Hidden baby chronicles: Seven Weeks

July 26, 2009

Tomorrow is the seven week mark and according to The Bump, I'm the proud owner of an adorable blueberry in my belly. Everyone say hello to little bloob!

A blueberry. How freaking cute is that? I told Nate that we should probably refer to this baby as a blueberry from now on....because we need some sort of nickname besides 'it' and 'the baby.' Blueberry was my choice, and Nate offered up the idea of 'Pedro.' I think I win.

And the 7 week belly shot, after caving in and using the flash now:


So anyway, how am I feeling this week? Well getting back into the swing of work after our little vacation went surprisingly well. I was tired, of course, but I didn't really feel any nausea during the day and I was convinced that my boobs stopped hurting. So of course, for about three days I was a nervous wreck thinking that my symptoms were disappearing and we were losing the baby. A word to the wise: do not beat the crap out of your boobs to see if they are still sore. They never did anything to you and don't deserve to be pounded into a pulpy residue, okay? But then towards the end of the week The Fatigue (yes, it's capitalized) hit hard again. And all day yesterday and today I honestly felt sick....albeit rather mild, it was there. Especially when I get hungry or right after I eat, it just feels like a nasty taste in the back of my throat and I wonder if I'll need to sprint towards the toilet at any moment. I haven't needed to, in case you were wondering, and usually the nausea passes rather quickly. But boy....that fatigue. I got 9.5 hours of sleep last night and still needed a 1.5 hour nap today. So not normal but totally fabulous, right?

A new symptom that is always fun if not frightening? Dizziness. As in I almost pass out when I stand up. As in I literally have to put my head between my knees for a second or the room goes black. That's going to be really fun when my belly is so big I can't bend over.

Another interesting event? My run yesterday. You see, Nate was a good marathon trainee and did his 12 miler down at the Lakefront while I opted to stay home and do a 'little jog' of my own. I was hoping for 4-5 miles just to break a sweat but after about one mile I realized I was supremely out of breath. Like, dangerously out of breath. Like, I've never run a freaking mile before in my life out of breath. I only lasted TWENTY FIVE freaking minutes, you guys. My heart rate was up and my breathing was labored and I decided I was done. Rather ironic since just 3 weeks ago I ran for nearly two hours straight without an issue. Plus, I've gone on a few 3-4 milers recently without a problem (save for the sore ta-tas....which, by the way, a sports bra plus the tank worked wonders.) Guess that whole 'increased blood volume' thing is for reals. It grosses me out to think of my ultra-thick blood right now. And I'm officially not a marathon runner anymore, more like a very slow jogger, and I've officially decided that I will not be doing the full this fall. And I'm okay with that:) I'll cheer Nate on in Chicago like he did for me last year and maybe I'll be able to run the last few with him, too. Me and the baby are going to be so proud of Nate that day....and I'm secretly happy I don't have to go for those 18-20 mile runs this summer anymore. Whew! There's always next year, right? And now I have more time to nap...

On Tuesday of this week we have our first appointment at the doctor's office, but instead of a personal one-on-one meeting it will be a group informational meeting for us and other first timers. I'm actually looking forward to it because I'm hoping they give us a lot of information about what to expect with their office, what they recommend for pregnancy, and anything else pertinent. Do you think I'll be able to sneak into an exam room and swipe my belly with an ultrasound just for kicks? Hmmmm. If I can wait just 14 more days we have our first REAL appointment, complete with that mind-easing ultrasound. My blood pressure is going up just thinking about it, especially with my thick blood running through my veins.

As far as the little blueberry goes, he is growing a brain this week. And apparently getting his third set of kidneys. I find that fact rather odd and a bit disturbing but whatever The Bump says must be true. And yes, I'm referring to this blueberry as a boy right now because Nate is convinced we are having one. I'd be totally fine with another male addition to the fam and I know Henry and Nate would be in heaven. But then again, a little girlie girl wouldn't be so bad either. We shall see...