The first trimester is almost over…

I definitely don’t feel as tired as I used to.  Energy is pretty much back, and nauseas are gone.  However, there are still foods that I simply cannot digest, like garlic, and I have a feeling that this will last until the end of my pregnancy. 

 

My first doctor appointment went well.  My husband accompanied me.  It was an information session more than anything.  I now have to go for a blood test, and a Nuchal Translucency test.  This last one is optional but we will do it anyways.  I think that more than anything, I want to be reassured about the good health of the foetus.

 

My 6 year old nephew is really funny.  He keeps on asking me how big the baby is.  It started with my sister wanting to give me all her baby stuff.  Her son wanted to get involved, being so excited about the news of a new cousin to come.  A week passed between the announcement of the baby to come and the discussion of giving the stuff away, so my nephew figured that it probably meant that the baby had arrived.  He was quite mesmerized and disappointed when I announced to him that the baby was the size of a coffee bean at the time.  Since then, he asks me how big the baby is now. 

  

I had a look at pregnancy clothes last weekend.  I got quite discouraged. I only saw 2 stores targeting pregnant women, and the type of clothing is really not my style.  I heard of another couple of places, but they are apparently rather unaffordable.  I guess I will have to search more.  For now, I still fit in my normal clothes, and I’ll definitely try to keep away from ice cream to fit as long as possible in them.

 

I am now back at the gym twice a week, and am planning to join a prenatal yoga class anytime soon.

 

My husband has been acting funny lately.  I didn’t think it was related to my pregnancy, but by discussing more deeply with him, I am realizing that there might be a good part of it affecting him.  I think that he his putting some pressure on himself to be the perfect father.  Communication definitely helps.  Quite frankly, for now, I don’t think I want to be the perfect mother, because I don’t believe in such a thing.  I see all sorts of people around me, having grown up in different environment and doing well today.  I guess the most important thing for my husband and I is to transmit good values to our children.  But I admit that I have noticed many parents starting off with this in mind and sticking to their beliefs at first.  But at some point, they just seem to get caught up in the pressure from their surroundings.  Then all these attitudes appear:  my kid is so smart, he is the best in his sports team, and he is the best at school.  Also, the extreme consumerism appears at the same time; loads of clothing, loads of toys, at least half of which the kids don’t even remember they have, kids acting really spoiled and expectant, rather than thankful for what they have.

 

I think that it is good and normal to admire our own kids and think they are the best.  What is dangerous is to put pressure on the kids, and give them the feeling that we care more about bragging to others how good they are, rather than really caring for them.  And this is something that I tend to see.  I must admit, that this is something that is frightening me.  In one way, I wouldn’t want our kids to stand apart from other kids. However, I think it will be important to communicate our values and reasons when we refuse to get caught up in consumerism spree and the pressure from what the others are doing or buying.  I think that part of it might be that the parents get a bit tired, and wound up in their routine.  They then start to lack perspective about things. So I guess in a way, I want to be a perfect parent about what I just enumerated…   

 

The other thing is probably also the fact that I grew up in a family where the appearances seemed often more important than the truth.  I grew up in a good family overall, but I would say that this was the major draw, the fact that my parents cared so much about what other people were doing or thinking.  Definitely, this is something I want to try to avoid with my family.  My husband agrees with me on this so it should go well.