The Merfett

Merfbaby the iPhone

February 14, 2013 The Merfett

Merfbaby is 17 weeks old!

My emails today told me Merbaby is the size and weight of a iPhone or a turnip.

How I’m Feeling: Good! It was another busy week at work, so I was tuckered every night when I got home. Cooking dinner seems to be more effort than I’m capable of, and since it’s just me most nights I have a lot of egg dinners or leftovers. I’m starting to feel a little off balance, and I find myself waddle waking sometimes.

Belly/Weight: There’s for sure a baby bump! I have one pair of jeans I can still button and wear comfortably, and my trusty leggings have a hole in them so I may need to upgrade. I have a few shirts that I feel comfortable wearing, but I’m having to get really creative with most of my wardrobe. I don’t have many clothes anyway, so it’s a challenge. I got two gift cards to Macy’s for my birthday so I’m thinking I’ll put those toward Maternity clothes. I’m also wondering if it would be worth looking at thrift shops? Since not many of my close friends have had babies there isn’t a floating pile of maternity clothing I can pull from. To all my furutre baby-having friends: I promise to start a pile for you!

Life Changes: I don’t often have to lift heavy things for work, but lately there have been a few situations where I’ve found myself helpless. I’ve NEVER been that girl, and I always changed the water jug in the office kitchen, or moved the desk with little to no help. I constantly want to jump in and help, but my co workers have been really great about reminding me that I’m preggers and to stand back.

Movement: I almost thought I felt something the other night, but I think it was just hunger? Soon I hope!

Sleep: We recently moved our big yellow lab downstairs at night to sleep since the stairs aren’t agreeing with his aging body. I’ve been sleeping really well this week because he doesn’t wake me up snoring! I did catch Merfman snoring a few times this week, he rarely snores so I know he’s really tired when he does. I need to purchase a few more pillows so help support my hips and tummy while I sleep, but overall I’ve been pretty comfortable. Minus the nightly potty break.

Cravings: Orange Juice and strawberries! I’ve eating so many strawberries in the past week! I’m happy I’m having healthy cravings though ;) For the past two weeks no matter what I bring for lunch with me to the office it just doesn’t sound as yummy as what the rest of the office orders. So I’ve been ordering in a few times. I still choose healthy options, but I know it’s not the best use of my food money. If I cook more dinners, I have more leftovers, which I need to start doing. I do love leftovers :) I think I get that from Momma-son.

Exercise: I did 1,400 yards at the pool on Sunday. I was so happy to be swimming! I brought my kick board and fins and did 600 yards of kicking. My legs were sore Monday and Tuesday! I’ve taken a few walks around the office building at work. When I bring Betsy with me I tend to be better about walking since I take her out for potty breaks throughout the day. We have these really steep stairs at the office, which I know I’m going to loathe during the later months of pregnancy, but even now they feel like a big work out!

Favorite Pregnancy Moment this week: On Saturday morning Merfman and I slept in, and made breakfast. Then, we sat on the couch and researched baby items! He looked at strollers and car seats while I checked out diaper bags and play pens. We’re planning to go to Babies R Us this weekend to look at a few things and maybe start working on a Registry. We were planning to register at Babies R Us, is there anywhere else? Target? We also had a date night on Saturday. I’ve read a few places that it’s good to start a weekly date night before the baby comes. We also counted our date night as my Birthday dinner. We went to dinner at the Smokehouse in Burbank and it was so so good! I’d never been before and since I’m not a red meat eater I didn’t know what to expect. I got the shrimp scampi and it was so good! I also ordered a baked potato, and they bring the toppings to your table and serve them to you! So cute. I also had the BEST green beans of my life!!! Seriously. Amazing. You know how green beans are always mushy and overcooked at restaurants? No. These were perfect. Crisp. Bright green. Cooked with garlic. Ah, I want to go back and order them again.

On My Mind: There’s all these different things you’re supposed to be worrying about. Baby development, weight gain, diet, glucose levels. I’m at the point where I know I have zero control on what’s happening inside my body. God’s taking care of that. All I can do it take care of me. Make sure I eat well, get enough rest and take care of my body. I’ve been pretty relaxed and laid back so far, there’s not much I can “control” so what’s the all the worry worth? And after the baby comes there’s nothing but non-stop worry for the rest of your life, right? Are they hitting their development stages? Are they happy? Healthy? Socially adjusted? Upstanding citizens? So, no worry for now.

Family

Merfbaby the Avocado…or Grenande

February 9, 2013 The Merfett

Merfbaby is 16 weeks!

I signed up for a weekly pregnancy email from The Pregnant Chicken, and my email yesterday told me Merfbaby is the size of a grenade Now we’re talking!

Merfbaby is 4 1/2 inches long and has started growing toenails! The heart is pumping 25 quarts a day.

How I’m Feeling: Good, but this week was exhausting. It was a really busy week at work, with a very late night on Monday…I collapsed into bed at 1:00am. I was dragging all week and went to bed early whenever I could, so I finally feel caught up on sleep. I have a lot I want to get done this weekend, but I’ll see how I’m feeling. I’m trying to put rest and sleep over busy work, but it’s hard when I want to get so much done around the house!

Belly/Weight: At my appointment yesterday I showed a 5 pound weight gain fro my last appointment. I asked the doctor if that’s ok and she said aiming for 1 pound a week is good. My tummy is sticking out a little more this week and it feels firm…creepy? Yea.

Life Changes: Still wearing normal clothes, but I have to start choosing some longer tops since my shape is changing. I tried to get more sleep this week since I was so exhausted from work, I’m looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow :)

Movement: Still not yet. It was funny at the appointment yesterday seeing the baby moving around on the ultrasound but not feeling any of it!

Sleep: I still have 1 – 2 potty breaks in the middle of the night, but this week I had a harder time falling back asleep after crawling into bed. Merfman’s back into his production schedule so between his odd hours and the potty breaks I’m not sleeping well.

Cravings: Still OJ. Not lemonade so much this week. And protein. My appetite is back and I go from zero to hangry, fast. I’m trying to get more protein into my daily meals. Lots of dairy, beans, rice, some fish and peanut butter, and lots of eggs. I also asked my doctor about adding protein powder into my smoothies, I think that will help too.

Exercise: Monday I did a ton of running around and carrying various items back and forth for work. I was sore most of the week – arms and shoulders so I took it easy on the work outs. Don’t worry, I didn’t lift anything heavy. I ordered a new swim suit from Swim Outlet since my current stash doesn’t accommodate for the growing belly. PS Maternity Swim Suits are U.G.L.Y. I just ordered a regular suit 4 sizes larger than my normal. If toward the end I need to order up another size or two I will.

Favorite Pregnancy Moment this week: Merfman got to come with me to my doctor appointment on Thursday! He’s never able to come, so it was fun having him see Merfbaby on the ultrasound. I had been wondering if this might be the week they tell us the gender. At 12 weeks the technician wanted to tell me, but I felt like it was too soon to tell, even though they said they were 95% sure what it was. Plus, I was alone so I asked them not too. So, this week we were looking forward to maybe finding out. We were put into a room at our appointment that didn’t have an ultrasound machine so we thought we wouldn’t get to find out. The doctor opened the door and asked if we’d like to find out the gender! She said she couldn’t make any promises, but she would give it a shot. We asked if she found the gender, that she write it down and slip it into and envelope so we could open it later. Well….Merfbaby was being shy and she couldn’t get a good look, plus the cord was in the way. Womp. I have another ultrasound at the end of this month, so maybe we’ll find out then!

On My Mind: I’m halfway through reading “Baby Wise,” so I’ve been thinking a lot about the feed, wake, sleep pattern for the baby and I during the first few weeks. We want to get the baby into a rhythm soon after birth to help for our sanity, as well as Merfbaby’s. I’m a little nervous about the first week or two after birth. I can only imagine what to expect, so I’m trying not to over think it. I really want to breastfeed, and I know that can take a little while to get the hang of. Next up on my reading list is “Baby Whisperer.” So many Mom’s have recommended it to me, so I’m excited to get reading! We also selected a Baby Class to take starting in mid-April. We’ve chosen the Bradley Method classes since they focus on natural birth. The instructor explained the classes in a way I completely related to. She said, you would’t run a marathon without practicing, or show up on game day never knowing what to expect. Duh. As an athlete that totally made sense to me. I know there’s not a lot you can do physically to prepare yourself for the crazy that it labor, but the more I can understand about the progression of labor the better for me.

Family

Merfbaby the Apple

January 31, 2013January 31, 2013 The Merfett

Today Merfbaby is 15 weeks old and the size of an apple :)

Can I say that I don’t like that all these pregnancy sites use fruits and veggies to give you an idea of how big your baby is? Is it the size of a small apple, a medium apple or a big apple? Wouldn’t it just be easier is they said baby is the size of a deck of cards, a soda can or a stapler? See? Much more clear!

Merfbaby is rockin’ and rollin’ around in there, looking like a legit tiny human…but I can’t feel a thing yet! I know everyone talks about how they can’t wait to feel the baby, and then in a few weeks they complain that all the baby does is sucker punch their bladder. Expect those comments ;)

How I’m Feeling: The second trimester is SO much better. I (knock on wood) don’t have morning sickness hardly at all anymore and I feel like I can actually accomplish things again! I notice that I’m much more tired at the end of the day when I get home from work, but I get little bursts of energy so I can get things done. Over the weekend I had a lot of little things to do and I find that I need to listen to my body when I’m worn down so I can sit for a few minutes and take a break.

Belly/Weight: I didn’t show any weight gain at my last appointment a few weeks ago. The doctor said that’s normal, it just means I’ll gain more weight in the coming months. We don’t have a scale at home and I rarely weigh myself at the gym. I’ve come to be more of a “how my pants are fitting” weight person than a numbers person. I find that my weight is constantly up and down a few pounds over the month so I don’t worry about it too much. Obviously weight gain is much more important during pregnancy so I’m aiming for the healthy weight gain of 25 – 30 pounds. If I’m a little over that, no biggie. My belly is starting to pooch. You can tell big time after I’ve eaten a meal. I still feel like I’m in that “if you didn’t know I was preggers you would just think I’ve gained weight” zone.

Life Changes: Most of my jeans are still fitting, and the belly bands are my new favorite thing. They cover the tops of my snug jeans so I can leave them unbuttoned. A few of my t-shirts are too snug and start the ride up so I’m wearing the bands to help keep the shirts longer. I LOVE to wear yoga pants when I’m home and on the weekends. That’s like the standard Mommy Uniform, yea? Merfman got me an awesome pair of Lululemon crop pants for my birthday that I know are going to get a ton of use ;) Hormones are in full effect…as evident in the Burrito Crisis of 2013. For the past few weeks I’ve had a really stuffy nose, and I thought it was just allergies…oh, and I’ve had some epic nose bleeds (TMI, gross). But, apparently that’s normal? According to Baby Center:

“If your nose is stuffed up, for instance, you can probably chalk it up to the combined effect of hormonal changes and increased blood flow to your mucous membranes. This condition is so common, there’s even a name for it: “rhinitis of pregnancy.” Some pregnant women also suffer nosebleeds as a result of increased blood volume and blood vessel expansion in the nose.”

Movement: Nothing yet, but I’m hoping to feel something in the next few weeks. From what I’ve read first time Mom’s don’t recognize the flutters as early as women that have already been pregnant. So I’m sure I’ll probably just count it as hanger or gas at first? Fun!

Sleep: I’ve always LOVED sleep. But now more than ever. We’ve been going to bed really early (8:30/9:00) since Merfman is back into production on his MTV show…and that means 2:30am wake ups for him! I always have one potty break in the middle of the night. I’ve masted it to the point that I can walk around the dogs, get to the bathroom, do my thing and make it back to bed without ever having to turn on a light. I wake up again when Merfman gets ready for work and we have a short conversation before he leaves. Sometime’s it’s REALLY short, and I just grunt as him when he kisses me goodbye. Most of the time my standard is…”Have a good day, drive safe, I love you.” I need to invest in some more pillows, since side sleeping is starting to become uncomfortable on my hips. I normally wake up a few times in the middle of the night to roll from one side to the other.

Cravings: Still Orange Juice and Lemonade. Also, I’m really loving berries. It’s totally not berry season here, but our store has strawberries and blueberries and I can’t get enough! We made steak for dinner on Saturday for my Mother in Law’s birthday, and my vegetarian self thought it smelled REALLY good. Huh?! I’ve never been a big red meat fan.

Exercise: I did a 1,000 yards at the gym pool on Sunday. I have plans for another swim and a yoga class over the weekend. I was planning to do another swim this morning, but Merfman’s call was later so I opted to sleep in and do my swim over the weekend when he’s working. Since I swam for years and years it’s hard to “take it easy” and just get in some moderate exercise for my three 30 min weekly sessions. I’m not nearly in the shape I was when I was swimming twice a day, but I still get competitive when I see someone in the lane next to me. I would always make it a point to beat them stroke for stroke, now I’m chanting…”remember, you’re pregnant” over and over when I stroke ;)

Favorite Pregnancy Moment this week: For my birthday my Mom gave me a baby blanket she made. For those of you that heard the Christmas Morning story of Momma-son’s reaction to becoming a Grandma…yes, it’s THAT blanket :) We also made plans to visit a baby consignment shop here in Burbank in the next few weeks.

On My Mind: Saturday was my birthday, I turned 27. I realized that this is the year I become a Mom. Ah! I’ll be a few months younger than Momma-son when she had me. Which reminds me… happy BIRTHday to Momma-son. She endured 36 hours of labor to bring me into this world :) I’ve been reading “Baby Wise” and thinking a lot about type of Mom I want to be. There are SO many different type of Parenting styles you can go with…Attachment Parenting, Hyper Scheduled, Parent Directed…I know there isn’t a RIGHT and WRONG way, just the way that works for you and your family. It’s just crazy to think about how much responsibly you have as a parent. You’re thinking, well…Duh, Daniella. I’m talking about making sure the baby is getting enough to eat when feeding those first few weeks, getting them on a sleep schedule so they sleep better and then eat better. Merfman and I have also talked about a few possible names for Merfbaby. We may find out the gender in a few weeks, and I can’t wait when people ask me “what we’re having” to say….”well, we’re pretty sure it’s a human…but it may be a puppy.” ;)