17 weeks pulling through the fog

Gestation: 17 weeks 0 days
Weight: 207.8 lb
Symptoms: still mild to moderate nausea (still taking my 4 pills of zo.fran a day), fatigue, belly bump (clothes don't fit), stages of extremem hunger, out of breath easily, been spotting (dark and just a tinge) consistently for a week now

Baby girl: Her skeleton is transforming froms oft cartilage to bone. Her umbilical cord is growing stronger and thicker. She weighs 5 ounces now!!! She can move her joints and her sweat glands are starting to develop. She's about the size of a turnip (which I have no idea what that looks like).

This past week, much better than previous weeks because I'm over the worst of my cold but it is lingering. I think our household has been sick for almost a month now. Thank goodness, it is Spring break so I have the week off which has just been a lifesaver for me. The nausea is mild and usually, I can just distract myself with activities and not mind it. I still take my full dose of medicine because I just want to feel normal. I'm so much more better but I do get a little depressed because I just want a day to feel normal and the last three months have taken their toll.

On Monday, we went to a movie and I ate a hot dog. I know i'm scared that those are one of the risky foods to eat but it was something I was craving so bad. It tasted so good! On Tuesday, I dropped C off at the babysitter's and I cleaned my house. We've all been getting hit hard with allergies so i'm trying to tackle the dirt and dust that used to be our house. I was so productive. I'm sleepy tired but I was able to keep moving for the whole day. Yesterday, I took C to the beach. Carrying her across sand takes such a toll on me and my body. Just walking up a short hill to get to the sand, I found myself slowly panting and heaving.

I now understand why obese people can't exercise. I always watch those shows and just think "why don't they just do a little walking every day." But I'm so tired every day...I try to save what energy I have for things that I must absolutely do...buy groceries, make dinner for the fam, bathe my baby. I have to collapse on the couch just to recover. I find myself having to give up halfway through my to-do lists. Yesterday was great for C, but I'm paying the price today. I just don't have the energy. It was just an hour trip to the beach but the physical toll, then giving baths, washing our salty clothes and towels, I'm so sluggish today.

I also need to go buy maternity clothes. My pants are too tight to wear. Oh, and I ate breakfast but didn't eat lunch. I don't even notice and can go the whole day without eating but some days (like yesterday), I was just starving. I ate a small meal every three hours. I only stopped because I finished off all the beef stroganoff and there was just nothing left to eat.

I can't remember being this fatigued the first pregnancy so I don't know if this is going to change or if maybe I'm just out of shape. I'm so thankful for this break from work...I wish I had just a little more time. I'm also picking up more photography gigs...which is great when I'm sitting at my computer setting them up but I wonder how wise it is. That trip to the beach yesterday took it out of me...will I have enough to do these shoots?