The nausea thing has kicked into full gear over the past few weeks, and has resulted in a very unhappy me, and probably a relatively unhappy husband. It's the worst first thing in the morning. I can get breakfast down if I do it without really thinking about it, but packing a lunch has been an exercise in gag control. I've bailed on lunch a few times and gone out to grab something instead.

The evening is the second worst time, so there have been many occasions where I've had to bail on cooking dinner and eat plain pasta while Matt fends for himself. This makes me feel terrible, but I guess that's the way of things.

Then there's been the snacking issue. Certain snacks are awesome...for about 2 days, and then they're not anymore. I'm going through healthy snacks faster than I can come up with new ones. And the idea of fruit or veggies is not acceptable right now. The worst of it was when I was headed home and starving, and the ONLY thing that didn't make me gag was Taco Bell. I don't even LIKE Taco Bell. And yet, when I drove by, the stomach lurched a little and I gave in. I had a bean burrito and it definitely calmed the ickies. I'm saddened to admit that the next week the same thing happened, but this time a bean burrito wouldn't do - it HAD to be a burrito supreme. I snarfed it in the car and did the walk of shame into the house with my empty taco bell bag.

There have been a few days at work where I've been so hungry that I've eaten my entire lunch before 11 and had to go through the school lunch line because I didn't have any other options. Pathetic.

I've been drinking more than my fair share of ginger ale (at 180 calories a can...) and have learned that the smell of lemon and Spearmint Eucalyptus body lotion from bath and body works will calm the stomach. That was a glorious revelation.

The greatest blessing is that 1) I haven't actually puked, and 2) strong symptoms assure me that everything is still ok with the wee one. But I'm praying that my body knocks it off when the second trimester comes around.

Still in there!

We went back for our normal first appointment this week with the nurse practitioner, and the baby is still in there with an even stronger heartbeat now! Our due date is set at May 2, though I suspect it'll be a little later than that.

I've purchased a B-band - this elastic thingie to cover my pants if I unbotton them - because I am SO bloated. I've still been getting a little sick unless I eat all the time, so I'm gaining weight faster than I should be. Which sucks, but is better than the alternative.

So excited for the next step and being able to start telling people!!!

Drama

That morning sickness thing is for real. Any time I get hungry, I get super nauseous. Not the most fun I've ever had.

These last few weeks have been a little dramatic. On Wednesday right after we found out I was pregnant, I started spotting. There was a little red blood and then brown. The doctor's office wasn't too concerned but made an appointment for me to come in early - the following Thursday - for an appointment.

While I was waiting for that, I went to visit Liz in Clovis for her Birthday. Her mother in law was there, so I decided not to share the news yet. It was a little tough to keep the secret, but I concocted an elaborate story about being on a killer antibiotic for a bladder infection that made me unable to drink anything but water and made me nauseous and tired. She bought it, and the weekend was fun!

As the appointment rolled around last week, I was

getting nervous and bracing myself for the worst. Basically, the best case scenario would have been to see a heartbeat on an ultrasound. However, I'd only be 6 weeks, and 6 weeks is still a little early for that. Basically, even not seeing anything wouldn't have necessarily meant anything. But, lucky for us, there was a little heartbeat there flickering away! It was SUCH a relief. Amazing. He also looked at my ovaries and stuff to try and locate the bleeding (the egg came from the left ovary - good to know!), but in the end said he was pretty sure it was just my cervix adjusting to the new hormones. He said the bleeding should stop soon.

And the bleeding did stop this week, about 2 weeks after it began. HUGE sigh of relief. Hoping it stays away because I don't want to live with stress like that all along!!

We've managed not to tell anyone else, and after getting through those first few days, it got a lot easier. I did have a weird need to eat bagels which Julie helped me with by bringing several bagels over to the house for me, but that too has passed. Let's see what else this time has in store for me!