Extraordinary Health Magazine Extraordinary Health Vol 22 | Page 15

After excitedly exchanging our viewpoints
on nutrition, he abruptly left. To my relief,
he came back a minute later and asked
for my number, which I gave to him—and
he lost! As he was leaving, he knocked
over our entire display of stacked protein
powder containers, pointed at his folly, and
nebulously declared, “Bowling pins!” Then he took off, propelled
by despair.
I tell him he’s lucky I kept his number and called him a few days
later! I live in Houston, Texas, and he was living in Venice Beach
at the time. We traveled back and forth between the two cities
to see each other for a couple of months, until one day he
decided to pack up and move to Houston. He was on the road
within 24 hours of telling me about his decision over the phone.

about being a dad warms my heart. I know there is going
to be a lot of laughter and fun in our house with him around.
We went to the first ultrasound when I was eight weeks.
What an amazing thing to hear the baby’s heartbeat!
I fell in love instantly.
I must admit, I haven’t been reading any pregnancy books
or magazines like most expectant mothers do. I have stopped
looking on the internet every time I think something feels off,
because it only leads me to diagnosing myself and the baby
incorrectly and tragically. I had to return a lot of really large
diapers after being assured my baby does not, in fact, have
gigantism. I have decided to just trust the process and to do
my best to enjoy it. My doctor has told me that most women
go through a lot of emotional turmoil and physical discomfort
their first trimester.

On January 24th of this year, Ryan proposed to me at the top
of the Empire State Building in New York, and we were married
at a magic-spattered lodge, lodged deep in the heart of Texas,
on April 26th. I know that the beginning of our story could
be packaged in medieval font, wrapped in the heaving rhythm
of iambic pentameter and tattooed on our lower backs;
and though it is predominantly wonderful, Ryan and I do have
our share of bellicose bouts, amplified by a prompt pregnancy.
By the time we went on a honeymoon cruise, I was already
utterly impregnated. Between the ship rocking, zero privacy
and initial pregnancy hormonal changes, I proved to be the
opposite of the best traveling partner. I know I threatened
Ryan at least once that I was going to jump overboard.
He selfishly told me not to use the balcony as my launching
pad, since that was his new bed.
We both made it back to Houston alive and triumphant,
and Ryan had a feeling that I might be pregnant. When
I asked him the source of his conviction, he drew a parallel
to the feeling of a good golf swing that I still don’t fully
understand. I didn’t think he would hit a line-drive on the first
try, but Ryan assured me that he was a Spartan and displayed
his triceps to leave no room for doubt. Sure enough, the test
was positive. We “danced” vehemently in celebration, letting
the jubilant beats of modern hip-hop direct and inform our
gyrating limbs.

The First Trimester—Here We Go!
My first trimester has dragged me across the full spectrum
of human and animal emotion. Some women, including
my sweet mother, tell me that they loved every single minute
of pregnancy. I don’t fall into that category just yet. What I
do love is that Ryan and I are bringing a child into this world,
and we both see it as an incredible blessing and miracle.
The hormonal changes make me irritable and impatient.
I take everything personally and cry for no reason. I’ve even
begun to sleep cry, which will wake Ryan out of a deep
and tearless CPAP-y slumber. He does his best to try and talk
me down, but I am becoming increasingly immune to reason.
Cupcakes help. And listening to Ryan expressing his excitement

Consistent With Taking Supplements
I am on the fast track to getting huge! Most women gain only
a few pounds their first trimester, but I have gained almost ten.
Although I don’t like it, Ryan seems to be quite happy since
all the weight so far has gone to “all the right places.”
I consider myself a very healthy eater, but being pregnant
has made it challenging. What I am consistent with is taking
my supplements. Right now I take Kind Organics Prenatal,
RAW Probiotics™, two capsules of Minami® MorDHA Prenatal
every day, Kind Organics Organic B-12 when I need more energy,
and I typically start my day w