Nature vs Nurture: Who's ur daddy part deux!

So I know I should have already written this blog weeks ago, but, better late than never right?  Ok so, basically, I met my DAD!  This happened during our trip to California the end of April and it was truly wonderful!

SO, going your whole life not knowing much about a biological parent is needless to say, kinda weird. I mean when I was younger I didn't really think about it much as I saw me dwelling on things like that as a sign of emotional weakness so I would not allow it.  In my 'old age' I became 'weaker' and did allow myself to 'go there'...

First of all, I have never EVER felt like I was even remotely like anyone in my family.  Generally when you see families together or have spent any time around one you can see who resembles who, where someone acquired such and such trait, who their intelligence or lack there of came from etc.  In my family I just never felt that kindred soul-ness. This all changed when I made 'first contact' (lol) with my father! After we exchanged emails I was struck at how similar our writing style was - very conversational, unlike any other person I had had correspondence with up till this point in my life.  It was at this realization that I had to grab Drew and make him read these emails so he could see if I was just being crazy or if the resemblance was uncanny as I suspected.  The reason I bring this specific example up, is because when I did finally get to meet my dad, he brought up the same exact point!  After seeing my photos he didn't see any physical resemblance between us but the moment he saw my writing he knew right then and there that I was his daughter, and he too grabbed his spouse and shared the same realization with her that I had shared with Drew! I thought this was quite AMAZING!

So when planning our trip to Cali for Drew's schooling, I was in constant contact with Ilka, Ilka is my father's wife, and she is just awesome, I mean awesome doesn't do her justice, but for now I'll stick with awesome ;) She told me it was Scott's (my dad's name) birthday the day after Easter, the moment she told me this, I knew this was the right time to schedule a meeting, and together her and I planned a surprise reunion!  We met at California Cafe in Los Gatos for Easter brunch, Drew and I arriving early and being seated waiting anxiously for Scott and Ilka to arrive!!! It was not scary at all, I wasn't nervous just excited!  Needless to say my dad was floored when he saw us turn around in our chairs to greet them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We had the best visit and my dad smiled pretty much the whole time! :)  

Pretty much my dad is an evil genius, well evil is being used for dramatic effect more than actual description. But yeah basically I had so many questions answered upon our meeting. I could just see so much of myself in him.  Its crazy to realize from personal experience that in the debate over nature vs nurture that nature may actually have a HUGE role to play.  I have had to rethink my previous theories on the subject, and honestly that fascinates me only more so :)  I am so thankful to Ilka for making this all possible. And so thankful to be forging these new relationships!  

Our baby is a lemon!

I am officially in the second trimester!

Things to look forward to: decrease in nausea, increased energy, obvious baby bump, & boobs should stop hurting all the time lol!

This week I had my second prenatal appointment. It was short and sweet ;) I had lost a lb since the previous prenatal visit, and the midwife let me know that she was having a hard time feeling my uterus because my abs are so strong! So basically those two things mixed with getting to hear the precious 150 per minute heartbeat of our baby made for a wonderful day.

Upcoming: 

- In two weeks I will be doing the Quad screening for cystic fibrosis, down syndrome and neural tube defects

- On JUNE 24th we have an ultrasound scheduled to determine the gender of the baby! YAY!!!!!

Fetus to Fruit comparison brought to you by THE BUMP! Last week our baby was a peach, this week a lemon... totally cute! 

**Since I didn't have time to post a blog after our first prenatal visit at just under 10wks, I want to at least mention one little part because it was a shocker.  When Drew and I went in we met with a midwife who I have no objections to.  It was at the appointment that we were informed directly that epidurals are not an option in Ketchikan. To quote, "if you want an epidural, you need to find another hospital" - the issue with this statement is that THERE ARE NO OTHER HOSPITALS... So as you can imagine this came as kind of a shock, not that I went in gunning for drugs, its just you kinda always take it for granted that it will be there for you if you need it, and that it is YOUR CHOICE, not a decision forced on you by the beliefs of an ultra conservative hospital.  As I am sure you can imagine, I could totally go on and on about this denial of what is considered in most parts of the country a basic right, and if I say any more I will not be able to stop a long winded self righteous rant from happening so I am going to stop here.... for now ;)

Pregnancy isn't an excuse: MAY WORKOUT!! (& a short intro to BMI)

May 5th-31st 

Pregnancy weeks 12-15

5/5-5/11 week 12 

5/5 - Nuthin

5/6 - cardio 3.5 miles

5/7 - light cardio 3 miles

5/8 - Nuthin

5/9 - Nuthin

5/10 - cardio 5 miles, core exercise, and resistance band work (1st real workout of whole pregnancy!)

5/11 - Workout, cardio 5 miles

5/12-5/18 week 13

5/12 - cardio 4 miles, core exercise, and resistance band

5/13 - cardio 4 miles

5/14 - cardio 5 miles

5/15 - Day off

5/16 - cardio 5 miles, core exercise, and resistance band

5/17 - Pre natal appointment!  110lbs

5/18 - cardio 4 miles  

5/19-5/25 week 14 

5/19 - cardio 4 miles

5/20 - cardio 9 miles (YAY), resistance band, and core

5/21 - Day off

5/22 - cardio 4 miles

5/23 - Day off

5/24 - cardio 4 miles, resistance band, and core exercise

5/25 - cardio 6 miles
I felt flutters from the baby moving this week!!!! ;)

5/26-5/31 week 15 

5/26 - Nada

5/27 - cardio 5 miles

5/28 - cardio 7 miles

5/29 - cardio 6.5 miles, and core workout

5/30 - Day off!!!!!

5/31 - cardio 8 miles!  YAY for MAY!

Now I should start a journal with what I eat... lol... I don't think that is gonna happen, cuz I'm just too ashamed lolol.  Thanks for reading and caring! xo

How Much Weight Should You Gain in Pregnancy?

BMI	Recommended Weight Gain
30+	11-20 lbs
25 - 29.9	15-25 lbs
18.6-24.9	25-35 lbs
18.5 and lower	28-40 lbs

 I found this chart and think that every pregnant woman should make sure she knows her TRUE BMI going into pregnancy.  People (especially females) don't seem to know or care what BMI is and tend to focus on lbs.  Focusing on lbs is quite silly because a person can look thin, weigh in at normal and actually have a high unhealthy BMI, the opposite is true as well.  You can be considered normal in lbs and actually be underweight because you are muscular and muscle weighs so much more than fat.  I don't recommend finding your BMI using a chart on the internet or Doctors office that shows height and weight, because that's no better than just sticking to lbs! -It's not measuring how much fat you have on your body just how much of YOU there is!  Rather go to your trainer or an experienced professional and have them perform a caliper test to find your true body fat percentage.  I love this chart for pregnancy though because even though lbs can be fool-some (changing with increasing and decreasing muscle mass/water weight instead of fat) It at least gives you a little more of a breakdown than the normal, 'you should gain between 25 and 35lbs during your pregnancy' line that is on every website, and it bases your starting point on your BMI.

***So I also took the opportunity to read a wonderful book the latter half of this month called, Natural Hospital Birth: The best of both worlds  By: Cynthia Gabriel.  I definitely would recommend this to ANYONE whether they want to have a natural childbirth or not, but especially if you are gunning to avoid cesarean or medications that often lead to cesarean during labor. This book gives you useful tools for dealing with hospital staffs, creating and following your birthing plan, simple medical ABC's and the events that lead up to so many unnecessary cesareans.  I do believe if more women knew the information in this book they wouldn't be as scared by doctors, midwifes, and nurses and more willing to say WAIT, I don't want to induce labor, or I don't want you to break my water etc.  Trust me this is a great book for seeing how one thing leads to another, to another, to eventual surgery. Ok, done now! :)

BMI

Recommended Weight Gain

30+

11-20 lbs

25 - 29.9

15-25 lbs

18.6-24.9

25-35 lbs

18.5 and lower

28-40 lbs

ABC's. Today we'll start with A. A for Accountability

It is possible for me to write a short blurb as opposed to allowing my fingers to throw up all over the keyboard till my brain is all emptied out. AKA a blog. So my short blurb is about accountability, and not in some serious ranting type of way. In a much more silly way. I am using you. Yes YOU, used by ME. Because right now I need YOU. I am going to start keeping a calendar of every day I manage to workout and what I do during that workout as a way to keep me motivated through this pregnancy.  

I need you to hold me accountable :)

The first three months have been HELL.  I was in no position physically to even attempt a serious workout regime, and now I am 13wks along heading into the 2nd trimester things are looking up! I am now in overdrive to undo the damage done by that wasted time and to avoid unnecessary weight gain for the duration of the pregnancy. 

Look for the May 2011 workout Blog and please don't leave me hanging cuz I need your support! :)  

xoxoxoxoox

Hosptial Gownage... :)

So I have been away from here for EVER! So much to write about that I can't even begin to tackle the topics all at once... So for now, I'll start off easy with the announcement of my next project!

First of all, I have been planning to do this since way before I was pregnant, I purposely held my tongue because I didn't want to make promises to do something and then end up not doing it (nothing makes me feel more lame... except searching for a word other than lame, and still deciding on lame.)  So this project is, making my own hospital gown for delivery!  Basically, I love everything I have to be different than anyone else, or more extreme, I alter most of my clothing, add stuff, delete stuff, etc to make it my own, and usually to make it actually fit... Unless of course it happens to be one of those rare items that is just too picture perfect to touch (or I'm lazy, which has been the case thru the majority of this pregnancy so far :) )

So I am including a swatch of the fabric I bought for my gown, I have a standard pattern for the design which of course I will be altering because after all mine has to be different ;)  I took the pattern to my grandma for help in deciphering because quite honestly, I have never sewn with a pattern.  I'm more of an I want this and figure out a way to do it rather than follow directions type at times, and for this I wanted to 'do it right' so that maybe perhaps in the future I can be sewing YOUR delivery gown for your special day :)  Because honestly what could possibly be better than sporting a designer hospital gown on your big day... well except the being surrounded by family, holding your new baby, feeding your new baby for the first time etc... Ok so the gown might not come in #1 on the list of important for that day, but it's still important to ME :)

...I also will be looking to make some kinda hair accessory that matches and is most likely rediculous and annoying ;)

Okay so this is me easing back into blogging! To come will be discussion on our trip to Cali and meeting my Dad and his wife!!!! :)  More about my pregnancy experience, which has been HELL, and probably lots and lots of me complaining about feeling like a fat cow (so cover your ears and eyes now).

xoxoxoxoxo,

Heather


OH and about the swatch, the fabric is much more spread out, so it's not as busy as it looks in the shrunk down version here :)