You guys. Your comments have been making me giddy. Thank you so much for your well wishes and for sticking around through the extraordinarily boring last six months or so around here. Really, your support means so much and I can't thank you enough.
Now here's something you won't believe: I haven't had a Diet Coke since June.
I KNOW.
In the spring, I switched from 20-oz Diet Mountain Dews as my morning beverage to cans of Diet Coke, figuring I'd gradually cut back on caffeine and see how that went. And it was fine for a while, but then one day an odd thing happened: Diet Coke no longer tasted good. It was like trying to swill battery acid. I couldn't finish more than a couple of sips before recoiling. Since then, I haven't wanted to even look at diet soda. In fact, I feel pretty good just pounding ice-cold water all day, and while I miss the company of my fizzy friend from time to time as I check my email when I get into the office, it hasn't been the dramatic parting of ways that I would have anticipated.
Meanwhile, practically from the moment of conception I took on the supersonic sense of smell that I'd heard about from other pregnant friends. I swear, I can smell every molecule in the air -- layers of scent, from the minerals in the soil to the bark of the trees to layers of human smells, soap under lotion under perfume with a undercurrent of thinly disguised B.O. And what a pleasure it is to have that ability in the heat of a New York summer. The purely body-based smells were blessedly few and far between, but the PERFUMES and COLOGNES. Oh my lord. It started to feel like people's spritzing on of Axe or Sunflowers or Clinique Happy was an act of aggression against me personally. I am considering starting a movement to ban fragrance usage by all subway riders. Just soap and maybe a lightly scented lotion or some baby powder, that's all that should be allowed. I will vote for whatever public advocate candidate will take on this cause.
I guess I should share a few photos surrounding this blessed event, which is also my way of copping out so I can watch "The Wire" (episode 3, season 1) -- we're giving it a whirl since everyone seems to be raving about it, and so far it's good but I haven't burst into flames from the awesomeness yet (we'll give it a few more episodes to be sure).
So here's me, all gross and fresh out of bed and having just gotten the happy result (I really, really need new glasses):
Here's the inaugural belly shot, taken this morning, at 12 weeks, 5 days (aside from the noticeable belleh, I am also thicker all around; my waist sort of disappeared right away and everything just...expanded in my torso/abdomen area -- it's hard to explain, but I felt like I went from a willowy runner to a rather broad-shouldered Vikingette overnight. Not that I'm complaining, and I am NOT saying I'm too big or fat or anything like that; I'm just saying there have been changes with this here bod, and it's sort of fascinating):
And, apropos of nothing, here's Miles getting dried off after a bath, totally unaware of how his life will be turned upside down in about six and a half months:
You can almost sense the fear in his eyes already.
Scrapbook material!!! YEA!
Posted by: terri | September 15, 2009 at 09:36 PM
I MADLY CRAVE diet Coke while pregnant, but coffee will suddenly make me sick. And the smells. OMG the smells. I shudder in memory and empathy.
Posted by: Swistle | September 15, 2009 at 10:24 PM
Just catching up and thrilled to read about your news! So wonderful!!! Congratulations!
Posted by: Mauigirl | September 15, 2009 at 11:00 PM
MALTED battery acid, if you please. :)
Trivia: I am unable to smell Clinique Happy.
Posted by: Dave | September 16, 2009 at 12:14 AM
The first thing to go for me was coffee. The smell of brewing (or worse, burning) coffee just makes me sick. It's terrible, because I was all for having my one cup a day through my pregnancy! Fizzy drinks give me heartburn, so I'm pretty much relegated to water and milk. I'm SO with you on the sense of smell. I can smell anything and everything! It's ridiculous. :)
Posted by: Tara | September 16, 2009 at 02:19 AM
and then there was a tiny, tiny baby bump!! Grandad's comment to Rick when I was pregnant was - "I saw what you have been doing with my daughter - good thing I was at the wedding" -
Posted by: Sharon Jorgenson | September 16, 2009 at 09:10 AM
Very exciting.
The magazine behind you in the belly picture looks familiar. Does your husband leave Men's Health magazines in the bathroom, too? :-)
Posted by: 3carnations | September 16, 2009 at 09:33 AM
Ha, 3carnations, yes -- good eye. That is indeed Men's Health. I realized after I took the photo that I probably should have moved it, but who doesn't have reading material in their bathroom, right?
Posted by: Lawyerish | September 16, 2009 at 09:52 AM
Great photos. You definately have a belly:) How exciting.
Posted by: Kimszym | September 16, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Ugh, the smells, the SMELLS! People at work were teasing me about my bionic sense of smell during my pregnancy. They quickly changed their tune when I detected a roof leak because suddenly all I could smell was mildew.
Posted by: nonsoccermom | September 16, 2009 at 12:00 PM
i love that first photo. you look happy and a bit startled.
(your pregnant bump is way smaller than my food bump. sigh.)
Posted by: beyond | September 16, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Isn't it cool? this whole making a person thing? Although I claim to "love" being pregnant, "love" isn't the right word -- mostly I just find it fascinating (inconvenient, yes, but oh so cool).
I'm dying to know how you told your parents you were expecting!
Posted by: Mar | September 16, 2009 at 12:53 PM
You are so going to be one of those girls with a cute baby bump. Enjoy it!!!!
Posted by: Julie | September 16, 2009 at 03:05 PM
Ha, I love that picture of your dog!
And way good about giving up diet soda. That was the hardest thing about pregnancy for me, I think I had a Dr. Pepper like one day after I delivered, I was just dying for it.
Posted by: Christina | September 16, 2009 at 04:05 PM
Congratulations! I am so happy for you both!
Posted by: Kristin | September 16, 2009 at 07:49 PM
OMG!!! Just now checking in. I missed the previous post. How cool! I'm so excited for you both! Hooray and congratulations! Wow. Just wow! Linda
Posted by: Linda | September 16, 2009 at 07:56 PM
Pop is my biggest addiction and I've decided to kick it . . . I've now gone three months and I'm actually starting to find it easier to be without it. If it's safe for pregnant ladies, I highly recommend VitaminWater or SoBe LifeWater (they sure like those mid-word capital letters.) Just don't get the Tranquilo VitaminWater. It's awful.
Posted by: willikat | September 16, 2009 at 10:14 PM
Oh, the smells. I could smell some spice in the kitchen that drove me crazy and made me want to gag. We never did narrow it down to a specific spice, so maybe it was all of them. And, the smell of cooking meat was horrible - just horrible. It was winter here in the tundra during my early pregnancy months and we had to open the windows, regardless of the outside temperature, to rid the house of the smell of meat cooking. I love the picture of Miles - little does he know!!
Posted by: H | September 16, 2009 at 10:19 PM
Been following your blog for a couple of months. Congrats on the pregnancy! I am so excited for you and Joe. I'm also pregnant (16w) so I can relate to a lot to what you've wrote. I was addicted to coffee and diet coke, but miraculously my taste for it disappeared as soon as I found out I was pg (although I was drinking that stuff early in pg before I knew I was pg). And like you I cannot stand the taste of anything diet right now. I wonder if I'll like it again after the pg. I'm worried I'm going to get diabetes now from all the sugary drinks I consume these days. Happy and healthy 9 months!
Posted by: Tess | September 16, 2009 at 10:36 PM
Perhaps Myles and Nea can chat about the upcoming transition! LOL!
Posted by: kathy | September 17, 2009 at 09:53 AM
YAY for the belly!!
Posted by: Beth | September 17, 2009 at 11:13 AM
Woohoo! You look fantastically excited in that first picture, as you should be :)
Posted by: Jen | September 17, 2009 at 04:46 PM
YOU'RE PREGGGNNNNAAAAANNNNNTTTTTT!!! I'm so excited for you. I can't wait to read about it all! :)
Posted by: chirky | September 17, 2009 at 07:44 PM
CONGRATULATIONS!!! I'm so happy for you. How exciting!
Posted by: Jen | September 18, 2009 at 05:10 PM
You look great! I didn't/couldn't drink Diet Coke while pregnant either! The thought of touching raw chicken was awful....I also couldn't eat frozen pizzas.
My love of Diet Coke came back quickly in case you are worried!
Congrats again!
Posted by: Allison | September 19, 2009 at 08:21 AM
Um....so....please excuse me for saying this to your delicate pregnant ears, but holy shit! Congratulations!
Posted by: Jen W. | September 21, 2009 at 11:53 AM
Aaaaauuuuggghhh! I'm just getting caught up with blogs and saw your last two posts! Congratulations! I'm so happy for you! You look wonderful, by the way. Hooray for you guys!
xo
Flicka
PS~ I wasn't able to comment on your library post but I'm an ex-librarian and yeah, all public libraries are like that now. Sad, really.
Posted by: Flicka | September 21, 2009 at 02:04 PM
Oh So Cute!!! Love your puppy picture too!!! Maybe that's why I never could get pg...God knew I could never give up D-Pepsi!LOL! Puppy...your life will never be the same....there's a baby coming soon!!!
Heather M.
Posted by: Heather M. | September 21, 2009 at 02:37 PM
Oh, this is *such* great news! Congratulations!
Posted by: Marieka | September 21, 2009 at 07:36 PM
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG OMG.
I don't read your blog for less than a month...don't check it, and THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS?? I am so giddy and sitting here in my living room in the dark, with a dorky grin on my face. I am SO DAMN EXCITED FOR YOU. CONGRATS! I keep typing in CAPS! to! show! my! exciteMENT!!!
omg.
Posted by: Danielle-Lee | October 09, 2009 at 12:35 AM