Leg Cramps

Okay, some pregnancy surprises aren't quite as great as feeling the baby move. Take this morning at 5:00am when I was suddenly awoken by sharp, intense pain in my calves. Did I have a bad dream where I was running for hours?, I thought. What could have caused these sharp pains? Well, I found out that this is a normal symptom to pregnancy!

I would love to hear what other women have done to help with these cramps. I hope I don't have more, but if I do, I want to be armed and ready!

POW!

Baby's first kick!

Last Monday, February 16th, I felt the COOLEST feeling of my entire life - I felt another human being move inside of me! This happened when I was in a total state of relaxation while visiting the acupuncturist*. Laying on the table, letting the needles do their voodoo work, I felt something inside that was "different". For the last couple of weeks, maybe even months, I had been feeling "things" but I just thought it was my body growing and readjusting. Well, this time it was an unmistakable punch! It was like the baby took her elbow and poked the side of my lower abdomen as to say "hi". Then I felt another movement, this was more like a gurgle - she must have been rolling over.

Since that day, I have felt her every couple of hours or so! It is so cool: you are just doing some menial everyday task when all-of-a-sudden you feel life inside of you move - it really has a way of putting things into perspective. Michael can put his hand over my belly and feel her she is that strong!

Men: you really are missing out on this one. This feeling is unlike any other sensation you could imagine. I think you would readily trade in 6-24 hours of labor for the opportunity to feel this just for a few hours.

*I found out just a couple of months ago that acupuncture is GREAT for pregnancy and baby's health. I really do believe it is. Every time I have an appointment, I feel so relaxed afterwards. Acupuncture can even be used to induce a late baby. I have a friend who was worked on in Herb Kandel's office, started contractions there, and had the baby 8 hours later. This was after she was already past her due date and was facing medical interventions.

4.5 month update

Well, my growing body continues to amaze me and Michael.  I can't fit into some of the pregnancy pants I got at the beginning of my pregnancy!    My breast are still growing which has caused this strange phenomenon: I was getting into the shower and wondered what was on the bottom side of my breasts.  I soon found out it was my own flesh.  Either my belly is growing upwards or my boobies are sagging and resting on my stomach!  Strange sensation.  Another weird situation is my belly button - it is turning inside out.  Now I can finally clean out all that belly button lint!

All in all, I've gained 18 pounds.  One's blood fluid level is supposed to double during pregnancy which will usually account for 8.5 pounds in itself!  That may explain why I have gained so much, but have a relatively small bump to show for it.

above: 3.5 months pregnant

above: 4.5 months pregnant

Poly Canyon hike

Everyone is telling me how important it is to walk and get moderate exercise during my pregnancy.  This is hard for me because my idea of exercise is snowboarding, surfing, rollerblading, etc.  - which are all out of the picture during a pregnancy (unless you are my mother who was trying to get up on the water ski while 8 months pregnant!).  So, Michael and I take hikes with our dogs - it is fun and still constitutes as exercise.  This weekend we hike Poly Canyon on the Cal Poly acreage.  This "canyon" is the home to various art and architecture students' projects.  The dogs loved roaming the open hills, catching squirrels and getting muddy.  Soon, we will be bringing  a little one here to explore!

Michael climbing on one of the projects - a geodesic dome.  Soon we will have another little monkey that will climb with him!

Cravings

Today the craving was pomegranate seeds.  Last month it was milk.  Tonight it was steak, but then once it was in front of me I wasn't so hungry for it.  No, no cravings for pickles and ice cream yet (at least not together).  

Another funny thing is when I will be having a conversation with someone and they say a word that is also food.  Like last night, my husband was talking about his cousin, Caesar, and I had a strong desire to eat a Caesar salad!  Be careful what you say around me!

The pregnant body is picky and particular.  But, I must admit, it is fun having an excuse to eat ANYTHING at ANYTIME without having to worry about people questioning it!

I've always loved the ruby red color of pomegranate seeds.  While eating some this afternoon, I had to test out our macro lens and take a picture.  18 seconds after this picture was taken, the seeds were in my mouth.  Yummy.

Super-sized Baby Stroller

Some people begrudgingly give up their sports car for a mini-van after months and years of trying to make a family fit in a two-door vehicle.  Michael and I did the opposite - we gladly traded in our truck and trailer for the mother of all mini-vans: a Class B motorhome.  And the kid is not even out yet!  Are we planning ahead or what?  Actually, since Michael and I LOVE to travel and make any spot we are a vacation, we've wanted one of these for a while - the baby is a convienent excuse, hee hee.  Now that we seem a bit self-indulgent, let me explain why this actually is the perfect baby mobile.  No more stopping at dirty gas stations or rest stops when the kid has to pee, just pull over to the side of the road and use your OWN toilet right in the baby wagon!  If the kids (or father) are hungry and grumpy, just pull over and pull something out of the little fridge and cook it on the 2-burner gas range!  Sleepy mommy or cranky baby?  Sleeps 4.   

We'll see how it works, but we think we are onto something ingenious here.

How's this for a baby stroller?