How does it feel

I am currently 24 weeks and 3 days. Pregnancy is NOT easy and no one ever said it was. Even though it has been somewhat of a difficult journey, I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world.

First Trimester

        I found out I was pregnant around 5 weeks. At that point, besides the initial early pregnancy
symptoms, I was feeling fine. Then 6 weeks came around and BAM! Why hello there morning sickness. I've heard all about you. Not only did I start having morning sickness, but I had a sinus infection. I seriously was not feeling well at all. I was sick and coughing, could barely keep any food down, and on top of that, I was so nervous this was all affecting my baby. When I went to the doctor's for my sinus infection, she noticed that I had tachycardia, which is when your heart rate is elevated. We discovered it was just because I'm a huge worry wart and was fearing for my unborn child. My doctor did her best to try and comfort me and even suggested I go watch a comedy movie!

      Morning sickness is NOT only in the morning. We hear it all the time from pregnant woman that whoever came up with the term "morning" sickness, had no idea what he or she was talking about. I had "6 p.m. on the dot" sickness. Whenever I got the initial feeling of nausea, I would look at the clock and sure enough it was 5:30 p.m. That's when I knew it was coming. When 6 p.m. rolled around, I was down for the count. I could not do anything but lay down.

Second Trimester

     The second trimester is seriously so much fun.Once I hit the second trimester, around 14 weeks, the morning sickness literally disappeared. I was extremely happy. I finally am able to fully enjoy my pregnancy. The constant worry of miscarrying is done and over with. Calvin and I were able to tell more family and friends of our little miracle. My energy was back and I was practically feeling back to normal. Life is good!

      Now at 24 weeks, my belly has officially popped! It was weird because in pictures, starting around 19 weeks, my baby bump was slightly visible. 

19 weeks and 6 days

But when I would see my friends and family in person, they wondered where my bump had disappeared too. I guess the camera really does add 10 lbs! I am now getting feedback that I am finally looking pregnant. At work yesterday, my coworkers were all shocked and saying how my bump had seriously come out of nowhere!

23 weeks and 5 days

    How does looking and feeling more pregnant affect my self esteem you ask? It's a constant struggle. Pregnancy already makes me overly emotional. With the new changes happening to my body, I am extremely happy to be growing my little Liam in my tummy. On the other hand, lets all be honest ladies, its a huge adjustment. My doctor has already warned me to slow down my weight gain at my last appointment. She wanted me to aim to gain .5/lb a week. Since my last appointment when I was 21 weeks, Ive gained a total of 10 lbs. After spending this past weekend in Disneyland and not eating my best, I feel and look like I have gained 5 lbs! 

I have noticed the roundness in my face getting worse each day and the thicker arms!

       Of course I have a wonderful husband who tells me I'm beautiful every day and that he doesn't notice me getting bigger besides my bump. I also have wonderful friends who assure me I still look gorgeous. Oh how I love them! But when looking at pictures, I can't help but feel like a bloated whale. 

     Other than the little struggle with my self esteem right now, life could not be better. I feel Liam kicking and moving more and more each day. Although it keeps me from sleeping, I love the feeling knowing that he is doing well and is active. This past weekend, Calvin and I were thrown a baby shower by our sweet friends in Downtown Disney! We felt so much love!

Stay tuned for the next post where you can read all about our Monster's Inc Themed Baby Shower!