This pregancy

This is probably the one and only blog post I'll do on this pregnancy.

It has been...unpleasant.

There is a big difference between being pregnant with #1 at age 23 and being pregnant with #4 at age 30.

But in a lot of ways, this has been a very textbook pregnancy, my first really.  First trimester: I was sick.  I had to eat small amounts every hour or two and couldn't eat sugar.  I know I didn't have it nearly as bad as other women, but considering that I only had mild nausea for a day or two with the others, an entire 14 weeks of it, not cool.  You want to know what else isn't cool: my hormones.  That's actually how I knew I was pregnant: I could not control myself.  I could hear myself yelling at the kids or lecturing Rex's teacher or getting into it with the school's transportation department and know I was being crazy but couldn't stop.

And then the second trimester hit and all that went away.  I was in control again and I could eat as many cookies as I wanted.  Ok, that second part isn't true.  Carbohydrates and treats in large amounts, or any amount above a small serving, gave me heart burn, which then, sometimes, turned into nausea. On the bright side, it's kept me from gaining too much weight.  But I felt great.  Until my hips started separating at the joint and I couldn't move my right leg without noticeable pain.

And now we're in the third trimester and I feel better, usually.  I still avoid sweets and lots of carbs and I crave fruit smoothies.  I can handle that.  But I'm starting to feel a bit like a whale and my blood starts pooling in my feet if I stand for too long, hence the picture on the left above.  People are starting to say things like, "Any day now."  Nope, still got 10 or 11 more weeks.  Then they feel dumb and I move on with my day.  I am going to actually buy myself some maternity clothes now because I have discovered how much more comfortable and good I feel when I'm wearing clothes that fit me and look good, as opposed to Greg's PJs, which is what I wore during most of Henry's pregnancy.

My goal this pregnancy has been not to gain a million pounds.  I am trying to cut down on my carbs and sugar.  I walk 2 miles 4 or 5 days a week and then alternate between stretching/yoga and a bit of weight training at night.  I don't actually own a scale so I don't know how much I've gained, but I feel like a whale, so I'm probably failing but I've noticed a bit more definition in my arms.

Now I have about 10 weeks to clean and organize my house, because I know it's not going to happen for a few months after this baby is born; make a ton of freezer meals; buy a dresser; pick a name; and figure out all those other little odds and ends I know I'm forgetting but also know aren't that important because I've done this before.

The fourth is easier than the first right?  Well, maybe not but at least I know what to expect now and have nothing planned for the entire summer, even though I really want to go to the beach.