Pregnancy Thoughts and Happenings

This pregnancy was definitely planned.

It was something that we hoped, prayed and tried for, for months and months.

This journey is something I have been ready for forever.

It is the journey that I've been waiting for with Matt since the day I married him (actually probably before...yeah...definitely since before then).
Last year on my birthday (April 2012) in Seabrook, Matt told me he was ready (without me even starting the conversation...talk about best birthday present ever)...there was no turning back from there. I started taking my vitamins when we got home and still take them every night. 

This pregnancy has already been full of surprises, both good and not so good interesting. 

We found out I was pregnant when I was just 3 weeks and 1 day along. I was too impatient to wait for my period to test, so I listened to the box and tried 5 days before...it worked (faintly) but it worked. 

We were able to tell both of our families in person which was the most incredible blessing. 

I have gained close to 10 lbs. already which has been new to me. I wasn't doing so well with this at first, actually I wasn't doing so well with it until yesterday. Yesterday I took the plunge, with Matt by my side and purchased two pair of maternity jeans. My new love handles no longer hang over my pants (which was hard for me) and my belly actually is beginning to look like an actual bump instead of an actual gut. I never thought I had "dancer syndrome" with my body, but apparently I do. It was saddening me that I was handling it in such a negative way. My number one goal right now is to enjoy every second of this pregnancy that I have been preparing my body for, for close to a year now. I was supposed to be excited about the extra weight. Turns out, I just needed clothes that fit me. Now I feel great and am looking forward to getting bigger...and bigger...and....bigger!

(9 weeks)
We have been taking my weekly bump photos in front of the barn where we got married.

I like to daydream about our baby and Matt and I talk about our sweet Little Bean all the time! 

We have talked about diapers, schools, colleges, discipline, our relationship, Cogsworth, our health, finances and most of all...just how excited we are to meet our little sweetheart! 

We have been lucky in finding and choosing an incredible midwife who makes me feel so confident in my pregnancy, our labor and delivery and in being a mother. We had our first appointment with her at 7 weeks and 6 days. At this appointment we were able to see our sweet Little Bean and we also heard the most incredible sound...our baby's heartbeat! Baby's heart was beating a strong 164. 

I had a vaginal ultrasound because it was early and she wanted us to be able to hear it. Going in to the appointment I did not expect to get to hear it, just to see the sweet little flicker on the screen. The second she started the ultrasound we heard it. Matt was holding my hand. I said, "Oh wow! Is that mine?" Lori said, "No...that's you're baby!" My face went into my hands and I just cried tears of pure joy. Nothing has ever sounded more beautiful in all my life. I can still hear it now. We measured just a day later, but she kept our due date the same, August 15th. 

My friend Jenna described this photo perfectly...our sweet little sea monkey :)

August 15th is my grandma's birthday, so that is pretty special. 

So far I have been feeling pretty good. I am of course exhausted, but when you're pregnant and dancing/coaching 18+ hours a week on top of all the office work...you'll have that. I only feel sick when I get too hungry or too tired. I have yet to actually "get sick", thank goodness. I have extreme food aversions and to nothing in particular. Usually I hate meat. This is only slightly new as I barely chose to eat meat before I was pregnant. I suppose I shouldn't say meat, just beef and pork. I am okay with chicken, but would never choose it. I love fish! Unfortunately, I crave tuna. I was obsessed before being pregnant and now that I am not supposed to eat it, it's all I want. I talked to Lori about this and was given permission to eat (devour) one tuna sandwich/week. (Is it sad that I look forward to Saturdays after dance  all week long just for my 6" tuna sub from Subway??) My mouth is watering right now. I also love anything sweet/sour, ex. Sour Patch Kids, Skittles, Starbursts. 

My thoughts on how I will parent change a bit, but in general stay the same. 

I want our children to eat home cooked meals for every meal and eat out rarely. I did not used to feel super strongly about this, but lately it is becoming more and more important to me. My favorite daydream is picturing waking up each morning with them for breakfast before dance. I want to be the awesome mom that makes delicious breakfasts and we read and cuddle and dance to our favorite kid bands in the morning while the three of us get ready for our day! Matt is in love with this idea too (as long as it involves Disney music to jam and jump around to)!

I want to breastfeed for a year. No longer and hopefully no shorter.  

And my most recent goal, which I have always waffled with...I want to really try really hard to have a natural birth. I am really going to start going to yoga soon and Matt and I are going to take some classes. I know that once I'm in labor that everything is really out of my control and I also want to be okay with that, but I just want to try. I want to be calm and focused. I want our baby to come into a world that is full of joy and calmness. I'm talking calm music, dim lights, no screaming and candles. I get to labor in a soaker tub in our room which I think I will be in love with! (I think part of me feels that this way of delivering our baby will help for them to turn out more like Matt instead of their crazy mama...) No but really, I truly feel that. I want this baby to feel no stress (when possible). 

Okay, so I'm going off on crazy tangents now. 

We are more than thrilled to be parents. We have amazing dreams about our memories we will make with them (of course lots of those including Disney everything..). Matt is currently in the process of turning our kitchen nook into our playroom that will be themed in Disney Parks. This is his project that I am not allowed to touch or really have input on. I'm fully okay with this because I love so much how excited he is to be a dad. 

*sigh* 

This is by far, my most favorite part of life so far. I can't even imagine the happiness that is in store!
Do I really have to wait 30 more weeks to meet our sweet bean. Just when I was learning so much patience actually waiting to be pregnant and now 30 more weeks :) While trying to conceive I used to cry and cry each month I would get my period saying "Now I have to wait another month to meet them!" I need to remind myself daily to soak it all in because it's going fast and it's going to only go faster. The same will be when they are born. This is a big lesson for this mama.

Alright, well I need to go to bed now. My ginger ale is now gone and I should sleep before I feel sick.
If you made it through this whole post...good job!!