Just keep running, just keep running.

I love running.

I am allowed (by my midwife) to keep running as long as I can, as long as I a) listen to my body, and b) don't have any scary encounters with spotting, cramping, etc.

The plan is to keep running until it becomes impossible, then switch over to swimming. 

Running makes me forget how sick I am, (and for you worrywarts out there, the rule is: no food staying down, no running), helps me stay in tune with my body, and makes me feel "normal." I also like that research shows that women who are in shape generally have quicker labors and recover their pre-baby bodies much sooner than those who aren't.

I finished a 5K today...slow, slow, slow, by my usual standards, but I finished (and managed to beat a few people along the way.) Cool :-)

I

2nd visit with the midwife...

So yesterday I had my second visit with Carlene. It was so much shorter than the first! Basically all that happened was, a) weigh-in, b) urine sample, c) doppler. Here's the breakdown:

a) I have lost roughly 10 pounds since I first became pregnant. Bad news. I had been taking my Zofran periodically (when I thought I really need it), but I've been schooled that I need to be taking it regularly, because I need to be much more hydrated and fed than I currently am. Point taken. I am being a good little patient now and following orders. TMI alert: major downside to Zofran is that it causes major constipation. Hence I am trying everything under the sun to combat it....boo.

b) Uhhh....not much to say here except for dehydration.....

c) Carlene attempted to find the heartbeat on the doppler, but no luck. She then apologized and said that she normally doesn't even get one until 14 weeks, so she didn't mean to get my hopes up/feel anxious. She is letting me come back before my next appointment (last week in March) to check again. I'm not that anxious about it (considering I SAW the heartbeat weeks ago, and my morning sickness is killing me), but it would have been nice. I've decided that this is God's way of having Brett be there for it, since he couldn't be there yesterday. Now we'll just plan on stopping in when he can!

Oh, and on a final note, I have been asked a TON already about this, so I want to say: WE ARE GOING TO BE SURPRISED WITH THE GENDER! That is, we'll not be looking for it (besides, I'm not a believer in medically unnecessary ultrasounds. ) Who knows, though- I've heard of little boys showing it off to the point that even the untrained eye could easily see their gender! Here's hoping for a wonderful surprise in September! 

I've seen the light....

....at the end of the tunnel.  Thanks to Zofran, I am now able to feel somewhat normal and even eat the occasional full meal. I still feel guilty for resorting to a prescription, but I really didn't have much of a choice if I didn't want to end up in the hospital with an iv stuck in my arm. Not a miracle cure, but good enough for me. I wouldn't say that it kills the nausea- but it does seem to take care of my gag reflex. I'm still hoping I have that "breakthrough morning" in the next few weeks where I wake up and feel like myself again. 

I'll try to update again tomorrow- sorry for the short/sporadic posts, but reading/typing on the computer is one of my nausea triggers- go figure. I'm hoping that I'll feel well enough to start planting some of my seeds tomorrow- my limit is one major or two-minor post-work activities per day, and I used them up today between grocery shopping and putting my books back in their shelves post-new-floor-installation. 

So I've lost 10 pounds....

If I wasn't pregnant and so sick I'd be excited about this. I'm about 5'8", and down to about 130 lbs at this point. It's crazy because I look thin all over, but with a bloated abdomen. Gross. My midwife prescribed me Phenegran, but it only makes me more sick. I tried to avoid taking it in the beginning because I didn't want to take any drugs, but when I finally broke down and took it, it made me puke. Go figure. 

On the bright side, I did have an AMAZING Valentine's Day...I have the best husband ever! Brett bought me a spa day package, so I got a 1 hr facial, mani-pedi, my makeup done, etc. It was amazing! I was a little disappointed that I couldn't have a massage (they won't do it in the first trimester), but Brett promised me one of the prenatal massages for my birthday. While I was at the salon, Brett actually went home and cleaned the house! So I came home to a clean house, roses, a potted plant, card, and chocolates. YAY! 

Starting the birth plan...

I thought I'd update with an outline of what I have been working on so far in terms of our birth plan. Initially, I was planning on a home birth. However, Tricare (in their infinite wisdom) will only pay for a home birth if it's attended by a CNM (certified nurse midwife). The wonderful state of Georgia is among the few states that does not recognize anything but CNMs (not CMs or CPMs or basically any kind of direct-entry midwife- in layman's terms, all midwifes recognized by the state must also be RNs). Additionally, there are NO CNMs that attend home births in GA anymore! On the upside: if you do have Tricare, don't live in Georgia, and want a home birth, Tricare will pay for it. Great, huh? Don't let anyone tell you different- make sure you talk to a supervisor. 

So what to do? I considered a birth center in Savannah, but I didn't want to have to worry about the drive. Then I got lucky- my Tricare rep and family practice nurse actually went above and beyond and found me an amazing CNM that works in an ob practice in Warner Robins! Carlene practiced home birth for 25 years, but since the laws in GA make it so difficult to practice, she moved to the ob. Now I get to see her exclusively for my appointments, and she will be attending my birth (in the hospital, unfortunately). She is amazing, I love her already, and she is dedicated to ensuring that I am able to have the birth setting that I want, pending emergency issues, of course. I am so happy to have such a strong advocate for natural birth on my side.

Additionally, I am working with a doula from the area. I am interviewing with her next week, but from talking with her on the phone, I am confident she will be great. She has also worked with Carlene in the past, so they have a good working relationship (from what I could gather- I'll ask more questions in the interview.)

Overall, the current plan is to stay at home as long as possible. I'll be helped by the doula, who will help me make the decision as to when to head to the hospital. Then the CNM will take over, with the doula still helping me, of course. I'm hoping to limit the time I spend there, and thus the chances for intervention. Fingers crossed (and many prayers) that everything will allow for the kind of birth experience I so want! 

Sling giveaway!

Kristin over at Bits and Pieces From My Life is hosting a sling giveaway! There are three gorgeous slings to choose from, so be sure to check them out. The contest ends at 9 pm ET on Friday, February 13. 

Have you ever puked in a public place?

I have. Today. In a parking lot with a million other people around. That's all I'm gonna say for now. Someone wake me up when the first trimester is over.....

I'm ready for spring!

Despite how crappy I've been feeling (see post below), I managed to motivate myself enough to get some "outside" work done. The weather was beautiful this weekend, and I figured that if I had to throw up, at least I was outside! 

Grabbing the loppers, I cut back our crepe myrtles, and no, I did not crepe-murder them. So many people (especially in my neighborhood) do, and I whenever I see it, I just want to walk up, ring their doorbell, and educate them on the correct way to prune them. So sad! If you have crepe myrtles and want to avoid my ire, check out this link on how successfully complete this task. 

I also trimmed back the numerous bushes surrounding our house. I contemplated pruning my knock-out rose, but according to the experts, I should wait one more year. I almost didn't mind, because despite my love for pruning, I am proud of how big my double-pink is, and the shape is still decent. 

Finally, I ordered my seeds! YAYYY!!! I cannot wait to get them in the soil. I'm going to start most of them inside, and move them outside later. However, the lettuces and microgreens will stay inside for the most part, as I take advantage of my awesome new grow-light setup! Here is a list of everything I ordered. The total was about $75, but when I think about how much food that number represents, I'm totally happy. Just yesterday I was drooling thinking about how last summer for EVERY meal I had a salad with sliced cucumbers, green peppers, banana peppers, beans, tomatoes, basalmic vinegar, and olive oil. There's nothing better than eating veggies still warm from the sun! 

By the way, I bought my seeds from Heirloom Acres Seeds. They have an awesome selection, and most seeds are untreated and open-pollinated. If you have any questions about my selections, just let me know :-) 

Manalucie Tomato- for eating fresh

Roma Tomato- for making spaghetti/pizza sauce

Provider Green Beans- for canning

Blue Lake Bush Green Bean

Speckled Dixie Butterpea Baby Lima Bean- Brett loves butterbeans!

Fordhook Bush Lima Bean

Edamame Soy, Beer Friend- who doesn't love edamame?

Golden Bantam Yellow Sweet Corn

True Lemon Cucumber- awesome cucumbers that look exactly like little lemons! 

Homemade Pickles Cucumber- for obvious reasons

Straight Eight Slicing Cucumber

Heirloom Acres Spring Lettuce Mix

Mammoth Melting Sugar Snow Pea

Ancho/Poblano Pepper

Habanero Pepper Orange- for my father-in-law- he loves the hot, hot, hot peppers!

Golden Summer Crookneck Squash

California Wonder Bell Pepper

Sweet Banana Pepper

Earliglow- strawberry plants!

Salad Greens Mix

Some Like it Hot!- a blend of different tomatoes that love hot weather

Little Bits of Tomato Heaven!- lots of different cherry tomatoes- I'll grow these in pots

The Best in Taste!- yummiest heirloom tomatoes out there in awesome different colors! 

Pumpkin Baby Bear- cute little pumpkins that don't take up too much room