Baby #3: 12 weeks

Another week in the books!

Baby stats: This week the baby is the size of a lime (about 2" long). Over the course of the week she developed reflexes! Intestines and kidneys are beginning to function and brain synapses are forming. Watch out MIT :)

Bump picture. I am still working on a better system. I might have to start taking my bump pictures in the grocery store bathroom, at least it is well lit.

The size of the bump definitely varies throughout the day. This week I am treating you to the bump in all it's glory, just before bed!

Still feeling like I look huge but I have not yet been asked by an acquaintance/stranger if I am expecting so I am guessing that people assume I am just a bit little fat. We went and looked at houses this weekend and our realtor definitely seemed surprised by the bump when I took my coat off.

How you doin'?: What a difference a week makes. I can not believe that as of just last week I was still feeling terribly nauseated at least once a day. This week I had a few bouts of the sea sick feeling but they passed relatively quickly. Most notable this week was the round ligament pain. I never noticed it with Lily, had it a few times with Ben, but this whole week if I got up too fast my body let me know it. It isn't a "scary there must be something wrong" kind of pain but it will slow you down and make you rethink ever standing up from the couch again. Luckily it also never lasts long.

I think I successfully kicked last week's cold without ever really coming down with it fully. I am very relieved. For the most part I do not take medication when I am pregnant. I am sure that the list the OB gave me is relatively safe to take, but for me personally, I just don't like the idea of those chemicals in the baby's bloodstream. Suffering through a cold while pregnant is the pits, but like I said I seemed to have dodged the bullet this time!

The OB called me this week to say that he was less than thrilled about my recent set of blood work. My thyroid level is low, 0.56 (normal range is 0.33-5.0) and my iron level was basically in the basement. Before doing anything about the thyroid they would like to see a significant increase in my iron levels so it was off to the fancy pants specialty food store for supplements. In the past iron supplements containing mined iron have wreaked havoc on my digestion so I chose a supplement that contains iron found naturally in fruits and vegetables, for twice the price. I will let you know if I think it is twice as gentle on my tummy. I was told by the doc to take the maximum dose, yay!

Because of the real risk of constipation and hemorrhoids, combined with my history of low fluid levels, I was also put back on the "drown yourself" with 80-100oz of water/day regime. It is just so.much.water.

Aversions/Cravings: Food and I are reuniting, slowly. Since this is the been the first week in many many weeks that I have wanted to eat anything, I ate whatever I wanted. Nothing too exciting or staggeringly unhealthy but I certainly didn't gag down spinach salads all week either. Well I did one night, but I put dressing on it (which I normally wouldn't do) so that was cheating.

Still craving the big A. It certainly didn't help when Matt's dad (who is not at all a beer drinker) randomly brought home two 12oz bottles of Samual Adams Cherry Wheat...one of my all time favorite beers, and then proceeded to split them with my husband right in front of me all while going on and on (and ON) about how delicious it was. My husband being the wise man that he is kept his mouth shut, and when we went to bed was kind enough to tell me, "it wasn't even that good".

I have been having another craving that thankfully I am allowed to indulge in, mustard! Hot brown mustard is the most delicious food on the Earth and proof that God loves me. I put it on everything within reason. Pretzels are my go delivery instrument for straight up mustard consumption but earlier this week we were out so I just used triscuts. No shame in my game.

Sleeping: Still not sleeping great. I have no trouble falling asleep but I feel like I am sleeping so lightly that at any given moment all night I could just get out of bed and start my day. My mind is definitely racing and with all the water my bladder is always full, even right after I pee, so I just have a hard time staying soundly asleep. Lily girl and I are co-sleeping tonight since Matt is in the city on Mondays. I have been looking forward to it all day since I know I will sleep great tonight.

Movement: Still nothing. I am not really expecting any for at least 3 or 4 more weeks

Milestones: Some books/obstetricians use 12 weeks as the end of the first trimester. Personally I think that makes no sense. Last time I checked 'tri' means three and forty (weeks) divided by three is 13.3. Feel free to continue using 12 weeks as a benchmark, just know that the math is not in your favor. In any case don't think I had any major milestones this week, other than feeling better and better as the week went on. Oh and of course there was getting my hair colored, that was a biggie.

What I am looking forward to: Having an actual baby bump and not whatever this is. Feeling the baby move. I have also started to daydream about bringing this baby home to our new house and what it will be like to be a family of five!

Worries: All the usual worst case scenarios. I had some cramping over the weekend that sent me into full on panic mode for several hours. I've said it before and I'm sure I will say it again, thank you doppler you were the best fifty dollars I ever spent! (Baby sounds perfectly fine)

Let's compare: 

The OB has me back on the extra water regime, but much earlier than last time.

Not sleeping great even early on, yup sounds too familiar.

Craving mustard, hating potato (still). With Lily the thought of eating eggs literally made me cry one night (my most epic pregnancy meltdown to date) and with Ben I ate buffalo sauce as though my life depended on it...how I found out that triscuts make such an efficient delivery instrument.

Best moment of the week: The house hunt continued this weekend and we saw two more great houses (and FIVE terrible ones). No one house is in the top seed, each comes with its own compromise, but I definitely feel like we are on the right track to finding and deciding on "the one"!