Eleven and a half weeks, and finally some relief.

Do I dare say that I'm feeling better? If I do, am I risking the inevitable spike of nausea and indigestion that will mock and spite me? Is it possible that things are turning around this soon? I sure hope this is what it looks like. I'm still having a bad day here and there, but definitely more good days than bad. My biggest daily complaint is heartburn, but it isn't always presenting in its traditional form. Most days, I sport a nasty acidic taste in my mouth all day, which has resulted in raw gums due to profuse brushing. For about four or five days now I've had mild but annoying chest pain that I'm almost certain is just another version of heartburn. Tylenol does seem to remedy that, but it is back within the four hours of taking it. For now, I'm combating this foe with lots of Zantac and Tums, though the chalky aftertaste of the Tums is enough to make me gag most days. Sigh.

My next appointment is now under a week away. It will be mostly uneventful, but we will get to find baby on doppler. I'm looking forward to that little peace of mind. These long weeks between appointments in the early months, when it's too soon for physical confirmation of baby's wellness in the way of movement and kicks, make for some uneasiness. It'd be nice to have a window into the womb from time to time, just to check up on things. Good news is that I anticipate baby to make his/her presence known in the next few weeks. I felt Henry for the first time at seventeen weeks, and it's typical to feel movement earlier in subsequent pregnancies.

In so many ways, this pregnancy is just different. I was reading recently through my pregnancy journal for Henry and found that at 20 weeks I was still not really showing yet. I know it isn't all baby, but I already feel huge at 11 weeks this time. I can thank bloat and general tummy upset for that, I'm sure. I'm monitoring my weight here at home weekly, and as of last Saturday, I still hadn't gained from my last appointment - in fact, I was even down a pound and a half. Not sure how that's possible because my clothes are telling me I'm bigger. In fact, I'm pretty sure my denim shorts told me I'm a whale.