There have been few changes in me in the past week, but my appetite, which was diminished for about 12 weeks, has returned with a vengeance. Here I was thinking I was doing alright gaining only 5 lbs in the first trimester, now only 2 weeks from it, I have packed on another 3. YIKES! It's funny the way my body changed right away. My curves were immediately 'filled out' and around my 7th or so week it was difficult to 'suck it in.' I didn't think the weight gain would affect me mentally and so soon. I suppose that having a formal event in one week with a barely-there-bump is bugging me. I am super excited about dressing up the bump in cute sundresses and spring attire! Will the warm weather hurry up and get here?!
The bun in the sun.... yay or nay?
When I was younger I was with my family in St. Marten and I saw a beautiful pregnant French woman sun bathing on the oceanfront. I remember thinking how peaceful and beautiful she was. Aside the obvious baby bump, her body was in perfect shape. Before we conceived I thought, "how great will the pool be everyday after work?!" Some baby/pregnancy books I have been reading say not to sunbathe while pregnant and I can't figure out if that's to reduce the inevitable stretch marks or because some pregnant women develop splotchy skin rashes. Both mentioned in What to Expect When You're Expecting. I love being poolside and in the sun, I can't imagine being without that for the summer. Would love to hear thoughts and opinions on this subject!!
More BIG surprises....
In my opinion there are two things every woman should know before you conceive. Neither are talked about enough. In my opinion there should be an entire subject on how to plan on "Pregnancy Brain." Oh yes, it exists! Forgetfulness and loss of Short-term memory. I used to keep my schedule in my head, remember the grocery list and keep up with day-to-day chores. To date, I have left the milk out after I used it, forgotten to take the trash out, let the laundry go bad in the washer.... its my own worst nightmare! I am on top of it now, my Blackberry and pocket planner are essentials. Unfortunately, other mothers that validate this symptom/disease say that it doesn't come back either.... Wouldn't you like to know this before it happens to you?
The second thing is that you are pregnant for 10 full months. Where did 9 months even come from? 4 weeks in a month, 40 weeks = 10 months. It's hard to keep up with how far along I actually am! I will be 9 months pregnant in June, 8 in May, when I will be a bridesmaid in two weddings, though I'm not due until July. This is information a friend informed me of when she had her baby, so I thought I would make it known here, too! For breastfeeding mothers that enjoy cocktails and wine, it could be quite longer until you can enjoy a few toddies.
Bumbos, Boppys, Breast Pumps, Oh My!
Matt and I spent Monday in Dallas doing some research and shopping for the baby. I made a list of 4 stops we could make while in Dallas, but instead we spent close to 5 hours in Buy Buy Baby learning about all of the gadgets and such. Strollers present a challenge with us because we want it to be versatile for our many facets of life. There are only a handful of strollers that you can use to exercise with that are light enough to travel with and provide the features we love such as: a storage basket below, cup holder (not a deal breaker), brakes, UV shade, adjustable handles, etc. I like the Uppa Baby stroller because you buy your car seat separately and can use an attachment for the stroller. It is looking like the best choice for us, followed close with the Bumble rider. Only thing that bugs me about this one... you can't latch the car seat into the stroller. It rests on the bumper bar.... doesn't seem safe for a jogging stroller. We still have research to do, consumer reports, here we come! The baby clothes are the most exciting thing to me; it makes it all feel real.
As far as the decor for the baby room... We obviously have to do something gender neutral. I love the 'gender neutral' bedding sets at www.serenaandlily.com, specifically the Dylan and Cameron. We have also thought about a "light and sweet" version of a Safari room. My favorite animal (other than dogs, of course) is the elephant and I plan on using that in our baby room! I love the tone-on-tone pallettes of ivory and cream, bringing in color through toys and stuffed animals. I picture the baby room on Father of the Bride II, it's so sweet and exactly what I want.
First things first - we are house hunting! We are hopeful that this spring there are more options on the market after a very slow and sparse real estate winter.
One more very helpful website I found is www.babycenter.com and is super helpful for any questions I have. I am currently reading Your Pregnancy, Week by Week. It is my favorite book so far because it's an easy read and there isn't information overload.
