Morning Sickness - It's fo' real...

Morning sickness, oh morning sickness
when will thou end?
Not solely in the morn'
but over and over again.

Twenty-four, seven,
week after week,
debilitating, depressing, alienating,
can't even speak.

Can't get out of bed,
can't let go of the "throne."
please not seven more months,
Can't I just stay home?

Meals I greet alone,
meals I greet with lament,
they're only bizarre obsessions, chores, and treatments.

No baby bump to show,
though public puking I go.

Dare you smile and shout...
"N'er sick did I become!"
Beware your flops, heels or hightops,
For up chuck my lunch will come.

Do not offer me Saltines!
Do not tell me it's in my head!
Or run as fast as you can,
lest you find yourself dead!

But ladies do heed this,
there shall end the misery.
In months it may be three,
if not stay strong thee,

for the prize at the end of nine,
true love surpassing time.

By Princesa Pukes-a-lot (AKA Bernice)

Approaching 11 Weeks!

I was supposed to ride at Southridge this weekend, but as I'm quickly finding out,,,,I'm no longer in charge. Little Tyke (LT) had other plans for us. I think after last weekend's race, LT decided that Mommy needed to rest so he/she could have energy to grow. Not to mention, I have a UTI and I got a cold that turned into a terrible ear infection...talk about MISERY!

But I was able to get in my cycling fix by watching the Amgen Tour of California. Pretty cool that those great riders are right here racing in Cali!

I actually had a small glimmer of hope the other day when I woke up and didn't have to run to the throne immediately to puke! But of course, I made up for it later that night. Note to self: Spinach salads not so good on the way back up but Chocolate Ensure tastes exactly the same! (Yup, I know that's gross, but I warned you...brutal honesty!)

The Baby
They say the baby is now almost two inches tall and weighs 5 grams. It's not much, but LT is complete! You can recognize his/her little face and the eyelids are clearly visible. The vocal cords are forming and the inner ear and auricle have been formed, too. The first downy hairs are becoming visible. The process of ossification is in full progress; the fingertips are hardening and soon they will get miniscule nails. A bit later the toes will follow, because the development of the baby takes place from top to bottom.

Although the gender already has been determined, we can't see whether it will be a boy or girl yet. And I really don't want to know.


Foods I have been able to eat:
Potatoes, pasta, toast, Ensure, SunChips, fresh fruit, oatmeal, yogurt

Foods I can't tolerate right now:
Salads, chicken, fish, beef

Foods I want but cannot have:
Sushi, sushi, sushi!...and a big, full-bodied Cabernet!


I must admit, I've been very tired. They say building a baby is harder work than climbing Mt. Everest. Well, I don't know about that, but man, am I exhausted most of the time! A whole new vascular system has to be created and my body has to transport a lot of blood to it. Low blood pressure and nausea have also been adding to my exhaustion.

I've definitely had to tone down my former busy non-pregnant lifestyle for a while. Not being able to train and race with my friends is a challenge every week. But I'm just trying to keep my focus and look forward to the prize at the end of this challenge!

Little Tyke's First Mountain Bike Race

I went out to Temecula to ride in a short mountain bike race at Vail Lake. The only way I can explain this is that racing is in my blood. I've been adventure and mountain bike racing non-stop for the past 6 years. And therefore, I'm unable to quit cold-turkey! I love the people, I love the events, I love to ride my bike, and I just plain love to get outside and exercise.



I decided to enter as a beginner so I would be forced to do only one lap at a very slow pace. I had my heart rate monitor on so that I could track my effort and not steal oxygen from Little Tyke. Although I kept a nice, easy pace, my heart rate shot up and I had to slow down even more. It was fine though because this time I actually got to check out the views. I enjoyed the sunshine. I enjoyed the single track. I enjoyed the competitors. And most of all I enjoyed the ride!

Bern & Little Tyke got 2nd Place!

Introducing....Little Tyke!

February 15 was Little Tyke's first photo shoot! Less than 1 inch big and already causing so much chaos...(in mommy's body!)

Little Tyke's First Race!

Little Tyke's first race wasn't a mountain bike race.....and no it wasn't an adventure race either! It was a SNOWSHOE RACE! Yup, Little Tyke and I did a 5km snowshoe race in Big Bear. It was our first time on snowshoes and it was a blast! We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day!

Of course I had to get up super early in the morning so I could get the puking over with before driving up to Big Bear! But luckily Little Tyke allowed me the courtesy of feeling fine driving up the windy mountain road.

Although it was a race, Little Tyke wouldn't let me run. I had to keep my heart rate low so we walked the entire course.

It was fun seeing a bunch of fellow adventure racers and friends on the course.

We are all about trying new adventures through this entire pregnancy!


Little Tyke and I finished in just under 4 hours. Quite a while out on the course, but we spent some time assisting a couple of folks that needed help. All said and done, it was a great day in the mountains of SoCal!

Weeks 6, 7, 8

If nature had arranged that husbands and wives should have children alternatively, there would never be more than three in a family.

WEEKS SIX - SEVEN




I've been reading all kinds of things on the internet and the "Baby Calculator" said that I'm at 6 weeks and 5 days.
How some women go for 4 or 5 months not even knowing they are pregnant is beyond my comprehension. I immediately knew something was off. The sore boobs, the cramping, the nausea,,, sheesh,,,at 3, 4, 5 weeks, my body was going nuts!!
Now at 6-7 weeks, the morning sickness is in FULL EFFECT! And let me tell you,,,,in my case it's called ALL DAY SICKNESS! Waves of nausea all damn day long! I feel great, I feel terrible, feel great, feel awful, great, wrecked,,,,aaahh! Is this how it's gonna be for the next 7 months??? Good thing I'm trained in suffering!
I've been riding my bike here and there when I feel well enough. A couple of weekends ago I got to ride Bommer Canyon with Dave Paul and I made it for a couple of hours before the boobs were aching so bad that I had to stop. The next weekend I got on Bomb Shelly (my single-speed) and took her out for a very easy spin and that was super fun.
I'm working from home now so it makes it easy to rest whenever I need a break or a puke session. I still have to venture out to see clients here and there, but I can usually manage.




WEEK EIGHT

The Baby
The internet says the baby is approximately three-quarters of an inch (2 centimeters) long and weighs about a gram. It also says Little Tyke keeps on developing at a rapid speed: the beginnings of a skeleton are being created, with cartilage prior to the actual formation of bones. The little heart has started beating at about 60 times a minute, the stomach produces gastric juices, the liver makes blood cells and the brain starts working. Now the resemblance to a tadpole is quite clear, because webbed fingers and toes appear on the hands and feet! Little Tyke is growing pretty fast: less than two weeks ago it was the size of a grain of rice, now it's as big as your thumbnail.

Week 8: A Body at Work

I have officially bestowed the name "Little Tyke" upon my little tenant - it's easier than stumbling around and calling the poor thing "it" or "he or she" all the time. I keep trying to picture what he or she looks like; imagining it growing day by day. I spent half the day looking at pictures of 8-week-old fetuses on the internet. It's so hard to imagine that something so small is inside me right now,,,well except for all the unpleasant side effects that are a constant reminder something huge is going on.

I'm nauseous most of the time, and throwing up every single morning for 3 weeks straight. Everyone keeps saying it will pass after the first trimester...well, that's another 4 weeks away! AAAHHHH!

The books and my doctor told me to try "grazing," or snacking throughout the day instead of trying to eat three normal meals, and to take my prenatal vitamins at night rather than in the morning. I've resorted to all sorts of remedies: Sea Bands (wrist bands) to apply pressure at points to decrease nausea, Vitamin B-6, Ginger Snaps, lemon wedges, and praying (since I'm already bent over on my knees at the "throne". I'll try anything if it helps!

The Beginning of a BIG NEW ADVENTURE!

The weekend of Camp Lynda I found out that Greg and I were expecting a baby! It's been an exciting and frightening discovery! But I'm super happy and my entire family is excited and ready to support me from all angles!

I went on to ride all 3 days at Camp Lynda, although I took it pretty easy. I managed to get in 5 hours on Saturday, 5 hours on Sunday, and 2 hours on Monday but I kept my heart rate low and I was super careful.

My plan is to keep riding as well as explore some new adventures throughout my entire pregnancy. If you care to follow along, let me caution you now...I'm gonna post the down and dirty details of the "Life of a Prego Princesa!"

Bern: Jan 16, 2008
119 pounds
about 3 weeks pregnant

Princesa Pool Shark?

I decided that it's time for me to take up something new! Now, now, don't worry,,,I'm not tossing out Black Widow or Bomb Shelly for a Pool Cue (well, not yet anyway.) I've just always wanted to learn to play pool and now I'm doing it. Super Mario and I have joined a pool league so every Monday night we will be racking them up at Diamond's in Brea. (If anyone wants a good chuckle come and check me out!) But hurry because soon enough I will be really good and maybe I will move up from "Beginner" to "Sport" by the end of this season!

The great things about pool are:

1) I don't have to train for hours and hours.

2) I can borrow all the equipment.

3) I don't have to find a support crew when I want to play.

4) The playing field is equal whether I play a man or a woman- of any age.

5) And---I may actually be able to WIN more money than I spend on it!