First Trimester in a Nutshell

I haven't made any firm decisions on how often I'll post about my pregnancy or how detailed I'll get, but reading about other pregnancies has been helpful and interesting to me, so I want to include some of the basics. So here you go!

Click here for the original announcement.

Overall Health and Checkups
Thankfully, after the colitis, I've been very healthy throughout the pregnancy. I felt a little bit of all the expected symptoms (nausea, breast tenderness, fatigue, hunger, minor food aversions), but nothing extreme. My vitals, blood tests, and ultrasounds have all looked good so far.

We were referred to an OB/GYN next door to my regular doctor, and we really love him so far. He's in his seventies, super sweet and soft spoken, and he's one of the top surgical experts at UCLA, even though we don't anticipate needing those services. He is also an advocate of natural birth, which I appreciate.

So far, all signs show that baby is healthy and strong. We've heard the heartbeat and seen two images, so it's starting to feel more real. I'm doing well, too, putting on a few pounds and getting back some energy. I said a lot during the first trimester that I just didn't feel 100%, and I'm finally feeling like myself again.

For now, we go to the doctor every four weeks, and our next appointment is right before Christmas. Terry has been able to come to all the appointments so far, and we both teared up when we heard the heartbeat for the first time. It's pretty crazy to know I'm responsible for growing a person--I'm glad to have Terry to help me through it!

Workouts
I mentioned briefly that we're trying to keep up a normal workout routine, which, for me, includes strength and cardio. I spoke with my doctor to ask about how my workouts should change, if at all. At our 8-week appointment, my doctor simply said I can continue my normal workouts with two caveats:

1. Keep my heart rate under 140 BPM (beats per minute). I don't have a heart rate monitor (though I've always wanted a Polar), so I measured the old fashioned way and determined that my heart rate gets to around 140 when I jog at 6 mph. So I just don't go over 6 mph (or about that level of exertion). I've cut out all HIIT workouts, but I still do some interval training (walk a few minutes, jog a few minutes, or walk at different speeds/inclines). 
2. Avoid intense plyometrics and intense jumping. Honestly, I was more than willing to give up jumping. My stomach, pelvis, and lower abs weren't thrilled about even jumping jacks over the last two months, so I felt ready to keep my feet on the ground. As I mentioned, I'm still cleared to jog, and my body feels fine doing speed skaters, but nothing more intense than that.

So here's what I've been doing as part of my "normal" workout routine:

• Lots of long walks (3-5 miles), especially with plenty of hills to keep my tush and legs toned.
• Hiking (I have noticed that I need to go a little slower than usual, maybe 3.5-4 mph, and I take a few more water breaks than before). 
• Jogging and/or walking with jogging intervals. I love to alternate 2 minutes running with one minute walking because it keeps my heart rate at a safe level but still challenges me. I did run the full 5K (it was tough to remind myself not to actually race and just go at my 6 mph pace!).
• Zumba, first time today (technically second trimester, but would have been fine last trimester too), with very minor modifications to avoid too much bouncing.
• Strength training: Pretty much everything I did before, but limiting myself to 5-10 pounds, as per doctor's orders (for second trimester). Basically my doctor said to avoid straining myself, so as long as I feel comfortable, I will continue to do what feels good for my body. My favorites are lunges, bench dips, any hip abductor exercises, and biceps curls.
• Prenatal yoga: I'm doing some videos I've found on YouTube, and I like the relaxation and mindfulness aspects. It's also really helpful to stretch my pelvis and hips--those areas get pretty sore!
• Abs: I had heard before becoming pregnant that some doctors recommend avoiding ab exercises, preferring soft stomachs instead. I asked my doctor, and he simply said that around 16 weeks I should no longer be laying on my back, but that I can still do exercises in other positions. So I like side bend crunches, side and regular planks, and bird dogs. 

I'll be sure to post my workouts like I usually do, providing the normal version and the pregnancy-safe version!

Food

Luckily, I haven't had any major aversions or cravings (no desperation for pickles at 3 am so far). The only minor aversions:

• meat on its own (a big hunk of steak just doesn't appeal to me, but a burger is okay)
• cooked spinach
• I don't have as much of a sweet tooth as before
• I don't know if I would call it an aversion, but I struggled with drinking enough water. I used to drink around 90 ounces or more per day, and now I was barely drinking 40.

And the only minor cravings:

• pita and hummus for the first few weeks (we went to a Middle Eastern restaurant and I think I ate about a pint of hummus)
• guacamole (but I can't confirm that I really want the guac that much more than I did before--who doesn't love guac?)

Since I've been okay with eating pretty much everything I normally do, it was easy to continue eating all the meals I regularly cook. The only struggle was that I needed significantly more food, lots of snacks throughout the day (large meals left me feeling super nauseous). I knew I was only supposed to gain around half a pound per week for the first trimester, so I was stunned at how much food I could pack away and how my body was obviously using all those calories, because I gained exactly one pound for my entire first trimester. Now that second trimester has rolled around, I'm on track for gaining the right amount of weight, though!

The Bump

Alright, I won't inundate the blog with bump photos, but here's progress so far:

(Left to right) Week 7, Week 13, Week 14

If it looks like I already had a mini bump in Week 7, it's because that was the first day I noticed a "bump" (actually just bloating, an awesome side effect of pregnancy) and we snapped a picture in case it was our last chance. It's so strange to watch my belly grow, even if it's just a little bit so far. I'm already in maternity jeans (Old Navy had a cute pair, and they are SO comfortable), and some of my shirts and workout tops are too tight. But it's exciting to start to see some evidence of the little life I'm growing!

Miscellaneous

• My doctor recommended What to Expect When You're Expecting for my reading. I'm also using the Baby Center pregnancy app, which describes the baby's development as well as what's going on with me. My mom subscribed me to Fit Pregnancy magazine, just for some fun reading material, and I have a few other books on my Christmas list that I hope to read before June.
• We had fun announcing the news to our families. We told Terry's parents by giving them gifts--a "UCLA Grandpa" shirt for his dad (Terry's parents are also alumni) and a "Grandmother" charm for his mom's charm bracelet. We told my brother, sister-in-law, and parents by showing them a slideshow "of our Europe trip", which included the following photo:

And now I'm off to relax with Terry. Back tomorrow with the usual post!

A Serious Meal and a Picnic Lunch

Well, we need to have a really serious talk...about the meal I devoured for dinner last night. It was ridiculous and delicious and perfect for a Sunday.

Jenn, Justin, Terry, and I have been trying to get together for a double date for what feels like (and might actually be) months. Between Terry's business trips, my new part time job, and Jenn and Justin's hectic schedules, we finally found time last night to enjoy a meal at their apartment.

Jenn and her family are Italian and mostly from Buffalo, New York; on occasion a few of them get together to make Sauce. (Jenn simply refers to it as "sauce," and I deemed the capitalization necessary after tasting it last night.) A few weeks ago, they made a few big batches, and Jenn saved some so we could try it. This stuff is insanely delicious. It may look like a typical pasta sauce, but the components are anything but ordinary: homemade meatballs, sausage (from Buffalo--they flew it out here last time they visited), stew meat, and ribs. Yep, full on ribs thrown right in the Sauce. It's all spicy, tender, flavorful meat, and it just melts in your mouth. I didn't even take a picture of the stuff.

Anyway, Jenn served the Sauce with brown rice pasta and roasted asparagus and a fresh Italian salad (mozzarella, peppers, artichoke hearts, cucumbers, greens, and a simple vinaigrette). We all went back for seconds of the Sauce and pasta, and I really think I could have even eaten a third helping.

But then it was time for dessert and some Euchre, a card game Jenn and Justin have introduced us to before.

I swear this baby (actual child, not the apple crisp) is using up all my brain cells because I just could not grasp some of the most basic concepts of the game, even though I've played it before. Luckily everyone was patient with me, but I felt so frustrated asking the same questions over and over.

Thankfully, I think my dessert compensated for my ridiculous case of baby brain. I made Lisa's Cinnamon Apple Crisp, topped with homemade cinnamon ice cream. We all thought the dessert was phenomenal. It couldn't have been easier to make, too! Terry helped with chopping the apples and pecans. I made a few changes:

• We used ramekins instead of glass jars.
• We omitted the step where she adds melted butter and honey to the apples themselves--and we all agreed it was sweet enough without!
• We used 3 apples for 6 ramekins (6 servings), so half an apple per serving, and therefore 1/6 of the crumble topping per serving (instead of 1/8 as she suggests). 
• We used almond flour instead of whole wheat flour. If you do this and use gluten-free oats (TJ's oats are gluten-free), the whole dish is gluten-free, which is why it was the perfect dessert at Jenn's.
• We used chopped pecans instead of walnuts.

I left the extra two servings with Jenn and Justin to eat for breakfast this morning, which I now regret because it was just so yummy that I want more for me! Luckily we have one more apple, so I might whip up some of this for me and Terry another day before he takes off again.

This morning I had a little extra time before subbing a half day, so I tried Tina's newest workout (every Monday she posts a workout and they're always awesome). I used her moves and threw in a few of my own for what felt like a pretty decent strength workout for a Monday morning. I also packed up a hodgepodge of a lunch for me a Terry, scraping together every last edible morsel in our house for a picnic:

• 1 orange, to share
• 2 apples, sliced, with peanut butter on the side
• whole wheat pita (3) with eggplant hummus
• Greek yogurt with a little honey to share
• about 2 cups of popcorn
• some almonds and sliced cheddar cheese

I told Terry it was a "creative" lunch, but at least it hit most of the food groups (er...except for veggies). Terry grabbed dinner at Chipotle since I wasn't home tonight, a good idea given the state of affairs in our fridge. 

Tonight I worked at the store for a few hours, but tomorrow I have (so far) the entire day off--except for grocery shopping! And I just got word that Terry doesn't leave tomorrow! Hooray!

Do you prefer multiple items for lunches or just one big serving, like a sandwich? I actually enjoy a snack platter now and then, as long as I feel satisfied afterward. I was nervous that today's lunch wouldn't be enough for us, but we were stuffed before we finished!

Scenes from the Weekend

What a wonderful end to the weekend. Terry and I were supposed to get our car serviced and visit a new scuba shop today, but both plans didn't work out, so we took it as a sign to stay home and snuggle up together. We made cinnamon ice cream for tonight's dinner with Jenn and Justin at their place (I'm in charge of dessert), I baked chocolate cookies, we watched a few movies as we got a few things done around the house, and we took a little walk to pick up a few essentials for the week. Lunch was BLTAs on grilled bread (Terry was quite proud of my grill marks).

Last night, after a full day of work at the store, Terry and I headed out to downtown LA for dinner and a movie with Heidi and Ed.

We bought a Travelzoo voucher months ago (before Heidi and I were both pregnant!) and needed to use it before Christmas, so last night we made it happen. Aside from the traffic getting to LA Live (the entertainment center of downtown LA), the night was awesome. The voucher included dinner at LA Market, famous for the signature chef Kerry Simon. We thought the meal was a fantastic deal: $135 for four people (not including tip) and we got to choose any four appetizers, any four entrees (including sides, if your meal doesn't hit the max price), and two desserts for the table. I chose the baked artichoke for my appetizer, and of course I had to get the famous burger that won Iron Chef for Chef Simon.

Hello, gorgeous.

And we all sampled the junk food platter for dessert!

Cotton candy, vanilla milkshakes, macaroons, macarons, churros, caramel corn, cookies, Snickers bars, and brownies. 

We all loved our meals and left stuffed. Moreover, I was impressed with the seasonal, local food that the restaurant serves. Terry and I are already talking about going back.

After dinner and catching up, we walked across the street to the movie theater to see Frozen. We all thought it was a great movie! Perfect for the holidays (though not at all about Christmas) and a great story. We also saw some "elves" building a life-sized gingerbread house!

It was a late night (definitely our latest in awhile), so I was grateful to sleep in a bit this morning. And we're excited to catch up with Jenn and Justin tonight to celebrate their engagement and catch up, because it's been awhile!

On the schedule this week: Terry leaves for another business trip, but we don't know when. I took Tuesday off because he was originally scheduled to leave Wednesday, but now he might leave a day early. :-( I have some subbing and work at the store lined up, and I'm hoping for three cardio days and three strength days for my workouts (some might overlap). And since I'll likely be back to meals for one, hopefully I can come up with some creative ideas for what to make. The creativity fairy hasn't struck yet...

Hope you have a lovely rest of the night and a fantastic start to the week!

Travel Ornaments

Before I begin, I'd like to send a HUGE congrats to TWO of my best friends who are getting married!

Jenn and Justin just got engaged a week ago. Justin proposed at Thanksgiving dinner with their families. These two are such an awesome couple and so fun to be around; we are already stoked about their wedding! Congrats, Jenn and Justin!

Isn't this the world's best picture? Jenn, Justin, and another of my bridesmaids, Fay, who is also getting married next year! 

Fay and David got engaged over the summer. I met both of them (actually, I met David first when we were both tour guides in college) at UCLA, and Fay and I have been pen pals and close friends ever since she moved to Maryland for law school after we graduated. This adorable couple lives in DC now, and I'm finally going to visit them in January! Their wedding at UCLA (on campus! how cool is that?) will be in July of next year. Hooray for weddings!

Alright, back to business...

Since I don't really have a set work schedule, my days really vary, even week to week. This week I subbed Monday and Tuesday and worked at the store Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I had yesterday off from both jobs, and since I took care of all my errands on Wednesday, I took a more relaxed approach to yesterday's adventures. (I call my daily activities "adventures" because they almost always turn out to be somehow ridiculous and/or dangerous.)

Yesterday morning I used leftover batter from Wednesday's breakfast to make my favorite waffles before sending Terry off to work. Wednesday I also chopped up ingredients for our new favorite Italian chopped salad, and Terry got leftovers for lunch (lucky guy--I seriously considered making him PB & J and stealing the salad leftovers for myself, but I guess I was feeling generous). For my own lunch, I whipped up some tuna salad and created lettuce wraps, which turned out to be one of my better ideas this week. Deeeelicious!

I also baked two batches of muffins yesterday and sampled one of each: carrot-applesauce muffins (Lisa's recipe) and, inspired by those, carrot-pumpkin muffins (I just replaced the applesauce with canned pumpkin). Both were fantastic! I wish I had walnuts on hand, because I think the nutty crunch would be awesome in either muffin. Next time.

And we finally got our Christmas tree! We went to the same lot as last year (minus Jenn, sadly--we just cannot seem to get our schedules to align!) and found ourselves a gem. Of course, it's not as big as my brother's tree (theirs is 12 feet tall), but we made it work, I think. Last night was all about Christmas music and decorating! We collect ornaments from wherever we travel and love to open them up each year to reminisce about the places we've been and the places we'll go.

Here are this year's ornaments (starting top left and working clockwise in a spiral):

• Monkey bell ornament from Salzburg
• Purple ornament from Prague--um, remember when I never blogged about Prague? Oh, well. It was fun. I was tired the entire time. The end. 
• Actual cow bell from Switzerland (not an ornament, but we make it work)
• Lighthouse from St. Augustine
• Hawaiian doll from Maui
• Steam Whistle Brewery bottle opener, which we turned into an ornament when we couldn't find one from Toronto
• Ball ornament from Neuschwanstein Castle
• Cheesy airport ornament from Turks & Caicos (hey, you gotta do what you gotta do)

Yowza, we traveled to a LOT of new places this year! Next year's travels may be a bit more limited, since I'll be pregnant half the year and we'll be adjusting to life with a newborn for the second half. But we still hope to continue pursuing our goal of traveling as much as possible (and introducing our kids to travel, too!). We'll just see how it all works out as we start this new journey!

Sore for Days Leg Supersets

I wrote this paragraph two days ago, and never found time to finish the post until this morning. It's been a little busy around here!

I finally feel like life is settling back into a somewhat normal routine. (Ha!) Yesterday (Monday), Terry and I both finished work early and knocked out a killer leg workout (see below) before cooking up minestrone soup (SO good!) and continuing to decorate the apartment. We have a ways to go, and we still need to get our tree, but at least it's starting to feel Christmassy.

Today (Tuesday), however, I'm suuuuper sore. Mostly my tush and quads, but the ol' hamstrings could use some foam rolling, too. Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in some quality time with that cylinder o' pain before bed tonight.

(Continued Thursday...)
Well, we ended up taking a rest day Tuesday because we were both so sore and because I subbed a full day in addition to working at the store for five hours. Getting home at 9 pm makes me a bit sleepy. Yesterday I didn't get a call to sub, so we took a little walk in the morning and then I spent the day cleaning house, decorating, packing and putting away boxes that held all the Christmas stuff, and running errands before working at the store again.

And that brings us to today. We're finally a little less sore and ready for some cardio later today! I'm thinking some jogging/walking intervals, maybe 40 minutes of two minutes running alternated with one minute walking.

Alright, so here's that crazy workout that made us SO sore:

The version that Terry tackled (recommended for most):

And the toned-down (but still plenty difficult) "pregnancy-friendly" version:

Some notes on the workout:

Complete each superset (plyometric exercise + strength exercise) 2-3 times, then move on to the next exercise. To lighten up the workout, complete a "sandwich": strength + plyometric + strength (so, for the first superset, do the pendulum lunges, then the lunge jumps, then pendulum lunges again, then move on). You could also reduce the time for each plyometric exercise to 30 seconds or 45 seconds. To increase difficulty, add dumbbells to your strength exercises or complete more rounds of each superset.

Jumping Lunges: Try to aim to get both legs off the ground at the same time, and land both feet at the same time, too. It's far more challenging to your core and balance (as opposed to picking up and putting down one foot at a time).

Pendulum Lunges: Go slow and don't put your foot down in the middle. Use your core to keep your balance.

Speed Skaters: Aim to get both feet off the ground between sides (so jump, don't step). Keep your back flat. (For me, this exercise was fine to complete at this point in my pregnancy; to modify, try hip abductors on a stability ball for 30 seconds on each side.)

Stepping Side Squat: Keep your ankle and knee in line (don't lead with your foot for each step). Complete all steps on one side before moving to the other side. Hold a dumbbell at your chest to increase difficulty.

180 Squat Jumps: Use that core!

Wall Sit: One minute, holding dumbbells if you're brave.

Tuck Jumps: Touch your heels to your butt on each jump. Use your arms to help you propel off the ground.
Step Ups: 30 seconds on one leg, then 30 seconds on the other.

One-Leg Deadlifts: Keep your back flat and your hips aligned.

It looks like a short workout, and I suppose it is, but it's a doozy. Get ready for TIGHT muscles if you try this one!

What's your favorite leg exercise? I love lunges of any sort. They feel pretty natural to me (much more comfortable than squats), and I can do them anywhere. I love tacking on 50 lunges at the end of a long walk to make my legs a little shaky!

Holiday Spirit

Thanks so much for your kind words and congratulatory messages on our big announcement yesterday! It's such a relief to finally be able to spread the word. Turns out I did not like keeping such a big secret for so long (especially since we found out at week 2!), and I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief now that the world can know.

Best awkward family ever (and an awkward photo, too)

The pregnancy hasn't caused too much upheaval in our lives (yet), but the timing comes with a lot of other changes, so it does feel like our lives have flipped upside down for the moment. Between not teaching full time this year, subbing instead, working part time just for the holidays, and Terry's ridiculously long business trips, I feel like there is no "normal." In fact, my e-mail to Terry today (we write e-mails to each other throughout the work day) was titled, "Back to Normal--Whatever That Is."

But we're trying to find ways to maintain some routines to prevent the stress that comes with chaos. We're doing our best to spend the next week (before Terry leaves again) cooking almost all of our meals at home. Apparently this next trip sends him to a semi-remote location where his dinner choices will be McDonald's and Subway, two places we would never frequent in a normal situation. For his sake, I hope he'll have a little kitchen in his hotel room and a nearby grocery store, but that might be wishful thinking.

On our menu this week

• Turkey sandwiches (my mom gave us some turkey and also some incredible Bay Area sourdough bread from a bakery called Beckman's) with sweet potato fries and apple slices
• Whole chicken in a crock-pot with roasted Brussels sprouts and more sourdough bread (I used the bones to make crock-pot broth--I just throw all the bones, leftover skin, cooked onion, and juices in the crock pot and fill the whole thing up with water, then leave on low overnight, about 8 hours; in the morning I strain the broth into freezer-safe containers and use it for soups and other easy recipes)
• Ina Garten's Winter Minestrone Soup (one of our favorites)
• Spaghetti alla carbonara with zucchini 
• Leftovers in various forms

Some comfort foods, some winter foods, lots of deliciousness. It's so nice to have my husband home so I'm not cooking for one and so that I have someone to sit with (well, besides the cat, who loves to sit on my lap between bites). 

We're also trying to maintain some regular exercise around here. Since I'm working some evenings (three this week), that might mean waking up early a few days--when was the last time I did that?

Our tentative schedule this week

• Sunday: Upper body + HIIT (for Terry) and some walking intervals (for me)
• Monday: Leg Supersets + a short walk
• Tuesday: 30-40 minutes interval cardio
• Wednesday: Yoga/Stretch/Rest day
• Thursday: 40 minute walk with hills (around the neighborhood)
• Friday: Full body circuit
• Saturday: Stretch/Rest/Maybe a walk

As promised, I'll post a more pregnancy-specific exercise post a little later with details about how I've changed my routine over the last three months. 

More fun around here: We're officially decorating for Christmas! We have been storing our Christmas decorations in a storage unit in Northern California, and we packed it up to bring back to LA while we were visiting my family over the weekend. Turns out, we have quite a lot of stuff, especially for our tiny place!

But we're slowly getting boxes unpacked and finding fun places to add Christmas cheer. We've also busted out the Christmas mugs for hot cocoa! 

My parents watched Love Actually with us the day after Thanksgiving (my Black Friday tradition, in lieu of shopping), and Terry let me fall asleep while watching The Holiday, another Christmas favorite. I need to squeeze in my other favorites in the next few weeks! Terry and I also listened to Christmas music almost the entire drive down from the Bay Area. Happy holidays indeed!

Of possible interest:

• Pumpkin Fluff Dessert Dip (100 Days of Real Food)--I made it last night, and we're in love (Terry and I with the dip, not just me and the dip, although maybe the feeling is mutual, who knows?); it's like the lightest, fluffiest pumpkin pie you've ever tasted, and of course it's not really pie, so you can eat more of it...right?
• 24 Days of Togetherness (Carrots 'n' Cake)--A fun way to celebrate the holidays with a significant other, friend, family member, or maybe even a random person if you're extra friendly like that. Terry and I will be apart for 10 days this month, but maybe we can still squeeze in 24 events?

How are you getting in the holiday spirit? 

Packing...

Well, in case you missed it on Instagram, here's the big news:

I'm pregnant! Terry and I will be welcoming a baby in early June. We are of course very excited to add to our little family, and we're thrilled that our family and friends have been so excited for us. We thought we felt a lot of love when we got engaged and married, but those experiences didn't come close to this outpouring of love.

A few fun facts, for those who might be curious:

I'm 13 and a half weeks along, due June 5, 2014. We found out I was pregnant on September 22, the day before we left for our big trip to Europe (and right after my horrible bout of colitis--thankfully, baby is doing just fine, even after the hospital visit). Yes, it was planned (the baby, not the colitis). :-)

My first trimester is officially over. Overall, my symptoms weren't too bad. I have a lot of friends who are pregnant or recently had children, and I think I got pretty lucky: some morning sickness (a few really rough days), some back aches, some fatigue (in Europe I was happy to go to bed at 7 pm each night), but nothing extreme. Now, I feel almost 100% normal, and I'm getting a lot of my energy back.

We aren't going to find out the sex of the baby. Most people are surprised to hear this. Our doctors included.

The other common question I get is about my workouts or how I feel about my body changing. While it's strange to have a little belly now (I'll post a photo or two when it's more legit), I'm actually pretty stoked about the whole experience. I'm already in maternity pants, which are officially the most comfortable items of clothing in the world, and I've been able to maintain a semi-normal exercise routine. I'll post a more thorough post about my pregnancy workouts soon.

As far as food, I'm eating almost all the same foods, just a bit more often. I haven't had any major cravings, but I've sought out guacamole more desperately than usual. And no consistent aversions, except cooked spinach and steak. So strange.

And here are the fun pregnancy stories so far:

• One day, I left the house and made it all the way to my car in my slippers before realizing I needed shoes. 
• I now leave all the cabinet doors open when I'm in the kitchen. I'm aware of this problem, yet I continue to do it. 
• I spent half an hour looking for ketchup in our apartment while our party guests waited patiently, only to discover that I never actually purchased the ketchup. Apparently I just debated over which kind to buy and then left the aisle.

And that's all for now! I promise not to go overboard on the whole pregnancy thing, at least on the blog, but I'll share a few details here and there. 

Have a wonderful start to your week!