Sunday, April 12, 2015

12 Week Pregnancy Update



The Baby
We have almost made it through the first trimester ladies and gentlemen! At 12 weeks Baby T is the size of a large plum. We love learning about how he/she grows and develops with each passing day. One of the highlights of this pregnancy so far was catching a glimpse Baby T on the ultrasound at our 8-week appointment. It was so surprising how each body part was visible and how he/she truly looks like a mini human! Because let's be real, before 12-weeks they tend to look awfully reptilian and I was half-expecting a baby alligator to appear on the screen. 

The Bump
Much to my dismay, I am not showing at all. Not even a little bit. This make sense as my weight gain so far is a whopping zero, but I am so anxious for a little bump to make its grand appearance. 

The Cravings
For me, this is one of the strangest parts of pregnancy. There are times when I will get a sudden, random craving for a particular food, but once I have a few bites, the craving passes and I don't want that food again. This pattern is really unfortunate for our cupboards because we have bags and boxes of all sorts of foods that I eat once and then don't touch again (dried coconut, frosted flakes, salt and vinegar chips, etc). The only consistent craving I have had is ice cold lemonade. Let's not even talk about the amount of this stuff I drink every day because it is just ridiculous. I'll be honest and tell you that I even stopped at a sketchy kid's lemonade stand the other day to satisfy a powerful craving. Normally, I am not even a lemonade person, but something about the tart citrus flavor just makes me weak at the knees. Besides these cravings (which luckily are few and far between), I am really focusing on packing lots of fruits, veggies, and protein into my diet to nourish Baby T and keep myself strong.

The Pros
I have another doctor's appointment this week and am thrilled to hear Baby T's little heartbeat. We have also started making preparations for this addition into our home. My diaper bag came this week (thank you Petunia Picklebottom for making the world's cutest mommy accessories), which is the first big purchase I have made for the baby. We also began cleaning out the nursery and planning a dream space for Baby T. 

The Cons
My workouts have really slowed down, despite my ability to be consistent for all but those two bad weeks. I am able to run shorter distances at slower paces and have incorporated LOTS more walking. To keep my step-count up I  take a jaunt over to Sloan's Lake nearly every day and walk the 2.5 mile perimeter 1-2 times. Although slower than the crazy race training pace I was on pre-pregnancy, I love walking! 

However, by far the WORST thing I have experienced this pregnancy is the severe case of sciatica that reared its ugly head. Oh mercy, does this make my back, leg, and pelvis hurt! I am trying some natural remedies including chiropractics, massage, regular exercise, and essential oils to help keep the pain under control, but boy am I nervous to see what this will feel like when Baby T is full size! 

The Husband
This guy has been my saving grace and is already a more fantastic daddy than I could have ever imagined. He loves hugging my belly and always makes sure to say "hello" to Baby T. He constantly strives to make things easy on me by helping me get comfortable, bringing me snacks and drinks, rubbing my back and joints, walking with me, and indulging my occasional cravings. The way he talks about our little baby makes my heart all fluttery and truly gets me excited to enter this new phase of life together. Although I am physically growing the baby, this is our family and there is no one I would rather be by my side than Mr. Justin Zachary Thunell! I mean just look at those pictures, is he a proud daddy or what? *swoons*

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