12 Week Summary

Estimated Due Date: January 6, 2013

Pregnancy: 12 weeks 2 days- First Trimester

The baby is as big as: A Plum

Weight gain: +2lbs

Baby bump: Just a tiny one that is hidden very easily!

What am I craving?   My cravings come in waves. I call them kicks. This past weekend I was on an orange root vegetable kick so we ate a lot of sweet potatoes and butternut squash. Past kicks have been much less healthy: lemon desserts, ice cream bars, skittles to name a few. 

How am I feeling?    I’ve been so fortunate not to have had much by the way of nausea. With the exception of one day around 6 weeks, I have been mostly nausea free! My most prominent symptom is definitely fatigue. Over the past weekend, I made the mistake of thinking I could stay up until my old weekend bedtime of 1:00 am twice in a row. Let’s just say that my days of staying up past 12am for recreation purposes are probably pretty much over! I’ve been paying for my late night fun since Sunday! 

Interesting/Noteworthy events of the week:  Our OB appointment on Thursday was mostly uneventful except for one little bump; our doctor was not very pleased with my blood pressure. I have a history of slightly elevated blood pressure but not so much so that any doctor has ever been concerned. However, as I’m learning, pregnancy can do whacky things to your body that you have NO control over! Unfortunately for me, pregnancy induced hypertension is one of those things. The good news is that the (totally safe) low dose of medication that I was put on is working and my blood pressure is back down to where the doctors like it. I’ll be closely monitored for the remainder of our pregnancy as a precaution but as of now, all looks well!

Interesting thoughts: Being put on blood pressure medication was a challenge for me. It was tough to accept the fact that I’m not a super-mom and that there are aspects of the pregnancy that my body just can’t do unassisted. I have been consciously eating balanced meals, staying active and getting enough rest (with the exception of last weekend!) but it had never crossed my mind that, while I’m doing all the right things, our baby might not be getting the most vital component, enough blood (which is the risk to the baby when the mother has high blood pressure). It was a scary reminder of how complex the process of growing a life is and made me very thankful that the process has been going so smoothly for us otherwise.  

A Biscuit in the Oven

After hearing the heartbeat for the second time, Thomas and I decided it was time to make the pregnancy “Facebook official”.  We wanted to make sure that we personally told those closest to us and once that was done, we were ready to open the flood gates. We wanted to make the announcement creative and a little silly and we both liked the idea of posting something abstract that forced our friends to think a little. After throwing around some ideas, we decided to play off of the phrase “Bun in the oven”. The only problem was that it was 7am on a Friday morning and the only bun-like pastry in the Chew household was a roll of refrigerated Pillsbury biscuits. That was good enough for us! So baking ensued and we posted our very exciting news soon after.  Within seconds we were inundated with “likes” and comments. We were so overwhelmed with the excitement of our friends and are so comforted knowing that we will have so much support during our adventures through parenthood! Thank you all!! 

Just checking in

It seems these notes aren't as easy to write as I thought they would be.

Things are moving so fast and yet way too slowly. Huge changes, but things are still exactly the same. Life is just different now and Mommy and I are figuring it out pretty well I think.

I'll tell you one thing for sure, your Mommy is a champ. She works really hard, thinks about you constantly, and is already getting ready and making sure your life is going to be amazing. It is hard to keep up with her sometimes.

We went to visit our friend Evans' in North Carolina last weekend and she was great. We took you to your first concert. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band pumped your tiny ears full of New Orleans Jazz and will help insure your imminent awesomeness.

Pretty much everything gets me thinking about you. Who you will be, what you're going to like or dislike. Our friends are a big part of that too. Our friends here in Rochester and all over the place are really excited to meet you. They're probably going to spoil you and teach you all the cool things I'm not allowed to teach you. They will introduce you to amazing music, tell you stories about Mommy and Daddy, and you'll learn about how friends can become family and how important it is to surround yourself with great people without even trying.

Our lives will never be the same and at first that was really scary. Now I'm excited for it. I want to meet you. I want to meet me in a year. I want to meet me in four years and see if I'm holding up to my ideas of what and whom I want to be for you.

I find myself thinking and getting excited and worrying and then overthinking and then I stop. I take a breath. I think all of those things and I realize between me, you, your mom, our family, our friends, and Google we can handle anything.

And we will. We'll tackle everything and we'll do it with style.

- Dad

Seeing is Believing

9 Week Dating Ultra Sound.

We’ve never fallen in love so quickly. Nor did we even know it was possible to fall in love so quickly. But it happened. At approximately 3:20pm on June 6th, 2012, we fell madly in love with a grape-sized human with teeny, yet already beautifully defined, features.

We had patiently (or quite impatiently) waited over 5 weeks to see you for the first time and there you finally were. It only took seconds for the ultrasound technician to spot you in your cozy uterine home and as we sat there, listening to your powerful heartbeat, the entire world could have crashed down around us and it wouldn’t have mattered. We couldn’t stop smiling in amazement. You’re wonderfully ours and we love you so much.

We’re already doting parents. As we show off your very first photo, we’re sure to point out your perfect limbs, tiny ears and your adorable nose. You’re so baby-like already. You’ve done such good work growing in the last 7 weeks and we’re so proud of you.

It is still exciting to think about and it was less than 24 hours ago. They forced mommy to drink way way too much water (to help us see you better) and the first pictures were 90% bladder. It was trying to hide you, but it didn't matter, you were there and it was amazing.

We'll never be as perfect as you are, but we love you so much and we will try so hard.

Is two lines good?

Mommy called me at work.

The test that changed everything!

"Thomas, I'm pregnant." Her voice almost quivered when she said it. She sounded as shocked to say it as I was to hear it.

Two pink lines meant you were finally on your way. We needed more proof, something digital. Another test, a lot of hugging, and nerves spilling out of each of us, your mommy and I were so excited.

It was scary too though. We try not to fall into archetypes and steer away from stereotypes, but we fell into all of them. At least I did. Will I be a good dad? Is this real? What are you going to be like? Will you be a he or a she? Will you like mashed potatoes as much as I do? I really hope you look like your mommy.

A million things run through your head when your life is changing faster than you've ever imagined it could. The biggest thing, and I think the most important, was the smile your mommy and I each had on our faces.

The big question was how to move forward. We wanted to keep it to ourselves until we saw your picture. We told some family and close friends, but our rule was only people who won't say anything and who we might want to talk to personally about you. Everyone needs someone to talk to and you can't go through life alone (lesson 1? Am I already a good daddy?).

The internet has been a blessing and a curse. So many questions need answered, but google seems to just add more and more questions and worries. Your mommy and I quickly realized this was going to be a process and we needed to get very good at being there for each other.

We're learning more and more each day. This is going to be the greatest adventure ever. Even better than Goonies. That'll probably be one of your favorite movies someday, so you'll appreciate the reference.

So excited to watch you grow!

-Daddy