The first of many...

I'm sure this will be the first of many pregnancy posts.  Let me start at the beginning...

I found out that I was pregnant on August 8th.  It didn't exactly happen in the "typical" way.  I actually never even took a pregnancy test!  Let me explain.  We had been trying to get pregnant for quite some time so my doctor finally referred me to a fertility specialist.   I was pretty anxious leading up to this appointment because I had Googled every possible thing that could have been wrong and what kind of treatments I might have to go through.  So, during the appointment the doctor and I talked for a while and then she did a routine ultrasound.  She finished the appointment by telling me that she just wanted to run some blood work and see if anything came back abnormal and oh, by the way, she was going to do an early pregnancy test just in case.  I honestly didn't think anything of it.  Well, imagine my surprise (and overwhelming joy) when I got a call later that afternoon from the nurse telling me...I was already pregnant!  All I can say is that the Lord is faithful because, although it may not have happened in my timing, I had prayed that I could get pregnant without any fertility treatments.

Now, at 17 weeks pregnant, I can honestly say that the past 3 months have been some of the most joyful and the most difficult of my life. I think I had a very idealistic view of pregnancy....I didn't think about the hard part.  Like...

1) Nausea.  I'll start with the obvious.  There have been very few days since I was about 8 weeks pregnant that I haven't seen a meal or two come back up, or at least felt like it was going to happen.  For this reason, I have yet to gain even a pound.  Never in my life before have I wanted to gain weight but I am excited to hopefully soon have a "baby bump"!  Anyways, knock on wood, I have had two good days in a row without feeling too sick so maybe it's finally subsiding!

2) Fatigue.  Like, feeling like I was hit by a truck fatigue.  It was honestly hard to make it through some days without thinking I was going to fall asleep at the wheel on my way home from work.  This, thankfully, is gone and I finally have some energy back.

3) Major changes to my exercise routine.  This has been one of the hardest things for me to deal with.  The two aforementioned effects of pregnancy have made it really hard for me to keep running.  I have always had this unrealistic thought that I would keep running right up until the day I gave birth.  Yea right.  So, I have resorted to walking and doing the elliptical at the gym.  I still try to exercise at least 5 days a week and, for the most part, have been successful in doing that.  If the nausea really has subsided (I hope!!) I may try running again a few days a week...just a few miles.

4) Crazy emotions.  Let's be honest, I'm an extremely emotional person anyways.  But, the hormones have made me even more so.  I seem to cry at the drop of a hat.  My poor husband having to deal with me...

There are so many other ways that my life has been affected by pregnancy but let me please say this...I am NOT complaining about any of it!  I feel so blessed already to be this child's mother and the physical symptoms are a very very small price to pay.  I am so anxious to go back to the doctor in a week and a half and hear the sweet little heartbeat again!     Oh yea...and find out whether it's a boy or a girl!