Week 16

(photo taken 3/16/11)

I am loving this no-nausea thing! I am also really loving strawberry lemonade. I had it once and now I crave it all the time! Maybe because it soothes my very-much-missed sweet tooth.

I was greeted this week with much belly-itching. I remember itching in my 3rd trimester when I was pregnant with Isla but not this early on! I hope that doesn't mean I'm going to be absolutely huge. I've been using Palmers Belly Cream (even if just for the placebo effect) to try and soothe the itching but it doesn't really make it go away. After my whole stomach turned into one giant, itching, red rash, I called my OB office and got permission to use some Benedryl cream. Sweet relief! I was feeling like such a monkey, standing there scratching my belly all the time.

Pregnancy insomnia is also now a recent addition to my life. I'm waking up every couple hours most nights which is not my favorite but so far it's tolerable. Sometimes using the restroom helps and then I fall right back asleep. Other times, I lay there wide awake for hours. I've started wondering at what point I just get up and read or "accomplish something" until I can fall back asleep. I switched out my pillow for a firmer one since I'm now attempting to sleep on my side. I usually prop myself up with 2 pillows and read a bit before I hit the sack and have found that I'm actually falling asleep on my back (in a propped up position) which I've never found comfy before!

Because of my low-ish hematocrit, I took the liberty of eating red meat 4 (or was it 5?) days in a row this week. Delish! If I keep this up, there's no chance I could be anemic. :)