I did could prevent another onset of nausea 20 minutes later. BUT, after that weekend is when it all settled down to just a once or twice a day mild annoyance. I am so happy those days are over!
Baby Punkin is a Teenage Boy?
Actually a boy or girl, we don't know. But that's certainly how Baby Punkin made me feel this summer. On top of the up-and-down nausea discussed above, in Mommy Punkin's first trimester, my appetite sky-rocketed. It's a wonder how I lost 6 pounds in July and only gained 4 back in the entire first trimester.
Similar to the attacks of nausea I talked about above, this often times coincided with attacks of hunger. Sometimes even just 30min after I'd eaten, my stomach would start to growl and ache as though I hadn't eaten in 8hrs. There was no mild hunger pains, I'd go from 0-100 on the hunger scale immediately. To combat that, I just found whatever quick food was nearby to shove in my mouth. Many times I had to eat when I didn't even feel like it or have a craving for anything. I thought for sure I'd gain 20 lbs in a month.
On top of the hunger attacks, I also only craved salty crap food. Frozen pizza was my go-to. Some of it had to do with wanting convenience foods, because many times nothing sounded good to me, so I'd just fall back on junk food. But other times it was a craving - it would pop in my head and I had to have it. Some of my impulse cravings were Italian subs, Combos, Pizza Rolls, burgers, Super Pretzels/Auntie Anne's, sweet & spicy kettle chips and Cocoa Puffs.
Thankfully, my impulse cravings - and the heavily teenage boy-driven ones have subsided somewhat. I've also made a point to get more nutritious food into my diet. For lunch at work I've been having Healthy Choice meals that come with a side of veggies, and have been trying to get back into preparing dinners at home for the week. Most of our meals lately have had veggies on the side so that's a good start. I've been taking pre-natal vitamins since the day I found out, but I know there's more I can and should be doing!
I know this entry sounded like an awful lot of complaining, but hey - isn't that what the first trimester is all about? Feeling lousy and complaining about it ;)
I kid, but all in all I've been very happy this whole pregnancy, and I know my suffering pales in comparison to many women out there who have had a much rougher time in their 1st trimester and beyond, so for that I am thankful!
I am gradually catching up here, so stay tuned for my next entry where I recap the 1st Trimester Dr's appointment!
Thanks for reading!
One of the hardest things about my 1st Trimester with Baby Punkin, was keeping it a secret. With Silly Baby, I didn't suspect pregnancy until week 6, didn't take a test until week 8 and our first doctor's appointment was at 10 weeks. We told our parents in week 11 and all of our friends in week 12! In that time, there was only one gathering (a game night w/friends)where I had to hide it and pretend to drink - otherwise I had it pretty easy!
Not so much this time around. Since I suspected it in week 4, took the test right away and had our first doctor's appointment just before week 6, I had 6 weeks of secret keeping ahead of me. And, of course this time, we were in the midst of one of our busiest summers to date! Every weekend we had some sort of gathering or event, so every weekend I had to come up with a plan on how to hide it and pretend to drink/hide the fact that I wasn't. This also made me realize, even though I'm not much of a drinker anyway, it amazed me how alcohol was suddenly a huge part of our social life. The difference is that even though I'm not a big drinker, I'll usually have one or two - and we all know that's the first red flag to go up when you see a woman not drinking at all!
Vommy Mommy
I was VERY nauseous from the very beginning with Baby Punkin. July and August were awful. The nausea subsided in September and completely ended by October.
With Silly Baby, I was nauseous almost every morning, but as long as I ate some crackers or cereal, I was fine and by 10am it would be gone for the day. With Baby Punkin, it would come and go at the drop of a hat. I almost always felt sick when I woke up.
However, same as Silly Baby, I didn't actually throw up all that often. A couple times with Silly Baby, and a handful of times with Baby Punkin. But the hard part this time was that it would come out of nowhere. I would be feeling just fine and BAM! I'd get lightheaded, nauseous and have to stop what I was doing. And of course I had to act as though I felt just fine when it would hit at work or at a gathering!
It was worse on the nights and weekends at home, most likely because I was up and about much more than at work playing with Addison and doing housework. Tim got used to me doing housework one minute, and the next minute laying on the couch looking like death. [TMI Warning] The nausea was so bad some days that I wish I could just throw up to make myself feel better! But usually, I couldn't even make myself throw up. My gag reflex was very sensitive so brushing my teeth became a very difficult task. Same with anything that I thought looked/smelled or sounded gross. If I saw or smelled food that I didn't like it wasn't just an "ew" thought like normal, it would floor me and I'd have to leave the room. The thought of whatever the food/smell was would leave me nauseous for like an hour! And sometimes, I'd be enjoying a meal, then halfway through - all of a sudden it would gross me out and I wouldn't be able to finish it. So then that food had to be added to the "I guess I don't like this anymore" list.
The worst was the weekend before we finally got to tell our parents about Baby Punkin. I could barely get off the couch all weekend. Some food would sound good, then bad and nothing I did could prevent another onset of nausea 20 minutes later. BUT, after that weekend is when it all settled down to just a once or twice a day mild annoyance. I am so happy those days are over!
Baby Punkin is a Teenage Boy?
Actually a boy or girl, we don't know. But that's certainly how Baby Punkin made me feel this summer. On top of the up-and-down nausea discussed above, in Mommy Punkin's first trimester, my appetite sky-rocketed. It's a wonder how I lost 6 pounds in July and only gained 4 back in the entire first trimester.
Similar to the attacks of nausea I talked about above, this often times coincided with attacks of hunger. Sometimes even just 30min after I'd eaten, my stomach would start to growl and ache as though I hadn't eaten in 8hrs. There was no mild hunger pains, I'd go from 0-100 on the hunger scale immediately. To combat that, I just found whatever quick food was nearby to shove in my mouth. Many times I had to eat when I didn't even feel like it or have a craving for anything. I thought for sure I'd gain 20 lbs in a month.
On top of the hunger attacks, I also only craved salty crap food. Frozen pizza was my go-to. Some of it had to do with wanting convenience foods, because many times nothing sounded good to me, so I'd just fall back on junk food. But other times it was a craving - it would pop in my head and I had to have it. Some of my impulse cravings were Italian subs, Combos, Pizza Rolls, burgers, Super Pretzels/Auntie Anne's, sweet & spicy kettle chips and Cocoa Puffs.
Thankfully, my impulse cravings - and the heavily teenage boy-driven ones have subsided somewhat. I've also made a point to get more nutritious food into my diet. For lunch at work I've been having Healthy Choice meals that come with a side of veggies, and have been trying to get back into preparing dinners at home for the week. Most of our meals lately have had veggies on the side so that's a good start. I've been taking pre-natal vitamins since the day I found out, but I know there's more I can and should be doing!
I know this entry sounded like an awful lot of complaining, but hey - isn't that what the first trimester is all about? Feeling lousy and complaining about it ;)
I kid, but all in all I've been very happy this whole pregnancy, and I know my suffering pales in comparison to many women out there who have had a much rougher time in their 1st trimester and beyond, so for that I am thankful!
I am gradually catching up here, so stay tuned for my next entry where I recap the 1st Trimester Dr's appointment!
Thanks for reading!
Friday, October 28, 2011
How Baby Punkin' Came to Be
Half Trying
When we began sharing the news about Baby Punkin, of course one of the questions people asked is if we were trying. Our response? We were "half trying" or "not, NOT trying."
Which is true. Once we moved and got settled into the 3-bedroom townhouse, Baby #2 started to become a possibility for "maybe sometime in the next year or so." So this was around January that I felt more open to the thought of another baby. But since finances and careers are even still today a big factor to figure in, I didn't want to try 100%. I thought we'd just let it happen if it happened. I also did not want it to become one more thing to stress out about in my life, which it could very well become anyway if it took awhile! So really, Baby #2 was just in the back of our minds.
2011 Baby Parade
That is, until March when everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, began announcing they were pregnant! From friends to family to mere Facebook friends there were at least a dozen pregnancies announced. So even if Baby #2 was nowhere in my mind, all of this woulda put the idea there anyway!
Am I Late?
After this, I was a little more "in-tune" with my body. (Warning:TMI) Since my cycle had been pretty inconsistent it was hard to know if & when something could happen or if it already did. Sometimes I would go over 40 days. But usually after a long cycle, a clockwork-like 28 day one would hit and I'd think I was back on track. Well when a 40-day-er happened in March, I waited til I was at about 30 days and took a test. Negative. I wasn't disappointed but it did make me realize this could get annoying, with not knowing when I was technically "late." It came two days later.
Well, this happened again at the end of April, this time I forced myself to be more patient and waited until 40 days. Negative again, and again, it came two days later.
Embarrassed of myself for being *duped* by my body, I vowed to be very trigger shy the next time I thought to take a test.
This brings us to early July. As promised, I waited until I was past 43 days. I had also been feeling very lightheaded that week. That wasn't a symptom I had with Addison, but I'm always not normally lightheaded, so I took note of that and waited until that Friday, July 9th.
E-P-T
Tim and I were going to be apart most of the weekend, me at a concert then visiting my mom in Madison - he, at an all day bachelor party. I had a half day that Friday to go to the Britney Spears concert with my best friend Katie. Well, when I got home that afternoon and was waiting for her to arrive, I got antsy and since this was day 43, I didn't want to be wondering about it all weekend until I was back home on Sunday. So, I took the test. The faintest little plus sign appeared. Nowhere near the slap-you-in-the-face bold blue plus sign I got from Addison's test.
I stared at it. I even looked at it from different angles to make sure the line wasn't appearing to me like a mirage. But the lines remained. So I took a deep breath and smiled, and within the hour, Katie showed up.
Part of me wanted to just blurt it out, to say it out loud for my own realization, but it still seemed surreal so it was easy to just carry on with our evening. But once in awhile, the thought would pop into my head and I would smile.
Since I didn't want to just blurt it out to Tim late that night when I got home, I decided to leave a little surprise for him on his dresser. I put the test in an envelope and on the front of the envelope I wrote, "Oops...We Did It Again!" (get it? I was heading to the Britney Spears concert when he got this!).
While I was out at pre-concert dinner with Katie, I saw it was around 5:15, the time Tim gets home from work. So I patiently waited for some sort of text from him. Finally around he finally saw it and texted me. It was funny to lead the double life of chatting with Katie about whatever, and at the same time texting with Tim about our new baby!
I had the feeling that I was very early along, but there was no easy way to calculate it given my inconsistencies. I was either 4 weeks or 6 weeks. When we had our first Dr.'s appointment a week and half later, I was just over 5 weeks, so yes very early! We quickly realized we had a long road ahead of us before we could share the news.
Finding out about Baby Punkin was such a different experience than finding out about Addison. I love that they already have such different "life stories."
Keep checking back, as I have a lot of catching up to do on this blog. Next topic: 1st Trimester Recap!
When we began sharing the news about Baby Punkin, of course one of the questions people asked is if we were trying. Our response? We were "half trying" or "not, NOT trying."
Which is true. Once we moved and got settled into the 3-bedroom townhouse, Baby #2 started to become a possibility for "maybe sometime in the next year or so." So this was around January that I felt more open to the thought of another baby. But since finances and careers are even still today a big factor to figure in, I didn't want to try 100%. I thought we'd just let it happen if it happened. I also did not want it to become one more thing to stress out about in my life, which it could very well become anyway if it took awhile! So really, Baby #2 was just in the back of our minds.
2011 Baby Parade
That is, until March when everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, began announcing they were pregnant! From friends to family to mere Facebook friends there were at least a dozen pregnancies announced. So even if Baby #2 was nowhere in my mind, all of this woulda put the idea there anyway!
Am I Late?
After this, I was a little more "in-tune" with my body. (Warning:TMI) Since my cycle had been pretty inconsistent it was hard to know if & when something could happen or if it already did. Sometimes I would go over 40 days. But usually after a long cycle, a clockwork-like 28 day one would hit and I'd think I was back on track. Well when a 40-day-er happened in March, I waited til I was at about 30 days and took a test. Negative. I wasn't disappointed but it did make me realize this could get annoying, with not knowing when I was technically "late." It came two days later.
Well, this happened again at the end of April, this time I forced myself to be more patient and waited until 40 days. Negative again, and again, it came two days later.
Embarrassed of myself for being *duped* by my body, I vowed to be very trigger shy the next time I thought to take a test.
This brings us to early July. As promised, I waited until I was past 43 days. I had also been feeling very lightheaded that week. That wasn't a symptom I had with Addison, but I'm always not normally lightheaded, so I took note of that and waited until that Friday, July 9th.
E-P-T
Tim and I were going to be apart most of the weekend, me at a concert then visiting my mom in Madison - he, at an all day bachelor party. I had a half day that Friday to go to the Britney Spears concert with my best friend Katie. Well, when I got home that afternoon and was waiting for her to arrive, I got antsy and since this was day 43, I didn't want to be wondering about it all weekend until I was back home on Sunday. So, I took the test. The faintest little plus sign appeared. Nowhere near the slap-you-in-the-face bold blue plus sign I got from Addison's test.
I stared at it. I even looked at it from different angles to make sure the line wasn't appearing to me like a mirage. But the lines remained. So I took a deep breath and smiled, and within the hour, Katie showed up.
Part of me wanted to just blurt it out, to say it out loud for my own realization, but it still seemed surreal so it was easy to just carry on with our evening. But once in awhile, the thought would pop into my head and I would smile.
Since I didn't want to just blurt it out to Tim late that night when I got home, I decided to leave a little surprise for him on his dresser. I put the test in an envelope and on the front of the envelope I wrote, "Oops...We Did It Again!" (get it? I was heading to the Britney Spears concert when he got this!).
While I was out at pre-concert dinner with Katie, I saw it was around 5:15, the time Tim gets home from work. So I patiently waited for some sort of text from him. Finally around he finally saw it and texted me. It was funny to lead the double life of chatting with Katie about whatever, and at the same time texting with Tim about our new baby!
I had the feeling that I was very early along, but there was no easy way to calculate it given my inconsistencies. I was either 4 weeks or 6 weeks. When we had our first Dr.'s appointment a week and half later, I was just over 5 weeks, so yes very early! We quickly realized we had a long road ahead of us before we could share the news.
Finding out about Baby Punkin was such a different experience than finding out about Addison. I love that they already have such different "life stories."
Keep checking back, as I have a lot of catching up to do on this blog. Next topic: 1st Trimester Recap!
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