Still Early

I try not to read too much. It freaks me out. But, I have read that it is still really early. I am now 2 months pregnant (going on 9 weeks) and should wait until the end of the first trimester (12 weeks) until I feel more confident the risk of miscarriage has lifted. But, we visited a great OB/GYN, he is in the Central Valley, quite a-ways-away from the jungle, and heard the heartbeat and were told that everything looks good. Plus, I can't keep a secret to save my life. Furthermore, rumor has it that the sicker the mother, the stronger the baby. So, knowing that myth, I feel quite confident that this baby longs to make it world-wide appearance around December 20, 2011.

I am so sick!
I have officially re-coined the term morning sickness to SICK-ALL-THE-TIME. Please, for future reference, do not refer to this condition as morning anything...it is round-the-clock sickness, at least for me.

My current bout with Sick-All-The-Time:
I wake up and have a strong desire to brush my teeth. I do so, and throw up. The first morning vomit is minimal, for my stomach is empty. So, think more gagging sounds, not so much coming up.

Then, the vicious game begins. I eat some saltines and fruit. I drink some juice and water. I wait. I sit up. I walk in circles around the house. I wait. For, I usually know that it will come back up. If not, I don't count my blessings yet, but I try to go outside, walk to town, see friends at work, something out of the house. After about one hour, and if the saltines and fruit stay down, I eat some rice and beans (gallo pinto) with eggs. And then, I plan an excursion.

This is what worked well yesterday:
I did the above routine and it all stayed down. I hiked to the local surf beach and swam. My stomach was a bit empty when I arrived, but I had more saltines and water with me. After a little swim, I ate more saltines. A success. I walked back to my house and now was starving. OH NO! Starving is bad and starving strikes me about four times a day now. I am a great eater and very active, but I now get starving, like after one runs a marathon, S.T.A.R.V.I.N.G! Despite the daily grazing of saltines and fruit plus ample amounts of gallo pinto, the starving feeling still strikes at random. When I get to this point of rumble-in-the-tummy-I-must-eat-now, it is all bad. I want to eat so much, so fast. But, I can't. If I eat too fast, I get sick. If I wait too long, I get sick. If I start to eat and smell something weird, I get sick.

Let me explain: When I say, "I get sick", I don't really vomit every time. I do go to the bathroom and think I will vomit. But, usually I just gag and can control it. But, strangely I wish I would vomit. If I were to vomit there would be a brief reprieve and I would have a few moments free from Sick-All-The-Time. My mind makes me stop gagging and walk out of the bathroom and I go back to square one.

Sit down. Plate of food in front of me. Deep breath. Insert food to mouth. Deep breath. Chew slowly. Chew more. Shallow. Deep breath. Smile. Repeat. (I honestly say this mantra to myself.)

But, I feel full fast. Really fast. I stop (or more commonly now, my man reminds me to slow down and not eat too much, for he has witnessed the ill after-effects), I wait, and then, usually, without control, I fall asleep. Yup, I literally fall asleep. I may be mid-conversation. I may need to work. I may just need to be awake and I can't. Like someone slipped me a really strong sedative. I am out!

Nausea, vomiting, extreme tiredness, headaches, slight dizziness sometimes =
Jungle Baby 8
Me              0

My scores above are who wins each week. I am extremely competitive and do not like to lose. So, Jungle Baby and I are competing week-by-week. And, Jungle Baby, just so you know, I plan on winning by the end. We have 40 weeks together during this competition, as known as pregnancy, and I plan on raising my score as soon as possible.

Side Note to Jungle Baby: You do not want to win this one. I promise, I will let you win later on in life, but please, just give me this one. 


So, I said earlier that I try not to read. But, that is a lie. (Well, I try not to, but I do it every night.)

Here is the good and bad of what I know to expect.

Week 9:
The heart has four chambers. All major organs are in place. The fetus can respond to touch, but I can't feel it yet. The eyes and legs are forming now. The hands are like "paddles" and form faster than the feet. And, I should turn into an emotional wreck. Plus, this week is when my hormones are at their peak and my body has yet to get all systems of checks and balances in order. So, I should feel my worse. With all the sarcasm in the world, "That is just great!" It looks like Jungle Baby may up his score during Week 9.

Here I am, 2 months pregnant. I don't feel the same, but I look the same. My boobs hurt, a lot really, but I don't see any changes. And, the world is really excited for the fact that I might get some boobs now. (But, knowing me, I will be the only pregnant woman who stays completely un-endowed.)

 This is my favorite photo (below). I am trying to make a belly here. I feel like there is quite a change in my belly, for underneath my belly button is really hard. Not strong abs hard, but more like yucky, bloated hard.

Unfortunately, I just feel it and nobody can see any changes.

Normal belly shot:

Let's see what happens!















Even though I have been sternly told that I must not do so (by many loved ones), I like to refer to Jungle Baby as an alien. It is quite alien to me that there is a baby forming inside me. It is quite alien to me that someone plans on calling me mom for the rest of my life. My baby looks like an alien now. And, there is nothing wrong with aliens. Between you and me, this alien living inside me has the upper-hand already, and I am becoming more-and-more in awe of its super powers. I will never refer to Jungle Baby as "alien" again (except maybe in my head), I promise.

The name Jungle Baby works just as well.