Then, and now

Man, you guys are relentless about belly pics. If I don't document them, I can pretend I wasn't getting so big!

For a point of reference, here I was at 7 weeks:


Then at 17:

I guess when you start out small once your uterus gets to the size of a cantaloupe there is nowhere for it to go but out. And that was just 17 weeks, I'm almost 19 now and already bigger.

All in all I feel fantastic and currently *love* being pregnant. The first trimester has come and gone and it was cake. I never had any morning sickness, just the occasional bout of nausea. I was a bit fatigued, but since I work 10 hour shifts I haven't had time for extra rest. During the weekends I would take a short cat nap if I could. I had to pee it seemed like every hour, and woke up a few times during the night. That wasn't too convenient on our 2 week cross country trip when we were camping and going to the bathroom entailed taking a literal hike. Or in Yosemite camping when I'd have to get out of bed in the freezing cold, get dressed and put on shoes, then walk all the way to the bathrooms and back. Jerad was a good sport about waking up and walking with me. Thank goodness the frequent toilet trips are over:) The hardest part of the first trimester was my non existent sex drive. I was NOT expecting that one.

The second trimester has brought less nausea, less bathroom trips, and more excitement. I have tons of energy, however I get worn out much faster than I used to. I've had a few craving for things like Carls Jr. (sick!), fried foods, white bread, ice cream, AMERICAN CHEESE... all things I would never eat or even think about. Loosing weight over the last 2 years has taught me to discipline myself enough to not give into unhealthy cravings, so I just brush them off and have a small healthy snack most of the time. There may have been one pancake run. At 11pm.

I've been following a special pregnancy diet, which I'll write more about later.

I've had a few pretty bad headaches, but before being pregnant I would get migraines so bad that I'd get nose bleeds, loose vision, and literally pass out. After trying all sorts of natural treatments, medications, chiropractors, hormone creams, I FINALLY got relief after being put on the anti seizure med Topamax about 2 years ago. Although they say it won't cause any adverse effects until possible the last trimester, I stopped taking it as soon as I found out I was pregnant at 6 weeks. I was worried my migraines would start up again and didn't know what to do. I don't know if its luck, pregnancy hormones, or what but I have only had a few bad headaches since being med free and no blackouts/nosebleeds/vision loss. I hope it keeps up!

The only "bad" thing so far has been the crazy round ligament pain. Which is bearable, but certainly not pleasant. The other thing I'm having a hard time with is people thinking being pregnant equals being disabled. I shouldn't have to carry things, wash dishes, or walk across the parking lot. Jerad tells me to just enjoy it, but for the most part it drives me crazy that people treat me like I'm incapable of doing anything. If I took everyone's advice, I would be "eating for two" (um, one of the "two" only weighs 6 ounces and certainly doesn't need its own 1500-2000 calories), and getting no excercise because I certainly shouldn't have to lift a finger:)

I felt the baby move the first time at almost 16 weeks. Jerad felt it for the first time on Thanksgiving, so around 18 weeks. Everyone kept telling me "just wait until you feel the baby move, it's the most exciting thing!" Honestly, I'm not in love with the feeling. I feel like something is crawling around inside of me. Maybe it will be different when its bigger and stronger?

My parents are over the moon about becoming grandparents soon. My dad is not usually a mushy person, but as soon as he found out told me and Jerad all about how wonderful it is to be a parent and how babies are the best blessings. My mom is already stressing about what she wants to be called (she doesn't feel old enough to be called "grandma" since she's not even 50), and already ran out and bought me a bunch of maternity clothes. This will be the first grandchild on my side of the family. About 2 years ago my mom bought a stroller, car seat, and playpen "just in case" and my dad has frequently reminded Jerad that all of his friends already have grand kids.

So that's about it for now. Sorry this isn't the most coherent post. my brain isn't functioning at 100% lately. Last night I couldn't remember the word for candle so I referred to it as "that thing you catch on fire and smells good." After that I proceeded to attempt to plug my memory stick into the USB port on my laptop REPEATEDLY and couldn't understand why it wouldnt fit. I'm hoping the baby is just leaching off my brain and will be extra smart. Or something.