Pregnancy...This Time Around

I'm thrilled to announce that I'm twelve weeks pregnant today. Tomorrow begins my second trimester. Time has flown and honestly, I'm just so thrilled to be this far along.

When my first pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage in the first trimester (before week 12, but after we had already heard the heartbeat), I left somewhat emotionally scarred. When I found myself pregnant a second time (with India) , I kept waiting for the bleeding and cramping to start. When it never did (Thank You, Lord!), I felt too frightened to do anything. No exercise, no hair dye, no pool swimming (chlorine), etc. I also never ate sugar or anything conventionally grown. Seriously, organic or bust.

<-- About to pop with my Dia girl...

This time around...well, remember how I said I hadn't sugar in at least five years? I've made up for that in the last few weeks. Honest to goodness, the only edible thing I can stomach is...Laffy Taffy.

What??? Oh I know. I gross myself out. My head wants salad. My brain dreams of greens! Fresh veggies! Vegetable juice from my own juicer! Ah...someday. But for now I will literally throw up just the vegetables in whatever I eat. Brown rice with cooked cabbage? I'll be re-living that cabbage (and just the cabbage, mind you, the rice stays put) in a few hours and suffering from a stomachache for two days minimum. Slightly ridiculous, I think.

When I was pregnant with India, I followed my midwife's and the Bradley Method's high protein diet to a tee. I took it literally and would sit up til midnight if that's what it took to get all 80-100 grams of protein in. Think that contributed to my excess weight gain? Ha!

And here I am eating just about everything I hate about the standard American diet (SAD). Strange sense of justice? Karma for my high standards? Nah. I think it's just that subtle reminder that once again, by the grace and miracle of the Lord, my body is not currently my own.

This second time around I'm also exercising. Not just to keep my weight in check, but it's honestly just so good for you. Plus the doctors/midwives recommend keeping current with your pre-pregnancy activity level. So while I'm temporarily abandoning my half-marathon training, I am still running and attending Stroller Strides. And tomorrow, I'm getting my hair done. (Mind you, I won't color my hair with any dye on my scalp. I use highlights that, for the most part, don't touch skin or scalp in an effort to minimize the toxins my body absorbs.)

If this time is anything like last, hopefully the junk food will abate by trimester two. I scarfed taco supremes from Taco Bell like it was the last food on earth with Dia but just through the first trimester. This baby is all about the candy, though. It's definitely Rory's child.

I have no more sense of control or idea of just who exactly is about to join our family this time around than I did with India, but I do know that I'm in love just like I did with my first girl. I'm smitten. I'm thrilled. Tremendously honored to have not just one miracle, but two. TWO! If anything, I'm doubly humbled, doubly impressed with the grave responsibility before me. I spend an unnatural amount of time scheming up unique baby names (can't wait to find out the sex!), planning the nursery and playroom and just generally trying to imagine the next summer with two kids. Two. I do not know what tomorrow holds, but Lord, I am so grateful for today. Today--the chance to be here with my daughter and husband, to be pregnant again, to play dollhouse, build towers and feed my girl. I love being pregnant.

I just pray the Laffy Taffy doesn't screw the baby up too much.