bits of life // april

1// Hey, I got published! Slo Life Magazine contacted me a few months ago, asking if they could do a little write up about my wallflower photo in their April/May issue (which you can see full-size at the link) that was taken at the Madonna Inn. Of course I said yes, and it came out lovely! I wish I could link you to the online version of the article, but there doesn't appear to be one. So this quick Instagram shot will have to do. Oh, and this is one of the many photos I took during my little jaunt to Yosemite/Big Sur/San Luis Obispo with two other photographers, which you can read about here.

2// If there's two things I hoard, it's camera stuff, and home decor/design books. Especially when it's a book published by a blogger I love, or a book recommended by a blogger I love. I've been following Justina Blakeney's blog for at least three years, and its always been the best eclectic boho eye candy for me. She's inspired me to be more adventurous with using more pattern and color in my home, and I can't wait to look through every single page of her new book.

I read about the new book Design Mom via Emily Henderson (another great blogger), and thought to myself, "Welp, I'm about to have two little hellions running around my house; this might be a good book to have." Especially since I don't want to necessarily sacrifice everything home decor-wise once I have children. (I say that now, but easier said than done, right?)

3// Look, I'm outside! Not nauseated and miserable on my couch! It's a first trimester miracle! Some girlfriends and I had a pool day last weekend, and it was one of those rare days when I felt 100% not pregnant at all. No morning queasiness, no heartburn, no bloat. It was bliss, and it felt good to put on a bikini, showcase my tiny baby bump, and just spend some time in the water with some rad ladies. My morning sickness has definitely waned over these past few weeks, which I'm so so grateful for. The nausea still hits me at least once a day, but I'm getting more energy back, and showing my face in public again. It's grand.

4// Might as well show the 'ole bump. I'm officially 12 weeks today, so I'm nearly done with my first trimester! I had my first OB appointment since transferring from my infertility doctor two days ago, and it went really great. It was a 45 minute long appointment, and my new doctor was super thorough with verifying my family medical history, giving me a full physical exam, and answering my questions. Then she did a quick ultrasound scan of the twins at the end, which showed Twin B moving around and Twin A taking a nap, apparently. They're growing great, and everything looks good. 

I still can't believe sometimes they're really in there, just growing and moving around and basically renting out my uterus for nine months. So these ultrasound scans are really special to me, because I can see them in real time, bunked up next to each other, and I think, "Those are mine. I'm really having them."

:)

9 weeks, and can I skip ahead to the 2nd trimester please?

First things first. I apologize in advance for this and all future pregnancy-related posts to any readers who couldn't care less about the whole growing-humans-in-utero business, but it's gonna happen. And this is such a big part of my life right now, that I feel that I need to have a record of what's happening for posterity's sake, right? Right.

I am 9 weeks along, and for the first 6 weeks, I was in newly-pregnant heaven. I was feeling pretty good save for some hardcore fatigue throughout the day; I had two ultrasound appointments where I not only got to see my tiny humans on the screen, but I got to hear their heartbeats as well; and I was already making small changes to my diet in an effort to eat healthier.

And then week 7 got here, and hellooo, Nausea Town! And it is the worst. Imagine the worst hangover you've ever had, but it doesn't go away for days, weeks. Add a side of heartburn and a dollop of that fatigue I mentioned earlier, and that's been the past two weeks for me. Today is actually the first day since it started that I feel like a semi-functional human being for more than an hour. I'll even take a shower tonight, because I'm a gross pregnant woman who hasn't showered in like three days due to said nausea and lack of energy.

Belly bump-wise, there's not too much going on yet. I can see a small difference between my first photo at 6 weeks and today's photo, but if you didn't know I was pregnant, you'd just think it was bloat. Or lots of tacos.

Apologies for the side-boob. Apparently I didn't feel like putting on a bra, or a shirt that day.

It still hasn't really registered that this part of my body will change so drastically over the next 7 months. I can feel the inside changes all the time (cramps/twinges in my uterus, increased heart rate), but I'm excited to see the outward changes too. Bring on the basketball belly and ginormous boobs!