Movin' and Groovin'

Hello fair friends.  Well, I'm sorry I've been a bit absent this week but it's probably because it has been so busy and soooooooo exciting.  I know I haven't posted the 15 week update and it kind of seems silly now because as of today I am 16 weeks, but you'll find it after I tell you about this week.

After our fun shopping trip last Saturday, I decided it was time to head back to the gym.  So Monday, I went.  And I did my regular workout, only instead of three sets, I only did one set, per Trainer's instruction.  I was done fairly quickly and feeling great.  Cut to Monday night when I could barely move my legs.  Seems taking 2 months off (almost to the day) really changes how your body reacts.

Tuesday, (10/25) I could barely get out of bed.  So as I lay there contemplating how to get my jelly legs to move, I had an odd sensation in my belly.  At first I thought, "oh, that's gas." and almost immediately after that thought flitted through my head, I thought, "wait, everyone said the baby moving would FEEL like gas the first time.  Oh. My. Goodness.  I just felt the baby move!!!!!"  My hands immediately clamped on my stomach and apparently Monkey's somersault was through and s/he was back to resting comfortably on my bladder.  To try to explain further, it kind of felt like someone pushing on my belly and moving their two fingers quickly from about the middle of my belly to the far right side, but from the inside.  It was so strange.  Yet so amazing!  I haven't felt it again yet and am beginning to think it was because I was so sore that that area was the only area that COULD move!  But I happily anticipate the next one!!! 

Wednesday, although I thought good and hard about it, I did not sleep in and I went to the gym again.  This time, I did 2 sets of my workout.  I felt good afterwards, but by late afternoon, the pain was creeping into my legs again, however not my arms (and I had worked them out too).  I made it home in one piece, but about 7 pm texted Trainer and Meanie Christinie because my leg muscles were in such agony.  Both recommended a hot bath and movement, so that's what I did.  The bath helped immensely!  I was able to sleep adequately through the night and walk the next morning.

Thursday, the day wasn't bad and even walking through the grocery store was much easier than I thought it might be.  Planned to get up Friday to go to the gym again, although I knew I had a very finite period of time to do so because I had a funeral to attend that morning.

Friday, (10/28) woke up to the alarm and couldn't hold my eyes open.  I tried, I mean, I really tried to get up, but I couldn't.  I figured it was Monkey's way of telling me I needed rest.  So I did not go to the gym.  However, I did have quite the random dream that I remembered when I got up.  In the dream I was getting an ultrasound and J was with me.  However, it was a very futuristic ultrasound in that instead of seeing the baby on the screen, I was seeing kind of a hologram of the baby in my arms.  He (yes, the dream showed a boy baby) was very long, longer than I would imagine a baby to be.  So it was verified that the baby is a boy.  However, after I woke up I thought that maybe because the sonogram was so futuristic, that the dream was telling me this one would be a girl and the next one (in the future) would be a boy.  We still don't know the sex I guess.

Got up about 2 hours later than I would have to workout and got some work done, then ready for the funeral and off we went.  Mom and I had lunch after the funeral at one of my favorite places, Rosa's Mexican Food, and then it was home to work a bit more and try to nap the tears out of my eyes.  But that didn't work either.  Early evening with J and to bed.

Saturday I did make it back to the gym for episode #3 (like I had wanted) and did 3 sets of my workout.  However, I have determined that I will only be going 3 times this week and not 5 like I had originally envisioned.  Don't want to overdo it.

I happened to email Angel Ash to see if she had any insight to the sex of the baby and she responded to me this morning with the following:
"So, I asked (the angels). And I kept hearing "no." They don't want you to know right now (the sex of the baby).

I pulled a few cards asking what you need to know about the baby and I got:

YOUR DESIRE IS WITHIN REACH: saying that the baby is healthy and to release your worries.

EASY DOES IT: Do not push yourself too hard. I feel like by the end of your pregnancy, if you continue to push yourself, you may end up on bedrest. So make sure you are being kind to yourself and resting when you feel you need to rest. Also, this is asking you to let go of concerns and worries. Everything is okay. (Whew!)

SPRING: The baby is due in the spring!  (Well, we knew that!)

Sorry we don't get a boy or girl. But I literally asked the pendulum and I asked boy or girl and got "no." LOL."


So what I take from that is that we aren't supposed to know until we are supposed to know.  Now any fun ideas on how we can break it to the in-laws on Thanksgiving day?

Okay, here's the 15 week update which will be quickly followed (I promise) by the 16 week update:

Pregnancy Week 15: All About Baby

 Get out a ruler and measure 4 inches--that's about how big Baby is this week, from the top of her head to her tush. She's actually longer than that, counting legs, but since she's so tightly curled, with her legs against her chest, it's too hard to compute. So she is measured from "crown" to "rump" for the next few weeks. As she continues to gain weight, some exciting things are happening: as she sucks and swallows amniotic fluid, taste buds are beginning to appear on her tongue (isn't that cool?), and her eyes are becoming able to sense light, though her lids will still be shut like a kitten's for several more weeks.

Pregnancy Week 15: All About You

You finally look pregnant! As your bump grows, your internal organs are shifting positions to make room for your baby-to-be. Less room means you may not be able to eat large meals, but instead you'll need to eat more frequently to stay satisfied. Because of cramped tummy space, you may have heartburn, indigestion, and flatulence. Your blood flow has increased to provide extra nutrients—meaning more trips to the bathroom for you. You may also notice that you're retaining water.

Pregnancy Brain (See Mom, it does exist!)
Dropped anything lately? Tripped over nothing? Forget something you always remember—like the date? You may be experiencing a common complaint in pregnancy—scatterbrain. "Some of my patients call it 'placenta brain,'" says Dr. Joanne Motino Bailey, PhD, a certified nurse-midwife and a professor of women's studies at the University of Michigan. While there are no studies to support the existence of pregnancy scatterbrain, notes Dr. Bailey, there are some changes in your body which may account for your sudden clumsiness.

Changing center of gravity: The first reason you may be stumbling is obvious—you're getting bigger. As your belly grows outward, your whole center of gravity is thrown. After walking perfectly for years, your body now has to constantly realign itself to keep you upright—no wonder you're tripping.
While your baby-to-be is well cushioned in your belly, falling wouldn't be good for either of you. Opt for sneakers or flats instead of high heels. Take stairs slowly. And be mindful of your movements to avoid any serious spills.

Retaining water: Another reason you may think your losing your mind—your gripping sensation may be different because you're retaining water. Your swollen fingers may make it more difficult to pick something up. (Think about how much harder it is to grab something up with fuzzy gloves on.)

Loosened joints: For your belly to house your growing baby, your skin, muscles, and joints stretch and loosen. A pregnancy hormone, appropriately called relaxin, triggers this change. Just like you need to keep in mind your changing center of gravity, remember that your muscles aren't as tight as in pre-pregnancy days—take it easy!

Fatigue: "We all know that we're not at our best when we're tired," says Dr. Bailey. "During pregnancy your body is under a great deal of stress, but it's hard to take the time out for an extra hour of sleep, which is really what you need." So it's not surprising that your constant state of tiredness may leave you not as sharp as in pre-pregnancy days.

If however, you find yourself overly clumsy, let your healthcare provider know about it. There may be something more going on than loose joints and lack of sleep.

You may be now experiencing the happiest pregnancy symptom of all—your baby is most likely a regular wiggler now! You may begin to feel a fluttering in your uterus.  (I did, and I happily anticipate it returning!)

So there you have it folks!  I'm off to make some Snickerdoodle cookies (my favorite) and watch my favorite Halloween movie to get ready for tomorrow (don't laugh, it's Hocus Pocus, I don't like scary movies!) 

Happy Halloween and Happy Sunday!