Love those! jindc, thanks for sharing! My husband wanted to do the barfing in the toilet pic the first time around; we settled for a simple FB announcement. I've seen a lot of the little shoes lately, and I must be feeling better because the elaborate cookies actually look good!

The stories are hilarious. And Pumpkin, please friend me on FB so I can be there for your "lordy, lordy, guess who's pregnant"--love it! ;^)

When we told our moms we were expecting our first, it was a few days before our wedding, and I'd been puking my guts out all day. My MIL, SFIL, and SIL all arrived that day, and MIL was screaming at my husband for not getting me Pepto Bismol. So we called them up to our bedroom, where I was lying like death, and told them we were having a baby. The moms looked at each other for a long moment, and then screamed like they'd just seen Paul McCartney. Then they hugged each other, jumping up and down, while I lay there trying not to heave. Fortunately my husband was recording the whole thing on his phone, so that moment will live forever. I should add that our daughter is not the first grandchild for either of them--but hey, at least they still got excited!

I told my dad as he was about to open champagne at our wedding. He walked away for a long moment, like he didn't know what to say, and then held me extra close for the father-daughter dance, almost like he was trying to feel for kicking. A little strange.

Pumpkin, I hope today's a better day, and glad I've been able to give helpful advice. You learn a lot of tricks from having HG, some more useful than others. What works is so individual.

OH--and there are these great things to flavor water by a company called TruLemon. Little packets of crystallized citrus (lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit)! They're great since they're so portable and also totally natural. I ordered a big bunch on Amazon, so if citrus doesn't make you queasy, that's another option.

-Poppy, feeling decent today and trying not to freak out about that (my reduced anxiety only lasts so long...)

I'm picturing my Bubbie and Pop-Pop having no idea what to do with the egg. Sure, it says "crack me", but my Bubbie will be like "what? what is this?", my Pop Pop will grab it and pretend to know.
But, it's cute so hopefully it works. It'll definitely work for my aunt when I tell them when I travel to visit them, but I'll be 16 weeks then, so I don't know how I'll withhold it from them that long, or how I won't really look pregnant by then.
I was looking for cards that said, "you've always been a good aunt..but now you'll be a great aunt!" I can't find em and Etsy folks wanted too much money to custom that, so the egg will do!

jindc wrote:I figured this was appropriate to share as we are starting to get nearer to the end of the first tri for many October moms-to-be:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/29-awesome-ways-to-tell-everyone-youre-preggers

We're using one of these options from Etsy (bought it prior to this buzzfeed!) but some of them are really adorable - that Juno one? CUTE!

The "Ooops I forgot to take my pill" one! HAAAA!

This is pumpkin (getting that out there now, before i forget!). So with my first, we were at the end of the first trimester around Christmas. My parents (dad and stepmom) can't keep a secret so we waited to tell. I sent them a birthday card that was "to Grandma and Grandpa on Christmas" with a sonogram pic inside, and because the sonogram pic of course was one of those super early ones where the OB has to say "yeah, see that thing? that's the embryo," I also wrote "see you sometime in July! Love, your future grandson or granddaughter. So my sister is there to answer questions. She says my dad opens his first, and is like "Now, it looks like there was some sort of mixup with the cards, I think she has sent us the wrong package. Starts asking my sis if she also got a mixed up present. Didn't even look at the sonogram. Then, my poor sister, is dying, trying to gently guide without giving away the secret, and was like "dad, open the card. just OPEN the card. Then my dad is still shaking his head, and then says "are they telling us they want to have a baby?" My sis had to say "dad, that is a sonogram. that IS the baby. There's a baby coming." Stepmom was like "Oh Ed..." too much.

This time we'll just go ahead and phone them.

As far as a broader audience... Though I did consider that I'll be reaching the end of my first trimester riiiiight around the time I turn 40. (Whaaaaa! Whaaaaa!) So I was thinking about getting all droll and just saying "lordy, lordy guess who's...pregnant? Me. Oh, and also forty" on my FB page. But, I think we won't tell a broader audience until I'm actually showing and we need to. For whatever reason, maybe due the risks or maybe because I told my work people before I wanted to (thank you nausea and vomiting), I want to be more secretive this time.

Have a good time announcing! It is so much fun.

I figured this was appropriate to share as we are starting to get nearer to the end of the first tri for many October moms-to-be:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/29-awesome-ways-to-tell-everyone-youre-preggers

We're using one of these options from Etsy (bought it prior to this buzzfeed!) but some of them are really adorable - that Juno one? CUTE!

Anonymous wrote:

jindc wrote:Anyone else tired of plain water? I have a brk bottle (glass) and I drink from it all day at work. How do you make drinking so much water easier? I can't fit a lemon in here (so I might get another bottle, actually).
I'm worried about getting crystal light because of the chemicals...

Yes, like last pregnancy I'm finding myself turned off by water. Ordinarily I love water and drink tons of it. For a while I was doing water with a squirt of orange, or some pureed fruit (strawberries, raspberries, whatever I had on hand) then I got tired of that and thought the chunks were messing with me. Switching to sparkling water helped for a while, and I was spiking perrier with a splash of whole foods strawberry apple juice but that was too sweet, so i moved on. Carbonated feels nice but I haven't wanted sweet drinks.

Poppy, I'd say I don't like coke but your advice has been pretty good so far so bottoms up! My husband will be psyched because if it were up to him we'd have coke in the house at all times.

In the end, like last pregnancy, I will probably end up drinking decaf iced tea the entire time. I've already started on it today. I think I was less concerned about chemicals the first go-round, but this time I've at least sprung for the "naturally decaffeinated." Not that I think it's really a ton better. It's probably all sketchy. But, it tastes better than water to me and I don't think I'll get sick of it. JinDC, not sure how bad the chemicals are in crystal light but surely there's some organic / slightly healthier version? Maybe a compromise?

Today was a better than usual nausea day. I've been taking vitamin B6 for a while but now I've started taking 25mg 2x a day instead of once a day, maybe that's making a difference. I even got in a short jog and a dance session with my little guy. Of course, every time my symptoms ease up I feel nervous. My first appointment will be a relief - I'm so excited to hear that little heartbeat, and still a little bit nervous that I won't!! Also, I'm wearing sea bands. I wore them last pregnancy, too. Who knows if they do anything. I think I might be a sucker for snake oil.

If I haven't added my welcome to the new moms, hello! Cold fruit sounds good, and I can't wait until pumpkin, now the size of a jellybean, i"m told, is the size of a plum. That's huge!

And Poppy, I enjoyed your war and peace. (And now mine is Anna Kareninna!) You're clearly so happy and relieved about the cyst and the little bean, it was a nice message to read. In fact, keeping in touch with all of you has been really nice, especially given the nausea. It may be the pregnancy hormones, but I'm glad we have this group!

As for the furlough news, JinDC and Sepilove I'm so sorry you guys. I mentioned upthread I'm a lobbyist. My industry is also being hit hard; some of my colleagues will actually lose their jobs because their workplace is closing down. And, my stepmom is a fed, she will be impacted, and she's the only income now as my dad had to retire early due to a health problem. This is right when they're trying to recoup the loss from his early retirement so she can retire only a little bit late. If the sequester hangs around for a while, it'll be really hard on them. I'm sure it's even worse for young folks starting a new family or expanding their family. Anyway, so sorry you're dealing with this stuff given everything else.

- oh my damn. pumpkin

jindc wrote:Anyone else tired of plain water? I have a brk bottle (glass) and I drink from it all day at work. How do you make drinking so much water easier? I can't fit a lemon in here (so I might get another bottle, actually).
I'm worried about getting crystal light because of the chemicals...

Yes, like last pregnancy I'm finding myself turned off by water. Ordinarily I love water and drink tons of it. For a while I was doing water with a squirt of orange, or some pureed fruit (strawberries, raspberries, whatever I had on hand) then I got tired of that and thought the chunks were messing with me. Switching to sparkling water helped for a while, and I was spiking perrier with a splash of whole foods strawberry apple juice but that was too sweet, so i moved on. Carbonated feels nice but I haven't wanted sweet drinks.

Poppy, I'd say I don't like coke but your advice has been pretty good so far so bottoms up! My husband will be psyched because if it were up to him we'd have coke in the house at all times.

In the end, like last pregnancy, I will probably end up drinking decaf iced tea the entire time. I've already started on it today. I think I was less concerned about chemicals the first go-round, but this time I've at least sprung for the "naturally decaffeinated." Not that I think it's really a ton better. It's probably all sketchy. But, it tastes better than water to me and I don't think I'll get sick of it. JinDC, not sure how bad the chemicals are in crystal light but surely there's some organic / slightly healthier version? Maybe a compromise?

Today was a better than usual nausea day. I've been taking vitamin B6 for a while but now I've started taking 25mg 2x a day instead of once a day, maybe that's making a difference. I even got in a short jog and a dance session with my little guy. Of course, every time my symptoms ease up I feel nervous. My first appointment will be a relief - I'm so excited to hear that little heartbeat, and still a little bit nervous that I won't!! Also, I'm wearing sea bands. I wore them last pregnancy, too. Who knows if they do anything. I think I might be a sucker for snake oil.

If I haven't added my welcome to the new moms, hello! Cold fruit sounds good, and I can't wait until pumpkin, now the size of a jellybean, i"m told, is the size of a plum. That's huge!

And Poppy, I enjoyed your war and peace. (And now mine is Anna Kareninna!) You're clearly so happy and relieved about the cyst and the little bean, it was a nice message to read. In fact, keeping in touch with all of you has been really nice, especially given the nausea. It may be the pregnancy hormones, but I'm glad we have this group!

As for the furlough news, JinDC and Sepilove I'm so sorry you guys. I mentioned upthread I'm a lobbyist. My industry is also being hit hard; some of my colleagues will actually lose their jobs because their workplace is closing down. And, my stepmom is a fed, she will be impacted, and she's the only income now as my dad had to retire early due to a health problem. This is right when they're trying to recoup the loss from his early retirement so she can retire only a little bit late. If the sequester hangs around for a while, it'll be really hard on them. I'm sure it's even worse for young folks starting a new family or expanding their family. Anyway, so sorry you're dealing with this stuff given everything else.

Poppy here--

First, so sorry for all of you going through this furlough garbage. How awful to have this hanging over your heads, and then have them delay yet again. Ugh. I'll be thinking of you all and hoping the higher ups get their act together (wishful thinking, I know).

Plum, Raspberry, welcome! I love the fruit names. Raspberry, I've been craving cold, sour fruits, too; I think if I could have raspberry slushies 24/7, I might be okay. Lots of popsicles and sorbets here.

Pumpkin, jindc, I'm sorry to hear about the nausea/fatigue/general yuckiness. I really just take things one day at a time at this point, and have so few expectations of myself it's a little ridiculous. But last time I was really hard on myself to get things done, exercise, etc., it just made me feel worse. Hang in there... you'll be through this soon! And if you've not tried them, Coke has been one of the few things that's consistently brought some relief from the nausea. Pumpkin, I saw on the Wisdom nutrition thread (I think) that you hadn't tried those yet... just wanted to say they really helped me. I'm not a soda drinker at all when not pregnant, but something about the Coke really helps.

Just got back from a follow-up sonogram to the ovarian cyst drama, and everything looks good! Got to see the little person again, and s/he has grown perfectly since Sunday and even waved hello at us. I was glad my husband got to see, and the sonographer gave us a pic to take home. The cyst looks pretty much resolved, and the OB's working theory is that it was a corpus luteum cyst that ruptured, hence the intense pain. Such a relief to have that over with.

While I'm at it, a huge shout out to Greater Washington Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Dr. Gallagher in particular: they are awesome. We go there for all our screenings/sonos, and they're just so competent and professional. Moreover, Dr. Gallagher is one of the most decent, compassionate doctors I've met, such a nice guy. I know many of you on this thread are in the city, but for those in the 'burbs, I can't recommend this practice more highly (offices in SS, Rockville, and Fairfax).

Today's actually a good day, so I may take this opportunity to do some laundry! It's been piling up, and I feel like I have the energy to tackle it, for a change. 9 weeks, 4 days today, hopefully things will start to improve.

Someone had asked about testing: we're doing MaterniT21 and the first trimester screen/NT scan. We have to meet with the genetic counselor for the M21, so may discuss the trade-offs of CVS or amnio then, too. My husband is leaning more towards amnio, since you get so much information. I'm not hugely inclined unless we find something on the other tests, but we'll see. I know we're in excellent hands with GWMFM, so that eases my mind some about the risks.

jindc, thanks for the info about the barre classes! I can't wait to get back to my running and yoga; was doing hot yoga before I got pregnant, and while I don't think I'll go for the heat, I really miss the intense classes.

Anyway, I'll sign off after writing the War and Peace of updates. Happy Spring to you all, and hope everyone's well!

just got this email:
"The Department of Defense has decided to delay the issuance of civilian employee furlough notices for approximately two weeks. This delay will allow the department to carefully analyze the impact of pending continuing resolution legislation on the department's resources. We have not made any decisions on whether or not the total number of planned furlough days for fiscal 2013 will change as a result of this delay. We believe the delay is a responsible step to take in order to assure our civilian employees that we do not take lightly the prospect of furloughs and the resulting decrease in employee pay."

seems like a case of they need to shit or get off the pot. The uncertainty is the worst part.

Jin, Navy furlough notices are expected Friday or Monday, I heard this morning. Good luck!

Anyone else tired of plain water? I have a brk bottle (glass) and I drink from it all day at work. How do you make drinking so much water easier? I can't fit a lemon in here (so I might get another bottle, actually).
I'm worried about getting crystal light because of the chemicals...

Pumpkin - I saw them post it on Facebook. If you can't make it Sunday (or if you can!) definitely tell the owner that this is something you want to see offered more regularly. I'd love it regularly (even though I'm terrified to see how out of shape I am). I think if they offered it as a series / regularly, it would be very popular. Despite the massive number of stairs you have to walk up to get there lol

Anonymous wrote:

jindc wrote:For those interested, B.Fit Barre on 14th St is offering a barre class for moms-to-be/new moms on Sunday at 2pm. I haven't been released to work out regularly yet (not until I'm finished with my Progesterone/Estrogen).

So if you're interested, it should be good! Hopefully they offer this more regularly. I'd LOVE it

Whoa, i'm totally interested in that but didn't see that on their website. Where did you find that info? I might go provided my nausea and energy level allows. Wish you were allowed to go too! If they offer it regularly I'd be really into doing it. I'd like a class and motivation this time around. Yoga is nice but not really my first choice, barre seems fun though I've never done it. If they offer it again would you do it? I might check it out this sunday. Anyone else?

OMG, pumpkin. If I don't sign, assume it's me. Why am I the only forgetful one?

jindc wrote:For those interested, B.Fit Barre on 14th St is offering a barre class for moms-to-be/new moms on Sunday at 2pm. I haven't been released to work out regularly yet (not until I'm finished with my Progesterone/Estrogen).

So if you're interested, it should be good! Hopefully they offer this more regularly. I'd LOVE it

Whoa, i'm totally interested in that but didn't see that on their website. Where did you find that info? I might go provided my nausea and energy level allows. Wish you were allowed to go too! If they offer it regularly I'd be really into doing it. I'd like a class and motivation this time around. Yoga is nice but not really my first choice, barre seems fun though I've never done it. If they offer it again would you do it? I might check it out this sunday. Anyone else?

So, how many hours of annual/sick does this mean we lose during the 22 weeks?

And for us, no one has told us anything. It's really shameful. I've read online that we'll get it tomorrow, but it really is ridiculous that no one here has managed to tell us anything. Not sure if I should be offended, but I know the military personnel doesn't really care abotu our furloughs.

jindc wrote:yes, leave is calculated based on working 80 hours a week. so a number of weeks in to the furlough we start earning less leave.

rumor is we get our notices tomorrow. I haven't seen anything and since I work for all military, no one seems to have any information (or care....I got told, "oh come on, it's a 12% cut over the year, not 20%" by a coworker...yet no increase in BAH is "horrible, what's wrong with Congress?!" So much for the military cutting spending).

We've already been informed that we will be getting our furlough notice tomorrow

I also found this on OMP. It looks like leave accrual will be slightly affected:

4. Does a furlough affect the accrual of annual leave and sick leave?
A. If an employee is furloughed (i.e., placed in nonpay status) for part of a biweekly pay period, the employee’s leave accrual will generally not be affected for that pay period.
However, the accumulation of nonpay status hours during a leave year can affect the accrual of annual leave and sick leave over a period of time. (See 5 CFR 630.208 and Notes 1 and 2 below.) For example, when a full-time employee with an 80-hour biweekly tour of duty accumulates a total of 80 hours of nonpay status from the beginning of the leave year (either in one pay period, or over the course of several pay periods), the employee will not earn annual and sick leave in the pay period in which that 80-hour accumulation is reached. If the employee again accumulates 80 hours of nonpay status, he or she will again not earn leave in the pay period in which that new 80-hour total is reached. At the end of the leave year, any accumulation of nonpay status hours of less than 80 hours is zeroed out so that the accumulation of nonpay status hours for the next leave year starts at zero.