17 Weeks

How far along? 17 weeks

Due date? October 15, 2013

Weight gain? 7-8 lbs.

Exercise? Swimming, Body Pump, Body by Trimester, and lots of walks in the beautiful Spring weather we’ve been having!

Maternity clothes? Definitely choosing leggings, stretchy skirts and dresses over buttons and zippers most days. Also, just discovered how great the Bella Band is! I’m not quite ready to give in to full blown maternity pants (there’s plenty of time for that!), but I have been loving the Old Navy maternity tanks that I bought. The ruching looks much more flattering over my tummy these days.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep? Really good with lots of vivid dreams (usually involving a baby.)

Best moment this week? Getting my very first Mother’s Day gift from my sweet husband! (He couldn’t wait until Sunday!) and Buying a crib! Someone posted a gently used crib on a FB group called “Madrid – Buy, Swap, Sell” and I saw it just in time to snatch it up. Now that we’ve got it in the room along with our vintage bear poster and a few other things we’ve bought, it’s all coming together! Since we shouldn’t be here for too long after baby, a fully furnished nursery isn’t really a necessity, but it sure is fun. Hopefully, we’ll be able to use everything when we’re back in Texas too.

Miss anything? Nope. Not a thing!

Movement? Not yet, but I think about it a lot.

Food cravings? Rice Krispy Treats. These will NOT be made again during pregnancy. I can’t leave them alone!

Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope! Feeling really good.

Other symptoms? Pretty consistent lower back pain by the end of the day. I kinda expected this since I’ve always had a finicky back, but hopefully it doesn’t get much worse as the bump grows!

Have you started to show yet? The tummy is slowly but surely rounding out.

Gender prediction? Girl

Happy or moody? Happy, happy!

Looking forward to? Feeling baby move and the next doctor’s appointment on May 20! More tiny purchases, and my parents visiting on June 25!

15 Weeks

Well, I was only going to do updates every 2 weeks since there’s not a ton of change from week to week at this point. Then Luke had to work all weekend, and it’s a cold, rainy, lazy Sunday. After laundry, reading, baking, and one too many wedding reality shows,  I got bored and decided I might as well blog. Here goes!

How far along? 15 weeks

Due date? October 15, 2013

Weight gain? Up about 5 lbs. (This question is probably going away soon. It makes me want to lie.)

Exercise? This week I made it back to the gym for several group classes and didn’t realize how much I’d been missing it until I was there. Yoga and Spin this week, but next week I’m going to try to add Body Pump back into my life. And as always, there were lots of walks and the Body by Trimester videos.

Maternity clothes? Nope, but I’ve been using the pony tail holder trick on my “skinny” jeans in the rare event that I choose jeans over leggings.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep? Good other than sore hips from sleeping on my side all night. I have a feeling this isn’t going to change anytime soon.

Best moment this week? Staring at the sonogram picture that’s on our refrigerator and saying, “Hi, Baby!” in a goofy voice every time I’m near the fridge.

Miss anything? My husband. He’s been working too much. Hopefully, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. And my family because they’re just too far away. But absolutely nothing pregnancy related. I feel good.

Movement? Not yet, but we’re getting closer. I can’t wait!

Food cravings? No cravings this week. With Luke working a lot and the weather turning colder again, I’ve had veggie lentil soup for about every meal. Although it’s pretty tasty, I wouldn’t call it a craving.

Anything make you queasy or sick? Nothing! Feeling really good and full of energy.

Other symptoms? Seriously nothing. I feel really good, energized and basically normal.

Have you started to show yet? The tummy is slowly but surely rounding out.

Gender prediction? Since I really have no idea, I think I’ll just alternate between boy and girl each week to keep it even. So…boy.

Happy or moody? Weepy this week (silly hormones) but still really happy.

Looking forward to? Feeling baby move and another sonogram on May 20!

Manzanares el Real

After a perfectly lazy, pizza-on-the-couch, early-by-Spanish-standards Friday night, Luke and I woke up last Saturday morning feeling refreshed and ready to take advantage of the beautiful Spring day.  After some quick internet research, we grabbed Starbucks to go (decaf. for me) and jumped on a bus headed West to Manzanares el Real.

The bus ride alone was worth the trip. Not that it was the most beautiful scenery, but it is so refreshing to get out of the concrete jungle every once in a while. We relished in the views of green grass, tall trees and even snow-capped mountains.  Before long, though, we reached our destination, made a quick stop at the tourist info. booth and headed off to start a hike.

There was a beautiful, roaring (literally audible roaring) river that we got to walk along before starting our hike.  And then we climbed up, up, up for an hour or so.  It was pretty rocky terrain that required some big, tall steps and maneuvering over rocks.  We decided that we I probably couldn’t make it to the very tip-top, so after reaching what would be our summit, we headed back down.

The way down was definitely faster but much more slippery. I started worrying about breaking an ankle or something and not being able to have any pain meds, etc. Then sure enough, about half way down, my ankle twisted and fell between two rocks. When I first fell and hollered out to Luke, I was afraid that I wasn’t going to be able to put weight on it because it hurt pretty badly.  Once I got up, though, and the shock of falling subsided, it was okay. I made it down on my own and in one piece, and though it was tight for the rest of the day, it’s just fine now.  (However, we’ll probably be sticking to hikes with smoother terrain until Baby M joins us.)

With tired legs and sun-kissed shoulders, we enjoyed a nice long lunch at Casa Julian before heading down to the river for a while.  Luke explored (and even fully dunked himself in the frigid water) while I found the sunniest spot possible and read for a bit. After the river, we had a drink at a little riverside café before bar hopping on our way back to the bus stop. (Water for me, please.)

We’ve talked about getting out of the city to do some hiking so many times, and I’m so glad we finally did it. It was the breath of fresh Spring air that we both had been wanting so badly.

14 Weeks

How far along? 14 weeks

Due date? October 15, 2013

Weight loss/gain? Up about 3 lbs.

Exercise? Well, it’s back to no running again since the new doctor isn’t a fan either. Oh well! The weather has been beautiful outside so I’ve been getting out for lots of walks, and I started the 2nd trimester videos on my DVD. Much harder than the first! I guess they figure you should be done being sick and have your energy back by now.

Maternity clothes? Still no, but I’m thankful that I’ve held on to several pairs of pants that were too big last Spring/Summer because they’re more comfortable now.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep? Sleeping good other than multiple trips to el baño during the night. Although this week, I had a major fall out of bed. I was dreaming that I was on the other side of the bed, so when I went to swing my legs out of the bed on that side, Luke was there. Instead of realizing that I was on my side of the bed and getting out normally, I thought I had to scoot over to the other side of the bed. I scooted right into the air and landed with a hard thump. Luckily, no one was hurt.

Best moment this week? Talking and dreaming about baby!

Miss anything? We went to watch some friends sing at an Open Mic night on Thursday at an Irish pub. All the Franziskaner (wheat beer) looked really good.

Movement? Little baby was a dancing machine on the last sonogram we saw, but I can’t feel anything yet. Still a few weeks away from what I’ve read.

Food cravings? With the heat this week, ice cream has been looking really good, but I cured the craving with frozen Greek yogurt one night after dinner. When I stopped in a McDonald’s to use the restroom yesterday, it smelled surprisingly good, but luckily I resisted.

Anything make you queasy or sick? Not this week. I’ve been feeling pretty good and normal.

Other symptoms? I’ve still had a couple of super tired, can’t keep my eyes open days, but far less than in the first trimester.

Have you started to show yet? I’ve been analyzing a tummy pic we took when we first found out versus one from this week, and I think there’s a slight difference. Luke says maybe, but still no one else would guess that I was pregnant.

Gender prediction? This week (and last) I had a dream that we had a little girl. Last night, she had a head full of dark hair. I don’t care about the gender, but I want some hair!

Happy or moody? Happy, happy. It’s amazing how much difference the weather can make. Spring has finally arrived!

Looking forward to? Having a bump! This awkward chubby phase is getting old and hard to dress!

12 Weeks

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” – Psalm 139:13

How far along? 12 weeks

Due date? October 15, 2013

Weight loss/gain? Up about 2 lbs.

Exercise? I’ve been sticking to incline walking, the elliptical and my Body by Trimester videos ever since our first doctor said he wasn’t comfortable with running. However, Saturday I went out for a walk and had to jog to cross the street. It felt really good, so I kept going (with caution of course) for about 25 minutes. I don’t really see myself running once there’s a bump to risk falling on, but I might add it in occasionally for now while I have some energy back and am not really showing yet.

Maternity clothes? Not yet, but I stocked up on some basics while I was in the US.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep? Sleeping good other than multiple trips to el baño during the night.

Best moment this week? We had the important 12 week sonogram, which they called an “ecograph” over here. Although we opted out of hearing our perceived risk for down’s syndrome, the doctor said that everything looks good and is developing normally. We’ve got a strong, healthy heart, 2 arms and 2 legs!

Miss anything? Although I don’t miss the taste of it and the smell kind of gags me right now, I did miss being able to share in the bottles of wine that were consumed while we had friends in town last week.

Movement? Little baby was a dancing machine on the last sonogram we saw, but I can’t feel anything yet. Still a few weeks away from what I’ve read.

Food cravings? Lots of fruit (though this isn’t really strange for me), Greek yogurt with honey and cereal. Pizza is really good too.  Although I was never really sick during the very beginning, nothing ever really sounded good unless it included bread, but I’m starting to get my taste for veggies and flavorful items back. (Thank goodness because I’ve got brussel sprouts roasting in the oven as I type!)

Anything make you queasy or sick? If I go too long without eating, my empty tummy let’s me know it. I need to get in a habit of smaller, more frequent meals.

Other symptoms? Though not as consistent as in earlier weeks, I’m still getting more frequent than normal headaches.

Have you started to show yet? Not really. It just kind of looks like I stopped going to the gym and went on a beer drinking binge. It’s awesome. (My perfect husband tells me I’m crazy for saying that. He’s too good.)

Gender prediction? If I was forced to choose, I’d say boy. I don’t really have any reasoning other than that’s the first picture that pops in my mind when I think about our little person.

Happy or moody? Mostly happy, though I have cried multiple times this week for silly reasons. Luckily, the tears pass quickly.

Looking forward to? Being officially in the 2nd trimester and making some tiny purchases!

All possibilities considered, I’ve had a pretty easy first trimester and am ready to keep moving forward! We’re super excited and so thankful to have heard good news after the in-depth screening on Wednesday. We also changed doctors this week due to misunderstanding our insurance policy. Through the recommendation of a friend, though, I was pretty quickly able to seek out someone else, and then really liked her at our first visit. It’s nice to have a woman, and I think I can understand her English better than the other guy anyway. We’re thankful for that as well.

This is certainly going to be different than having a baby in the US since I don’t really know how everything works over here. Lucky for me, I have a super laid-back, reassuring husband who has rubbed off on me over the years making me more relaxed as well. We’re going to try to be as go with the flow as we can about little details and differences between Spain and the US along the way. Any “birth plan” that I would ever come up with, no matter what country I was in, would end with a safe delivery and healthy baby no matter how we got there.

 

Avila: The City of Stones and Saints

While lounging on the couch one lazy Sunday after a typical Spanish Saturday nights that starts late and ends early, Luke and I decided to plan a day trip out of the city for the following weekend. Later that week, our friends, Colleen and Jose, decided to join us, and we all met up on a cold (sometimes snowy) Saturday in Avila.

Avila, the birthplace of Santa Teresa, is widely known for the imposing, fully illuminated wall that encircles the old city, the Chuleton de Avila and the yemas. Without much on our agenda, we were easily able to cross off all three Avila “must-do’s”.

On Saturday afternoon, we walked along a small section of the wall, and then enjoyed a nice, long Spanish lunch, where Luke and his giant Chuleton did their best to encourage our vegetarian friends to remain vegetarians. Long lunches with wine and fresh, Mediterranean food may be my favorite part of the Spanish culture.

Colleen and Jose on the wall.

Luke’s chuleton, which is a giant T-bone steak best cooked rare. This pic doesn’t do it justice. Luke’s piece of meat was nearly 2 lbs., and he dominated it.

We also sampled the yemas, which are sweets made from egg yolk and (a small dusting of) sugar and sold all over Avila. Just like the name implies, they looked and tasted like an egg yolk. I took one bite, fought the urge to spit it out, and vowed never again. Although we’ve since talked to several Spaniards who love the yemas, they were an all around miss for our group.

Yemas de Santa Teresa. If you’re ever in Avila, try one and decide for yourself.

After our long lunch and a failed attempt to attend Saturday evening Mass (all the doors seemed to be locked), we took refuge from the cold wind and snowy precipitation and played an intense game of Travel Scrabble (I was the winner this time!) before setting out for a couple drinks. Thanks to Jose and his love for the Foursquare app, we ended up at The Deli, where we had a great night-cap before turning in.

Sunday we enjoyed a nice, sunny but cold, walk along the part of wall that we didn’t cover the day before, toured the Museum of Mysticism (I’m still not sure what mysticism is) and enjoyed a couple of tapas before training back to Madrid, where our Native Spanish friend dominated us all in another game of Scrabble. (After something involving “acorn” and “viola",” we didn’t stand a chance.)

The Cathedral of Avila.

Where the Cathedral and wall collide.

Avila beyond the wall.

Our group with Santa Teresa.

The Wall of Avila.

Although there wasn’t too much to see and do in Avila, we enjoyed our quick trip and were happy to share it with friends! Group travel can be so fun! There’s an idea brewing for a group trip to somewhere sunny and warm, and I hope we make it happen!

Do Something that You’re Proud of Today.

After a relaxing, holiday filled 2+ weeks off work, Luke headed back to the real world at Torre Picasso today. As a side note, he was supposed to go back yesterday, but our bodies are still extremely confused about which time zone they’re in. So after very little sleep, Monday turned into an impromptu vacation day. As we were getting back into our routine this morning, he kissed me goodbye and as he walked out the door said, “Do something that you’re proud of today.”

Taking a 2 year hiatus from a job you never really loved and moving to a foreign country with your amazing husband sounds like a dream come true, and for the most part, it is. But there are hard days too. Days when you wonder what purpose you have. Days when you start dreaming about potential jobs, great changes, new projects or opportunities for the future, but everything seems impossible, too difficult or maybe just not worth the effort.

Though few, those are the days that you get down on yourself, becoming consumed by pessimistic thoughts and taken over by an attitude that can only be described as stinky. But there’s no reason for that. We have too much good in our lives, too many opportunities and too much to be thankful for than to waste away days wallowing in self-pity or focusing on the negative for whatever reason.

So with Luke’s words in mind, I set out to put into action a project that we’d already talked about starting, and yes, of course the idea came from Pinterest. We’re going to fill an empty jar with notes about good things that happen throughout the year. But I’m going to take it one step further and encourage us to ask more of and seek more out of each and every day; to create good things, to do things that we’re proud of instead of just waiting for good things to happen. As the year passes, the project will encourage us to put thoughts and ideas into action and to always be mindful of all the good things in our life. By the end of the year, we’ll have a jar full of good things, grateful thoughts and accomplishments, both big and small, to read and remember.   

Do something that you’re proud of today.