Weekly re-cap

(Nov. 29 to Dec. 5)

Symptoms: Dizziness, back pain (is that even possible already???), slight bloody noses, the C-word

Body changes: I definitely looked knocked-up all the time. There is no hiding it with any clothes. Boobs are still bigger, but don’t seem to be growing anymore.

Energy level: It’s much easier to keep on top of household chores, and I’m actually staying up until 10 or 10:30 every night — woohoo!

Cravings: Still cereal with skim milk — I’m like Jerry Seinfeld. Oh, and the original hash-browns-with-ketchup craving has come back in full-force — only ate them once this week (yesterday), but they were like ambrosia!

Could not stomach: Made huge process and began eating chicken (and mayonaise) again. And hard-boiled eggs. Go, Team Protein!

High point: Announcing my pregnancy on my “real-life” Facebook and Twitter to … well, everyone who didn’t already know! I got some very sweet congratulations messages and well-wishes — and some people were really surprised! That was great. This is such a fun thing to tell people!

Low point: This has been a really good week, but the low point would have to be the C-word. Not fun!

Paranoid moment of the week: Whenever I felt the twinge of a cramp, I would be concerned it was Little Baby in distress — when actually, it was C-word-related. Uterus, intestines, pffft. I really must get an anatomy book so I can better identify where all of my innards are.

Weird moment of the week: Pregnancy brain has struck! I forgot how to spell “inevitable” for a solid five minutes. I never forget how to spell anything. Weird, weird, weird!

Emotional moment of the week: The tears over television shows, and commercials. When I see a birth or just a baby, I am a sniveling mess.
Best decision of the week: Improving my diet by adding more protein, now that I’m not repulsed by everything.

Dream cream

Friday, December 4, 2009

13 weeks, 5 days pregnant
I do not want stretch marks. Like at all.
I know they are mostly genetic — and woohoo, my mom didn’t have any while pregnant — but I still worry that I will get them, since my skin is naturally dry.
So I have been religious about greasing myself up ever since the day I found out I was pregnant.
Up until a few weeks ago, I had been using Bio-Oil — because, hey, I get sucked in majorly by commercials and magazine ads. And while it probably does the job, I hated the greasy, oily feeling it left on my skin.
But since I had heard so much about it, I figured it was the gold standard in please-don’t-let-me-get-stretch-marks care, and I never bothered to research other options.
Then, when I was wandering through the drugstore, the word “pregnancy” jumped out from a display of moisturizers, and I saw the Curel Pregnancy & Motherhood cream ($9.99). It said it was created by OB/GYNs, so I thought I would give it a try.
I LOVE it! I’ve been using it for about two weeks, and I know I’m going to be using it for the rest of my pregnancy. I put it on every morning and every night, and it gives my skin a really supple feeling all of the time — whereas I find regular moisturizers sort of just absorb and then you forget about them.
Preggos, you need this cream. It feels great, it works great, and unlike Bio-Oil, it doesn’t leave you feeling like a greased-up pizza pan!

Thought of the day

Thursday, December 3, 2009

13 weeks, 4 days pregnant

“Making the decision to have a child – it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body.”

— Elizabeth Stone

Waterworks

Thursday, December 3, 2009
13 weeks, 4 days pregnant

Nope, this isn’t a post about peeing — although it could be, considering I pee nightly at 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. Like clockwork.

This is a post about crying.
I should start by explaining that I have watched A Baby Story for years — since high school. I was always obsessed with babies and kids and having babies and kids, so I thought it was the coolest.
When Bringing Home Baby debuted, I loved it even more — because it spared the gross labour shots and just focused on bringing the cute little bundle home. And although I occasionally felt emotional, I never cried.
Now? I’m a basket-case when I watch those shows!
Oh, and it’s not just birth/baby shows. It’s also baby commercials, baby movies, baby blogs. I range between tearing up and actually having tears roll down my face, depending on how sappy/adorable it is.
I even sobbed at Baby on Board a few weeks ago, which is without a doubt the stupidest movie in existence.
I will most definitely sob when I first start feeling Little Baby move — could be within the next few weeks — so it looks like I’d better invest in some new waterproof mascara.

The power of protein

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

13 weeks, 3 days pregnant
I admit it. I’ve been slack on the protein front lately.
The whole feeling-like-poo-nonstop thing made me stop eating — even thinking — about chicken, and beef intake was rare. Even my favourite scrambled eggs were turning my stomach!
So while I was getting plenty of fruit, veggies, grains, milk, etc., I wasn’t getting much in the way of protein.
I realized this on Monday, when I spent the day feeling like I had been run over by a truck: no energy, no … well, I would have been too tired to even finish that sentence. Monday’s meals were high on carbs (bagel for breakfast, rice with lunch and dinner) but low on protein. And I felt awful.
So yesterday, Darling Husband packed me a lunch that included lots of “hidden” protein:
  • Breakfast: All-Bran flakes, 1 piece toast, OJ
  • Snack: Yogurt, whole-grain crackers with peanut butter
  • Lunch: Chicken salad sandwich and baby carrots, milk
  • Snack: Hard-boiled egg, cheese, milk
Woohoo! Welcome back, Chicken!
I felt a thousand times better yesterday — particularly after the morning snack. I think I’ll do even better if I incorporate some protein into breakfast, as well.
But the question is: can I realllly get up early enough to make eggs before work? The jury is still out.