Keeping it 'Tucked In'

You know, for most of my life I've been hitting the gym, always trying to work towards a flat stomach, but never really getting there. Some summers were better than others, but I've always had the conscious need to keep things 'tucked in', shall we say, in my midsection. Recently, I had accepted it, got used to it, heck even reveled in the fact that it meant I could have an ice cream or a beer once in awhile, and as long as I felt healthy and active, then I wouldn't worry about it as much.

Which makes it so weird now, having a little baby tummy. I have to remind myself often that I can let it all hang out. I catch myself all the time standing up straight, with good posture, keeping the tum-tum 'tucked in' (some of you women know just what I mean)...

I suppose when the baby tummy is more pronouced, and obvious that I'm carrying a baby rather than eating too many big lunches, it'll become more normal to me. And I'm sure at some point in the next month or two, this won't even be an issue- I won't be able to keep it 'tucked in' no matter how hard I try!

Old Wives Tales...

Everyone I talk to lately seems to have an old wive's tale to try on me, to determine if we are having a girl or a boy. All of these stories and tales keep me laughing, so I'm always willing to participate in the next crazy idea. Here are a few so far:

Paul's mom- Paul and I took Paul's mom out to the Yard House for lunch the other day, and while eating she told me (in spanish, of course) that if a woman looks pretty/glowing early in her pregnancy, she's having a boy, and if she looks, well, less than glowing, then she's having a girl. She proceeded to tell me that I'm having a boy. A nice compliment, but then again, I had actually blow dried my hair and put makeup on that day. Had I gone au natural, maybe it would have been a different outcome. LOL

Our housecleaner- Paul and I came home from work and she and her daughter were just finishing up the house (Paul is a godsend for allowing us to have a housecleaner, I hate cleaning!!) Anyhow, she tests me by asking me (also in spanish) to hold out my hands to her, and she will look at them to determine if we're having a boy or girl. I held out my hands, and when I did, I did so with my palms faced down. She tells me we're having a boy- if I'd shown my hands to her face up, then we'd be having a girl.

My hairstylist- Wendy (yes, my hairstylist is named Wendy too) and another stylist in the salon (who cuts Paul's hair) did the necklace test on me. You hold your hand out, and they use a necklace and rub it against your hand, then hold it above your hand. If it swings to the left and right, then it's a girl. If it swings up and back, then it's a boy. Well, this time, it told me we're having a girl. This one goes further, and told me that I'm having 1 girl, then 2 boys after that. Wow that's a bit much to think about right now!

A girl in the elevator- completely random, but she told me today that the chinese lunar calendar has been 100% accurate for her entire family- and she has 6 kids, and her sisters had a total of 10 kids between the 3 of them! I tested this tonight, and it tells me I'm having a girl.

My godson- at my brother's wedding this weekend, his mom asked him "Is Auntie Wendy going to have a boy or a girl?" And he said "a boy!" the funny part about this is his aunt of the other side of the family is also pregnant, and when he was asked if she was having a boy or a girl, he said "A boy AND a girl!" His mom replied "no hunny, which one?" and he said "BOTH!" Well, it turns out she found out the following week that she is pregnant with twins. That's a pretty good prediction for a 4 year old, in my mind!

I'm always up for the next game/test/tale, so if you have any more of them let me know!!

Today at work, I taught my monthly training class to store managers called "Staffing the 3rd Place". In this class, our managers learn about forecasting, sourcing, assessing, and hiring new hourly talent for their stores. I always enjoy teaching this class, as I get an opportunity to provide real time learning to new managers, and I see lightbulb moments all day long!

However, now being pregnant, speaking for 6 hours has become a bit challenging! I warned the class ahead of time that my 3 water bottles would probably be consumed throughout the day, and I found myself short of breath multiple times! Good thing the class incorporates activity-based training, as I had short breaks throughout the day, when they store managers would work in small groups. I don't think I would have made it otherwise! I am interested to see how this monthly class plays out for me in my 4th-9th month of pregnancy- if I'm already short winded, I can only imagine what life will be like in a few months!

T.I.R.E.D.

So, this post will be short and sweet. I just woke up from an after work nap, and I'll probably go back to sleep for the night after I eat some dinner. I am TIRED. Almost every day. This weekend I was in my brother's wedding, and didn't seem to feel it despite taking pictures outdoors at noon, in 110 degree heat. I think I was just so excited for him and Rhona, and the family, that I didn't seem to notice as much. But I felt the after-effects yesterday (slept over 13 hours), and today. Our little munchkin is growing at warp speed, so I know WHY I'm tired. It's just so strange- I'm not usually a nap person!

The Notion of Sacrifice

Well, in no time at all, I've learned the first lesson of sacrifice for our lil monkey in my tummy. Upon find out the news, I knew that I would immediately need to quit smoking. I have to say that it was much more a mental sacrifice, than a physical one. Literally the day we took the pregnancy test, I was already feeling nauseous and from that day on, the smell of smoke really disgusted me. Thank God, it really wasn't at difficult as I thought it would be.

There are other things, though, that I've had to give up recently, which are seemingly more difficult than giving up smoking, if you can believe it! They are:
1) Caffeine- this one is the hardest by far. Hello- I work at Starbucks?!?! I taste about 10-12 different coffees a week (in cuppings and coffee tastings) as well as my usual morning espresso, and my afternoon iced coffee. To top it off, I am a hard-core diet pepsi addict. I drink at least 1-2 a day. I've stopped drinking coffee and tea altogether, and have bought caffeine free diet pepsi as a stand by. It's just not the same :(
2) Soft Cheeses- including brie, feta, and blue cheese. Now I never expected that these would be difficult to give up, but they actually have been. In fact, eating salad in general is just not the same without my feta or blue cheese crumbles! The month before we found out the news, I had lost 12 lbs. by working out, and eating a low carb (think lots of salad) diet, and I can't wait till I can eat unpasturized cheese again! How weird, huh?
3) Deli meat- are you kidding me? Nobody told me this in preparation for having a baby, I was used to eating turkey, ham, salami, or roast beef at least a few times a week! It's the only way to avoid fried fast food, it seems, a yummy deli sandwich. Ugh...
4) Hot Dogs- I only eat hot dogs on occasion, it's just the fact that I can't have them now that is making me crave them.
5) Alcohol- no surprise here, although you take for granted coming home from work and sitting on the patio, having a sunset conversation with the husband in the backyard, over a couple of beers. Or a glass of wine at dinner. I'm not a daily drinker, heck there are some weeks that pass when I don't partake in alcohol. It goes back to the hot dog feeling- just the fact that I can't have it makes me want it.

I think that's it for now. I'm pretty proud of myself that I quit smoking cold turkey, especially with a bunch of websites that say "it might be too hard, so cut down until you can stop". Are you kidding me? The moment I took the test, is the moment I had my last...it's the hot dogs that are killing me :)