What I know now. . .

Thanks to my friend Jackie who did this same thing during her pregnancy, Ben and I are going to do a weekly pregnancy journal with pictures of me and a short note to the baby from Ben until the baby comes! We're really excited to do this!

(Click the picture to enlarge)

What I know now at 16 weeks:

1. It is so fun when you decide to get pregnant. It's just all so exciting and new, crossing into the mysterious and unknown.
   
2. "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" is the best book on the planet. Every girl should be required to read it in high school. Go read it. Now.
   
3. If you take a pregnancy test and it says "Negative" but then you start craving fish (which you've always hated)...the test is wrong. Just wait a couple more days.
   
4. It was so fun telling Ben that we were pregnant. I put this (on my scrapbook page you can see it) piece of paper at the bottom of his ice cream bowl and waited for him to read it at the end. His face was priceless.
5. When we went to my 8 week ultrasound, it took her a little while to find the baby and I got scared thinking I was wrong about being pregnant and that nothing would be there. But then when she finally found our little shrimpy...it was love at first sight.
6. I've gained 5 lbs and I'm okay with that. I actually wish I were at the stage of 10-15 lbs just so it would be more noticeable that I'm pregnant...not just a little round up front.
   
7. Being pregnant is so fun. It's so surreal though. I still don't feel like it's real!
8. I've been so lucky. Week 5-8 was my worse, just feeling nauseous constantly all day long. I've only thrown up 5 times: 1) When I let myself get too hungry on a drive home, parked, opened the car door and was instantly flooded with the smell of curry....ran to the elevator but didn't make it, releasing it all over the walls and and floor while running. I hate curry. 2) Somewhere on my 35 hour flight home. Don't ask me when, I don't want to recall that experience, and 3) 4) and 5) were here in America in the morning when I couldn't get to food fast enough.
   
9. I've learned to keep graham crackers by the side of my bed.
   
10. Jet lag + being pregnant = SO TIRED.
    
11. Our 2-week trip to Mozambique, camping and roughing it with that heat and crappy food has a whole new meaning now that you know that I was pregnant during it. Talk about a trooper!!
12. It's fine to take your baby skydiving at 4 weeks.
    
13. It's very, very difficult to not tell any of your family or friends that you're pregnant for 13 weeks.
14. It's also the funnest thing to finally tell them. (Videos coming soon).
    
15. Gagging. It happens a lot. Smells get me. Refrigerators and my brother's gas are the worst right now.
    
16. I have a new relationship with food. I've always been a big eater; ask Ben, a good friend, or a family member. My nickname was "Hoover" but now it's "When-my-tummy-rumbles-you-better-get-out-of-the-way."
    
17. And I don’t need just any food. I have to think, rummage, and smell-test for a while before I decide what I can do.
    
18. I want pizza right now.
19. All of this food stuff is actually getting better now starting week 16.
    
20. I'm glad I did my Triathlon right before I got pregnant. Since I've been too lazy to exercise since.
    
21. Babycenter.com = amazing.
    
22. After going your whole life trying not to gain weight, you are told you’ll be gaining a pound a week--hooray!
    
23. My bra size is doubling daily I swear.
    
24. During the 12 week ultrasound, when our baby got poked, it squirmed in protest. We loved it.
    
25. We're pretty sure about the gender...but we'll find out this Saturday! What do you think it is? Vote on the side of the blog.
26. I can't believe that I'm almost half-way done. I really can't wait for the next stage: knowing the gender and feeling the baby move!