Week 9: Preparing for the Big Reveal

Next week I am going to Florida to visit my snowbird grandparents, and luckily getting to meet my aunt Jill, Missy and Hannah (sister) there for a week of fun in the sun. Jill and I have always had a very strong relationship. She is twenty years my senior, but has always been one of my best friends. From the first few conversations about thinking about having a baby, to actively charting my cycles, she has been privy to every detail, as she has with pretty much everything else in my life. I live my life like an open book, and when it comes to my family, specifically my mom, my sister, and my aunt, there are hardly any secrets. I assumed that the moment those two pink lines showed up it would only be a matter of minutes before I was chatting with all three of them about it. Funny enough, it didn’t happen that way. I waited a couple of days before telling my parents and sister, but in realizing that Jill and my grandparents were the only family I would have the opportunity to tell face-to-face, I decided to wait.

News that my cousin and his girlfriend were expecting spread through the family via a picture of an ultrasound, and when shown to Jill without explanation she immediately said, “Well I know it’s not Lauren because I’ve talked to her three times this week and she would have told me!”

I really felt bad after that. She’s right, normally I would have told her, but I couldn’t help but want to see the look on her face…in person.

Another catch in the plan, after waiting years to go to Harry Potter World, when planning our trip to Florida, I made the stipulation that it had to include a trip to Orlando to fulfill my dream. So, Jill, Missy and I are now meeting in Orlando the day I fly in, with plans to go to HPW the next day. However, considering I can’t ride the vast majority of the rides in the park, I’m not so sure that plan is going to stick.

As of right now I am planning to present Jill with her birthday card and present at the airport (she is a Valentine’s baby) and sign it from “Will, Lauren, Baby J, Jim and Jeannie” and see if she gets it. Once that news is spilled, when we arrive in Sarasota the next day, I have a book of German phrases to give to my grandmother. They are planning (hopefully) to come to Germany with me while I am stork nesting.

Food & Fitness
I feel like the vast majority of my thoughts these days revolve around food. Constantly assessing what I feel like eating, what makes my stomach revolt, and hoping that I’m eating enough nutrients to supply our baby AND maintain a healthy body throughout this pregnancy. I hate to admit it, but my biggest craving is boxed macaroni and cheese. As gross as it is, my sister and I grew up eating that stuff and it will always remain one of my guilty pleasures. In the midst of constant nausea and a new found symptom of heartburn, all I want is to sit down with an entire box of macaroni and cheese and eat till my heart’s content. Which I’ve done. Twice. Within the past two weeks. I haven’t told Will. At least I bought the Annie’s Organic kind right?

Oddly, as nutritionally lacking as it is, when I get done eating it I feel the best I’ve felt. Just yesterday I ate a healthy breakfast of eggs, avocado and fruit, went all out on the mac ‘n cheese for lunch, then managed a slice and a half of our homemade whole wheat veggie pizza (gotta sneak the veggies in somehow!). With the exception of fighting a nausea spell for about an hour after crossfit, for the most part I felt almost normal throughout the day. It’s like my body is on a carb overloading binge whether I like it or not.

Working out is a hit or miss. Our WOD yesterday was front squats, pushups and rowing. The weight wasn’t all that much, and definitely not out of my normal ability to do, but basically…I sucked it up…bad. The workout should have only taken me 18ish minutes I would guess, maybe even less. But factor in quite a few breaks to catch my breath, and even trying to quit before finishing the 5th round (which thankfully my fellow cfers didn’t let fly), I didn’t finish until the 23:30 mark. I know part of it is my body is working double duty, but I also know that the biggest part is my head isn’t in the right place. It’s not that I think I’m incapable, it’s just that I have a tendency to let any little excuse really blow my performance. I give myself TOO much of a break. I remember a time when I had a strong, work until you die sort of mentality. It’s safe to say that passed a long time before peanut came into the picture. I haven’t felt that awesome crossfit mojo in a long time. I just wish I could find some motivation to keep pursuing the active pregnancy I always wanted. Prior to finding out we were pregnant I was regularly working out 4-5 times a week.  In the past two weeks I’ve done good to get three workouts in a week, with only one each week actually taking place at my box. This week I’ve tried to recommit to staying active. Although I probably really shouldn’t HAVE to modify quite yet, I think mentally I need to to prove to my brain and myself that I’m still capable, while also acknowledging that my body is changing.

Logic & Logistics
I woke up in the middle of the night last night worrying about how we would make sure we had all the things we need before the movers come. Prior to this I had logically determined that we would buy all the big stuff we needed and the essentials by the end of April so everything would be ready and waiting for the movers. Then we would add a few small things from our shower back home to the collection and we would be done. It didn’t occur to me until last night that I have no way of knowing what we will receive at the shower back home. Adding to the mix, Will’s office spouses always throw baby showers for each other, and mine is set for April 26. I also don’t know what I will receive then. And providing it could end up being literal days before the movers arrive, it will be too late to make a last minute Amazon order to fulfill the rest of our needs.

At first I thought, no big deal, we’ll just order stuff to our new place. Problem is, we won’t know our address until we get there, I don’t know what kind of crazy shipping expenses to expect (or if the items we’ve chosen CAN be delivered to Turkey), AND Will is up for Squadron Officer School again, and if he gets in that means we will not be going to Turkey until our report no later than date of July 31. Which means we will have just about a month at Incirlik before I’m sent up to Germany.

I know it will all work out in the end, but right now the logistics of everything is making my head spin.

Bye Bye Nausea?? Hello Migraine
This week ended with another snowy and sub-zero degree weekend. I got a bad tension migraine starting Friday that lasted two days. Having migraines while pregnant is no joke. For the past several years I’ve been able to kind of get my migraines under control, and always fight to NOT take medication, but it’s always been nice to have the option to resort to the meds if I’m in dire need. Pregnancy = no meds…ever. To me tylenol is pretty much a joke. Which means when a migraine hits, I’m finding myself laid up with either heating pads or ice packs all over my head, bengay or peppermint oil spread over my neck and shoulders, and darkness. It’s been a long time since headaches have seemingly taken away part of my life and ability to function, so it really sucks to feel that despair again. So far I had one that lasted five days, and this one that I beat after two. I would sincerely be ok with these pregnancy hormones having the opposite effect of letting me be migraine free for the next 8 months. I mean I’m not even drinking my red wine to trigger them! Why the punishment?

The nausea seemed to start fading toward the end of the week. I still have slight food aversions here and there, but I’m happy to say I’ve started eating more vegetables again, and eggs are back to their regular spot on my breakfast plate. I’m so thankful to be feeling better with Florida just a few days away. I’ve got visions of fresh shrimp, my Mamaw’s chicken macaroni salad, and maybe a scotcharoo or two swirling around in my head. I need my best appetite!