Ultrasounds and Meatloaf

Hmmm, where to start... Touring while pregnant, birthday, first ultrasound, meatloaf and mashed potatoes...

Well at this point touring hasn't been too difficult. I think the guys would say they barely noticed our little tag-a-long. Well, except my claiming the back bench seat for the whole trip, and the "preggo mamma needs food NOW" thing, and the passing out and puking and things...

Wait, did I say passing out and puking? Yeah, it's just one of those things. I do it even when I'm not pregnant. Hit my elbow or my knee and BAM! I'm on the floor unconscious. You know, just a normal day in the life of a Han. (*not that normal. every couple years on average.) But I think that pregnancy added to my recovery time this time when it happened on tour. And my body took that opportunity to cram all the morning sickness I've been missing out on into a few hours. So that was exciting. I do give Matt kudos for being a great puke assistant. Thanks Matt!

I did experience a birthday while on tour. I am now a 27-year-old pregnant lady. This is the life! My awesome parents-in-law took us out for the best Japanese food I have EVER eaten, and I ate more than I had in the whole month before. YUM. Also got some pretty great things like a hand mixer (which I have been needing), a photo album with mine and JM's complete journey together so far, and a SEWING MACHINE. Yay! Plus family in Arizona took the opportunity to early baby-shower us, since we were in town, and they brought little onesies and receiving blankets and oh the cuteness cuteness cuteness! I teared up several times imagining the little baby that will fill those things. It's almost unreal.

But to make it more real, JM and I had the incredible experience of having our first ultrasound yesterday. Oh man, I can hardly describe the feeling. Seeing little one bobbing and bouncing around inside of me. A real person, a tiny little person with a personality and a soul and a spirit that will exist forever. A person we will know and love forever. Our baby, our child. It was our first glimpse. It was a magical moment. Love was born.

Baby Fridenmaker, 10 weeks 6 days

In other news, and speaking of hand mixers, tonight I made MASHED POTATOES for the first time ever, and it was a glorious thing. Add that to corn and meatloaf, and I felt like I landed myself back at my own mother's castle. JM had a salmon burger, kind of. Ezekiel bread doesn't make for a very good bun.

That's it. Those are all my thoughts. Goodnight, world.

-H

Birth Centers and What All I Don't Know

Today JM and I took a tour of St Joseph's Medical Center, a hospital in the area which has a midwife group and birthing center inside of it. It was a little overwhelming, just because I hadn't met with anyone yet, and didn't really know what questions to ask. But afterwards I can say that I feel a little more oriented and will have a better idea of what to expect when we tour other birth centers, which we hope to do this week. Hope to settle on something soon so we can get in for our/my first real check-up.

As far as I go, I'm feeling pretty good. I get a little sick feeling here and there, but nowhere near what some of my friends have had to deal with. My biggest preggo symptoms are fatigue and weird appetite syndrome. Meaning, I try to eat healthy but there are a lot of things I just cannot force down my throat. When that happens, I just eat Doritos and popsicles. Probably need to curb that...

-H