Pregnancy Summary (weeks 4-15)

Since finding out I was pregnant;I’ve realized that there are many things about pregnancy that nobody seems totell you about.  Let me let you inon a little secrete; morning sickness and sleepiness are just thebeginning. 

Here is a summary of the how the pregnancy has been so far.  Since I am just now starting this blog,I will start weekly updates from here on out.

Weeks 4-8

I felt pretty dang good theseweeks.  I was really tired but hadno morning sickness, no stomach problems, and was able to sleep prettywell.  I thought, oh this is goingto be a breeze.  I was able to keepup my normal healthy diet and had one pregnancy craving for… Fruit Rollups,which I hadn’t eaten in nearly 5 years. In fact, as week 8 turned into week 9… I started getting all these crazycravings for stuff I used to eat when I wasn’t such a healthy eater.  Chicken strips, French fries, and A LOTof Chik-fil-A. 

My first real "I gotta have" pregnancy craving

Weeks 9-12

This is where my morning sicknessstarted to get bad.  I was a nannyfor two toddlers and it was weighing on me bad.  I was tired, grumpy, and nauseated all day long.  And then the intestinal crampsstarted.  They would wake me up at1 or 2 in the morning and I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep.  I read on various websites that it wasa normal symptom of pregnancy so I just dealt with it.  I was so frustrated that no one told meabout this symptom of pregnancy and as the 2^nd trimester loomedaround the corner, I kept thinking, “this is normal?, this can’t be normal,I’ve never heard anyone complain of this type of pain, I thought the 2^ndtrimester was supposed to be a breeze.” It was very hard for me to eat and Ieven lost a couple of pounds, but eventually the pain subsided and my normalappetite was creeping back slowly. (So just so you know… pregnancy can cause all kinds of digestivesymptoms…not just morning sickness)

We had our 1^st trimesterappointment/screening during week 12. The main thing the doctors look for in this screening is chromosomalabnormalities.  Mike and I had bothtalked about it and decided that it was a good idea to do the screening so thatwe both could have some anxiety about the pregnancy relieved.  The screening turned out to be really,really good (according to our doctor) and it left me feeling so comforted andhappy.  We weren’t able to hear theheartbeat this time around because I think our little one is already stubborn (justlike us)! 

Our 12 week ultrasound!  So fun to see them move around!

During these few weeks I didn’treally crave much except for the occasional bagel and cream cheese and mashedpotatoes and peas.  It was a bland,bland, bland diet for me.

Weeks 13-15

I was so happy to be out of the 1^sttrimester and a 1/3 of the way done with the pregnancy.  Most of my stomach and intestinal painsubsided in the middle of week 13, which I was very grateful for.

We were also able to tell the restof our family.  Easter is always aspecial time for us (It was the first time we met each others’ families and wealso announced our engagement the next year) so we decided to follow traditionand announce our pregnancy (actually Mike’s mom, Debbie, announced it…she wasvery honored J).  Everyone was soexcited but I think Mike’s Aunt, Nancy, was the most excited.  She had been the one to officiate ourwedding so she has a special place in our lives and heart. 

Cravings for any and ALL food startedto happen during week 14.  Anythingand everything sounded good (especially Starbursts), except for broccoli,asparagus, and eggs (yuck!).  Inthe last few weeks, I have eaten Indian food 3 times, which makes Mike veryhappy! Oh, Mike hasn’t been able to stop eating either!  It is pretty funny. 

It’s kind of funny that when your 1^sttrimester is over, you don’t really remember what bothered you.  I was and still am emotional and havemood swings that can last all day. Other than that the 2^nd trimester is pretty nice.  I can’t wait to feel the baby kick,have Mike feel the baby kick, and hear the heartbeat. 

Below are weekly (6-15) snapshots of mygrowing belly…