Pros & Cons of Pregnancy - 1st & 2nd Trimesters

So many people ask me how I'm doing/feeling on a daily basis, and throughout this whole pregnancy I've been so fortunate to answer "great" every time! As this pregnancy progresses, I wanted to make a list of the things I love about being pregnant, and the not-so-fun things about it, too.

Pros:

• My health has been amazing during this pregnancy (aside from in February when I got sick). When I have been sick, I've been lucky enough to have several treatment options (Tobi, Kalydeco, Cayston) at hand that helped me get back to feeling good again.
• Putting on weight hasn't been as much of a struggle as I thought it would be. This could be the Kalydeco helping out, or just my body responding well to pregnancy -- either way, I'm very happy this hasn't been an issue.
• I love my belly! I'm not one to take pictures of it without my shirt over it, and you'll definitely never see me in a bathing suit this summer, but every time I walk past a mirror, I love what I see. I don't feel pregnant, so I often forget what I look like to others. This belly is a constant reminder of the struggles that we overcame to get to this point and how lucky we are to be going through this experience.
• One perk of being high-risk is monthly ultrasounds! I love that I'm able to see Baby Girl's monthly development instead of just reading about it. It's absolutely amazing to see how much she changes in just a short amount of time.  
• Baby movements! This one might be the best! I felt the first movements right at 20 weeks and have been obsessed ever since! The first little nudges were great, but the bigger and stronger she gets, the more fascinated I am with feeling every little poke, body role and whole-body stretches and flips. Watching her make my belly bounce is hilarious and I often sit in bed on the weekends after I wake up just staring (and poking) waiting for her to dance around. Although, Tim says I have to stop poking her so she doesn't have brain damage... :)
• Bigger boobs -- who can complain about that?! Aside from having to purchase new bras, I can't complain about a little extra cleavage. I'm sure this one's a pro for Tim, too.
• How could I forget....no morning sickness!! I was very excited about this one! First of all, I hate throwing up, so the thought of doing it for weeks on end killed me. Plus I was so worried about managing my weight, especially in the beginning of the pregnancy, that I was very thankful not to have to deal with any nausea or vomiting.
• I've never really felt tired. I think that the typical fatigue that comes with the first trimester was mostly over winter break when I was just bumming around the house anyway. Now that I'm closing in on the third trimester, I do notice it takes a bit more effort to bend and move certain ways, but I still feel like I have the same energy level.

Cons:

• CFRD & sugars: This one isn't really much to complain about, just a small inconvenience. The first half of my pregnancy, I had to check my blood sugar four times a day (fasting and then two hours after each meal). Since I was able to keep them pretty stable, the doctors let me cut down to twice a day around 24 weeks. This is definitely saving my little fingers from being pricked so much, but watching what I eat is constantly on my mind so I don't spike my blood sugar.
• Lack of carbs: I never realized how much I love carb-loaded food until I got pregnant and very strictly had to watch/control my blood sugars. I cannot wait to go on a carb-binge after she's born! I miss giant bowls of cereal and especially whole boxes of mac & cheese! 
• Leg & foot cramps: These are no fun! In the beginning they were sporadic and usually due to dehydration, but as I get into my third trimester, they're happening several times a week (always in the middle of the night). They're more frequent because my legs are carrying extra weight and my expanding uterus is putting pressure on my veins that return blood from my legs to my heart. My uterus is also putting pressure on the nerves leading from my trunk to my legs. (according to Baby Center)  
• Constantly having to drink water and go pee -- This is true of pretty much all pregnant women. We have to stay hydrated to avoid things like swelling and cramping, but the trade-off is frequent bathroom trips. I've had to start taking my class for an extra bathroom break each afternoon just so that I can go, lol. But thankfully I've only had very minimal swelling and it's only been on very hot days. Can't complain about that!
• Gas and bloating - This symptom came out of no where around week 25 and has been very annoying. I feel like I used to feel before I started taking probiotics - very uncomfortable, bloated and gassy, with extra bathroom trips during the day. At first, I thought maybe I should increase my probiotics, but after talking with my doctor and other CF women, it sounds like my insides are just shifted around and taking an extra enzyme with larger meals has helped a little bit. I'm really hoping this doesn't affect my weight gain.