Reflections on Trimester 1

We did it! We're here! The last day of my first trimester, officially! (Did you know that the first trimester isn't 12 weeks, but 13 weeks and 6 days?!): Tomorrow is week 14 and I am so glad it's finally here.

I thought I would use this time to reminisce / pseudo-complain / enjoy the time that I had over these last 13 weeks, 6 days. It wasn't easy. And I suppose I want to use this platform to let everybody know what pregnancy is really like, because I was sadly misinformed.

Morning Sickness
The most classic Sign of the Pregnancy Times is that queasy, nauseous feeling we all remember from childhood at the moment when you're just about to be sick... but you aren't. Well, Morning Sickness is most accurately described as that awful time, and I'm not sure which man gave it the time frame "morning" because sadly, Morning Sickness is a little more like Before-You-Wake-Up, Morning, Early Lunch, Afternoon, and Evening, and sometimes Middle of the Night sickness.

Don't get me wrong; I have had it luckier than many women as my first time actually (you know, actually) being "sick" was this morning, as though I was getting a farewell surprise from trimester one. But I did spend a large percentage of the months July and August lying in bed and feeling like I was left on a boat for hours straight. I think there was one day where I just didn't get up, save to pee three hundred times.

Fatigue
Growing a human in its early stages of development is really tiring. In these last 14 weeks, my body was able to manufacture another entire body - a brain, liver, kidneys, arms, legs, eyelids, fingernails... everything required to live... it's pretty amazing, and it made me pretty sleepy. I think for now the tiredness is finally waning (I've heard T2 is the chance where you get to be energetic & normal again!)  but everyday has become naptime day and it is for this reason that I am so thankful that I didn't actually start my jobs on a more
full-time basis until week 10.

Emotional wreckage
Kudos to John for being a man of steel, because his wife is a crazybar sometimes. If you have a moment and want to understand what it's like to live with a pregnant woman who has emotions running all over, please watch this YouTube video and substitute me for Baby Emerson and life for Mommy's Nose Blowing:





Worry
I think this is normal but I tend to constantly worry that things are okay - it's really hard to know if you don't feel baby kicking! But this worry is usually eased for a good week or so every time I hear baby's heartbeat (which I've heard twice now!). I know that baby is in God's precious, amazing, wonderful hands and his/her life will be the way it should be, as it already has been.


Excitement
John and I talk to baby pretty much all the time. He/she is a regular part of our daily life and we wouldn't have it any other way. I wonder, if we repeat some nonsensical phrase over and over and over again to baby if they'll come out among the first sets of words...? Probably not. We are just so excited to meet him/her (not yet! still has some growing to do!) and baby has been one of the main topics of life for us. My friends must be getting a little bored with my pregnancy chatter, but I have to advise, it's not going anywhere. Ultrasound photos are on my fridge, my phone background, John's phone background, and memorized in my head.

Excited mama & daddy to be!