If You're Happy and You Know it Clap Your Hands

There was an ultrasound and doctor's appointment, both on Tuesday this week. Tristan and April came with me. Tristan did NOT like them putting jelly on my belly and rubbing the instrument around on it. However, when he saw the baby on the screen, he said, "Aww, look it's a sweet, cute little baby in my mom's belly!" Then after a few more minutes, it started looking like an alien because they were looking from the top view, and he started crying. So, April took him back to the waiting room where there were toys and books and they enjoyed themselves until I came out.

The ultrasound appointment was an hour long. The main purpose was to measure the fat on the back of the neck. That along with some blood tests are good indicators whether or not the baby has Down Syndrome. (The measurement looked normal). At the beginning of the appointment the baby was awake and was kicking its feet and clapping its hands and playing with its nose and mouth. We saw that s/he has all its fingers and toes and can be very active. (For any of you doubting that the baby was clapping - I know Tristan took a long time after he was born to be coordinated enough to actually clap his hands. What I meant was that the baby was waving its arms back and forth in front of itself and on the ultrasound screen of uber-fuzziness it looked like s/he was clapping).

After awhile the baby fell asleep, which made it easier for the tech to take measurements. S/he fell asleep with the legs frogged out, feet crossed at the ankles and one arm across the face. It was very, very cute.

They gave us some pictures, but none as cute or as clear as what was on the screen, so I'm not even going to post one. The ultrasound measurements said the due date should be Oct 9 instead of Oct 8, but how often does anyone have a baby on their "due date" really anyway? As long as it's not born on the 11th, I'll be happy. (Palmers know why).

I threw up twice this week, but seeing the little happy baby on that ultrasound screen makes it all worthwhile. :) So, we're done with 12 weeks, almost done with 3 months... it's going by really fast. Before we know it we'll have a crying, peeing, spitting up, adorable, soft, wonderment in our arms.

Differences - Everybody's different

People always say, "Every pregnancy is different just like every person is different". Until now, I had only ever been pregnant once, and I couldn't understand how that could possibly be true. I mean there are billions of people... and all pregnancies consist of growing a baby in the womb until it's ready to come out. How different could they be?!

Here are some differences between my pregnancy now and the one I had 4 years ago:
First of all, with Tristan, I was sick and throwing up at least 3 times a week from week 5 until week 18. This time I didn't feel sick at all until week 7 and have only thrown up once, in week 11. The sickness is milder this time, and I'm grateful.
Secondly, when I was pregnant with Tristan, eating made me feel sick and nothing made the sickness go away, believe me I tried any and everything anyone suggested. This time, NOT eating makes me feel sick, so if I start feeling sick, I just eat and it goes away until I get hungry again.
Thirdly, with Tristan, I never had any food cravings. None. This time I have craved all sorts of things. I even sent Eric to the store in the snow to buy me a watermelon (just like the couple in Lady and the Tramp)! I've craved green olives, oranges, cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, Taco Bell tacos, Cafe Bella's panini, asparagus, mayonaise, egg sandwiches, BLT's, Reuben Sandwiches, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, yams... and these are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head! Cravings are strange. It's not like when you're not pregnant and you're in the mood for pizza or something like that. No, it's more like all of the sudden being obsessed with a certain kind of food and nothing else will satisfy you and it makes you feel agitated until you get what you want. I haven't been able to satisfy all of them, unfortunately, but they fade with time.

Otherwise, the differences are in lifestyle situation. I'm not working full time outside the home this time. But my full time inside the home jobs are falling behind. Similar to last time, work suffers in the first trimester. Also similar to last time, the first trimester is full of naps and going to bed early.

Today is the first day of week 12. We're almost done with the first trimester! It's going by a lot faster this time. Although the older you get the faster time flies. An old friend of mine says he's up to eating breakfast every 15 minutes. :) By the end of this week, our LK will be as big as a lime! Growing and growing in there.

Oh, I thought of another difference! By this time in our pregnancy with Tristan we had his name picked out. Tristan Pascal for a boy and Madeline Amalie for a girl, and they never changed. This time we still have a super long list for boys names. We have a girl's name picked out, but have a list of middle names to go with it. We'll probably wait until we find out the sex this time to bother narrowing it down.

The next doctor's appointment is on Tuesday and we'll have an ultrasound, so maybe I'll be able to post some pictures of LK next time.

Aight-Blaah

The title comes from a very short-lived TV show called Greg the Bunny that was on for one season in 2002 starring Seth Green and a bunch of dysfunctional puppets. (Side note for anyone that's interested).

The real reason for the Aight-Blaah is my belly. Yesterday was the worst day for nausea and general yuckiness. Today was not much better, but slightly. At least today I was able to shower and leave the house for a Bible study and a trip to the Library. Yesterday, I laid on the couch all day, not eating. Then at 2PM I called my friend Marnie to ask her to get me an orange and a cucumber from the store. She brought them over at 3PM. I devoured the orange and started feeling better. Better enough to eat some other food. And better enough to get up and do the dishes, make the beds, separate and run laundry, and direct Tristan to clean the living room. So there was a 2 hour burst of activity and then back to the couch. Then after Eric got home I got up to make dinner, and then stayed busy playing with Tristan until bedtime... but I was really forcing myself.

I woke up at 6 AM today sore. Sore from laying around too much. I got up and ate another orange (Marnie gave me 2) and then did exercises for a half hour. Then I went back to sleep on the living room floor for 2 hours. I felt much better after that.

Little wonder that Tristan cried as Daddy was leaving for work this morning, "Daddy, I want to go with you!" Daddy said, "Sorry, Tristan, I have to go to work." Then Tristan cried more, "I don't want you to go! I want you to stay home!" I said, "I'll be here with you." Tristan said, "But Daddy plays with me." So I asked him, "Who played dominoes and Blokus and blocks and other blocks and puzzles and other blocks and Legos and danced with you last night?" He got a big smile on his face and said, "Mama!" and pointed at me. Then he said, "Do you want to play Legos?" Ahhh! He is so stinkin' cute!

Tristan has been sleeping in his own bed since February 9th. There has been very little complaining from him. He likes to crawl into bed with us around 6 AM most mornings. I remember crawling into bed with my parents every morning even when I was 5 or 6. At least Eric is getting better sleep now... not getting kicked all night.

P.S. The picture at the top is a kumquat... that's how big LK is right now at 10 weeks along.