Building Family

You might have noticed that the blog is called Building Home and Family but that I have only posted about “home” so far. I am excited to announce we have big news on the family front, too! Johann and I are expecting our first baby, due mid-May 2017. We don’t know yet whether it’s a boy or a girl.

Although my pregnancy hasn’t been symptom-free, I feel like I’ve had things easier than most. I’ve had strong food aversions – I am suddenly revolted by meat. And coffee. Motion sickness on my daily train ride/commute home has been amplified. I sometimes felt vaguely nauseous. But I never threw up and never felt like I was on the verge of death.

The biggest symptom for me was fatigue. I expected to feel tired, but I had no idea what exhaustion meant until now! I sometimes slept 14 hours a night, skipping dinner to sleep or grabbing literally anything that didn’t make my stomach turn as I put on my pajamas, only to wake up feeling like I could use a nap. During a few warm summer days when fatigue hit especially hard, I walked to the park across from my office (during lunch) and slept behind a tree so co-workers wouldn’t see me! Days when I drove were a little easier because I could nap in my car over lunch break.

I was relieved to announce to my office last week so it no longer has to be a secret. No one told me before I was pregnant how lonely the first trimester can be. There is a higher risk of miscarriage early on, so many doctors suggest not telling people unless you’d also be comfortable sharing that you miscarried. I tend to be a private person and didn’t tell many people early in the pregnancy.

Building up to tell my boss and co-workers was a real struggle. A lesson learned when I quit my first “real” job should have been instructive: good people are happy for you when you are sharing good news, even if it means an increase in their own workloads. Announcing my pregnancy went way better than expected… aside from some awkwardness with asking to speak privately in an open-concept office area, which put everyone on high alert. Glad it’s over!

I’m done with the first trimester this weekend and on to the second trimester. The second trimester is supposed to be the best of all because all the energy required to get the baby started is no longer an issue, so I should be less tired, and I’m not yet the size of the Goodyear blimp. I keep wavering between excitement and feeling like nothing has happened. It seems like things might start to feel more real now that everyone knows and I’m spending more than a few hours awake every day! There are a handful of new moms in my friend group, but if you have any advice to offer – things you wish you’d known about pregnancy, delivery, or having a new baby especially – I would LOVE to hear it. I scour a few message boards weekly and have learned so many things already!