First Trimester

The first Trimester for ye ole Storck baby.

I found out that we were expecting about 3 weeks in. (P.S. I love how you get 2 "free" weeks.) Greg and I decided to keep it a secret for as long as possible or at least until after my first doctor's appointment at 8 weeks.

I loved that special time when it was just Greg and I that knew.

The winks across a crowded room, planning the response for when someone asked me why I wasn't drinking, the smile that Greg would get when he heard my outrageous lie as to why I wasn't drinking, the arm nudges and whispers when a baby stroller would pass us by.

I will never forget those special weeks and the sweet unique bond we shared by keeping the biggest. secret. ever. Just us.

Labor Day 2010 ~ We have a secret!

When it was closer to the time of my first doctor's appointment, we started telling family and some close friends. We were busting at the seams. Everyone was thrilled of course.

My first doctor's appointment was Wednesday October 6th.

Out of all of my doctor's appointments so far, that first one was the most intense. At that point, all Greg and I knew was that an extra blue line popped up on a pee stick. That meant I was pregnant? Our lives were about to change forever because of one extra blue line? This type A needed more than that before I started picking out cribs.

After the ultrasound tech started, all was quiet for the first few moments. All I could concentrate on was how fast she was typing the keyboard and clicking the joystick. Greg had full on vision at the screen she was looking at. I did not. Her machine was blocking my view of the screen on the wall. The minutes seems like hours. I finally broke the aqwkard silence.

"Well.....?" I asked.

"Oh everything's fine. Looks good" She said.

We all breathed a sigh of relief.

I'm pretty certain I followed it with a big case of the English nervous giggles.

Greg's first question was "There's only one right?"

She then moved the ultrasound machine and that's when I saw the first picture of my brand new chapter in life.

Compared to other horror stories I have heard about first trimesters, mine was not that bad.

Weeks 1- 6

August 6th- September 17th

Symptoms: I had some night time nausea, but never threw up. After work during those first weeks, I would come home and crash. I had no motivation to do anything - I was just so tired! I had some light cramping (felt like menstrual cramps) but nothing that ever scared me.

Everything was still sinking in at this point. I remember being around our friends and thinking "they are going to die when we finally tell them!" Cause I was lying my face off as to why I wasn't participating in my normal festive activities.

I didn't have any food aversions at this point and I really wasn't craving anything either. Butttt, Greg and I were out running errands one day when I mentioned how good a strawberry milkshake sounded. If I could have read his mind, I am sure he was thinking "me and this pregnancy are going to get along just fine". He then found the closest McDonald's.

Weeks 7-13

September 18th - November 5th

Week 9: We went to Alexandria for Heather's wedding! We still weren't telling people and this was the "biggest show" I had to put on. "No bar tender, I KNOW it's a virgin drink, but I need it in a rocks glass, mkay?" It was GREAT seeing all of the old Ferrum kids and we really enjoyed the whole wedding weekend. The wedding was beautiful and Heather was even more gorgeous! Congrats Heather and Bobby! We love you guys! P.S. Thanks for the steak Jay! :)

Week 10: The in laws had their beach house that weekend and we went to join them. They also invited some old friends and their daughter came as well! It was such a relaxing, beautiful weather, hand holding, sea glass finding type of weekend!

Symptoms: Bring on the food aversions! At 6:36pm a salad sounded do able. After a prep time of 10 mins, I'd drizzle some salad dressing on it, grab a fork and plop down on the couch, and then wanted NOTHING to do with that mesly salad. Before I knew it, we had fired up the Chevy and were headed to McDonald's. That's right I said McDonald's. Remember the previous "I'm a health nut now" post? Yeap, that was out the window and it was game on Golden Arches. I always thought that I would be a "tofo lovin', nothing but organic veggies" type of pregnant woman. Honestly, eating healthy was harder than I thought it would be in the first trimester. Things that I loved before like a fresh salad, salmon, yogurt, etc, I didn't want anything to do with. Now before you go and call CPS on me, I sucked it up and as my first selfless motherly act, I forced these things down my throat. But, I always saved room for carbs, carbs, and more carbs. I was drawn to things that my grandmother used to make me growing up (analyze that Dr. Phil). Things like frozen chicken nuggets, frozen french fries, instant oatmeal, hotdogs, etc. Gross right?! (For the record, my grandmother was a fabulous cook, she just catered to the finickiness of a 6 year old.)

Oh, I added mustard and ketchup to everything. No, I mean everything. Again, gross. I know.

My nausea finally tapered off towards the end of the trimester. Butttttt, I had my worst night of it, the night that the Chilean miners were rescued (October 13th). In between crying hormonal tears of joy, I had to hang my head over a bucket. Although I never got sick, that night was definitely the closest I came. To this day, I am on a no puking streak.

Biggest pregnancy brain moment: I would start a load of laundry - add the soap, fabric softner, clothes - and then just walk away. Leaving the top wide open. (Our washing machine does not operate with the lid open) Greg would come behind me a few hours later, water ice cold by then, and holler down to me about me "doing it again". After the fifth or sixth time of excuses, i.e. "I'm just letting them soak honey", he would just silently shut the lid. Sigh.

Biggest hormonal moment: Crying, sobbing actually, because I missed the only trick or treaters that we had had in 3 years.

Due to poor planning on my part, I was still getting ready for that night's Halloween party. Since I was still half dressed (literally) I couldn't answer the door to pass out the candy. Which meant Greg had to answer the door, and I had to control our killer dog. Which meant that I had to literally sit on her at the top of stairs. Which meant, from my view, I only got to see the bottom half of a PEZ dispenser, a taco, and princess. Which meant, that a naked hormonal pregnant chick at the top of some stairs cried over some trick or treaters. Normal. Very, very normal.