I had my IUD removed at the end of June. After a few cycles of tracking everything and not getting pregnant, I needed to remove myself a little from the process. Not tracking my basal body temperature (BBT) means I don't know exactly where I am in my cycle, which helps remove the illusion of control. And not having to take my temperature before I got up meant I wasn't forced to think about the fertility process first thing every morning, which was a relief for a while. So on Thurs, Dec 5th I was 26 days into my cycle. Even if I ovulated a couple days "early" (as I suspected, but w/o BBT so can't be sure), it was still early to be taking a pregnancy test. But I just felt off. I was lightheaded and easily winded. I was tired and peeing a lot and just OFF. I decided to take a pregnancy test that afternoon against all logic. Especially if testing early, you should use your first trip to the bathroom in the morning to get the most concentrated dose of hormones. False negatives are more common later in the day. But after I put Ash down for his nap, I went to my bathroom and followed the instructions. I set the closed test on the counter, looked away for a second to start the timer on my phone, glanced back at the test and it ALREADY read positive. I sat in shock for a while, trying to let it sink in. Obviously my hormones were strong if I got such a clear reading so quickly in the afternoon, which would account for how I was already feeling. But WOW, I was NOT expecting a positive that afternoon.
Josh was expecting his PS4 bundle to come UPS that day, so I took a picture and made a cute little note I was going to slip into the box before he got home. Unfortunately, UPS didn't come till like 6pm, so I had to just hand him the note when he got his package. He was excited and hugged me, which is always an encouraging way for your husband to react to the news.
The first trimester so far has been rough. Part of it is the typical exhaustion and nausea. I've had two incidents where I puked. The first was when I was still early (maybe 5 wks?) and wasn't in the habit of eating all day every day. I felt the nausea build till I realized I wasn't going to be able to avoid it. Miserable, but at least I felt better once it was over. The second time came a few weeks later when I choked on some crackers, and the ensuing coughing fit led to a gag which turned into a full puke. But otherwise I've been able to keep from puking by eating often, taking vitamin B, and eating often. Haha, yes, I feel like all I do is eat :) But what REALLY made this trimester rough was being sick. First was one of those "colds" that's brought on by being too busy and not getting enough rest. I was able to sleep that one off and avoid getting really sick. But then Lindsey & kids brought us the flu for Christmas, and all three of us ended up with it, but I came down with it first. I got sick between Cmas and New Years, when all the dr's offices are closed and just had to deal with it till day 5. With the VERY few options for relieving symptoms that are left to a 1st trimester pregnant woman. We went to the dr after New Years and tested positive for the flu (we forgot to ask, but we're pretty sure it was H1N1!), so the dr gave us tamiflu. Which maybe have helped, though you're supposed to start taking it in the first 48 hrs... plus it made me nauseous, so I dreaded it every day. In the end, I was probably sickly for about 2 weeks, with a VERY slow recovery time. Then just when we were finally over the flu and coughing was an occasional event, all three of us got hit with a cold on the same day. So we spent a weekend home together on the couch, miserable. Again, taking just the minimum of medications to get through. So, yes, I've been extremely tired and mildly nauseous almost every day, but it's all from a totally different perspective after experiencing the true misery of that flu.
Now that I'm caught up on the details, now that I'm public on FB and everywhere else, now that I'm heading into the 2nd trimester, I'll TRY to start doing weekly updates like I did with Ash. It's been particularly fun to go back and read them to compare, and looking at pictures of my bump from the first time. I started this pregnancy about 10 lbs heavier, and it's my second child - so I've definitely experienced the "showing earlier" phenomenon. Of course, I still don't look pregnant enough for strangers to ask about it, but enough that none of my clothes fit and no one doubts me when I tell them I am and they make that furtive glance to see how I look. But I'm definitely looking forward to the time when I look definitively pregnant, which I guess everyone thinks when they go through this stage. I'm also looking forward to the boost in energy and passing of the nausea that should be coming soon. Thanks for traveling this journey with me, and I hope you enjoy the updates :)
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