Week 19

Nope, I didn't miss a few posts...it turns out I'm just further along than we originally thought!  Roibeard and I got an official due date at our last prenatal appointment - I'm due August 10th!!  That's only a few days from my birthday (August15th).

 

I'm definitely starting to look pregnant.  The baby bump is small, but it's there!  These photos were taken in Grant Park on a bitter cold March day.  I didn't add any filters or anything to make them look so blue.  I think it was so cold my camera was even shivering!!  Despite the snow and frigid temperatures once March hits I always try to start dressing for Spring.  Florals, florals, and more florals.  Haha.

 

 

 

I think I *might* (fingers crossed) be over the morning sickness period.  FINALLY!!!  Oh my gosh, I have just been such a miserable person the past four months.  I really haven't wanted to talk much to anyone or do much of anything. Also....I have been able to start eating cheese again in very small amounts.  Ever since around four weeks I have been unable to eat cheese without spending the night hugging the toilet.  For those of you who don't know, cheese is pretty much my favorite food; so this is a big deal.  Bananas, apples, and rice are among other things that have not agreed with me.

 

I still get a bit sick if I'm not eating enough, but for the most part I have been able to get through the day with minimal stomach upset.

 

One very unusual side effect that I have been dealing with is losing my eyelashes.  I've never heard of this happening, but I looked it up and sure enough it is definitely a result of the pregnancy.  It was quite alarming when I first noticed it!  I think the reason behind it is that the prenatal vitamins I was given by my doctor weren't vegan.  I wasn't getting the proper break down of vitamins as a non-meat-eater.  Ever since I made the switch to vegan pills my eyelashes have been doing much better.

 

Another unusual side effect has been phantom smells.  Particularly peanut butter.  I smell it everywhere.  All of my food smells like peanut butter and therefore tastes like peanut butter.  It's not a nice, faint peanut butter smell either.  It's really strong and over powering and drives me crazy.  My doctor assured me that phantom smells such as these are completely normal though.

 

In other news I just cut down on my hours at work.  I don't have the option to stop working at five months like some people are able to.  I've been working between 50-60 hours/week for the past year now.  That's a bit too much for me to keep up with right now.  So instead I'm working 20 hours at the café and 20 hours at the cinema.  It's still a full work week, but I now have two full days off and I am able to sit down while I'm at the cinema.  It's certainly going to be a huge struggle to make things work financially.  Roibeard and I have worked so hard to be able to afford a nice, "adult" apartment in a good neighborhood. We've been able to pay all monthly bills and loans and still have a little to save.  Now it feels like being thrown back into life as a student.  Finding any and all ways to make our money go as far as possible.  It's not just the baby that we have to prepare for either - our wedding is in October!  We definitely had to adjust our ideas of the dream wedding to make things work with having a newborn.  This means no honeymoon.  No amazingly beautiful castle wedding.  No ceremony over looking the ocean.  Oh well.  When we look back on this we will feel so blessed to have this amazing little one in our lives that those other things won't even matter.

 

 

 

 

It's so hard to know what life will bring once the baby arrives, but Roibeard and I have a few ideas of what we would like to do in terms of raising our little one.

1) We know that we want to breastfeed for sure.  It's healthier for the baby, good for me, and hey, it's free food!!  That being said I am really worried that this won't work as planned. Maybe the baby won't learn how to latch properly, I won't know how to hold it the right way, or my nipples will become too sore and start bleeding. Eek! 

2) We know that we want to use cloth diapers at least while we're at home.  It's so much better for the environment and will save money in the long run.  I don't know if I have it in me to go full hippie mom though. (I really wish I did.)  I feel like when we are on the run we'll probably have a stash of disposables on hand. 

3) We want to make our own baby food.  I wouldn't really consider Roibeard and I to be serious health food nuts (we both have a major sweet tooth), but we do try our best to eat a healthy diet.  We cook most of our own meals, rarely eat out, and try to avoid foods with artificial ingredients/additives.  So why wouldn't we want the same for our baby?  I've already been looking up some recipes and some of them sound so delicious, haha. 

4) Speaking of food, we would like to raise our baby a vegetarian.  I've been a vegetarian for most of my life and it's something that is very important to me.  It's a much healthier lifestyle and doesn't contribute to the unnecessary cruelty of animals.  Once the baby is old enough to understand what meat is and where it comes from I think it's okay if he or she wants to eat it outside of the house.  When we are home though we keep things veggie friendly. :)

** Just a side note - When I started this new blog I did it with the intention of creating a time capsule for our family down the road.  I don't expect to get many readers or followers.  However, if you do find yourself reading this first of all, welcome!! Second, know that none of these posts are sponsored.  Sometimes I get discouraged reading through all the baby blogs out there to see that the new parents have their cribs, strollers, and baby clothes all paid for by sponsors.  I want to read about real people struggling to make it on their own and how they get past the barriers.  That's what you'll find here.  Two first time parents scared out of their minds, but hopefully somehow pulling through, haha.  Enjoy.