My Top 5’s of Pregnancy

In case any of my readers have never been pregnant or been around many people who are pregnant, here are a few highlights of my experience.

Likes:
- Enhanced sense of smell
- Feeling the baby move
- People are more eager to help me (even when I don’t need it)
- Baby shopping
- Seeing my baby on the sonograms

Dislikes:
- Decreased energy
- Sore hips
- Calf cramps
- Food aversions (beef and bacon - which are things I normally love)
- Extra Bathroom Trips

Pregnancy Things That Made Me Laugh:
- Forgetting that I can’t fit in smaller spaces
- Feeling the baby have hiccups
- Watching the baby kick the dog or Dan when they would rest their faces on my belly
- Crazy hormones (suddenly being protective, the “oh I love everything” feeling, etc…)
- Random food cravings

Pregnancy Things I didn’t know, that I know now:
- Baby car seats expire, and they have to be replaced after a crash
- It is common to get nose bleeds during pregnancy
- Your skin gets super itchy as it expands
- The majority of women do not have their water break before going to the hospital
- All the aches and pains that come because of pregnancy

What I was looking forward to most post-pregnancy:
- Seeing baby Jax (duh)
- Sleeping without hip pain/calf cramps
- Doing an actual work out again
- No more food aversions
- Being able to travel again (once Jax is up for it)

Things have been great since Jax arrived. I did have crazy days when he would not stop crying, and I did break down in tears in the Kohl’s parking lot because I couldn’t find the PJs I wanted for Jax. However, overall, being a parent has been great.

The hip pain/calf cramps did go away, and I love bacon cheeseburgers again. Mmm! The work outs still haven’t happened yet, but I have learned that breast feeding (if you are able to do it) is a fantastic way to drop your baby weight quickly. :)

I am not someone who wishes they could always be pregnant, but I am glad that I had this experience. I learned a lot, had some laughs along the way, and got a cool little boy in the end.

Cheers!

Jax and I after he was born

Back from Maternity Leave

I knew being pregnant and having a baby would keep me busy, but I didn’t realize how busy until I was in the middle of everything. :) My pregnancy has now come and gone, and my sweet, adorable boy is here. My two months of maternity leave are also over, and with that, things are starting to take on a regular schedule again.

There are many good things about having a more normal schedule. One of them is that I am finding a few moments here and there to actually write blog posts again. Huzzah!

Over the next few weeks, I will try to catch up on events that happened during and just after my pregnancy, as well as writing about some of the fun vineyards that I am visiting, now that I am back on the VA wine trails.

Just a heads up, I will have pictures of the vineyards and other locations for my posts. However, you can also expect to see quite a few baby pictures – because taking pictures of my son is quite addicting. I will try not to overdo it, but I make no promises. Haha

Drink in the Aroma

I am very happy to announce that I am expecting my first little one! Whenever I say this to a wine-drinking friend, their first words are congratulatory, and their second words are sympathetic because I will not be drinking wine for a number of months.

To these people, and other women who are or will be expecting, do not let these sympathetic words bring you down! You can still be very much involved in the wine experience! How you ask? Let me tell you:

1) Drink through your nose
No, I am not saying to snort your wine. (Though that would look hilarious) When a woman is pregnant, her sense of smell is extremely heightened, so smelling a wine can be almost like tasting it. For myself, I have found this to be especially true! I could walk around just smelling wine all day and be the happiest person at the vineyard.

2) Finger Tasting
Everyone knows that alcohol is not good for a developing baby, and thus a mom-to-be. However, many physicians today will admit that a small amount of wine or beer is ok. (Just like a small amount of caffeine is ok) I’m sure there are gasps of horror from some of my readers and cheers from others. To make sure I am not misunderstood, let me explain.

My husband and I have been on numerous wine tours since I found out I was pregnant. At each winery we visted, only my husband purchased a tasting. We both get to hear about how each wine is made, and he lets me swirl and smell each wine that is poured. After that, Dan usually gets to enjoy the wine on his own. However, if I find one or two wines that smelled particularly delicious to me, I will put a drop or two of wine on my finger to taste.

Do I feel bad about doing this? Not at all. Do I think it will have any effect on my baby? Nope.

This is my personal choice though, and I will not look down on anyone who chooses to do, or not to do, the same.

3) Sip, swirl, and spit
One other option that pregnant women have is to take a sip of the wine, swirl it around their mouth, and spit it out. This is very similar to the second option I mentioned. If you choose to try this option, just be careful how big a sip you take, because some of the wine will linger in your mouth and inevitably be swallowed.

So, when you decide to start having children, do not think that your wine experiences have to end. You can still enjoy the atmosphere, aroma, and (to a degree) taste of wine. I guarantee that your friends will still love having you go with them to the wineries, especially since it means they will have a DD for the next few months. :)

For those who are curious, my little munchkin is a boy! The pregnancy is going well, and both parents and all grandparents/aunts/uncles are eagerly anticipating his arrival.