21 Weeks!

I realized I hadn't yet written anything about being, you know, PREGNANT and I figured it would be fun to keep track of a few things. I tend to use this space as a way to document various life events and pregnancy is certainly a life event I wouldn't mind having documented somewhere. It's easy to forget the different parts as the weeks press on and I haven't been great about writing down the things I've experienced so far, but why not start half way through!

A quick recap seems in order as the first trimester is certainly an unforgettable one (as much as I'd like to). We found out I was pregnant on January 3 and it was definitely a bit of a surprise! I did as every good pregnant woman should do and ate sushi that night for dinner (don't worry, just shrimp tempura) and we pretty much just stared at each other in a stunned happiness of like, NOW WHAT DO WE DO? But seriously, no one really tells you what you're supposed to do after you find out this crazy news. I felt relatively normal that first week, but the next 7 or 8 weeks afterward I was nauseated and / or vomiting throughout the day. It's a great thing we lived in New York at the time because I ate a LOT of bagels during those first few months. The tough part was that we knew we were going to make the move back to Maryland soon and it was hard not feeling well while we tried to enjoy the last few months of living there.

Once we moved back to Maryland I was nearing the end of the first trimester and began to turn a corner and feel a lot better. It was also around this time that I was finally able to give this pregnancy some more thought space. During the first trimester people kept asking me about different things, and I did not have the space in my brain to even think about this huge life change. We had so much going on with moving, buying a house, figuring out job situations, and leaving New York that I just couldn't go there yet. It was such a gift that I started to feel better once we moved back as I was able to be more thoughtful about the pregnancy and preparing for everything to come.

The fun part really started a few weeks ago when I felt the first flutters / kicks and we found out we are having a GIRL. Unfortunately, Aaron couldn't come along for the anatomy scan so I asked the ultrasound tech to put the girl or boy outfit I brought into a box and we would open it together later on. We went to a favorite restaurant in DC and had one of the most unforgettable dates of our lives. Once again we sat together in stunned happiness as we'd both really hoped for a girl! Since then I've felt more connected to her (!) and it's been sweet to pray specifically for her little life and our growing family.