Week 14

Well, now we are in the second trimester. And there is no set growing pace for you now. All babies
grow at slightly different paces. But there are some developmental paths that all babies follow - it's just a matter of how fast or slow. You are straightening out more and your neck is getting longer. You might even be growing hair now. Although I must warn you, I was bald until I was like three. Your did did have some hair when he was born, so maybe you'll get lucky. However, somehow I don't think our hair or lack there of when we were born has anything to do with your hair. Your body is also growing a fuzzy coat that will keep you warm while you're in there, but don't worry you'll lose that hair. We are a third of the way through this now, baby. Before you know it, the whole world will know you.

Well, I would love to tell you that the moment I hit this week all my morning sickness days were

behind me. Unfortunately I can't do that. Maybe that will happen week fifteen. It's gotta happen soon, right? I was promised! I had my doctor's appointment this week, and everything is great. I have lost a little bit of weight since the last time I was there, but I have been throwing up a lot. Poppy's heartbeat is sounding good. Sounding perfect. 140s-150s. Nice strong heartbeat. My doctor even said that she could hear him kicking some in there. I can't feel it yet of course but we might end up with a soccer player. That would be my luck wouldn't it? I spend my childhood watching soccer and now my adulthood too. Although I would go to every game and practice and everything else for that kid. Maybe I'll try to push baseball instead. : ) I'm really starting to see the changes in my own body. I don't think you, as a bystander, can really see them yet. Rob notices a little now. I just can't believe we are now in the second trimester. Time flies!

Second trimester! I am all about celebrating the second trimester! We are a third of the way through this pregnancy. That's hard to believe. I thought I would take this opportunity to give you my recap of the first trimester. Morning sickness. Exhaustion. Yup, that just about covers is. That's pretty close to what the first trimester was. Actually it all started out good. I found I was pregnant the Friday of the last weekend in February - that's pretty impressive I can remember that considering I have trouble remembering everything else right now. And we were overjoyed. And honestly I was a little relieved. I somehow got it in my head that it was going to take a long time to get pregnant - see what the internet will do to ya - and I was having all these weird things going on and it was nice to know that it was pregnancy symptoms and not just me losing control of my body.

Which for a while everything was good and I had to remind myself I was pregnant because I sure didn't feel pregnant. I didn't have any symptoms. I actually got worried that it was a false positive or something or it was all in my head. Did I mention that I was also apparently hysterical too? But then the nauseousness hit me. Constantly, non-stop, all the time. It was horrible. I had the feeling that I wanted to throw up and I would just feel better but my body wasn't having any of that. So I a couple weeks of just constant nauseousness and I was miserable because nothing made me feel better. Then came the morning sickness and that was just as horrible. But honestly I was a bit glad. Not because I'm particularly fond of throwing up (I did more than my fair share as a child with motion sickness), but because when the actual morning sickness came I was no longer nauseous all the time. So at least I was sick in the mornings then usually fine the rest of the day.

And the rest of my first trimester seemed to follow that pattern. Morning sickness in the morning (always before work too - how lucky am I?) then I was fine the rest of the day. Just tired. Constantly tired. That was getting old too. Then towards the last weeks of the first trimester, I was no longer sleeping all the way through the night and the scary dreams came so I was even more tired. So this has been a bit of an exhausting first trimester to say the least. It's not that I expected it to be easy. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect. But with every bad moment I've had, I've just told myself that it's all worth it. That in November we will have a beautiful son or daughter and all those moments were worth it to get to this.

But now I'm onto the next trimester where I have been promised nice things. I have promised no morning sickness and recovering my energy. I have been promised learning the sex of this kid. And I am holding each and every one of you who have told me that to that. But the most exciting things is definitely finding out the sex of our baby. You all know we have a bet going on, so despite what you all may think we aren't both hoping for one or the other (well maybe a little just for the five bucks). We don't really care. We would be thrilled either way. And now we are just weeks away from finding out. (So make sure to vote - running out of time, people!).

Hearing the baby's heartbeat and seeing him/her move on the ultrasound has been two of the coolest things so far. I haven't necessarily had a difficult first trimester because everything I've been through has been normal. And I have definitely had it easy only getting sick really once a day and always at the same time, so at least I was at home. But that doesn't mean that it's easy. There are a lot of changes going on in my body and as I heard recently on a TV show: "My body's being invaded. I'm not longer a person. I'm a host."

(Monday, May 7 - Sunday, May 13)