Day 3

               I count today as day 3 because it was 3 days ago that I peed on a stick and the magical plus sign appeared in the little window. The online gestational calculator says that I am about 6 weeks along and that I am due around October 23, 2014. That will make little Vierte (that’s German for “fourth” until he/she is born when I find out boy or girl) a Scorpio. Vierte’s birthstone is an Opal or Tourmaline. Lovely. 2014 is year of the horse. My mother is also a horse. Smiley face. A website says that my Vierte, a Scorpio Horse will have the ability to focus on tasks and goals and have determination to see things through. But will not be afraid to engage in silliness occasionally. I like him/her already.

               So many random things that I know about my little unborn buddy. But what I do not know is his/her sex. And the usual markers have not yet manifested themselves. And, I do not mean usual markers like things you might have heard of like belly hanging low or hair falling out. Mind you, I have 3 children already. Two boys and a girl. My two boys are the oldest, and their pregnancies were identical and very different from my daughter’s pregnancy.

               With my sons, eggs made me violently, projectile vommity sick. But no problem with chocolate. With my sons, I threw up every day. With my daughter I ate eggs every day (and a lot of sour cream), chocolate made me lose my appetite and I threw up only once, my second to the last week when a pizza gave me heartburn.

               But so far I have not had any issues with chocolate or eggs. I even have binged on my favorite chocolate, cream filled Easter eggs. No issues. (Haha! Yeah, I know that these are not actual eggs. But this scientific research, to discover my baby’s sex prenatally, justifies the means.)

               There is another food related topic that I would like to touch on that I did not have an issue with the first three pregnancies: Sushi. I am going to be 38 next week, and I never ate sushi before about 3 years ago. I did not actually start eating it even remotely regularly until the past year when I stopped fearing the sushi restaurants at the mall and grocery store. The stuff is delicious. Now, mind you, I don’t eat shellfish. So the only kind I will eat is tuna, salmon, imitation crab (which, yes, I am aware still has about 2% crab meat in it) and vegetarian. Or any other kind that does not have actual shell fish in it. I also prefer it to be the kind with small pieces of fish wrapped in lots of rice, avocado, and seaweed. I have little interest in large slices of raw fish on top of a slab of rice. I can’t do it.

               So 3 days into knowing that I am pregnant I go to the food court in the department store where I work and walk briskly with purpose to the sushi bar there. I have eaten there several times before. The food is always fresh and delicious. I pick up a prepackaged Imperial roll. It has seasoned, sesame seeded rice, seaweed, salmon, tuna avocado and the most delicious cream cheese. At my request the barista squirts a generous portion of spicy mayo across the top. I pay for it and walk toward the break room. On my way there, I remember that I am pregnant, and that I probably should not be eating it.

               When I get to the break room, I take out my iPod and log into the internet. I also open up my package of sushi and chopsticks and take my first delicious bite. While I eat, I google the question “Is it ok for me to eat sushi while I am pregnant?” I get a lot of answers. But there is one thing that will get me through this. “Japanese women don’t stop eating sushi when they are pregnant.” I will probably cut back, maybe to none at all, until Vierte is born.

               As I ate my sushi and read the responses to my question, psychosomatosis kicks in. (YES, I know this is not a word! But I don’t feel like finding out what is the correct word. I am a writer! Let me make up words without your stares of judgement!!!!) My body starts not feeling right. My head starts to hurt a bit and my body gets really achy. I decide to send my boyfriend a message.

               But like I said, the feelings of sickness, I believe were all psychosomatic. I may still have some once in a while, because, OMG it is so good. But I may try to stay away from tuna. Large fish, increased chance of mercury poison. Sad face.

               Oh! Here is a link to a blog post that I read soon after writing this about a Japanese who is officially the oldest living person in the world. She is 116 years old. She is significant to me how? Two reasons: First of all, her birthday is the same as mine. March 5. She will be turning 116 as I turn 38. The second thing is, as you will read in the article, one of her secrets to longevity is that she eats sushi at least once a month. So if a centenarian woman, whose immune system probably is not the best, can eat sushi once a month, I should be able to eat it just as often in my condition.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/eat-well--sleep-eight-hours-and-relax--world-s-oldest-person-offers-tips-a-long-life-181916538.html

Day 1

               I must admit that I have been slacking. I have not been keeping up with my blog. But I have also not been keeping up with my challenge. I had planned to blog about Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. Feeling uninspired, (I cannot write when I am uninspired, and I refuse to pay someone to write my content), I fell behind. Well, I have very recently become re inspired because of a very specific recent event! As of February 28^th I am going to be a mommy again! Yay! I think. (Hooboy)

               Well, I’m sure that I am pregnant, it’s the “Yay” part that I am not so sure about. As I sit here, with three children in their teens, one already an adult, my excitement is a slow build up. Mixed feelings. Mixed emotions. I have not broken down in tears yet. I started early, looking forward to being a 43 year old with all of my children grown. But it is ok, I think. I am probably about six weeks along. According to the online gestational calculator, basing it on the first day of my last period. Which is fine. But there was something off about it. I swear it was almost two weeks long! There is a good chance that I am further along than the chart indicated. What I do know is that when I peed on that little stick the little plus sign popped up long before the two minute mark! It was like “dude! You’re not even showing yet?”

               Please do not get me wrong. I love my little unborn buddy. I cannot wait to meet him/her. All of my children are awesome. I don’t think I’m the best mom (probably closer to the other end of the spectrum, to be honest) but my kids (and cats, now that I think about it) all have turned out to be pretty wonderful. humble, loving, empathetic and strong. All of them born under different circumstances. All becoming people that I am proud to call my offspring. I have no doubt that number four will be any different.

               So now, my new focus of my blog will be my attempt at an ayurvedically inspired pregnancy. And perhaps even breast feeding. Depends on how long my attention span holds out.

This is actually me at 10 weeks. It took me a while to finally start taking pictures. No one here can ever accuse me of being prompt with my content! It looks like I am showing. Perhaps more than I should at this time. It is just that I am a little pudgy around the middle even without the baby!