Thoughts and Daydreams...

Well, per Becci's request, she wants to know how I feel at this point, not what Baby Center has to say. So...a few updates!

There are some things I've been experiencing the last couple weeks that MAY be pregnancy-related, but it's really so hard to know! A few things are:

- More sour apples have been sounding SO good! I used to love fuji's (the sweetest apple), and now they're just too sweet! I'm loving the honey crisps and galas! It may just be the time of year, but I have been CRAVING them!
- I have been feeling like I need to pee more often, but when I go, I don't really go that much! It's a strange feeling to feel like you 'really have to go', and then you hardly go!
- I have had a little more dry-eye (CAN be associated with pregnancy)
- I have been tossing and turning more. It's not that I don't sleep - I've experienced my fair share of insomnia, and it's not like that. It's just that I wake up more often.
- I can now stomach salad, but only with a creamy-type dressing - no vinaigrettes.
- I've been having just random, small, and fast pains in places I've never felt before! Usually in my lower abdomen, on one side, or just deep inside, and low. I'm sure it's normal, but it's a little scary when it happens.

It's funny because I've actually felt like I've gotten skinnier than I was a couple weeks ago. My pants aren't quite as tight, and I think it's because I've been more regular once again. I think I was bloated and gassy, and that made me look more pregnant! I am slowly losing hope of 'showing' anytime soon! It's kindof disappointing, but I know my time will come. It is hard though, when people are expecting me to show (at least I perceive it this way) and then I feel like I disappoint them! I'm really going to try to just throw myself in to Momplicity here pretty soon, and just try to not think about it so much. I think when you obsess about something, it makes the time go slower! And that won't be hard to do (not think about it) because I literally don't feel pregnant! It's funny, and kindof scary sometimes, because I'm not really showing, I don't feel any movement and I feel great (no more tiredness - that only lasted a couple weeks, no nausea really at all, and my breasts haven't even been that sore anymore). From what I've read the 2nd trimester is the best, and I can see why. It's hard to ignore that little voice in the back of your head that says "Since you don't feel pregnant, maybe something is wrong..." But I try to ignore it. Whatever will be will be - it's entirely in the Lord's hands and I completely trust Him.

I was reading the section in this magazine I have about the 4th month (which I just entered). I was reading, and there were a few things that just hit me!! For some reason, this phrase really brought him/her to life for me: "Nails have begun to form on your baby's fingers, but they will be soft until after delivery." Our baby, our little being that WE created has it's little fingernails that it will have for the rest of it's life - even when it's grown and old! Fingernails just made it seem real to me! Also "On the hands, the whorls and ridges that will make up your baby's unique fingerprints are forming." Wow! Just like we're all human and unique, and the highest form of intelligent life, we're creating one of those, one of us - my body is manufacturing it - it's just so amazing. There is a human inside my belly, even though it's only 3 inches! Sometimes I think it would be so cool to cut open my belly and see our little one nestled inside, growing and just being. I love it SO MUCH already. I just want to protect it and nourish it, and nurture it. It's funny because I keep thinking of it being a girl, but it really could be a boy too. I would be completely happy with either, but I keep just sensing it's a girl. BUT, proven from the past (I didn't even know I was pregnant!), my intuition is not very accurate! So, whatever it is, I love it. At the end of this month our baby will be nearly 5 inches! That's almost half a foot! NOW we're getting somewhere! It will be big enough for me to cradle it in my hands. And around that time, it will start being able to hear. I can't wait for that! I will play it music and sing to it all the time!

It's been so nice to read the updates on Baby Center. I belong to this group of women that are due right around the same time as me, and so it's soooo nice to hear them experiencing the same things I am. It really is a WONDERFUL support. Also, I just found out in the last week that two of my friends are pregnant!!!! One of them is Klover Wells, and she's due in April!!!! And the other one will temporarily remain nameless, as hardly anyone knows, and I won't tell until she's announced it to everyone. She's about two months behind me, but I'm sooooooooo excited!!!!! It will be so fun for our baby to have babies/kids to be friends with, that are right around their age! Anyway, that's it for now! Please keep the comments coming - I love to hear them!

First Trimester Success!!!!

Your pregnancy: 13 weeks

How your baby's growing:
Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

How your life's changing:
This is the last week of your first trimester, and your risk of miscarriage is now much lower than earlier in pregnancy. Next week marks the beginning of your second trimester, a time of relative comfort for many women who see early pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness and fatigue subside. More good news: Many couples also notice a distinct libido lift around this time. Birth is still months away, but your breasts may have already started making colostrum, the nutrient-rich fluid that feeds your baby for the first few days after birth, before your milk starts to flow


3 Questions about eating for two

Q1.
How much more should I be eating every day?

You need only 300 or so extra calories a day when you're pregnant. Make those calories count: Skip the junk food and have a glass of milk and a couple of slices of whole-wheat toast instead.

Don't get too hung up on numbers, though. As long as you're making healthy food choices and your provider is happy with your weight gain, there's no need to agonize over calories.


Q2.
What are some important nutrients?

Protein, iron, and calcium are three nutrients you need now to keep you healthy and fuel your baby's development.

Protein: Aim for 71 grams a day. Lean meats, eggs, and dairy products, as well as nuts, beans, and soy products like tofu, are all good sources. Three servings a day should help you meet your goal. Fish is a good source of protein (as well as vital omega-3 fatty acids), but because of concerns about contamination, experts debate how much and what type of fish you should eat.

Iron: Getting 27 milligrams of iron every day is especially important to help ward off iron-deficiency anemia, a common problem among pregnant women. Iron found in animal products (called heme iron) is absorbed more easily by your body than iron found in plants (nonheme iron). The best source? Lean red meat. If you're a vegetarian or can't stomach meat, you can get some iron from vegetables such as spinach and legumes like lentils. It can be tough to get enough iron from these sources, though, so your provider may recommend an iron supplement. (Hint: Vitamin C enhances the absorption of nonheme iron, so eat foods rich in vitamin C — such as citrus fruits, strawberries, and sweet peppers — at the same time you eat non-meat iron-rich foods, or down your iron supplement with a glass of orange juice.)

Calcium: Four servings a day of dairy products will help you get the 1,000 mg of calcium you need (1,300 mg if you're 18 or younger). Your baby needs calcium for the formation of his bones and teeth. If you don't get enough of this nutrient, he'll take what he needs from your body and you'll lose calcium stored in your bones.


Q3.
If I'm already taking a prenatal vitamin, do I need to pay much attention to what I eat?

Yes! While a prenatal vitamin can help fill in any nutritional gaps in your diet, it isn't meant to take the place of healthy eating. For one thing, prenatal vitamins don't have the full day's supply of the calcium you need right now. For another, it's important to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber — for aiding digestion and avoiding constipation, a common pregnancy complaint. In fact, if you're a healthy woman who's well informed about nutrition, eats a balanced diet, and has no specific risk factors, not all experts agree that you even need to take a multivitamin and mineral supplement. However, all agree that you need to take folic acid supplements before conception and during the first trimester, and many believe it's important to take iron in the second and third trimesters.
• Most healthcare providers recommend taking a vitamin supplement from the time you decide to start trying to get pregnant through the end your pregnancy. Are you taking a prenatal vitamin?

Doula

I ran into Kim Bates this weekend, who I've been meaning to ask to be our doula. I have thought awhile about whether or not we should have one, and I just finally decided (also after going to the class on doulas a couple weeks ago at Barnes and Noble) that we should. The benefit of having a doula is that they are the emotional support behind labor. The doctor or midwife is there to oversee all the medical aspects of labor and birth. The doula is there to talk you through the pain, encourage you, massage you where you need it. Another important job of a doula is to be the liaison between you and the doctor, expressing your birth plan to them and making sure they stick to it. The woman is in no condition to fight for her intended plan, when she's in that much pain. I'm not too worried about this, as I have a great midwife, that will thoroughly know my birth plan, and will listen to me. But the other main reason why I'd like a doula is that she can do all the things that a husband might otherwise get stuck with. George doesn't need to be worrying about massaging me, going to get and communicating with the nurse, getting me food, etc. etc. etc. He's there to be the father and watch the birth, and be there to support me when I need him. The doula also helps with nursing, and other post-birth things. Anyway, I'm really excited to have Kim, as she is my friend Amy's sister, and I've know her for like 15 years. I feel very comfortable with her - she's very motherly and nurturing - just what I wanted! Anyway, I'm excited!

Aches and Pains

Well, I've been feeling great! I think especially since I'm almost through my first trimester, I just really am over any sort of symptoms, be they very mild, that I was having. I haven't been particularly tired anymore (that really only lasted for a couple weeks). Something new though, that I experienced a little yesterday and quite a bit today, was just this cramping feeling. Sort of feels (felt) menstrual at first, but kindof morphed into just a very dull, and just occasional cramping. What it actually feels like, and what I think it may be, is just my uterus stretching. I haven't really shown much up to this point (a LITTLE, though I'm not sure how much of it is just bloat and fullness - it's kindof funny that I'm 'showing' more at the END of every day, not in the morning as much!). Anyway, it's kindof a muscle stretching feeling in my lower (mostly side - both sides) abdomen. Just dull, and just intermittent. Anyway, thought I would share that progress!!

Yard Sale Scores!

Got a bag of maternity shirts and a baby bobby at my friend Andrea's yard sale! I didn't even know it was her yard sale, but I walked up, and there she was! She had her second baby last July. Sooo excited for the 'loot'! And Ashley gave me a box of maternity clothes last night too! Woohooo! I'm going to have them coming out the ying yang! Soooo excited!

We've Got a Lime People! A LIME!!!!

Your pregnancy: 12 weeks

How your baby's growing:

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

How your life's changing:

Your uterus has grown to the point where your healthcare provider can now feel the top of it (the fundus) low in your abdomen, just above your pubic bone. You may already be into maternity clothes, especially if this isn't your first pregnancy. If you're still fairly small and not yet ready for maternity clothes, you've no doubt noticed that your waist is thickening and that you're more comfortable in loose, less restrictive clothing.

You may begin to feel heartburn (also called acid indigestion), a burning sensation that often extends from the bottom of your breastbone to your lower throat. Many women get heartburn for the first time during pregnancy, and those who've previously had bouts of heartburn may find that it gets worse. During pregnancy, the placenta produces a lot of the hormone progesterone, which relaxes the valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach. Particularly when you're lying down, gastric acid can seep back up the pipe, which causes the uncomfortable burning sensation. For many women the problem doesn't begin (or get worse) until later in pregnancy, when your growing uterus starts to push up on your stomach. The discomfort may range from mildly annoying to intense and distracting.

Official Pregnancy Announcements!!!!!

A couple things first...

First, thanks Sister for posting so many comments! I love reading them and knowing you're reading my blog!

Second, I had ordered some maternity clothes from Kohls (only because I saw on this coupon website that they had some really discounted maternity shirts with free shipping) and got them today (I had almost forgotten!). They're really cute! I'm excited to wear them (much later) - probably to Mexico in January because they're pretty summery.

Third, I posted that we're expecting on facebook tonight - I've already gotten like 40+ comments and I'm on such a high! It's soooooo FUN to announce this kind of news to everyone you know! Probably some of the best news I'll ever get to announce! I'm just so happy...

Now I can post all the pregnancy-related things I've been wanting to post on facebook, but couldn't say a peep about! Yay!

One more thing - I announced in to most of my friends/faculty at Chorale last night. That was really fun too! And then I announced it to my choirs today - they were so excited! What fun!

Appointment with Anita Sheetz

I just wanted to briefly say that I had an appointment with another midwife at another practice, Anita Sheetz, last Monday. I had heard some good (and bad) things about her, and thought I would at least meet with her before I made a final decision. I was pretty sure I was going to go with Ruth Ann, but I thought I should meet with at least 3 before I made a decision (and I had already met Janet Grant and Ruth Ann). There's only a couple others in town, and I hadn't heard good things about them. I actually liked her more than I thought I would. I definitely liked her office and staff more - they were friendlier and the facility was nicer and newer, and maybe a little more professional. But part of that was because almost everyone else in her office is OB's. There is one other midwife in her office, but she is taking a break as of last May. I decided not to go with her for a couple reasons. She did seem like she was trying to 'prove' herself - spouting out her 'script' of information. She also sort of 'between the lines' seemed to imply that there was a chance she wouldn't be able to be at my birth (saying things like 'needing her family time' and she usually has '10-12' births a month - sort of 'preparing' me for the possibility. The reason why this is really not okay with me is because there's only one other midwife in her office, and she's taking a break, and so if Anita can't be there, then someone else in her office will have to deliver our baby - meaning: a doctor. I really don't want a doctor. I want a midwife. AND, I'm pretty sure all except MAYBE one doctor's in her office are male. And I REALLY don't want a male. She just didn't seem to love what she does - really seemed to think of it as 'a job'. So anyway, for all those reasons, I decided to stick with Ruth Ann.

Doctor's Appointment

Had a dr.'s appointment yesterday - went great! We got to hear the heartbeat again, and G recorded it on his phone! Strong, and easy to find. She said it was pretty fast (but normal). I'm so excited already to meet him/her! G really liked the midwife I picked, Ruth Ann Price (he hadn't met her). We asked her every question we could think of! It was exciting, and I had gained 1.4 lbs. I'm now 129.4 lbs. It will be hard to be past that 130 point, but I'll get used to it! (Probably will pass the 140 mark too!).

Lunch

I just ate a whole bunch of pickles and then chocolate chips for lunch! It's funny, because I don't FEEL like pickles tasting so good is related to my pregnancy, and I haven't been craving them per se, but they just taste and look so good in the refrigerator! An aversion I've had is salad. I used to eat one every day for lunch, and I just can't stomach that now! Usually only a few things sound good, and that's what I eat!

11 Weeks!!! 1 1/2 Inches! WooooooHoooooo!

I know I popped out a little this week! I AM attributing some of it to:
a.) I stopped sucking in (I was before out of self-consciousness)
b.) I've definitely been more irregular (so more BLOATED!)
But, I'm definitely going with the excuse that I'm PREGNANT!!! Woohoo! Yay!





Your pregnancy: 11 weeks

How your baby's growing:

Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.

She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing:


If you're like most women, you're feeling a bit more energetic now and your nausea may be starting to wane. Unfortunately, you may also be suffering from constipation (caused by hormonal changes, which can slow digestion) and heartburn (hormones again, relaxing the valve between your stomach and esophagus). Just remember, all this discomfort is for a good cause.

Don't worry if nausea has made it impossible for you to eat a wide variety of healthy foods or if you haven't put on much weight yet (most women gain just 2 to 5 pounds during the first trimester). Your appetite will likely return soon, and you'll start to gain about a pound a week.

Learn which of your symptoms are normal and which are a sign that something might be wrong. You're probably also wondering things like, Can I keep going to dance class? Could the air bags in my car hurt my baby? Which cold medications are safe to take now? Find out what's safe and what's not during pregnancy.


Avoid the wait "After my first couple of trips to the doctor, where I sat for long periods in the waiting room, I learned to schedule my prenatal checkups for first thing in the morning or the first appointment after lunch — when there's no backlog of patients to get through and thus little or no wait." — V.W.B.


3 Questions About... Pregnancy food safety


You've probably heard lots of warnings about risky foods during pregnancy. While it's true that some foods do pose a potential risk to your baby, the vast majority are safe and the risk of developing a food-related pregnancy complication is very low. Here's the bottom line on food safety so you can make wise choices without needless worry.

Q1.

What foods should I stay away from during pregnancy?
Some types of seafood are a concern during pregnancy because they may contain significant levels of pollutants such as methylmercury, which may cause harm to a child's developing brain. On the other hand, there are benefits to eating seafood: It's a good source of protein and the primary source of certain omega-3 fatty acids that may benefit your baby's vision and brain development. The key is to choose those fish with the lowest levels of contaminants and eat them in moderation.

To minimize your exposure to methylmercury, the Food and Drug Administration advises that you completely avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish (also called golden or white snapper). The agency says that pregnant women can safely eat up to 12 ounces (about two servings) a week of other cooked commercially caught fish. However, this should include no more than 6 ounces of albacore ("white") tuna or tuna steaks, which contain more mercury than canned light tuna. Some experts think this threshold is too high and recommend limiting tuna consumption to no more than 6 ounces of canned light tuna and avoiding other tuna altogether.

Also, never eat any fish caught by family or friends without first checking with local health advisories to make sure the fish isn't from waters with unsafe levels of mercury and other pollutants. Finally, avoid raw or undercooked fish (including uncooked smoked or pickled fish) when you're pregnant. It may harbor bacteria or parasites that could make you sick and possibly affect your developing baby.

Others foods to avoid include unpasteurized soft cheese, refrigerated pâté, raw or undercooked meat and poultry, cold deli meats, and foods that contain raw eggs (such as Caesar salad dressing, hollandaise sauce, and cookie batter) because they may contain harmful bacteria.

Q2.

What drinks should I avoid?
Alcohol is the main offender during pregnancy. It travels quickly from your bloodstream to your baby, and even one drink a day can increase your baby's risk of a problem. There's no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy, so it's best to avoid it completely. The other drinks to steer clear of are unpasteurized juice and milk, and eggnog. There's a slight risk that these beverages could contain E. coli or other bacteria that could harm you and your baby.

While you may have heard that caffeine is another big no-no during pregnancy, it's actually okay in moderation. After years of controversy, most researchers now believe that, although caffeine does cross the placenta, moderate amounts (less than 300 milligrams a day) won't harm your baby. That's about what you'd get from two to three 8-ounce cups of coffee. (However, you could get that much from just one 8-ounce cup if it's brewed very strong.) And be aware that caffeine lurks in other places, such as chocolate, tea, cola, and many other soft drinks.

Q3.

How can I protect myself from food poisoning? • Cook all meat, poultry, and fish thoroughly. Use a food thermometer to test the internal temperature of meat, or cook it until it's no longer pink in the middle.

• Don't eat cold cuts or deli meat, refrigerated pâté or meat spreads, or refrigerated smoked or pickled fish unless they're cooked until they're steaming hot (say, on a pizza or in a casserole or hot sandwich).

• Don't leave leftovers out for more than two hours. Reheat them until steaming before you eat them.

• Keep uncooked meat separate from other foods.

• Thoroughly wash or peel all your fruits and vegetables.

• Use hot soapy water to wash your hands — and any surface that comes in contact with unwashed produce; uncooked meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs; hot dogs; and deli meat — before you touch clean produce or cooked meat so you don't contaminate your food.

• Consume perishable and ready-to-eat food as soon as possible after you buy it, especially once you've opened the package, even if it hasn't yet passed the "use-by" date. The use-by date refers to unopened products.

Email from Grandpa!!!

To my Dear Songbird.....
Just sent an update this morning. I had re-read your last few blogs and wanted to write you special. Sunday was an especially bad day for you. I understand how you feel sometimes, but please don't feel angry.....I know it's not easy. Things will get better very soon. I so remember how Jackie felt when your Dad was on the way. We were en route to Phoenix....never made it, did we? She could not eat and the morning sickness was more like the "all-day' sickness. Remember that this is all part of God's plan and in a few short months you will be totally overwhelmed with joy! And you will share that joy with a lot of people. It will be hard to surpass the joy I will feel. I pray that something can be done with my eyes. Nothing in the world will please me more than to hold that little guy/gal and to see with my eyes what you have given me. Your special, Tara, very special and that little guy.gal will be too.

Haven't heard anything about the dinner for Evan. Am due for another update from Heather, Not sure how I would be able to make that trip. Just have to see. Please take care of yourself. And if I do make it over I want to take you out for those two cups of coffee you're limiting yourself to.

Love,
Grandpa Doc

It's A Kumquat! And a Fetus - Big Milestone!

Your Pregnancy: 10 weeks

How your baby's growing:
Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

How your life's changing:

At your next prenatal visit, you may be able to hear your baby's rapid heartbeat with the help of a Doppler stethoscope, a handheld ultrasound device that your practitioner places on your belly. Many women say that the beating of their baby's tiny heart sounded like the thunder of galloping horses and hearing it for the first time was very moving.

Before you got pregnant, your uterus was the size of a small pear. By this week, it's as big as a grapefruit. You may or may not be ready for maternity wear now. Even if you're not there yet, your regular clothes are probably feeling uncomfortably tight and your blossoming breasts are straining the seams of your bra. The thickening in your midsection is most likely due to slight weight gain and bloating. If you're between regular and maternity clothes, pants and skirts with forgiving elastic waistbands (or low-rise waistlines that sit below your belly) will provide some much-needed comfort.

Depending on your level of fitness, you can most likely participate in a wide range of activities during pregnancy. Swimming and walking are excellent choices for the whole nine months. Exercise promotes muscle tone, strength, and endurance — three qualities that can help you carry the weight you gain during pregnancy, prepare you for the physical stress of labor, and make it easier to get back into shape after your baby is born. (Unfortunately, there's no evidence that regular exercise shortens labor.)

Email from Dr. George (George II) on Sept. 1st!

Wow! what a great gift the good Lord gives all of us! I am SO EXCITED ABOUT ANOTHER GRANDCHILD! Thanks for sharing and I will get on the blog site. Give my Love to G III you both will be outstanding parents.
Love,
Dad

Feeling Better

Feeling better today. Still REALLY tired, but not as bad as yesterday overall. I am going to break down and buy some Spark from Janae and Kevin. It is a energy drink w/lots of healthy supplements. It has caffeine. It really is okay to drink up to two cups of coffee (with caffeine) a day, even though I've been trying not to. Spark only has the caffeine found in a half a cup of coffee, so it should be okay. I'm just desperate. I need SOME kind of energy, even if it's artificial, at least on the days I teach. I owe it to my students. Okay. Enough for now. Off to eat lunch, which will hopefully give me some temporary energy!

Ugh - Pregnant Day

Ugh. I'm just not feeling well today. Woke up in a good mood, and early (as I have been the last few mornings). Felt good right when I woke up, so I got up about 7:15. But as the morning's progressed, I've felt worse. Feeling emotional, sad, kindof angry. Boobs hurt. More nauseous than normal (just choked down some pita crackers - had to literally choke down some cereal earlier). No appetite. REALLY tired. Just yucky. I wish I could just go to sleep, but I can't sleep during the day, and I have things I need to try to get done. I did go to church at 9:00, and that made me feel a lot better emotionally, but now that I'm home I'm just tired and tired, and really tired. AND, I've been feeling like I LOOK pregnant for the last 4 days. And not in a good way. When I tried on the maternity clothes Misty gave me last Wednesday, and some of them weren't that big, and looking in the mirror at night (which is worse than the morning because you've been eating all day), I really thought I looked pregnant, and I almost started crying. Unfortunately, I shouldn't look pregnant yet. I think I'm just gaining weight (and that's where I gain weight first), and I have been kind of irregular, so I think I'm bloated too. It's at that point where I just look big, not pregnant, and I just wanna cry. It doesn't help either when friends just fleetingly dismiss my pain and sadness, and think 'she just thinks she looks fat'. I know I'm being sensitive, probably over-sensitive, but I just need friends and family to support me right now and accept my roller coaster emotions and my hypersensitivity. I'll try to write more later when I'm feeling better. Sorry about the debbie-downer post.

Yard Sale Finds!

Today I went yardsaling (yes, that's my made-up verb!), as I figured the yardsaling season is going to wind down soon, and I wanted to take advantage of the potential good deals before I have this baby (no more yard sales until probably around right when I have the baby or soon after)! Well, apparently it's already almost too late. I spent 3 hours driving around all of Grand Junction and Fruita, and probably only went to 5 or 6 yard sales. Waste of gas? Maybe. But I did (finally) find a few things. I got a white nursing tank top, some disposable bibs (for traveling), and a safety outlet cover (practical and will be needed). I spent a grand total of $1.75 on all three! Yay! I'm slowly building my 'store' of baby stuff!

Email from Sigismunds

Here is the email I got from Linda Sigismund after officially sharing the news with her (my mom had already told her)! I just thought it was nice, so thought I'd share (this is, after all, an account of everything pregnancy-related!). Linda - if you read this, I hope you don't mind that I posted this.


Tara and George, we are so excited!!! You two will make such incredible parents!!!

I confess that your mom told us the great news, and we have been bursting with excitement! We didn't want to congratulate you until you wanted to share the news.

Take great care of yourself, Tara! You too, George:-)

By the way, we are also very excited about your new business!! I will be coming someday to see you, George, for bike shorts. Janae wants us to give Spin classes a try:-)

Love and hugs,

Linda and Brig

Medicaid Approval and Maternity Clothes!

Woo hoo! Just found out a couple days ago that we got approved for B 4 Babies!!! This is so exciting, because I was nervous about it (see previous post about insurance). It came a lot faster than they said it would too.

Also, I went to Misty Sneddon's Norwex party tonight, and she gave me a bunch of maternity and post-maternity (large) clothes!!! I came home and tried all of them on, and I think most of them will work!!! I was nervous because she's pretty tall, and she had quite the baby belly (I don't think I'll show quite as much as she did), but most all the shirts fit good, and the pants will probably fit once I hem them. And I will be pregnant almost at the exact same time of year she was (her daughter was born on April 2nd (?)), so the clothes are in the right season according to how far along I'll be. She also gave me two nursing bras that will fit great (they're just a little big right now), a swaddle for baby, some little mittens for baby (I think), and a book for George to read! So excited!

9 Weeks!!!!! It's an Inch!!!!

From www.babycenter.com:
Your pregnancy: 9 weeks

How your baby's growing:

Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.

How your life's changing:

You still may not look pregnant even if your waist is thickening a bit. You probably feel pregnant, though. Not only are morning sickness and other physical symptoms out in full force for most women, but you may feel like an emotional pinball as well.

Mood swings are common now — it's perfectly normal to feel alternately elated and terrified about becoming a parent. Try to cut yourself some slack. Most women find that moodiness flares up at around six to ten weeks, eases up in the second trimester, and then reappears as pregnancy winds to a close.