It's Time

At times, it really did feel like this day would never come, but it's finally here! I am ready to start my pregnancy blog!

Yes, that means I'm pregnant! 

(DISCLAIMER: I don't plan on putting this news on Facebook till I'm 12 weeks so please do not post anything publicly. If you want to leave me a private message that is fine. Thank you.) 

I wanted to start a new blog separately from my older one because this one serves a very specific purpose. This one will be devoted to strictly pregnancy/baby info. I might occasionally write on my other one if I have stuff to write about the house or other miscellaneous subjects.

If you were following my other blog from the beginning you would know that my original intention was to blog about pregnancy but I wasn't pregnant yet so I just started blogging about my life.

Well life in the Holmer home has changed quite a bit in the last 2 and a half months. I'll start off with a little pregnancy questionnaire to get you caught up with where I am so far.

How far along?  10 weeks and 1 day

Total weight gain/loss? In the first few weeks before I had seen my Midwife, I really thought I had already gained like 5-10 pounds. I had just been weighing myself on random scales at people's houses. When I had my first prenatal appointment I weighed just about what I have been for the last year. So I guess no weight gain so far. My first appointment was on the 9th so I could have gained a little since then but I go back in on the 30th and will find out.

Maternity clothes? Sadly, yes. Not because I have to, but simply because it is so much more comfortable. My regular pants still button but when I wear them I just feel like they are constantly digging into my stomach and I get super annoyed with anything pushing on my abdomen. Even if Phil leans on my stomach it bothers me so maternity pants have been my friend. I have an amazing Aunt in New Jersey who sent me a big box of her maternity clothes so I haven't had to go out and buy anything which is a huge blessing.

Stretch marks?No new ones. I have some already on my love handles and legs mostly. I'm really not too concerned about getting them, probably because I already have some. I might be a little disappointed if I get a ton on my stomach like around my belly button but even so, it will still be worth it.

Sleep?  Sleep has been good so far! I'm rarely tired during the day and I generally sleep about 10 hours a night which seems to be exactly what my body needs. Once in a while I will feel really uncomfortable in bed and toss and turn a lot, but generally once I fall asleep I stay asleep all night.

Best moment last week? Seeing our little tiny baby on the ultrasound for the first time!! It was so amazing! When she first started, she had the screen turned towards her so she could do all the checks and measurements. At that point I could turn my head and see the screen but Genna (my sis) and Phil couldn't see it. When the baby first popped on the screen and I saw the little heart beating, I felt my heart skip a beat and I was tearing up. I also got to see it move a little! Genna and Phil didn't get to see it move but we got to see the heartbeat and got a pretty great picture of the little arms and legs. I will try to put the picture on the bottom of this post.

Movement?  No movement yet. Baby is still only the size of a prune so i've still got a while till I can feel movement.

Morning Sickness? Oh yes, loads of it. I felt fantastic until 5 weeks, and it has been an every day thing since then. Some days are worse than others. Today for example is a bad day, which was part of the reason I was prompted to start this blog. I feel like I need some support from other women who have gone through this before (because I can't expect to get the same level of support from Phil). There are these folding chairs in our basement that for some odd reason smell like really bad body odor. They are sitting at the bottom of the stairs so I smell them every time I walk down there, but I usually just hold me breath. Today I went down there and held my breath, but must have just gotten enough whiff of it that triggered something. I ran upstairs and lost my whole breakfast. I am now up to #4.....tossing my cookies that is. I am glad I haven't every day, but I still feel nauseous every day.

Food cravings?  The only thing i've really craved has been what is called a "sampler platter" from Cafe Latte in St. Paul. It's a plate with 3 different kinds of spreads and then veggies and bread. I usually get the Egg Salad, Tuna spread, and Salmon Artichoke. I don't know what it is about it but it pretty much always sounds good. My most recent craving has been fruity candy. I don't crave chocolate at ALL which is shocking to me. All I want is stuff like Mike and Ikes, Swedish Fish, Laffy Taffy etc.

Gender? Well, from the beginning i've felt like it's a girl. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being not confident and 10 being 100% sure, I'd say I'm about a 9. It's interesting because everyone else thinks it's a boy. My Mom, my sister, and random friends and family. So I guess we will see!! (We will find out the gender but not till 20 weeks most likely.)

Labor signs?No way. Hopefully it's a long time before that starts happening.

Belly button in/out? Innie!

What I miss: Not feeling sick. I miss feeling normal every day. I miss going out and not worrying about throwing up. I miss being productive around the house. I miss being "in the mood." I miss sushi and lunch meats.

What I am looking forward to: Mostly getting out of my 1st trimester. Feeling better and getting a little baby belly. Also, at our next Midwives appointment we get to hear the baby's heartbeat on a Doppler. We only got to see it on the screen on the ultrasound so hearing it will be fun. I'm also looking forward to finding out the sex so that the great debate can be put to rest!

Where are you planning to deliver: Right now I am planning on delivering at a Birth Center in St. Paul. I have all of my prenatal appointments there with the 3 midwives, and they have 2 birthing suites. It's actually a renovated house on Grand Ave right around where I grew up, so everything about it makes me feel like I'm at home. The rooms you deliver in are more like luxury hotel rooms with real beds and a big birthing jacuzzi. As most of you know I worked in a hospital Birth Center for 4 and a half years. I have absolutely nothing against hospitals and I think they are another great option for women who need that security. For me, if my pregnancy is low risk and I have no complications, then I don't see a reason for delivering in a place that houses mostly sick and dying people. There is obviously a need for the hospital when specific situations arise, and I am so glad that we have that option. I am just grateful that there are other options out there, and this is what Phil and I feel is best for us.

Head on left, arrow pointing to little arms, feet on right.

I have so much more to talk about, complain about, rave about, and share with you but I don't want to overwhelm everyone. I will do a name blog (yes, we have our names picked out already), maybe start some belly shots soon, and also the story of our 5 month journey to getting pregnant and how we found out we finally were! Hope you enjoy!