I saw the sign

My most persistent pregnancy symptoms right now (other than my tummy gaining about an inch a day) are: heartburn, horrible nightmares, and congestion.

Heartburn: All the time. No matter how much or little I eat, or what I eat for that matter, it’s always there. Chewy Rolaids have truly been my best friends.

Nightmares: Everything I read says that nightmares manifest as fears you have about raising baby. Yet, none of my dreams even involve baby. In waking hours I don’t have big fears about dropping baby, forgetting him somewhere, making him turn into a crack head, or anything of the sort so it’s odd that these things should manifest themselves into nightmares about loved ones loosing limbs and me falling off of buildings.

Congestion: I start the morning with about eight really loud hiccups. I think Toby and Sandwiches think I’m faking it, but for some reason I feel the need to hiccup really loudly first thing in the morning. After that, I’m stuffy and congested until my shower and fairly okay thereafter.

Seeing these, I know I have it really good in pregnancy!

On Chicken and Sweat

As of last week, I want nothing to do with chicken. We were tossing around dinner suggestions and “How about Butter Chicken?” was a suggestion to which I immediately recoiled. Even the thought of eating any type of chicken absolutely turned my stomach. Now, typing the word “chicken” over and over is making me feel pretty ill, too. Why are food aversions so odd? From the beginning of this pregnancy, I’ve noticed that I have no desire to eat spicy food. Now, I’m a spicy food champ. I was practically raised on Tabasco, and as I grew up I graduated to pretty much the hottest stuff there is. I’m hard-pressed to find someone who can out-spice me, yet nowadays, I’ll take bland any day.

And now to discuss my most recent and exciting symptom of pregnancy:

The sweating. Whaaaaat? This secret seems about as closely guarded as the whole constipation thing. While I’ve definitely heard of the pregnancy “glow,” never have I heard about the pregnancy STENCH. I’ve never sweated, let alone smelled before. Sure, as a habit I wear deodorant and sure, I sometimes get warm. However, these days we’re in another league entirely. After a day of work (and I sit all day long, by the way) I absolutely stink like a man. At first I thought it was my over-sensitive nose exaggerating again, but Toby confirmed: “Yup. You smell like a sweaty man.” Why is this? If it’s some hormone thing, then shouldn’t I be surging with beautiful, flowery, girly hormones? Why do I smell like a man?!

And while we’re at it: where’s my pregnancy glow?!

Unexpected pregnancy symptom #687892

I can smell like a bloodhound. I can smell your breath from three feet away. I smell your deodorant. I smell the cigarette you had fifteen minutes ago. I smell the beer you had yesterday. I smell the little burny smell when a candle has been put out twenty feet away. Why do I smell so much? Sometimes it’s an amazing thing, like when I go, “SMELL THE MANGOLIAS! GLORIOUS!!!” or an absolutely horrifying thing, like the combo of old lady perfume mingling with urine.

Also today! Three and a half days left of first trimester!

To be frank...

After I finished reading the seventh pregnancy blog (from beginning to end) I truly began to realize how important a sense of connection is when it comes to this whole pregnancy thing. Also, it’s been a delight to read/hear about the commonalities of this whole thing that are shrouded with secrecy. While I’ve never been too secretive about the fact that I’ve looked forward to being pregnant and having a baby for as far back as I can remember, I was shocked to find out some of the crazy side effects. Constipation? What?! Heart-burn that feels like daggers in my heart? Would have liked some forewarning. The intrinsic need to cry hysterically when I read about a baby whale dying near by? Well, that was actually really sad! Regardless, I’m away from so many people that are important to my life and who will be important to baby, so I wanted this to be available to be shared by all!