Pregnancy Update: Week 18

Well hello again everyone!

Danica (Brooke) here, I have been wanting to get back to the blog for awhile now but I have been so unbelievably sick! And by sick I mean all day morning sickness. The sickness started for me around week 5...I am now at week 18! To say the least I would be totally ok if it decided to go away now :) Throwing up all the time takes it out of you. I have been so tired all the time, and I have had no desire to get ready for the day. I basically do what I have to to make it through each day and call it a success. I have been on a nausea medication for most of the time. Occasionally it works if I can keep it down, but for the most part I still throw up at least 5-6 times a day. My doctor has told me that I should start to notice the sickness going away now that I am in the second trimester, I am crossing my fingers that he is right! Working two jobs through the sickness has been interesting to say the least. Luckily my boss has let me work from home a lot so that I don't have to share the fun with my office co workers:)
We are super excited to find out what we are having! I haven't had much intuition about it, neither of us really care either way though as long as the baby is healthy we are happy!

I thought I would do weekly updates here on the blog, if anything so I can go back to remember this experience. I will be answering a little list of questions that I have found other bloggers doing, I think it is a super cute way to remember the experience week by week.

How far along: week 18 day 5

How big is the baby: The size of a sweet potato

Cravings: Citris has been tasting really good but I wouldn't consider it a craving. I want sushi so bad it hurts.

Weight gain: 20 pounds. This seems a little high to me but I haven't been too worried about it with as sick as I have been. Survival is my number one concern at this point :)  I have not been able to work out at all since I found out I was pregnant so that has been a huge lifestyle change for me!! Also my boobs have tripled in size and feel like they weigh about 20 pounds each so I am sure they have contributed to my lovely weight gain.

Stretch Marks: I haven't noticed any new stretch marks, I already had a few on my inner and outer thighs from when I was a teenager, but I have not noticed any new ones up till this point. I have been using Mothers Special Blend and a sugar scrub to help my skin remain as stretchy as possible! My skin has been HORRIBLE through this process, I have developed exema and the worlds driest skin, it is so itchy!

Sleep: I sleep alright. I wake up every 2 to 3 hours STARVING so I have to get up and eat. I have tried ignoring it and I get so sick, so lesson learned I have to eat 24/7. I am hoping the sickness will pass soon so that I don't have to eat at all hours of the night. I am sure that has contributed to my weight gain as well.

Thoughts: Aside from all of the sickness and changes in my body I feel so grateful and excited for this new adventure in my life. Experiencing pregnancy has been a crazy ride but one I wouldn't change for the world, I feel so blessed and a little overwhelmed at the thought of becoming a MOM. I think of how selfless my mom is and wonder if I am capable of that kind of sacrifice. It will be a growing experience for selfish little me that is for sure.

We are going to find out what the gender is on the 27th of this month! I am so antsy to find out what this little nugget is. I had a dream that it was a little boy but I have some pretty crazy pregnant dreams so who knows if this information can be trusted:) I will keep everyone posted on the gender reveal in the next couple of weeks!

XOXO,