Here, I shared our pregnancy announcement! Now, weeks 4-8 have gone by, and I’m excited to share more about our experiences!
Week 4 of Pregnancy
I took my positive pregnancy test on a Monday morning, so maintaining focus throughout the workday was extremely challenging for me. (I wondered how people just go about their days, knowing a baby is on the way!) I called my doctor and scheduled an appointment for Week 7, and then I downloaded a few apps — What to Expect, The Bump, and Expectful — to help with pregnancy tracking and so I could have some peace of mind about the symptoms I was having — primarily nausea and exhaustion. Expectful has been a really great resource for me, because it offers daily meditations, classes, and more.
I also ordered a handful of books: What to Eat When You’re Pregnant, The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide, The Montessori Baby, We’re Pregnant: The First-Time Dad’s Pregnancy Handbook, and Nurture: A Modern Guide to Pregnancy.
Week 5 of Pregnancy
In Week 5, I focused on keeping up a healthy and balanced routine. I started each day with a Peloton ride, followed by a meditation from Expectful, and a healthy whole food, plant-based breakfast — like overnight oats with clementines, or a smoothie. Over the weekend, we traveled home for my sister’s baby shower and my nephew’s birthday — a weekend of fun celebrations! Keeping our pregnancy news private proved to be so challenging; I was feeling pretty cruddy, so pretending to feel good and have energy was draining!
Week 6 of Pregnancy
In Week 6, I gave Ben an early birthday present — a stay at a cabin in a local county park. The leaves had already changed — but we went for a couple of hikes, had a campfire dinner, and enjoyed the outdoors. Being together, getting outside, and doing something out of the ordinary was really helpful and relaxing.
Week 7 of Pregnancy
In Week 7, we finally had our first appointment! The wait from Week 4 to Week 7 was challenging for me, because I really wanted to know how our baby was doing. Bright and early on Tuesday morning, we had our first appointment, where we were able to ask questions and have our first ultrasound. We were also able to see our baby’s heartbeat, which still feels surreal to me! In celebration, I ordered a Promptly Journal to document our pregnancy and parenthood journey, too!
Week 8 of Pregnancy
During Week 8, I was having trouble sleeping all week long. I think everyone can relate: Getting a good night’s sleep can make all the difference in how you feel in the morning and as you push through your workday. By Thursday afternoon, I was exhausted and ready for a good night’s sleep. Luckily, our business hours are just Monday – Thursday, so being able to catch up on sleep come Thursday evening was really helpful for me.
Friday of Week 8 was Ben’s birthday, so we celebrated with coffee at Backstory, lunch at Sweetgreen, and a walk around the North Loop. In lieu of cake — per Ben’s request — we made a delicious black bean brownie recipe! On Saturday, we celebrated Ben’s birthday with Brent and Andra with lunch at Cardamom, a restaurant located in the Walker Art Museum in Minneapolis.
More Motherhood Posts
I’m sharing more about our journey in my Motherhood category. There, I’m gathering up my favorite resources and documenting pregnancy week by week!
