Diaries of the Newly Enceinte: The First Trimester (Weeks 11 to 13)

yes, my cheeks have filled out and I'm now starting to show...

Week 11

Week 11 starts with bang. So while I have told my closer friends about our impending arrival, I haven't really shared the news with the wider group. I'm not precious about it, I just don't think its anyone else's business until I start showing.

Well apparently, there has been talk already! It all started when I began wearing flats to work. Who knew that my stilettos and heels have become such a part of my "image" at work?? Followed by the big red flag of us buying a crossover SUV. While we bought the car before we even knew, thinking we've always wanted to try a bigger car, to all observing it was a sure sign that we were getting "family ready."

Then I started coming to work embodying Annie Lennox's Whiter Shade of Pale, skipping my usual coffee runs with work mates & substituting with hot chocolate. Plus let's not forgot the flowy tops or the cardigans and goodbye to my button ups and pencil skirts. All these combined just started people talking.

When I found out, I did get briefly annoyed (no one wants to be talked about, even if the news here is quite happy news), got over it, then just started thinking of how silly everyone was tiptoeing around with their speculation. So out of the blue, I just went ahead and told one person (the first to tease me about the people mover) and just like that, I had four people congratulating me in the afternoon.

Tomorrow we go for our Nuchal Test Scan to assess the baba's risk for down syndrome. I'm sure we'll be fine. I'm just more excited to see baby again.

At this stage, if I can have an ultrasound kit at home I'd probably try to get a peek at my baby and just stare every chance I get. Maybe I should convince PIC to get a stethoscope so I can stalk baby's heartbeat instead...

Other than the office drama, no major milestones this week. Apart from PIC dubbing my gassy episodes as time for "the burping song" and convincing me he'll get our child to call him "The One" instead of Daddy, all's quiet in the soon-to-be-parents world. Just me catching up on house chores that have gone to the wayside given my  perpetually nauseous condition for the last two months.

Queenstown trip next week! this one deserves a post on its own, so we'll do that separately...

Week 12

The NT scan at the end of week 11 didn't happen. We got to the Radiology place and they told us that the baby's gestational age was barely over 9 weeks and its too early. We should come back in a week or two for the scan. Oy. We haven't even met our midwife yet and she's already starting to annoy us. Never calls on time when she says she would and now rushing us into a scan a wee bit too early. This is why I always worry about these free services, you're never truly assured of what you're getting.

Anyway, its January 1st and we are now at the theoretical 3-month mark! I am now 3 months pregnant, but the fetus is only 10 weeks old. Its the last week of our 2.5 week break, and I am starting to feel normal again.

Major milestones? Well ever since they said that your baby starts moving at 10 wks but first time moms may not feel it yet, I've started the habit of feeling my tummy before I go to bed just to look for baba's heartbeat. Sometimes I find it, sometimes I don't, but lately I think I'm getting good at it. One night in particular, when I finally found it, I felt a brief poke against my palm! It took a few seconds for me to register this but I finally realized it was a kick! That was probably one of the most amazing and weirdest bodily experience for me of all time. PIC's reaction? "Stop pestering our baby! He probably got annoyed from all your poking around."  

Week 13

Its our next to final week of waiting... by week 14 baba will officially be in the clear and there's no more turning back. Time to go revisit Amazon and hit "checkout!"

Most of this week will still be spent home enjoying the last days of my break and to be quite honest, I don't really know how I'll manage to get back to the grind. While the nausea is almost completely gone, the fatigue is still there and I have gotten used to my afternoon naps. I have also gotten used to eating every 5 minutes!

Because of this non stop eating, I also started the week picking out maternity clothes. Never in my life have I felt the least excited about clothes shopping. While they're not all bad, maternity just isn't my style but I am forced to wear it. Not to mention the idea that I'm spending hundreds of dollars on items that will only last me for the next 6 months. Oh well. Its either that or go to work in track pants which albeit comfy, is a fate worst than death I think.