Nuchal Translucency

January 5, 2013 (14 weeks 1 day):

The nuchal translucency ultrasound is the second step in the first trimester screening for various abnormalities or syndromes your developing baby might have. There is a final step in your integrated screen, which is the second trimester blood draw which tests for various hormones etc. Honestly, I was more excited to see the baby again then I was worried that our baby had anything wrong with him/her. My excitement mimicked my pre-race jitters of a race I had thoroughly prepared for. Strange, I thought, but the last time I saw Baby it looked like a pillsbury doughboy with little buds for arms and legs. Good news: we saw our beautiful baby, who had grown SO much since the last time. The doctor said based on what she saw everything is looking good. Bad news: our baby's measurements were too big to get the first trimester screening results. It was out of the size window that generates the risk statistics. So we have no certainty if the we are high risk or low risk until I get my next blood draw and results. Gus was disappointed to hear that. The doctor predicted our baby to be due July 1, our main doctor says it looks like July 5, and based on my missed period Baby is due June 29. A significant gap in time, but most likely between July 1 and July 5. Either way our baby is growing fast!!! Hooray! Just like it's parents!

Here is the full-body image of the baby. The head is on the right, the arms are by it's chin, it's spine is bright white, and it's femur is to the left of the photo.

Here is the baby's face closer up, with it's hands close to it's chin.

Post-babymoon

January 2, 2013 (13 weeks 5 days):

I thought this was a fairly amusing title, because of the way people talk about their post-honeymoons. Not to worry there was not the same type of let down that you have after your honeymoon, after all we were off to celebrate the holidays with family and friends! The only post-babymoon I felt was GOOD-BYE to trimester 1! Hooray!!! No more nausea!

We made it down to Anne and Jerry's to be warmly greeted by the happy couple, their young grandson, Tommy, and Lyndsey, Gus' sister. It was a fairly routine and relaxing Christmas here in the Sierra foothills. Jerry's sons, daughter-in-law, and grandkids all came over for brunch and gift exchange. We were missing Kerry and Eloy though, they usually liven the party quite a bit on Christmas day. I must say my favorite gift that was opened on Christmas morning for Gus and I was from, Lyndsey, it was a combination of gifts to help us outfit our soon-to-be chicken coop! My other favorite gift that we received was actually a gift for the baby. It was a baby food maker from Anne and Jerry. I am very excited to start learning about making our own baby food, that is after the year of breast feeding that I am expecting to do. I'm not actually sure when you start incorporating baby food. I am sure that the baby would like baby food and breast milk... More research must be done.

Gus and Keta had to head back home on Christmas day to work from Wednesday-Friday, so Oso and I stayed. Our dog Keta always thinks she needs to be working (it's the border collie way). I spent my time jogging with Oso, hiking with Anne, cooking yummy meals and watching my new favorite TV station HGTV (way too addictive). It's probably a good thing I don't have TV at our house.  My best friend, Crystal, and her fiancee, Onkar, were scheduled to arrive in town mid-day on Friday too. They were going to rent a condo up the mountain, in the beautiful winter wonderland, which was only 30 minutes away. 

Luckily, us humans and our 4 LARGE dogs were able to spend a good amount of time together too. We cooked dinners, went cross-country skiing, went for hikes, played board games, watched movies, and were able to do a lot of catching up. Unfortunately, being pregnant keeps me from going snowboarding so when Onkar and Crystal hit the slopes, Gus and I went back down the mountain. He went mountain biking, which I can't do anymore either, and I went for a 5 mile jog with the dogs. We were also able to get a lift in with our barbell and plates he brought down from the house.   The four of us stayed in on New Year's eve (falling asleep before midnight, but waking up again just before).  It was sad to say goodbye to Crystal and Onkar on New Year's morning because the next time we see them won't be until my birthday weekend (the end of March). More pictures to come (once we get them from Crystal and Onkar)!

Gus and I had plans to go to Yosemite on New Year's day for a nice hike in the snow up to Yosemite falls. Our truck is two-wheel drive (rear-wheel) which is the least helpful for icy/snowy conditions. Good thing for us, we don't really need it at this point in our lives (except when traveling on curvy snowy roads through, say, Yosemite National Park). Luckily we picked up some chains for exiting the park later in the day. Our hike was wonderful and very slippery. We had trekking poles which made our lives easier and we had our sliding technique down pat. We made it safely down the mountain, and headed over to the Yosemite lodge lounge for a quick bite to eat before venturing out of the park. It was a SLOW and slippery drive, and I felt lucky that Gus was driving. Since the sun had set all of the tire tracks had become iced over. We were going in and out of traction at multiple points and we were uncertain we would make it up the climbs out. Gus stayed in first gear for some of it just so the tires wouldn't spin too fast. We made it safely home by 9pm.

Friday we have our ultrasound, which is the second step in the genetic screening process, and I will get an official number on the pounds I have gained... I feel huge already. I definitely have a more prominent baby bump going now. You can see it VERY clearly in this picture. A pound a week in the second trimester is what I hear will happen. So I am mentally prepared for these changes to occur. 

Babymoon

December 22 (12 weeks 1 day):

Our 'babymoon,' otherwise known as our Christmas gift to each other, was a weekend trip to Fort Bragg.  Most well known for the most amazing North Coast Brewery (one of the top ten breweries in the WORLD) and the beautiful and dramatic northwest coast.  We were able to land a great deal through Travelzoo.com that gave us two nights at a great oceanside hotel, two tickets to the botanical garden (dog friendly), and a $50 voucher to a local restaurant. We thought it would be fun to add in a horse back ride on the beautiful 10-mile beach.

(Gus' entry) Horse back riding is safe for pregnant women, right? Everyone knows its safer than whitewater kayaking on the Congo river and just slightly more risky than fighting in the octagon. A great idea for our getaway weekend. Release of liability signed and we're on the trail. It started mellow, winding through redwood forests down to the beach. Erin on a white mare quarter horse and me on a draft horse. We snapped some photos with waves crashing in the background. Harbor seals basking in the sun, what a great morning! A great morning until a middle aged dork with a remote-control car spooked our horses. My sturdy horse was suspicious and eyed the tiny whining car right away. We coaxed our horses forward, the dork steered his pride and joy nearer. Erin's horse broke away, and began bucking wildly, Erin took her chance and jumped off landing in the sand and shoulder-rolling. She seemed ok, invigorated really. The white mare now free of her cargo started for home. My brawny steed, her pasture mate, followed with vigor. I have never been on horse back before so it was exciting to be galloping up a ravine after the white mare, he certainly is sure-footed I thought, best I stay calm. Soon enough the mare stopped, our guide caught up and my huge stalwart beast began grazing as if nothing had ever happened. Erin was ok, the guide fixed her horse's bridal and we were all once again plodding calmly single-file on a beautiful morning ride. Pictures to come (when we get our camera cable).     

(Erin) After the exciting and eventful horseback ride we decided it was time we should get out for a good romp around with the dogs. We went to an open beach with huge dunes, and not another person in sight. We ran around and played for a good 30 minutes before the foreboding skies opened up. We ran back to the truck and headed off to town for lunch. I had looked up places to eat in town before we had arrived and since we already went to North Coast Brewing Company last night, Piaci's Pizza and Pub was the next place to go on the list! It was reviewed in Sunset magazine and had great yelp reviews (for a good reason)! So off we went. 

We were instantly charmed by this small little restaurant that carried an amazing amount of excellent beers. We had a tasty appetizer and some of the best pizza we have ever eaten in California! We liked Bruce the bartender/server, chefs, and all of the locals there so much we ended up staying for three hours! I ran across the street to pull out cash from the bank and stopped at the chocolate store (next door) on my way back, bringing back 4 amazing truffles with me. We had to hurry to get to the botanical garden, to get at least an hour to walk around before it closed.  Our dogs at the botanical garden:

Tonight we will be enjoying our $50 certificate to a restaurant that we normally would never be able to afford. Then we'll be heading to bed early so we can be ready for our drive down to see Gus' mom and Jerr-bear for Christmas!

p.s. Thursday I had a doctor's appointment and all blood tests are normal, blood pressure normal, I've gained a total of 6 pounds, and the baby's heart beat is 168 bpm (normal and healthy)! Here's me at 12 weeks.

Intelligender

December 16 (11 weeks 2 days): 

When seeing the title of this blog many of you might ask what does that mean? Well, Intelligender is a little pee test that you buy in a Rite-Aid (my choice particularly), and it is supposed to tell you the gender of your baby before the ultrasound at 16 weeks can. There are always caveats to these types of things: 70-80% accurate. Okay, so there is a big window here for error. Yes, I do know that going into this expensive little purchase (~$35), but like I mentioned before in my patience blog, I'm pretty excited to find out the gender. Plus, this is something most of you probably expected me to buy, right? The technology is out there so, hey, why not have some fun trying this product out.

My husband would not be happy if he knew I was about to spend $35 on a 70% accurate (toy more or less), so I'll just tell him the gender after I take the test to make the purchase a little convoluted by the news and he won't even think about me actually spending money on the expensive test. Well, needless to say I bought the test and remembered that this is just for fun even though I have a glimmer of hope that it will be right! We would be happy with any healthy baby, of course, but we both thought it would be nice to have a boy first (if we were going to have two). So all you have to do is pee in a cup, take 20 ml syringe fill it up then squirt it into another container which has a powder and crystals in it, swirl it around for 10 sec and leave it there for 5-10 minutes before it changes color. Easy enough, orange/yellow for a girl and dark smoky green for a boy. 

So, based on Intelligender, we're going to have a BOY! Not trying to get too excited here, but we are excited about it! We saw Gus' best friend and his girlfriend that night and were able to share the news with them (with the disclaimer of the test's accuracy).

Other things that happened this week: On Friday was the first trimester blood draw for genetic screening. There will also be an ultrasound and a secondary blood draw in the second trimester. This is a complete screening to inform the parents of the risk for certain genetic or chromosomal disorders. 

Also we are getting excited for our babymoon. Hahaha. Not that I thought of that term. Google it if my description isn't adequate. Someone decided that during the second trimester you and your partner should take a vacation together to spend more time with each other and get closer before the baby comes and shifts your universe. Good call. Lucky for us, we were planning this trip for a few months as our Christmas gift to ourselves. Just a 2 night mini-get-away to see the beautiful northwest coast that Gus and I love so much. Before we were pregnant we also had big plans for mountain biking on the trip. Alas, not anymore, but we will have a lovely time doing more mellow activities together. It does inadvertently help us expand our horizons together, doing more diverse things that we both enjoy together.

Times, they are a-changing

December 11 (10 weeks 4 days):

Lifting is a big part of my career title: Strength and Conditioning Coach. Recently, I have had some new PR’s in my Olympic lifts that are starting to scare my husband… He is well aware that I have been lifting for years now, but I promised I would transition into a maintenance phase when I felt I needed to.  Honestly, if I am not pushing my lower body lifts higher it really does feel like maintenance.  I mean the only good advice I CAN actually find out there are these two things 1) If you’ve been doing an exercise routine prior to becoming pregnant then you can continue doing what you were doing for the first trimester, and 2) Listen to your body. So far these PR’s have felt good. I haven’t tried to PR on Deadlifts, Front Squats, or Deadlifts at all lately.

So today I had a PR in full cleans 67.2 Kilos, Friday I had a PR on my 5RM bench 115lbs x 5,  Thursday I had a PR in my full snatch at 55 Kilos. So I’m excited that I’m still having PR’s, but yes of course I have concerns about what I need to change.  “Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you have to.” (I read that in another pregnancy blog actually).  I think this is an important quote to remember, but when is it that I stop doing what I can do. I have this 20 week mark in my head from my doctor as being the week when your balance starts to really get affected so I am going to take out snatches at week 20, plus the pull of the snatch will be off because of my belly at that point. I also plan on cutting out my bike commutes to work and back ~24 miles round trip of riding (~18miles round trip on bus) at that point. I am already reducing that as is because of the short day light and the rainy weather (wet leaves = slipping prone –especially for Ms. Clumsy). Of course, no mountain biking, snowboarding, or contact activities either.

I guess why I’m really writing today is because I am really still doing everything in my lifting routine very similarly. I guess, I am starting to feel strangely guilty about not changing quickly enough, though. I recently cut box jumps and broad jumps and spinal flexion “abdominal” exercises. Yesterday:  Clean & Jerk 2x3, 6x1 ending @ 62 Kilos; Back Squat 5, 5, 3, 1, 5 ending @ 73 Kilos; Chin-ups 6x6; OH Press 5, 5, 3, 1, 3, 3, 3 ending at 37 Kilos; SA Bent Row 4x5e @ 60, 60, 65, 65; SL Step-downs 3 x 6e; 25lb Weighted Push-ups 4 x 5; Elevated & Weighted Glut/Ham Raise 4 x 8; KB Swing 3 x 8; Band walks and Planks. 30 minutes moderate cardio. So if I still feel good, I should still continue… or should I? If only there was more information out there about what to do. I mean I’m not “super” strong now, and these weights aren’t exactly easy, but they aren’t complete grinders either. A change is a-coming, but I’m just not sure if the change needs to change things that much just yet.

Super Smells

December 10:

Every day when I come home from work now, I immediately light candles to cover any offensive odors that may be lingering in the house. I think the smells actually make me more nauseous than tastes actually do. I was discussing this with my good friend, Julia, over the weekend. We came over to her and her fiancee's house to have dinner. She even remembered I was having trouble eating salads, so she made this amazing green smoothie in her new Vitamix (amazing by the way), so that we could all get sufficient greens in. There was kale, cucumber, celery, carrot, zucchini, orange, apple, and a few other items mixed into it. I realized that I loved the smoothie, but I found myself not breathing through my nose at all while I drank it. This is something that I find myself doing much more often lately. So as I have found, I have a new super sense... SMELL! Well, if I were to choose my super power it probably wouldn't be super smell, but hey take what you can get. Also, it was kindly mentioned that I do have a glow!!! Hooray, I was hoping for that prego glow at some point!

As far as weight gain, it hasn't really changed much. I am 10.5 weeks now and since my first visit at 5.5 weeks (when I was dehydrated) until now (fully hydrated) it's about +/-4.5lbs. Which I may add, all feels like it's in the boobs. My mom insists on tracking my pregnancy via pictures so on Sunday Gus took a picture of my 10 weeks 2 days belly. Grandma is happy with the progress. Keep my grandbaby healthy! 

I almost forgot to mention, Gus, my husband is going to be a guest blogger soon! It's always good to get all perspectives on an issue.

The New Norm

December 1, 2012:

It seems as if the new norm of my pregnancy life includes liters and liters of sparkling mountain water, with or without a splash of juice in it, some form of cracker on the daily, double sports bras, reading baby magazines and books multiple times daily, and just generally needing to sleep a lot more. All and all, my life seems to be bouncing back to this new norm and I finally feel like I'm adjusted to it. I am adjusting to what triggers my nausea, how to limit it, and what to do to when it actually happens. Also my exercise routine feels like a new norm as well. My lift and conditioning yesterday looked something like this: (Full Snatch 4 sets of 3, 4 sets of 1; Front Squat 5x5;  Bench Press 2x5, 1x3, 1x1, 1x3; Pull-ups 6x5; DB Bulgarians 2x6e; Bent Row 5x5; Good Mornings 4x8; KB Swings 3x8; additional core stabilization exercises planks etc. 20 minutes elliptical at moderate level; 30 minutes of mixed walking/jogging with the dogs on flat levy). It feels great to know that I can still do a lot of what I used to, just without over doing it. My doctor mentioned week 20 being the turning point for most of my exercise because my center of balance (center of mass) will have shifted dramatically. For now, without any real weight gain, I'm doing just fine. 

My husband has been amazing through all of these changes too, today I woke up to him washing the pots that were soaking from the dinner I had made the night before. Lately, I have been feeling guilty for not having the same pep to make as many dinners or wash the dishes around the house so I made sure that I pulled it together last night, and promised I would take care of the cleaning today. He told me, "Honey, it's okay, I really do understand. You're doing as much as you can and I am starting to get adjusted to doing more around the house, and being more aware of how you're feeling." Did he read this shit in a book somewhere, because this is music to my ears! I'm sure some women don't always have it as good, in terms of getting the man to understand how their wife/partner is feeling. 

Yesterday I got a picture message from my close girl friend as she was looking through a book store that relates to a similar topic. Hehehe! Thanks for the good laugh, Liz.