Going Broke on Maternity Clothes

So, I had to give in yesterday and I went to Pea in the Pod. I really thought I could push it off for another month or two, holding off on buying some jeans and any other maternity ware. But after discovering this past weekend that I could no longer get my last pair of jeans over my behind and most of my jackets and some shirts are not working out, I just had to give in and head to the store!

I decided on Pea in the Pod as I knew I wanted to invest in one pair of designer jeans and see what else they had that could be fashionable and functional. I stopped into the store on Beverly and I am so happy I did! The sales person was SUPER helpful and even measured me for new undergarments (um, I have grown 3 sizes so far in the chest area and I still have 21 more weeks to go....anyone want to guess on my new size???).

Anyway, I ended up buying several cotton t-shirts with the ruching on the side to show-off my bump, one pair of jean/leggings, a white jean and another pair of black leggings. I am THRILLED that I now have clothing choices that I feel comfortable in and can grow with me. At the cash register, I almost lost my cookies after seeing the price tag of my little stash of new clothes, but after they gave me some free lotion and body scrub and after feeling good in the clothes, I am quickly moving past the guilt. What I am most happy about in the clothes - instead of drowning in big and bulky clothes, I bought things that were more fitted yet comfortable, helping me not look like one big swollen marshmallow surrounded by acres of clothes. I still have a body here, so I might as well show what I can!

I am SURE I will buy more - there are dresses for summer events and fun shirts (I have my eye on some cute stuff at Euphoriamaternity.com) and more bras I will need, but I have my staples and I am happy albeit a little cash poor!

Baby Kick!

I am pretty sure I felt the baby kick today for the first time...(Ok, there have been a few flutters but I have been unable to determine if they were the baby or just me and my ice cream fetish). This morning, as I was laying in bed willing myself to get up, I felt a pop/kick and then another pop/kick. I have to believe it was the baby as they were new sensations and my stomach was pretty empty. it seemed pretty clear to me that it was a force coming from inside and not just a random stomach pang. It made me stop in my tracks for sure! It is hard to explain but you want to bottle it up and pass it around so others can experience it and we can all talk about it!

But for now, it is my own little secret experience, one I look forward to sharing with Tim and others who are interested!

I can honestly say for the first time...this is getting FUN!

One week until the ultrasound!

19 Weeks!!!

I am 19 weeks this week! Woohoo! I am so happy! 1 more week and we get to find out what this little being is going to be when they enter the World! I cannot wait!!!!!

Tomorrow I visit my OBGYN for my 4 week appointment. And then June 1st is the Ultrasound! Wow, as much as this time has seemed to go slow, I am very happy I am almost at the halfway point!!! Woohoo!!!

All is good, stomach is finally starting to show but the chest is still bigger. Clothes I could wear three days ago, I cannot fit into now. I am fearful of my size in a few months!

Baby Duffy is 6 inches long and 81/2 ounces! I think I have felt the faint bubbles of the baby, but it could just be my own internal rumblings!

For now, I am celebrating 19 weeks!!!!

Missing Fun!

I went for a walk today, listening to my iPod which was playing some of my favorite dance tunes...and I had a revelation. I am missing having fun! I have been holding myself back from just having fun! Yes, yes, a lot of my fun times have included alcohol, which is off the table, but it does not mean that I cannot have some fun!

I have decided to organize a night out with the girls for dancing.

I hope some of the girls want to go with me!

I need to have some fun! this hibernation is making me depressed!!!!

Remind me again why people enjoy being pregnant?

Good days are Worth It!

So yes, every day for me is not all roses and waterfalls, especially being pregnant. Sometimes I just want to stay in bed all day and wake up when I am feeling more upbeat. Everyone has their days.

But when the really amazing days happen, they are worth embracing. Today is one of those days for me. Even though I only got about 6 hours of sleep (I am averaging 8 to 9 these days), I woke up in a good mood. I was not feeing cranky or short or impatient (my patience is so limited these days, I get frustrated very easily and that is saying a lot because I got frustrated easily before). Instead I felt light, airy, relaxed. You know those days where you just have an extra bounce in your step, so much so that you could skip along through your day, singing your favorite song and smiling at everyone you pass by. Today was that day for me. I have been working into the nights clearing the pile of work on my desk, which always eases the stress a bit. I made time for my bi-weekly pre-natal yoga class and even had enough energy leftover to take Coco for a long walk on this fabulous day we are having in LA. The weather was warmer today which always makes me happy. I ate a great lunch - leftovers from a dinner I made myself last night (Tim is traveling this week). It was good (sometimes, I attempt to cook). And I just felt happy. Like I could take in every moment of the day and appreciate everything it had to offer!

Especially being pregnant! While I had a rough start with this pregnancy, and I still miss certain things from not being pregnant, there are days were you are just so overjoyed with the natural process you are getting to experience, and you are overwhelmed with anticipation for meeting the new life you are bringing into the World. While I still have a ways to go (21 weeks if all goes well), I am almost over the hump of the halfway point and for me, that makes me excited! And happy! And so incredibly in awe of what is going to happen in my life and my husband's life in a mere 4.5 months.

It is a good day, and I plan to squeeze every moment out of it that I can!

I love being reminded of how great life is. The pictures in this post represent some really good days in my life and I just felt inspired to include them because they really represent how I feel today and hope to feel many more days in my life!

Quick quide to pix:

1. Me with my cousin Jan and our dads at my cousin's wedding
2. Me as a baby, sitting in my grandma's arms with my mom and aunts, uncles and cousins around all looking happy
3. My immediate family and new sister-in-law in Hawaii for Brian's wedding
4. My lovely friends looking gorgeous before my rehearsal dinner
5. Me and Joanne at my Chicago shower
6. All of my St. Louis family together celebrating the oldest girl cousin getting married=)
7. My fun Purdue sorority sisters who alway have fun when we get together
8. Dad and I walking into the Church, laughing and smiling, no tears here
9. Barbara and Raman's wedding, Tim and I looking genuinely happy and dancing
10. Tim and I in Chicago, one of our first weekends together, Randolph Wine Bar, we drank a lot of wine that night
11. My brother, his wife and me and my husband on Xmas, a poignant moment for us
12. The Old Motorola days, when I worked my butt off and loved what I was doing (for the most part), especially because of the very cool and fun people I worked with
13. Bachelorette Party LA - a mishmash of old and new friends, new family members and just a great time
14. Me and my nephew Finn in Hawaii, there is nothing better
15. Me laughing with tears at some hilarious and touching stories from wonderful women in my life
16. St. Tropez, a day after Tim and I got engaged. We just look really happy together!

My latest belly

This is just a few days after the last pix I took, but I thought I was sporting more of a belly here...from my patio in LA!

Belly Pictures at 18 Weeks

Well, if you ask me, my belly looks more pregnant versus pudgy, but I think I look smaller than two weeks ago. Who knows, but here is where I am at at 18 weeks!

18 Weeks!

I hit 18 weeks this week! Yeah for that! Two more until we find out the sex. I CANNOT WAIT!!! I am so happy to be busy with work so my days go by without my obsessing about the baby. Which is easy to do BTW!

All is good here, Baby Duffy is 51/2 inches long and weighs about 7 ounces. I still do not feel any movement....something I am eagerly waiting for. I am hoping by 20 weeks things really start kicking in (literally).

Tim and I started baby stuff research this weekend. There is so much out there it is definitely overwhelming. Starting with strollers and car seats- do you buy a stroller with a carseat or two separate ones? There are at least 5 brands I have been told are good - Graco, Chicco, Uppa Baby, Macellan and the jogging strollers. We started a few registries but put nothing in them. We just have to get out and see these things in person. If anyone has recos on the best stores (outside of Babys R Us and Target), please let me know.

The good news, I think we found a crib/dresser set we both agree on which will be good.

Anyway, outside of my daily ice cream habit, all is good and healthy!

Could Baby Duffy look like this?

I picked up a copy of the latest Pregnancy and Newborn magazine today and it was the first magazine that I actually found helpful.

Amongst a list of things to do while pregnant, they listed out this cool website where you can see what your baby may look like by morphing two pix of you and your husband. Voila, here is what Baby Duffy may look like!

Pregnancy Happenings of the Week

Here are just few of the pregnancy happenings I have been going through this week:

1. Emotions are running high - I cry almost every day. Today, I cried 4 times - including after a story on an ice cream shop in Chicago. My neighbor knocked on my door mid-cry and I swore he thought something was wrong with me. I cry at everything semi-sad, happy, whatever. And when I cry, I sometimes sob. You would think something was seriously wrong with me.

2. Nighttime stories - I had read that you dream a lot during pregnancy and boy is that ever true with me. Not only am I dreaming, but I am having full out nightmares almost nightly. I keep dreaming that people are mad at me (friends, family, my husband) or that my husband is going to leave me. I am not sure what these mean but I will assume it has something to do with my fear of messing up this child's life that will soon be coming. I probably should see someone about this, as the nightmares are happening far too frequently than I would like to admit. And they are so vivid that I can still feel them even now, at 6 PM at night.

3. Dinnertime is still tough - I am finding that when I ate a big meal at night I am setting myself up for a rough evening ahead of me. The stomach problems that come from bigger meals haunt me with lots of pains every where in my belly. I think I need to go back to the recommended small meals for my tummy comfort.

4. Still no movement - at least I am pretty sure I am not feeling anything yet. I am pretty sure whatever I have felt have just been gas bubbles.

I have eaten mac and cheese twice this week, ice cream every day and PB&J at least 3 times. I have noticed my belly is starting to act more weird with the food I eat!

Hmm, so much going on!

Pregnancy Brain does Exist!

I thought I was doing pretty good - staying on top of things with work and in my personal life without any major mess-ups. But in the past 4 days I have manage to mess up several dates, times and dollars.

First, I put the wrong time on a media tour schedule after confirming the time with the journalist that same day. And going back and forth with them. But no, I put the wrong time in there somehow.

Then, today, twice in email correspondence with a client, I messed up two different dates. And then when paying the pizza guy tonight, I gave him $24 instead of $34. The poor guy had to ring us back up to get his money.

The pizza guy happened at the same time I was corrected on my media schedule mess up from last week!

Oh boy...where is my brain!

Will this get worse?

Will people understand???

I hope so, because I like having an excuse for this=)

BTW - I have been getting daily headaches...probably from trying to use my brain too much!

17 Weeks - 3 More to the Halfway Mark

I have hit 17 weeks today! Wow, that is awesome. I just have 3 more weeks until 20 - the halfway mark - and 2 more days after that (so 3 weeks and 2 days from now) until our next ultrasound and we find out what we are having! I cannot wait!!! I am such an impatient person I would love for that day to be tomorrow, but I know it will be here soon!

Today is mom's day, so I am wishing a Happy Mom's Day to all of the mothers out there including my mom, friends, mother-in-law, Godmother, aunts, cousins and so forth. I hope it is a great day for everyone and I cannot thank everyone for the wonderful advice they have been sharing with me! Keep it coming.

I started reading the Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy. I am learning some new things I was not totally aware of...can we say Kegels anyone.

Our baby is weighing in at 5 ounces (as big as a turnip) and 5 inches this week! I swear, I actually look smaller than I did a week ago....this baby sure is still small in my tummy because I still have what my husband calls a "Beer Belly" going on!

I guess I feel good I can still pass for not pregnant, but I look forward to the day I really have a bump! I feel like it is a stamp of honor or something when you are pregnant.

Pregnancy Hormones are on Fire

Today, I have had one of those days where I just want to scream at someone and then kick someone's butt! The morning started out stressful and I have remained in a funk since 8:00 AM this morning. Yoga did not even help (well, it did help a little because there were so many cute babies in class today and you just wanted to squeeze them all).

I am having a whoa is me day - and again, as you know, this blog is a place for positive and negative entries, so here is my negative one for the week.

I am BLUE! I miss having a social life! I don't think I can enjoy my life without the things I love - friends, good dinners, great wine, all of the energy in the World, a nightlife - and I have none of that right now...Well, I have friends but I don't see them as often because I don't have the energy to go out most nights. And really, what is the point to go to a bar after 9 PM when I am already in my PJ's...and I cannot drink. On top of this, my husband has been gone for almost 10 days and that has just been tough. Work is busy and I have no way to really let off some steam. I feel so disconnected from the person I used to be and from the people and things I loved doing.

How can I feel so blue when I have a beautiful baby growing inside of me you ask? Honestly, I don't know. I am sure I am feeling sorry for myself and I am supposed to just suck it up and find a new way to have fun, but seriously, this is a bummer. And summer has not even started yet. If I see anymore people's Facebook updates about going out for a cocktail after work, or it is a beautiful day out so let's drink, I am going to scream. Or Cry. Or just eat a lot of desert!

I don't want to say I feel lonely, but I definitely don't know how to be around people when I just want to sleep.

Oh mom's of the World.....what advice can you give? How did you make it through this!!! Please, I would love your input, words of support and anything else you can throw out at me. And please, tell me there are other women out there who felt the same way??? On top of everything, I just feel guilty for wishing I could just have some fun and be normal sometimes.

For now, I will eat my chocolate mint chip ice cream and try not to cry in my bowl!

Body Pillows for the Weary

I have been reading how I am supposed to learn to sleep on my left side at night so as not to damage the baby (once my belly gets bigger) and for better blood flow. I knew this was going to be a real struggle for me as I only sleep well when I am lying flat on my stomach. So, I did what everyone recommended I do (or at least the books and the websites) and I bought a body pillow from Target.

I tested it out last night for the first time and I have to say, I do like it. It is nice to have something to snuggle up to and lean on when I am sleeping. I did struggle staying on one side all night - I have to admit I shifted to the other side throughout the night, but I am happy to report that I think I will be able to sleep on my side going forward. Although the word sleep is relative considering the 7 times I get up each night to go the bathroom.

Guilt over Eating Sweets!

I am trying very hard to not let pregnancy be an excuse for pigging out on a daily basis. But I will admit, I am enjoying allowing myself yummy sweets. The problem is, I am eating them EVERY DAY. My latest treats include chocolate cupcakes with white frosting and peanut M&M's. And of course there are Oreos which I have recently rediscovered and the tubs of vanilla and mint chocolate chip ice cream sitting in my freezer. I am going to make my own Blizzard with vanilla ice cream and Oreos soon.

I think I am substituting my once active social life with sweets eating.

I am starting to do exercise on a daily basis, but I have got to find some control on the sweets eating or I fear I may blow up!

Any other moms out there would love your advice on this!!!

Latest Belly Pictures

So here is the pix at 16 weeks! Slowly the baby is starting to come out....

Amazing Videos

I have found myself watching these videos of the various trimesters and birth several times a week. It gives me comfort to see what is going on. If you have not checked them out, they are very interesting and informative:

http://www.babycenter.com/2_inside-pregnancy-weeks-1-to-9_10302602.bc

Four Months - 5 More to Go!

I am pretty psyched that I have reached 16 weeks = 4 months. It feels like a pretty good milestone in this 9 plus month journey! But now, as I look ahead, I feel like this is never going to get here. Here is the deal - when you are pregnant, I am learning, you get so excited to see that little baby it is just like time decides to slow down specifically for you. I would equate it to getting that gift you have been wanting for so long or taking that amazing vacation that you have been planning for a year, and you cannot wait to experience opening the gift or going on that vacation. This is like 1000 x more exciting....but you feel like it is never going to get here.

All of that being said, I feel blessed that I have made it this far with a healthy baby growing inside of my belly. So far, that belly still does not show much, still a lot of bloat and maybe a small bump but I could still pass for not pregnant. My mother said she did not show until 5 months, so I guess I have some time to go.

So this week, my baby is the size of an avocado - 4.5 inches in length and 3.5 ounces. In the next few weeks, Baby Duffy will double its size. That sounds fun. I so want to get to the place where I can really see this baby growing and feel its movements. If you don't know me by now, I can tell you I am very impatient!!! And from what my brother told me recently, children teach you patience so pregnancy must be preparing me for that patience I will need to have.

Yesterday, I started doing maternity shopping, and found some great knit/comfy dresses that I can wear all summer long, some of which can be used as a top or a skirt as well. I also found a cute bathing suit that I think will work well for the summer. The pricing was reasonable and the woman who ran the shop was very nice and helpful. If you live in LA, the shop is on Montana and is called Moms The Word (http://www.momsthewordmaternity.com/). Still up maternity jeans. I tried on a pair of Paige ones and it was not a fun experience, I am going to try and use my existing jeans for another month or so with the belly bands my friend Julie lent me and see how that goes.

More to come!!!