Ashleigh

PregTASTIC Podcaster | View all Bios

Hiya fellow preggos! I’m Ashleigh, 28 years old and originally from New Orleans, LA but have been living in San Diego, CA for 8 years now. My husband Matt and I have been together for 7 years and are expecting our first child in August 2009. We enjoy racquetball (not so much in my immediate workout plans), our iPhones, improv comedy and our TiVo, which is our lifeblood. ) We’re super excited to welcome our little guy/gal into the world!

What are you most excited about? I’m most excited about getting to discover this new little person and help nourish them to grow into the best and brightest they can be. I really look forward to all the “my child is growing up!” moments that all my mommy friends are having with their little ones. I keep a blog online and have a Twitter, so you know I’ll be bogging down my friends pages with more details than they’ll ever want to hear!

How is your energy level compared to “normal”? Just having made it into my 2nd trimester (15 weeks as I type this), my energy level is pretty normal compared to pre-pregnancy. I seem to be ready for bed a little earlier than normal, which is unusual since I’m kind of a night owl.

In my 1st trimester though, I would be at work and sneak naps in the parking lot at lunchtime! And almost always right around 2:30 or 3pm, my eyelids would get heavy and I just wanted to curl under the desk and sleep.

What clothes are you finding most comfy? I know all the advice tells you to borrow maternity clothes from people, since you won’t wear them very long, but what fun is that?! I’ve been shopping online a lot at Old Navy, which has a surprisingly good selection of affordable, comfy clothes.

I bought a BellaBand (to hold up my pre-preg pants) and a few pair of maternity pants that have a full front panel on them… THOSE are my favorite. Oh they’re so comfy! Let me tell you, they look ridiculous underneath… but who cares?! No one can tell, and when I buy the ones that are form fitted in the butt and thigh, I get to be comfy and look hot. ;o)

What type of food do you crave or have aversion to? Does the smell of anything make you gag? Cravings have been very carb-related. Anything bad for me! It was FRIED CHICKEN the other night. OMG, it was so delish.

Aversions or gagging… Even before pregnancy, I’ve always had a slight gag reflex when brushing my teeth. Now, it’s so bad! Both my 1st and now my 2nd trimesters… it hasn’t gone away. Foodwise, there really hasn’t been anything gagworthy. Although, the other day I was in my work cafeteria and someone was heating their lunch in the microwave… CLEARLY they were going to dine on pig intestines and leftovers from the litterbox. X That might not have been the pregnancy talking though. 

What do you have planned for the nursery? We’re still too early to find out the sex of our little one, so the specifics will probably have to wait. I can see us doing something ocean themed, or maybe planetary. If it’s a little girl, I’d love to do a mystical forest with fairies and woodland creatures!  

What is your most expensive purchase so far? Really just the clothes have been my splurges. We haven’t spent any other money yet… although I’m sure when we pick out the big ticket items, like the crib or a jogging stroller, those will be right up there!

Where did you conceive? Do you want to share some funny details? I just remember not wanting to turn Matt off with the details of ovulation and what days were higher probabilities, etc. So, one night as we were about to turn the lights off for bed, I turned to him and said, “By the way, anytime in the next few days, if you want sex but aren’t sure I’m in the mood, don’t worry about it… just tap me on the shoulder and let me know it’s go time!” 

How involved is your husband/partner? He’s been surprisingly incredible! I only say surprisingly, because medical stuff makes him squirm. So, knowing what’s going on inside of me and what will happen during labor and birth, can’t be easy for him to hear. He’s just really eager to help and learn and know what he can do to help me and the baby be as comfortable as possible. And he’s been really sensitive towards me and my limitations during this time.

The other day he asked me if he could have a hard cider, because he knew I couldn’t drink one and he didn’t want to flaunt it in my face! Aww, sucha sweetie. I can tell he’s going to be a fantastic dad!

What is something silly, verging on ridiculous that someone has said about your pregnancy?  Maybe other mommies-to-be won’t find this weird, but a co-worker (that I hardly knew) asked me if my pregnancy was an accident! I was a little surprised by that.

One other thing that was bizarre… Another co-worker that knew I was pregnant came up to me in the cafeteria and said “So are you starting to show?” I’m thinking, “Umm… you’re standing right in front of me.” But, I know that I’m a plus-size mommy-to-be, so maybe she was just being polite?