9 weeks (and 3 days)

The 8 week to 9 week comparison: not dramatically different, but I think I am a little thicker overall and boobs possibly slightly bigger. As always, my bloat is at its lowest in the morning, but after taking this picture I put my belly band on. In the past week these pants have gotten a little tight at the top... I can wear them buttoned, but with the belly band and unbuttoned pants they are a lot more comfortable and prevent muffin top!

9 weeks, 3 days today. This is the day in my first pregnancy that I woke up to see light, pale brown blood on the toilet paper. Today I woke up to blissfully clean underwear. I'd also had light but constant cramps at this point in the first pregnancy, and I do not have them now. I took a tremendously painful poop this morning, sorry to be so explicit, but I take that as a sign that the Pea is still jacking up my system, as he or she is supposed to be. I'm also feeling pretty queasy this morning. I guess it's just something that comes and goes for me... some days I hardly have any morning sickness at all, other days I do.

Lately Mr. Ibis has been super affectionate and attentive to me, which feels so nice. He says that there's something about me that seems so sexy to him now, something about my color maybe... perhaps I am starting to rock the pregnancy glow? I have to admit that sex is still hard for me, especially right at this moment when I'm thinking of last time, but I am trying to push through that paranoia and be intimate with him for intimacy's sake. And I will say that last night wasn't that hard, wink wink.

The first time I was pregnant I had received two moleskine journals for Christmas and Mr. Ibis and I decided to use them to write letters to our unborn baby. We each wrote one letter before we lost the baby. We always intended to start the tradition back up with our next one, but I had been putting it off. Finally yesterday I purchased two new moleskine journals for us so we can start writing to the Pea.

Last week when Mr. I's friend was in town we showed him our list of boy names and he easily picked Miles as the favorite. This is the one that's winning our online poll, with Allston in a close second. The whole time the friend was here he referred to the baby as Miles, as in "I'm going to get out of Miles's airspace and have a cigarette." It sounded good coming from another person, which I think is what finally made it feel like the right name to Mr. Ibis and me. So our finalist names are Miles Allston for a boy, and Fiona Grace for a girl. Mr. Ibis and I are both still guessing boy, but it's just a guess.

5 more days until Doppler! I can't wait.