They Say Every Pregnancy is Different . . .

This couldn't be more true for me.  I've mentioned more than once to J and pretty much everyone else that it is like I am pregnant for the very first time all over again.  This pregnancy, so far, has been SO different from the one with O (especially in the first trimester).  This is how:

*With O I was pretty miserable for the first trimester as far as morning sickness went.  While I only threw up twice (both were on the same day within minutes of each other) I was nauseated almost all day long from about 6 weeks to the end of the first trimester.  I would start to feel some relief starting at about 2 p.m. every day but it never fully went away until I moved into the second trimester.

*Very few food aversions this time around.  I have been eating well and pretty much everything that I want.  With O the thought of vegetables and any kind of sandwich made me want to hurl.  When I did want to eat all I wanted was some sort of fried chicken be it a chicken finger or chicken nugget (the chicken crispers from Chili's called my name more than once!).  I am so glad that this time I can eat almost everything though in smaller amounts.  If I eat too much, or let myself get to hungry, that is when I start to feel sick.  You should see the amount of food I bring to work with me each day.  It's a wonder that my coworkers didn't figure it out on that hint alone.

*My work knew about my pregnancy at 8 weeks because of how sick I felt.  This time around I took my own sweet time in telling them.  I was almost 13 weeks when I let the cat out of the bag on this one.

*With O I started wearing maternity pants at 12 weeks.  Not because I was showing but because my regular pants weren't fitting exactly right and maternity pants are so much more comfortable.  This time around, at 10 1/2 weeks I was busting out the maternity stuff and using a rubber band on my pants to keep them up, though at 13 weeks I had yet to wear any maternity clothes to work.  It must have been bloat.

*My pregnancy symptoms really dissipated at about 9 weeks, to the point of making me nervous.  My breasts weren't as sore as they had been, the sick feeling after eating was almost gone, and the tiredness that I felt around 7:30 p.m. every night wasn't there as badly.  Heck, compared to my first pregnancy I was bouncing off the walls.  I would almost fall asleep at my desk when I was pregnant with O.  This time the fatigue is not there.

*I don't remember getting up every night in the first trimester to pee when I was pregnant with O, but that is what I am doing this time around.  Not fun.  I think we may go broke on toilet paper alone.

*For about 2 1/2 weeks (from about 6 1/2 weeks to close to 9 weeks) I was hungry 24/7.  Not just kind of hungry.  Starving.  My stomach growled all day.  I went to bed feeling a little hungry and woke up needing to eat.  Luckily, by 8 1/2 weeks I had only put on about 3 pounds.  It could have been much worse.  I would absolutely prefer this problem over the morning sickness however.  It now makes sense why I was so much hungrier.

*My skin is still not great, but with O my face broke out really badly.  Not so much now.  I've gotten more bumps on my chest and shoulders but not really on my face.  Thank goodness.

*I am much more run-down by the end of the day than I was with O.  I was pretty go, go, go with her, but I can't do as much now.  I notice much more pain with this pregnancy if I really overdo it, which I can have a tendency to do.  I have to make a conscious effort to slow down sometimes but when my toddler wants to be picked up or play it is hard for me to say no when I know how much her life is going to change in a few short months.  I have developed the SPD that I had the first time around (and some days I limp around because it hurts - I'm sure I look interesting) and I have a feeling that resting is not going to help me a ton this time.  I haven't been exercising much like when I had it with O so I think just the sheer weight and hormones from the babies are going to give me a hard time.  I broke down and took some Tylenol for the first time the other day but I do not want it to become a regular thing.

*This pregnancy has also been more stressful.  The surprise of twins threw a whole bunch of kinks in our planning for another child.  We now have to plan for two and that poses a bunch more questions and logistical dilemmas than we thought we'd have to deal with.  We had gotten a lot of neutral baby items (stroller, car seat, bedroom decor) planning to use it for future children.  While this was a great idea it isn't going to work out for us since we now need two car seats, a double stroller, two cribs, more diapers, etc.  And where we are going to put all the stuff only God knows.  We really need a bigger car (which we did get about a week ago) and a bigger house and those are both items that we really aren't wanting to have to buy right now.  Plus the daycare costs are going to pretty much triple (though our provider said she'd work with us on that) but it makes us wonder if it really makes much sense for me to continue working at all.  Ugh, the things we have to think about and decide in the next 3 or 4 months.

*While this has been more stressful this time around it also makes things a lot easier.  We know, for sure, that we are done having kids after this.  Three is our max.  Now that I know this is my last pregnancy I am trying to enjoy every minute of it.  The movements, the pain, the expanding belly are all things that I am making sure to appreciate as much as I can.  The novelty of having twins is fun too.  Not everyone gets the joy of having twins and I'm enjoying the special attention that twin moms get (along with some of the dumb questions but luckily it takes a lot to really bother me when it comes to that).  Maybe it is selfish to say that I enjoy the extra attention I've gotten since announcing that it is twins but it's true.  You don't often get to be the center of attention even for a short time after your wedding day.  =)

I told John about a week after we found out that we were having twins that I couldn't imagine it being one.  Two just feels right.  Yes, it is extremely scary to know that we are going to have two newborns to take care of by February, but I know it is how it is supposed to be.  I can't picture our family any other way.