Pregnancy Journal: 12 – 15 Weeks

Note from the future:

I am behind in posting my pregnancy journals, but these are for me to look back on and see how I’ve changed throughout this journey. It is a very special and happy time in my life and I like looking back at every milestone.

I also want to use this journal to keep my friends and family updated on how the pregnancy was (is) going, even during the weeks before we made the baby announcement.

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The last few weeks I have been feeling like myself again, I am past the morning sickness haze.

It wasn’t intentional, but for most of my first trimester, I avoided crowds and most of my normal  social activities. I’m glad to be back enjoying my friends and family again.

12 weeks – I went apple and raspberry picking with my mom, my sister and Cher in Oak Glen. I loved being outdoors and having fresh air to breathe. It rained as we were almost done filling our bag with apples and had to run to our car to avoid being drenched.  The raspberries picking season was ending but they were still delicious. I think we hate half of our pickings even before we left the farm.

14 weeks – One of the early pregnany symptoms I experienced right away were my sore boobs. They also grew right away.  I attended Lora’s bridal shower in San Diego and my dress ripped during brunch. You can see in the picture below, the material on the top left ripped and I was hiding it in all the pictures.  The brunch offered all you can drink Mimosas but I ordered non-alcoholic drinks all day. My girlfriends guessed right away the reason why and I announced it right there and then that I was pregnant. Although, I kept it hushed between our group since we were celebrating the bride’s special day.

15 Weeks –  I went for my 2nd prenatal appt at 15 weeks. I heard the baby’s strong heartbeat and I felt more emotional during this appt compared to the first appt, I cried in the car on my way back to work.  The first appt, I was overwhelmed with joy and a lot of things were going thru my head. During the 2nd appt, I’ve had a few weeks to soak the happy news and it just made me more emotional.  The news that I’m going to be a mom finally sunk in and hearing the baby’s heartbeat again, it was the baby’s way of saying “Hi Mom, I’m here!”. I will always remember this moment because it’s the first feelings I had of being a  mother {teary eyed while typing this}.

At 15 weeks pregnant, we headed to San Diego to celebrate with my college friends for Lora and Justin’s wedding. I remember feeling really good on this day, I didn’t feel tired and we were able to dance and stayed late at the party.

Our photo booth shenanigans……

Pregnancy Journal: Weeks 12 – 15

The baby is about the size of an orange this week, her ears have migrated to the sides of her head, and her eyes are moving to the front of her face. Plus, your little smarty-pants can now wiggle her fingers and toes and make breathing movements in preparation for life outside the womb. (I can’t wait to start feeling the baby kick soon)

How My Body is Changing:  No obvious baby bump yet and the first trimester bloating is gone. My pre-pregnancy clothes actually fits me again.

My belly starts out flat in the morning (picture on the left). Then during my last potty break before I head home for the day, the non-existent bump appears (picture on the right). I know it’s not a real baby bump yet because it disappears the next day. It’s probably bloating from the salty food and dairy food that I eat throughout the day 😦

Pregnancy Symptoms:  Sense of smell is still really strong.  I’ve been using peppermint chapstick to help me get through my gym sessions.  I stocked up on really great smelling candles to keep the house “pregnant lady” friendly.

What I’m Eating : I’ve been eating eggs almost everyday with a side of sweet potato hash. I make a big batch of the sweet potato hash on the weekends and eat them throughout the week.

For lunch, since I’ve been craving cheese and salty food, I eat whatever is the soup of the day at work and have the kitchen make me whole wheat grilled cheese.

What I’m NOT Eating: I still don’t have appetite for raw veggies, which is the reason why I don’t like eating salad right now (which was my go to lunch pre-pregnancy).

Maternity clothes? Not yet, but clothes are getting tight at the end of day. I am wearing more stretchy materials because they are comfortable. I am going to buy a belly band soon to get me thru the in-between stages.

Sleep: I try to get plenty of sleep, at least 8 hours a night. But each night is interrupted with potty breaks and I find it hard to go back to sleep. I’ll do some light reading on my Kindle app and I’ll usually go back to sleep in an hour.

Best moments: Hearing the baby’s heartbeat again and also feeling like my old self.

Gender: We will find out soon. But after my second appt, some friends are saying that we are having a boy, based on the heartbeat. I used the Chinese chart that people say are 90% accurate, it’s based on your age and the conception month….it said I’m having a girl.

Wedding rings on or off? It’s still on!

Pregnancy Products Purchased: Boppy Prenatal Total Body Pillow

I love this pillow for how I am using it now. I bought it early because I know I will need it anyways when the bump gets bigger, might as well enjoy it early right? I sleep on my stomach normally and this has helped me get used to sleeping on my sides.

Looking forward to: Our upcoming trip to Mammoth where there will be plenty of rest and relaxation. I just want to stay in the cozy cabin, read plenty of books and catch up on sleep for the baby. This is our annual trip and we have a feeling we won’t be participating in the next few years once the baby is born, so this might be our last fishing trip for a while.

I mentioned to my midwife about our trip and since we will be in high elevation, she advised me not to do too much during our first day until I am able to adjust. No long hikes.