I haven't kept a journal consistently since probably Junior High. And let's face it, my Junior High journal entries are ridiculous. I have a few from High School and college and they aren't any better. Every once and a while I go back and read old posts, so I feel like this can count as my journal. I haven't been really good at writing details about this pregnancy and since its the first (and lets face it, you always do more for your first than the ones that come after) I'm going to write down a few thoughts.
- I really love being pregnant (so far). My first trimester I wasn't too sick and as long as I kept eating I felt fine. I seriously had to eat every hour to hour and a half. It was hard trying to find healthy things to eat, but I really liked fresh peaches and pears and it was a good thing they were in season. Also PB&J sandwiches with my Grandma's homemade strawberry or raspberry jam was the best thing! Once the second trimester hit, I never felt nauseous and I felt like I could be pregnant forever! Now that I'm in my third trimester I am starting to feel the effects of the ever growing belly. It is harder to move around and I can't bend over to put on my socks or pick things up off the ground without gasping for air after. It's great. My lower back hurts a lot, but I think that's also from working and when I have long days at work my feet kill too. I have sciatic pain at random times like when I'm driving my car. Something about the seat in my car makes my left side hurt bad!
- I am one of those paranoid pregnant girls. A girl I work with is due the same time as me, but this is her third pregnancy. So of course she started feeling her baby kick early and would always ask me if I had felt the baby. I hadn't felt him yet so I would panic that something was wrong. Also, how are you really supposed to know with your first if you are actually feeling the baby or not. People say it feels like gas bubbles, but it didn't really feel like that to me. I felt like a flutter. I don't know how to explain what a flutter feels like, but that's what I felt. I think I started feeling him for sure around 20 weeks, especially when I was sitting at my computer desk and leaning over slightly.
- Now that I feel him move all the time I love it. Even when he is up in my ribs :) I usually feel him when I'm at work or after I wake up in the middle of the night to go pee. He is super active when I'm trying to fall back asleep at 3am! I will tell Clark the baby is moving and as soon as he puts his hand on my stomach the baby stops. He has felt him move, a few times. No one else has though, since he seems to stop moving as soon as anyone touches my stomach.
- I think having a spring baby is the perfect thing. I am pregnant during the winter so I can cover up with sweaters and hoodies. Plus its cold outside so I don't get too hot, although I sweat a lot. I know that sounds gross, but seriously I think pregnancy makes me sweaty. Also April is the end of RSV season so I won't have to be super paranoid about that. I learned in my birthing class that RSV is spread by hands so make sure people wash their hands before touching your little baby :)
- I never had any cravings. I don't believe in pregnancy cravings except that if you have them, your body is telling you it needs something. Of course certain things sounded better and certain things sounded disgusting, but I never really craved anything. Fruit always sounds good to me and I used to love Broccoli, but now I have to choke it down. Also Chicken Crescent Roll Ups always sound good to me. I don't know what it is, but they are delicious!
- It is stressful figuring out what you need for the baby. There is A LOT of stuff out there, and I can't imagine such a small thing needing all of it. What did they do back in the day without all of these things. I'm trying to stay simple and only get things that are really necessary like a car seat and a stroller, stuff like that. I really haven't purchased a lot, but we did order the car seat last week and it should be here on Monday! Pretty exciting. Now we can at least get Henry home from the hospital.
- I'm not sure what baby Henry is doing inside my belly, but sometimes it feels like he is doing somersaults. He doesn't kick a lot... they are more like rolls or just stretching when part of my stomach gets really hard and he is pushing using a hand or a foot. The poor little guy is getting pretty squished I'm sure. I read things that say you should count their kicks, but how do you count rolls? I don't care how he moves, as long as he is moving!
- Clark is awesome at being there for his pregnant wife. I think going to that birthing class helped because we learned relaxation and pain relief techniques. One of them is to get two tennis or racket balls and put them in a sock and have your husband give you a back massage with them. It really is so nice at the end of the day. Whenever I get up in the middle of the night he asks if I'm okay and he tells me I still look great even with a growing belly that seems to get bigger everyday.
- Clark is building a cradle and crib for Henry and whatever children may follow years after him. He chose to make it out of Mahogany and I think it will be the fanciest cradle and crib ever. He is so funny about picking out the perfect hardware for the crib and he goes to Stork Landing (local baby store) about once a week to look at the cribs and figure things out. It's really cute.
- So these last few bullets have been about Clark, but I really do hope our baby looks just like him. He was the cutest little boy ever! I will love Henry no matter what, I just can't picture our little boy looking like me. I picture a mini Clark. I also hope he gets Clark's skills (athletic/soccer/skiing skills, handyman skills, academic skills, and his artistic skills).
I mean look how cute he is.
I love those brown eyes. I'm not sure I want Henry to be a thumb sucker though....
- I can't wait to see what our little guy is going to look like. It is crazy to think he will be here in 8-ish weeks. I say "ish" because I'm just expecting him to come late. Maybe on Clark's birthday! I don't feel prepared to bring a baby home for many reasons.... I kind of have pregnancy melt downs because of those reasons (like crying a lot and my poor husband doesn't know what to do with me). It's not that I don't want him to be here, it is other annoyances like jobs and other stresses. I would have it be April already if these other annoyances weren't in the way. But no matter what we will have a little bundle of joy here and we are so excited to meet him! I really just want a healthy and happy baby boy!
