Half Way There!

Time seems to be whizzing past! I can't believe it, but I've already crossed the half way mark, and no more hiding the fact that li'l Adobe is growing inside me :) And finally, after the nauseous 3 and something months, my appetite has started improving, and the numbers on the scale a showing a positive trend as well (Remember, positive trend here implies weight gain! :) ).

Interesting how shopping (or atleast trying to) in your favorite store brings you back to the reality of the present. I was just about 18 weeks along then, and my feet just about becoming invisible. There were really cute skirts (some wintery looking, some sexy) that were on sale as well. Now, I couldn't let go off those super deals, could I? I decided to try them on, I thought I could easily fit into them if I wear them a bit low. Surprise! Surprise! The two sides of the zipper/hooks were miles apart. One of those was a petite size, so I figured going up a size should be absolutely OK. I actually tried 2 bigger sizes, but all in vain. That's the day it hit me - no more walking into my favorite stores for the next 6-8 months! Surely, someone is real happy about that! No guesses there! But oh, I must mention that despite not fitting into any of the skirts, I still went ahead got a skirt and a top (perfect for parties) for an amazingly low price -- I shall get into it once Adobe is out and my tummy is back to it's original size!

While on the subject, curious about what's in and what's not? Well, stretch mark creams are IN now! Totally! Not to mention maternity clothes...speaking of which, we need some better designers out there. Wish Express would sell maternity clothes...I'm sure they'll never run out of business if they do! I feel like an old lady every time I slip into one of my M. jeans. They are so shapeless - "mooli" pants. I need all the support I can get to espouse the new style, so to speak!

I could go on, but it's not going to make any difference. So I might as well digress here :) We're off to Seattle for a "White Christmas"!! Happy Holidays!

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year!

See you back in 2009, the Year of Adobe...

Flutterflies in my stomach...!

It's Week 17, and my tummy has begun to show, though it can still be hidden easily under loose clothes. A tad too big for my regular jeans, and mighty small for the maternity types...reminds me of the good ol' Complan commerical on TV!

Hubby dearest gets to answer a trick question every day - "Is my tummy visible now?", "Do I look pregnant?", "Does my tummy look flat?" and all other possible ways of asking the same question! At first, the answer would be, "No, your tummy is not showing.." or "It's flat!". Hey, trust me, this is the only time in a woman's life that she would want to not have her tummy as flat as the HD TV screen in her living room! Oh, what joy to see that round belly - rounder the merrier! My advice to all moms-to-be: Enjoy these 9 months of cherub bellies, you'll be back to whining and dieting and exercising pretty soon!

The pregnancy is "shaping up" well - I now have flutterflies er, butterflies in my stomach. Nervous? Well, let me say, "Not yet!!" I am sure the jitters are going to set in as the B-day approaches. These flutterflies were not my tummy growling from hunger, and neither were the effect of some food that I should not have eaten -- they were indeed the proof of life growing inside me! It was Adobe kicking out to say Hi in it's own special way!

There I was, lying in bed, with a hand on my tummy, when I suddenly felt a li'l kick, a flutter. And there was a second one just inches away from my first rendezvous. Could have been a figment of my imagination? I was sure it had been real, as surreal as it seemed! It was time to see if our gymnast would say respond to Papa. So Papa had his hand on my tummy, and we waited. I guess Adobe has a sense a humor too, there were no hellos. The hand was gone, and a few minutes later, another tap from inside! Quickly, Sanju's warm hand was back on my tummy, and Yes! This time we felt a series of flutters from the li'l one!

Looking forward to more punches and the kicks...

Knock Knock

Who's there?

Adobe

Adobe who?

Adobe the Acrobat who Punches, Dances and Flips inside your tummy!

Casa Adobe!

Fifteen weeks and counting - Adobe and Adobe's abode are both growing at a mind-boggling rate - finally beginnging to show :) Wondering what/who am I talking about? Ok, time for some introductions. Adobe is my sweet little acrobat who is having a gala time in his (?), no, her (?), well, home - my tummy! Adobe is my darling baby growing inside me. And my tummy is Casa Adobe!

Now that we are done with formalities, it would not be fair if I did not tell you how Adobe got the name! So here goes: One of the additional tests to ensure the baby's health had a ultrasound included in the package. Nothing like getting another opportunity to check out the li'l one. The baby was in its own world - almost seemed like in a Pilates class! Sure my instructor would a student like this! The technician had a really hard time getting the baby into a position that would allow him to make the necessary measurements for the test. Accuracy was of utmost importance here. Would the sweetheart move? Nope! The baby seemed to be telling the technician, "You do what you want, I don't care. I am having just too much fun in here to be getting into a different pose just because you want me to...For all your efforts, here I go - head over heels!!!!" and baby went head down, feet up!!! So much for the acrobatics! Finally, I had to roll over to one side to get the baby out of the Pilates session. Later in the day, as we were reminiscing those fantastic feats, Sanju decided we would refer to the our gymnast as Adobe (Adobe Acrobat - ring a bell?) !!

Now I understand why I'm so nauseous and feeling light-headed ever so often!

Adobe's favorite song - I like to move it, move it...

A Letter to My Unborn

Dear Little One,

I thought I should write you a letter though it's at least a few years before you get to read this. Never the less, I wanted to share some of my thoughts with you lest I forget all or most of it by the time you are ready for this.

It's about 13 weeks now since your creation was first sparked. So far, we got to see you just once - your tiny head, body and arms/legs that had just begun to form. What was most amazing was seeing your tiny little heart beating away at a whopping 174 beats/min. That actually filled up our eyes with tears. It was such a beautiful moment -- that first sight of you is unforgetable. You looked happy, blissfully floating around, oblivious to what's going on around. At one point though, we almost felt you knew we were watching you, for you seemed to wave at us -- just a tiny wave, as much as you could manage to move that cute little arm.

At a subsequent doctor's visit, I got to hear your heart beat. It was so cool to hear that! I am so amazed with the technology available these days. I am sure, by the time you grow up, everything I am talking about now will be nothing then! Sadly though, this time, your dad was not with me to witness this beautiful music. But he will definitely get to experience it in just about a week's time, when we go to the doctor for the next routine appointment. We regularly have to check the progress of your development and make sure you are growing well.

Speaking of growth, I must mention that I have been having a lot of nausea every since you decide to grow inside me. I am not complaining though. It surely has been pretty difficult at times, but it's definitely a good sign of your health. Some say that you will have good hair. We just have to wait and see. Currently, my nausea is the only physical proof of your existence. I am beginning to show a little belly bump, but it's at least a month before it becomes evident. I can't feel you yet - I know you are moving around quite a bit, working out you little legs and hands. I believe you are very curious and love to explore your present home - my womb. You apparently keep jumping up and down, as if on a trampoline, and also do some sommersaults as well. That is absolutely incredible! I am eagerly waiting to feel that first punch and kick from you! Another milestone I will never be able to forget...

Last, but not the least, I have a few words of advice for you. I don't want to scare you, but I do want you to be aware of it. You'll meet a lot of people as you grow, and every one of them is different. You will have to learn how to deal with them, without hurting them and being strong yourself. We'll be there to guide you, so you have nothing to worry. We wish only the best and more for you.

Yours,

Mom

24HourSickness.com

Wonder who coined the term "morning" sickness -- it is such a misnomer. Rarely does it vanish after the morning is kicked out by noon and evening and night, and the story goes...

I am in the 13th week now, and yes, bidding adieu to the First Trimester, but the nausea seems to have only gotten stronger. You tell someone in the beginning of FT that you have nausea and they say, "Don't worry, it'll go away by the end of the FT". You get to the end of the FT, and then they say, "sometimes the nausea lasts into the fourth and/or fifth month." I'm sure if the situation doesn't improve then, the response will be "It could go all the way to the nineth month" !!!

Did someone say lemon juice is a good remedy for nausea? It sure is -- it temporarily ends the nausea by making you throw up! And then there's ginger that I tried in the form of candy, no luck. I am yet to try ginger tea...

Not to mention the emotional roller coaster - the silliest of things gets the flood gates opened! An exaggerated PMS! Never have I believed more in the power of hormones!

So long, farewell, it's time to say Goodbye...

Matters of the Heart

Finally, the long awaited day was here. We were going to get the first glimpse of the little one that's been partying inside me the last few weeks. Putting the morning sickness behind, I was up at 7:00am and quickly got ready. Getting dressed in some pretty clothes wasn't all. Ok, I know it is us who were going to see the baby, and not vice versa! I had the Herculean task of drinking a litre of water one hour before the appointment! Jeez...rarely do I manage to consume that much in a single day, and here we are talking 1 hour...60 minutes...I somehow managed to bottle it down - I hit the finish line just in the nick of time!

After waiting 20 minutes, we were finally called in, and the first thing the sonographer asked me to do was to empty my bladder! Why make me drink all that water in the first place? Don't they know that water needs to be conserved??!! Anyways, the most exciting moment was here...the window to my womb, and a good peek at my favorite resident!

The baby was there, head, body and limbs too! Yes, we could see its tiny arms and legs...the little one lay floating around happily, oblivious to the fact its parents were watching it on the screen almost teary-eyed! I must say my heart froze, when I saw the tiny little pea-sized heart lub-dub at a whopping 174/min!! That was the moment - a moment stowed away in my memory for ever! Suddenly, as if the baby knew we were watching, it seemed to wave its hand, almost like waving at us! Awww, that again was enough to generate pearl drops in our eyes!

Much as we wished the show wouldn't end, a break is a must before the next act begins. So, we got some pictures to take home with us. We sat checking them out over and over again, still unable to believe what we had just witnessed, while we waited for the doctor to see us and go over the ultrasound results.

The next show is 8 weeks from now...until then, sit back, relax and enjoy!

First Prenatal Visit

Yes! I had first prenatal doctor visit today! Finally! After all the research on OB/GYNs and reading user reviews, we narrowed down on one who had good reviews and a lot of experience.

The appointment was supposed to be the longest in the entire 9 months that I'd been seeing the doctor. Having said that, we were out of there in 45 minutes! Wonder how long, I mean short the future ones are going to be! If that weren't enough, it was rather disappointing too. I was hoping to hear a heart beat or two, at the least. Instead, there were a lot of questions on family history, some routine exams, and that was all. They will have me back in for an ultrasound in 2 weeks. So until then, it's a waiting game.

I feel preggers...No, I don't sport a big belly yet...but there's all the nausea and morning sickness and fatigue. The book says my body is working overtime to set up the logistics for the newest additional to our family! Now, don't I need to be paid overtime??!! Surely, making a baby is no child's play!

The Agonies and The Ecstasies

It's funny how you have mixed feelings even about something you were always sure you wanted! Same about being first time parents, about having a baby. The initial joy and excitement of discovering the pregnancy leads into questions about it being the right time, about being good parents and the whole nine yards that go with parenting. The words that constantly ring in my ears are "Remember, this is a life long commitment." This does scare me at times. Well, our parents have been through this, they've been incredible moms and dads! So why do we doubt ourselves when we have such good role models to learn from? Is this something every first-time parent goes through?

So, I got myself a copy of the most popular book that expectant mothers (and fathers) read - What To Expect When You Are Expecting. This book is beautiful, covers all aspects of being pregnant, the emotions, the skepticisms, everything! It even describes the development of the baby on a weekly basis. I've also been doing a fair amount of research online, but there's just so much information out there, it could cause an overload and unnecessary worries!

If that's not all, finding a doctor, a hospital are just to name a few - that you need to think about. The complexity increases with the number of choices for each! If the online research weren't enough, there's conflicting advice (solicited and otherwise) to filter through! Welcome to the world of parenting!


Gosh, I feel tired already! On the bright side, I just got my pregnancy confirmed by my doctor...here's looking forward to more preggy talk!

Seeing Double?

Just after being through a routine annual eye exam and new prescriptions, I could not believe my eyes - I was seeing double!!??!! Should I check with my eye doc? Are the prescriptions incorrect? Maybe if I rubbed my eyes or splashed some cold water on my face, it would set things right. But nope, they were stubborn - the two would not merge into one. Was I hallucinating?

Surely, at least the digital lens had a mind...er. vision of its own. So out came the almighty SLR, and the modest point and shoot. I needed to get the humble opinion of both (Wouldn't trust just one of them...not after what I was seeing with my own eyes!). Well, multiple pictures were taken - zoom in, zoom out, macro mode -- you name it. The outcome? This was too much! The ghost image remained there...wouldn't budge. Got a fresh pair of eyes to look at it (no, I don't own an eye bank...and it's still not the age of Minority Report) - my darling hubby. He was in agreement with my "sightings".

Slowly, as we looked at each other, and at the lines on the counter, things started to fall into perspective. Reality hit us (or did it?), as we absorbed the moment -- a moment of joy and disbelief -- I was indeed pregnant!! We are soon-to-be parents!!!