13 weeks!

13 weeks pregnant :) 12/25/11

I so love the Christmas season. I associate it with feelings of warmth, home, tradition, and family. It has certainly been fun to experience the season with a toddler. To talk about Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, to look at Christmas lights, to search for Frosty sightings, to spend extra time with family, etc. I've definitely been bummed that our big move nixed some of my favorite Christmas traditions: namely decorating and having a Christmas tree. But I get very excited when I think about next year: we'll be settled in our own home, have a precious little baby, and a wide eyed 3 year old to experience the season with.

On a very honest note, Jacob and I have been very tested by Jack and his behavior lately. In short, he has meltdowns pretty much any time he has to switch activities (i.e. going from playing to getting his diaper changed or even one fun activity to the next). He expresses this by hitting, head butting, and kicking us. It is really hard to remain calm when your 2 year old turns on you. In our sane moments, we talk about the importance of being consistent and keeping our cool. But when on the receiving end of a completely irrational child and his temper tantrum, we tend not to always keep our emotions out of it. I feel like this current stage has been the hardest of what I've experienced as a mother so far and I want to feel like I'm rising to the challenge gracefully. Working on it.

But sitting in the Jackson Hole Episcopal church last night with my parents, siblings, husband, Jack, and baby-to-be, Jack gave me my Christmas gift. He decided to take a break from his recent antics and was 100% cuddly, sweet, and reverent as we sang songs and watched the nativity pageant. I felt so thankful to spend Christmas with my family and to have the chance to remember, together, the meaning of this season.

Week Thirteen Stats:

How I know I'm pregnant: I look pregnant; my nausea is no longer constant, but still there; I'm up to pee every night like clockwork

Diet: Still picky - I am eating SO much cheese - last week I was also eating a lot of yogurt and even cottage cheese, so the dairy has definitely been calling me

My healthy pregnancy intentions for this week:

1) Take advantage of the extra help I have for the next few days as I visit my family and take better care of myself: more rest, some downtime, and less stress!

2) Start doing my Kegels and other Bradley course exercises. I was pretty good about the exercises last time but never remembered to do Kegels.

3) Look into attending a prenatal yoga class in New Orleans as a way to carve some quiet time for me (and baby) into my week and to meet other expectant mothers.