It's A Bit of a Shocker!

I was instructed by a 7 month pregnant co-worker to get some special lotion to help minimize and/or prevent any stretch marks resulting from the baby bump. Knowing that I am genetically likely to inherit stretch marks, I finally made my way to a Rite-Aid the other day to pick up some tummy lotions. To my disbelief, I was unable to find the one she prescribed and instead, wandered towards the ice cream service and bought myself a pineapple coconut single scoop on a cake cone. It was delicious, and to avoid eating it in the car, I scoured the baby aisles looking at the different diapers, bottles, and accessories. It didn't look so bad at all. One aisle after all.

Contrast that to my trip to Babies 'R' Us yesterday, the correct place I was to visit for the uber expensive stretch mark reducing cream, Rite-Aid's baby aisle was a piece of cake. Once inside Babies 'R' Us, I was immediately cast into a world of baby stuff. An entire aisle dedicated to strollers, another for playpens, more for furniture, a massive row of blankets, and so on and so forth. Immediately, thoughts strewn into my head such as ... when do I get this stuff? how do I know what to get? which is better and most affordable bang for my buck?

Quite overwhelmed, I quickly found the minuscule section with mommy aids, prego pops (would have been useful a month ago), lotions, and mommy bars (what an advertising genius!), snatched my cream (without looking at the price) and checked out (dropped my jaw when she rang up the total) of there quicker than you can say "baby." Looking back, I am surprised how much baby stuff there was. I mean, inherently it is a store that titles itself with babies is what they are, but it was still a bit of a shocker to me! I guess I haven't been immersed in the baby world quite that long yet. Though I know people with babies and have some friends with babies, I haven't been around for most of it and among my closest friends, I am the first with baby in belly! So we are all learning bit by bit, every week (I send them updates of how big baby is and how I'm feeling and it's very fun and amusing for everyone first time around).

Back at home, I realized I have to start planning. Though I've been subscribing to different newsletters who e-mail me everyday with a tip or word of caution, I haven't been researching any products, comparing and contrasting, or asking those more seasoned moms of expertise. I realized I have to begin now, before the bump gets so big and I am uncomfortable in my own body again.

On another note, the one not so overwhelming but very reassuring and exciting moment as of late was when Andy and I went to the doctor's yesterday to see a 3D/4D image of our baby. The doctor said, "and there's the rocket!" and we saw our baby boy. He has skinny arms and legs but apparently all the fat grows in the seventh month. Until then, he'll just be skinny. We didn't get to see his face much, he kept covering it, but he crossed his legs (it was so cute!) and apparently likes to hang out low in my stomach.

It's amazing that a little man is in my belly. What a blessing and what a joy it is to prepare and how grateful I am to start prepping now! Here we go!!!

A Whole New Me

Food hasn't had the same appeal as it used to. In fact, often, I am quite satisfied having a ritz cracker with cheddar cheese and a dob of ketchup on repeat for dinner. Other times, pickles and iced oatmeal cookies sound terrific. Cole slaw makes an appearance quite often, as do pickles and Hawaiian potato salad. Off my list of foods regularly eaten are ice cream - any kind..... the creamier, the worse. I have eaten ice cream a total of three times over the past 3 months and bite sized serving sizes. Instead, sorbet sounds great and any type of fruit is welcome, even more so than before. Soup is also great... soup for dinner, soup for lunch, soup for breakfast... but just a cup, no bowls because that is just too much.

So I guess my new food groups consist of weird, different, and sour.

Past times also have not had the same appeal they used to. Fatigue seems to overwhelm any desire to work out and my consistent obsessions with work out routines, often trendy, expensive and different, has been put on hold. Instead, sleep is exceptionally appealing as are naps, something I never ever desired before. Blog stalking is not as fun, in fact it gives me a headache, facebook makes me nauseous and crafts have taken a backseat. Instead, I am a huge fan of watching trailers on youtube, playing the piano (weird!), and cleaning. It's odd that a whole new me seems to have emerged.

One morning, on a flight to San Jose, I not only wore really ugly flat but comfortable shoes the entire week, but as I awaited for my flight to board and watched the abc7 recap of "Dancing with the Stars" results show the night before, I started feeling emotional. Tears started streaming down my eyes as I thought of how sad it was that someone was going to be eliminated. A few weeks later, as I watched an episode of Friends, the one where Monica and Chandler decide to move to the suburbs, I again felt so sad. Tears once more.

On top of that, for the past three months, most of my days meant too many aromas, a lot of almost about to gag and puke, and a lot of aversions to normal foods. I also am a lot more whiny (husband can attest), a lot more unreasonable, and a lot more unfun.

Turns out, there's not just a whole new me, but a whole new life of its own on its way as well!

So sidenote ...do you ever think how amazing you are? Because out of ALL the ones fighting to get into the egg, YOU won! You beat everyone else out! You not only shouted for joy when you heard Heavenly Father's plan but you made it out here asap!

Well, our little one made it too... and in 6 months.... we will have our own May baby. Baby Phillips is on its way! And how thankful we are for this blessing and how frightfully unready I feel everyday.... oh well, at least the awful first trimester is over.