Things I need to write down because apparently my memory stinks.

I have very limited memories of being pregnant with Spencer.  I mean, I remember the big stuff, the highlights, and a few of the not so fun moments, but I certainly don't remember many of the details.  I feel horrible about this.  It's only been two years, and I can't remember how long I was nauseous in the first trimester, when I needed to start wearing a different bra, when showering was painful, when it was a pain to shave my legs, if I woke up 3-4 times every night in the first trimester, etc, etc. 

Since I blog (well at least partially) to keep a journal of my life, I want to document this current pregnancy so that, if we ever decide to have a third, I'll be able to look back on this and remember if what is happening now is normal or if my symptoms are different.  This may be stuff a lot of you don't care about, but I need to do this!

*Found out we were pregnant about 4 days after I should have gotten my period.  I took a few pregnancy tests prior to that and they were all negative.  At my dating ultrasound, I was a week behind where I should have been based on my last period, but that makes a lot of sense as to why I had so many negative tests without a period.

*Within one week of finding out, I was nauseous.  With Spencer, I was never nauseous in the morning.  It always hit around 11 and lasted the rest of the day.  This time I've felt gross at all hours of the day.  I have an occasional day where I'll feel fine but at least 5/7 days, my stomach is acting hungover.  No vomitting yet!!   It is helpful if I eat something every 2-3 hours.  Drinking water does not help- just makes me feel seasick.
     Week 14- I feel so much better.  No nausea at all!!!  Woo Hoo!!!

*I'm waking up 3-4 times a night from dreams.  I don't have to pee (I obviously don't drink enough); I must wake up due to the dreams only.  The dreams are incredibly vivid and incredibly weird.  I do remember having vivid dreams with Spencer, but I don't remember them being this frequent.  It often takes me 30 min at least to fall back asleep which is killing me for total sleep time.  There have been studies that state that pregnant women don't have different sleep patterns than other women their age, but I completely disagree.  I have always been an awesome sleeper (and I do require a good night's sleep in order to be a pleasant, well-functioning lady), and this is just killing me.  I'm in week 10 now, and it's not getting any better.  Week 11 is a little better (maybe because I have a killer cold and my body knows it needs rest??)
     Week 14- No more weird dreams.  Must be a first tri thing for me.  Still waking up once a night, usually between 3:45-4:20 and usually for no reason.  I am still not waking up at night to pee (thank goodness!!)

*I don't know if it's due to this being my second pregnancy or if it's the fact that I rarely work out, but I just feel gross about my body right now.  I'm still in all my regular clothes at week 10 (okay one pair of my skinniest pants are definitely tight) and am very comfortable in most, but I just "feel" yucky.  Week 11 now and I'm definitely struggling to be comfortable in my pants.  This sucks.
     Week 14- Sooo much more comfy in maternity pants!  I've been wearing a few of my "bigger" pants as well, but now, mostly maternity.  I have definitely popped and look more pregnant than fat (at least to my eyes!). 

*I am EXHAUSTED this time around.  I know that this wasn't this way with SYT.  I did get really, really tired with him in week 24 (my iron was way low at that time), but I wasn't at all tired in the first tri.  I even remember talking about that with friends- they'd mention how tired they were in the first tri and I had no clue what they were talking about.  Friends, they aren't talking about "I stayed up too late and I'm paying for it the next day." They're saying, "I'm bone tired, I want to nap in the middle of work WHILE people are talking to me, and I absolutely must go to bed by 8 o'clock at least two nights a week."  I am not a sleepy girl usually.  I am a great 10 p.m.- 5:30 sleeper, and I do like to go to bed, but I'm never dragging during the day (and I don't drink caffeine regularly), and I am much more Enegergizer bunny than Slowsky turtle.  This tiredness is just beyond anything I've ever known.
     Week 14- I am much less tired than I was in the first tri.  The trip to CA that I took last week for a conference wiped me out with the time change, but I'm no longer bone tired like I was.  This makes me deliriously happy!!
*Dinner?  Half the time it sounds good, half the time it was something I was craving a few days prior and now sounds disgusting.  B says this was totally me last time too.  I take a few bites, realize how awful it is (even though it is normally one of my favorite meals), and then hand it over to B to finish.  Good thing he's been running like crazy :) 

*Reflux is kicking my butt.  I do remember eating tums with SYT more frequently than when I wasn't pregnant, but this time is definitely worse.  I am constantly burping air and acid up all day long.  If this continues for another month or two, I may have to go on a prescription med b/c this is soooo yucky.  I definitely feel very bloated with air in my tummy a lot which doesn't help the reflux either. 
     Week 14- It's still bad!  Anything with tomato sauce and I'm still tasting it the next day- UGGG!!  I'm still trying to decide if I want to do a daily pill or if tums are enough for me.
*I'm not quite the emotional basketcase that I was the last time.  I've had a few very minor breakdowns but nothing like the Thursdays of my first pregnancy.  I would just sit on the couch and cry though an entire episode of Gray's, even when they weren't sad.  And it happened every single Thursday without fail.  I feel much more stabilized this time.
     Week 14- Still feeling happy!  Yea!!
I know this sounds like a lot of complaints.  It's not (well, a little bit)......it's just the honest to God truth about the first trimester.  It's usually the worst trimester for most people, and I know it's something I just have to get through.  It's also a very nervewracking time as you're trying to hide everything, worrying about miscarrying, and dealing with all the side effects.  But as B would say, all these side effects are there to remind me that I'm still pregnant AND #it gets better!!!  I also know that weeks 18-40 were fine for me (40-41 was a little rough), and it was so worth it in the end.

21 week ultrasound of SYT

1st day home- I still adore this pic!!

We're so lucky, and I really, really am glad to be pregnant again.  Just 25.5 weeks until this little one makes his or her way into the world!!