my chronicles -- the first half

now that i'm more than halfway through, i think it's time to start jotting down some of my experiences before twinkle arrives. some of this may be tmi but hey, this is to help me remember so i can remind twinkle...

the first three months:

• morning sickness: they call it morning sickness but it's more like 24 X 7. i stayed away from meds but most of the alternatives really helped. i tried ginger, 7-up, sprite, soup, chinese candies, you name it. eventually i kept it at bay by eating small meals and developing a penchant for sparkling soda.
• energy levels: low. i was sound asleep by 9:30 and had a hard time waking up, despite an 8+ hour nap
• appetite: nothing really appealed to me except for toast with peanut butter or butter. my sweet tooth? gone. it was shocking to find desserts including chocolate, cupcakes and ice cream unappealing.
• bladder: it shrank. always going to bathroom.
• weaning off caffeine and sushi was painful
• towards the end of the trimester, started developing a small bump although my clothes still fit

month four:

• bump size: still small but starting to grow. my regular pants are not fitting. as a workaround, i've used a rubber band to extend the waistline but that solution only worked for a few weeks.
• chest size: shocked at how fast this changed -- so much, i had to buy new support garments
• morning sickness: still there. toast has become a good friend.
• appetite: not very hungry. have developed an aversion to most foods thanks to fear of vomitting. but starting to crave "not so good for you" mc donald's fish fillets + french fries, grilled cheese sammies and all things savory/salty.
• digestion: experiencing constipation, bloated belly, and hello acid reflux (i don't know if we can be friends)
• mood: i have never cried as much in my entire life than i have since becoming pregnant. i'm incredibly moody and sensitive. hubby has started giving me these "who are you and what have you done with my wife?!?!" looks when he thinks i'm not paying attention
• mommy brain: oh my...it's really bad. my short term memory has gone by the wayside. if i don't write it down, it's 95% certain that i won't remember. one example --- forgetting to put extra postage for letters that were being sent to canada. what's worse -- i knew something was wrong but didn't remember that canadian mail needed extra postage until after i put it in the mailbox. this is pretty humbling considering pre-twinkle, i had a great memory.
• twinkle activity: starting to feel baby move. it feels like butterfly flutters.
• skin feels itchy and dry --winter weather not helping much but thank goodness for good moisturizer
• sleep: sleeping ok.
• activity level: not as tired as the first trimester -- thankfully my energy levels are going back to normal but not quite the same as pre-twinkle.
• took advantage of the retail sales for the holidays and purchased a basic set of maternity clothes...got a nice bargain

month five:

• bump size: amazing what happens in a month. bump has grown so much that i've graduated into maternity clothes and hubby's t-shirts and leggins when i'm at home.
• chest size: the girls grew - again. i had to buy some more supportive undergarments --very frustrating since i bought three of them just last month and now they don't fit. i went and bought another set of lower priced support garments -- but it was a bad idea. these lower price/quality undergarments just aren't as comfortable and made me even more miserable. my coworker girlfriend wisely told me to just go and spend the money on a comfortable and supportive piece. so i headed to nordies and tried out the product she told me about. i'm a much happier camper. my advice to my fellow pregant girlfriends --- bite the bullet and get one or two pieces that are made well and are comfortable. the price can be justified since you're wearing them every day. nothing sucks more than having the underwire poke at you all day.
• morning sickness: gone!!! :)
• appetite: regained appetite. if i don't have meals every 3 hours, i get cranky and ravenous... still craving "not so good for you" mc donald's fish fillets + french fries, grilled cheese sammies and all things savory/salty. i've been to mc donald's more times than i care to admit. starting to regain the desire for chocolate and some sweets (thank goodness)
• digestion: still experiencing constipation and bloated belly. the acid reflux/heart burn is a rager, and we are not friends. now regularly taking gaviscon and trying to eat smaller, more frequent meals to keep it at bay. if i don't, then i end up taking more gaviscon. as for tums -- they don't work at all. my ob has prescribed the stronger stuff but i'm holding out...
• mood: still moody but i'm learning to adapt. what's more important, hubby has learned to adapt and anticipate my mood swings which has pre-empted a few hysterical, emotional outburts. at work, i'm still pretty even keeled but have my moments when i'm extremely irritated at something that normally would not phase me one bit
• mommy brain: getting worse. have asked coworkers for mercy/ patience and given them permission to full on nag the heck out of me. now 100% reliant on my treo and notebook
• twinkle activity: gone are the light flutters/flips. can feel baby kicking, stretching arms, legs, and practicing gymnastics in my belly. twinkle is one active child -- especially after a big bowl of freshly made noodles (chicken cilantro noodle soup to be exact)
• skin is still itchy and dry, especially the belly.
• sleep: not so restful. when i'm not headed to the bathroom for the middle of the night pee breaks, i'm sleeping very lightly. started sleeping on my side and what an adjustment. finding that i change positions and move back to sleeping on my back -- esp when my left side gets numb. hubby surprised me with a snoogle (giant body pillow for pregant women) which has helped a bunch. but i have to get situated w/the snoogle and get into a certain position before i can feel somewhat comfortable.
• activity level: about the same as month four but it takes more effort to move about (esp while working out or while hiking) and i tire more easily
• mobility/agility: it's getting harder to sit, stand up, get out of bed, and carry things... balance is certainly more challenged and i'm starting to waddle!

still can't believe we're halfway there...