A Squared: On the Last 9 Months...

Monday, April 25, 2016

On the Last 9 Months...

Aside from a few major milestone announcements and allusions to my cravings and/or exhaustion, I haven't written much about my pregnancy here. I didn't want A Squared to shift too greatly from food blog to mommy blog when I got pregnant, but it's been awfully difficult to ignore how much my life has changed over the past nine months-- and I definitely can't ignore the fact that the biggest changes are still yet to come.


Even though I knew that pregnancy was a possibility, when we found out I was expecting a baby last August just a few days after the loss of our infant nephew it was a big surprise. And admittedly, I wasn't ready for that news at that moment. And sharing our happy news at that point in time felt uncomfortable, to say the least. Thankfully, we are surrounded by some really supportive family members, friends, and colleagues who have been waiting for us to become parents (for probably longer than we have!) and we have been overwhelmed by their excitement for us throughout the last several months.


As far as this pregnancy is concerned, I have been really lucky. Many of my girlfriends have some horror stories about persistent morning sickness, long sleepless nights, and crippling backaches that I just (thankfully) can't compete with. I was a little queasy and very tired throughout my first trimester and have suffered some raging heartburn over the last several weeks, but if that's the extent of my pregnancy war story then I will take it. Although, I have to believe that coming from a mom who gave birth 5 times and grandmothers that had 8 and 9 babies, I must be at least a little genetically prepared for this whole pregnancy and motherhood thing!


A lot of you wanted to know if I was craving anything weird during my pregnancy. Weird? No. Out of the ordinary for me? Yes. Especially in the beginning, I ate a ton of red meat-- way more than is normal for my diet. This was especially weird when I was traveling and dining out frequently with co-workers in my first trimester. While I'd normally order a salad or fish, I was ordering burgers and shortribs. Talk about a big hint! I have also been loving lemonade, seltzer water, or a combination of the two-- that's been my go-to mommy mocktail over the past few months. And I have been obsessed with all things grapefruit: the fruit itself, juice, flavored seltzer water... I craved it all. And until my third trimester, I was totally turned off by seafood. I still haven't been wild about cooking it, but it took me months to come around to eating it again without feeling my stomach turn.


What I wasn't totally prepared for is how this pregnancy has changed me as a person. I'm a planner by nature. I don't like surprises or curveballs or really, any big changes, so right off the bat I expected that pregnancy was going to challenge me. And while I have been as organized as ever-- stocking the nursery with baby supplies, stuffing the freezer with post-baby meals, and finding both a family and a nanny for our nanny share before the baby has even arrived, I have actually surprised myself with how relaxed I have been throughout this process. I haven't been crazy about gaining weight, eliminating foods or beauty products, counting kicks, or attending every class and reading every book to ensure I'm the perfect parent. And I can probably count on one hand the amount of times I've had an actual pregnancy-related freakout. This control freak has been surprisingly relaxed (almost zen) about rolling with the punches of pregnancy-- and I'm doing my best to go into motherhood with the same mentality.


That's not to say that this pregnancy hasn't tested my patience or rattled me a bit. While I had prepared for the unexpected of birth and not knowing when labor would start, how long it would take, and having to scramble to tie things up with the dog and at the office, my baby decided to challenge me. She's been in breech position since at least 20 weeks and hasn't moved from that position since. So while I was ready to coast through the second half of pregnancy waiting for her surprise arrival, I've spent the last several weeks doing breech tilts (Google it-- it's uncomfortable) and trying moxibustion (a form of acupuncture) to get this girl to turn around. Well, she had other plans and now we're awaiting a scheduled C-section. In the spirit of going with the flow on this pregnancy, I didn't make a birth plan-- but I can definitely tell you that a C-section in general, let alone scheduling my birth right down to date and time of arrival would never have been a part of it! But it's best for the baby, so that's where we are. Embracing the unexpected.


And a little part of me loves that my daughter is strong willed and deadline-oriented already... just like her mom.

Also, to answer another frequently asked question: While there are so many adorable "A" names for girls, we're avoiding an "A Cubed" (or Duggar-esque) situation and her name will not start with that letter... sorry to disappoint!


When I found out I was pregnant, my late April due date seemed so far away. It's amazing how quickly it flew by and that just like that, I'll be a parent in an instant. I'm excited, but also truly terrified by everything I don't know... but I guess that's what the next 18 years of parenting is all about, right?


Thanks for sharing this journey with me! I'm looking forward to introducing you to our baby girl-- and to sharing this next chapter of A Squared with all of you.







2 comments:

  1. So glad to hear that pregnancy mellowed you out. It did the same for me and I'm happy to say it's still the same with motherhood. :)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Katie! And have loved reading your posts over the past few months to help me get prepped for this adventure! :)

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