Secrets, Running, and Christmas

Secrets:
  So this last weekend we FINALLY got to start telling people!  On Sunday, we told our immediate family and have told some close friends in the days since.  We plan to keep telling those close to us through Christmas day, and then will let it be public when I hit ten weeks- next week!  It was SO fun to be able to tell people.  Some of the secret spilling went exactly as planned; others had some snags (you never know when Skype won't work, or people's schedules change!).

Running:
  Even before the precious plus sign, pregnancy reared its head in my running life.  I have been running 3 miles 3 times a week for over a year.  Right before I got pregnant, I had been working on my speed I was excited for the progress I was making.  Then all the sudden on one of these runs I found myself needing a... walking break?!!  What??  It was like I had jumped back a year ago.  Sure enough, it was no fluke.  The next time I ran I needed to take a couple walking breaks.  The next time I ran, I had that plus sign, and knew why the runs were so tough.  I have kept up the running, and hope to through the whole pregnancy.  But WOW has it been challenging!  I feel pretty much comatose by the end of my runs!

Christmas:
  Being pregnant has opened my eyes to many wonders of life and tiny miracles as I study week by week how the baby is developing.  It is astounding the way God begins a life!
  Of all these wonders that have blown my mind, Christmas is no exception.  Looking at the week by week growth of a baby, I can't believe this is how Christ began His journey on earth!  That He was once the size of a pinkie fingernail with a little heartbeat and a tail!:)  And then little webbed hands... the hands of God!  So amazing to me to think of the beginning chapters of the incarnation!
  It also is especially beautiful to me to think of Mary.  I mean, being pregnant is already such a privilege... that God would permit me to carry a human He has created is so humbling.  But to think that Mary was privileged to carry the Son of God...!!! I just cannot imagine how overwhelming, amazing, and beautiful that was for Mary!

Sweet Little Heartbeat

  So yesterday was unquestionably one of the best days of my life.  We had our first big doctor's appointment with the first ultrasound.  It was SO amazing!  When the screen showed that precious little baby and that little powerful heartbeat, I felt the most overwhelming awe and excitement I could ever have imagined!

  The whole appointment went so well- I cannot get over blessings of how well it went!  The staff, nurses, and doctor were some of the nicest people I've ever interacted with.  The gave us a bunch of awesome and helpful free stuff:)  Also super excited that they describes the hospital I'll hopefully be delivering at as more of a "hotel and not a hospital" and they highly recommended we take a tour some day to see how nice it is:)  Another great point is the doc called and labeled our lil one as a "baby" instead of a fetus.  See for yourself below!:)

Lying, Acting, and Eating

  Last Thursday we had our official confirmation appointment with the doc!  Though the home pregnancy test and symptoms left me 100% sure, it was still nice to get it so official from a professional:)

Lies:
  Thanks to the doc appointment (and another one to follow next week) I've gotten to officially start the lying game.  My husband once blogged about if it's ever okay to lie-  I think pregnancy is certainly a time where lying is okay!  I had to lie about what my doc appointment was about and how it went... had to lie about why I need another one so soon already... and I've gotten to lie pretty much every day as I hide when I'm feeling lousy!:)

Acting:
  Which takes me to another thought- it's certainly hard to not tell people from pure excitement that I'm pregnant; it's also hard to not tell them when I feel like a wreck!  Last Saturday I had a girls night and WHOA did I feel  awful.  But I had to plaster on the smile and try to fake energy and comfort!  My 7 hour work day suddenly feels like 14.  It has certainly not been easy to hide how I feel, but it's made me quite the great actress!

Eating:
  My diet has pretty much done a 180 in the last couple weeks.  Mainly, of course, to be healthy for the little one!  But also to help me fight some awesome pregnancy symptoms.

  My day starts with a glass of orange juice and a fiber breakfast bar to help up my blood sugar and settle the yucky stomach.  I then make sure I plan a lot of more healthy snacks for work. I then go to work where I sip 4 oz. of coffee (I know I can have 10 oz. but am playing it safer) and eat my second little breakfast (cereal or yogurt or fruit).  Then I eat a teeny lunch a couple hours later and proceed to have healthy snacks each couple of hours till a dinner that night.   Throughout the day I also drowned myself in water; I then end the day with a yummy (not!) prenatal vitamin and calcium supplement (gag).

  The diet has definitely become high maintenance, but I finding eating small amounts several times a day has helped squelch my symptoms, so yay!  Sadly, I haven't been able to eat a normal meal amount at once without feeling nauseous.  So it's been weird to not feel more "satisfied" by eating a real meal!  It's been quite the balance act- don't get too hungry or I'll feel sick and don't get too full or I'll feel sick.  And it's all totally worth it and drowned out by the excitement of being pregnant!!

So here's to the lies, fake smiles, and grazing!