A Pain in the... Back?

I do feel like a bit of a whiner. I mean, I haven't gotten that big yet, and still every day I have to mention to Kyle how uncomfortable I am. I am sure by this point I have officially overtaken him on the "annoying" scale. I have to thank him today for his patience, his understanding, and his constant indulgence of my wants and needs.

Officially, we have been married for 10 months. For 6 of those months (nearly) I've been pregnant. Overall, I've been happy and healthy. Overall, Kyle has been awesome. So, I guess this  is just my little shout out to him to show my appreciation.

Getting back to business, I have officially (even according to my pregnancy app) hit the "you no longer have your natural center of gravity" stage. Being back at work for these past 3 weeks, I realized that if I used to get back pains from sitting too long in a huddled position grading papers before, this activity could really become hazardous to my health now.  I have some fallout already. Each morning (and in the middle of the night at least once), I need to move one of the supporting pillows that lay alongside me, swing my legs around to hang off the bed, and then roll myself from my side to a seated position, where I will sit and whimper for a second until all my muscles and organs have resettled in their upright position, and then I waddle to the bathroom (to pee) to get ready. I look like I just got off a 10-hour mule ride up and down the canyon walls of Yosemite. I then grip my belly and try to hold it up in the hopes that I have a little relief.

It may be time to buy one of those belly-support belts!

Anyway, with this routine, I can no longer deny my pregnancy (besides the fact that it is visually obvious), and live in my protective little bubble where I can deny that there will be an ending to it all. It is truly paradoxical that I can't wait for it to be over, but at the same time I don't want to face the ending yet. It is too damn scary!

Thus, I have become a bit of a whiner, and now you, not just Kyle, have to listen to me. I told you I wasn't going to hold anything back. Except maybe my back.

I sure could use another prenatal massage at this point! This time, no calzones.

Add a few inches to this picture, taken a month ago at 22 weeks!

Blueberry's Vegas Adventure!

You already heard about our week in Colorado. Even before that time, Blueberry had the opportunity to go to Vegas. I know, every fetus' dream, much less every pregnant woman's.

Oh yes, I highly recommend traveling to Vegas when pregnant. Nothing is more fun than a city full of smoke and other unpleasant smells when your nose is like a bloodhound. There is so much you can do pregnant throughout the city, like stare at the drunk people, stay up past 2 a.m., enjoy the free drinks (non-alcoholic and non-caffeinated) while gambling...

Or, you can hang out in the pool, go to bed at midnight, and at least appreciate the hotel linens.

Kyle and I did make it to our first cirque show, so that was great fun, and we did attend our friends' wedding, and even made a stop at the Hoover Dam. Overall, even with the long drives and the short time there, I was happy to get away and have a little bit of rest and relaxation towards the end of my school year. (This was all the last weekend of April).

But there is one HUGE benefit to being pregnant in Vegas... you really make the most out of the buffets. Thank you, Paris, for feeding me some of the best breakfast/lunch food anywhere around!

Outside the Bellagio

Wedding day at the Bellagio in the garden

With the bride and groom Amy and Brad Swinson

Blueberry at 12 weeks was a really little bump!

Pregnant Workouts

I have a bit of a confession. I really thought I was hot stuff at the beginning of this pregnancy.
The weekend we found out I was pregnant, I decided, being my Spring Break, that I'd get back into my workout routine. I jogged around the neighborhood daily, went hiking, lifted weights, and did so nearly everyday for 2 weeks. Yes, one day I got totally wiped out after Barbell class, was on the couch the rest of the day, and realized that I'd have to increase my food intake to keep up that kind of schedule, but I knew I was on the path to staying fit this pregnancy.

Then I only gained 1 pound my entire first trimester. I gloated a bit. I kicked bootie at Zumba, and lifted all I was allowed during weights.

And then one doctor visit, at 20 weeks to be exact, the nurse declared "Well, you must have your appetite again."

Jaw on ground.

Did I really gain THAT much? (Ok, it was like 8 pounds total, nothing to freak out about, but did she need to POINT THAT OUT SO BLUNTLY?!)

This wouldn't be as harsh had I not just recently, last summer  to be exact, lost nearly 25 pounds. I look at those wedding and honeymoon pictures and I am like "DAAAMMNNN, GIRL!" To know that I am back to where I started this journey (but, yes, for a good reason) is more than my fragile, hormone-driven ego can handle some days.

So I continue to work out whenever I can muster the energy. But today it kind of hit me that an hour class at the gym is maybe more than my body wants to handle, as I danced away and continued to feel my uterus contract at a disconcerting rate. I stopped early, and switched over to some seated dumbbell curls. I did learn that doing weights and building muscle were more effective than cardio, after all, in looking lean (and actually being lean, I am sure).  I guess I will just have to modify my workout schedule to include more leisurely-paced cardio with my weightlifting.

I feel a bit defeated. I feel like I've failed myself and now I am going to spiral down a path of ultimate laziness and gain an atrocious amount of weight in these last 3(ish) months. It is really hard as a pregnant woman (who only reads Fit Pregnancy) to let go of that control and succumb to the calls of my body. I am just eternally grateful to little Blueberry for only making me crave fruit and salad! That will certainly help combat the extra poundage (even with my occasional indulgence from Dairy Queen).

I think I will give in, push my pride to the side, and start attending Water Aerobics with the little old ladies (no offense, mom.)

My favorite workouts were long walks around the lake path back home in Minnesota. Can't wait for cooler temps!

With Scoobie as a companion!

Blueberry's Colorado Adventures

Although I am kind of hoping that I make it out to Colorado once more before giving birth, at least I got to spend the early days of Blueberry's existence in the mountains that bring me so much happiness.

Funny enough, I like to attribute Blueberry's existence to Colorado. Without overindulging too many details, we spent the first two weeks of Blueberry's, then unknown, life hitting the ski slopes! I think that the happiness I feel while in the mountains with friends and beauty helped provide the ideal internal environment--stress free and healthy with the fresh air--to assure implantation!

Jon, Jason, and Amanda joined us for the third year!

With Kyle in Steamboat (and this year we had snow!)

Chillin' at Copper's "beach" with our Arizona friends.

At the beginning of my summer break, I was once again eagerly anticipating a week-long trip through Colorado. We watched the GoPro Mountain Games in Vail (also where "mom and dad" got married!) and then trekked to Colorado Springs to visit old friends that might as well be family. Last, we partied it up in Denver for a good friend from college's wedding. It was busy, but so much fun (and a great escape from the incessant heat of AZ summer).

At Gore Creek in Vail waiting for the 8-ball kayak race.

Oh man, it was such a little bump back then! (19 weeks)

With my sorority sisters- Kaycee, Hilary, Jody (the bride)

I could still wear the dress from my rehearsal dinner!

We are so goofy!

Learning to Appreciate the Little Things

In pregnancy, sometimes it is the little things that matter. A tiny flutter in your tummy indicating movement that provides proof of life. A healthy heartbeat at the OB. A night of sleep without needing to get up to pee.

Perhaps it isn't just the little things that make me happy, but also the little things that I miss, which make me a little sad.

I have a new-found appreciation for escalators.
I have never loved fruit more.
I miss being able to eat fruit without heartburn.
I miss being able to use the restroom when it is convenient.

This entire post was inspired by a prenatal massage that I had last night. Considered a luxury to most, a massage becomes a sort of necessity for pregnancy. (This is my third). Let me recount the hour:

Massages--meant to be relaxing and soothing. I was tired as hell after my first 8-hour work day after 6 weeks off. The Arizona heat is taking it all out of me. I get set to enjoy a nice, indulgent hour in peace and quiet with all attention on me (and not just coworkers wanting to see how large I've gotten over summer!) I lay down, and even with the pillow between my knees and my head propped, I feel like I am going to tumble forward as my therapist pushes on my back. So instead of completely letting go, I had to use my muscle to hold myself up. (Note: I seriously miss laying on my back at this moment).

Next, this is where the real fun comes. The motions of the the massage churn up all the gas from my dinner. First comes the heartburn. I continue to swallow, but man! it burns. I swallow so many times I am sure my therapist thinks I am about to blow chunks. Then I burp. Seriously, just burp. How gross am I?

Oh no, that wasn't the worst. Then I feel the need to pass gas. (In case you are unaware, this is a common and frequent need in pregnancy). This would just be beyond inappropriate. So I have to hold that in, and then start to feel even less relaxed as I am holding myself on the table and holding my gasses in.

Moral of the story, I have learned to appreciate the little things. But even more I miss the little things I took for granted.

If it is worth anything, I still appreciated the massage. And I could have avoided eating that calzone for dinner right before a massage, so maybe I need to make better decisions about meals.

Which brings it all back to learning to appreciate things like being in control of my body instead of being held prisoner by it.

Isn't pregnancy a beautiful thing?

The first ultrasound at 8 weeks! See what I mean, appreciating the "little" things! :)

Starting the Registry Checklist

There are two evils in this pregnancy world: the Internet and experts.

The Internet: Evil by definition in the fact that you can't really believe all your read online, yet sometimes it is the only place that you can go to find what you need. This became especially true for me when I was pregnant, but had not yet told anyone, and then questions would arise. Who would I turn to? How would I figure out if I could eat feta and sliced turkey if I didn't have Google? Waiting 4 weeks for a doctor's appointment wouldn't always cut it, as it never fails that you think of all your questions immediately after an appointment, or that your symptoms take a sudden turn that next day!

Experts: Please do not misunderstand, and know that I do not intend any offense, but there are a WHOLE LOTTA EXPERTS (most on the Internet) on parenting out there. I truly do appreciate the words of wisdom from fellow parents, who have been there, who have learned by trial and error. I do have to keep in mind, however, that all people have different kids, and that what works for one may fail for another. So, take all advice with that proverbial grain of salt.

Despite knowing these truths, I still set myself up by posting on Facebook the question "What is the essential item for our baby registry?" I knew that I'd get varied opinions, links to reviews, perhaps arguments in my comment feed... However, I figured that I'd rather start with a narrower list of items than the giant cesspool that exists on the Internet. And each store may have its own version of an "essentials" checklist, but I feel that commercialization of babies is worse than that of weddings!

I do not regret it at all! I am really glad that I got to start with a list of parent recommendations that had already been tested. Then a lot of people actually offered us hand me downs, saving some time and money as well!

One of my essentials- the corner changing table! (Target.com)

As we began to build our registry, we still made our own choices, but we do thank you, the Internet, and you, the experts, for recommending some of the basics and making some decisions for us and saving us some time!

However, I still wish I could just register on Etsy.

An Etsy must! Anchor onesie

The Cravings

Besides a really good beer, which many of you have already realized from my "beer sniffing" post, there are not a whole lot of foods that I have been craving yet in this pregnancy. My food aversions, on the other hand, were much stronger during my first trimester especially. (I couldn't stand the texture of a solid chunk of meat, or the smell of cooked green vegetables). At this point, I can pretty much eat whatever I want (except for the "banned" foods like raw fish) but there are still a few things that I ALWAYS want!

My top cravings:

1. Watermelon

2. Fruit that is juicy

3. Salad (with fruit preferably)

4. Fruit smoothies

5. Ice cream

6. Every once in a while a hamburger

I really haven't, as you can see, gone the way of the fried food or weird combination of foods that is stereotypical.

As I shared my #1 craving with others, I realized that I am not alone in the watermelon world. There is just something awesome about how cold and sweet a slice of watermelon is (in 110* weather) that makes it just so appealing (perhaps I should be drinking more water).

So give me my fruit!

My berry spinach smoothie creation

The results...

A peach smoothie with Greek yogurt!

Blueberry's First Concerts

Each week (well, the ones that are left) I will share one of Blueberry's Adventures with you through pictures and stories! I have been recording these same adventures in a pregnancy journal called "From Pea to Pumpkin". It is pretty simple to keep up with and provides prompts so that I have many memories of pregnancy after it is long gone.

Blueberry has already been to three concerts! This kid is going to be as knowledgeable about music as its parents and grandpa Jensen! Here are some pictures:


First concert- Flogging Molly at Tempe Beach Park. St. Patrick's Day, 2013 (5 weeks)

Our friends Katie and Sarah did not know Blueberry existed yet!

You may recognize this as one of the times I practiced beer sniffing

Second concert- Fleetwood Mac at US Airways Center. May 30, 2013 (17 weeks)

Look how much dad's beard has grown (there is an entire post dedicated to this topic coming...)

The bump just started to show!!! That is Stevie Nicks in the background

Third concert- Mumford and Sons at Desert Sky (Ak-Chin) Pavilion. June 5, 2013 (18 weeks)

With our friends Bev and Robyn (also expecting a little one)

Papa wanted to show off his baby belly, too.

Our car after the show (hence the dust in the air)- I was "drunk bus" driver. Jared and Bev Ross, Casey and Karen Davis

I just hope that the decibels didn't permanently damage baby's hearing.
Blueberry does seem to move around a lot and get down when there are some great tunes playing! (or just when I am sitting down for a long period of time, like on a road trip, and music happens to be playing!)

Bizarre Habits

Everyone says how pregnant women have bizarre cravings, vivid dreams, and random mood swings. I have sort of experienced these biologically-driven phenomena, however I believe it is the habits that we pregnant women develop to cope with the biological issues that make pregnancy a true adventure.

The first habit I've developed, and would like to share, is really supported by my wonderful husband-

Beer sniffing.

So weird, I totally know. But going cold turkey is really very hard! I guess I didn't really go cold turkey, as I have limited drinking since November when we started this journey towards conception, but one Thursday I had my last beer, luckily the wonderful Four Peaks Peach, and the following Sunday I was most definitely pregnant!!!

So I smell beer.
And martinis.
Wine.
Bourbon.
Even vodka!

And Kyle just keeps on ordering the drinks that I wish I were drinking when we are out, and I just keep smelling and counting down the days until I can enjoy a nice cold one (during a football Sunday) without endangering anyone's health but my own.

Don't judge. Next time you're craving another drink, but know you should be cut off, just sniff one.

One beer sniffing experience- St. Patrick's Day (Kyle and I had to still be sneaky, those are both his beers, but if I were holding one, who would know that he was the only one drinking them?!)