have a healthy pregnancy

Not nauseated, not exhausted. Life is good.

Maybe I’m coming out of my first trimester slump.

I imagine I’ll breathe a huge sigh of relief once that’s over with!

_{Or maybe not. Maybe there’s always going to be something new to worry about, starting now and lasting the next 18+ years. I think I’ll choose some other option—that’s no way to live!}

And one follower.

: )

That won’t come in especially handy until later on (when we want to tweet something like “going to the birthing center now” or “it’s a __“), but it’s fun to have started now.

Everything looks good, except I’m not getting enough vitamin D. I’m supposed to spend more time in the sun. Don’t they know I live in MINNESOTA? Don’t they know it’s dark when I get up and dark when I come home at the end of the day?

Perhaps I’ll start taking supplements.

We have a heartbeat! Our ultrasound showed everything to be completely healthy and normal. Hooray!

The pictures were sorta unsatisfying at this stage of development, but I’ll try and scan/upload them later (when there is a chance of me doing this discreetly and keeping the secret from my coworkers for a while longer).

And my first ultrasound is in 4 days! I can’t wait to get a look at what’s going on in there. Plus I’m getting the H1N1 vaccine too, while I’m there.

I went off my prenatal vitamins on the advice of my nurse, and am now taking a children’s chewable multivitamin instead, plus folic acid separately. Those vitamins were just too much for me: They made me feel nauseated and constipated and crabby. I’m feeling much better now!

I guess it’s a milestone in every woman’s pregnancy. Ha!

Someone I told about my pregnancy today asked if it was planned. I guess she wanted to know whether to offer her congratulations or condolences… but still. I probably wouldn’t have given it a second thought if I hadn’t listened to pregnant friends complain about how when you’re pregnant, suddenly all kinds of personal things (like your reproductive intentions) become everybody’s business.

... and I’ve been having quite a bit of nausea, which seems like a good sign. Apparently the embryo should be about the size of a blueberry right now. Ten more days until my first ultrasound.

I have been inspired to step up my fitness routine, perhaps partly by the negative example of a friend who gained 80-100 pounds during her pregnancy. Yikes, that would be a lot to take off afterwards! So I swam laps for 30 minutes two nights last week, in addition to my usual dancing and biking to work. Biking to work will be tapering down in the next few weeks anyway, so it’s good to have some new routines in place.

Last time I miscarried at 7 weeks, and I will certainly be a bit jumpy until after I pass that milestone. But really, anything could happen in the first trimester and I don’t want to stress out for the next two months. No way! I’m just going to have to try to relax and let go, to allow nature to take its course (whatever course that may be).

I’m due late April 2010 and so far everything has been so well. This is how I plan to achieve this goal:

• eat healthy
• don’t eat/drink junk
• start going to the gym again in November
• exercise at least 30 minutes daily, even just a short walk
• remain physically active as long as possible
• try not to gain over 10 kgs
• update here weekly