What to Eat??

But really, what can I eat? 

There are no shortage of books and articles and internet know-it-all tidbits about what/where/how/why/who to eat when you're cooking a baby. The irony here is classic, though. They tell you to eat ALL THE THINGS without telling you that most of it will be, at best, unappealing and, at worst, send you running for the toilet. 

I've been lucky enought not to have been plagued with unbearable morning sickness or nausea (thank you, Pregnancy Jesus). For about 2 weeks (you read that right: PAST TENSE! Yay!), I'd wake up on empty and feel a little icky, but as soon as I had something to eat, it would mostly go away, and by lunchtime all icky feelings would be gone completely. Sometimes if I wake up super famished, I still feel a little gross, but eating usually cures it pretty quickly. However, I haven't escaped eating challenges altogether, because my sense of smell seems determined to make me starve. 

Not even joking, Jeff regularly shoots me sideways "whatever you say, crazy lady" glances when I tell him things like how our house smells like the fish section at a pet store (BECAUSE IT DID THAT DAY). 

I find myself particularly averse to cooking meat, eggs, and brewing coffee. I've found I can eat some meat if I push through the initial smell and get it in my mouth, and if it's well seasoned (think taco meat). Last night we ended up at Rib Crib and upon being assaulted by the smell of barbeque as I walked in, we almost walked back out. It's one of Jeff's favorites, so I held my breath and got through it like a champ. Back pats for me! But we probably won't be going back until my nose returns to being blissfully unaware of just how fragrant the world is. 

So we're finding ourselves navigating the tricky world of pregnancy eating, and my super smeller isn't just making me look insane, it's also making nearly every food with a scent unappealing. Not quite at the makes-me-want-to-vomit level of cooking meat, but even some of my formerly favorite foods are now just, meh. I find myself gravitating towards sweet foods that have little-to-no smell to them. Things like graham crackers (also a bit of childhood nostalgia here), fruit, and popcorn. And carbs. Sooooo many carbs. Bring on the pasta, the pizza, the dinner rolls, and the pretzel dogs (sans hot dogs-no nitrates for this lady and her baby!). I try to balance with fruit and veggies but the carbs are so delicious, and when you have to pick and choose, you take what you can stomach at any given time. 

At nine weeks and four days, I've probably got a solid four weeks until things get a little more "normal" for me. In the meantime, I'm eating what I can and forcing down some nutrition for Peanut so s/he doesn't starve. I'm hoping it won't be this challenging to feel this baby once it's here! 

Only 213 days to go!!

It's Official!!

Today is our first notable milestone!!! While we've known of our pregnancy for about five weeks now, we hadn't yet had it medically confirmed. This can cause some stress, knowing, but not knowing, at least not for sure.

That changed this afternoon!!! We had our first ultrasound, and got to actually see Baby Van Orsow for the first time. Not long after we found out we were pregnant, Jeff and I decided to nickname it Peanut (and Butter, should there have been a second baby). So here's the first real look at Peanut, our little gummy bear: 

It looks, Jeff and I decided, remarkably like a baby. We had both been expecting a small blob on the screen that the ultrasound tech would have to convince us was a baby. But this, this looks like an actual, albeit large-headed, human baby. Who knew?!?! (That's a rhetorical question...obviously anyone who has ever had or seen an ultra sound knew...)

This probably goes without saying, but we're over the moon. We have proof now, real proof, that there is a tiny human growing in my belly. We heard his or her little heartbeat and watched it blip blip on the screen.

This is crazy. 

Because Peanut is only about the size of a strawberry (and hopefully just as sweet!) he or she hasn't really made his or her presence known in the way of a bump. Yet. 

See? 

Week 9:

I'm pretty sure any bump I'm seeing is just my jeans, right?? That's just bunchy denim?? Let's hope so, I don't feel quite ready to have my body spill the beans. 

That reminds me, it's KILLING me not to be able to tell my friends. Especially those who are already very suspicious. Now that everyone is coming back into town, I'm eager to see them again and tell them our news, but I know that I will feel most comfortable in the long run if I keep quiet just a little longer. Here's hoping my excitement doesn't get the best of me and let my secret slip!

So far, so good. I'm feeling fine as long as I can get a nap in, and it seems as though what little nausea or sick feelings I had have passed. I'll be a happy clam if I'm in the clear!!! 

I hope you're enjoying reading this, Pids. So far you're the only one who knows about it. ;D

Drink! Drink! Drink!

8 Weeks, 3 Days

On (more than) a few occasions, I was encouraged to "drink!" in college (don't worry, mom, I don't give into peer pressure very often ;D ). These days it's a very different drinking story. Even early on in pregnancy, everything in your body expands, including your blood and tissues. Staying hydrated is important for baby and your changing body, but I've found it especially challenging, given that I already feel like I spend more time finding and visiting restrooms than any normal person should. Jeff harps on me every few hours, a nagging role-reversal of sorts, asking if I've been drinking water, how much I've had, and seeing if he can get me more. I've never been one to just drink water unless I'm working out, and most of my favorite go-to flavor mechanisms aren't recommended during pregnancy. :(

So yesterday, I pulled this little beauty out of storge and dusted her off. She's a gem, right?

I used to carry this bottle to work with me, in an attempt to drink more water, and found that most of the time it helped. I'm hoping it can do the same for willfully unemployed stay-at-home me. Luckily, it's early enough still that baby isn't quite big enough to apply pressure to my bladder and cause me severe bathroom-seeking troubles, but that time can't be far off. 

So do a girl a favor, will ya? Next time we chat, ask I give been drinking enough water. And if or when we spend time together, never mind my little pink jug, and be patient with my side trips to the bathroom. We really appreciate it. :D