MY PREGNANCY JOURNEY

Just can't believe how fast time flew and we are getting close to the most special time of the year for us. Our daughter is all set to roll into her second birthday. Seems like yesterday, that we came to know we were about to be parents. The Baby Book needs some updating for sure.

But there are things,which the pages of the Baby Book cannot contain. That is the journey of my Pregnancy. The pregnancy with my Rainbow Baby Riona. So this countdown to her birthday gave me the perfect opportunity to pen it all down. What if age takes a toll, and some finer details skip from my memory.

So here's how it all began.

Having had a not so successful first Pregnancy right after we got married, it took me several years to come to terms, that I wanted to be pregnant again. You cannot stop blaming yourself for all the wrong that went on. You have your scars.

We had decided that we would start Baby Planning in 2012. We had done the customary OBGYN consultation as I suffer from both Thyroid and PCOS. And I was over 30

It took a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, to have go the Baby Way.

Unawares that Baby was already on the way, we went head on a trip to the East Coast.

It was a dizzy spell on the treadmill at our gym, which made me take a Pregnancy Test. And another. And another. You need to be sure.

We joined in on the Pregnancy Bandwagon full on.

The bump made a debut on a  local red carpet. It was Fashion's Night Out and KC was celebrating it. So we made it there and got clicked. It was my friend Archana who as the first to notice and we were happier than ever to acknowledge.

The First Trimester came with its share of Morning Sickness in a ll its Ugly avatar. I was throwing up more than I could even take in. I survived on some Ghee-Bhaat and Bread Butter. Lime, Lemon and citrus scents were a savior.

But it was over soon enough and on came the second trimester. It was also Daddy To be Birthday. So we planned to go ahead to New England again. This time our agenda was Fall Colors. We also packing in a trip to Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory in Vermont. No wonder the lil one loves her ice cream so much.

It had started off as a No Risk Pregnancy and we wanted to keep it that way,if we could.

My OBGYN had asked me to continue pre-pregnancy work out schedule and I was happy to do that. She had mentioned that it would help build my stamina for labor. She was so right.

I did get the occasional odd stare at the Gym with the growing Bump,but the majority were great wishes from everyone else working out. Which also led to some locker room selfies

The OBGYN visits were going off exceptionally well. We used to wait with bated breath to hear the heartbeat of our growing baby. It was almost like a Horse running by. The swift heartbeats of our baby. So near yet so far away.

Lo and Behold it was time for Durga Puja. Being away from India, means that you celebrate the Indian Festivals over a  convenient weekend. So we were all set to celebrate Durga Puja from Friday to Sunday. I had a OBGYN visit on that particular Thursday. It was the date of our Gender Reveal Ultrasound Scan. Yes, we were having a girl. Secretly, I had been wishing for a girl. I had been keeping my fingers crossed all through the ride to the hospital. So it was almost like, Maa Durga was coming home with us. The Pujo became extra special. I even shook a leg to the desi beats.

Soon it time time to Celebrate another year of togetherness. The Anniversary came beckoning. So we got dressed and partied hard. A fancy French dinner at one of KC's best: Le Fou Frog

The second trimester is the only time when you can color your hair. I was clearly not elating that opportunity go. Got a fresh dose of color,as I knew it would be quite some time, before i could get touch ups done. Opted for my signature warm honey blonde highlights.

Soon it was time for the Holidays. So we attended a warm and cosy Holiday party with our extended family in town.

Then we packed our bags for a Baby Moon of sorts. We were going down south.

We paid our respects to the King. Graceland was the first stop.

Then we headed off to the Sea. Gulf Shores and Pensacola.

In all these adventures, the second trimester rolled on to the Third. being pregnant over 30 also means, you enter the High Risk stage of Pregnancy at this time. So started the bi weekly Non Stress Tests, to ensure that Baby was doing alright. Nerve crunching times for sure, which we ushered in with load of prayers.

Also squeezed in our Child Birth and New Born care Classes. They did make daddy wear the Emphatic Belly weighing 30 pounds to make him feel what Pregnancy feels like in a  nutshell.

Then came the Time for my Baby Showers First up was the Desi baby Shower or Shaadh hosted by my Mashi here in KC.

The second Baby Shower was hosted by some of my Husband's colleagues. They Took us out for a Fondue Dinner. Fancy Shmancy !!!

The NSTs carried on and before we realized we were at the home stretch. Baby was full term. How did it all go from there? Time for another post for sure.

Not to forget we also had our share of a proper maternity Photo Shoot. our good friend Arka,who had also planned the Baby Shower, took some great pictures for us, to cherish for a lifetime. I managed to pack in all that I wanted to pack in my pregnancy, in proper grace.