We have arrived...2nd Trimester!

I'm officially into my 2nd Trimester and Baby Frueh has definitely made his/her appearance. The pregnant belly is now absolutely unmistakable, although I believe the disappearance of my first trimester nausea is partly to blame. I now want to eat anything and everything I can get my hands on...at all hours of the day and night. My new must-have favorite foods include gala apples with cheddar cheese, cereal (at any time of day), popcorn, and chocolate ice cream. I literally have not purchased ice cream in years...we just don't eat it at home. But I was grocery shopping the other day and ice cream was on sale. So what did I do? I bought FOUR half gallons! I think Eric decided he'll "help" with the grocery shopping from now on:-) I also had quite the feast on Sunday night as I watched my Steelers win their 6th Super Bowl victory...GO STEELERS!!! Something about that nail-biting fourth quarter sent me into a nervous eating frenzy that may have contributed to the roundness of this belly!

Speaking of great news, I was accepted this week at the Women's Birth and Wellness Center in Chapel Hill for my prenatal care and delivery. I'm so excited!!! WBWC is the only free-standing birth center in the state and it just so happens that we only live 30 minutes away. The midwives there are absolutely fantastic and their practice matches my views on natural childbirth with limited intervention. I think they'll really help my childbirth experience be something that I look back on with positive memories. My first appointment is in 2 weeks so I'll keep you updated.

This week Baby Frueh has grown to 3 1/2 inches in length and weighs 1 1/2 ounces. He/she is sprouting hair just about everywhere...on top of the head, eyebrows, eyelashes. There is even a fine layer of fuzzy hair all over his/her body called lanugo. It's kind of like a fuzzy blanket that keeps the baby warm, but it will all shed during the third trimester. The liver and spleen are fully developed and functional, producing bile and red blood cells respectively. The brain is also maturing nicely and the baby can make various facial expressions depending on what he/she is experiencing. My body is going through many changes as well...the diameter of my arteries is increasing and my blood volume is doubling in order to carry enough nutrients and oxygen to the baby. This caused a slight problem this week as one change happened, but not the other. My arteries are expanding, but my blood is trying to catch up, resulting in a very low blood pressure. Consequently, I've had a couple scary bouts of dizziness as I get out of bed in the morning. I've been assured this is totally normal...just a bit unsettling. Hopefully by next week, my blood will have caught up with my body!