"fat guy in a little coat"...

this is exactly how i am feeling the past few days. remember the scene with chris farley inTommy Boy? if not, you should google it, or just watch the whole movie- it is a classic.

the point being, suddenly, everything is just a bit too tight. and thank goodness for my mom, she has been visiting the past few days and took me out shopping for some early maternity clothes and of course, some baby gear! being in the shops, looking at these tiny little onsies and stuffed animals- i realize this awkward phase is all going to be worth it. then i went and bought these maternity jeans from Pea in the Pod- not the cheapest option (which i am sure my husband won't be happy about) but, they were comfy and lifted my spirits :)

how cute? of course these had my smiling from ear to ear as well. since we aren't finding out the sex, these were the most gender neutral onsies we could find- the blue one has a bulldog on it, so we couldn't resist! it is hard to find gender neutral clothes, which is probably a good things since i would not be able to stop shopping if there were! this stuff is just SO cute.

tomorrow's task- pick out some paint colors for the babies room. my husband hank is back in town for good (thank goodness!) and thus, is ready to paint! i know i am only 13 weeks, BUT, if you know me, you know i will not wait until 7 months to get this baby room set up, it is just too much fun :)

while he is painting i will be cleaning out my closet of all the things that don't fit anymore...:)

what are your favorite maternity clothes?

ps. getting SO excited for my deep and stretchy classes to start, they are exactly what i am needing in my own practice now, so i hope to share it :)

whoosh, whoosh, whoosh

13 weeks! Head on the left, body to the right, laying on its back!

whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. exactly what our little babe's heartbeat sounded like today! ah! it was the most amazing experience. i have been so looking forward to this day, not only did i get to see him/her again on the ultrasound, but i got to hear the heartbeat with a doppler (separate machine) AND now i can launch my blog!!!!

the next appointment is around 20 weeks, which is when we would be able to find out the sex of the baby. we have decided not too, although i know towards the end it will be tough! but life is full of surprises right? so we will see...

i have noticed a major turn around in my energy and nausea. i am no longer nauseous and i feel as though my energy levels and appetite have evened out - thank goodness! 3 bagels in one morning just does not need to be repeated! i have gotten back to most of my regular workouts and can begin to do inversions again! yippee! inversions increase your risk of miscarriage in the first trimester while your baby is developing from an embryo to a fetus. now that i am through, and because it was in my practice before, i am set to get back on my head! thank goodness!

other then that i am feeling good. riding the high of my babies heartbeat...whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

* what is your favorite moment from your current or past pregnancies?

ps. for all of you just joining, which is well, everyone, i have been blogging (secretly) about my pregnancy since 5 weeks (scroll down to the bottom of page to see 1st post). i really wanted to create this space where i can share the happenings along the way for those of you who are like me and have never done this before! i am a first time mom-to-be and overjoyed to be sharing this experience in, i hope, in a light hearted and fun way!

i am also a vinyasa yoga teacher, as well as a pre & post natal certified yoga teacher here in nashville. i am inspired by the process of pregnancy, amazed that a whole new life is evolving inside my belly and honored to share prenatal yoga with the world. i plan to write honestly and openly about the changes that are occurring, post pictures of my life whenever applicable and share videos of prenatal yoga classes that anyone can use at home.

i love life and all the amazing unknowns and possibilities that come with it. i plan to use what i have learned about myself and my body through yoga as i guide myself (and my husband & dogs!) through the next chapter of our lives as parents!

a moment of weakness...

i had a coffee coolatta.

for those of you who are unfamiliar with dunkin donuts, it is an awful combination of milk, coffee, sugar and ice. however, it is delicious. i have not had one since my sister, Emily, and i would blast 'n sync and drive there when the connecticut summers were just too hot. oh the good old days when it didn't matter what or how much i ate, due to swimming, it all melted off.

i think i am looking at my pregnancy like that these days. i can eat anything i want, it is for the baby! then i read you really aren't supposed to gain weight in the first trimester. hmm...interested to see if that is the case for me next week at my next appointment. i am pretty sure i have, but i have been really hungry through most of it, not sick much and very active. so, as i said before, i am listening to my body. i have to trust if i want a coffee coolatta, then it is completely appropriate to have one! :)

plus, i am at the airport, it is like a free pass, right?

looking forward to getting home, being with my pups and making myself a delicious and healthy dinner.

my darling beagle annie

&

my crazy english bulldog georgia.

aren't they the cutest? i might be bias. :)

is it just me, or is everyone preggers?

my baby center picture this week, wee watson is the size of a lime!

i feel like since i found out i was pregnant, everyone else is too! and it is so amazing, because it is one of those things that makes you realize, this happens all the time. women get pregnant and go about their lives. it is not that there is nothing special about this process, because it is so intimate, so life changing, so beautiful. but, what seeing lots of women with their bellies buzzing around me makes me realize is that- i am going to do just fine. we all will.

i am finding that what makes me feel best about being a new mom-to-be is listening to my body. if i am tired, i rest. if i am hungry, i eat. if i am up for a spin class, i take it! i think it is so important we don't let ourselves get weighed down by all the do's and don'ts of pregnancy and trust that we were all born with a maternal instinct, and if we just listen to it, we will always make the right choice. it is your body, your baby and you know best!

so looking forward to my next ultrasound next week, today is the end of my first trimester! small glass of red wine, here i come :)

ps. if you haven't signed up for baby center yet, you should. it gives you week by week updates on the size and development of your new addition!

week ten to eleven

week eleven belly update. growing!

i still crave bagels. well, until yesterday. i finally went to the grocery store (for a while the smell and all the food was WAY too overwhelming to handle, so i avoided it and ate bagels andwhole foods salads) and discovered a new love for raisin bran. yup, good old post raisin bran, nothing fancy, but delicious with unsweetened almond milk. yum!

my appetite is coming back, full swing now. i tend to crave more and more carbs these days, hello bagels! but, having more energy i am also able to get back to my normal work outs. my midwife gave me the OK to work out as long as my body temp doesn't get over 100 degrees F, which when it is 100 degrees out, is not too hard to do. so, staying away from running outside, and hot yoga and sticking to yoga, walking and the occasional zumba class :) because they are SO much fun. if you need a zumba recommendation, let me know! if you have one, please share!

went to a deep and stretchy class with Brett this morning at Yoga Country in Brentwood and it was perfect. could have been a prenatal class, it was so nurturing and relaxing, just what i needed. a few poses that felt especially good were:

pigeon with a bolster in front so you could just melt into the earth

baddha konasana with a blanket, block or bolster in front to rest your forehead on

( i also love this supine, or on your back lying on a bolster. yum!)

and since my nausea is beginning to subside, down dog finally felt luxurious again :)

will start filming some short prenatal classes soon, so stay tuned!

ps. what would you love to see in those classes?

weeks seven to nine

First ultrasound! Wee Watson is only a few cm big...but healthy!

What an experience.

Actually, would love to say it was a good one, but unfortunately it was not. we were brought in by a nurse who told us to just sit and wait for an ultrasound tech to come. hank, my husband, and i are bursting with excitement and nerves when this women comes, reads my name off a chart and asks us to follow her into a room. she points to the table and says "lay down and pull your shorts down and your shirt up." so, i do, she slaps some goo on my non-existent belly and begins to push the machine down on my pelvis. when she realizes this is my first ultrasound, not only for this baby but ever, she quickly removes the machine and tells me she is going to have to do it vaginally since i am so early (8 weeks). At this point there has still been NO explanation of what is going on, NO questions asked. is a congratulations too much to ask for? yes ma'am.

thankfully, our second nurse and midwife were amazing. explained everything we saw on the ultrasound machine- a heathy, strong little babe :) what else could we ask for, really?

we immediately sent the picture of our wee watson out to our families, and began to spread the word to aunts, uncles and cousins. that is the best part! also told some of my close friends, waiting for the next ultrasound at 13 weeks to tell the world :) oh, and this one is optional, but according to my sister is a must do. she says it is the coolest one, we will get to hear the heartbeat! they check for any signs of down syndrome or chromosomal defects, i am not doing it for that, just for another chance to see wee watson!

so, i hope for all of you a very nurturing, relaxing and informative first ultrasound, whether it is your first ever, or just your first for the current pregnancy! if you have any stories to share or places you love, please let me know!

ps. i am craving bagels. yes, yummy toasted, veggie cream cheese covered sesame bagels. my record so far is 3 in one day. Bruggers loves me. :)

week six

nausea. enough said.

it has hit, the wrath of wee watson has begun! oh and, couldn't help but call our immediate family, it was just too much fun to share! plus, i figured, if something happened to our new addition before he/she gets to greet the world- i would need my families love and support. not that we plan for these things, but hey, who knows right?

so they call it morning sickness, but i don't know why, it is not like at noon, it ends. nope, keeps on going. so, i have struggled to eat this week, to want to eat really. i walked into one of my favorite restaurants, Wild Cow, the other day, thinking there is no way wee watson could get mad at me for this one! BUT, i had to walk right back out the door, the smell just didn't settle. so toast with butter it is.

i am also beginning to notice that my boobs are growing. and for me, this is a serious perk. :)

feeling less inclined to go to yoga, more inclined to lay on my couch, but some poses that feel really good to do right now are Cat/Cow Stretches, Child's Pose & Viparita Karani (otherwise known as legs up the wall pose). I am also loving my lavendar scented eye pillow right now, being in Viparita Karani, a sandbag on top of my feet, a bolster under my bum and sacrum and an eye pillow on my eyes...ahh, a little piece of heaven. i figure this is a time to nuture and love my body, not push it to any place it doesn't want to go.

try it and let me know what you think :)

week five

A starting point picture...

SUCCESS! six months of trying and here we are- preggers! ah! i had to call my sister, Meghan, to have her tell me the test was actually positive and that my mind was not creating that second line because i wanted it to be there so badly :) at this point, not feeling too different. looking forward to the changes that i know will come, or maybe not looking forward to them...hard to know!

still going to yoga, feeling good and being active. hoping that this is able to continue as it is such a huge piece of my life.

how do i keep this a secret?! i am bursting with excitement!

ice cream anyone?! :)