12 Weeks - Some Numbers

Still feeling pretty good at 12 weeks, and we're almost done with the first Trimester. I took my first set of measurements yesterday, which should be fun to track over the next few months.

Weight: 115
Belly (Around): 35"
Belly (Top to Bottom): 13"
Clothes: All of my size 2 and 4 suits still fit!

I personally do not think I am showing, the bulge around my belly is pretty much the same size as it was on a bloated day pre-preggo. In fact, I actually have lost 2 pounds since learning that the baby was on the way (the NP says that I probably just burned off some fat). However, longtime friends all swear they can see a bump, and I had my first request to touch my belly this weekend.

Here's an update on how Speck is growing, according to babycenter.com

How your baby's growing

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder. Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

11 Weeks - Little Swimmer

Today I had my second ultrasound! My frustrations over the $250 appointment cost and the hour delay (after they told me to be early) quickly evaporated when they turned on the ultrasound machine and I was able to see Speck.

I got pictures, of course, but since we don't have a scanner I am posting pictures of some other baby's ultrasound that I found on a Google Image search (repeat: this is not our Speck).


Exciting growth & development achievements for this week according to my wealth of web research include: ability to swallow and pee, ability to touch and taste, flexible arms, fingernails and toenails.

We witnessed baby acrobatics during the ultrasound, as Speck bounced around quite a bit and even waved his/her arms at us. The NP was able to get a measure of the head and thinks she might have been off by a week on the original due date, but they won't be able to confirm until the "big" ultrasound in 2 months. Either way, looks like Speck is coming in early April...another Kubec April birthday.

Home from Mexico

Erik and I finally returned from Mexico today. We headed straight for the store and stocked up on all the foods we've been missing...bratwurst, chips & salsa, cokes, cheddar cheese, you name it. We had a yummy dinner of fresh tomatoes, brats, and garlic bread. And then I puked it all up.

Why did my first pregnancy puke have to be a meal I've been dying to eat for weeks? How unfair! Maybe my mind has been effective at keeping my cookies while we were in Mexico, because I didn't want to put my head in Olivia's toilette (it was always full of blue toilette cleaning stuff). Or maybe my stomach just needs some time to adjust to food that actually tastes good.

I hope this isn't the start of morning sickness. At almost 11 weeks, I thought I was in the clear. I haven't had any preggo symptoms in over a week. I need to feel not pregnant for a couple more weeks so I can land a job! I've got my eye on one with a really nice base and paid maternity leave...can't be throwing up in interviews!!

Speck - Week 10

Speck is now in Week 10. I'm very excited for next week's doctor's appointment, where I think we will be doing another ultrasound and listening for a heartbeat! Click here for more details on how speck is growing.

I'm still feeling relatively symptom free. I did have a couple of "oh I think I'm gonna puke" moments last week (right after I bragged in my last post about not having any morning sickness), but they were brief and uneventful. I was so bloated earlier this weekend that I did get a preview into what I'll look like in a month, but it was good timing because nobody asked me if I wanted any tequilla when we went on the Jose Cuervo tour.

I'm sleeping a ton, and I am really glad that I had these five weeks free of work. Since I'm not ready to make an announcement to an employer, I don't know how I would have suffered through all of the fatigue at work. And from everything I have read, I should be getting some of my energy back during the second trimester---just in time to start a new job!

Speck - Week 9

I've signed up for about 10 different web services that send me weekly updates on how Speck is growing. Apparently, this week he/she graduates from an embryo to a fetus...yeah Speck! Keep up the good work.

The symptom of the week this week is fatigue. I'm glad that I don't have a job at the moment, because I'm not sure how I would be doing right now. According to my weekly updates, the fatigue should fade in a couple more weeks...at least for a while.

The good news is, still no puking and my oily face has yet to yield a pimple!

Pregnancy & Mexican Food

One of the more challenging parts of the last 3 weeks of pregnancy has been life in Mexico. I do like Mexican food. I thought my problems here would be limited to pinto beans and corn tortillas.

What I was not prepared for was the strong reaction that speck & my stomach have had to smells and things that just don't look good. I've always been a picky eater, but now instead of just being grossed out I am finding myself nauseous. I am so tired of onions, chicken with bones, fresh tortillas that smell like dog food, and the other assorted wierd things that they eat here!

In the last week, I've resorted to exaggerating food cravings: Pizza, Mac & Cheese, Cheerio's, etc. I feel bad, because Olivia is trying so hard to make sure I'm eating...but sometimes I can barely enter the kitchen! This weekend Erik & I have the house to ourselves. In a few minutes, we're going to walk to the store and find the ingredients to make REAL spaghetti for dinner. YUM!!

Spanish Name Correction

El nombre de Speck en Español es Pundito, no es Motito.

We tried to explain the nickname Speck to our teacher today and were advised that Pundito is a better word. Apparently Motito has some other connotation (related to marijuana).

7 Weeks & Counting

It has been 3 weeks since I learned that "Speck" is on the way. Somewhere between quiting my job (read: giving up my insurance) and departing for a 4 week trip to Guadalajara, I realized that I'd missed something. After waking up in a panic, taking the HPT, and listening to my best friend tell me that there are no false positive pregnancy tests, I broke the news to Erik.

Surprisingly, all is well. And much to my relief, we still went to Mexico.Week 7 Symptoms: Lets just say, prunes are my new favorite food. And I can smell onions from a mile away. Heavy meals with lots of flavor aren't very appealing. And my bladder is on a once every 2 hour schedule. Perhaps my mood is a little out of whack, but who am I to say?

We've been referring to the baby as "Speck" (or "Motito" in Spanish) because in the very preliminary ultra-sound taken at week 5, he/she/it was about 5mm long.

We've broken the news to our family and everyone is very excited. And we've told everyone we've met in Mexico (I feel like I have to explain why I don't want Cervezas or Tequilla). I'm hoping to get a job before I spill the beans to the world in full, so for now this blog is by invitation only.

I decided to start a blog on the whole process, because I'm pretty much obsessed with it right now anyway and I might as well do something somewhat productive with all of that energy!