The Belly - Weeks 5-8 - Mid First Trimester

We're in the middle of the first trimester. Honestly, other than the positive blood test proof, you'd really never know I was pregnant. Some differences to note... I am always cold, my back is sore an awful lot, and I get headaches and mild nausea. Can't wait for those to go away.

March 30, 2013 - Week 5

We just found out we're pregnant again - yay! So very excited to have another sweet bundle of joy on the way!! You'd think I would be a little less anxious... but I'm not. I'm every bit as anxious as I was the last time!

April 06, 2013 - Week 6

Although the blood work says positive, it's still really surreal until we see that tiny flicker of a heartbeat. That's still about 2 weeks away! Come on time, speed it up already! I want to see the sweet little bundle's heart flicker already!

Truly, one of the most amazing things in the world is when you're laying on that table, and you see the tiny flicker of a heart beat. The baby is so tiny, they are like the size of a bean... but you can still see a twinkle. It's nothing short of a miracle.

April 13, 2013 - Week 7

Strange craving alert... I want red meat. Like all the time. Normally, I can go weeks without it... lately I wonder if I'm carrying a tiny vampire.

I have some minor aches and pains here and there. I don't remember them from my last pregnancy. They are nothing major at all... and are usually pretty fleeting. I'm also cold. All.the.freaking.time. WTH!!??

April 19, 2013 - The Belly Week 7 and 6 days

Weight Gained: 2lb
Estimated Size of You: 0.04oz, .63" - about the size of a raspberry (wow, that's pretty tiny!)

At the 8-week point, the last invasive ultrasound is upon us. This one shows us the number of tiny miracles who are making a home inside the uterus. We also get to see the tiny twinkling heartbeat. So amazing - to see the miracle of life right there.

The big reveal - one tiny little sweetheart - WHEW! Seriously, you don't know how many times I dreamed of multiples (not just 2... that wouldn't have been a big deal... but more than three) during the wait. One tiny flickering heart made me a very happy mama-to-be for the remix.

You would think seeing a heartbeat flicker on the screen would be less impressive and fascinating the second time around... but not so much. I was so excited and overjoyed!

We were released, at this point, into the care of general OB. A healthy heartbeat, a strong heart rate, and ultrasound images in hand. Our journey is going very well.

April 20, 2013 - Week 8

I really love the early stages of pregnancy! I can still keep it to myself, because I'm able to wear most of my pre-pregnancy clothing. We have told a few people. We got to see you on the ultrasound yesterday...still such a magical moment.

Ultrasound technology never fails to amaze me. I love to watch baby move around on the monitor. It's so amazing.

Can Someone Please Hold Back My Hair....

....Seriously, who are we kidding. Other than mild nausea, I experienced no ill feelings. Thankfully, the second time around was much like the first, I never had the sudden urge to run to the bathroom clutching my mouth.

All of the fun and gory details about morning (noon) (night) (all-day) sickness:

I only experienced very mild nausea... easily kept at bay by eating small meals throughout the day. This time, it seems the symptoms lasted longer. However, it was nothing to write home about.

Times of day when I feel the worst:

It kind of struck at will. It became like a "gotcha" game my body was playing with me. Thankfully, I can usually tell if it's just my body playing tricks on me, or if I need to seek a nearby ladies room. Most of the time, the feeling was pretty fleeting.

My stomach churns at the mere scent of:

I don't really get sick feeling from smelling anything. I know that's hard to believe, but I don't. For me, it's more flavors. For instance, for the entire first trimester, I couldn't drink coffee. To some, this might not have been a huge deal... I was used to at least a small cup a day. The flavor was always bitter. Didn't really matter the flavor, it was horribly bitter. 

Foods that generally calm my belly:

Crackers, fruit, granola bars, milk, yogurt. 

Cravings and Aversions - The First Trimester:

Cravings: Red meat, lots of red meat. Hamburgers, chocolate.

Aversions: Coffee

My philosophy when it comes to cravings: 

Give the belly what it wants. It's not like I cave to cravings often... and I'm really not gaining tons of weight - as long as I can keep on a healthy track, there should be no harm in indulging.

The weirdest food craving I've had so far:

I don't really have odd cravings. I just get cravings for things I don't normally have a taste for... like red meat, for instance.