No Waist, but LOTS of Boob

The current trial and tribulation is to find clothes that fit.  I'm super glad that I went shopping before I actually had to, because I'm at the end of week ten, and I'm already wearing my belly belt full time (except for when I wear my Sonoma cords, but those are wicked big.  And, actually, now that I think about it, they were bugging me on my way home from work yesterday).  The belly belt is so helpful--I'm able to wear my regular pants, and will be able to for some time. (For those who don't know what a belly band is, see this link).  I've also got a belly band, but that hasn't worked out so well for me.  I'm sure it'll work better when I get larger. 

Up top is another matter entirely.  My chest has EXPLODED.  (Not literally.  That would be gross).  I bought two maternity bras last weekend, and they were simply the best purchase I've made since....forever.  I'm going to have to go up a size soon, though, even though when I bought them they were big.  But they've made the discomfort minimal (so much so that I don't even mind that I've got a uniboob).  My shirts all still fit, so that's nice.  Oh, and my socks fit.  :)

The fatigue has gotten much better.  I've taken a page from Steph's book, and have made myself go to bed at 9:00, even when I'm not tired (I read for awhile before I fall asleep).  Doing so has made me far less tired during the day.  Imagine that!  

Both Tom and I are anxiously looking forward to this coming Friday, when I've got my first prenatal appointment.  We're not sure if we're going to be able to hear the heartbeat, or get an ultrasound, but we're hoping for some sort of proof other than from my pee.  'Cause as cool as that is, really, it's just pee.  People keep telling me how amazing it will be when we first hear the heartbeat....I just know that I'm going to cry.  I just won't be able to help it.  I bet Tom will cry, too.  

Oh, and I got my first public belly-rub today.  My friend and co-worker Tiff rubbed my belly today before she left our office.  "Goodbye, little prune,"  she said.  "I can't wait for you to come visit!"  

 

Answer: Tired (make that Exhausted) and Hungry.

Question: How are you feeling?

At least, that's the typical answer.  Depending on who is asking there's also, "My boobs are killing me."  Seriously, though, last night I was literally in tears the pain was so bad.  Two nights in a row I have gone to bed clutching a steaming hot water bottle to my chest.  (I recommend this to anyone having boob pains, be they throbbing or stabbing.)  I'd like to take a moment now to thank Mike (husband extraordinaire) for catering to his pregnant wife and being the bearer of the sacred hot water bottle.  He is awesome.

What about other symptoms?  Is that what you asked?  Well, after reading Stacie's post (and hearing about her symptoms) I feel as though I am one lucky girl.  For Reals.

The first pregnancy symptoms I experienced are the ones above- exhaustion, hunger, and breast "tenderness" (whoever came up with that gem should be dragged into the street and shot).  I would be HAPPY with some "tenderness."  What I've got is full on Oh My God The Wind Is Blowing Too Hard combined with What? The Temperature Dropped Five Degrees?  My Breasts Feel That Before It Registers On The Thermometer.  No, I do NOT appreciate having a Doplar radar residing in my bra (which is slowly getting too small) thankyouforasking.

So far- knock on wood- I have had only a couple of bouts of nausea- mostly, I think, due to lack of sleep/over sleeping, and the wonders of increased saliva (WHY does my body feel the need to create more spit?).  I am thankful for the lack of morning/afternoon/evening/nighttime sickness.  [Hopefully, I have not jinxed myself.]

My Favorite Symptom?  (Please don't be mad at me.  I have no control over it.)  Increased libido.  For pregnancy weeks 4-6 I was all about the, well, you know.  Needless to say, it is also Mike's favorite symptom.  Unfortunately, this week things in that department have slowed down.  I'm blaming the breast pain.  It's hard to feel "friendly" when the thought of your boobs being touched sends you into the fetal position. 

Another weird thing about pregnancy- feeling really hungry and really full at the same time.  Well, I guess weird isn't the word I want to use as much as really effing annoying!  There's nothing like sitting down to eat and getting not even half-way through the meal and getting full.  Not cool, Tummy, not cool at all.  Especially as I love to eat. 

Let's see--- am I forgetting anything else?  Oh- yes, cravings.  And aversions.
My first craving: Gravy.  Luckily this one petered out after I gave in for about 3 or 4 days in a row.  Mmmmm gravy.  I still like it, but I don't have a need as strong as a thousand blazing suns, so that's nice.
My second craving: Pizza (and it had to be from Pizza Hut) and French Fries.  Guess what I had for dinner that night?  That's right.  Pizza and French Fries.  I'm so glad that Pizza Hut has french fries (actually Curly Fries) on their menu or else we would've had to have made another stop. 
Not quite a craving: Sunflower Seeds.  I have always been a big fan of these tasty little treats (IN the shell, of course) but I like them even more now.  I have begun buying them by the giant bag and eating them each night while I read before I go to sleep.  Yummy.  It's a tasty snack that isn't filling, but is enough to keep the heartburn at bay through the night.

That's pretty much all of the real cravings I've had.  I sometimes wish there were more, as it makes deciding on dinner so much easier! 

Aversions?  That's an easier one.  Seafood.  At least the smell of it.  (I did have some fried clams the other night, but I don't really consider that seafood, especially since it's the only "seafood" I'll eat at all- except for the very occasional tuna fish (mmmm, tuna pea wiggle- are you reading this Mom???) and the even more rare fish stick.
I also had a pretty difficult time in the meat department at Shaw's the other night.  Oh man.  We were deciding on what type and how much hamburger to buy (for tacos!) and we had been there for probably 5 minutes or something and then all of a sudden it was like, "Oh my- Mike, we've gotta hurry this up."  All that raw meat just- ugh- I can't even describe it.  Not cool.  At all.

So I guess that about finishes off this weeks edition of Too Much Information. 
Stay tuned for more!

It's Not Easy Being Green

I really don't know why it's called morning sickness, when it can happen any time.  While I'm trying to eat breakfast?  Check.  While I'm driving to work?  Check.  While I'm supposed to be eating lunch?  Check check flippin' check.  I'm sick as I'm typing this.  I've even gotten sick before I've fallen asleep.

Through it all, I've continued eating.  I try to eat small amounts frequently throughout the day (and that does help).  I have eaten so much ginger, I may as well become a damn ginger plant or tree or root or whatever (I've actually gotten kind of sick of the taste of ginger, so I'm taking a break for right now).  Sometimes I get hungry and that makes me nauseous, so while I'm thinking I'm going to toss my cookies in the middle of Shaws, I'll be like, "Yeah, but that BBQ chicken looks mighty fine."

And, of course, it's not just being sick to my stomach.  There are other, subtler points to pregnancy that just rock my world.  A list to follow:

Don't you dare touch the chesticles:  My boobs are sore.  I mean, really sore.  As in, Tom, stay the hell away or I'll bite your hand off.  (And he has been very respectful).  I've got to stay in a bra day and night or else even the water from the shower can hurt.  I guess it's the price I've got to pay for having a great rack (I've already got to buy a maternity bra).  This kid is NOT going to go hungry.

What do you mean, awake?  I stayed awake last night until 9:00pm.  Now, before you laugh, please know that up until that day, I was literally falling asleep right after dinner.  I would eat, lay down on the couch, and BAM be out until the next morning.  I was averaging about 10-12 hours of sleep a night.  I can't promise that last night wasn't a fluke, but I think I've gotten over the worst of it.  (Knock on wood).

Stop hogging the milk, you damn cow!  Mostly during week 6, I was craving milk like there was no tomorrow.   Now, that's weird, because I'm actually lactose intolerant.  (Not, like, I'd die or anything, but really, you don't want to hang out in an enclosed space with me after I nosh on a creeme with you).  But, yup, milk with Ovaltine was really awesome for awhile there.  As of the time of this writing, I'm without a breakfast sandwich, which was the craving du jour. 

Blame it on my Swiss Cheese Brain:  I literally have lost my mind.  Not like I'm crazy, I just don't know where I put my brain.  I used to be an uber-organized person (I was probably the only college kid I knew who had a filing system) and now, I honestly don't know what the hell I'm supposed to be doing on any given day.  As Tom said, now I know how he feels.

Crying jags:  Oh, yes, friends and neighbors, Stacie's lost her shit.  I have cried while listening to Bob Marley songs on the radio and the amount of canned goods in our pantry (that one lasted a good three hours.  I think the highlight of that little trip through the fun-house was me yelling at Tom, "do you want our baby to be made of this shit?"  while throwing some yellow-corn tortillas at him).    

Bloated as all whoo-haaa:  No, I don't know what a whoo-ha is.  Anyway, yeah.  Despite me eating a realitivley high fiber diet (lots of veg and fruit, whole grains, etc) I'm....well, not moving along the way I probably should.  So I'm kinda bloated. And you wanted to know that, I'm sure.

There are some good points to being pregnant. :)  I can't get over that there is a little being inside of me!  I mean, that sounds like the plot to a bad science fiction movie.  WOMAN TAKEN OVER BY SMALL TADPOLE CREATURE....but I almost cry when I think about how the baby has arms and legs now, and I smiled when I realized that the grapes on my desk are about the size that the baby is now (until I realized that I was going to eat them, and then that was weird).  I absolutely cannot wait to meet this baby and introduce him or her to their daddy.   

The best part about being pregnant is the support that I'm getting from Tom.  As I told him last night, he's the perfect husband for a pregnant lady.  He cooks great meals, he insists that I rest a lot, he truly does not care if the house looks like 8 elephants have tramped through it......I love that man, and I love that we're having a baby together.  :)

Okay, over and out for now.  Next week's topic will be a surprise (meaning that I don't know yet).