I hope y’all don’t mind me doing these pregnancy updates. It took me a long time to get here so I want to at least write about it from time to time. I’m a little over eighteen weeks at this point, and here’s what’s going on:

Symptoms: I now have a ravenous appetite unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s kind of awesome considering two months ago I didn’t ever know if I would enjoy food again, but it’s hard to keep under control. I also get almost-daily headaches, and Tylenol doesn’t usually cut it. I got a massage the other day, but it didn’t seem to help much either. Possibly it’s just hormone-related, or possibly I need several more massages. I like the second option better. I dry heave every night when I brush my teeth, without fail. Apparently my gag reflex is super sensitive now, and the taste of my toothpaste reminds me of all my first trimester nausea.

Medical stuff: I’m still taking iron supplements which are no fun. My blood pressure remains excellent. I am now up about 8 pounds according to my doctor, which is fine for how far along I am, only I’m alarmed since I gained it all in four weeks. Pretty sure it’s mostly due to the aforementioned appetite. From here on out I’m focusing more on healthy foods and I’m going to attempt to get back into light exercise.

Movement: I’m pretty sure that I feel the baby fluttering around in there from time to time, but I can’t be sure. I know the real kicks won’t come for probably a few more weeks, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to feel it now. I can’t wait for that.

Clothes: I’ve never been so thankful to wear scrubs every day to work as I am now. I’m hoping to stay in the same scrub pants throughout my pregnancy since they have a drawstring. As you can see, my belly still isn’t very big but it’s big enough to make my normal jeans a bit uncomfortable, especially after I eat. Usually I either wear them normally or do the rubber band loop. The only major change I’ve had to make is to purchase new bras. Didn’t really expect that so early.

Preparation: Sometimes I worry because I really haven’t done much at all to prepare for having a baby in my life. There is a to-do list a mile long that I have yet to tackle. But you know what I have been doing? Reading for pleasure. Watching lots of movies. Going to bed early and sleeping late on the weekends. Planning short vacations for this spring. I know these are things that I will soon consider a luxury, so I’m enjoying them and counting it as its own form of preparation.

Also: We have our big anatomy scan in a week and a half, so say a prayer that everything is as it should be. Yes, we will be finding out the sex and probably I will share with you. I’m hoping that being able to think of the baby as my son or daughter will help me feel more of a connection to it, because right now I still have a hard time believing that this is actually happening.