It still seems a bit surreal to be typing this post, even though I am well into this pregnancy! Many bloggers that I enjoy following have also documented their pregnancies, but up until October, I’d just skim through them. Once I saw that positive test though, they were a great source of comfort, especially in those early weeks before anyone knew! I know these types of posts may not be relevant to all parties, but they were so helpful to me so I hope that it can provide a source of solidarity or comfort to anyone expecting. I also love that it will be a little place to capture some of these special memories, as I’ve realized how quickly I can forget the details of every stage!

Symptoms: I briefly mentioned this in our announcement post, but the fatigue really hit me around week 6, as did the nausea. For someone who is on the go most of the time, it was really sobering to struggle to get off of the couch most afternoons and evenings. As for the morning sickness, I experienced all-day sickness, with it often being worse at night. Thankfully, I never threw up, and considering I’m used to fighting nausea with my GP, I refuse to complain about that!

Food: Wow, I was not prepared for the food aversions, at least the ones I experienced! Prior to becoming pregnant, I had heard stories about smells and textures causing issues like chicken, but for me, there were several foods that sent me over the edge. The smell of seafood made me nauseous (a challenge when you live on the eastern shore!), and I basically survived on chicken nuggets and eggs for those few weeks! The most surprising was that I could not stomach coffee for almost six weeks – I was definitely disappointed about that!

Highlights: Aside from finding out that we are expecting, the sweetest part of this trimester was sharing our news with family and friends! I mentioned a bit about how I told Jody here and you can catch a glimpse of it in my 2021 recap reel I made on Instagram. Telling our parents was incredibly special especially since baby will be the first grandchild on both sides! We already had a planned trip to Pittsburgh the weekend after we found out, so we ended up telling my parents during the trip. As for Jody’s dad, we made a quick trip to Richmond, where we share the news through a six-pack of beer that read “Sweet Baby Cox” rather than its “Sweet Baby Jesus” name 🙂 We captured as many reactions as we could on video – perhaps that will have to make its appearance soon!

Another highlight was seeing our baby for the first time. Admittedly, I wouldn’t let myself get too caught up in the excitement until after our first appointment, but when we saw our little bean and his/her heart beating at 175 bpm, I could finally let out my breath I felt like I was holding for a month!

Onto my favorite (read: survival supplies) from the first trimester!

Pink Stork Morning Sickness Sweets: When the nausea was at its worst, and I couldn’t even stomach a little ginger, these little lozenges saved my life. Their taste is mild, they are easy on the stomach and very discrete to hide, especially when no one knew I was pregnant!

Leitz Zero Riesling Nonalcoholic Wine: I knew the second I turned down a glass of wine, everyone would know I was pregnant so I set out early to find something to hide my little secret. My favorite that I found so far is this German non-alcoholic riesling. Surprisingly, it tastes like the real thing, so much so that when Jody initially poured me a glass, I had him go check the bottle just be sure he poured me one without the alcohol in it! It is a mix of sweet and acidic and the perfect middle-of-the-road glass for someone who wants to look like they are taking part in the fun!

Offline Leggings by Aerie: These weren’t a pregnancy purchase, but I think I have worn them more in the past four months than in the past year! I would change into them as soon as I got home from work and would live in them on the weekends. I’m planning to size up with another pair to hopefully get me through the end of pregnancy!

Saltine Crackers: It is really funny how now that I’ve moved out of “survival mode”, I’ve started to forget what the first few weeks of pregnancy were like. Saltines crackers were my lifeline for a bit – I wouldn’t anywhere without them. As I struggled to get used to the waves between hunger and nausea, I learned when I was hungry, I would get nauseous within ten minutes if I didn’t eat immediately and these crackers were my quick-fix solution to hold me over until I could eat something a bit more substantial.

Prenatal Gummies: I have always struggled to swallow pills so I knew gummies were the way to go. I’ve actually been taking these prenatal vitamin gummies since before we start trying to conceive which was nice to help prepare my body for pregnancy. I will say though, about halfway through the first trimester, they did start to upset my stomach if I didn’t eat immediately after.

Waiting in Wonder Devotion Book: I have really been loving this devotional journal. It is designed to walk new mamas week-by-week through the development stages and body changes, as well as providing a space to journal your hopes, dreams, and messages for your baby. It has really helped keep my anxiety at bay, especially through the early weeks, and will be a great memento to look back on.

Gatorade: I’ve never experienced thirst quite like I have since I became pregnant! I would constantly crave water, but very inconveniently, water made me nauseous. Thankfully, I could stomach Gatorade and its electrolytes would alleviate my symptoms for just a bit; for an additional tip, be sure to check out Pedialyte!