Just to make myself feel better

I have been noticing that in the morning (pre-bloating), I don't look as pregnant as I would like to. I had my friend Molly (who is a doctor) confirm that she felt my uterus was large enough while I laid on my kitchen floor. She did this while sweetly laughing at me. Her great response was: "Trust your body." I appreciated this response, very soothing and very right for me.

I was emailed this 15 week photo this morning and I thought once I saw it, "Hey, I look like that!" I know it's silly, but the validation was nice. Here is the photo from the internet, along with one of me from yesterday.

Rock climbing: 14 Weeks

Climbing again since coming through the Yuckies of the First Trimester, thanks Katie Wurden for hanging with me!

To Find Out or To Not Find Out!

What a common question one is asked when pregnant! Behind the scenes, the Riss Grandparent's To Be have been gently suggesting the joys of not finding out the gender of the baby until its birth. Dave's Dad has helped deliver many babies in the mountains of New Hampshire and he swears that the best births are those where the parents did not know if the baby was a boy or a girl. He shared that he felt this surprise was a nice reward for all the hard work of the mother. So we have been hanging out on the fence. My friend Allison and Shaun said that they waited out of reverence for one of life's sweet little mysteries. I have other friends who love to plan and so do not look away at the twenty week ultrasound.

Aunt-to-be Danielle has tooted two horns. Initially she pleaded with us not to find out and then as she began doing a little shopping, she called up and said she had changed her mind! Shopping was way to hard without knowing!

Right now, I am leaning towards not finding out. I am having fun with the mystery. I pretend that I am having a boy for awhile and go on pretend adventures in my mind. Then, I switch to a girl and she and I go out on our adventures.

Either way, I will be delighted! A girl would follow right along with all the other 11 girls born on my mom's side of the family and we love girls! A boy would be special because they are so rare.

I just love you little baby, girl or boy!

In my head

Hello Blog:

I have been posting to you in my head all over the place and failing to sit down and write about it.

Saturday and Sunday were so lovely for me. I felt such a warm fuzzy glow when I thought about the baby and stopped to say hello to him or her. My Mom came to town and we did some maternity shopping and had fun laughing at some of the clothes and how I don't fill them out now, but that sooner than I realize I will have a bonafied BIG BELLY!

We learned today after some early blood tests that there is only 1 in 10,000 chances that our baby could be born with any serious syndromes or problems. The lady on the phone said "I couldn't give you any better odds, those are our best numbers!" So Little Baby Riss is healthy and strong and growing away.

I have been growing a small collection of things for the baby from a yard sale one of the therapists had at our office. I now have seven baby clothing items (boy clothes that could possibly swing both ways) and a Baby Bjorn. I also just ordered a Ergo Baby Carrier with some old Gilt.com credit I had. I feel so privileged to actually be able to start stocking up.

For the right to pick which room will be the nursery in our house, I bribed David with a very special right. The right to pick the name of the baby! Now, the inside scoop is that he is often so determined that he would end up talking me into whatever name he loved, so this way I scored a bonus based on something I was already planning on doing....letting my strong willed love muffin choose the name (within reason!).

Love to you all!

E

Second Extra Thought for the Night

Well, there I go giving Dave a hard time and what does he pull out of his grocery bag?

Special Tea just for me!

What a great husband.

One more thought from tonight

I feel very pregnant and sick once again when moments like this occur:

8:17 PM Dave calls from the car. "Honey, can you come outside and help me bring in the groceries?" Uh, did I say I was feeling better? Seriously, my stomach just started hurting when I stood up to walk outside and meet him. But I swear its not psychological!

Week 14

Oh week 14, you are balm to my soul. I am beginning to feel hints of my old self returning. New energy spurts arrive each day (ie. what I used to feel like on any normal day in my life) and though I am still nauseous if I don't eat every two hours, I am not living inside of a "flu suit" that I beg to unzip myself from. Oh, and I am feeling less drugged by sleeping pills (progesterone) that have made me feel as if I move through quick sand. And my skin! It's clearing up everywhere! My friend Kelsey said she too broke out horribly in the first trimester, however the second trimester led her straight to the prettiest skin she ever had.

Yes, pregnancy is being kinder and more gentle. Thank you thank you baby and body for working things out because I might have entered a depression if I had to walk around any longer feeling like I had the flu but going to work every day anyway.

A therapist at my office is having a fund raiser yard sale this weekend and she let me "pre-shop" and I scored a blue Baby Bjorn, a Boppie pillow, and seven little boys clothing items that could maybe be called gender neutral. I like tough looking little girls too.

Right now I have a little baby stack beginning to grow, along with some cute wooden puzzles that Grandpa Riss bought for the baby in Switzerland while we were there.

I am so happy to be on this journey! Much love to you little baby, keep grow grow growing!

13 Week Ultrasound

Here's the little little baby waving!