Baby Mama....The Blog

Big Brother in Training..............

2005-03-12T11:49:00.000-08:00

So it's not just us that needs to prepare for #2, we also have the current center of attention to think of as well. We are easing him in by telling him that Mommy has a baby in her belly. Not quite sure if he grasped the concept, but he knows what a baby is, and he knows what a belly is, I think my greatest fear at this point is him pointing to other ladies bellies and saying "Babies". He did do the sweetest thing though last night. Tommy and I were talking about the baby in the belly, and Ashton kisses my belly! Tommy was stunned...."Does he know?" he asks-I'm not quite sure, but I do know that belly got lots of kisses and hugs this morning from big brother.
I'm still debating on getting him a doll to play with. One friend looks at me and quite seriously asks if I'm nuts, another thinks that it would teach him, if anything, compassion. I'm wondering if the inanimate state of the doll would teach him less about the fragility of life and more about dragging your sibling around by it's hair is ok.
Oh and I have an intuition already. You can mark this entry as a favorite and get me later-but, I'm having a strong feeling that this baby is not a girl. I had the same suspisions with Ashton and was correct-I think I am correct on this one too!

Can we skip to the next chapter please?

2005-03-08T07:16:00.000-08:00

Ugh. I've always hated the first trimester. The belly, the bloating, the morning sickness. I'm actually trying to decide whether I had it better with Ashton or worse. With Ashton, it started first thing in the morning, and I would vomit every 2 hours on the dot if I had not eaten something first. Food settled it. Then, into the afternoon it subsided. With this baby? It starts in the morning, this insane, painful nausea that lasts whether I've eaten or not. If I haven't eaten it gets worse, but for the most part it's the type of nausea that lasts and lasts and lasts and makes you beg to be able to just vomit and get over it. This lasts all day, and all night.
And honestly, I can't decide which is worse.
In addition, I've got the heartburn, the indigestion, that incredibly full stomach after a meal that makes me feel like I scarfed 2 thanksgiving dinners. In form fitting clothes I look unmistakably pregnant, but when I put on maternity clothes, a slob with ill-fitting clothes! Plus I'm getting used to the duck and blows when my over zealous huband sees my ever expanding bustline.
So I call today's blog, "This is why I love the Second Trimester".
Diet right now seems to be out the window as I am preferring cereal, smoothies and turkey sandwiches to anything. I start cooking dinner and realize that something has grossed me out and it's over for me. I've told Tommy that I will probably be getting pre-made meals for the rest of at least this month. Mid-April brings the second trimester, and I should be better by then!
My work-outs are still going strong, I have modified my weights only, choosing to keep the same cardio schedule. Weights has been modified to lighter weight, more reps and 2 sets each. I have definitely had to shorten them as well from a 2 hour work out to a 90 minute work out. If I go any longer I get really hungry and subsequently feel like crap-which negates the whole reason for the work-out right?

Baby's first visit...I feel a rebellion coming on.......

2005-03-03T07:09:00.000-08:00

We had our first prenatal visit yesterday with Dr Storrer, ok well I did-Tommy was there in spirit, oh and a cell phone call from him as I'm about to mount the stir-ups. Lovely. Appointment went really well, and I just love this OB. She is one of the best in the area and was the one who (finally) diagnosed my Pre-eclampsia when my other OB was out of the office. She has now moved to her own group, and like a lamb I followed.
Everything looks, feels good, test results perfect...no STD's or hepatitis! Yes! Cervix feels right where it should be, and an ultrasound is to be scheduled for 2 weeks. We talked about the bloating and my work-outs. She told me there is new studies that report that it's less about heart rate when working out while pregnant and more about how you feel. Some women are just conditioned enough that they feel good at a hart rate in the 170's, and you base heart rate elevates anyways during pregnancy, so it's hard to keep it down if you are fit. I love this new advice!
And then we talked about weight. Mom, Chelsea, you may want to scroll down.
I was concerned about the 4 lbs already gained on the scale in 2 weeks, diet and exercise hasn't changed, and as much as I'm trying to relax on it, I'm still obsessed after last time, so I asked, and I got a very different anwer than my last OB (who by the way was a smaller than a tiny stick, we are talking clothes shopping in the 3T range ok...). My last Ob, encouraged me to suck on a life saver when I felt hungry and to gain no more than 4 lbs in the first trimester-so what did I do? I rebelled dammit! I gained 20lbs in the first trimester!
Dr. Storrer says no dieting, eat when I'm hungry, concentrate on quality of calories and if you gain 11lbs in the first trimester, well then, you're just a gainer. OK I definitely feel more comfortable in this advice, but man-I feel a rebellion coming on.
Did you know that when you vomit, the calories you ate that day are absorbed into your system faster? Just one of the many fascinating things I learned yesterday, oh and that my Ob's office is in bed with Colgate-Palmolive and Enfamil and I received a bag of samples and coupons, and was encouraged by the Nurse to use them. Now I wonder what kick-backs they get for that?

It Budged!!!!!!!!

2005-02-21T17:10:00.000-08:00

I am excited to report that I am now only bloated by 3 lbs. Ok, so it's only 1 pound-but hey-that's huge for me! I'm ready to be pregnant, just not ready to be, well, pregnant. Apparently, friends and family around me have already had enough of this weight paranoia, my friend Chelsea has asked that I not turn into "Crazy Psycho Pregnant Chick" and my Mother has asked me to promise to not bring up weight for the next 9 months. Well I can't promise either, but I'll try. On the ugh front is the quesiness I have been feeling after work outs and in the afternoon. I feel great when I wake up, but the second half of the day......not so good. I'm headed in for another round of tests tomorrow, let's hope the numbers are still elevated!

A lesson in vanity.............

2005-02-19T12:07:00.000-08:00

For those of you who remember my last pregnancy, I was huge. Not like "Wow she's big" huge but, "DAMN Girl!" huge. Prior to my pregnancy I was fit, worked out consistantly, ate pretty good, had a mid-twenties metabolism, and then got pregnant and slacked off big time, and took eating for two to a whole new level! It has taken two years of major work to lose it all plus some, and I have made huge strides; I finished my first marathon, perfected the 10 minute mile, found a balanced eating plan, and finally saw my abs again.........last week. I am more an athlete now then I ever was, even growing up. In the past week I feel huge, bloated, the scale is still stuck at 4lbs more than last week, and I'm back to the somewhat baggy shirts I had been wearing before. What happened? My workouts haven't changed, I'm still there 2 hours a day, 6 days a week, and my eating hasn't changed......I think this has been the toughest part of this so far, not the blood tests, or the cramps, nausea....the bloating. Working out today I saw girls all around me in their cute little half tops, and I just wanted to shout, "I'm not fat...I'm just pregnant!".....hmm that's a good idea for a shirt, Suzanne, write that down!
So I spent the first hour of my work out fretting, caught up in incredible vanity and forgetting what it took to even get here. So what's a little belly? Pretty soon I'll be hauling around a big belly. That is a belly I will wear with pride. Am I still scared to gain too much weight? Oh my god yes! I come from a family that digs food-I love food.....bad food, junk food, sweet food. But I know I gotta keep my eye on the prize and remember what it took to take that 100 off. I have to keep eating right, keep kicking my butt every day, stay on my work-outs, and ok...cheat just a little bit...sometimes........
In the meantime, I think I will get that shirt!

Don't ever tell the Todds a secret............

2005-02-19T07:21:00.000-08:00

I think we have pretty much done everything but rent a billbord sign on the 101! We've told family, friends, neighbors, co-workers. Hell, we'll stop you at the grocery store if we feel like it! Going past the 4th week with strong numbers is such an accomplishment here, and I can tell you I feel the way I did with Ashton-slightly on the miserable side-so that's good! Today is the 5th week mark, wow......only 35 or so to go. I think this time I will have my bag packed at week 25 for sure!
So I tell my Boss, and god love him, the guy is so cute! He proceeds to tell the rest of the office, and buy lunch for us all. Then he asks me how it will effect my employment, and suggests that we put the playpen in my office, and I bring the baby to work, at least for the first several months. I'm thinking of moving towards at home status with the company after that. I guess that would be ok, they really only sleep the first couple of months, and I'm really hoping that my next is the opposite of Ashton and doesn't mind the pen. The audiologists are already asking me if I have a baby bjorn so they can take turns carrying the baby around......I have a feeling this is gonna be fun!

Holy Tipping Scales Batman!

2005-02-17T11:30:00.000-08:00

OK, do the math, and tell me how this happens.......how the hell did I gain 4 lbs in 1 week? I'm still at the gym every day, and I haven't changed my eating at all. I have a feeling it's all in my pooch that has developed-yes I even look pregnant now! On the upside, I didn't bother sucking it in and the gym today! This is all moving too fast, I'm hoping it's just water and will leave in a few days. Of course, I remember with Ashton bloating up right away...but this is insane! Otherwise, still feeling that headache, not sure if it's caffeine withdrawl, but I did switch to half-caf. And I'm also starting to rival Tommy in the gassy department, poor Ashton is walking around the house saying "Ewwwwwwww".

Put down the pee stick!

2005-02-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my Blog! I always thought this was for nerds, but hey, I'm doing it now so it must be cool! My friend talked me into doing this as a way to document my second pregnancy. For those of you who stumbled across this, I'm a 28 year old housewife/part time medical biller, and I just found out the awesome news that after more than a year of trying-my husband and I are going to be parents again!
We already have one tyke, a very active 2 year old boy, Ashton-and have been longing to give him a buddy and another tax write-off! Our new addition is due 10/26/05 making me barely pregnant-but damn-I forgot how much the first trimester sucked!
I am currently awaiting the storm called morning sickness, and I imagine in the next week or so it will come on like a vengence. So even though I'm tired, sore, gassy, testing positive....I'm still so shocked! I've already had 5 positive tests in the past 2 days! Ok 6 if you count the HCG.
I'm really feeling my biggest challenge is going to be the weight gain. I gained 77, yes 77 glorious pounds with Ashton. I once ate 2 dozen krispey kremes in one weekend, and subsequently ended up with pre-eclampsia. I am determined this time around to gain no more than 25-30 lbs....and I plan to work out until the end. Which brings me to the challenge-my Doctor said keep heart rate below 145 especially in the first trimester-ok, how am I gonna do that? I'm bored if my heart rate isn't at least in the 160's and feel good in the 170's. So there I was today doing a slow run-and still in the 150's. Ay. This is going to be a long nine months. Hopefully by then, I'll stop freaking testing! lol.