It's Official...

I'm definately pregnant.  Of course I already knew this, but yesterday made it totally real.  What was it that became the defining moment for me and my little peanut you ask?  I bought pregger jeans.  Yep, that's right folks.  I swear that in the time I left NC and arrived in CA, my belly has grown.  Not much, but definately enough to cause my jeans to be uncomfortable.  Nikki and I did some shopping yesterday and by the time we hit the third store I couldn't take it anymore.  I felt like someone was tightening a belt around my waist to the point where I couldn't breathe.  I found myself wanting to pull my pants down below my waist and let my belly hang out.  Nice image right?  I sound like a morbidly obese person who ate too much at the all-you-can-eat buffet.  So we went by H&M (love that store!) and come to find out they have a very small section for maternity clothes.  Now folks, maternity clothes are not very trendy at all.  Your lucky if you can find anything that doesn't scream "boring" or "bland."  And while their selection was limited, low and behold I found a pair of jeans that worked.  Believe me when I say that my tummy felt 20 times better when I put those jeans on.  I could breathe!  I didn't feel like I was cutting off the flow of oxygen to the rugrat.  Not to mention they looked like low rise jeans, but I didn't have to worry about my ass hanging out whenever I sat down.  I should have been wearing these a long time ago.  You don't have to worry about a muffin top.  You can eat too much, and you don't have to unbutton your jeans for relief.  I believe that every woman, pregnant or not, should own a pair.  They are definately worth the money spent on them.  Now I need to find a pair of dark skinny pregger jeans, and I will be set.

Trapped on a Plane in Dallas

(This was written while on the plane last night, but I thought I would share it with you today)

For the love of God I want off of this plane!  So far my trip to SF has been an adventure to say the least.  My flight from Raleigh to Dallas was delayed because people who decided to carry on obviously do not know what constitutes as a carry on.  Therefore we had to wait while their luggage was checked.  And now at the moment I'm stuck on a plane in Dallas.  As of now I have been sitting in this seat for over 2 hours!!!  It's uncomfortable enough for a normal person to be on a plane for that long but try it when you are pregnant!  I'm at the point too where pants and yes, even legging are a little snug on my belly.  My back hurts, I'm tired, and I've finished the book I bought for this trip.  I NEED A COCKTAIL!!!!  But I can't even have that.  Instead I get an oats and honey granola bar handed to me for my troubles...gee thanks a lot!

*****After Note****

   I finally landed in SF around 145 am west coast time.  I essentially traveled for 24 hours yesterday...Thankfully Nikki had ginger tea and soup for me to enjoy before sleeping like the dead.

I Hate Being Sick!

Go figure that I would get a cold two days before my vacation! Congestion, body aches, sore throat, ear ache, and overall miserability...Mama is NOT happy! So I first consulted the "bible" and it told me that I could take benadryl and a decongestant. However, I was a little weary of taking anything before talking to my doctor. I called my OB this morning, and a nurse told me to stock up on Claritin, Benadryl, and cough drops. Then my body and head started hurting so I called back like the ever cautious person (and mom-to-be) that I am. Tylenol is fine to take but in a low dosage. So I made my way to CVS and bought my arsenal of drugs to help fight this monster off. No way am I letting a little cold ruin my fun! Being sick is a bitch as it is and I am not a fun sick person to be around. I whine, cry, and don't want to be around anyone. But being sick AND pregnant...even worse! My symptoms are 10x worse than they normally would be and the decongestant makes me more nauseous. I haven't really been able to keep much down except mashed potatoes. So while I still have some packing to finish up, this little mama will be sipping chamomile tea and taking a bath to suck all the toxins out of my body. I plan to be sleeping like a corpse by 1030 promptly.

Hoping to feel better,
Modern Mama

Mama's Going to Cali, Ya'll!

Yep, that's right folks...this little mama is going out West. I can't wait to see Nikki and Jeff, eat some good food, shop, and see how the other coast lives. Nikki works a prenatal clinic which is another plus because they offer prenatal yoga, massage, and accupuncture. Bring on the zen! Bring on the rubs! Bring on the needles? Although I heard that accupuncture will help with the nausea. So I'm preparing for my flight today and tomorrow. Being the "List Master," I have several made to help me in my packing and travel preparation. I have one for my suitcase, one for what I need to buy for the trip, and one for my carry on. Baby Daddy took me to Barnes & Noble last night and bought me a new planner and a book to read on the plane. I selected Knocked Up: Confessions of a Hip Mother-to-Be, a humorous memoir about a woman who becomes pregnant unexpectedly, and how pregnancy affects her social, personal, and professional life (sound familiar?) I feel like I can totally relate to this woman. I'm pretty sure I will have it finished by the time I get back to NC. I will let you know the verdict on the book.
What I'm really hoping for from this little vacay is to totally relax and just forget about all the stress in my life. Nikki has that effect on me. I feel like San Francisco will allow me to mellow out and come back in a zen like state.

Back to the packing!!

The Baby Bible

I thought I lost it. It being the most important manual to pregnancy EVER written. For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, you will one day. I'm talking about the book What to Expect When You're Expecting, a.k.a "The Baby Bible." I will be referring to it as the latter. This little book has everything you need to know about being pregnant. Without it, I wouldn't have any idea what the hell is going on with my body or the baby. Any question you have, it has an answer. It is my lifeline. And I thought I had lost it. I have been without the bible for about a week, and I began to panic a little. What does it mean when my nausea stops? What happens if I get overheated? Can I eat the precooked chicken that Oscar Meyer so conveniently makes for my salads? I NEEDED ANSWERS!!! Thankfully, "Baby Daddy" had it in his car and was kind enough to bring it to me yesterday. I immediately grabbed the book, checked for the answers to my questions, and wrote down my current weight in the front jacket. I have been charting my weight gain in the book. This way I can refer to the chapter that tells me how much I should be gaining each trimester (it's not looking good so far). So now I can rest at ease. My mind can be soothed. And I can rest knowing that tomorrow's questions will be answered.

Good Night All!

And the Cravings Begin

I haven't had many cravings so far because I'm always sick to my tummy, but boy are they kicking in at full force. For example, I mentioned to a friend of mine that I wanted to eat Thanksgiving food. So Sunday we will be having a little Thanksgiving dinner of our own. Is it sad that I'm super stoked about this? I just hope I continue to be stoked. Ususally if I have a craving, it sounds like a great idea. But once i have said craving in front of me...not so much anymore. It's very frustrating! Other than the Thanksgiving food, my Top 3 cravings are as follows: any type of comfort food, seafood (preferably fried or broiled), and mac & cheese.
THESE ARE NOT HEALTHY CRAVINGS!!!!! So if anyone has any suggestions on what I can do about finding healthier alternatives to these cravings, I would be deeply appreciative. Thank goodness my energy is going back up 'cause this mama will definately be at the gym if she eats any of the above!

Happy Eating!

It's Not Going to be Easy

My name is Dara and I'm a soon to be single mama! I am excited about this new adventure in my life, but I will not lie to you when I say I am scared to death about the next few months. I am due January 6, so I have quite a ways to go. I am coming to the end of my first trimester, and it has not been a cake-walk. My morning sickness is more like all day sickness. Ginger ale is my new best friend, however I don't think I will ever be able to drink it once this kid is here. My energy level is not very high and I feel like I could sleep all day. My boobs have grown so much I didn't think it was possible. This has been the ONLY plus in this first stage of my pregnancy. I even had to buy a new bathing suit because my top from last year doesn't fit me anymore. With all that said, I'm so glad I have a supportive family and group of friends. The father will definately be involved in this little "peanut" (as it has so affectionately been nicknamed by it's Auntie M) life. But I'm so lucky to know that the baby will have so much love surrounding it throughout it's life. This blog is my new hobby to keep me busy, so I will make a true effort to keep it updated daily! Wish me luck!