Pregnancy Wins and Fails

I'm 20 weeks pregnant. Halfway there...I hope. So it seems like a good time to look back and take stock of what pregnancy has been like so far.

Yes, there will be lots of whining and complaining and even a little bit of ranting. Don't say you weren't warned.

Pregnancy tests = Fail
The day my period was late I took one, it was negative. Three days later, and still no period I took another, it was negative again. The two days, I took another and yep, still negative. So finally, after my period being 7 days late I decided to take one last test before calling my doctor and FINALLY it was positive. Talk about prolonging the drama.

Morning sickness = EPIC FAIL
My mom and one of my sisters both swore that in their 13 combined pregnancies they never got sick. So, I figured that luck and genetics were on my side and that I wouldn't have to go through the dreaded morning sickness. As most of you know I had no such luck. I was sick from week 6 to 15ish. Two months straight of 24/7 nausea. That was a joyride I could have done without.

Blood tests = Fail
What in the world do they need 7 vials of blood for when I'm 8 weeks pregnant? And I have to thank my doctor for ordering me to take a glucose test at 8 weeks because I was gaining too much weight and I have a family history of diabetes. Most of my friends have made it sound like the glucose drink was almost as bad as the labor itself, so I was really dreading that one. But, as it turns out, the drink wasn't THAT bad. Tasted like flat soda to me. The part that WAS bad was that I had to be fasting, which when you are in first trimester is really hard. So I was already fatigued and nauseous and then on top of that, I was feeling shaky from being sooo hungry. So, when they called me up for my blood draw I was feeling a little dizzy and I'm already terrified of needles but hey, what was I supposed to do? I was able to stay conscious while they drew 7 vials worth of blood but passed out as soon as they were done. Woke up disoriented and freaked out like I always do when I pass out. Good times.

Maternity clothes = Fail/Win
The first time I went shopping for maternity clothes I was so appalled at how ugly they were that I came home dejected and empty handed. I figured that once I started showing that I would just have to wrap myself up in a sheet and go into hiding. However, now after a few months I'm starting think that some of them are cute...either that or I'm becoming desensitized to their ugliness. Also, a few good friends graciously let me borrow their super cute maternity clothes, so I have not had to wear a sheet or go into hiding...yet.


Feeling the baby move = Win/Fail
My body has been my own for 27 years, so it was a little hard for me to get over the whole "another person living inside of me" thing. I felt the first little flutterings around 15 weeks. There was full fledged somersaults going on at 17 weeks. And now at 20 weeks there are somersaults, wiggles, and karate style kicks. While it is very reassuring to feel the baby move knowing that it means that she is alive and healthy, it is also really very weird.

Ultrasounds = WIN
I've had three ultrasounds so far and each time I have been absolutely thrilled to see this little sweetpea. My first one was at 8 weeks and she was just a little blob with a little-itty-bitty heartbeat. I was amazed. The next one was at 15 weeks and I was shocked to see how much she had grown, in just 7 weeks she went from being a 1/2 inch blob to being a 6 inch baby. She was so funny during that ultrasound too. She wasn't being very cooperative and kept turning away from us and hiding. But we did find out then that we were most likely having a girl. The third ultrasound was neat too. We were able to see all the chambers of her little heart and other vital organs. I was 19 1/2 weeks, and the baby was 9 inches long and 11 ounces. The ultrasound tech kept saying how much she thought she looked like me. And it was confirmed then that we were indeed having a girl!

Obnoxious girl comments from people = EPIC FAIL
Ever since we found out that we were having a girl I've been shocked to find that some people are slightly less congratulatory. I swear I had no idea that this kind of "boys are more favored" mindset existed outside of China and India. But apparently it does. People have said things like "Oh don't worry, you get lucky next time and have a boy" and "well, now you HAVE to have another one and hope it is a boy so you can carry on the family name". And before we found out the gender people were already making some obnoxious comments like "I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that it is a boy" and "I'm going to laugh so hard if you get a girl". I've noticed that now when I tell people that I'm having a girl that I immediately inform them that I'm absolutely thrilled about it before they can try to console me. Shouldn't having a baby be exciting no matter what you having? Brian and I would have been thrilled with a boy or a girl. Now that I know that I'm having a girl I'm starting to feel a little protective of her from people that are insinuating that somehow she wasn't wanted or that she isn't as important as any potential future sons that I might have.

All in all pregnancy hasn't been terribly fun...BUT as much as I hate to admit this, it wasn't as bad as I expected. So far. I reserve the right change this opinion at anytime for any reason. And since I still have 20 weeks left to go I probably will.