week 12...196 days to go!

Whew! It's already week 12. My oh my, how times flies when you're having fun... and when you're not sleeping!

I am happy to announce that I do believe my energy is finally coming back. It was getting pretty ridiculous there for a while. I would wake up in the morning and want to go back to sleep (even though I had slept for nearly 10 hours); I would come home from work in the evening and take "naps" for a good hour; and my head always hit the pillow before 930a. But something amazing has happened... I have regained the majority of my energy back! Hallelujah!! I don't know what it was, but I'm not complaining. After Eddie and I spent this past weekend in Cincinnati with Jamie and Ivan's wedding festivities, it all of a sudden hit me. I can be busy all day and not take a nap and go to bed past 930p and wake up the next day feeling like my normal self! To you this may seem weird... but to a pregnant gal, it's the greatest thing ever.

Unlike most people I know, I have not had the horrendous experience of morning (afternoon or evening) sickness. I have had a few bouts of it, but nothing too terrible. I did have to leave work a little early one day due to my nausea. But I went home, napped (duh), and woke up feeling pretty stellar.

But honestly, I shouldn't complain. All of the tiredness, headaches, boobs in SO MUCH pain, unannounced breakouts on my face (bleh), waves of nausea, peeing every hour on the hour, and bloatedness are totally worth it. Because I have a teeny tiny little miracle growing inside of me. I am honored and priviledged to be the mother of this little (2 inch, as of this week) human being inside of me.  I can't wait to meet baby and get to know him or her. I can't wait to hold it and stare into its eyes, kiss its soft lips and smell the sweet, sweet baby skin that we all know smells soooo good!  I absolutely cannot wait.

Baby is currently a little over 2 inches long (comparision this week: baby is about the size of a lime!) and weighs half an ounce. The most dramatic development this week are reflexes! Baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, toes will curl, eye muscles will clench, and baby's mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if I prod my abdomen, baby will squirm in response, although I won't be able to feel it.

So as I leave this first chapter in our baby's development, I enter another amazing one... one of which baby will continue to grow and get strong and healthy. We will finally be able to view the ultrasound and I will finally be able to feel baby kick. That will be simply amazing.

More to report from the baby belly at week 13...

Peace, love, and baby,

Meredith & Eddie

My baby belly at 12 weeks...