Keeping Up With AmyLouLa

Happy Easter, and Week 14

I hope you're having a wonderful Easter (or Passover) weekend with your family. As Bean grows like crazy, I can't help but think how my holidays are going to change, radically. I tend to keep my holidays simple. I don't really decorate, and at most, usually head to my family's for a meal. With my Bean though, holidays are going to be re-awakened into the traditions of my youth, and I'm very excited to introduce my child to those traditions.

Next year will start the Easter Baskets,  the Halloween costumes, the Christmas trees, the pictures with Santa. How exciting! I can't wait!

Meanwhile, here I am in week 14, firmly past my first trimester. I had my first day of feeling really, really good yesterday. I mean, good like in I had energy like my old self. It was amazing, and I'm hoping that trimester 2 will mean a little less exhaustion. I know it won't happen overnight, because today feels like it has for the past 13 weeks, but yesterday... yesterday was a gift.

On top of which, I reconnected with my first cousin, Jennifer, at Hollywood Studios! We hadn't seen each other in something like 30 years, but thanks to the magic that is Facebook, we were able to reconnect. Here we are from yesterday. Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday!

Buh-Bye, First Trimester!

Yep, I'm 13 weeks and just about out of my first trimester. Woo hoo! Still feeling good, and managing to eat mostly healthy. It helps that 1) I don't have a huge appetite and 2) that the cravings I do have are for cool water, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, yogurt, milk and smoothies. Yep. How did I get so lucky?

I know this might all change on a dime, but as of now, I'm doing better than good. Amazingly blessed and feeling very positive (still) that my Bean will be healthy and whole. As such, and thanks to the opinions of many good friends and family members, I've decided NOT to have an amniocentesis. There's nothing I would do at this point to terminate my pregnancy, so I'd rather not have the risk. And the early tests (NT scan - Nuchal translucency screening, early ultrasounds) show that things are progressing normally.

As a matter of fact, I'm starting to feel a hardness behind my belly button - the first outward manifestation to show I am pregnant! It's so exciting! My next ultrasound is April 16, and I'm extra excited because my mother is coming up to be there with me.

So, no news is good news, and Bean and I are just plugging along. More to come as things progress. Love to you all!

What's In a Name?

My Bean is growing-growing-growing, but since it's still too early to determine sex, I'm mulling over both boy and girl names. I don't really have any clear favorites (except for middle names), so I'm open to suggestions. Have any names you want to throw my way? Here are my contenders, so far, in no particular order:

Girl (middle name Elizabeth, for my mom):

• Ivy
• Violet
• Alice
• Lily
• Kayley
• Amelie
• Leia
• Sophie
• Iris
• Cordelia

Boy (middle name Robert, for my dad):

• Ethan
• Malcolm
• Flynn
• Jack
• Milo
• Cooper
• Keefe
• Benjamin
• Remington

There they are, what I have in mind so far. Let me know if you have name suggestions... I'm still looking for just the perfect name for my little Bean!

My Jumping Baby Bean!

 

 

Here's my Bean, 11 weeks old and growing like a weed! Head on the left, and you can see legs stretched out on the right. Amazing!

Had my first appointment with my high-risk prenatal specialist today, and everything went perfectly. Bean is about 2 inches long, crown to rump, the heartbeat is strong, and she (nope, still don't know the sex yet) was jumping all over the place! She stretched out her legs, was waving her arms, and looked like she had the hiccups at one point.I have a teeny little video clip that I will upload as soon as possible.

I have to say, I feel GREAT. Aside from still getting tired easily, my appetite seems to be stabilizing, and I'm not as sore as I was. I am truly blessed. I have a friend who is having a very hard time with nausea, and I feel so bad for her.

More updates as I get them, but meanwhile, all is going as well as can be, and Bean and I are doing just fine!

Of Appetite and Napping

At 10-1/2 weeks, I'm feeling pretty good. Tired as all get out, especially this morning for some reason. The time change is kicking my butt. Naps on the weekend are now musts for me. I wish I could find a way to nap during the week, but that's not happening so far.

As for those pregnancy cravings you hear about... I haven't had too many. I have really had more anti-cravings than anything else. My appetite is weird. I literally sometimes can't think of a single thing that sounds appealing. Last night I sat on the couch for an hour trying to decide what to eat. My refrigerator is full of stuff that sounded good and tasted good the first time, but now, just isn't cutting it. Ah well, there are worse things.

There are a few standbys that I can always seem to eat though. Watermelon. Fresh cut cucumbers with sea salt. Fruit sherbert and frozen yogurt. Organic greek yogurt with honey. Tangy Asian food. I have picked up Panda Express for lunch two days in a row this week, and today, got (cooked) sushi from the bistro downstairs at work.

I am constantly thirsty, and drink a ton of water every day. I have a plethora of juices to choose from at home, and am trying to keep to the lighter juices with no corn syrup. I am suddenly no longer lactose-intolerant, so organic whole milk is also a must-have every day. Along with my prenatal vitamins (which I take religiously), extra calcium, extra folic acid and DHA chews, I think I am doing pretty well, nutrition-wise. Even if my appetite is wonky.

Now if only I could nap more....

10 Weeks, Going Well

Things are pretty much status quo here. I guess no news is good news! It's weird though, because for the last few days my symptoms have seemed milder, so that, partnered with the fact that it's too early to show, keep me in a state of semi-disbelief that I'm pregnant. It's so weird to think there's a little bean growing in there!

For the first time in over a month, I have not had friends or family in town to meet at the parks. I love the parks, but man, it was SO nice to have a weekend to myself! I have cleaned, done laundry, and started working on de-cluttering. As I look around my small apartment, I wonder where I am going to put baby furniture and stuff. It's going to be a challenge. I'm already thinking that I will ask my apartment complex what they would do for me rent-wise if I wanted to move to a 2-bedroom and extend my lease.

I am also still looking for a home for Zoe, so if you have any ideas, please let me know. There's a potential that my friends in Tennessee will take her (they have one of her brothers), but how would I get her there? Any ideas?

Just 2 more weeks and I will be done with my first trimester. Amazing to think how fast time is going by. Monday the 19th I meet with a high-risk prenatal doctor for unltrasound and tests. It's a normal thing, and I'm not nervous. Just looking forward to more pictures of my bean!

Happy 9 Weeks, Bean!

My Bean is 9 weeks as of yesterday, and so far, so good. My symptoms remain constant in that tiredness, low-grade nausea and lack of appetite, and breast tenderness are the norm. Some days are better than others, but I'm grateful for the symptoms as they tell me my Bean is growing.

Not much else to report except that I'm still trying to find a home for Zoe, but I think I might have a solution for that.

Many thanks to everyone who has called, texted, emailed or commented their good wishes. I'm so grateful for my extended family and my dear friends. More updates as we go along, but so far, so good!

Baby Bean!

 

 

Oh. My. God. I'm really pregnant. Here's my little bean... actually about the size of a kidney bean right now. You'll see the black empty space of the uterus with the baby floating in the middle. Head is on the left, rest of body kind of curved down, like she's on her side (no, I don't know the sex yet).

In this picture, her head (round blob on the left) looks like it has a smiley face on it, kind of on its side, looking right! I love it! :)

The doctor was pleasantly surprised by the ultrasound. She was not sure about anything because of my age. But, she said that the heartbeat is strong (HOW AMAZING THAT I GOT TO WATCH MY BABY'S HEART BEAT!!), movement is good, and size is just what you would expect for 8 weeks. In short, she said the baby looks perfect so far!

Oh. My. God! Elation doesn't even begin to cover it.

Week 8

Tired. That's the word. Very, very tired. All the time. Can fall asleep at the drop of a hat. But, I have to say, other than tired (oh, and sore boobs), my symptoms are very mild, for which I'm grateful.

Tomorrow (Tuesday the 28th) I go for my first ultrasound. How exciting! This will confirm that there is (or is not) a baby in there. We should be able to hear the heartbeat and measure how big he or she is so far. Wich me luck! I will post when I have more information, one way or another.

Week 7, and First Doctor Appointment

Yesterday I went for my first OB appointment. It wasn't much of anything as I'm not far enough along for an ultrasound yet. They did however do a pregnancy test and confirmed my own tests. As if my symptoms weren't enough! I got some good information, and will go back on Feb. 28 for my first ultrasound. Exciting! That will confirm the pregnancy, because as of right now, there's a possibility that it's not a viable pregnancy (meaning ectopic or blighted ovum). We will see.

Meanwhile, my 7th week starts tomorrow, and I'm feeling the symptoms pretty strongly. Timing has switched, and now nausea hits earlier in the morning and can last all day. Today, the morning sickness was strong, then I came home and took a nap, and now, I feel fine. Guess I should be getting used to not having a schedule anymore... it's only going to get less structured from here!