Week 12 and 13 Are A Nosy Affair

I'm a little late posting for week 12, so I'm going to combine week 12 and the beginning of week 13.

 As of week 12,  my nausea has started to subside a bit, but my battle with congestion has now become Nose War 3. Word on the street is that 20-30% of pregnant women experience Pregnancy Rhinitis. PR, as I like to call it, happens because while pregnant, your nasal passages can become swollen and irritated causing you to experience symptoms like congestion, nasal itchiness, coughing and sneezing. I also have noticed an increase in mucus, so I've tried cutting back on my dairy as that apparently can make mucus even worse! I cannot believe how bad my sinuses are! I have never been one to rave about my sinuses, as I always felt they could pick up the slack a little. I can't remember a time that sleeping on my back resulted in me feeling like I was drowning from post nasal drip...mmm....yuck! But this is ridiculous! I have had many nights where I either can't get to sleep because I can only exhale, not inhale through my nose, or I have woken up around 3am because my nose totally became blocked up! The last few nights I have either tried sleeping with my mouth open (which I can't do because I either drool all over myself, or I fear spiders crawling into that wide open space and choking on them in my sleep), or sleeping in the sitting position, which is horrible for my sciatic nerve. I should mention that it too has decided to join the side of the nose in this body war. I have had 6 days in a row of bilateral sciatic pain ( I should mention I have experienced sciatic pain often before getting pregnant too...just not this frequently), and it is now leaving my back in constant dull pain mode.

To help with my nose issues, I've invested in a Neti Pot, which is a small pot that helps clear your nasal passages. It uses a saline solution that flows through your nose using the power of gravity. Apparently the Neti Pot was originally used in yoga to assist with proper breathing techniques. I had heard many good things about the Neti Pot, so I decided to try it. My first experience with it wasn't so...zen, as having something pour in one nostril and come out the other side is a little unsettling to say the least. I am pretty sure I swallowed a ton of that water. After I got the hang of it, it was actually kind of fun.

Besides the Neti Pot, I went and purchased hydraSense for congested folk. It helps by shooting a stream of 100% natural source seawater into your nose to clear out mucus and allergens. Again, yum! The thing I really like about hydraSense is that it is really easy to use, and is so natural you can use it anytime without risking it becoming a habit, like with medicated decongestants.  http://www.hydrasense.ca/en/. So far, the combo of the two is helping me breathe a little easier at night, though I do keep myself propped up a little with an extra pillow, just in case.

With regards to my back pain, sciatica occurs when your sciatic nerve is pinched, or is irritated. The sciatic nerves are attached to spinal roots that travels down your back, through your bum all the way down your legs. That is what makes this pain such a pain in the butt. Literally. You can feel pain anywhere from your lower back, to even your foot! Mine tends to be very strong in my lower back and feels like a sharp jab that makes you hold your breath and stop all movement. I've invested in a prenatal yoga DVD and bought a pregnancy pillow to help prop my body into a better sleeping position. I know I need to stop standing for long periods of time and I need to take time just to stretch. I really hope this pain will go away soon, as there really isn't anything I can take for it, and well, I still have many more months to go.

On the plus side, my Little Muppet is now going on 13 weeks! The baby is currently about the length of a medium sized shrimp and the size of a peach and has formed fingerprints on it's little fingers and baby fuzz on it's body. It can now flex it's limbs and may even be able to put it's thumb in it's mouth! Awwww! Kawaii!

In other news, my body is starting to feel the good ol' round ligament pains when I move from one position to another too quickly. It's just a quick jab or dull ache that happens because they ligaments are stretching and thickening to accommodate the growing baby and uterus.

Here is my week 12 baby bump photo. I will post 13 later this week. :) Chris would also like me to mention that he is the photographer responsible for this photo. Chris, thank you! ;) I am starting to get some of my appetite back, though I really don't seem to want meat. I'm very happy eating fruit (especially plums, raspberries and strawberries), goldfish crackers, soup and slushies...but only orange. Today I had some chinese food, so we'll see how my body handles that.

Thank you everyone for reading and enjoying my blog! I am having a lot of fun documenting our adventures and can't wait to share it with Little Muppet!

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The Great Gender Debate!

We are still undecided on whether we will find out the sex of the baby before it's born. On one hand, it would make people's lives easier when they are being faced with things in pink and blue, and it sure would help me avoid getting attached to cute little Robeez that are decidedly very girly or very boyish. On the other hand, I really think it'd be fun to place bets and be surprised. 

It truly is a hard decision, but luckily we don't have to make it for another few weeks. Generally, gender can be determined around 18-20 weeks, if the baby cooperates. If my baby is anything like me, it'll cross it's legs and yell, "Get out!!" when the sonographer tries to check out it's little baby parts. ;)

I know that if we do find out what the baby is, we won't be anything but happy as we truly do not care if it's a little lad or a little lady. We already have the most amazing little nephew in the world, and really he is one of the reasons why we both decided it was time to have our own little one. We are so in love with that little man and are so thankful to have him in our lives. We also know we are getting a little niece soon in September, and we cannot wait to meet her! She already seems to know how to get her way (making her poor momma eat dairy when she's lactose intolerant) and keeping her up all night with her constant moving and jabbing. I think she's going to be an adorable little monkey! 

My Mother-in-Law tried an old gender predictor trick that she used to do with her siblings. The first thing you do is tie your wedding band or a sewing needle to a piece of thread. You then hold it above the expectant mother's belly or wrist. If the ring swings in full circles, that means you are having a girl, and if it swings in a pendulum motion, it means you are having a boy. According to this test, we are having a girl, then a boy, and then another girl. :) It was a lot of fun, but only time will tell if this old wives tale works or not for me. 

I know some people really want their first child to be a girl or a boy, but I can't imagine caring either way as long as it's healthy, happy and has my eyebrows. ;) 

I'd love to know other people's experiences or opinions either with finding out the sex or waiting to be surprised, as that may help us with our decision making on the subject. Also, what do YOU think we are having? A boy or a girl?

www.robeez.com 

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Good Things Are Worth Waiting For

We never thought it would take so long. We never figured we'd have to see so many little tests in the garbage with their little negative signs. Never in a million years! In reality, it didn't actually take that long, but when you decide you really want something, waiting can seem like forever.


When we decided to try to conceive, we agreed we wouldn't share that we were trying, as we didn't want to feel pressured or be bombarded with advice, even though it would have been given with the best intentions. We thought, "What if it takes a long time and people think we are broken?" or, "Do we really want everyone know what we are doing at night...?". So we went on our baby quest, secretly and quietly and eventually we began to question ourselves. "Should it be taking this long?", "Why did I even go on birth control in the first place?!", "Are you sure you aren't broken?".


 I went off to the "trusty" internet and began searching for answers. I learned that many couples take 6-8 months to get pregnant, and 84% of couples get pregnant within a year of trying. Well, did that ever make us feel better! So we continued our adventure, and then one day, we were super surprised when one of those little tests finally read positive!


I had started to suspect that something was up that month, because I was feeling a little dizzy and was suffering from some bad heartburn, which is very unusual for me. I didn't tell Chris my suspicions because I didn't want to get our hopes up, so I kept my thoughts buried deep in my heart for the next few days. Then after missing a visit from my "aunt", I decided to take the urine test. Chris wasn't so sure. He wanted me to wait a few more days, but I really felt that something was going on, so I made him get out of bed and come and check the test with me. Sure enough, when we went into the washroom, there were two pink lines waiting for us! I was overjoyed! I went from crying to laughing, then back to crying while Chris stood in the washroom, leaned over the test on the counter with his arms crossed and said, "Yup, there are two pink lines..." and "I'd pick it up (the test), but you peed all over it!". He was in shock, and even still I think he has a hard time believing it. 


We immediately tried to think of what to do next. We had spent all that time trying to have a baby, that we had no idea what the next step was. I decided to call the midwives in the area as I know they book up very fast, and was put on two waiting lists. Then I called my family doctor. I was told that I had to go to a clinic and do another urine test so they could verify the results.  


I was even more nervous to do the test at the clinic, as I was afraid that maybe our test was faulty. To make matters worse, Chris couldn't take me until the afternoon, and I was supposed to go in the morning (TMI: morning urine is really potent). To calm me down, Chris bought me another home test to take in the meantime, which turned positive instantly, in fact, it was positive before I was even done! I believe Chris said that meant I was "super pregnant". 


We calculated that at this point we were about 4 weeks pregnant, so the baby was about the size of an apple seed. I felt that we needed a visual demonstration, so I took a picture of an apple. Our estimated due date is December 18, 2010...but of course, that could change when we go for our ultrasound.


We are still in shock but over the moon with happiness! It amazes me how two crazy kids can fall in love with each other, and still have room in their hearts for a new little buddy (even if it is only the size of an apple seed). I just never knew one's heart could grow any bigger. 


April 12, 2010
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