Meet the peanut

So here is our little peanut! Once again we were unable to find out what flavour our peanut is. The umbilical cord was between the legs obscuring the view, Mum says maybe we are not meant to know.

But most importantly we were assured our baby is healthy, growing at the right rate and has a strong heart beat. Length from head to bum is almost 14cm now and weighs approx 250 grams. The books tell me the other 2.5kgs I have gained are placenta, uterus etc however some of that has definitely gone to my butt!

The scan also confirmed yet again what a wriggler our baby is!! Peanut did not want to stay still for one second throughout the scan, which is why the last few scans have been a bit blurry! So I guess Brett will have to put up with another fidget in the family. :)

19 weeks down!

We saw our baby yesterday, so amazing to see the little one waving and swimming around!! All that activity explains the many flutters I feel these days. Will post pics asap if they scan in ok!

Back to work

After a few months as a lady of leisure, I finally returned to work on Monday starting a 4 month contract with Dick Smith. Initially I was dreading going back to work, the thought of being stuck in an office all day, staring at a computer and attending countless meetings. The routine of corporate life was no longer very appealing.

Believe it or not, I have really enjoyed it! Working with nice people and having a gritty project and new team certainly helps. Plus it's close to home, good money and has some really interesting challenges for me to tackle! However there was one major hurdle I had to overcome, and it wasn't the fact my corporate wardrobe no longer fits me, the extreme exhaustion or that it took 3 days for my laptop to arrive, it was leaving our puppy Chewy at home all day by himself.

I suffered separation anxiety like I have never experienced before. All day Sunday I kept asking Brett if it was safe to leave him outside on his own, "is 23c going to be too hot for him?" On Monday morning I felt a stab in my heart as I cuddled him and left him with a bone in the backyard. Brushing dog hair off my dress I dragged my heels as I walked out the door. I sent a couple of sms to Brett, looking for reassurance our pup would be ok. In the end Brett actually came home early, probably more for my sake than for Chewy!

It really got me thinking about all the Mums who juggle work and children, and the guilt they feel at leaving their kids. If I am this bad with our dog how will I be when I return to work a year or so after our baby is born? Gosh...not sure I am ready to deal with that just yet!

What to wear?

It's not like I haven't asked myself this question before, I have sooo many clothes in my wardrobe but have always faced the daily challenge of "What will I wear today?" only to try on 7 different outfits and then go with the first one or a variation of it.

But now there's a new challenge to throw into the mix. What fits me? What will make me look and feel good rather than make me look like I have just swallowed a sack of potatoes whole?

At 17 weeks my belly is still not big enough to wear proper maternity clothes, yet I have grown out of most of my own clothes. So I am at the in between stage of not quite looking pregnant and more like I have been indulging in too many cakes and take away meals.

However, unlike my pre-pregnancy days I now prefer to stick my belly out, it makes me feel like I look pregnant. Actually it's quite nice letting it all hang out rather than looking like I am sucking on a lemon because I'm concentrating on sucking in my tummy muscles.

Tonight we are going out for our anniversary dinner, my first big night out in a while. It's 9am and I am about to wade through my wardrobe to see if any of my dresses will work or if I need to hit the shops. Wish me luck!!

Craving of the week!

I cannot get enough oranges and orange juice. Actually, I am right into all orange foods at the moment especially roasted pumpkin and carrot, but oranges are my must have and must have now obsession.

I sent Brett out for OJ the other night and was devastated when he came back with Spring Valley orange juice concentrate. "It's all they had honey." I held back my tears (bloody hormones) as I took a couple of sips, nope it's not the same and it just won't do!

Don't get me wrong, I was grateful Brett had walked down to the corner store late at night, but next time I'll be sending him straight to the supermarket for real juice or enough oranges to squeeze a glass of that liquid gold. Luckily (for Brett) I remembered we had oranges in the fruit bowl. I chopped them up into little wedges and devoured them in about 30 seconds. It hit the spot!

Mmmmm, off to get my nightly orange fix now.

Craving of the week!

Since I became pregnant I cannot get enough toast. It was the only cure for my relentless nausea.

Finally the morning sickness has pretty much passed. However my cravings for toast continue but the toppings are really the key! I can't have just peanut butter or vegemite, it needs to be an interesting and tasty combination. Favourites have included banana + peanut butter, jam + cheese, banana + honey + peanut butter and many more.

This week the winner is vegemite + cheese + baked beans. Yummy!

We have a wriggler!

I think I felt bubby move last night, but then again it could have been my tummy demanding more food. There are so many strange sensations and feelings now that I can't keep track. I am generally very in tune with my body anyways, so all these new sensations are new and exciting however a little overwhelming sometimes.

After the suspect movement I lay on the couch willing bubby to move again so I could be sure, but of course nothing happened. Then when I switched my attention back to the appalling Hey Hey It's Saturday Reunion (don't get me started on this!) Brett was watching, it happened again.

You know in retrospect I think our baby was willing Daddy to turn the TV over. I so hope this child does not grow up with it's father's tv viewing habits.

15 weeks down!

All is well with our peanut following our OB appointment yesterday and we got to see the little one on the big big screen which is always a thrill. However he/she is no longer a peanut and now looks like a real life baby. OMG I am carrying a real life baby!!

Our OB Stephen went through all the usual questions about how I'm feeling etc and I filled him in on my unlucky run-in with a dodgy sausage roll and the horrific aftermath of that! We also discussed the swine flu vaccination, which I am still undecided on and then it was time to see the babe.

Before the scan Stephen asked us if we wanted to know the sex. Of course I immediately shrieked "YES, tell me now???" I could not contain my excitement. Then I remembered I was there with my husband so I asked Brett, have you decided yet? He ummed and ahhed and said sure why not, I might as well find out. Stephen suggested he shouldn't find out if he wasn't sure but Brett said go ahead.

He firstly checked the heart beat and measurements which were all perfect and on track according to my due date! Stephen asked if I'd felt movement. Not yet, just a bit of gas and some stretching pains as the baby grows. I apparently have a real fidget in my belly, the babe did not sit still for the whole scan!

So after a few waves and kicks from our very active baby, Stephen poked and prodded my expanding tummy to find the right position to reveal the sex. Only to discover it was not clear... BUGGER! I now have to wait for the 19 week scan and Brett gets another 4 weeks to umm and ahh over whether to find out or not. Fate he says...poor Burnsy really doesn't like being caught off guard.

I'd post a picture but they are all a bit fuzzy I'm afraid. The 3D pictures make our baby look like the chiko baby lollies I used to love as a kid. So I will wait for the 19 week scan at the hospital to post the fancy pants scan that cost us an arm and a leg. Oh the wonders of the digital age!!

Off to the OB today

Can't wait to see our little baby up on the big screen!!