Second Trimester is here!

Memorial Day weekend always brings good things....a day off work, time with family, etc. Well this year it brought all those things, PLUS the official start of my second trimester! I have been looking forward to this trimester, because people say its when you feel the best. And I have been noticing a gradual change in the past week or so with my energy increasing. However, today I officially felt fantastic. Although...it probably had to do with the fact that I had plenty of rest in the three days prior and I didn't have to go to work! :)

We spent the weekend down at our lakehouse with my parents. (Charley and I bought a lakehouse on Lay Lake last October and it has quickly become our lovely little retreat. He loves the fishing....Lola and I enjoy the view and time to relax.) It was so nice being able to spend time with my folks. Mom and I got caught up on all our magazines, scrapbooked, napped, and cooked while the guys fished the whole time. We also enjoyed grilling out and making very rich homemade ice cream. Of course I couldn't enjoy drinking on the deck with them. ;)

Today the sun came out for the majority of the afternoon and I got a chance to finally put some color on the paleness that my skin has become. I have quickly realized that a pregnant tan = sun only on the front part of your body since its hard to lay on one's stomach. However I figure this is better than nothing!

My most proud moment of the weekend occurred today when my sweet Lola SWAM in the lake! Chach walked her along the shore so she could cool off, and LO and behold, she ended up on her own free will swimming to me as I sat on the dock. Oh big mama was so proud! (Keep in mind she is a small dog who stays indoors all day haha).

I don't have any pictures from the weekend, so I shall post some general ones of our lakehouse!

Country Living

The View

The Best Sound in the World

We had our 12 week appointment today and we got to hear the heartbeat! It was such a huge relief, because they tried to hear it with the doppler at 9 weeks and no luck. The doctor reassured me that was perfectly normal, but at the time I was still dissapointed and wanted very badly to have some kind of auditory or visual confirmation (besides my growing belly/face/arse and the vomit) that el bambino was doing good.

So today the nurse put the doppler back on and after a minute of exploration, she said she found it. It took me a minute to realize that the quick little drum sound was it, and then I couldn't stop grinning. (I had a nightmare last night that they couldn't find it again and that something was wrong with the placenta and baby, but thankfully that dream didn't come true!) Baby's heart rate was 172 beats per minute and Chach and I enjoyed listening to it for a brief time, until the nurse mentioned that if our heart was beating that fast we'd be dead. So I started laughing and it messed up the doppler haha. Anyhow, its a great relief knowing little peanut is doing well and now I can officially annouce to the general population that my ego is prego!

Baby's First Blog

Well we are new to blogging and are hoping this will be an avenue to keep everyone updated on the progress of Baby G! I found out I was pregnant around mid-March and we are absolutely thrilled. We decided to keep my bun in the oven news to just family and close friends until we are out of the delicate stage. I am currently 12 weeks and am praying they can find the heartbeat at my appointment next Tuesday.

First trimester has been quite the experience! I felt great at first, but soon around 6-7 weeks my dear friend nausea came to visit. Around 8 weeks, I was making nightly sacrifices to the porcelain god. In addition to feeling exhausted and having headaches, I soon had to realize that my body wouldn't let me push it to the limit anymore. Example, I work long hours as a school teacher and choreographer for the theatre department. I soon realized that having rehearsal till 7pm, then going to the grocery store afterwards, wouldn't be acceptable to my dear little lamb as I stood puking into the Publix parking lot. Adjustments made, and my sweet husband has been great to step in and help out. I switched my prenatal around 10 weeks, and it has made a great difference in the way I feel! I thought I was out of the vomiting woods until the night before last when baby Charfish reminded me that all was well as I puked into the driveway coming home from a dress rehearsal.

I definitely have a baby bump and feel like I have had one from day one. I think most of this is my "protective fat layer" as I wasn't at my ideal weight when I got "knocked up." :) I probably won't be posting too many prego pics because I already feel like the Michelin Man. However, I LOVE having a bump and seeing it grow! Eating carbs has been one of the things that combated my nausea....so I'm sure my weight gain has been a little far ahead of the curve. Example, last Thursday night's dinner consisted of waffles and garlic cheese bread, as I sat watching the movie Miss Congeniality and teared up at the end. Dang hormones. Don't worry though, baby G has been getting nutrients via V8 and lots of fruit cups.

As I enter this last week of the trimester, I know both Chach and I are looking forward to myself feeling more normal! I apologize in advance if I have scared any non mothers or squeamish folk with my sickness stories, but hey hopefully this is the last you'll have to hear about them! I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining, because I would go through much worse to make sure this sweet pea comes into the world safe and sound. We feel so blessed and are so excited about what's in store!!!