I think I've had it quite easy overall compared to the severity of symptoms that other women say they have. My nausea has basically completely vanished, cravings & aversions have definitely set in, and "the bump" finally decided to make an appearance. I guess the symptom that seems to still be the most prevalent is the tiredness. I had a few weeks in the first trimester where it was shear exhaustion, but I wouldn't say it's that severe anymore. That actually went away while I was still in my first trimester. I've had so many people tell me that I'll get a boost of energy and feel fabulous in my 2nd trimester, but I haven't experience that just yet. I'm beginning to wonder if that "boost" was when the severe exhaustion went away in the first trimester. Who knows? I just have to keep reminding myself that my body is working overtime to take care of two people instead of just one like it's done for the past
It was around 13 weeks when I really started feeling uncomfortable in my normal clothes. I tried the belly band extenders, which worked best with my jeans. Unfortunately nothing worked with my work pants...and those Bella Band things are completely useless. I have no idea why people love them so much. Chad & I actually made a trip to the Motherhood Maternity store near us to grab a few dresses which would work for both the early & late stages of pregnancy.
I feel like it was the 14th week when my bump really started to show. According to the Baby Bump app that I'm using, Gnocchi grew a whole ounce and 0.6 inches this week...more than any of the previous weeks. The app is kind of cool. It gives you daily tips and weekly growth updates for both the baby & you. So for the 14th week, Gnocchi was 3.4 inches (a lemon) and 1.5 oz.
This week was super busy dealing with new house stuff, doctor appointments, etc. I did manage to squeeze in my first prenatal workout...finally. I figured I need to up the ante here since my exhaustion is not as bad as it was. It was also this week when my meat aversion really started to kick in. I'm eating very little meat these days and needing to find my protein source in other things...beans, peanut butter, protein powder, etc.
Week 15 was probably the most exciting so far...the gender reveal!! It's a BOY!! Now Chad and I were initially quite thrown off by this, as we both thought it was a girl. We really have no reason for thinking that. I even had one gender dream in which I opened up the lab paperwork and saw that we were having a boy, but I still continued to think we were having a girl. I guess my subconscious must have known all along. LOL!
We had ordered a gender reveal cake from a local, scrumptious bakery. We saved this precious moment to share just between the two of us. I definitely should have cut a larger wedge from the cake, so you could see the blue ombre effect. I'm glad we decided to surprise ourselves with the gender reveal cake. Not only did it make it a bit more special than just opening an envelope, but we got to eat cake all week! Score!!
Week 16 seemed to be quite a busy week. We had initially intended to "tell" our family with the gender that week, but our surprise for them didn't arrive as planned. So it was a week of attempting to NOT call anyone for fear that I might accidentally give away the surprise. So we kept busy with a daycare visit and baby gear research.
By this week I had also developed a new craving...iced tea! I just can't get enough of this stuff!!! I'm thankful that I'm not craving anything more fattening than this. Cravings are strong! If I was still craving mac & cheese, I'd be as large as a house by now. LOL! I'm also thankful for Fre wine - the alcohol free wine that a friend of ours recommended. Phew! I'd definitely recommend the white over the red...especially the Chard & Brut!
Cheers!
