Morning Sickness and more

Sorry I have been neglecting my journal. Let's just say I haven't really been up to writing a lot lately. And there isn't much to say, beyond the fact that I only feel good for about 3 hours of the day.

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and have to pee. I hear this will become a nightly ritual for me soon, as the uterus continues to push on my bladder. When I wake up in the morning, I generally feel awful. It takes me a good 20 minutes to actually get out of the bed, and this time is spent nibbling on Saltines (which are now the most awful food to me) and sipping on ginger ale that has sat out all night. Murdock really enjoys this ritual, because I tend to share the Saltines with him so I don't feel so alone in my plight.

After I pull myself out of bed, I go through my morning ritual...slowly. I wash my face, put my contacts in, and, with dread, brush my teeth.

Why do I dread brushing my teeth? Seems like an easy task, doesn't it? Well, when you are pregnant, your gag reflex multiplies by about 100. I gag when I see food that doesn't appeal to me, I gag when I smell something that isn't appealing, and I gag when I brush my teeth. Even before I brush my tongue, I start to gag by the mere presence of the toothbrush in my mouth. And when I start to gag, my stomach turns on me, and I often heave as well. Generally I can fight off the heaving, but Friday, I decided to let myself puke to see if I would feel better.

I didn't.

My hunger isn't quite as awful as it was. I think I have gotten used to eating smaller meals more often throughout the day, and this keeps the hunger at bay. Eating for me is like an Olympic event these days. At a restaurant, I scan the menu for something that seems both nutritious and appealing. That can be harder than it sounds. Junk food sounds good, because that is usually what will stay down, but I am struggling to get my nutrients in as well. Protein rarely sounds good to me. Carbs sounds wonderful. Anything with carbs -- potatoes, bread, chips -- sounds wonderful.

After I have found something that will work, I take a bite. Then I sit for a couple minutes. Then I take another bite. Sit. Bite. Sit. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

I took the big risk of stepping on the scale the other day. I was surprised that I have only gained 2 pounds. (Well, 1.5 lbs.) I feel like I have been eating so much more that I have gained 5 pounds already, but the scale disagrees, and my pants do still fit, even though my jeans are uncomfortable because they push on my stomach.

My first appointment is a week from tomorrow. I am really excited and nervous about that. I will be happy to have the doctor see what's going on down there. The spotting I was having stopped for a whole week, but it was there very faintly again this morning. The nausea, therefore, becomes more tolerable for me because I know it is a really good sign. My sister also spotted with her pregnancies, so that makes me feel encouraged too. If all goes as planned, we will hear our baby's heartbeat for the first time November 12th!

I haven't taken a good belly pic lately. I have to get batteries for my camera. I will soon though!!