We are now at the half-way point.

Lots of ups and downs this week.  First, I found out that a friend in my Pregnant Lady Group lost one of her babies (she was pregnant with twins).  I certainly viewed miscarriage as an awful thing before I got knocked up, but hearing about it while pregnant had a much bigger impact on me than I expected.  Especially since I had started getting nervous that I wasn’t feeling any activity.  So there was just an air of sadness, for lack of a better phrase, over the whole week.

Then, I found out that a friend of mine at work is also pregnant – just 4 weeks behind me (this is the work friend that I went on the crappy work trip with at Week 11).  It’s nice to have someone else to talk with about pregnancy stuff, but something tells me people are going to start making annoying jokes once we’re both waddling around later this summer.

Saturday we saw our midwife.  The Center that we’re using has everyone meet bi-weekly for “group” where we all talk/share concerns/etc, and then meet individually with the midwife for a belly check.  This was our first week.  We were not terribly impressed.  We are in “group” with some reeeeeeally annoying people.  I’m sure they’re nice, but they’re just a little too…too something.  I don’t know.  We had to go around and introduce ourself with our name, due date, and any current concerns.  One woman introduced herself with those facts, and then afterward her husband started his self-introduction with “and she’s ALSO an amazing poet, intellectual, and activist.”  Well okay then.  So, there was some eye-rolling.

But!  My midwife!  Laura Perez!  She is great.  I think we spent an hour with her.  We talked about my diet, mostly, and exercise.  And she included the Lumberjack in everything which made me really happy.  Obviously I’m the owner of the body that’s going through all this, but he’s still becoming a parent just as quickly as I am, and he’s a really important partner in this whole process.  It drives me crazy when the partner of the pregnant person gets ignored.  Don’t get me wrong, people that say “We’re pregnant” make me insane unless they are both literally pregnant.  But I think that the partner needs support, attention and assistance too.

So anyway.  She checked me with the doppler, and BAM, there was the baby’s heartbeat, just chugging away.  As soon as she said “there’s the baby” the Lumberjack and I smiled so big at each other.  I definitely didn’t have the “oh em GEE!!!” moment when I heard the heartbeat for the first time lo those many weeks ago, but this time I felt what I think everyone else keeps talking about.  I had been so nervous all week (and probably got the Lumberjack all nervous too – sorry), so hearing it and knowing I was growing a baby in there was just…awesome.  And it was nice to share that moment with the Lumberjack, and to see that we both had the exact same immediate response of “YAY.”

there they go, getting us lost.

On Sunday, we went up to Santa Rosa to visit the Lumberjack’s brother, who I will name the Navigator (you will understand why this is hilarious later).  We went for an easy 2-mile hike in the Jack London State Park.  Sounded great!  I forgot my water bottle & my snacks in the car, but whatever – we wouldn’t be gone long.

OR WOULD WE.

Somewhere along the way, one of those guys got us way off course.  I kept pointing out that the “trails” we were on did not seem to be maintained in the usual State Park fashion.  But usually I would notice this after we had been going downhill for awhile, so the alternative was to backtrack uphill, and that wasn’t too appealing.

I got real tired, and also real hungry & thirsty.  I AM GROWING A HUMAN, YOU GUYS.  STOP GETTING ME LOST.

Anyway, we eventually found ourselves wandering through private property and out onto a road.  At which point my phone got reception and showed us that we had left the park at least 2 miles ago.  And that there were no direct roads back to the park – we’d have to make a multi-mile side trip to get back to our car.  That might have been when I started cursing them out in my mind.  But then!  We passed a lady gardening and the Navigator asked her how to get back to the park.  She looked startled and said “Uh, you’re pretty far away.  I better just drive you – it will take about an hour, hour and a half for you to walk back.”

NICEST LADY EVER.  She also had a killer garden, with chickens & bees.  Reminded me of Krista & Jess.

Okay, I know, you want to hear about the puking.  I hadn’t puked once during my pregnancy!  I was so proud of this.  But after this Epic Journey, I was understandably starving.  So we went to a restaurant, and I ate dinner.  I may have eaten a bit more than necessary, however.  It didn’t seem like a lot, but then I need a milkshake (yes, NEEDED) which I apparently drank at a ridiculous pace.  I immediately felt like I was about to explode, in the worst, most awful and painful way I have ever felt.  It was Horrible.  So with me wandering around the parking lot crying, we said goodbye to the Navigator and headed back home.  Within 10 minutes of driving: puke.  Luckily we had a plastic bag in the car, so all my clothes survived.  But still: gross.

The worst part was that I picked such good, healthy choices for dinner.  So much protein!  Greens!  Organic & delicious!  Then I puked it all up and ended the night eating jello.  Take that, baby.