Week 14- Hello 2nd Trimester!

Well, I've tried this great "belly band" to give me more options for clothes. The idea is to put on your regular shorts or pants, unzip farther as belly expands and put this stretchy band on top to conceal the unzipped part and hold your pants up. My problem is I can't get most of my pants over my butt! The ones I can get up are very tight and they want to move down as I sit and stand so the belly band isn't working well for me. Luckily some of my maternity clothes have just a small stretchy band around the waist and they fit already!

Another issue I've developed with this pregnancy is Allergies! I've never had allergies! It may just be Colorado but either way I was miserable for 7 weeks. Daily headaches, sinus pain/pressure, sore throat, post nasal drip etc... I finally made a Dr. appt. They said we'll try Zyrtec. It's as safe as Tylenol in pregnancy. 3 days after taking it I had no more sinus pain! At my appt. I found out I've gained 7 lbs!! The most I've ever gained in a 1st trimester! I also got to hear our baby's heartbeat. A strong 160 bpm. LOVE that sound!

I'm also seeing a massage therapist and chiropractor which helps with my migraines. I started having muscle spasms in my upper back so I saw my chiropractor. He discovered a rib out of place. Not sure how that happened but it explained the pain I was having. He fixed it and I've been good ever since!

I have whole days now without any nausea. Sometimes I get heartburn or gassy or I get a craving that I can't figure out and I can't satisfy it. No big deal. I don't feel like I have to eat something every hour so hopefully my weight gain will slow down now!

I'm craving more fruit now. Watermelon is my best friend! It's gotta be cold. It's so nice on a warm day! I also enjoy apples, pears and all the berries.

On base, here in CO, we only get an Attic fan which sucks in the cool air at night and then we shut the windows in the morning to keep in that cool air. Well...it feels nice in the morning but as the day heats up the house gets close to 80 degrees!I've been so hot that Jarod went to Home Depot and bought me an A/C window unit! Even though we'll only use it for about 1 month...it's 1 month that I will be a lot more comfortable!

I still feel like I could use a nap every afternoon but I don't feel drugged like I HAVE to sleep! So, energy is getting better. I've been able to do my Yoga DVD more and get more organizing/cleaning done to prepare for our move.

Jarod will be done with his summer program soon and will be able to be home with us! I'm really looking forward to having my partner/helpmate here more often! The next 2 months are going to be CRAZY! We will travel to see family for 23 days and then we'll have 3 weeks to get everything done for our move to England! At some point we will get an ultrasound to check on the baby and hopefully find out the gender!

I'm working on some pregnancy jokes so be looking for a good laugh with my next blog posting!

:)

Happy Times!
-Linda

Weeks 9-13 Finishing the 1st Trimester!!

This month has flown by! More symptoms I'm experiencing are weight gain, tight clothes- shoes are even tight!- new lumps in my thighs and butt. Yah cellulite!-Very dry skin on my body but oily on my face and scalp- Have to be careful when I cough, laugh or sneeze thanks to a leaky bladder- more cramping (growing, stretching uterus)- feeling emotional and weepy- dizzy spells- the heat outside makes me feel sick and faint- bigger, bloated looking belly-The gas has been monumental! I can clear a room!- migraines (an issue I had before pregnancy)- sciatic pain- Only threw up one time! A record for me!

Craving salty, spicy and carbs. (peanut butter, breads, bagels, french fries, banana peppers, prefer medium salsa instead of mild now, pot pies, chicken salad, pickles, sausage, bacon...and pears. I'm not sure where the pears craving came from!) I also have to eat a snack before bed so I don't feel hungry and queasy. Usually a toasted bagel with cream cheese or peanut butter. SO....that's why I've gained weight! I actually need to weigh myself to see my total weight now. I'm guessing 5 lbs.

Had to box up over half my wardrobe labeled (small pre-prego clothes). The Belly Band won't work because I can barely get them over my new larger butt! I had to get bigger underwear and bigger bras. I unboxed my maternity clothes and bought some new ones I found on sale. Some of the shorts and pants fit now! I'm using a rubber band on my non-maternity pants that are tight to close.

Week 10 I started feeling the ball of pressure low in my abdomen. Also had my first OB appt and got to see our angel on the ultrasound. The midwife let me record a video clip of the ultrasound so I could share it with family and especially Jarod since he couldn't be there. Very strong heartbeat! 168bpm. We are totally in love!! All of my annoying symptoms simply didn't matter at that point. It's SO worth it!

They calculated my due date to be Jan. 29 but after the ultrasound and measurements they changed it to Jan. 22.

Weeks 11-12 starting to get little bits of energy. Am working out to a DVD called "Yoga Booty Ballet...Baby on the Way", when I have the energy. I LOVE it! It completely focuses on the baby and it's specially designed for a pregnant body!

Week 13 I've noticed more days where I wasn't queasy all day. I've had more bouts of energy. I feel more "normal". Only my close friends can see my "little bump".

All in all it's been a typical 1st trimester. One I can look back at and laugh! I'm so glad it's over too! I'm ready to have more energy and get more done around the house as we prepare for vacations and our move overseas!

Weeks 4-8

My symptoms started right away. I became a little less patient, I started getting queasy, getting headaches, heartburn, bloating, gas pains, wrist pain, cramping, sore boobs, low back pain, sensitive to heat/cold, sensitive to smells and tastes and so SO tired all the time! WHAM BAM all of it hit me like a truck! I feel all my symptoms are exaggerated this time around. I have every symptom in the book! It's kind of annoying. On the other hand, it lets me know my body is working hard to give life to this little angel inside me.

I just have to laugh at it all because it's my last pregnancy so I'll just have to enjoy the good, bad and the ugly!