11 Weeks

We're one week away from that safety zone. I don't know why, but I'm going to feel sooooo much better once I hit week 12 and I'm finally in my 2nd trimester. I think it's because most people wait to announce their pregnancy until they're in their 2nd trimester. We didn't wait, we told most of our friends and family but I'll feel a lot better once we finally hit that land mark.

I think I'm also looking forward to that day every one talks about. When you wake up and you feel great and you're full of energy. I have had many people tell me about this "day", so I am anxiously awaiting it. I try to keep in mind that everyone is different and every pregnancy is different but I really want that day to come! Meanwhile, I'm feeling less and less nauseous but the headaches are killer, I've been getting them every day.

Danny has this weekend off so at least we get to spend some time together! I hope I don't send him off on some crazy food run. The other night I was craving a roast beef and cheddar sandwich from Arby's with curly fries. Had he been home, I'm pretty sure I would have sent him out for that one. And he's so amazing that he would have done it. I'm a lucky girl!

Sleepless

I'm exhausted. Sleep is something I used to love! Now, I dread it. I miss the days of sleeping through the night. Now I wake up on average twice during the night. My mom said it's to prepare me for when the baby comes. I think I should be able to get as much sleep as I can before the baby comes, but I guess not.

At least I'm having relatively good days. I still suffer at night with all of the symptoms, but the days are getting a lot better. I have been able to eat more; including vegetables and fruit into my diet.

They say that you're not supposed to start "showing" until you're in your fourth month but I don't think that applies to me. I have a slight belly that sticks out especially after I eat. I know that it is most likely the baby's home (uterus, etc.) and bloating, but it sure looks like a baby bump to me. It has caused me to not be able to fit into my jeans comfortably anymore. Which is not a fun thing to go through. So I went out and bought one of those bands to wear over my jeans. Ugh, I wasn't ready for that step yet.

I'll take a picture soon and post it, probably around week 12. :-)

My Wife.... the Rockstar

No one ever said that pregnancy was easy, and when they said it would be hard... you had no idea just how hard it is until you experience it first hand. And this is spoken as a bystander. Corine's wellbeing and health is of the utmost importance to me, after all, she is bearing my seed, our child. She is giving me the greatest gift of all, our He-man or She-ra as we like to call him/her for the time being. When Corine decided to start this blog, I told her 'good', then he/she can read the hell they put you through. It hasn't been pretty, but being the fighter that Corine is when she is confronted with an obstacle, she pushes through it. And after all the pain and sufferings of her first trimester, she's slowly finding the comforts of the second.

My wife is my Rock, and through this pregnancy she's been a Rockstar. It hasn't all been bright lights and rock n roll, but it has been an incredible journey so far, and I wouldn't take this journey with anyone else in the world. I'm so proud of you, you are an amazing woman, and you will be an incredible mother. I will do everything in my power to help you as much as I can throughout this journey. I love you.

Pleasing a Pregnant Woman

Funny thing happens when you’re pregnant (well, lots of funny things, but this one stands out today). Once you get something in your head, something that you want, you have to have it. It can’t be anything else but that thing. Even if it’s practically the same thing, but it’s not, it won’t work. Take my salad obsession for the moment. We had purchased a salad kit from the store the other day and I thought it was AMAZING. I said I had to get more! So Danny and I decided to have dinner at home last night. I wanted stuffed crust pizza and the salad we had a couple nights before. Danny, bless his heart, went to two different grocery stores to find the frozen stuffed crust pizza that I wanted. He had also picked up a salad kit. Problem was, it was not the same salad kit we had a couple nights before. This was not going to work for me. We had to go to the store right then and there to get the one I wanted. Then I was happy.

Seems silly even to me but I couldn’t help it, I had to have it. It’s only the beginning, I’m sure there will be plenty more stories like this one. The good news is that I was feeling well enough to eat the salad AND we went for a walk. This is a huge deal because I have not been able to get any exercise what so ever in over a month. I felt pretty good and I was so grateful. Ahhhh, I hope it is a sign of things to come!

Good Days/ Bad Days

Yesterday was not a good day. The nausea came back in full force and brought along with it a major headache. The hardest part about being pregnant is getting used to the fact that you can’t take any medications. Before, when I started to feel sick or got a slight headache, I would take something and be all better. It doesn’t work that way now. There are certain meds that are said to be “safer” but I’m just not comfortable with that so I try not to take anything. It’s hard, very, very hard. I was also very emotional yesterday and spent too much time in tears. I thank God for my supportive parents and husband. I couldn’t do it without them. I ended my day trying to go to bed early. I woke up at 1:30 am and couldn’t fall back asleep.

Today is slightly better, but not good. I’m not feeling well and I feel that same headache lurking on the horizon. We had some chocolate and candy brought in to the office today and I can’t eat it. Those of you who know me, know that I LOVE chocolate. Never went a day without eating it. Now, I can’t touch it. Even if I do eat it, it doesn’t taste good to me. So odd! I’m looking into some prenatal yoga classes. Danny and I decided I need to work on lowering my stress level. I think my physical symptoms are directly related to my emotional and mental state. So, I guess I’ll be trying some prenatal yoga.

Hoping for a better rest of the day!

Body Works Exhibit

So I got it in my head that I wanted to see the Body Works exhibit at the Science Center. My friend told me about the section where they show you in detail what size your baby is at various stages of development in the womb. I was very interested in seeing this, as I'm sure most new mothers would be.

Danny took me on a Sunday. I was feeling pretty good over the weekend. I hadn't experienced any extreme nausea so I thought I was up for the adventure. What I didn't think about, was the other terribly disturbing figures on display. About 5 minutes into the thing and I started to feel queasy. I made it to the section on the babies and I was blown away by the information. Totally worth going just for that! Shortly after I started to get sweaty and faint, so we had to leave :-(.

Being able to see how big (or little I should say) our baby is was amazing. I definitely recommend it! Just beware if you have a weak stomach like I do, the rest of it is pretty sick.

Always good to spend time with my man though, there's never enough of that!

How We Found Out

February 25th, 2011 was the best day of our lives. That was the day we got married, and it was perfect. We have beautiful memories that will last a life time. Just two days after we left for our Honeymoon and enjoyed 7 days of relaxation. Nothing to do but enjoy each other and bask in the glow of being newlyweds. Coming home was certainly a shock, we were thrown right back into reality. We spent the next week wondering how it went by so fast. Then on March 15th our lives changed.

I had a slight feeling that maybe I should take a test, just to put my mind at ease. I didn't really think I was pregnant, but I was late and I needed reassurance. I was at Walmart walking around, talking on the phone to my brother when I walked past the EPT section. I grabbed the cheapest one I could find and threw it in the cart. No big deal. Danny happened to be home that night and we decided to grill some food for dinner. In the middle of cooking I remembered I bought it, and I ran to the bathroom quick to take it. Again, no big deal, not really worried. Yeah...it was positive.

I called Danny in to the bathroom and with a very shaky hand, showed him the proof. After that point, it's mostly a blur. I was overcome with emotion. I called my mom and dad and then we sat down to dinner. Hard to eat after that! Neither of us really able to believe it.

After a few doctor's appointments we figured out that the baby is due around November 19th, 2011. He or she is growing well and has a very strong heart beat. He or she is also putting their momma through hell. Shortly after figuring out we were pregnant, I started to feel nauseous. It is a 24-7 nausea with very little relief. I have also experienced every other symptom that pregnancy brings. It has certainly been difficult but knowing what it is all for makes it worth it. We feel blessed and we do not take for granted the miracle that was bestowed upon us.

So this is a blog about our Sweet Baby Chen and the whole pregnancy experience for us. This is new to both of us and we welcome any advice!

PS- I have the most amazing husband in all of the world. He does everything and anything he can to help me through this difficult time. He reads his book, makes sure I take my vitamins and only eat whats good for us (baby and I). I know it is just as hard for him as it is for me. Love you, Baby! <3