1st Trimester Woes

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm very excited to be having a baby. But man, this being pregnant thing is HARD. Here's my list of first trimester pregnancy woes - some of which should wane now that I've started my second trimester and some that I know will only get worse.

1. Nausea - This can hit when you least expect it, not to mention the gag reflex that can strike at any time. I've been thankful for prescription medications and motion sickness bracelets, but sometimes not even all that is enough. I think I've finally gotten past the worst weeks of it. 
2. Difficulty sleeping - I know this won't improve for oh, 18 years or so depending on how many more children we have. 
3. Not being able to do anything quickly - Everything requires about twice as much time to do thanks to the nausea and overall weakness. For example, getting ready in the morning takes about two hours with many sitting/laying breaks. My friend told me that taller pregnant women (me) are especially prone to lightheadedness because of changes in the priority of blood circulation.
4. Having to eat all the time - This may sound like a good thing, but when you're nauseous, not a big eater in the first place and nothing ever sounds good it's really difficult to eat enough. To make matters worse, there is a vicious cycle where if you don't eat because you feel bad, you will actually start to feel worse. It's awful. I'm hoping the second trimester will bring more of an appetite! I'm currently living on yogurt, ice cream, baked potatoes, toast, Boost protein shakes, grilled cheese, Jamba Juice and saltines. Of course, I eat other things too, but those are on my go-to list since I know I can usually get them down easily! Also, I've had great luck eating at Outback the two times we've been there lately. 
5. Not feeling like doing anything - Poor Levi has done everything for the last couple months. He cooks, cleans, does laundry, runs errands, gets groceries, makes sure I'm feeling alright and usually all with a smile on his face. I don't know how single women do this or women who already have other children to take care of! I've also missed out on many of my favorite fall activities - baking banana and pumpkin bread, decorating the front of our house with pumpkins, hay bales, etc., our annual pumpkin painting party with my nephews, going to the corn maze and seemingly countless other things I love. I keep reminding myself that it's only for a season and I'll get to enjoy all those things again next year.  

While I could think of others, I'll leave it at that for now. It's ironic that I'm posting this on Thanksgiving. I am, in fact, very thankful for the many ways God has blessed us (with wonderful family, friends, a home, jobs, a dog, a baby, the list goes on), and I am especially thankful that these pregnancy symptoms won't last forever.