Hungry

I am hungry. All the time. Except when I am full.

This seems to be the course of my days. All I think about is food. I wake up hungry and nauseous (although not as bad as the last couple of weeks). I eat something. I am immediately full after eating half of whatever it is. I wait a bit. Then I'm hungry again. According to everything I read, this is totally normal. I've been trying to make sure there are protein & complex-carb foods around at all times (brown rice, chocolate milk, granola bars, toast & pb). My cravings so far have been for Subway (veggie with extra cheese and ranch dressing on their fabulous new flat breads) and Taco Bell (7 layer Burrito with 3 packs of mild sauce). Luckily Taco Bell is on the other end of town because if I was eating it as much as I wanted to I would be in trouble (I certainly don't need anything else making me feel gassy and bloated, the baby has that covered). James thinks I should get a job at Subway until I go on mat leave so that I can eat all the Subway I want (I have to admit it's tempting).

Anyhoo, that's my day. Sleep, eat, eat, sleep, eat, eat, eat, sleep...

The Fledgling Has a Heartbeat!!

I had my dating ultrasound today!! There is a heartbeat and a perfect little baby (almost an inch!) growing exactly where it is supposed to be. Since my cycle is so weird (I ovulate later than most) my midwife wanted to be able to get a better idea of exactly how old it is. Apparently it is 8 weeks 4 days which puts the due date at May 1! I get a Beltane baby! I can't wait. This year at the Beltane ritual I attended I jumped over the fire and wished for my baby and now it is on its way and will be born around that time next year.

The ultrasound technician was really sweet. I hoped she would jump up and down and scream "OMG THERE'S A HEARTBEAT" but of course she sees it every day so I was actually pretty impressed with her excitement for me.



It feels so much more real now. Even though I have had all the pregnancy symptoms and no miscarriage symptoms, I was scared. I was afraid it would be ectopic (even though there was no sign of this) or that there wouldn't be a heartbeat. But there's a baby and a heartbeat and it was moving and it is beautiful. I can't believe that in 7 months I am going to have a baby!!

Kitty is Back (but with him came nausea)

My boy is back! I still can't believe it. We got a call Saturday night from a couple who had had him for the last 3 weeks. They saw my poster at SPCA when they were going in to have one of their cats put down. I can't get over the chances of them seeing the poster and them actually calling us. So now I don't have to name the baby Spike.

I've told Spike all about the baby and I pretend he's interested. It's going to be a huge adjustment for him since he sleeps with mummy and daddy and won't be able to once baby comes. Our other cats could care less what happens in the house as long as they get food and water and the occasional cream but Spike follows James around the house everywhere he goes (bathroom included) and sleeps on me.

My other excitement is that "morning sickness" has started. I had some tummy rumbles for the last couple weeks but the nausea kicked full in this weekend. All I wanted to do was stay in bed all weekend but my best friend was visiting so I had to entertain him instead. He and James drank lots of beer on Saturday night and I was the one who woke up feeling like I had a hangover. I swore to myself that I wouldn't complain during my pregnancy (wishful thinking!) after all it took me to get here. But this baby is kicking my ass. I had to work at 7AM this morning and thought I was going to puke the whole time. I have always loved the smell of coffee but now it makes me incredibly nauseous (not great working in a cafe) and my body has also decided that I can no longer drink it either.

All in all though, my kitty returning and the fact that I am having a baby makes for the happiest I have ever been in my life. Even the horrible nausea is oddly comforting because it means my little Fledgling is growing and taking over. I wouldn't trade that for anything. xo

Crackers are a Girl's Best Friend

The nausea seems to have started. I was having tummy upsets last week but now I seem to only be able to eat a tiny bit at a time. I remember when Nena said crackers on your nightstand were the way to go so I bought some yesterday and they have been living in my purse. Definitely helping. No vomiting for me though, I seem to get the opposite (sorry... tmi?) and gas that James says "makes soldiers across town stand at attention". Thanks babe. I felt so gross yesterday that I couldn't eat and when I got home I was dead hungry. James had ordered a cheese pizza and Caesar salad (my favorite food in the world). I ate so much that I couldn't move and I passed out! Awesome!!

I had my first midwife appointment on Monday. It was great. She is such a wonderful woman. The perfect blend of hippie Goddess lady and medical professional. Her office is at her house and my appointment lasted for an entire hour. Her office is full of pictures of all the babies she has birthed -- I LOVED IT! She asked me my medical history and all that but she also talked to me about how I was feeling emotionally. We decided on an ultrasound Sept 25 to better estimate the due date and then another one at 20 weeks to see how the babe is and to find out the sex. She's a big supporter of natural birth but she is also practical and supports using medications and Caesareans if necessary.

Another great thing about my appointment is that Jenn told me about the birth rooms at the hospital I will be delivering at. Apparently they just had a multi-million dollar upgrade done to them. Each room is private with a shower and tub and a mini fridge! It's like a holiday. Just kidding!!!