Soooo... just when it looked like I was going to hang around here more regularly BAM! I disappear and become strangely evasive about future study commitments. 

Well, truth of the matter is that the idea got dropped like a hot brick rather quickly. Literally, the day before I was scheduled to have that meeting with my boss (I believe that was the post before last) a small spanner came hurtling on the scene. 



I'm normally very good at keep secrets and being able to pick and choose what I share but being pregnant is like growing a second head. There comes a point where it almost comes to blatant lies to keep the truth from emerging.  I promised B that we'd keep it under the lid until we were ready to "come out".  Along the way, when this was going to happen changed several times and now has come to rest on the 12 week mark.

Today we are 12 weeks 2 days and for the large part I can say that this 5.7cm foetus inside of me has been kicking my butt.  I underestimated the effects of the first trimester and although I have been lucky not to be plagued with persistent vomiting, I have instead been subject to intense nausea, food aversions, acid reflux, nasty aftertastes (yes, even water had an aftertaste) and FATIGUE.  While the nausea is generally subsiding I am now finding it a requirement to slip into a coma for an hour or two on a daily basis (goodness knows how I'm going to go at work this week) and have gained near daily headaches.

I have to say that despite the chronic discomfort and the fact that I seem to gain an extra layer of fat just looking at food (not that I can eat anything remotely resembling a big meal anymore), I am stoked to say the least and we are both very, very excited. 

Exercise has been a bit tricky for me.  In the beginning I got scared off doing too much because I had a lot of cramping.  This cramping is actually the uterus stretching to get ready to accommodate for the little homunculus inside but it bears an awful resemblance to those nasty cramps you get at period time.  Unfortunately, when that settled down, nausea set it... pretty much all day and worsening at night.  I've kept two morning sessions a week at stupid o'clock but I always feel sick by the end. 

It is hard because there are whole bunch of restrictions now on what I can and cannot do as well the fact that I can't let my heart rate hang over 150bpm for very long.  (Hence the reason I purchases the HR monitor is previous post).   So, I am hoping that as we ease into the second trimester, I will start to feel better enough that I can increase my activity level a little more!

I've got a stack of ultrasound pics from the last few weeks and even some video but I'll just pop up one of the best ones from yesterday:


 
Of course, the presentation wouldn't be complete without a belly pic to go... Please excuse all feralities to be noted.  Lot of fat and bloat at the moment but eventually it will turn into some baby!



Ironically, this precious little bundle... that I am currently betting is a boy... is due on our wedding anniversary in April next year.  Unreal huh?  On a bit of a tight schedule because my PHI hospital cover kicks in three days before my EDD and my doc goes on holidays five days afterwards... so... there is going to be plenty of natural encouragement once the hospital waiting period is over!  

At worst though, if the homunculus comes a little bit too early I can get transferred to Mater (we are going to be booked in at Sunnybank Private) where my doc has delivery rights.

Okay so that's it!  That's where I've been and that's what I've been up to!  I promise not to flog the daylights out of the baby theme on here and on facebook.  I know it can be a little tiresome when ever update is either pregnancy or child related.