Appointment

Today I had my third midwife appointment for the pregnancy. What were the highlights you ask?
I gained 3 lbs.
Baby heart beat was in the 150's
Midwife said to get some calcium magnesium for my leg cramps (yeah!)
and my assignment for the coming month is to eat lots of salt to up my blood pressure. Maybe then my fingers and toes won't be so cold.

These are all super fun for me (even the salt diet change, because I love salt!), but especially the weight gain, considering I lost about 12 lbs since the beginning of this pregnancy. That may not sound like a lot, but the baby has been growing and my bra size has been growing too, so I've been gaining while losing. I hope most of the lost weight was in my butt and thighs. Hey, a girl can dream can't she?
Just to give you a grid though. I always have lost weight first trimester. No appetite, puking at least once a day, and still having to keep up with regular work either in an office, doing landscaping, or this time, chasing around two toddlers. Well, it is just hard to maintain the same weight.
With my first, working in an office, I was really sick. Probably all the weird office smells and peoples suddenly horrid smelling perfumes, etc caused me to be puking a lot more than once a day. So I lost about 15 lbs with that one, but I also gained it all back plus 35 lbs. Again, due to working in the office where all the 40 and 50 year old women wanted to feed the cute pregnant woman.
Second pregnancy, worked landscaping up until my sixth month. Only lost 12 lbs with that one, and I think the fresh air helped a lot. It was early spring during my first trimester, so I was doing a lot of greenhouse work, rather than back breaking digging or weeding. Later on I gained it all back too, and then about 18 lbs more. I gained less total, but a healthy amount that was maintained better because of chasing my first toddler around rather than sitting in an office all day.
Now this one, I have been home, not working a paid job (because being a mom is still a lot of work, and anyone who says it isn't needs to trade places with me for a day), so I can take as many breaks as I want or can invent excuses for. I eat as often as I want, and sleep in the middle of the day with my girls. My feet are up a lot, but I still accomplish most of what I need to do around the house (at least now that I am in the second trimester, let's not talk about the first). All in all, I would say this is my best pregnancy so far.
You may look at my weight loss and say, 'best?', but let me assure you, there is comfort in being sick in one's home and not out in the public eye. It is hard to be pregnant in public. There are weird smells, people looking at you as you grimace and race past the fresh meat section, and the lack of comfortable places to sit when you feet, hips, or body is worn out. So yes, this one has been the easiest so far.
The hardest part has been gaining back some of that weight, which has actually been a quite enjoyable task. I've been on a mission this past month. Hamburgers, bbq chicken breasts, meatloaf, tuna salad (sparingly, but oh how I crave it!), cashew, pistachio, almonds, and sunflower seeds, eggs, and greek yogurt. Sigh. It has been wonderful.
So thankful that this has been my first pregnancy so far where I have actually craved protein, so none of the above mentioned foods have made me feel sick. It's the veggies that I'm having a hard time with. Thankfully Italian dressing has been helping the veggies go down too, while having the added benefit of killing my heartburn after lunch each day. I heart Italian dressing.
Wow, and now this post has become a pregnant woman's ramble about food, so I will close with a little thanksgiving to Jesus.
Thank You Lord for this little life in my womb. Thank You that You have helped me to carry this one well, and that You have imparted strength to me to keep up with the rest of my family. You are indeed wonderful to me, and keep watch over the things that are close to my heart. Thank you again. Amen.

Also this week we go to get our sonogram to see if we can see the baby's business down there! What are your gender guesses?
Note: don't go off of this heart rate because last month it was in the 140's, the time before that it was in the 150's, so it has been fluctuating.