Thank Goodness for Rubber Bands (aka 14 Weeks)

Well, I'm trying not to run out and buy maternity clothes just yet. But I can no longer comfortably button my jeans, let alone sit down in them. I bought one of those belly bands that you can wrap over your pants and leave them unbuttoned, but seriously, all that happens when I sit down is that I show major plumber crack.

So I've started to thread a rubber band around my button. Let's see how long this lasts!

How We Found Out

Recently -- and I guess not surprisingly -- I've been asked how I found out that I was pregnant. The honest truth is that I peed on a stick and that stick then displayed two pink lines. It's not that exciting of a story. But the back story is a bit better, so I figure I'll document it. And years from now, if I forget it, I can always come back to this blog and remember it.

Let's get one thing straight: we were trying to get pregnant. However, we were entirely shocked and of course, elated, when the said stick displayed two pink lines. This would be due to the fact that for about two months, I had been using ovulation predictor test strips to try to figure out when I was ovulating. So, in theory, I had a pretty good idea if we were on the mark in the baby making department.

For those of you fortunate enough to not be in the know, these test strips are a lot like pregnancy tests. You pee on them, and if there is a certain level (a high, surging level) of what is called luteinizing hormone in your urine, the test strip -- yes, you guessed it -- will display a line on it. A purple line. It has to be dark, though. Light purple isn't good enough. When you see the dark purple line, you're about to ovulate, so it's a good time to hop in the sack and get busy. Go conceive!

OK, back to why this story is worth remembering. For two months, I peed on these sticks as directed. And for two months, these sticks never displayed the line they were supposed to display on them. I even got my period after the first month of using them, which means it is highly probable I did ovulate at some point that month; it's just that the damn sticks never told me.

After going through another month of only getting light purple lines and never the beloved dark purple line on my tests, I was kind of irritated to say the least. So I decided that it was time to invest in some digital ovulation predictor test strips. What's the difference between the digital ones and the ones I was using before? About $50. And of course, a digital display that says "Ovulating" or "Not Ovulating" rather than the purple line. I don't remember if the digital tests are actually more sensitive or better, I was just done with the faint purple lines.

So as we're approaching the day I thought I would get my period, something funny happens. I don't get my period. Jeremy suggests I take a pregnancy test, and although I really don't feel like going through another disappointing peeing on a stick experience, I agree. And much to my dismay, the stick produces a faint pink line. Which should have made me happy, because on pregnancy tests, as opposed to ovulation tests, faint colored lines are a good thing. But seeing one more faint line on a pee stick really pissed me off! So in a moderate fit of rage, I snapped the stick in half and told Jeremy I was done with peeing on sticks for a while.

A while didn't last very long, because three days later, I still hadn't gotten my period. So I peed on another pregnancy test. And this time, the line was darker. In fact, it was a pretty fat, dark line. So I peed on another stick, and that stick, too, displayed a fat, dark, definitely pregnant pink line. Still cautious of these lines, I decided to check one more time. One of the packs of tests I had purchased included a digital pregnancy test. No lines! It was time to try it out. So I peed again -- luckily, I always have to pee -- and it said "YES+."

I don't remember what we did after that. I know we were really happy, so I guess we hugged and kissed and cried a little bit in our bathroom. We celebrated not with wine, but with some ice cream, and then went to Barnes and Noble and bought a ton of pregnancy books. I started to not feel so great. And the nine month wait for Baby Bolton began.

Every day I'm Shufflin

Right before I found out that I was pregnant, I had the most amazing run. It was a gorgeous, sunny day. I ran down to Palisades Park in Santa Monica, along the dirt path to the Santa Monica Pier and then back up to San Vicente Blvd. I kept going up the dirt path in the median along San Vicente before going through the “North of Montana” neighborhoods and back to our apartment. I felt like I was flying, and I was getting excited at the chance to best my Personal Record at an upcoming half marathon for which I’d registered.

Within a week, my glorious runs were gone. I use a GPS app on my iPhone when I run to track my pace and distance, so at every mile, it tells me my total time and current pace. One morning, I really thought I was doing great, and I felt like I was really pushing myself. So it was incredibly surprising to hear my app tell me my pace was around 11 minutes per mile. I figured it was a GPS problem, but by the second mile, when I was again hovering around 11 minutes per mile despite being totally out of breath, something didn’t feel quite right. I assumed I was getting sick. Then a few more days passed and I did start getting sick, and well, the rest is history.

Given my “condition” – ha! – I decided to skip the half marathon. But I have continued to run three or four times a week since learning I was pregnant. Let’s be honest, I don’t know if what I’m doing really qualifies as running. It’s definitely a jog, if not a shuffle. Most days, I run incredibly slowly; but I have yet to be passed by a walker, so that’s keeping me motivated. Amazingly, though, I actually want to run more than I did, even when I was super crazy marathon girl trying to qualify for Boston. Maybe it’s because I care more about the run being good for me, and for Peanut, than I care about being fast. Or maybe it’s because I have zero expectations or plans or feelings of guilt related to training for an actual race. Or maybe it’s because I’ve read that women who exercise during pregnancy have easier time with labor, and I’m certainly down with an easier time in labor.

Whatever it is, I am really happy to again feel nothing but happiness when I run. No pressure. No guilt. No expectations. Just every day some shufflin.

Announcing Generation #2

What would the Boltanos do? Well, as I noted in my last entry - which I posted a pitiful three months ago - we resolved to make a family this year. And although I can still barely believe it, it's true: we're having a baby. Generation #2 of the Boltano family will arrive around October 24!

We first learned of the good news back at the end of January, but we've only just started to tell our friends and family. In this time, I have learned that of the many aspects of pregnancy that are challenging or difficult, including persistent feelings of nausea, exhaustion, leg cramps, and not being allowed to drink wine, not discussing one's pregnancy until the end of the first trimester has probably  been the most difficult for me. And you thought it would have been giving up booze? It's OK, me too. 

Seriously, when in my life have I ever kept a secret? OK, that sounds ridiculous. I'm not a total gossip, I can keep secrets. But I'm much better at keeping other people's secrets, not my own. Up until these past thirteen weeks, I don't think I've ever gone more than 15 minutes without telling someone what's going on in my life. We told our parents and a few of our best friends around Week 5, after a week's worth of positive pregnancy tests. And then we told a few more friends after our first ultrasound around Week 7. We heard the little one's heartbeat and saw that a small peanut-shaped mass was indeed growing in my uterus. And since then, we have nicknamed the baby Peanut. (So much nicer than "It.") The doctor said all looked good, but she also recommended waiting to share the news with the entire world for a few more weeks. 

But those next few weeks -- five of them, to be exact -- were excruciating. So damn slow! I'll admit, I was pretty anxious wondering if everything was going OK. I've managed a lot of "custom" development projects in my life, and their common thread has normally been that nothing ever goes according to the project plan. Hence, I'm accustomed to lots of check-in meetings with engineers, asking them to *show* not just *tell* me how much progress they've made since our last meeting. Pregnancy doesn't work this way, to say the least. And although feeling like absolute shit is apparently a good sign that the body is doing what it's supposed to be doing, it isn't always reassuring. 

So when we finally had our last appointment (Week 12) this past Monday, I was overjoyed to again see Peanut on the monitor. Turns out that Peanut is doing really well! Even following the project plan, for the most part! Peanut is currently 5 centimeters long with a heart rate of 167 beats per minute. We saw lots of movement and a little bit of hiccups. It was amazing.

So it is official, and it's time to share the news with the whole world. Jeremy and I are having a baby!  All the nausea and exhaustion, the crazy leg cramps and forgone glasses of wine... well, they are all just so worth it. Trimester #2 begins on Wednesday; and apparently, I will soon begin to feel like a whole new woman. Fingers crossed...

If you're interested, and if you read this far I assume that you are, here are a couple of photos from the past thirteen weeks!

Week 7: My uterus is on the left, and Peanut is sprouting out of the bottom.

Week 7: 3D image of Peanut, who only sort of resembles an actual peanut...

Week 12: Peanut just chilling. I love Peanut's cute little nose.

Week 12: 3D image of Peanut, who is a little shy and holding his or her hands above his or her face.
Peanut is already taking after his or her father.

And if you're still eager for more, Jeremy made a really cute video of the best parts of our Week 12 Ultrasound. It's only 2 minutes, and I must say, I've watched it about a hundred times. Hope you enjoy it, too. 

Baby Bolton - 12 Weeks from Nicole Bolton on Vimeo.

More updates to come soon!