A pregnancy update

For documenting purposes, I thought I'd give an update on this pregnancy.

I am now about 22 1/2 weeks. The ultrasound says I'm 23 tomorrow but we go by the due date, which says I am 23 weeks on Sunday. I mean, really, what's three days? I always have two thoughts when I think about how many weeks I am. First, I'm only 22 weeks? I've still got a long ways to go. Then I think, that's only three and a half to four months left! Yikes. I'm not ready to have a baby!

I've already mentioned this but so far, this pregnancy seems to be most similar to Will's. I continue to be nauseated in the mornings and some times throughout the day but usually only when I haven't eaten. I wake up most nights feeling famished, thus, I'm sick in the morning. I am rarely throwing up anymore but there are occasional times when that still happens.

Some interesting things about this pregnancy (to me anyway): I am way hungrier this time than with any of my pregnancies. I have to eat every 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours or I feel sick. Smells are big to me. I think smells triggered my nausea the most with Will but I am surprised at the times I still cannot be near certain smells. I don't remember being bothered by smells at all with Isaac and Eli. I have a really hard time with garlic. Also, milk just about always makes me sick and ice cream doesn't sit well with me either (I've had a problem with ice cream with all of my pregnancies). I also have a hard time with anything too dry--wheat bread, frosted mini wheat's, crackers, etc.

My hips are much more achy this time around than with any of my other babies. Generally, my hips will start to ache when I'm this far along but only when I sleep. This time they hurt when I sleep and also when I exercise too much. I went for two walks last week that were both almost three miles. I felt great while walking but for days after my hips hurt constantly and even touching them hurt. When I mentioned it to Mike he said, "Are you going to be on crutches soon?" To which I asked, "Why would I need crutches?" Then he told me that pregnant ladies in Norway always had problems with their hips and it was normal to see them on crutches because their hips would hurt so bad. Weird. It's not that bad.

This is the first time I'm measuring normal. I generally measure a month further so it was nice to hear that I'm not ginormous (even if the picture makes me look that way). I have a much healthier body image this time around. I am exercising about five days a week for at least 45 minutes and I've gained about 12 pounds. I hope to gain no more than 8-12 but that might be unrealistic. Thankfully, most of my pants are still too big for me (in the waist anyway) so that makes me feel good.

People ask me how I'm feeling and I think I can honestly say that I'm doing really well. Aside from the nausea, which isn't too bad to deal with, I feel good. I am feeling an increase in braxton hicks and I've felt a few more painful braxton hicks with crampiness but mostly, nothing to worry about so far. It's generally about this time that the braxton hicks pick up for me and become increasingly more painful so we'll see what I'm feeling like in a month.

I do find that I have occasional days or even a week here or there where I am weepy or crankier than normal and that's always weird to me.

I also find that I get a terrible headache about once every few weeks It lasts for days and eventually I drink some caffeine and can finally get rid of it. I'm pretty sure it's mostly hormone related but I am also trying to be more aware of certain things I eat (chocolate? oranges?)

My OB, who is also my bishop, told Mike he thought I wasn't telling everything during our last visit. He said he thought I was holding back. The truth is, I could complain about any number of things (any of the things mentioned above) but this is my fourth and all that I'm feeling is normal for me so I don't feel that it's really worth complaining about. I figure there will be plenty to complain about in a few months so I'm trying not to dwell on any of that now.

Anyway, I am writing down how I am feeling and I hope it doesn't come across as complaining because truthfully, I feel pretty good. I was telling Mike that it really is a blessing that I might have a headache one day, and the next day my back ache, and then the day after that my hips hurt, etc. But generally, I don't feel them all on the same day. So, it's all very bearable.

I think about how I am doing now and how I was with Will and I think I've grown a lot. I was very depressed and felt really sorry for myself. This time, even though things are similar, I feel like I just need to accept that this is pregnancy and bite the bullet.