the first trimester: the gag order has been lifted

I think the hardest part of the 1st trimester was not being able to tell anyone about it (except for immediate family, of course.) Even my doctor cautioned us about making our pregnancy public. So, now that I am well into my 2nd trimester, I'm going to gross you out with all the dirty details...

Just kidding! There are just some things better left unsaid. You mothers out there know what I'm talking about. (And your significant others, too, I'm sure.)

So here is a quick rundown of the 1st trimester as I can best remember it:

1. Morning sickness was at a minimum. I was really lucky. I did develop a wierd gag reflex every time I brushed my teeth in the morning. Every morning for 2.5 months. And for those nauseous moments, Preggy Pops were the bomb.
   
2. Since I couldn't commiserate with anyone, my mission was to get any pregnancy book I could get my hands on. I think I have at least six books, ranging from "The Baby Center's Guide to Pregnancy" to "The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy" to "Pregnancy Sucks." I even got Paul a book, "My Boys Can Swim! The Official Guy's Guide to Pregnancy" Of course, his book is more on the lighter side and 1/4 the number of pages than any of my books. I think Paul was relieved when I finally bought books from Costco that were best sellers and had nothing to do with nausea and epidurals.
3. I developed a superhuman sense of smell. I could smell cigarette smoke 2 blocks away. We don't have "Taco Night" for dinner at home anymore because the seasonings make me ill.
   
4. For the first three weeks after I found out, I made it a mission to continue my three-times-a-week workouts and yoga classes. I did pretty good until I suddenly couldn't keep my eyes open around the end of the work day. I had to leave at 4 p.m. in order to have enough energy to drive home for a nap. I think I took 1-2 hour naps every day for two months. And, I could still take on a night's sleep. There were some nights where I'd wake up and have a hard time getting back to sleep, but those days are long gone. I haven't been to the gym in months. I find doing a laundry and carrying it up two flights of stairs is good exercise. I still do yoga at work once a week; my one saving grace.
   

I'm sure there are other things I'm forgetting. Paul will probably chime in soon with. "Hey you forgot..." I'm sure his viewpoint will make for some interesting posts on our blog.