Overcome by plague.

Overcome by plague. Going to bed. Happy New Year.

Week 11 of the JellyBean Progression: Continued

Still Week 11

We told the family this weekend! Dad, JT & Sherry came over for dinner on Friday and were very pleased to find out. We had been trying to plan a trip to Vegas for all of us in the Spring and I was bummed to tell them we won’t be going. I know I could go to Vegas but honestly, after going when I was pregnant with Fletch, it’s definitely one of the last vacations I would pick to go on while pregnant. Can’t drink and wanting to be in bed by 8 pm means I wouldn’t really get much out of the trip. Especially since I’m not much of a gambler either. We’ll all just have to plan another trip, maybe for later next year.

Told all the Farleys on Saturday night and they were just as thrilled. As I expected, Katie and Kathy had their suspicions but were just waiting for us to announce it. I know Kathy is excited to have another grandbaby to add to her flock.

Also told the Clark girls at the brunch at Ginger’s on Saturday morning. Also as expected, that announcement got the biggest reaction. Heidi and I had discussed how to tell them and decided that I would make a toast, thanking Ginger and saying how nice it was to see everyone and here’s to a healthy baby in July.

It was really funny to watch the reactions – everybody just looked confused for a minute and then there was an explosion of exclamations. Hayley especially was so excited and happy for me – she was shaking when she hugged me. I love that they love me so much.

So, phew. Cat’s finally out of the bag with family. Now I need to tell work but am trying to decide when the best time is. With the holidays it’s hard to find a good time to schedule a call with my boss. I may just wait until next week.

Had my first trimester screening at Platte River Perinatal this morning, which included an ultrasound so I got to see little JellyBean. I remember from my last pregnancy around this time feeling like there’s nothing happening – you’re not showing, you can’t feel the baby moving – and like last time, I have this tiny little worried feeling like maybe something’s wrong. No reason for it, I feel great; I’m sure every pregnant woman goes through this.

Anyway, it was nice and reassuring to see the ultrasound today. The heartbeat was fluttering away – 155 BPM (and the old wives’ tale is that anything over 140 means girl!), and JellyBean was hopping around in there, happy as a clam. Since I’m 37, I’m considered higher-risk than younger women but they were careful to tell me that I’m not an actual high-risk pregnancy. However, initial test results look good, although they also did a blood test which we’ll get results of in a few days, but initially they said everything looks great. And I have to go back again in a month where they’ll do another blood test and I can ask them to do a “gender peek” while I’m there. Can’t wait to find out who our little JellyBean is going to be!

Week 11 of the JellyBean Progression

Week 11

11 weeks already…can’t believe it. We are telling the family this weekend…Dad and JT & maybe Sherry are coming for dinner on Friday so we can tell them, and then the big Farley Girls (with boys) Christmas party is on Saturday night, so we’ll tell all the Farleys then. And also on Saturday morning, I’m having brunch at Ginger’s, so I’ll tell the H’s et al then too. Heidi is VERY glad that the cat will be out of the bag soon so we can talk about it openly (and so she doesn’t have to worry about slipping up!)

I was starting to feel the teensiest bit less tired and then I started getting the plague this week, so I’m back to feeling exhausted. I also forgot that something about pregnancy hormones makes it hard to sleep, which is a bummer because lately I’ve been waking up at 4-5 a.m. and haven’t been able to fall back asleep until it’s time for the alarm to go off. Sigh.

Still pimply, right now it’s mostly my temples and the sides of my forehead. I do seem to have escaped so far with hardly any neck pimplage, so that’s nice.

Week 10 of the JellyBean Progression

Week 10

Still more bleargh. I am doing my best to eat regularly but ugh, it’s a chore. The week before I found out I was pregnant, I had been having increased episodes of hypoglycemia – horrible sweating dizzy spells that happen when I don’t eat right or often enough. I’d had literally one a day for almost a week and thought it was really strange because usually I’m really good about keeping on top of it. But with the increased metabolism gestation brings, my blood sugar was all out of whack and I had no idea why so I hadn’t changed my diet. So now I am back to eating smaller meals (whatever I can force down) more often. I did eat some tomato soup last night that was like the best thing I ever ate. I may have to do more soups for right now. It tasted good and didn’t make me want to die, so I got that going for me. Which is nice. At least I haven’t lost any weight this time, although I don’t think I’ve gained anything either. But at least this way I don’t have any ground to make up like last time.

So the website tells me this week JellyBean is the size of a kumquat. I still think this is a poor size comparison for those of us not from the South Pacific. For us ‘murricans and those of us who refuse to venture beyond the apple-orange-banana section of the produce department, that equals roughly just over an inch long. S/he has finished the most critical development part and is now rapidly growing tissues and organs. Vital organs – including kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver – are in place and starting to function. There are even finger and toenails growing already!

My forehead continues to be a disaster area. I need to go look up last time when all the pimples finally went away. Still tired and peeing a lot but in general I’m doing well. I swear I’m feeling movement, although it’s probably just gas because the first time around they say not to expect to feel anything before 20 weeks. And even though everything happens sooner (or you notice things sooner) with subsequent pregnancies, I think 10 weeks is still probably a bit early to be feeling a kumquat that weighs a half ounce.

And of course, it’s also still too early for me to be showing – I didn’t even need maternity pants until week 19 last time around, but I swear to you that despite the scale not moving, I swear my pants are already getting uncomfortable. Am I allowed to start going around unbuttoned and use the Bella Band yet? This is crazy. Or maybe it’s because I wore sweatpants the majority of the time last time and am now having to dress for the office much more frequently and so maybe I didn’t realize it this early before. Anyway, time to go dig up the bag full of maternity/fat clothes and sweatpants I have tucked away. No sense being uncomfortable when I have 37 pairs of sweats calling my name.

Week 9 of the JellyBean Progression: Continued

Still Week 9

Bleargh. Am having food aversion in full swing. Same as last time, I am STARVING – my tummy is actually rumbling and I can’t eat anything because the minute something goes in my mouth, it makes me want to barf. Or if I can manage to keep something down, it feels like a cannonball for the next hour. Ugh. Why do my babies always hate me? At least this time I’m not quite as pimply. But the peeing, bloating and gassiness are just the same.

And I remember being tired last time but I don’t know if I was THIS tired. I’ve only been up for three hours and I could totally go back to bed again already. Must have something to do with chasing after a spirited toddler (who will be TWO in February, OMG.)