Little scare & working out

I had a little scare today. I was out running errands with Jake when I got this super sharp pain in my stomach! It was bad. I'm talking I could barely walk! And it was mostly concentrated on my right side- level with my belly button, wrapping from the front of my stomach around to my back. It was like nothing I've ever experienced before so it really freaked me out. I'm very attuned to my body so to have a pain that I couldn't identify (gas, cramps, etc.) was scary for me. I talked to my mom and she told me to call my doctor's office. I talked to a receptionist and waited for a nurse to call me back. Once she called and I explained what was going on she wanted to consult a doctor and call me back. Since we were already out, Jake decided to just drive me straight to the hospital in case they wanted me to come in. Once we got to the hospital and parked I got my call back from the nurse and she told me that the doctor said it didn't sound like anything major. Since my uterus is still pretty low she said it shouldn't have anything to do with a uterus problem. She suggested that I take some Tylenol and a warm bath to soothe the pain. By that point, the pain had gone down from a 7 to a 4 so I was relieved to hear that it shouldn't be anything major. The nurse told me to go to the hospital if the pain got worse, I got a fever, or started throwing up for bleeding. I'm feeling back to 100% now, which is great! But I was really scared for awhile about it. The pain was just so sharp and strange. I hope it doesn't happen again.

Needless to say, my errands got cut short because of that little scare. I was disappointed because I was planning on buying a prenatal workout DVD while I was out. I've been wanting to buy one for awhile but it wasn't too pressing since my regular workouts have still been doable. As I'm getting farther along I really wanted to get a prenatal workout DVD so I don't have to worry about modifying moves from my normal workouts. I was set on getting a new workout DVD to try tonight so I went out to find one after I was feeling better. I wanted to get this DVD, but the Walmart and the Target near me didn't have it! I was so disappointed. I love the idea of having the option to do a short 10 minute workout. I'm going to order it from Amazon instead. But I was determined to get something to try out tonight so I bought this DVD instead. I really liked that this came with separate workouts for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters along with 10 10-minute post-natal workouts! I did the 2nd trimester workout tonight and it was really good! It started slow, which made me a little hesitant, but it ended up being a good workout. It wasn't super challenging, but I still feel like I got a good workout. The cardio sections reminded me of step class (without the actual step, ha). The toning sections involved a lot of squats (my favorite!), some pushups, tricep work and other upper body stuff. I really liked that she ended the workout with some light, pregnancy-friendly ab work! I've been wondering what I can do without laying on my back so it was nice to get a couple ideas. I feel fantastic now that I've worked out today! I'm not gonna lie, I'v been slacking a little lately with the workouts. I've been walking a lot, so I guess that counts for something! But I haven't been making much time for strength training. Which is strange because I truly enjoy strength/toning/lifting. I've got up every morning determined to workout that day but I just don't make time for it and I go to bed telling myself I'll do it tomorrow. Now I'm not being a total lazy bum- I go for walks, do some stretching, sneak in some calf raises or squats- but I'm not really "bringing it" like I'm used to. Part of the reason, though, is that I like to workout HARD. I mean, dripping sweat, can barely catch my breath, heart rate to the max, hard. I get a twisted pleasure out of pushing myself harder than I think I can go just to prove that I can do it. I love killing myself during a workout and feeling like a million bucks afterwards! It's so... gratifying! The best high there is. However, I know that it isn't healthy for me to push myself that hard while I'm pregnant. I've been cleared by my doctor to literally do any workout I feel comfortable with (including Insanity) but I've also been told not to workout to the point of depriving baby of oxygen or making myself thoroughly exhausted. So I guess my problem is that I've been stuck in this all-or-nothing mentality. If I can workout as hard as humanly possible, I might as well not workout at all. Bad, Alayna. Bad. I'm trying to remind myself that working out during pregnancy has so many wonderful perks!! It will make my baby's heart stronger, it will help labor and delivery go more smoothly, and I will "bounce back" faster after the birth. It can relieve aches and pains, morning sickness, fatigue, headaches and other body ailments related to pregnancy. I know that it's good to workout, even if it isn't as ridiculously intense as I'm used to. Hence, buying workout DVDs. I prefer working out to DVDs (thanks for that, Tony Horton!) so I knew getting a prenatal workout DVD would be perfect for me. It was nice to have something to follow along to, an instructor to explain modifications and encourage me not to push beyond an 8 on my perceived level of exertion. Overall, I'm very happy with the DVD I got! It will be nice to have workouts to follow for the next few months. I AM going to workout more often now! I feel good.

Staying healthy

I've always been a healthy person but ever since I found out that I'm pregnant I've tried to be even healthier. Throughout my life, I've stayed in shape either via dance classes, running, or workout programs such as Jillian Michael's DVDs or P90X. (With this in mind, one can understand how the whole heart rate/working out issue from my previous post was such a big thing for me). I've also always been very conscious of what I eat- fruit, vegetables, whole wheat carbs, lean protein, fat free dairy products. I limit concentrated sweets, rarely eat fried food, and never drink soda. Anyways, I'm trying to keep these habits up and stay as healthy as possible throughout my entire pregnancy! I figure that if I can do anything to make my baby healthier I'm absolutely going to do it! It's extremely important for me to be healthy for both of our sakes. It's not always the easiest plan, especially when I have zero energy or annoying morning sickness (on that note, I opted for plain Cheerios when morning sickness got to me- healthier than plain crackers but still do the trick of "feeding morning sickness" that my doctor recommended). But I'm determined to do everything in my power to stay healthy. There are a few healthy eating tips that I follow regularly and I feel really help with my goals:

1. Add ground flaxseed to oatmeal. Flaxseed has a myriad of health benefits (check some out here). It adds fiber, protein and healthy fats. I mix it into my homemade oatmeal that way I know exactly what's going in it- no added sugar or weird preservatives. I also mix it into pancake/waffle batter, baked goods, and smoothies. It's a great little superfood that's very easy to sneak into a variety of foods.

2. Drink unsweetened almond milk. I've always been a big fan of milk and it took me a couple glasses to get used to the unsweetened almond kind, but now that I'm used to it, I love it! I put it in my oatmeal, cereal, decaf coffee, and whatever else I would normally use skim milk in. It's fantastic! It's low in calories, has a lot of calcium and vitamin D, and low sugar. If you haven't already jumped on the almond milk bandwagon, I highly recommend you get on board! You won't regret it. I like vanilla unsweetened or unsweetened almond coconut. Just watch out for the sweetened kind because they contain a lot of sugar.

3. Use fat free plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. I use it to make ranch dip for veggies and I'm telling you, it makes the best dip! A little tangy and just delicious. I also put it on baked potatoes and tacos. I use it instead of butter in some recipes, too (since I've more or less sworn off butter as well). Fat free Greek yogurt is super good for you. It's loaded with protein and calcium. The plain variety tastes a lot like sour cream so it's great for substituting. I also love the fruit variety for snacks. Sometimes I buy the 2% kind but if I do, those are always for dessert. My recent favorite flavor is lemon. It's so good with strawberries or blueberries mixed in!

4. Blend baby spinach into smoothies. I love a good fruit smoothie! And I'm not talking one that you get at the mall. I mean real homemade smoothies. Once I started P90X I took to making my smoothies with a scoop of protein powder and a handful of baby spinach. I still do that nowadays and it's a really great way to get extra nutrients. A lot of people put protein in their smoothies so that doesn't need much of a mention. I love putting spinach in my smoothies because it is loaded with folic acid and iron- two very important nutrients during pregnancy! It might sound gross to add a handful of baby spinach into a nice strawberry banana smoothies but honestly, you can't even tell (besides the color). Spinach had a very mild flavor and it blends down really well. One of my favorite smoothie recipes is: 1 frozen banana, handful of frozen strawberries, 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter, and handful of baby spinach. Give it a try!

5. Keep healthy snacks on hand. Besides keeping healthy foods stocked at home I always try to keep some good snacks in my purse. If I happen to be out running errands or away from home for longer than planned it's good to have something healthy easily accessible. For me it's natural/raw almonds, mini Luna bars, dried fruit, Kashi granola bars, some plain Cheerios, or any other good snack that travels well. I also bring fresh veggies like baby carrots, cucumber slices, chopped red pepper, or cherry tomatoes if I know I'll eat them before they get icky (i.e. if I'm going on a long car ride and plan to eat the veggies while driving). By doing this, I'm never in a situation where I'm super hungry and have no healthy options!

I'm sure there are some other healthy habits I have that I'm not thinking of right now because they've become second nature to me. I'll update this list as I think of other staying healthy tips. I hope someone finds these ideas helpful! It really isn't that hard to eat healthy. It takes effort, but it isn't difficult. The benefits of eating healthy definitely outweigh any inconvenience from the little extra effort. It's worth it to keep myself and therefore my baby healthy! I also try to stay realistic and not expect perfection out of my daily diet. I allow myself some splurges but I keep things in moderation. Overall, following basic healthy eating guidelines and some of my favorite tricks, I've managed to stay super healthy so far!

12 Weeks

How far along? 13 weeks & 3 days!12ish weeks!

How big is baby estimated to be? The size of a peach! 

Total weight gain: Still not sure... Need to buy a scale!

Wearing maternity clothes? Nope! But I did have a pair of capris feel tight for the first time this week.

Symptoms this week: Some dizziness and head rushes when I get up too quickly. Also a headache that is lingering. But I'm feeling less exhausted, so that's good! 

Food cravings: No strong cravings. Still eating a lot of fruit and veggies! There are some things I prefer over others but no notable cravings this week (so far!). 

Food aversions: None this week!

Any movement from baby? I can't feel it yet!

Gender prediction: Boy.

Emotions and experiences this week: I feel pretty "normal" this week. My emotions seem to have balanced out a little more than last week. I was happy to officially start my second trimester this week! Also, I'm finally starting to look pregnant!! I was walking around the house in yoga pants and a tank top and both of my parents said I'm finally starting to show! It's just a little baby bump but I'm soooo excited that I'm turning the corner from pudgy to preggers! That's all I can think of for exciting happenings this week. 

Looking forward to: Watching my baby belly grow! It's so cool. I have another OB appointment next week so I'm looking forward to seeing or hearing our little bean baby again! And I'm anxious to find out baby's gender! Still, I want time to slow down because I don't want my hubby to leave yet! 

Two appointments & the heartbeat

August 1st was my nursing intake appointment, aka my very first prenatal visit! I was verrrrry excited for our appointment and maybe a tad nervous. By this point, I'd known that I was pregnant for almost a month! That was a long time to wait for an appointment, in my opinion. But I'd rather be healthy and wait for an appointment than be high risk and get one right away. The appointment was pretty basic- filled out some paperwork, answered a lot of questions and asked a few of my own. Honestly, since I've been reading a lot about pregnancy stuff (the do's and don'ts and basic info) I didn't learn much at this appointment. The nurse said my due date is March 2, 2013, but I had already calculated that. She also told me not to get my heart rate above 140 when I work out (which my OB later said is false and I can work out as much as I want since I'm very healthy and accustomed to working out). We learned a little about some screenings and tests and declined the maternal serum testing. Nothing super exciting. But then! Ohhh then the nurse decided to try and hear the baby's heartbeat via a Doppler machine. Yay!! I was really hoping to hear baby's heartbeat (and see baby) at this appointment so I was happy about that. Well, after what felt like an eternity of pressing that little machine against my tummy, the heartbeat was nowhere to be found! She picked up my heartbeat a couple times and my heart sank when she informed us that it was me and not the baby. Gahh! The nurse asked if I have a tilted uterus and I told her that I don't, she scowled and kept trying. I was a little worried at this point so the nurse decided to go see if someone would do an ultrasound on me. She said it wasn't guaranteed that they'd be able to, but she left to ask. She was gone for a long time before she finally brought back the good news that we would be getting an ultrasound! YAY!! That 20 minutes waiting to hear what was going to happen was brutal, though. Jake and I were both trying not to panic despite the fact that we were very concerned! We tried to tell ourselves it was fine because baby was so little... but we couldn't help worrying! Welcome to parenthood, I guess, haha. Anyways, my gynecologist ended up giving us an ultrasound and it was incredible! She found the baby right away! Jake and I were mesmerized by the little image of our baby on the screen. Then she located the heartbeat! I'm not exaggerating when I say that hearing our baby's heartbeat for the first time was a life-changing experience! I cried. It was incredibly moving and just miraculous!! There is a live little baby growing inside of me!! I loved seeing him/her and listening to their heartbeat. It sounded so fast and fluttery! It was soft and rhythmic- amazing! AMAZING! I was in awe. And so unbelievably HAPPY! My gosh, that was the most moving experience of my life. She printed us a couple little pictures of our bean baby (as we took to calling him/her) and our appointment was over. I left in a state of euphoria!

My second appointment was with my obstetrician on August 7th. I was excited for this appointment but much more nervous since I knew I'd be getting blood work done. I hate needles and blood and I'm just not good with either so I wasn't looking forward to that part of my appointment. This visit was more clinical, for lack of a better way to describe it. They couldn't find the heartbeat with the Doppler again so we had our second ultrasound! It was fun to see our little bean again! We didn't get pictures or hear the heartbeat this time, though. We could see the heart beating, which was neat. It was like a little blinking light. I would've preferred to hear it again but at least we knew baby was doing well! Then came all the not-so-fun stuff, pap smear, pelvic exam and blood work. Yucky. Jake was so awesome during it all, though! He held my hand and talked to me while I got my blood drawn and was just so great. It helped a lot to have someone there supporting and distracting me. I know it probably doesn't sound like a big deal to most people but it meant a lot to me. After my blood draw was over, I sat in the waiting room drinking orange juice until I felt less queasy. As a treat for making it through that nightmare, Jake treated me to lunch at a restaurant that I love! It was so sweet of him. Overall, my second appointment was good. I really really like my OB! She's personable and very smart. And she's younger, which I appreciate. I know older doctors come with a lot of experience but I was hoping to have a younger doctor. Someone who's more current, if that makes sense. When I told her what the nurse had told me about not getting my heart rate above 140 when I work out, she was so encouraging and told me that since I'm used to working out and I'm very healthy, I don't have to worry about that. She said that working out is good for me and baby and I should do whatever I feel comfortable with! She gave me some basic guidelines like no contact sports or things that risk falling and trauma to my abdomen. It was nice to hear that! After my first appointment I was thinking that all I can really do to workout would be walking and light weights- boring stuff that isn't challenging. Now I know that I can do so much more! That was big for me. I really like my OB. I think she's going to be a great fit for me.

11 Weeks

How far along? 12 weeks & 2 days!11ish weeks!

How big is baby estimated to be? About the size of a large plum! (Note to self: add plums to grocery list, mmmm)

Total weight gain: Not sure... I need to get a scale that I can use. I don't think I've gained more than a pound or two, though.

Wearing maternity clothes? Not at all. I still fit in my size 2 pants! Haha.

Symptoms this week: I'm feeling pretty good this week! No nausea, which I appreciate. I've had some sour  stomach/indigestion stuff going on but it's not too bad. I'm trying to figure out which foods trigger that so I can avoid them. Overall, I feel great!

Food cravings: Scones. I thought of homemade lemon berry scones late the other night and suddenly had to make them! And they were delicious!! And healthy, thanks to a Weight Watchers recipe. Yum. Other than that, nothing really. Been eating a lot of fruits and veggies. I can't get enough fresh fruits and veggies. Oh an homemade popcorn! Jake makes the best homemade popcorn!

Food aversions: I am very happy to say that all of my food aversions are gone!! Yay!

Any movement from baby? Not that I can feel yet.

Gender prediction: Boy. Or girl. I can't decide this week ;]

Emotions and experiences this week: Well, I had my first and second emotional out-of-nowhere breakdowns this week. I feel like a total crazy person! The smallest thing will trigger a flood of emotions followed directly by a flood of tears. Seriously. Maybe I just have to much on my mind with the deployment coming so quickly... but it's been an emotional week! I'm going crazy. But I feel good otherwise. Other than being a total crazy lady, I'm great. I'm still super excited about baby. Finally past the surreal, I-can't-believe-I'm-actually-pregnant stage. 

Looking forward to: Finally seeing my belly pop! It's starting to a little. Just a little. I find it so incredibly funny that after all of these years of working so hard to have a flat, tight stomach I'm now anxiously awaiting the arrival of a bump. Oh how my life has changed already! I just really want to have a visible pregnant belly before Jake leaves. I want him to be able to see it! I think all the hard work I put into getting a strong tummy is working against me now to hold back my "pop"! Oh well, I'm sure I'll be complaining about how big my belly is soon enough, ha. And I'm looking forward to getting into my second trimester!! I can hardly believe my first trimester is almost over! But I've heard the second is the best so I'm excited for that. Honestly, though, the first was pretty awesome :]

10 Weeks

How far along? 11 weeks & 2 days!10ish weeks!

How big is baby estimated to be? The size of a lime! Coincidence since I'm loving lime in my plethora of water lately, ha.

Total weight gain: According to the scale today, less than a pound. So I'm honestly not sure!

Wearing maternity clothes? No. But I do love me some yoga pants. 

Symptoms this week: Tired tired tired! Also feeling more bloated this week. Nothing too bad, though. 

Food cravings: I had my first craving this week!!! Fried rice and crab rangoons. Not healthy at all, but totally worth it! YUM!

Food aversions: BBQ chicken and Balance nutrition bars. I'm back to drinking decaf coffee, though!

Any movement from baby? Nothing I can feel.

Gender prediction: I'm actually thinking girl this week :] I'm so anxious to know!

Emotions and experiences this week: Excited and happy! We finally shared our news and it was great! I sent out cute announcement postcards and then posted it on Facebook the following day. It was fun to watch all the congratulations and excitement flood my news feed. I'm happy people know! It was getting hard to keep the secret, too. 

Looking forward to: Getting a baby bump! I have a little pooch going on which is annoying because it just makes me look like I ate too much crab rangoons and fried rice, haha. I want to "pop" and be visibly pregnant already! I'm also looking forward to my next OB appointment (Spet. 7th) and our early ultrasound to try to find out the gender (Sept. 21st). But I'm not ready for September to come and steal away my husband so I'm mostly just excited to watch my belly grow :] 

9 Weeks

How far along? 10 weeks & 3 days!9ish weeks!

How big is baby estimated to be? The size of a prune.

Total weight gain: A pound-ish. Depending on water weight. 

Wearing maternity clothes? Not yet.

Symptoms this week: Exhausted!! I could sleep 14 hours a day, I'm not even kidding. Not much of an appetite lately either. 

Food cravings: None. 

Food aversions: BBQ chicken, Balance nutrition bars, and still coffee (though that's getting better).

Any movement from baby? Apparently baby is a little jumping bean now! But I can't feel it yet.

Gender prediction: Boyyy

Emotions and experiences this week: Happy and excited still!! We were on base for Jake's drill this weekend and we shared the news with his squadron which was really fun. However, we also got more information about the deployment which was rough. I cried a lot as I tried to accept the fact that my hubby is leaving so soon. It breaks my heart that he's going to miss so much. It was an emotional weekend for me. Having my first OB appointment today was good, though! I really like my OB! She's great. We also got to see our little baby again which was fantastic! The blood draw was awful and I nearly puked but I'm glad it's over. I love that Jake is going to all my appointments with me- he's such a fantastic supporter. 

Looking forward to: Sharing our news with everyone! I'm anxious to have it public already! It's a tough secret to keep.

8 Weeks

How far along? 9 weeks & 4 days!8ish weeks!

How big is baby estimated to be? The size of a green olive

Total weight gain: According to the scale at the doctors office today, I've gained approximately one pound.

Wearing maternity clothes? No.

Symptoms this week: Not much, actually! My morning sickness is getting much better (or I'm getting better at dealing with it, haha). I'm pretty exhausted, though. I'm starting to take afternoon naps and that is helping :]

Food cravings: None.

Food aversions: BBQ chicken, Balance nutrition bars, and I'm starting to develop a coffee aversion! It's a sad story. I started drinking decaf when I found out I was pregnant but now I can't choke it down!

Any movement from baby? None that I can feel yet.

Gender prediction: Boy. However, I had one dream that baby was a girl! That seemed pretty real to me! But I'm still thinking boy. 

Emotions and experiences this week: Very, very happy! We had our nursing intake appointment today and we got to have an ultrasound and hear the heartbeat!!! The rest of the appointment was pretty boring but oh my gosh, hearing the heartbeat was absolutely amazing! Life changing, even. I couldn't believe how awesome it was to see our little bean baby and hear the soft rhythmic beating of his/her heart! It was quick and fluttery and just incredible!! Ahhh, I'm in love!! :D I'm feeling completely overjoyed and so thankful for this little blessing!!

Looking forward to: My OB appointment on Tuesday! Although I'm dreading the blood draw, ick.