Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog

A New Addition to the Gov Gab Family

By: Sommer | December 14, 2007 | Category: Health

Ok, I have to fess up. Being able to "haul stuff” wasn’t the only reason we decided to get a new car in August (or paint our bedrooms, for that matter). That was when we also found out I was going to have a baby - yay! This will be our first child, so the main reason we bought a new car is because my husband is an uber-planner. To stay on track with our financial plan he determined we had to buy one 4-door, kid-friendly car now so we could buy another one next year. That way we'd both have safer cars to “haul” the new addition and any necessary accessories without completely breaking the bank.

So far I’m very intrigued by this whole pregnancy experience. I've always romanticized what pregnancy might baby be like – maybe overwhelming feelings of maternal love beaming from my body at anyone who passes by.

Needless to say, it’s is nothing like I imagined. I’ve had it good, I must say – not too much morning sickness and now I’m beginning to feel the little kicks, and ultrasounds are always something to look forward to. We feel blessed to be expecting a new baby but overall, it’s been a relatively uneventful experience. A lot of waiting… (I’m very impatient.)

So, in my quest to pass the long 40 weeks and foster the maternal beam of love, I found some great information on USA.gov’s Expecting Parents page. The information on alcohol and pregnancy (no champagne for New Years 2008!), tips on staying healthy and even help with finding a name has been great. Also, USA.gov’s Frequently Asked Questions page about Pregnancy and Nutrition directed me to essential information on foods pregnant women should stay away from (no sushi or unpasteurized cheese – it’s harder than I thought!).

I’ll keep you up to date as April nears. Everyone says the baby will arrive before I know it, but I’m not so sure. Please share any of your tips or stories on pregnancy and parenthood in the comments. I need all the advice I can get!!

Now, if I could only find some really great maternity pants…