Vacation Report and 4 Week Update

We made it safely back from vacation at Disney World yesterday, and had a great time during the week we were gone! We head down with friends every year or two for the marathon weekend, and this year was no different. I usually run the half and the full (Goofy Challenge), but my midwife only cleared me for the half this year. It was a struggle to get Mr. Magnolia Bud on board with me even running that, but he finally came around. I had a great time, even though it was my slowest half ever. At least being pregnant, I was able to set a PPR--pregnant personal record, haha! I felt really lucky to run a lot of it with my best friend who lives in another state. She knows about our miscarriage, and was SO excited to find out that I'm pregnant again.

After the race on Saturday, we spent Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday at the parks. Mr. Magnolia Bud is such a kid at heart--he had a great time. He also insisted on buying a couple of onesies. One from the race expo that has the race logo, a picture of Mickey, and says "In Training: 2030," and the other is orange with a picture of Tigger's face that says "Grrrr" underneath. I've given up trying to stop him--we won't be back there before Baby MB is at least a year old. However, they're going in the back of the future nursery's closet until we actually bring this baby home.

Here's my 4w4d pregnancy update. I'm not sleeping well, but am able to get 5-6 hours a night. My boobs are sensitive and noticeably bigger. I'm bloated. I'm tired. I'm having WAY more cramping this time than last time. Every day, and it feels like menstrual cramps. Mainly light, but some are more moderate strength. Nothing that I've needed to medicate, until last night. Last night was a doozie of a night. I woke up about 3am with pretty serious cramps that went away after I used the bathroom. But then I got nauseous and hot, and spent a solid 10 minutes dry heaving. Then spent another 30 lying on the bathroom floor still sweating. My poor cat Tiger probably thought I was dying, so he came over and was licking me and sitting with me--what a good caregiver :)

Last time I was pregnant, the exact same thing happened to me at 5w5d--the same day the baby stopped developing (though we didn't find out about it for another 2.5 weeks)--so needless to say, I'm on edge. But the other part of me is telling myself that the cramps are my uterus getting ready to grow even bigger with this baby, and that getting sick at night this early is a good sign that things are progressing normally, since my Mayo Clinic book says morning sickness generally strikes between 4-6 weeks. My first appointment is tomorrow, though we're not having an ultrasound--only confirming the pregnancy and scheduling the first ultrasound for sometime after 6 weeks to confirm a heartbeat.

Time to get to work! My new position is kicking my butt, but in a good way. Golden Bud, I'm thinking of you as you and Mr. GB talk through your options.

Lots of love and baby dust to each of you!
-Magnolia Bud