The 25 Pound Myth

If you become pregnant, you will be told that 25 - 35 pounds is a healthy weight gain for pregnancy. They are lying to you. The only people who gain the 25 pounds, which is of course what all women shoot for, are those that work out all the time and are already very thin. In other words, the people you hate but secretly envy.

Living in NYC, I don't live a very sedentary life style. I'm always walking somewhere and while yes, I love to eat sweets, I also eat a lot of fruit and make sure to eat a lot of fiber. So, how do you explain my 23 pound weight gain when I just started my third trimester? At Christmas I gained about 7 pounds over a two week period. Granted, I ate a LOT of cookies so I wasn't surprised. Since then, I maintained my weight so you can see why I was surprised to have gained 3 pounds last week. One week people, 3 pounds!

All the books say a healthy weight gain right now is 18 - 24 pounds which covers me. Does that mean all those skinny girls with just the belly are unhealthy? Where does the 25 pounds come from? I am trying not to stress about it but obviously the 25 pound mark is unlikely. Let's hope I don't pass 35.

Almost on cue, Wednesday when I started the third trimester, I began having trouble sleeping again. This time, it is due to the growing weight in my belly. My sides start to ache if I don't have a pillow supporting the belly and I can't seem to get comfortable. I don't wake up worrying about anything so this sleeplessness is definitely physical and not mental like before. Whatever it is, I am definitely being prepared for sleepless nights!

I Danced

I love dancing. I used to think I was good at it too. I loved taking jazz classes in college and dancing at clubs. Now that I haven't been drinking it seems like it is harder for me to dance and let go. I feel like I will look stupid and people will think bad of me. So, it's been at least a year since I've been dancing.

The other day a good song came on the radio while I was cleaning and I kinda started dancing. My husband came in and I frooze because I felt silly. Now why would I do that? He's seen me in the worst ways and still loves me. He was so awesome about it and started dancing. So, we both danced and it was fun.

I'm hoping the baby will allow me to let loose and be free like I used to. I want to show my baby that's it's okay to be yourself and have fun. One of my favorite sayings is "Dance like no one is watching". I want my baby to do that and I want to teach it to him.

How'd that Happen?

I have a stress fracture in my foot and I have no idea how I got it. Does pregnancy make you forget that much? My foot is in a soft cast and I have to use a cane. I did go to work yesterday to get my computer and to attend a meeting. People in NYC are so rude. I've never been pushed and bumped so much before. You would think that becuase I had a cane people would give me more leeway but apparently not. I miss the South sometime where people are nicer. Thankfully I can work from home and not deal with people for a few days.

According to some books, I started my third trimester yesterday. Other books say it starts next week. Either way, this is happening way too fast. I'm excited about the baby but I'm not ready! There is so much to do and learn before the baby comes that I feel I'll never be ready. I know it will all work out so I'm trying not to stress too much.

I have to say my favorite part of pregnancy so far is feeling the baby move. It makes it so real. I've starting putting my I Pod earbuds on my belly. I'm not sure of the benefits but at least he gets exposed to music. He seems to be more active when he hears the music. Maybe he'll grow up to be a musician. Its exciting to think of all the possibilites for my son!

Pack N Play

My husband and I bought the first major purchase. We knew no one would get it off the registery since you couldn't order it online. We haven't taken it out of the box yet since we want to get a new bedroom suit for us to make more room. Here's a picutre of it:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266268&cp=&pg=2&fbn=Brand+Name+Secondary%7CGraco&f=Taxonomy%2FTRUS%2F2254197&f=PAD%2FBrand+Name+Secondary%2FGraco&fbc=1&kw=pack+n+play&parentPage=search

This is getting real. One day, very soon, our baby will be sleeping in this!

Week 26

I start week 26 today which means that I am fully 25 weeks pregnant with only 15 weeks to go. The time is going by so fast! I was getting worried about my weight gain since the holidays piled on some extra pounds but my books say that I am on track. So far, I've gained 20 pounds. I am the heaviest I've ever been in my life. I must say though, I prefer to wear clothes that shows the belly bump. I want people to know I'm pregnant. I love the belly!

My husband had finally been able to feel the baby kick. I'm glad he can experience it too. The baby will often stop kicking when he places his hand on my belly which my doctor says is common. She says they sense something different and stop kicking for a while. I knew all along he'd prefer me = ) Just kidding.

We went to Babies R Us this weekend and registered. It was overwhelming and tiring but I feel good about most of my choices. We opted to not get an official stroller at this time. Instead, we got the Graco Snugride carseat and the metal frame it fits into. The frame is light weight, steers well and has a large basket. I can also fold it with one hand. For now, it seems like the best option.

One thing I let my husband pick out was the infant tub. He liked it because it folded up. I don't like it because I think I'll have a hard time bathing a newborn in it since it doesn't have the net. Hopefully it will surprise me.

I have my glucose test in a few weeks. I'm scared I won't pass it since my dad had diabetes and I can't get enough of the sweets. Wish me luck!

Information Overload

I am seriously starting to stress about what kind of stroller to get. Most people in NYC have Mclarens but I read that the Inglesina is the best. There are so many other options also that I'm scared I won't get what I really need and have to get a different one. And why do I need two? I live in NYC and the apartments are not swimming with free space for all these things.

My hubby and I are going to register this weekend. Also, this month I'm going to meet up with some pregnant/new moms to try to figure out what I really need. I can always change the registery later. It's not like anyone would buy the stroller for us anyway. Is anyone else having trouble deciding what to get?

I've also noticed that sonagrams are like ink blots. People see what they want. Over the holidays when I was showing my most recent ones people would comment what it looked like to them. It was interesting because the religious side thought he was praying, the drunk side didn't know what the hell they were looking at, and the normal side didn't seem that interested that he was grabbing his feet.