First Trimester, take 3, so far
I haven’t done a to-do list in quite some time, now. I have a permanent list of weekly and daily to-dos that have hung on the side of my fridge for able two months, after maybe two weeks of use. They are useful and fine-tuned to what I want, but I’ve let first trimester fatigue and ickiness be an excuse. :)
My new daily minimums have become
*do some part of laundry; clean laundry (especially boys’ clothes) don’t have to be folded, just stacked neatly and put in the right drawer (which Hans can do).
*put dishes in dishwasher away, load and run a new load by evening
*tidy living and dining room and kitchen
*keep the boys’ room from becoming a disaster area
*have the boys put their toys away periodically throughout the day, including those in the office
My “morning sickness” at least does not encompass vomitting. I just feel generally nauseated throughout the day, with peaks and valleys coming at random intervals. It is the worst on an empty stomach, but late evenings are worse than mornings. My strategy this time has been to cut off the sickness by going to bed at 8 or 9 rather than eating again at 8 or 9. Since I did gain weight in the first trimester the first two times (because eating frequently helped keep sickness at bay) and I haven’t yet this time, I think it’s working. Sour candies do seem to help settle the stomach, keep the icky-mouth nauseous (yes, in its correct usage) taste away, and help water go down when I get the maddening “I want water but water would make me sick” feeling. Besides the empty stomach correlation, I also get more sick when I haven’t had enough water. I use a 32-ounce waterbottle throughout the day and usually drink 4 full bottles, sometimes 5. I have to have at least 16 ounces of water (I’ve learned milk doesn’t count) before 8 in the morning, or my morning is doomed. If I get 16-32 ounces down and have a bowl of cereal before I get the boys up, that is ideal. It’s only happened once or twice, but it was lovely and I was a pretty good Mommy those mornings. If I don’t have a full waterbottle between 8 and 10 or 11, then I feel crummy again. The water also has to be ice cold. With no automatic ice maker at this house, that means remembering to fill 3 or 4 ice trays at night before bed (I use a minimum of 3 full ice trays myself every day, but 4 is even better). Anything but very cold water makes me feel ill, but icy water is so refreshing.
Fatigue and mood swings were worse in weeks 5-7, week 8 was more sickness and less tiredness and crankiness, and now we’re in the midst of week 9. 3 more weeks of first trimester, and about 4-5 more of ickiness, most likely. I’m very grateful that the fatigue has let up slightly, but I’m still waiting in anticipation of the day that coffee doesn’t gross me out. :) One cup after breakfast would be just the thing. :)
