11 Weeks = Lime

I've been anxiously awaiting lime week. I feel like we've made the transition from small foods to medium-ish foods. Some websites reference the lime during week 12, but my favorite site says it's week 11. I'm going with it.

I stood in Trader Joe's just staring at the pretty display of limes, in awe. I'm 11 weeks, 2 days pregnant, and our baby is the size of a lime!

I can't believe my baby's that big! I didn't even cheat and pick out a giant lime!

Obviously no bump yet. But those are the boobs I've been telling you about.

No new symptoms, no changes, nada. Still obsessed with the doppler (I can find that glorious heartbeat in a matter of seconds now), and still tired beyond belief (and loving every minute). No news is good news 'round these parts.

Weird Symptom

So, there's one symptom I've been dealing with that I've been too embarrassed to mention because it's pretty freaking disgusting. I know what you're thinking--something has to be pretty horrendous to embarrass me. What could it possibly be?

Wait for it...

Here's a ridiculous hint:

Yep. Stank ass breath.

I first noticed it about 3 weeks ago. The first time, I'd just turned on my computer at work, when it hit me like a ton of bricks that my mouth tasted like I hadn't brushed my teeth since I was 8. I was baffled that I'd somehow forgotten to brush. Who does that?

The next day, the same thing happened--only this time I wasn't going to accept that I'd forgotten to brush. Two days in a row? Come on. I racked my brain. Had I done anything different? Had I eaten anything different? Was anything in my life different?

That's when it dawned on me. Duh. I Googled, and sure enough. Pregnancy hormones cause abnormal plaque growth in some women. Of course I'd be one of these women.

I started flossing twice a day to keep my problem at bay, but I was still so, so self-conscious. I asked one of my support groups if anybody had dealt with this, and that's when my life was forever changed. A friend recommended I try this:

This is the toothpaste they use in Heaven. I wonder if it's $14 a tube there, too.

Holy crap. Suffice it to say that I've stopped trying to use sign language to communicate with people--and I'm back to basically never flossing my teeth. This toothpaste keeps even the nastiest of mouths (Danny will confirm that mine fit into this category until recently) feeling fresh and clean all day. 

If your breath smells like you've been swiping your breakfast from dumpsters, pick this up. It's well worth the money.  

Doppler Love

When I ordered my Sonoline B Fetal Doppler, I promised myself I'd only use it occasionally--just when I needed reassurance that everything's still okay. Ha! I haven't been able to put it down. When I busted it out earlier this week, I thought I could hear the heartbeat, and since yesterday, there's been no doubt about it. I love to call Danny at work and play it for him over the phone.

Best $55 I've ever spent.

I've probably spent a total of 2 hours today listening to the beautiful ba-doom ba-doom ba-doom of my baby's heart. Music to mama's ears.

Guido's strong, wonderful, perfect, amazing, miraculous heart rate. 

Guido

We have a wiggler! Prune was looking nice and healthy today--and was dancing around like crazy. S/he actually did an awesome little dance that reminded me very much of one of Danny's signature (drunken) moves, this one, to be exact:

Minus the drink, of course.

Much to Danny's dismay, I may be referring to this baby as "Guido" from here on out (or at least for the rest of the week. It's cuter than "Prune.") because s/he was fist pumping up a storm. My OB was laughing out loud, and in fact, she's the one who asked, "Is this baby Italian??" This baby actually is 25% Italian (and a million percent loved). Own it, little Guido, own it. 

I didn't cry (happy tears!) until my OB pointed out one of Guido's knees. My baby has knees! S/he may also be a thumbsucker. Already?? What can't this brilliant baby do?

Danny's tears started rollin' as soon as he saw Guido's first wiggle. Man, kid, you couldn't have picked a better daddy.  

This picture isn't very impressive, and I don't even care--it's because Guido's a dancing machine!

10 Weeks = Prune

I'm 10 weeks, 2 days pregnant today, and our baby is the size of a prune.

All of Prune's vital organs are fully developed and are starting to function, and s/he is starting to grow hair and fingernails. No wonder I'm so, so, so, so tired--there's a lot going on in there!

Aside from being exhausted(!) all day, every day, I feel like a million bucks. I've been very fortunate, as far as symptoms go.   

Nice eye bags. I must not have gotten the 10 hours of sleep that my body requires.

We have an appointment tomorrow, where we'll get to see our little Prune. Can't wait to see how much s/he has grown!

Note the new fat roll, which most likely has nothing to do with Prune. I'm starving, I tell ya. Starving!

9 Weeks, 5 Days: A Milestone

Today's a big deal. I'm officially more pregnant than I've ever been--or ever thought I was. I've been looking forward to this milestone since the beginning of this pregnancy. With my first pregnancy, I thought I'd reached 9w4d, but the poor baby had actually stopped growing at 6 weeks. My second pregnancy was over at 8 weeks.

Today, I'm 9 weeks, 5 days pregnant. Hallelujah.   

We celebrated this happy day by going to Target to pick out a little gift for Olive. This was Danny's first trip to the baby section since my first pregnancy, though--and he got too sad to linger for long. We saw lots of things we'd planned on buying for our first baby, and it hurt me, too. That section used to be so much fun. I remember holding a tiny pair of socks in my hand and imagining our entire perfect future.

Now, the baby section represents a joy--a naivete--that we've been robbed of--feelings that we'll never again get to experience during a pregnancy, and like so many other things in our lives now, it's bittersweet.

I ended up grabbing a pack of bibs--one of which says "worth the wait."

It feels like we've been waiting for a thousand years, but someday, I'll get to watch Danny rock our sweet little baby to sleep--and yep, it'll have been worth it.  

9 Weeks = Green Olive

Awww, yeeaah, welcome to fetushood, Olive!

That's right--our baby has officially graduated from embryo to fetus, and this week, he/she will supposedly look very much like a baby. I thought he/she looked like a cute little baby at last week's ultrasound, but I'm probably biased. (Okay, I do kind of see some gummy bear there--and perhaps a bit of alien, but still.)

Anyway, I'm 9 weeks, 2 days pregnant today, and I'm amazed that I'm already noticing physical changes. Aside from the knockers that I've already mentioned, my belly--way down low, just above my pubic bone--is undeniably different. It protrudes just enough for Danny and me to notice it, and I don't think it's from all the Pop-Tarts I've been eating because it's nice and firm. I'm definitely not sharing a picture of that, so you'll just have to trust me on this one.

Every week, Scooter gets to try a new food. He wasn't a fan of the olive.