Hello! Well, we are having another baby! Just this week I've started to come out of round the clock nausea that started at week 5. GOD it sucked. Not wanting to eat, and food making you want to throw up is a terrible thing. I got on Diclegis at around week 9 so that's been my savior. To be honest, this pregnancy has been a lot harder than Shep's. With Sheppy I was SUPER sick for two weeks, with this one it's not as bad, but it won't quit. It's just been this underlying exhaustion, disgust with most food, nausea, and actually just a general disgust in life for anything that isn't nice. By that I mean I can't read, watch, or listen to anything that has a tone of fear, negativity, or trauma. I guess that isn't a bad thing, to want only what's beautiful and happy. I've read 'Little Women', 'Pride and Prejudice', and now I'm reading 'The Lost World', and even that is a bit too much for me! Whatevs I guess, just rolling with what I got!
I'm going to just write what I feel like for this pregnancy rather than the same format each time. Today we are 14 weeks 5 days, rounding up to 15 weeks ;). Also, today is my sister Kate's birthday! Happy Birthday lil gil! I'm looking at photos of myself around this point when I was pregnant with Shep and I don't think I look that different. Maybe a little bigger? I put on maternity pants for the first time to take this photo, and I'm reminded... YES! Maternity clothes are GOOD. Haha! I was trying to squeeze into my jeans the other day when I didn't feel like wearing leggings, and it was not comfortable at all.
We got the wonderful news last week that our baby doesn't have any genetic abnormalities (at least ones they can test for), and it's a girl! We were really hoping for a girl, to get one of each, and feel SO lucky to have gotten our wish. It'll be fun to experience a completely different world, different toys, different brain really! I think Sheppy will be a really sweet big brother, hopefully, most of the time.
Shep is pretty neutral on the baby. He has really taken to the name I want, Goldie. When I mention 'the baby sister' or 'baby girl', he says 'I want Goldie!'. The gender seems to bug him, he just wants our Goldie. He sometimes will kiss my stomach and say hi to her, or asks why she can't come out and play now, will she cry?, and he says he's willing to share milk with her. Haha, yea, I'm one of those weirdos that's still nursing. I know it's not weird in other parts of the world, and it's still beneficial for immunity and it definitely bonds us, just most people I tell are...surprised. LOL. I understand it's really quite impossible to understand until you're the one in it. My friend Ianthe told me when I was preg with Shep she nursed her daughter until age four, and at that time I was like... OMG, no. But it's just... such a part of our relationship, and it's crazy you have to assure people it's not sexual, but it's not. It's just normal. It's all normal. But I'd like to be near the end of this sweet nursing journey with him when Goldie comes.
Goldie Lucy Allers. That's the name I hope for, trying to get Pat on board! He's unsure about it. We shall see! So far everything with her looks good, and I already feel her kicking! I'm taking care of us by practicing yoga, meditating, eating as healthy as I can, running pretty slowly, walking, and snowshoeing. I never knew snowshoeing with Shep in a carrier was such an intense workout. But it's like the hardest things I've ever done in my life LOL. I'm about to go out and do it, and I dread it. But the feeling when I'm done, back in the house stretching, is just euphoria!
I think the only food I crave is soft cheese. Like creamy, liquidy, French cheeses. I could eat them all day. Then I remembered you're not supposed to eat soft cheese. Hmmmm... now I just heat them in the oven on bread. So good. I also enjoy coffee. And citrus. I don't like most vegetables or meats.
I'm really excited to get to the beloved second trimester, which has already started. But I'm still not quite there physically. I think in a week or so I'll have more energy and appetite. Overall I feel so blessed to be doing this again, probably for the last time. I've never really felt old until now. Fertility is such a small window, especially these days when we don't want to get pregnant until after our careers have begun and have had time with our partners. It's definitely harder on the body as you age. I don't think I'd want to attempt this at 40. I'll update in a few weeks! Much love!