Pregnancy Brain

I've read about the infamous "pregnancy brain" and remember my girlfriends telling me how it seemed like the baby sucked their brains during pregnancy. Wow, they were right!
Most of the time I just feel dumb and forgetful, but I have done some really stupid things and can definitely laugh at them. So I thought I might as well share some of these things. Blame it on the pregnancy brain.

Lather Up!
I've been a little obsessed with Argan Oil. It's a natural oil that is said to improve skin elasticity, aka..no stretchmarks..so I've been oiling up daily since about 8 weeks. I came across the Organix line at Ulta and saw they had body wash, lotions, conditioners, all with Argan Oil as a main ingredient. Score! I bought some body wash and was pumped to use that in the shower and then continue with my routine and oil up after. I figured I can't get enough help with skin elasticity, right?
Soon after using the body wash, I realized that it never had suds. I checked our water softener to make sure we had salt, and we did. Then I just assumed that since it was organic, perhaps it just didn't make suds. So I continued to use it every day...for weeks. And since it didn't make suds, I had to use quite a bit of it to cover my whole body. This body wash was a bit more pricey than my normal stuff, so I was irritated that I was going through it so fast. That's when I finally decided to take a closer look at the bottle. Oh. My. Gawd. 

Yep, I've been using body LOTION as body wash for weeks. Well, that sure solved the mystery of why it wasn't making suds. But now the question is: have I been dirty and stinky for the last few weeks?!
Needless to say, I've since gotten body WASH and am lovin' the very sudsy showers :)

Flip-Flopped

As you all know by now, my feet are swollen. I've gotten over the loss of my "normal" shoes and boxed them up for an after-pregnancy reunion and am now thankful that it's summer and sandal season! No more need to try and squish these pudgy toes into closed-toe shoes.

I have quite a few pairs of flip-flops and also bought a few new pairs since they'll be getting a lot of use in the coming months. This morning I grabbed a pair of dressier Kenneth Cole flip-flops that I had found at the end of last season at DSW (a great find by the way) and slipped them on. They were a bit tight, but I'm used to that, so I continued to get ready for work. About 15 minutes later, I felt some "relief" on my right foot and looked down. NO!!

Kenneth Cole flip-flops = 1; Gretchen = 0

How convenient I just got a coupon in the mail for DSW. Time for a new pair (or two!) and perhaps in a 1/2 size bigger :)

Fertility Friends

I have a lot of great friends. Ones I've known since elementary school and ones I've just met. Ones that I work with and ones that I party with. I have a group of very dear girlfriends and hold them very close (and they know it!). I am who I am because of them and can't imagine my life without them.
Lately, some of my greatest friends, have been my Fertility Friends. No one should EVER go through their infertility journey alone; you need to have someone who's been there and knows all that the journey can bring. Of course my dearest girlfriends were always there for me, but my Fertility Friends were there for me in ways no one else can explain unless you've been through it yourself. Looking back, I am a luckier person having gone through this journey, as I've gained some great new friends. Although I hope to never go through this journey again, I know will always be there for me and I hope they know I'll always be there for them as well.

Tiffany was one of my first Fertility Friends. We had worked together in the past and kept in touch through Facebook. I'm not really sure how it came up, but we realized we were both struggling with infertility and instantly we had a deeper bond.
When J and I first started our journey in December 2010 with our first clinic, Tiffany was also starting with the same clinic and her first IUI was one month after our first. We were there for each other every step of the way. Supporting each other with all the emotions, the questions, the advice, it was so great to have each other while going through the same things.
When we decided to take a break from this clinic due to differences with the Dr. and after 5 failed IUI's, she was my rock and supported me when we decided to switch clinics. She never gave up hope for us and kept me going.
Tiffany got pregnant on her 4th IUI and by this time, we were on our break before starting with the new clinic. I was ecstatic for her!! One of us "won"! But then, I was devastated to learn she miscarried soon thereafter. I was now her rock and did what I could to keep her spirits up and to cheer her on to continue with another IUI. And what a success it was! She was pregnant again..and this time the baby was going nowhere!
This was very hard for me, as by this time we had 2 more failed IUI's and were now researching IVF clinics. Tiffany never gave up on me and knew that although I was super excited for her, she also knew how hard it was for me. She gave me the space I needed and we had a pact that if I couldn't hear about the pregnancy, she wouldn't tell; though thankfully it never came to that as we had quickly picked an IVF clinic and once again, Tiffany was my cheerleader. She even was my chauffeur after my egg retrieval, which I can't thank her enough since I was not a fun passenger.
She was also one of the first to know when we got our news. WE DID IT! We were both pregnant at the same time!! But our friendship doesn't end here.....it's only starting...and I am so thankful for that.

Congratulations Tiffany on your beautiful baby boy! He is so blessed to have you as his mother!

Happy Mother's Day!

I've always loved celebrating Mother's Day. It makes us stop and truly look at our mothers and appreciate all they've done for us. Funny how it takes a Hallmark holiday for us to do this, though I know most of us appreciate our moms every day and our moms know we do too :)

My mother has been there for me during the best of times and the worst of times and always loved me unconditionally. Her never-ending love and support has meant more to me in the last few years, something I'm not sure I can ever thank her enough for. I can see in her eyes, she cannot wait to see me be a mother myself, and perhaps that is all the thanks she needs. To be a grandmother. And I cannot wait to see her be one; this child will be so very lucky!
I also have an amazing mother-in-law. I cannot be luckier to have married a man who's been raised by a woman with such strength and determination. She makes having a great relationship with her easy. She is someone you can go to for advice and knows when you just need a big hug. I'm glad Baby Barrett will also be able to have a great relationship with her as she will always be there for him/her.
Today I also celebrate the grandmother I have left. My Mimi. She has been the matriarch of our family and has watched us all grow up, something I hope to be able to do with with my future family. I am so grateful that I've enjoyed her in my life for 32 years and can't wait for her to meet her great-grandchild!

I woke up early this morning to start prep for having everyone over for Mother's Day brunch and it hit me...I'm a Mom too!! Although I haven't birthed this baby yet, I'm still nurturing and caring for Baby Barrett every second of every day, a job I LOVE (swollen feet and all). I will forever now know the unconditional love that mother's feel..along with all the worry that comes with it.

Happy Mother's Day to all you mommies out there and all you mommies-to-be, which include many of you currently pregnant and those of you who's miracles are just around the corner! I have no doubt in my mind you too will be celebrating this day next year with a swollen belly or a baby in your arms.

Escape

Baby Barrett sure is an active one! I often look down and say "what are you doing in there?!"  Of course I don't get a response, other than maybe another little jab in the gut :)

I've started to find some cycles in his/her activity; I wonder if this is an insight into what's to come?
I swear Baby B knows when it's time to get up, as he/she is busy as can be at 5:30am. But I can't be mad at that, this gives me a half hour of belly time with him/her before I need to get up. No wonder J says I wake up every morning in a great mood :)  This is also a time he/she is most likely to have the hiccups (and J has finally felt them!).
Once I'm at work, Baby B gets active when I'm quietly working away at my desk. I enjoy feeling the movement throughout the day, it's truly my escape. It can calm me down when something (or someone) at work makes me mad, and can lift me up when I'm having one of those days. An ultimate stress reliever indeed.
I've definitely discovered that Baby Barrett LOVES food. Every time I eat, he/she goes nuts! The ideal time to actually see my belly moving is after dinner when I'm sitting and watching tv with J. It may be a combo of the food, the relaxing and hearing both mommy and daddy, but Baby Barrett is eager to make sure he/she is noticed....and we notice!

Lately all the activity has been around my belly button, which is already stretching to the max, so it's not very comfortable. I can feel really hard areas and often wonder if it's a foot, a head or a little butt pushed up against me. After my ultrasound earlier this week, I learned Baby B was head down and there are feet and elbows near my belly button, so now I know what I'm feeling (though I liked the idea of a little butt better). 
I'll massage the hard area and then feel it move away or move to another spot. I'm not sure how much he/she can feel, but to me, this is only the start of our physical bonding. I'm touching my baby!! I could literally sit and do this all day. Every day when I get home from work and relax, I pull my shirt up, place my hands on belly, close my eyes, and massage my baby. It's by far, the best part of my day.

I often tease Baby Barrett about the interest in my belly button lately. Not sure if he/she thinks it's an escape route or not, but I remind him/her that we still have a few more months to go...so get comfy!