Pregnancy Diary – Week 10

My pregnancy diary has double digits now, it is week 10! I am very excited, even though it has been a pretty uneventful week, apart from 4 tubes of blood that I had to give for various tests. 

I am feeling great, sometimes I wonder if I am really pregnant. And at those moments my boobs are there to remind me that I am: they are sore and heavy. I am still able to wear my bras, they fit. Actually, they fit much better these days:)

Did I mention that I am a big baby when it comes to blood tests? When I was a teenager, I fainted a couple of times, so since then I always ask to lie down when they draw my blood. I do not like this procedure at all! I can’t even look. And I get very light-headed. Anyway, the big blood test is over, and the nurse even used a baby needle on me. I thought she was joking at first, but apparently, baby needles do exist – they are used for a child’s blood draw or for squeamish adults like me. 

The blood tests included the hematology panel, glucose, TSH, beta-hCG, hepatitis B, HIV, blood group and Rh type, Rubella IgG, and Syphilis Serology. And I also had to do a urine test.

The hCG level was 119,582 which made me very happy. My TSH level was significantly lower compared to other TSH tests in the past year. I will need to talk to my midwife about that during our next appointment. I did my own research though, and it appears that TSH levels can be low, especially in the first trimester, due to all hormonal changes that are happening in the body.

My baby bump is more noticeable in the mornings now, so picking out work outfits becomes harder and harder every day. I do not have that many loose tops or dresses. I want the fall to come soon so I could start wearing layers and sweaters. This Sunday will be September 01st so I am hoping it will cool down next week. Just 3 more weeks until I announce the news at work unless anyone notices sooner.

My cravings for something salty were so real that I decided to make my own pickles! I followed Brad’s recipe, and I also added some chopped root of horseradish and dill flowers. The cucumbers need to soak in the brine for 10 days, but I was already digging in that big pot of pickles on day 4. Soooo good! I am wondering if any pickle will make it till day 10. I doubt that! I’ll probably need to make another trip to the farmer’s market and get more Kirby cucumbers while they are still in season!

Apart from pickles consumption, I overdosed on sugar this week. I could not control myself! We had our friends over for dinner on Friday and I offered to make a cake. My friend asked if I could make a Mikado cake, which is super healthy and all: loaded with condensed milk and butter. Guess who had cake leftovers on Saturday? They did not even last till noon! I was smart enough to send my friends home with half of the cake! Otherwise, I’d be in bigger trouble!

We wanted to go on a day trip to Sunshine Coast on Saturday, but since both my husband and I love to sleep in on the weekends, we only made it to the ferry terminal around 1 pm. We drove around for about half an hour trying to find a parking spot, but it looked like a lot of people woke up way earlier than we did that day with the same intention to go to the coast. Oh well, next time. We are not very good planners when it comes to vacations and trips. 

We then decided to go for a nice walk in Dundarave and Ambleside in West Vancouver, along the water. If you are ever visiting Vancouver, this is a good way to spend a couple of hours. And it is less crowded than the Seawall in downtown. 

Before going home, we stopped at Temper bakery located in Dundarave and got a few treats, like we have not had enough sugar that day already! The treats there are to die for! After we got home, I felt so exhausted that I ended up napping for a couple of hours. The same thing happened on Sunday after we went downtown for a happy hour and a walk. Apparently, any outings and movements beyond our home and my office make me super tired. 

I got a referral from our midwife for NIPT testing, so I need to go and get one more blood test done next week. I can do it!