Need More Chocolate...

Thanks to my girlfriend Jen who sent me this article!  Click on the link to check it out.
Chocolate in Pregnancy Keeps Baby Happy

So, I've really been unnecessarily stressing out lately about stuff like home remodeling decisions, finding the right child care, decorating the nursery, picking out things like bottles, strollers, car seats, etc.  In the past week, I've gotten so worked up about it that I can't sleep at night because I lie awake and think about all the things that need to get done.  I really need to get over this since I'm sure this is my last chance to get good sleep. 

I think I should just take a tip from the article and incorporate chocolate into my daily diet.  It's the least I can do....

Love My Girlfriends!

I'm reading a book right now called The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy, and I'm really enjoying it.  I feel like I'm talking to one of my Girlfriends.  It's much more exciting than some of my other pregnancy books.  We went to Gump's lake house at Lake Tawakoni for Dana and Amy's Bachelorette celebration last weekend, and we had a great time.  What I've realized recently (or have been reminded of) is that I LOVE my Girlfriends.  Here are a few reasons why:

1. Girlfriends are honest with you.  They tell you if you are being crazy, give you a real opinion, and help you work through it.  I asked Todd today if he thought I had been acting crazy during the pregnancy.  I'm pretty sure he just told me what he thought I wanted to hear.
2. Girlfriends know your unique quirks and still love you.  My girlfriends actually focus on and embrace those traits giving each other a hard time, whereas I think men try to ignore any uncomfortable topics.
3. There are just some things only your Girlfriends will understand.  Trust me.
4. You can have a group of Girlfriends who each meet different needs - the girlfriend you go to when a crisis strikes, the one you can count on for a good laugh, the one who will always listen, the one you turn to for specific advice, the one you go to for shopping tips, and many more. 

Don't get me wrong.  I LOVE my wonderful husband, but there are just some things that only my Girlfriends can provide.  And I'm sure there are some things that Todd would rather me turn to my Girlfriends for.

Here are some pictures from the Bachelorette weekend at Gump's lake house:

Only girls (or gay men) decorate, bake "precious" cookies, wrap beautiful gifts for special occasions and appreciate it.

Gump treated us to a "dinner cruise!"

It's the Bachelorettes - Dana and Amy

As good Girlfriends do, Dana is trying to share her beverage with Mr. Water Buffalo.

And we attempted to get a group shot, but it was late night.... 

We really missed our Girlfriends who couldn't make it to the party.  I hope to see you at the weddings!

Food Issues: Not Good News for this Pregnant Foodie!

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Does this look delicious to you?

How about this?

NOT to me!!!  These are things that I used to eat all the time.  Now that I'm pregnant, the sight and really even thought of a big hunk of meat is really repulsive to me.  Sad.  As a result, I've been eating mostly fruits and vegetables, pastas, beans and other non-meat items.  Todd and I used to cook meals together all the time, but since we can't eat the same things anymore (because he obviously is not giving up meat), we have to make separate meals.  I hope I'm not becoming a vegetarian... not that there's anything wrong with it.  I just really like meat.

This is what I've been craving these days...

Is that supposed to mean something?  Some people tell me it means I'm having a girl.  We'll see.

Crazy Chinese Gender Prediction Calendar

Everyone keeps asking me if I have a feeling of whether I'm having a boy or a girl.  I not exactly sure what I'm supposed to be feeling, so I thought I'd check out the Chinese Gender Prediction calendar.  Those crazy Asians... so apparently, there are two ways to input information for the Chinese Gender Prediction Test.  One method is inputting your conception date.  Since I know exactly what date that is, I thought it would be a good method to try.  When I put in January 20th, the test says...

You're having a Boy!

Then just for kicks, I tried the other method which is inputting your due date.  I entered my due date of October 12th, and the results said...
You're having a Girl!

Really?  That wasn't very helpful.  Which one is it?  I think I'm going with Todd's sister Tiffany's idea of going to buy a gender prediction pee test at Walgreens.  That surely will not give me two different answers, or will it?

Baby Levreault's First Onscreen Appearance!

I didn't think I'd ever get this video uploaded.  I definitely need blogging lessons.  Anyone?  Big thanks to my IT guy for helping me convert the file! 

I could watch this over and over again... feel free to do so!  Warning... it doesn't really get good until the last minute or so.  The first part is a little boring since our little baby is not really cooperating and not moving much.  Toward the middle of the video, the baby is sort of sitting up... still not much action, but it gets good at the end when the baby lays down and starts to hiccup.  If you look closely, you can see the heart beat (which is beating at 160 bpm) and you can see 5 fingers.  Whew! 

Is he/she ready for Hollywood?

Unexpected Pregnancy Symptopms...

Well, I have been surprised by a few unexpected pregnancy symptoms...

If you know me, you know that I only exercise so I can eat and drink.  I'm not one of those crazy people (like my lovely sister - shout out!) who actually enjoys running and relieves stress with exercise.  I workout because I love to eat!  However, I've been in a running class at RunOn since the beginning of the year, and I've actually really started enjoying running with my group. I had always heard that if you're doing an exercise before you get pregnant, you can continue it.  I recently found out that my doctor thinks I should not get my heart rate above 140 beats per minute.  After purchasing a new Garmin watch, I realized I was getting my heat rate up well over 165 bpm.  Needless to say, I've had to quit my running class and now I'm just walking/slow jogging on my own - not nearly as much fun.  I never thought I would miss running!  I do think I miss my new running friends and doing races more than I actually miss the act of running.

Since I love to eat so much, you can imagine how excited I was to think about pregnancy cravings.  I was really looking forward to eating good food and even crazy combinations.  Unfortunately, I've really just developed aversions to certain foods - primarily meat.  Looking at a big piece of steak or chicken on my plate really makes me want to barf.  I've really have only had one craving - ice cream/frozen yogurt.  We have three tubs of different flavors in our freezer right now.  There has been no desire to eat pickles while consuming the ice cream, though.  Todd is also partaking on this sympathy craving.  I figure that since I gave up alcohol and all those calories, I can eat the ice cream and I'm still probably consuming less calories than I was with the alcohol.  Don't worry friends, I am certainly not dieting, and I'm trying to eat a healthy well-balanced diet. 

I'm still feeling pretty good, but so far my pregnancy expectations have not turned out to what I had imagined.