Ultrasound!

Today we had the anatomy ultrasound and we were utterly amazed at this tiny little person growing in my belly! Baby G didn't want us to see his or her face - as you can see from the hands playing peek-a-boo! I wasn't sure how we would feel about not finding out the baby's gender when we were actually having the ultrasound done. It wasn't difficult for me at all and when I asked Gabe later, he said he wasn't really tempted to find out either. I am just glad that the baby's anatomy was normal. We saw a four chamber heart, a brain, a stomach, a bladder, five fingers on each hand, and more! I can't believe we created this little person together! What a blessing!!

Halfway...maybe!

Today I am starting the 20th week of my pregnancy. So, I might be halfway there! Although my due date is Feb. 3rd, I am already preparing myself for the possibility of a Valentine's Day baby. I have posted a couple of pictures that Gabe took of me on Monday. As you can see I have a little bump, but it isn't really noticeable unless I am wearing a tight shirt. The baby was moving quite a lot yesterday! It's such an incredible feeling. I am constantly amazed that another person is living and growing inside me!!   

A Different Kind of Learning

I am so happy to be pregnant at the end of my midwifery schooling. Since starting my clinical experiences this semester I have a different perspective when speaking to patients. For example, I had a patient today who is 14-ish weeks and she asked me why she wasn't showing yet. I told her that I'm 19 weeks (and I'm barely showing) so she had something to compare herself too. I am excited to keep learning from the changes in my body and from my own labor and birth experience.

As for our little one...I'm absolutely positive that I felt the baby move today. For the past week or so I have been experiencing the sensations I described in an earlier post - pretty sure, but not 100% that it was the baby moving. Today when I was driving home from the clinic, I felt what was unmistakeably our babe. Now the next big milestone will be for Gabe to be able to feel the baby while touching my belly. I know he can't wait for that to happen!

Yoga

I went to my first prenatal yoga class today. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I have been practicing yoga on and off for about 10 years so I was concerned that prenatal yoga would be too easy or boring. I realized today that this weekly yoga class is just what I need to relax, breathe, and bond with my baby. Also, the instructor is pregnant and she and I are due at the same time!

Food

I just watched Food Inc. and I am re-inspired to change what I eat. I was originally very inspired to change our food shopping habits after reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. I made some changes after reading that book, but I slowly reverted back to many of my old ways.
Being pregnant, I think about the food I eat to feed my baby, the food that I will eat to produce breast milk, and the solid foods we will eventually feed our child. The thought of consuming mass produced beef and chicken or highly processed junk food disgusts me. I want to provide my baby with the best possible nutrition.
So, I have started doing some research. Living in Middle Tennessee, it is relatively easy to support the local economy and purchase farm fresh foods. I went to the website http://www.picktnproducts.org/ for guidance. I can purchase locally grown beef, chicken, turkey, milk, cheese, eggs, tomatoes, herbs, squash, potatoes, and much more at local farmers' markets and some stores. There are also a number of CSAs in the area. CSA or Community Supported Agriculture is a way to support a farm by signing up to buy a share of the farm's produce. You decide how large of a share you want and each week you pick up your basket of produce. The food is fresh (straight from the farm and only hours since it was harvested) and you know where it came from.
I am making a commitment to change! I will be buying as much food from local farmers as possible to support the local economy and to reduce pollution (tons of fuel is wasted on shipping food to grocery stores!). I will also plan meals with the season in mind. It is unnatural to be able to buy fresh tomatoes and strawberries year round. Not only that, but these foods taste exceptionally better when they are bought in season.

I hope I am able to sustain these changes so that our child will benefit from an exceptional diet and that he or she will learn to be a responsible consumer.

Kick?

Here I am sitting at the computer, watching a show on the Internet (we don't have cable), when all of a sudden I feel a little tap in my right lower abdomen. My first thought: It might be a muscle spasm or the pulsing of a blood vessel. I put my hand over the area and concentrate. Thump! There it is again...and again...and again. I think I just felt the baby move for the first time!