first of all, i really truly promise that this blog won't be all about baby stuff. i'm just totally preoccupied with it all right now, and still basking in all of the newness and excitement. i have a lot on my mind, most of it pregnancy, birth, and newborn related.

i just entered my second trimester, my nausea is gone, my skin is clearing up, and i'm getting that beloved burst of energy that everyone keeps talking about. i'm also experiencing different kinds of feelings, discomforts and anxieties as i look a little more pregnant each day and the reality of having a real life baby to care for in 6 short months sets in.

i'm still in total awe of the whole miracle of carrying a tiny little baby around inside of me. of the growth and development happening in my body every minute. each time i listen to the tiny heartbeat on my home doppler i tear up and shake my head. there is a little tiny person depending on me to make good decisions, to be safe, to be calm, and to protect him or her every day. the baby is letting me know its presence more and more, as i'm having trouble bending over, feeling more pressure in my abdomen and having a ravenous hunger 24/7. no flutters of movement yet, but i can't wait until there are in a few weeks.

we had a 4-d ultrasound last week which was incredible. seeing such detail on the screen really left us speechless. watching our baby spin around inside my womb made all of this so much more real. seeing tiny hands, feet, a defined little face and a little bony bottom - watching all of these parts maneuver around in the confinement of my belly was just amazing. baby berman is healthy, with a strong fast heartbeat and a good size so far. our next ultrasound appointment is june 10 when we find out the gender - less than 6 weeks until i can start thinking more specifically about my future son or daughter.

i've started my research on what exactly we're going to need, and am reaching out to new moms all over the board to get advice to base our decisions off of. our biggest decision (and investment) will be in a stroller. since we don't own a car we are going to be using a stroller as our main method of transportation with bb. and there is so much to consider, including car seat adapters - will it really be necessary considering we're not going to be riding in a car that often? i'm leaning towards a bugaboo for their versatility, compactibility and light weight, but i'm still getting a tightness in my chest at the cost. and then there is everything else. there are buckets of items we'll need no matter what - a carseat, nail clippers, a crib. and buckets of items i know we can do without - wipes warmer, bottle sanitizer, diaper genie. and buckets of items i don't know if we'll need or not - bassinet, bouncy seat, nursing pillow? all of those things coupled with the whole clothing thing - not knowing how big bb will be at birth so not knowing what size to buy, and being due in late fall we'll need bunting and long sleeves and cold weather accessories almost immediately. needless to say, i'm a little overwhelmed and am welcoming any and all advice.

and now for non-baby talk:

my nannying/personal chef gig has come to an end, and i'm starting a new gig assisting an artisanal pasta maker for the summer. i'm in charge of her packaging and labeling, helping her get her products out to specialty stores and farmers markets. it's fun and interesting and i'm happy to get to work with freshly handmade pasta, even if i can't eat it.

and, on a related note, i will be seeing a different gastroenterologist in about a month to reevaluate my potential celiac diagnoses. my first doctor was convinced that my symptoms could be caused my nothing other than a gluten intolerance, but as i am not feeling much of a difference after depriving myself of bread and pasta and cupcakes for 3 months, i'm thinking otherwise. i'm trying not to get my hopes up, but hopefully this new doc can shed some light on my symptoms and reopen my dietary options for the remainder of my pregnancy. i would kill for a hamburger on a pretzel roll.