…auf weidersehen, good-bye…Song of Music, anyone?? This will be my last post for this week, but I will be back for a few posts at the beginning of next week before heading out for trip #2. So, please…don’t cry for me Argentina bloggie readers, the truth is I never left won’t leave you. Okay, okay. I’m done with the musical lyrics. Be thankful you can’t hear me sing them. That would assure you would never come back here ever again and I don’t want that because…

Now, I’m really done! If you can’t already tell, I’m feeling a bit better today. I don’t know what is up, but the past couple of days I have been feeling way more energetic in the morning. Normally I wake up already fatigued, but this week that has not been the case. I think it may be because I am succumbing to naps and getting more hours of sleep at night. If it allows me to feel like my normal self until lunchtime I will be certain to get that extra sleep! I do still feel like crap by 3 pm and still have taste-buds that are all sorts of wonky, so it’s all relative.

Just because I am not at my best, however, doesn’t mean I can’t still always do my best under the current circumstances. It would appear that since being pregnant I have just succumbed to the “eat whatever I want and not give a tiny rat’s @$$” mentality. Well, I guess that would be partially true, because I do always eat what I want and what I enjoy over what I “should” anyways. Now, the things I want (or to clarify, anything that isn’t on the “I simply CANNOT eat that right now” list) aren’t always as wholesome and nutritious as I like. So, what’s a gal to do? Recognize that it’s okay and still choose the best options of those that appeal to me as often as possible. I never believe in force feeding yourself something for any reason, pregnant or not.

Since the “I simply CANNOT eat that right now” list I mentioned above is fairly limited, I have been eating pretty much the same things day in and day out for the past few weeks. And there is some sort of semblance of healthy living in the meals, so I go with it. It helps balance out the Mexican & DQ so I’m not in maternity clothes at only 2 months pregnant.

Although, I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. They may not be the most attractive, but those stretchy waistbands are heaven! Moving on now…

A typical day for me goes something along the lines of waking up at 6:00 hahaahaha 7:00 and reading my Bible/praying before rolling out of bed in time to get Makenzie up. Then we quickly get dressed and eat breakfast. My breakfast of choice lately? A honey wheat bagel with cream cheese and some homemade local grown strawberry jelly…thanks to the sis-in-law. Oh, and the requisite prenatal vitamin on the side.

After breakfast, I determine if the gym is a go. I always get dressed in my gym clothes so that way it is easy to head out to the gym if I am feeling up for it. Since my get-more-sleep revelation, I have been making it to the gym per my normal schedule. Yesterday I did spin, today I did Power, and tomorrow I am hoping to get in some Kick. After the gym, I come home and refuel with a big banana.

Bananas are typically one of my least-favorite fruits, but not now. I HAVE to have one a day. Mmmm, bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S! I couldn’t help myself!!!

I spend Makenzie’s morning nap getting my blog post organized for the day and doing other little household chores. Then, once she wakes up it is time for some lunch. My lunch adoration these days? Grilled cheese and soup.

Yes, it is crazy hot outside in Georgia most days right now, but I still want soup. I am in L-O-L-O-L-O-L-O-V-E with soup. They may not be homemade (I may be crazy to eat it, but I’m not stupid enough to be slaving over a hot soup pot in Georgia heat people!), but they will do for now. In all their sodium-laden glory. And it is a way to get some semblance of veggies in there. While we’re at it, I even get some veggies in with my one daily handful of these babies.

I kid. I kid. I know potato chips aren’t a veggie! They still are good though. And salt + vinegar chips speak to me these days. I don’t feel bad. One handful won’t kill me. Just like one bowl of cereal a day for my afternoon snack won’t kill me either.

Mom’s Best Naturals Cinnamon Squares is the cereal of choice right now. I don’t know why, but kiddy style cereal is a nonstop craving of mine during pregnancy. I don’t foresee this bowl going anywhere anytime soon.

Amidst eating all of this, M & I do lots of playing before the 3:00 slump rolls around. Then we resign to the couch with piles of books and 20 minutes of Elmo’s World. I am so proud of her. She knows over half of her letters now. A, B, C, D, F, H, I, J, L, M, O, P, Q, S, T, W, X, Y, and Z! I guess pregnancy sickness does have it’s benefits because she just soaks up time with her mommy and her favorite alphabet book. All I have to do is answer her on each page when she asks “Whassat?” and she gets it so fast. I love my little bookworm!

After all that fun, and the occasional torture of reading Panda Bear, Panda Bear What do you See? a thousand times in a row (the most repetitive, dull book EVER but she loves it), it is time for dinner. Last night we opted for lasagna and I snuck in one of the 3 or 4 veggies I actually like right now -- sweet potatoes, corn, tomatoes (OH TOMATOES!!!), and peas.

Not too long after dinner, I chill on the couch and then go crash in bed. There you have it! It may not be perfect and I know there are better foods and options for things, but I’m giving my best effort and feel good with it. Now, it is time to say goodbye since I will be packing all day tomorrow and heading to bed early for our early start to Indy. Have wonderful weeks and I will see you all next Monday! 🙂

• Can you eat soups or traditional cold-weather foods during warmer months? Or what about eating icecream in winter?
• What is your favorite flavor of potato chip and your favorite kiddy cereal?

I feel like I should be saying “Happy Hump Day” (sorry Kelly), but instead it’s already Thursday! Woo! I don’t even work, but can feel the effects of a shorter work week after the long weekend. What makes it even more nice is that Peter got to work from home today since we had my first ultrasound and baby visit today. I’ll get to that in a few.

First, let’s back up to the beginning of the day. I woke up actually feeling refreshed, so I downed a wheat bagel with cream cheese and all-fruit strawberry spread to get myself fueled for a chance to workout. When I feel up to working out, I take advantage immediately. I only have been able to fit in 3 light workouts a week lately, which is just enough during the first trimester. Today I simply went for a 40 minute walk on the treadmill at a 7.5 incline and 3.5-3.7 speed while reading my book. Which reminds me, for those of you asking – Emily Giffin’s new book (The Heart of the Matter) is really good.

Anyways, it felt really good to get some movement in. After the workout, I showered and got ready to head to the doctor. There it became officially official. Yes, I had positive pregnancy tests at home and even had a couple blood tests for confirmation, but something about seeing this…

…really makes it real. It may be only the size of a grain of rice and look just like a little blob, but it already amazes me. And I already love that little blobby grain of rice baby immensely. There was only one let-down from the appointment. I am just turning 7 weeks tomorrow based on the ultrasound. The same thing happened with Makenzie and she consistently measured small from there on out, so I’m not worried. I’m more bummed that I’m not as far along as I hoped. I just have to remember one week isn’t a big deal…even when it likely means one more week of feeling sick. The best part of the appointment was getting an official due date – January 21, 2011!!! I guess I should have written it in blue since I still have a gut feeling it’s going to be a boy.

We spent a majority of the afternoon at the doctor talking to the midwife, getting 6 vials of blood drawn, going over all sort of medical history and my pregnancy with Makenzie, and other details. I don’t know how it wore me out, but when I got back I crashed for a two hour nap. I had to get some energy up to write this post and then go to dinner with Peter for our anniversary. Three years today. Love my man!

I have one more thing to mention about the doctor’s office.   I am going to do something that isn’t exactly common during pregnancy. I am NOT going to know my weight at ALL.

I am simply going to have the doctor’s record it and tell me if my gain is healthy or should be adjusted in any way. I have not known my weight for almost 6 months and really think weight is an unnecessary number. I understand the need to gain a healthy amount and monitor it, but I don’t think I need to worry about having numbers floating around my head. It is not because it would bother me, but I like to practice what I preach in all situations. It also bothered me with how often people would ask me what I gained during my first pregnancy. Why do you need to know? And even more frustrating was people would compare their own weight gain and I constantly had to assure them that I wished I gained MORE because a lot of my smaller weight gain was due to Makenzie being concernedly smaller.

I don’t want to deal with the importance people place on a number. A number does not show me my worth when not pregnant, so why should it say I’m “good” or “bad” at pregnancy because of how much I gain? Sadly, those are comments I heard often during my last pregnancy when weight was brought up a LOT in the pregnancy section of a forum I used to frequent. I thoroughly believe your body will gain just what YOUR BODY needs to if you do the following:

• Eat a balanced diet still getting in nutritious whole grains, fruits, veggies, etc and still enjoy some extra treats as well because, hey, you ARE pregnant. That means you don’t have to be scared to only eat healthy stuff so you don’t gain overboard, but also that you shouldn’t eat for two adults and a diet consisting of junk the entire time. It’s understandable though if the balance is hard during the first trimester, when food aversions and nausea are at their peak. Eat your best in a way you enjoy….like we all should, regardless of pregnancy.
• Stay moderately active. Don’t expect to keep up with the same intensity workouts. Doing something active regularly will be enough. Do workouts that leave you energized and help you maintain some strength and cardiovascular fitness. I have a post in the works for the benefits of maintaining exercise during pregnancy, but for right now we’ll leave it at do what you can.

I honestly think you don’t have to put more effort into it than that. I plan to do those things and just let my body do it’s thing. I don’t need a number to assure me I am taking care of myself.

• What do you think of not knowing your weight during a process where weight is so involved?
• What is something you easily get attached to? As soon as I see that little baby on screen I get so attached. It amazes me how I can fall even more in love with it at the first heartbeat (didn’t get to hear it today), at the first kick I feel, at first sight when he/she is born, and then every day afterwards.