Weeks 9-13 | Baby Number 6

I had every intention of giving you every juicy tidbit of how this pregnancy is treating me, just like all of those amazing Mommy bloggers are able to do. Even Mommy bloggers, like me, with a million kids.

But I just can't find the time.

Plus, in the first trimester, even the desire to blog was dormant. I just wanted to lay on the couch and do absolutely nothing. Actually, it wasn't that I wanted to so much as it was that was all I had the energy for. This pregnancy came with a body depleting exhaustion like no other. It's brutal.

But I just hit 14 weeks, so let me try to summarize the last few weeks for ya, ok?

Oh, hey, I just found a blog entry that was in my Draft section...apparently I had a little to say about Week 9:

"The night I turned 9 weeks along, the heartburn began. Mainly right before bedtime.

Appetite picked up. No real cravings and nothing really sounds great...but I am hungry all the time. I don't know if it's purely from the pregnancy or because I am also still nursing Isabel frequently throughout the day and night.

My deep exhaustion is still going strong (as of 9w2d) and it's frustrating. And tiring. lol I read that this could be because milk production is taking its toll right alongside of the pregnancy. It may also have something to do with Isa waking up multiple times at night to nurse. But I'm waking up exhausted, dragging through the day but by mid-late afternoon, I can't take it anymore and am trying to nap. Usually to no avail, as the phone doesn't stop ringing nor do kids and babies stop yelling. The kids try to be quiet, they really do, but Austin & Levi are 6 & 7 year old boys, so noise is to be expected."

I don't think the heartburn lasted more than a few days but you can see that the desire to document, document, document was there. ::wink:: But you can see that the exhaustion was literally something to write home about.

Week 10

My midwife Christine & doula Shaconna came for my first prenatal visit. Not much went on then except a whole lot of "oh my god, weren't we just here delivering a baby?!" lol She also drew several vials of blood for testing.

We are not planning on having genetic testing or finding out the gender.

My weight was 171, which meant I had gained 3 lbs since I got pregnant.

I got really sick for weeks 11 til about 13. My asthma flared up and I was completely out of my medication (I use an albuterol emergency inhaler and Advair on a non-consistent basis, just using it when I start to feel my lungs getting tight), so I went to Urgent Care but the doctor there wasn't comfortable prescribing my Advair because it is considered a Class C drug, which means that it has shown to cause problems for pregnant women and/or their fetuses. I tried to go without the Advair for another day or so but just simply couldn't breathe. So Christine called it in for me. We know that the benefit greatly outweighs the risk. As Christine said "Your pregnant, mama, we need you to be able to breathe!" But I do truly appreciate the doctor at Urgent Care taking a stand for something that she felt to be dangerous. And at the time of my UC visit, I was just starting to get really bad....I can always feel it setting in before the SHTF, if you know what I'm saying. So, at the time, the UC doctor just didn't feel it was necessary. I get it. I really do.

My IBS has also been acting up really bad. Just like it does with every one of my pregnancies. I found out that not every one with IBS has the severe pain like I do. My IBS pains are horrific. They make labor feel like a walk in the park. For real. I just take a lot of Gas X when it hits. Sometimes it works...sometimes it doesn't. It's a crap shoot. ahahahaha See what I did there?! hahahaha

Week 11

Photo montage!! And we found the baby's heartbeat. <3 

Isabel was really interested....for about 10 seconds. hahaha

Week 12

Baby is the size of a little toy soldier!! And check out those hand and foot prints! The larger hand and foot are the size of a newborn baby's. The yellow is the size of Baby Mistletoe's!! So tiny!!

Bathroom selfies at Fry's Electronics!! hahaha!

Week 13

Baby is the size of a Matchbox car!! Hands and feet are getting bigger!!

My energy level picked up around Week 13. I began answering the phone for our business, handling customer service and scheduling, as well as dispatching and my other office duties. It's tiring but nice to have something adult-centered to focus on.

Mood swings are not as bad as they were for my other pregnancies. I've also been trying to make a conscious effort to identify my emotions and sort out if they are REAL or hormonal...it's not always effective, but it IS working for the most part. I just acknowledge how I'm feeling...let myself feel it for a minute, while thinking about "why do I feel like this?" 

Near the end of Week 13, I had a singular day when I believed that my life was just miserable and that my marriage was a sham. That it just wasn't worth it to go on. Yeah. Had myself a nice little Pity Party. But came to the conclusion that "communication" is VERY important to me. If I feel ignored, I start to fall apart. I don't think I'm being super needy...but this particular day I had work questions for Antonio, clients calling with important questions....so many calls....so many freaking out clients that needed reassurance...but it was just me....I had no answers for them....Antonio had the answers and he was out of reach for over 12 hours. And it was only my second day on the job....with no training. Yeah, I freaked out a little. ::shrugs::

I checked my weight at my chiropractor's office (currently the only place I'm doing my weight checks) and I weighed in at 168.5 . Which means that I lost 2.5 lbs in the last few weeks and only weigh half of a pound more than my pregnancy weight.

Foods don't sound all that appealing to me. Nothing in particular, anyway. I was craving mango for a few days. Then watermelon. Now nothing. Between work and Isabel, I just don't have time to hang around, eating or even thinking about food.

Oh! Speaking of Isabel... I've started introducing her to the baby. Same as I do all of my little ones when I'm pregnant. I tell her that there's a baby in my tummy. So she pulls up my shirt and starts poking me in the belly button or scratching at my stretch marks. hahaha I tell her that there's a baby in there and she looks super interested. When you ask if she wants to hug the baby, she hugs my belly. It is THE cutest thing ever!! She is going to be a great big sister!!

Well, that's about it for this update AND my first trimester!! I'll see you all in my next post! Until then, you can also follow me on Facebook by clicking HERE. Let's have fun together, ok?!! 

xoxoxo