The Second Leg

And just like that, I'm on to the second trimester . . .

Which has been pretty awesome so far. Not much in the way of symptoms. No more queasiness, no more super sensitive nose, no more wanting to punch people in the throat. Well, not much of that last one anyway. But also a little worrisome. Since most of my symptoms have disappeared, I'm not really showing and I can't feel the baby move yet I'm always afraid that something's wrong. Fear has definitely been a common theme throughout but I plan to dedicate an entire post on that subject later.

So here's me at 12 weeks . . . not much change.

Go Cards!

 

 

 

 

And here I am at 16 weeks, looking a little rounder.

Bump or lunch?

 

 

 

I had my 16 week doctor's appointment last week and everything went well. Although I will never understand why they take your blood pressure directly after having you step on the scale. Looks like I gained a couple pounds since my last appointment. I blamed it on my morning bagel. But then I got to hear the baby's heart beat. A strong 150 beats per minute. Pretty much the most amazing sound EVER.

 

But since I still have three performances left of the show I'm in (which you can read about here) I've been trying not to indulge all of my cravings. Which is extra difficult to do around Halloween when chocolate and candy is plentiful and always within my hand's reach.

 

But I did sign up for a spinning/prenatal yoga series. With my job and the show my workout regimen has suffered so I'm trying to get back in the swing of things. I took a spin class last Friday for the first time in two months. The doc told me to keep my heart rate below 150 when exercising which is slightly annoying. I like to work out hard and pacing myself is no fun. But neither is abstaining from alcohol, so yeah. Everything I have read recommends indoor cycling as a great workout for pregnant mommas. Whoever said that must have forgotten about a little thing called your bladder. During a spin class you do these things called jumps where you're in your saddle (aka seat) for an 8 count, stand for an 8 count, sit for an 8 count, and so on. So each time you stand your baby (now apparently the size of an avocado) gets pressed against your bladder. Awesome sauce. I love my spin instructor though. He's a great motivator. I wonder if he hires out as a birth coach. I may need someone telling me how awesome and strong I am and to really push myself hard.

 

 

I also took my first prenatal yoga class last week as well. Now, I've done some yoga in the past year. Regular yoga, hot yoga, yoga with weights. Prenatal yoga is essentially a bunch of pregnant women rolling around on the floor. I didn't even break a sweat. I also felt like a poser. All the other women in the room had big, beautiful, round baby bumps. They probably thought I was lying when I told them I was 4 months along. But whatever. Besides, I made a deal with my kid a while back. If the little nugget could stay little until my show was over then we'll hit up In 'n Out when it's over. Chocolate milk shake and everything - my treat.

 

 

Get in my belly!

 

 I really shouldn't knock prenatal yoga though. I'm sure the bigger I get the more difficult it will become. And I definitely had some sore hamstrings the following day from all those lovely crescent poses which is great news for my legs. I'm hoping to stay pregnant in my belly and not in my thighs.  Also, I've already started feeling the pangs of my ribcage starting to expand which is no fun at all. I was wondering how I was going to fit a (please lord, no more than) 7 pound baby in my short torso as it is. Now I know. The yoga should help ease all the stretching ligaments and shit. And the moving around of organs. Here's a visual of a non-pregnant woman vs. a pregnant woman.

 

 

What the hell?! Everything gets shifted and flattened out. That doesn't look comfortable at all.

 

But I can't complain too much. So far it's been a pretty easy pregnancy and it's been going by pretty fast. I'm 40% done! With work and the show that I've been producing/acting in I've had a lot of distractions. Oh, and we're moving too. I'll let you know how that goes. And in three weeks Nik and I get to find out if we're having a son or daughter. Son or daughter. Woah!

Mind = Blown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 







 

It's Showtime!

As some of you may know, I have a little theatre company that I've been involved with for the past five years. And for the past 7 weeks I've been working to produce our next show that happens to be opening this Friday, October 18th.

I'll take this moment now to do a little plugging as any good producer would do. It's a hilarious farce, full of mistaken identity and ridiculous situations that will have the audience laughing out loud in their seats. Get your tickets here!

 

Oh, and did I mention that I'm also performing in it? Well, I am. So for the past 7 weeks my schedule has looked a little like this:

6:30am - Alarm goes off
8:30am - Arrive to work after spending an hour and a half in traffic. LA really sucks sometimes
7:20pm - Finish work day and head to rehearsal
10:40pm - 11pm - Finish rehearsal and head home
11:30pm - 12am - Home

In my pre-pregger days this schedule wouldn't have been a problem. I probably would have even stayed up much too late unwinding with a glass of wine or two before doing it all again. But during pregnancy, it's hell. Especially without the wine to calm me the f*** down.

Pregnancy is exhausting business people. And when everything annoys the shit out of you anyway and your beloved wine is off limits, things can get a little turbulent. Not that I'm complaining - just trying to get through it. Nik's been doing his best to get through it as well, poor guy. I will seriously come home after a long day and walk straight to the bedroom without even a word hello. And on evenings when there is no rehearsal he's lucky if I'm able to keep my eyes open past 10pm. The other week I made him watch 'What To Expect When You're Expecting' with me. I fell asleep about half way through and he didn't even turn it off. Proof of how awesome he's been. Of course now he's going to kill me because I just let it slip that he watched "What To Expect When You're Expecting' while his pregnant wife lay snoozing on the couch. But seriously, he's been great. Knowing when to cower in the man cave and let me have my space. And knowing when I need a hug even after making him cower in the man cave.




Poor Nik

Anyway, so yeah. I'm in a play. Nik asked if I was sure I wanted to do it with everything else going on. I figured it could very well be the last time I get to act for a long time so hell yeah, I wanted to do it. However, now that opening night is almost here I am beginning to rethink my decision. Oh, not because of the stress or exhaustion or any of that. But because on opening night I'll be exactly 15 weeks along. And the show opens with me wearing something resembling this . . .

At least I'm fully covered. In the second act I get to strip down on stage and wear something like this . . .

Good thing my boobs look fabulous now. Pregnancy 'perk'! (Pun intended) The mid section? Meh, not so much. I know, I know. Here I was all gloating in your face with my previous blog about those Doritos and cheddar cheese binges. Well, I think I'm beginning to see the effects now. In fact, I'm not sure if I'm seeing the first signs of a bump or if that's just my lunch. Sexy, huh?

Anyway, the show runs for three weeks so I'll be pushing 18 weeks on closing night. So even if live theatre isn't your thing you should still come and play 'See If  You Can Spot The Baby Bump'. Besides, you knows when you'll get the chance to see me perform next. Except for in April of course when I take on the role of Mother. Which let's face it, will probably be funnier than the character I'm playing now.

 

 

P.S. If you are one of my many friends or relatives that live too far away to see my bump on stage but would still like to support my theatre company, you are welcome to make a donation here. All proceeds go toward helping making the show the biggest success it can be!

Keeping It Under Wraps

In a way, I feel kind of bad. For two months I had to lie to some of my closest friends. Well, not lie exactly. Just omit the truth. A BIG truth. I actually found out pretty early on in my pregnancy that I was expecting. Sometimes I call it a blessing, in the sense that I didn't enjoy too many glasses (okay, okay - bottles) of wine and unknowingly endanger my child. And sometimes, a curse. There is so much that can go wrong between a positive pregnancy test and the first doctor's appointment. Horrible, awful things that no expectant mother or father should have to go through. More on that later.

 

So that was my initial reason for wanting to keep the news secret. If I had it my way, Nik and I would have been the only two people who knew the truth for the first 8 weeks. Realistically, there's no way that could happen. Not because I have issues keeping my mouth shut. But because it's pretty well known that my mouth is usually preoccupied enjoying tasty, adult beverages which unfortunately is one of the many no-nos when expecting.  

 

The following weekend after learning I was pregnant I had plans to meet my brother and his fiancé in Vegas. Have you ever done Vegas sober? Or how about 5 weeks pregnant? Well, I wouldn't recommend either. I met them at the Las Vegas airport Thursday afternoon. It was their first time visiting Sin City and they were so excited. I didn't want to disappoint. At this point they were unaware that anything was out of the ordinary. Nik was going to drive up the next day and meet us there so I was going to try my best and wait for him before spilling the beans. There was no way I could pretend to drink my way through an entire weekend in Vegas, especially around my family. Let's just say we like to have a good time. But I did get through almost 24 hours which I am pretty proud of. My brother would order me a glass of wine that I would happen to take into the restroom with me and come out with most of it gone. He ordered me a strawberry daiquiri while poolside the following afternoon. I exchanged it for a virgin while they thought I was making a phone call. Wasting perfectly good alcohol felt like committing sacrilege . But I do plan to atone for those sins come April.

 

A motherhood necessity

 

Eventually we were able to share the good news and they were ecstatic to learn that there would be an additional guest at their wedding in June. And I toughed it out the best I could the rest of the weekend, staying out until 2am or later as I sipped on my club soda with lime. Wild, I know.

The following weekend, I had a bachelorette party to attend. In FREAKING WINE COUNTRY!! I mean come on, that's like putting crack in front of a crack head. So the evening before we left town I told my bestie, Megan, my big secret. She was the bride's maid of honor and became my partner in crime for the weekend. I would eat for two while she would drink for two. We 'shared' our tastings at each winery we stopped at and our wine glasses were strategically placed next to each other during dinner. That way she could easily pick up mine to drink from as well as hers. But I think we were able to successfully get through the weekend without anyone being the wiser.

And more recently, Nik and I attended our friends' wedding in Jersey City. We spent much of our time there wandering about the streets of New York which was pretty exhausting for a 10 week pregnant chick. But well worth it. Nik became an expert at ordering non alcoholic drinks to look like alcoholic drinks. And Nik really became an expert at drinking any wine or champagne that came my way. He's obviously been having way more fun than me the past 3 months.

But honestly, as exhausting as it is growing a human it's also pretty exhausting keeping a secret about said growing human. Especially with all those damned trips lined up. There were times when Nik would voice his frustrations about how difficult it was for him not being able to tell anyone. That's usually when I would voice my frustrations about how difficult it was for me not being able to punch him in the throat. Kidding! But I get it.

So yeah, I had to forego my fun from Vegas, wine country and those plentiful rooftop bars that New York has to offer. I'm sure it will be well worth it in April. But that doesn't mean I can't longingly look at that glass of wine in your hand and hate you just a little bit for drinking it. And now that the secret's out you at least know why I'm looking at that glass of wine like I want to do dirty things to it.

 

We've Gone and Done It Now

Soooo, this happened . . .

And this . . .

And, this.

 

 

I won't embarrass myself by telling you the actual number of pregnancy tests I took (I lost count anyway) but each time my expression probably resembled something like this.

 

 

Don't get me wrong, I was super excited. But at first, I was speechless. Especially since I've spent the majority of my adulthood hoping I'd never even have to buy a pregnancy test. There was a whole gamut of emotions coursing through me. "Holy crap, I'm pregnant! Holy crap, there's a life growing inside me. Holy crap, what about that wine I enjoyed over the weekend?!" But after the initial shock wore off, there were lots of tears of joy and excitement. And have been ever since.

 

I'm not really sure how this blog is going to take shape or if I'll even be able to keep it up. But I thought it might be nice to have some sort of outlet for all this crazy pregnant business. Especially since I only have a couple of friends in Los Angeles that have gone through it before. But I figured this blog could also be entertaining for those of you who actually want to hear all the nitty, gritty pregger details. And for those of you who could care less, just ignore.

 

And on that note, here's a rundown of the first trimester to get you up to speed.

 

*Nose. Apparently my sense of smell is now approaching levels of superhuman strength. And to put this bluntly, you people stink. Seriously. Your food, your deodorant, your perfume or cologne. You're all so smelly. In fact, this entire world stinks. Cigarette smoke, car exhaust, gasoline, candles. Enough already.

 

*Morning Sickness. Okay, I need to preface this by saying that I have gotten off pretty easy in the morning sickness department. In fact, I don't even call it that. Queasy is my term. I never went running to the porcelain gods or felt so nauseous I couldn't function. But every once in a while I would start to feel a little queasy. Like I was in the back seat of a car that was making its way through a long, windy road. It could be something I ate or something I smelled with my superhuman nose but whatever it was my stomach didn't like it. So whenever this happened I found that carbs usually helped.

 

* Appetite. Nothing sounded good anymore. If Nik suggested something like red meat I wanted to gag. And some of my daily indulgences were starting to turn me off. Sour cream and onion chips? Blech. Spearmint gum? Blech. Trader Joe's black bean and corn enchiladas? Double blech. Instead I gravitated toward carbs. Salt and pepper chips, mac 'n cheese, and Doritos were all big winners. Pasta also became a daily staple. And as far as cravings go, I think I had my first big one about two weeks ago. Nik and I were on our way to the grocery store and all of a sudden I got a craving for some Easy Cheese and crackers. Easy Cheese? I mean, come on. Apparently my baby wants me to eat like a stoned college kid.

 

I'm hoping this isn't a sign of things to come. : / But in case you're wondering, no, I didn't pick up any Easy Cheese. But I did stock up on cheddar cheese, baked Cheetos and a classy cheese spread to go with my cracked black pepper Triscuits. Don't worry, I still eat my fruits and vegetables. I just don't enjoy them as much.

 

*Baby bumpage. Despite my best efforts with the aforementioned carbs and cheese cravings,  the number on the scale hasn't changed much. But I have a theory on this. When not pregnant my cravings usually come in the liquid variety. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, a bold, delicious Zin - you get my drift. But since I can no longer enjoy my vino the caloric intake balances out with my new found indulgences. You win some, you lose some. But the doc says the baby is developing right on track so I'm sure I'll be bumping it in no time.

 

*Attitude. I've been trying my best to keep mine in check and I think I did pretty good up until the 8 week mark. But then my patience began to wear thin and everyone began to annoy the shit out of me. But to be fair, I don't really know if I can blame it on the hormones. I work full time and also decided to produce and perform in a show that my lovely theatre company is putting on next week. So between work and rehearsals I've been clocking in 17 hour days which can be tiring. And I hear that whole growing a human business can be draining as well. All the while I had been hiding my pregnancy from almost everyone. So they probably all thought I was just being a real pain in the ass which let's face it, I probably was. But I've been getting better at taking deep breaths and counting to 10 to try and keep me from punching people in the face. And if that doesn't work I'll count to 100. And if that still doesn't work I just take a look at this nugget's beautiful, little mug and it all goes away.

 

 

Baby Karpen - Coming April, 2014!