Week 9 Update

Total weight gain: 1 pound maybe.

Body changes: bigger belly, and breaking out a little.

Sleep: Not so good. My lower back has been hurting early mornings...argghh.

Best moment this week: 

Being on page 35 of ch.5.

Gender: 

Undecided...

Food Cravings / Aversions: 

Craving granola and yoghurt, salty and sweet things. Strangely craving red meat, probably because I need the iron more than anything. I had a burger over the weekend and it was really good.

What I miss:

Yoga and really working out.

Symptoms:

Lower back pain early mornings when still in bed. Tired at times. Preggo brain.

Movement: 

Too early.

What I am looking forward to:

Vacation in Switzerland.

Milestones: 

Defending my dissertation.

Thought of the week: 

When is it winter again? I can't take this hot humid Florida weather any longer...

1st Doctor's Appointment

On Monday I had my much anticipated doctor's appointment with Dr. Spiegelman. Thankfully this time, I have a doctor I really like and delivered my first baby. I feel so relaxed and don't have to stress about finding the right doctor as I did last time with Maia. I didn't get to Dr. Spiegelman until I was close to 20 weeks pregnant I think, when I finally made the switch. Really happy I made that decision. I have to thank my doula for that because she was the one that referred me to him. I'm not sure if I will have Michelle (doula) this time around. I mean I would love to have her but I'm not sure yet I want to pay that kind of money again. We will see. 

The doctor's appointment went great. I first got a physical from Dr. Spiegelman and then I convinced him to let me have an ultra sound because I wanted to hear the heart beat and make sure everything was Ok with my little munchkin. Last time I already had two ultra sounds at 8 weeks so I felt strange waiting another three weeks for my first ultra sound. I needed confirmation. So I waited patiently and then had a lovely lady give me an ultra sound. It was the best feeling seeing that little peanut on the screen and then hearing his or her heart beat. I almost cried. Brad couldn't be there because he had an important work meeting so that was sad but I understand. He would have missed the entire morning for work because I was there for a while. After the ultra sound I had to get my blood taken and I waited for a while. The blood work went fast, and then I headed back to Dr. Spiegelman to discuss the ultra sound. I felt great by the time I left. On Monday I was exactly 8 weeks and 1 day pregnant and my official due date is March 1, 2014. That was the exact date I came up with went I calculated my due date on pregnology.com. That website is great. 

I've been feeling really good the last few days. I've been working hard on my chapter 5 but have to admit in the afternoons I get pretty tired. I usually go to my bed and lay down for a few minutes, just a quick little rest. Then I get back to work. I can't wait for this chapter to be done, I honestly can't take it anymore. I'm so burnt out from working on this project, and if I have to listen to the same mix many more times, I think I'll go crazy lol. I have to listen to music when I do work because I can't concentrate otherwise. The nanny and Maia are in the house, mostly in her room but it's still a distraction. When they go to the park, I have some quiet time for a few hours. Today has been an interesting day with my nanny. I haven't been happy with her work lately, especially with her tardiness. She's great in all other areas, with a few exceptions here and there (e.g. I told her she needed to talk to Maia more and teach her words and the alphabet and all the that stuff). But being late that really drives me up the wall, and she is consistently late. Not much, but almost always at least 10-15 minutes. I've told her numerous times and maybe because I'm pregnant, my hormones are running wild, but I just can't take it anymore. So I told her, much more seriously than I already have in the past, so we will see if anything changes. Then I thought, what if I need to find a new nanny. That would be tedious and not something I really want to do right now. Then that got me into thinking how it will work when Maia goes to Montessori school next fall and the cost of that in addition to having our nanny with the new baby. The costs are mounting really fast. I am hoping I will have a job by then because if not, unless Brad makes more money, we won't be able to afford a full time nanny and maia's school. That gave me anxiety and the fact that miami schools are so expensive, I'm not sure if we will be able to live here forever unless we hit it big. There are only two schools in Miami that we want our children to go to, and they happen to be the best and most expensive private schools. In fact, there are no other options. Public schools are all terrible here, maybe one or two good ones all the way down south. These are the thoughts that run through my mind now that baby #2 is baking. It's going to be mayhem. Maia is getting more and more assertive and demanding, how am I going to manage another baby on top of her? How does it even work with bed time? When Brad is not here, do I put one to bed and then the other? Maia is still going to be so young..she won't be able to hang out while I put her little sister or brother to bed, and the other way around forget it. Ohhhhh I'm having a moment...breathe LOL. It will all work out, mothers do it all the time. How on earth did my mom do it and Noelle and I are only fourteen months apart. Sigh...you see baby #2 this is what's on my mind while you are cooking inside me. I can't wait though, it will be sooooooo great for Maia to have a sister or brother to play with. She is going to love it. They will be close enough in age to play together and that will be so fun. I always wish for maia to have a daily play mate and I guess giving her a sister or brother is the best way to do that. 

Maia is so funny lately. She is talking so much gibberish, she totally has her own language that nobody understands but her. She did say "Lucky" (our dog) the other day...but it came out as "Bucky" haha so she's been saying bucky every since. When we go on walks she doesn't like to be in the stroller anymore, she only wants to walk. It makes it hard for me to push the stroller, watch lucky and watch where she is going. There is this little bridge in our park, and maia had to go over it and back at least 20 times. She couldn't get enough. I was sweating, lucky was getting inpatient and when I finally carried her away, and then let her down again, she ran all the way back to the bridge and we were back at square one. That girl sure is determined. If she wants something, oh she wants it. But she makes us laugh every day. She does the funniest things, and she cracks herself up while she's at it. Love that little monkey. 

Ok, I've written enough for tonight. I am off to bed to watch my show Suits. Only a few episodes left until I'm done with season two and then Brad and I can together begin season 3 (I had to catch up). Tonight I'm even going to treat myself with some ice cream yumm. 

Love you, baby in my belly. 

Week 8 Update

Total weight gain:

Apparently only 1 pound or nothing yet. I'm not sure if I started at 123 or 124, but I am 124 now. My scale has been wrong which made me feel better when I went to the doctor this week.

Body changes:

Strong nails. Itchy skin at times.

Sleep: 

Not bad but not as good as right in the beginning of my pregnancy.

Best moment this week: 

Hearing the heart beat, and seeing the ultra sound of my little munchkin.

Gender: 

I'm really torn, I can't tell yet.

Food Cravings / Aversions: 

Yoghurt and granola. Salty foods. Hummus and crackers. I've even been craving red meat lately. I think I need the iron. I caved over the weekend and had Ria's spaghetti bolognese. It was the first time I had red meat in a while. Still can't drink coffee, my body just avoids it. Also stopped eating my daily fiber one granola bars. Just not in the mood for it. I've definitely been craving yoghurt more, and I practically cut out almost all dairy from my diet. Now, I started eating greek yoghurt again with strawberries. Yumm. I haven't had a sweet tooth at all this past week, it's been more of a craving for saltiness.

What I miss:

Taking a bath.

Symptoms:

Thirsty, especially in the mornings. Strong sense of smell. Tired but not as much anymore. Pregnancy brain, of course. Feeling better over all. Between 6-8 weeks I was having occasional bouts of nausea, but very mild. Now it seemed to go away.

Movement: 

No.

What I am looking forward to:

Our trip to Switzerland.

Milestones: 

Finishing chapter 5.

Thought of the week: 

I'm so grateful for this baby inside me. 

Is it Monday Already?!?!

Next Monday I finally go to the Doctor. It seems like it's been an eternity since I first found out that I was pregnant. It's strange because with Maia I was at the doctor at least twice already at this time. But I guess it's standard that you don't go until you are 8 weeks pregnant. I just want to know that everything is OK. Sometimes, I have no symptoms at all...and I'm like...am I still pregnant? LOL It's strange but I think it's just the normal worries I remembering now that I had with Maia. Although I feel more laid back this time. I'm sure it's because I've already been through one pregnancy not too long ago and because I'm just so busy with Maia that I don't think about every little thing that is going on in my body. Though I do have to say that my pregnancy brain is quite frightening. I mean sometimes I can't remember certain things, or I forget where I put something, or where I'm going when I'm driving. Well, that just happens for a second and then I regain my consciousness. But hell, is this what it's going to be like when I turn 60...70...just much worse?? SCARY LOL. I guess some ladies don't get preggers brain so bad but I sure do. I think it's because I don't have any of the nausea and sickness so that's my pay back. Nope. Everything just tastes equally as good as it did before I got pregnant. This past week I've been really good. Eating a healthy diet and cutting down on the sweets. I also reduced my coffee intake, I was drinking about a cup a day and now I sometimes only drink half a cup. It's not intentional, but for some reason my body is rejecting it. I changed from friend eggs to scrambled eggs because I just couldn't bare the taste anymore of the egg cooked so well it was dry. I like my eggs over medium and apparently I can't eat that right now, so I switched to scrambled and it's actually pretty good. The other day, I was craving greek yoghurt, granola and berries for breakfast but then reminded myself that I didn't have granola or yoghurt in the house. I might have to add that to my grocery list. Interestingly, I've been so good not eating dairy, I practically cut it out from my diet and now suddenly since I got pregnant, I've been noticing that I'm eating more dairy (cheese, chocolate, ice cream etc.). I should cut out the ice cream and chocolate and replace it with the yoghurt and I should be fine ;)

I just realized, and I forgot to mention it in my week 7 update (and if I add it now it messes up the entire layout which is so annoying) but I noticed again (same with Maia), well Brad pointed it out too, that when I'm pregnant I don't like my showers as hot anymore. More like, the shower seems so hot and I can't handle it. Normally, I would love it that hot. And, during the day I am always colder than usual. I never had the heat flashes so many women spoke up during the later part of pregnancy. I seemed to have the opposite. I am always cold. I'm always cold to begin with, but now it's worse. I'm not sure what that's all about but I know I had it with Maia too. 

Right now I'm in serious work mode. I have a personal deadline to reach before our trip to Switzerland and I want to get it done. It will be such a relief if I get my ch. 5 almost done that when I get back, I can finish it up by end of August, get the edits done, send it to my chair, revise, send it to my committee, edit, edit, edit....and hopefully schedule my final defense by beginning of November! That would be so exciting and such a relief to finally freaking be done with this! I can't take it anymore. I want to move on to something new and start seeing clients again! My dear friend who graduated before me told me that it feels like you've been released from prison when you graduate...the feeling is indescribable. Ah, I can't wait! The thought of getting this done before thanksgiving and before the holidays sounds so good! I'll be able to enjoy, plan my next move and get ready for the new baby! It will be a fun project changing our guest bedroom into a nursery....it will be two completely different projects if it's a boy or a girl. If it's a boy, we will have to paint (well, we will probably do that either way), put up curtains, and deck out the nursery like a man cave LOL If it's a girl I won't put up curtains because it will eventually be a play room when the girls move into the same room. I will have couch in there for the adults to hang out in and lots of toys for the kids to play with. If it's a boy they will have separate rooms and toys will be in both rooms and I guess the play area in our living area will be around for longer if it's a boy because we won't have a play area for them together. Ahh this is making me so curious to find out the sex haha....it will be a while...

:)

Week 7 Update

Total weight gain:

1.5 pounds.

Body changes:

Bloated, thicker hair, stronger nails, pointy breasts.

Sleep: 

Sleeping very well.

Best moment this week: 

Going home to Greenwich and seeing Maia play with her nephews.

Gender: 

Thinking boy this week...

Food Cravings / Aversions: 

Craving healthy foods. In the morning, I immediately crave orange juice and less coffee. I've been craving less sweets lately. Overall I have no aversions towards any foods but I like to eat more on the healthy side.

What I miss:

My Bikram practice.

Symptoms:

A little moody. Tired earlier at night (I know because I often fall asleep during tv shows which I normally wouldn't). Feeling a little sluggish at times. No nausea. Pregnancy brain like crazy...it's scary sometimes haha.

Movement: 

Way too early.

What I am looking forward to:

Our trip to Switzerland coming up in August. It will be Maia's first time there.

Milestones: 

The last chapter of my dissertation...sigh.

Thought of the week: 

I need to spruce up my garden this week. I've been busy with work so I haven't spent much time out there lately. Also, I think my garden never looks good in the summer. A lot of my plants aren't blooming this time of the year and all the rain makes everything look a bit tired with all kinds of weeds sprouting up. So discouraging. At least all my caladiums are in full bloom and I'm planting more bulbs on Thursday. Yay for that!

Week 6 Update

Total weight gain:

1.5 pounds

Body changes:

Stomach is bloaded and I feel like I already have a small belly LOL

Sore breasts.

Sleep: 

Sleeping very well. My lower back pain disappeared which I'm so happy about.

Best moment this week: 

Seeing Maia walk like a champ!

Gender: 

I had a dream last night that it's a boy but maybe I just dreamt that because lots of people think we are going to have a boy...hmmm I still kinda think girl...

Food Cravings / Aversions: 

No aversions and eating pretty much anything. Though certain foods don't look as appetizing to me as they used to. For example, my daily Fiber One granola bar I haven't been eating lately or Ice cream doesn't really do it for me lately...

What I miss:

Sushi and Bikram Yoga

Symptoms:

Tired, lazy, no energy....

Emotional, grouchy....

Movement: 

Way too early...

What I am looking forward to:

Spending the week in Greenwich with my family and nephews.

Milestones: 

Getting past the 1st trimester!

Thought of the week:

Is it bed time yet? ;)