26 weeks

Greetings, loved ones!  So, I'm nearing the end of my 2nd trimester and am a bit nervous about entering the 3rd. This week I have begun to preview a few of the aches and pains (and general discomfort) that I'm sure will only be amplified in the weeks ahead. Again, I really hate to complain because all in all, this pregnancy has really been quite easy and I've truly felt pretty fabulous. BUT, to continue with my trend of just documenting what's happening each week (good or bad), I'll list a few things.

1.) Back pain. This actually started last week and I have since figured out ways to try to avoid it (like not sitting in the same position for very long, or if I must, maintaining good upright posture and getting up to stretch a lot). But it's the kind of pain, unfortunately, that can't quite be worked out with a massage (or at least not the ones I get at home) or with any stretches that I know of. It's right in the middle of my upper back. I'm now wishing that I had spent more time developing my core muscles pre-pregnancy so I could better support this extra weight up front. : )

2.) Dizziness/light headedness. Just yesterday, this happened to me twice and quite unexpectedly. Not so bad that I thought I might pass out, but I just couldn't quite shake that floating feeling. And the heat flashes that accompanied it were just weird. I got so hot I had to turn a fan directly on me and shed a layer of clothing. And all I was doing was sitting at my desk working. (I feel for all my menopausal friends out there!)

3.) Trouble sleeping. I don't know if it's mother nature's cruel joke or if she's just getting me prepared for what's ahead, but I have had difficulty sleeping this past week. Really, it's just an issue of not being able to get comfortable - my arms fall asleep and go numb from laying on my side, and as a reformed back sleeper, I very much miss being able to sleep on my back. (For those that don't know, once you reach a certain point in pregnancy, you shouldn't sleep on your back because the weight of the baby puts pressure on some major vein in your lower back and can cause a lack of blood flow to both me and baby.) I keep trying different things, namely different pillow combinations, but so far, I have not found the magic cure.

On the other hand, I am quite enjoying the positive attention I've started getting from friends and relative strangers. One woman came up to me at work yesterday and said that she just had to tell me how cute I am pregnant! I thanked her, of course (very sweet). And more than one person has mentioned that pregnancy "glow." Who knows that they aren't just being nice, but I'm beginning to think that pregnancy actually quite suits me. If not just in my appearance, at least by giving me a semi-legitimate excuse to be moody and emotional!  (And to eat all the sugary candy I've been craving so much!)  : )