14 Weeks and 3 Days: About the length of a small flip phone?

It's been a couple of weeks because I've just started a new job and I've been run off my feet. Pretty much everyone there knows about the baby, and there's a lovely feeling from them all, even though I'll be leaving in less than 6 months.

Other news:

- I have a lovely round belly. I'll try to post a picture of it today, because it looks really nice :) Strangely, it's not even - where my most recent scar is, my belly pokes in a little.

- We had a scan last week! Just for fun, as the fertility specialist said (since we didn't have the one to detect Downs Syndrome). Turtle's heart is still beating strong, but we got to see so much more - including baby feet and toes! Turtle was sitting with his or her knees folded up, either crossing his or her legs for a story or stretching for ballet (my story, anyway)

-The fertility doctor also said I have excellent blood pressure. Is it ok to be proud of that?

-And he changed my thyroid medicine up again.

-The nausea is completely gone, and now I'm starving all the time. I've been able to introduce more dairy into my diet which has to be a good thing. But my cravings are stranger. I still desperately want fruit, veggies (especially potato) and red meat, but I also want French Onion dip and sat and ate ice cream out of the tub because I desperately wanted it the other night (a month ago, I couldn't stand it)

-I bought a Belly Bean maternity pillow and I love it. It's like two round pillows joined by a wide strip of fabric. It supports my back and my front, and will only get more useful as I get bigger. I actually started sleeping through the night when I got it, so there's happiness :)

-I had anaphylaxis training yesterday through work and they actually gave us all training pens to use. I felt a real flashback to the injections, and the same flinching even though these pens had no needle in them. Of course, I was less squeamish about it then I might have been before IVF :)

- Oh! Edited to add that the paperwork from the hospital came in! Thanks to a kind neighbour it wasn't completely drenched in the rain, so today I'm going to be filling it all out and this will all start feeling real!

Body Image and Pregnancy

Body image is an interesting topic for me. I spent 11 years learning ballet, 11 years staring in the harsh mirrors at the end of the room. (believe me, mirrors have spots that make you look better or worse). Ballet, at the higher level, requires such specific body types, especially since Balanchine introduced his 'perfect ballerinas'. Short, but with long limbs. Long neck. Perfect feet. And the thin body, from hips to bum to stomach (and small breasts).

Since I've been out in the 'real world' and even been able to meet with and know current and former ballerinas, I know that very few of them meet all these requirements perfectly. But when I was dancing, the peak examining board was obsessed with it, to the point that they would fail students in exams if you didn't meet the requirements. And I didn't. I was short, but my long limbs were gangly rather than graceful (which was more of a teaching issue). I had the long neck and my feet have been the envy of professional dancers - but my body was never right. My hips and bum have always been curvier, even when my stomach was flat.

Even though I believe I failed exams because of my hips and bottom, I never went to extreme measures. Firstly because my dance studio just wasn't like that - we had all types there and thought nothing of eating pizza or junk food. And secondly, I spent so many years being too thin as a legacy of an extreme childhood illness - and once you've spent enough years dangling at the top of the seesaw, you know that too thin is not fun.

Was I happy with my body before I got pregnant? Well sometimes. I've had people complement me on my bottom as a good thing, which always amazes me. I hate the whole BMI thing because my dancer's thighs always put me overweight, even at my thinnest. I usually have a great relationship with chocolate, which does me no good. Not to mention the dodgy thyroid, which can make it difficult to maintain a steady weight. And for a long time I thought it might have been my weight which was making it hard to conceive, even though no doctor even mentioned that as an issue.

So it was interesting to read this article at Offbeat Mama. Because my body has definitely changed and I love it.

My breasts are bigger and more rounded. While it meant bra shopping which I hate, it also means I have cleavage for the first time in my life. This week, I've noticed that my stomach is more rounded and I love rubbing it. My hips and bottom seem to make sense with the rest of it now. So far, I think pregnancy looks pretty good on me.

I can understand why some people don't like their pregnancy bodies. One of my friends was extraordinarily sick during her early pregnancy and this continued well into the second trimester. She lost 15 kilograms and looked ill, and wasn't happier until later when she was able to eat properly again. But with an uneventful pregnancy, there's always that reminder that our bodies are changing to accommodate the growing baby and all the hormones that come with it. And I'm okay with that.

12 weeks and 1 day: Around the size of my pinkie finger . . .

My update is a bit late this week because I spent my weekend in Sydney :)

- I hit the magical 12 weeks yesterday. It's a nice feeling. I've also seen my local GP who's taking on my care now. He did a range of medical tests which all came back good. My blood pressure is also good.

- My nausea is pretty much gone. About one small wave a day now. I also seem to have more energy than I had last week.

- My belly seems more rounded and my pelvic area a little less crowded. Because of the bloating, it's hard to tell if I've 'popped' or not, but I'm kind of loving my new shape. This is a good thing because I'm starving most of the time - particularly for fruit.

- I bought my first maternity clothes this week - just a pair of work pants and a nice work skirt. They were about the same price I'd pay for regular clothes of that quality and they should last through the pregnancy. My new boss has stressed professional dressing, so these should definitely do the job.

- My best friend had her baby! He was five weeks early and is currently in the special care nursery, but the way he's going he'll probably be home soon. My friend is looking well, despite the very rushed birth (an emergency Caesarian with only an hours notice).

Ten weeks and six days: the length of an individual sugar packet

It's been a big week socially, and a small week baby related.

- Christmas was good. I rocked a green salad full of things I wanted to and could eat, but it was hard to find non cold-meat to eat.

- I turned 30 on Thursday and celebrated with a dinner with friends and family

- I slept for three hours through the day yesterday, so I was able to stay up to see in the new year.

- One of my best friends held her baby shower on Friday morning. It was very low key - just a morning tea and presents, but she loved the crocheted hat and monster booties I gave her :)

- I've been a bit crochet crazy, so far Turtle has a monkey hat, a big sunburst blanket and most of a cardigan. (I'll post photos soon, I promise!)

- My nausea seems to have died down a bit, though travel sickness isn't fun. I get the occasional headache, but nothing too serious. Turtle seems to be applying a bit of pressure in the pelvic region - I seem to have the world's smallest bladder at the moment :)

- I had to buy new bras this week. I'm up a cup size, which is kinda weird.