End of the First Trimester

Tomorrow we enter the start of week fourteen.  We have officially made it through the first trimester!  Here is a quick recap of what we have experienced thus far:

Physically
1. Nausea - I've been thankful to still not have gotten sick at all throughout our first trimester.  The nausea is another story.  I know I've talked about this, but I had afternoon/evening nausea that sometimes had me laid out.  Fortunately, the nausea has noticeably subsided over the last week.  It's not 100% gone, but it's definitely not what it was!

2. Tiredness - (Read: so exhausted you don't even have the words.)  I have been tired for a long time.  The other day I got home from work at 4:30 pm, took a nap until 7:30 pm, grabbed a quick nibble, and went back to bed at 8:30 pm...and slept through the night.  My doctor asked me if I was getting eight hours of sleep per night.  I explained that I needed eight before we got pregnant.  I think I need ten to twelve now!  Surprisingly, over the last week while the nausea has subsided, the sleepiness has only increased.  I'm hoping that this is a baby growth spurt, not an indication of the next six months!

3. Headaches - O.M.G.  I should've known I was pregnant when I didn't know because I got this pounding headache at work one day.  I don't normally get headaches.  When I do, I have a reason: I'm tired, I'm dehydrated, etc.  Since I've become pregnant, I get headaches at least five times per week.  Some last 15-20 minutes and others last for hours.  Again, this is one of those symptoms that has increased toward the end of this last tri.

4.  Digestion - I'm either constipated or I have diarrhea.  There is no in between.  That's all I'll say about that.  (I'm sorry if that is already TMI for anyone.)  Pregnant women have the get outta jail free pass to say what they want, right?!

5. Bladder Control - I think my bladder went from holding 15 oz. to 5 oz. when we became pregnant.  I never used to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.  Now, I try to use the bathroom at the last possible moment with the hopes that I'll be able to sleep through the night.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

6. Bump Status - The update on the bump, or lack there of - there's a little something there, we think.  Our bambino is still very tiny, so give us a few more weeks/months and I'm sure we'll have more to write about!

Cravings
I haven't had many cravings yet.  The only one I recall throughout this first trimester was about two weeks ago.  I just HAD to have some blueberries!  You know - the ripe, fat, plump ones?  Those are the best!  I went to the grocery store, picked up a container (with some strawberries too), and went home and ate.them.all!  :)  I've since gotten more, and they are amazing ever time I eat them!

I did have another craving about a month ago for some Taco Bell at lunch.  The Bell is not usually one of my "go to" lunch options, so it took me a bit off guard.  But I wasn't near any Taco Bell's, and I convinced myself that our little bambino could probably use something a bit healthier, so I passed on the thought...that time!

Weight Loss/Gain
My doctor said that I'm actually in the negative for weight gain because I am down four pounds from the last time that Brian and I visited a month ago, or my normal pre-pregnancy weight. (Surely, no thanks to the nausea.) But she said that it is nothing to be worried about and that at our next appointment she would like to see me back at my normal weight. Fortunately, since the nausea has subsided quite a bit I should be able to get all my meals in.  Now, if I could just stay awake to eat we'd all be good to go!

I think that we are are at a funny stage of our pregnancy.  We don't look physically different, but there is so much going on internally that I don't remember the last time that I had a day where I felt "normal".  I'm actually kind of wondering if I will ever feel "normal" again?

We know that the next thirteen or so weeks will probably hold some other surprises, but we are officially one third of the way through our pregnancy, ladies and gentlemen!  That is amazing and exciting and terrifying all at once!

Welcome to the second trimester!