Princess Peach (or Prince)

Princess (or Prince) Peach is the welcomed beginning to my second trimester. 7 (or 8) pounds gained on me....not even 1 ounce of that be baby. Ah well...what can I do?

Headaches. And a few food aversions are my side effects. Starches and I don't get along so well at the moment.

Nesting has started a bit early. Cleaned up the room that is to be the nursery a bit...lovely! Can't wait. But could time move any slower?

I've had a few shopping "sprees" in the maternity sections of Old Navy and Target...my pants are getting a bit tough to sit down in (standing...we're all great)...

I'm also starved...and the food just arrived. Will update later this week!

In the library, with a candle stick...who was it?

Why, Professor PLUM!!!

Baby Bump Baxter(B3) is now the size of a plum at 12 weeks hiber-creation. Milestone? I guess so. This past week saw the end of the 200+ day count down...now there's only 196 days to go. But who's counting?

B3 is moving around quite a bit---but I've not felt anything---except gas and rumbling of my digestive system. Lovely. I surely can't wait for the day to first feel that flutter in my stomach that isn't attributed to baked beans.

Another main side effect of the hormones is the fact that I will most certainly cry about anything. I cried at a car show while thinking about my Grandpa. I cried while watching a video about my school because I was sad I didn't do more extra-curriculars. I cried because I was too nervous to walk into the team room at work because I'm afraid there's 1 officer than doesn't like me. (That being said, I'm sure there are plenty more than one!) I cried just last night because our upstairs neighbors thought that vacuuming at 11:30PM was a brilliant idea. In the car before work, the button popped off my shirt...luckily I held back the water works on that mishap.

One more week left of the dreaded first trimester. If that was dreaded, I should feel better than perfect during the second tri. Fingers crossed that all continues on. I need to stop reading people's theories. The theories that state that you have higher risk of losing the baby if you don't have morning sickness (vomiting is apparently a good indicator of healthy fetus!). The theories that state that if you get your ankles rubbed, you'll most definitely be thrown into labor.

Doctors appointments should, perhaps, be more often, lol, for first time pregnant fools!

Wrinkly!

At 10 weeks along, the baby is the size of a prune. Figuring a few (I'd be lying to say they were short!) weeks ago, the baby was the size of a poppyseed....there's been a lot of change. I'm gaining some unrequired weight due to some uncontrollable cravings---I'm just not fighting them off well since I've misplaced my motivation. It's probably wherever I've left my car keys, my cell phone, my lunch, etc...I've surely got what people call the "pregnancy brain." For all those worried, my head is attached, so I've not misplaced it.

Strange feelings have been popping up....everywhere. My back sometimes (I am sleeping half/half on my back/stomach, so it's bound to be the reason)...I've had strange pains in my rib cage (hein? pourquoi??)...I get foot rubs a lot from the wonderful husband...Three more weeks and I'm supposedly in the clear--the second trimester, I mean.

Jeff and I joined a church yesterday. We've enjoyed going the past few months and hopefully it'll open us up to some new acquaintances and friends. People are very friendly there.

I've been back to work full time for a week and a half so far. It seems like it's lasted and eternity, but I have noticed that the extreme fatigue has dissipated a bit. I'm relieved for that. That was the symptom driving me the most insane. Of course, I slept until 10AM this morning. Oops. I am NOT supposed to do that.

Other than that, I'm done for the day. Will update later this week!

Ciao!

Shaken, not stirred!

Graduation!

Our little Blueberry is now a Green Olive. Not only that...but our embryo has graduation to elementary school---and is now a fetus. Yay! Now just about an inch in length, its heartbeat can be heard via Doppler, which I hopefully have scheduled for this coming Wednesday! Woot!

The biggest suffering for me now is the pregnancy fatigue. It nearly takes a bulldozer to get me out of bed--and then I only take a few steps to our recliner sofa where I veg and eat. My diet and exercise routine has taken a beating.

Yesterday, I took a run. I ran for half a mile before the pain on my side hurt more than I could stand and my breathing was much too labored for my speed and distance ran. So I walked a little longer until I found Little League. I watched some 7 year olds playing baseball...and perhaps for the first time, I thought I'd be ok with having a little boy. I can't wait for that stage!

Well, I foresee an update following my appointment!!
Ciao!

And it begins...

As Blueberry Baxter is fixing to upgrade to "Raspberry Status," the stronger symptoms are beginning to shine. A sprinkle of nausea, midnight trips to the restroom to give my bladder a break...oh lovely.

Blueberry is making it known that it's there. Cramping. Hunger. Some more cramping. This week, it's forming (hopefully) two arms and two legs. It still has a tail--making it more alien than I care to think about. But it's forming. Heart is beating at more than 100 beats per minute. Ear canals are forming, but Alien Blueberry still can't hear for another 7 weeks. We're already watching our language, though :p!

I'm doing well with my exercise. Walking is my exercise of choice and my brother in law, Max (a mini/toy poodle), is being helpful with that cause. I feel good about keeping active!

More later following the berry upgrade!!

Introducing...

BLUEBERRY (MUFFIN!)!!
Little baby Baxter is now the size of a blueberry---keeping in the spirit of Blueberry season chez my parents in Holland! Yumm-O!!! It's a sad thing, though, that every time I think of the Little Blueberry---my mind goes to muffins, pancakes and the most delicious bowls of Frosted Flakes around. In any case, the Fetus Formerly Known as Poppy Seed is making great progress.

It's spent a week out in California (well, half a week so far) meeting the paternal grandparents and future uncles and aunts and cousins and Dog...it's had a blast.

It does regret the Personal Sized pizza from Round Table it just ate. Perhaps the morning sickness starts now? Tonight may be the first trip (albeit short) to the hot tub out at Grandpa and Grandma's house. The weather's no longer scorching its carrier.

Everyone's excited. Janet and I went out shopping yesterday (more like window shopping) and found some really cute toys at a placed called Giggle. Luckily, they have an online store, so I'll be able to get some of the hard-to-find items it sells back home in Virginia when the time is right. We also got to test the stroller/travel system I'm preferring at the mo and it seems like it'd work perfectly. The price tag is a bit steep...but we'll research more! And we've got plenty of time!

I need a nap. Jeff is sick and I slept poorly in a child-size bed. :P It's quiet in here!

Ciao!

OUR LITTLE SWEET PEA!

It's been yet another slow moving week in Herndon. Apple seed now is the size of a sweet pea. Little sweet pea is giving me pretty bad cramps (different than those that Aunt Flo brings along). No morning sickness still. We've worked hard and are doing ok on a diet plan to keep healthy. I'm chugging loads of milk daily (I actually finished a 1/2 gallon before it went bad). I'm eating my apples (sauce, mostly), my veggies (in pureed soup form, yummo!) and chicken. I'm craving sweets...buuuuutttttt....that's not abnormal for me!

I've been working a bit, picking up shifts here and there. My pants don't fit well much anymore. Uncomfortable. Top it off, apparently, another side effect is a higher body temperature. I don't know if I've ever sweat so much while standing or sitting still. Polyester pants stink!!!

We're packing up and leaving on Saturday for a 10-day visit with Jeff's parents in Bay Area, California. Can't wait. Should be fun :)! Not sure what I'll get up to while there. Phoebe and Daphne, the nittens, will be taken care of by the kind people at our Apartment Complex. Or so we hope.

We still don't have our dryer back.

So, now in my 5th week of pregnancy, I keep seeing women at work, at the store, on tv far along in their pregnancies and I begin to wonder if I'll make it that long! Hopefully I'll get used to the strange side effects. And I hope that when I get to doing something, time will go much faster.

Tick Tock. Tick Tock. Wait...the batteries of that clock are dead.

Until next time,
Cate