What has it been like for me? I think it is a different journey for every mother-to-be, and one that I'm finding does not fit into the box of "normal" very often at all.
1st trimester:
Nice person inquiring, "Now how have you been feeling?" Which must be the #1 most common asked questions to pregnant moms. To the tune of 379 times a day [or something]. What they really mean to ask, and are just stating it nicer, is, "Have you been puking your guts out sick as a dog, hating all smells and foods, hardly able to get out of bed?" Well, I didn't get morning sickness, but I WAS sick. I set some sort of personal record not having a single day 'well' in the whole month of January. Blah. I managed to catch everything that was going around - Influenza A/the flu for two weeks followed immediately by a bad cold and just when I thought it was to the tail end of that... I caught another cold! I had a terrible cough throughout and basically lost my voice - couldn't sing for six weeks. I learned this is indirectly caused by pregnancy because your immune system is down (actually a good thing so it doesn't fight off the "foreign object" in your body - baby!), but it's still rough when pregnant during sick season! Cool how God made our bodies work though, with the way our immune system naturally lowers itself to keep baby safe! :) So that was the first three months!
Now, don't get me wrong; I am incredibly excited for end result [product], just maybe not so sure if I like the process. But a baby is a wonderful blessing, so whatever it takes to get there, right?
2nd trimester:
I'm just part way through this one... month 4 was happy as some of my energy (after being sick for a month!) came back and I was excited to be super active and productive!
Other random uh... happiness? from pregnancy and a facial expression to go with each one:
- It took a while, but I have finally gotten used to not being able to see my waist. Ha! :P
- I am so sick of making trips to the bathroom. #pregnantmamasgottapee! :(
- My poor cute jeans are out; I can't wear anything except stretchy-waisted pants :/
- Only two slight "emotional" times... no pregnancy hormones? :D
- No major food cravings, though I do love chicken! :)
- I have REVERSE chocolate cravings - I used to like it... I thought I liked it... so sad, I could have this amazing reason to have tons of chocolate to satisfy a pregnancy craving and I have NO desire for it anymore! I could care less! :'(
My amazing mother, and mother-in-law, and most women I knew growing up seemed to have relatively 'easy' pregnancies. As in, it didn't phase them and they lived life as usual. I envisioned being just like that, busy, energetic and active - hot summer and all - up until the very day the baby popped out! Work, gardening, house decorating projects and life as usual, oh and by the way, I'm pregnant.
This is a huge misconception I had about pregnancy, because I am experiencing first hand, and finding through almost everyone I've talked to, that a 'normal' healthy pregnancy is less common that I thought. Being told to "slow down" and "take it easy" was not exactly my picture of pregnant-super-mom. But this is the road God has called me to travel. It's not the same for everyone. It might not go according to the books. Everyone has their own experience. This is my pregnancy journey.
20-weeks is halfway to the finish... of the start!
