Because apparently you really do forget...

My baby is apple-sized this week!
(Image from www.babycenter.com)

I realized with Seth that I never recorded my first trimester pregnancy experience since we didn't tell anyone until the second trimester (notice a pattern?). I remember general feelings, but not exact timing. So, for the sake of my sweet husband, who keeps telling me that yes, I did do this with Seth, and no, it's not any worse/better than it was with Seth, here's how this pregnancy has run down so far:

Week 4: Pregnancy brain kicks in. Which means I do things like leaving food sitting in the oven for two days (turned it off, forgot to remove food). Or send my husband a fork to eat his soup with. Also took 2 pregnancy tests, both of which were negative. I'm not convinced.

Week 5: Exhaustion. With Seth I could take 2 hour naps and then sleep 10 hours at night. This time I'm so tired, but I have a hard time sleeping because my brain won't turn off. Not fair. Apparently 3rd time's the charm with pregnancy tests this time...oh, and ran 5K #1 this week, which explains my terrible time.

Week 6: Expecting nausea to kick in any day. Doesn't happen.

Week 7: Starting to think I'm getting off easy in the morning sickness department. The nightly headaches are pretty miserable though (and a new one for me). And these dreams are nuts. I bet Stephanie Meyer could get some great material from these suckers...

Week 8: Blaagghbleck. Why did I think I wanted to have another child? This morning sickness is nicer than Seth's in some ways (I have never had to run to the toilet) but crueler in others (I crave something, I eat it, then I can't stand the thought or smell of it again. My food options become limited quickly). My only constant craving is Arby's. Mmmm...curly fries, beef, and fake cheddar cheese. So disgusting, but so good. I limited myself to three indulgences. I craved Arby's with Seth, too. I don't get it...

Actually, I do. I found that I'm craving things I ate as a kid. Unfortunately, I was a ridiculously picky child, so the things I ate as a kid include: pizza, Spaghettios with cheese, cheap alfredo sauce, Pasta Roni, and 'enchiladas' made with cream of chicken soup and sour cream. How I managed to not gain any weight so far is beyond me. And just thinking about fruit and vegetables makes me gag. NOT FAIR.

Week 9: Can't wear any of my skinny pants anymore. Not cool. And heartburn, already? NOT COOL.

Week 10: Apparently it's time to start sleeping in my sports bra again. Ouch. And how am I supposed to keep this belly hidden for another month?

Week 11: Some days I feel better. Some days I feel rotten. As long as I eat every 2-3 hours, I'm usually good. I'm sick Sunday nights and Mondays because I can't eat for the 3+ hours I'm at church. I made the bed for the first time in over a month this week. And put away the laundry that had been sitting in our room for two weeks. See? Progress.

Weeks 12-14: Generally feeling human again. I still have a hard time falling asleep, even when I'm completely exhausted. Not sure what to do about that one... Heard the heartbeat at 12 weeks--my doctor said it was strong (although it took him a long time to find it, which scared me to death).

Week 15: Definitely showing at this point. And clenching my teeth while sleeping, which leads to head and jaw aches (another new one). I still can't stand the smell of garlic, but other than that I'm feeling pretty dang good. Oh, and 5K #2.

To be honest, I really feel blessed so far in this pregnancy. I was terrified of the idea of being morning sick and exhausted with a two year old, but I've been able to keep him entertained. We haven't done all the things I would have liked to do this summer, but hopefully I can make it up to him now that I feel better.

And to answer Dawn's question: why did we wait so long to tell everyone? First, because we knew we were going to see Jon's family for Aaron's homecoming and that we could surprise everyone. Otherwise I don't think we would have waited so long.

Second, because I like keeping people guessing. I'm a punk, I know.

But probably the biggest reason is that we are both really private people. If something had gone wrong, we're not the types who are okay with announcing it to the whole world. I'm still not entirely comfortable with the news being out in the open since it's been a month since I heard the heartbeat (and we won't get an ultrasound until 18-20 weeks). But since I look like I swallowed half a cantaloupe, it's kind of out of my hands.

FYI, this is not going to turn into a pregnancy blog, though it might seem like it for a little while. I have lots of completely pregnancy/baby-free topics lined up for those who tire of those topics easily.