Tuesday, March 25, 2014

A Baby Bump Update - 5 Months

Hi all! Long time, no post. Charge it to working too hard and poor time management.

I don't have much time, but I wanted to drop by and do a quick baby bump update.

I'm about 5 and a half months pregnant, and I'm feeling good.  The first trimester was ok.  I've heard/read the horror stories, so I know it could have been far worse.  I had a few food aversions like chicken - weird, right? I could not stomach salads, which was also weird because I used to be a regular salad eater.  I also experienced some cravings.  My diet consisted of watermelon, carrots, pickles and carbs for the last few weeks of the first trimester, but all of that is behind me, well, except for the carrot craving.  I can't get enough of them.  I've also really developed a love for red meat, beef tacos in particular, but I try to minimize my intake. I've talked about my love/hate relationship with red meat on here before.

Around week 19 - before a date with my hubby
The days of all-day fatigue are behind me as well. I was so grateful that the tough part of my first trimester was during my winter break, because I needed a long nap EVERY day, literally, every single day.  Now I can make it through most days without a nap, but when it's time for bed, it's time to shut it DOWN! Bless my husband for my Snoogle pregnancy pillows.  He bought me one for downstairs and one for the bed. The Snoogle has been essential to a good night's rest these days.  The days of sleeping on my back and/or stomach are over, which is especially hard because those were my positions of choice, pre-pregnancy.  The Snoogle makes sleeping on my side more bearable.  God bless the Snoogle makers; they are doing His work.

I told some friends that I finally feel like myself again, well, minus the ability to comfortably bend over to tie my shoes or paint my nails or sleep on my stomach.  I'm trying to keep up a walking routine and some prenatal aerobics and yoga.  My bump is growing, y'all!

A hotel room selfie, well, "us-ie" during a quick trip to Florida last week (20 weeks, 6 days). 

I was trying to think of a word to describe pregnancy, and when another girlfriend announced hers and I saw her excitement, the word came to me - miraculous.   I think that the magnitude of what I'm doing just hit me the other day. I stare at amazement at my growing belly.  I could stare at it for hours. I catch myself rubbing my tummy all the time. I just started feeling some movement, and I'm in awe every time I feel it.  This baby was a long time coming, and it is a reminder that things happen when they are supposed to. Growing another person is no small feat - I have the occasional back pain, splotchy skin, and random bouts of fatigue to prove it.  However, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Really wrapping my mind around the blessing of being able to conceive and grow a child has made me less consumed with some of my earlier pregnancy issues, like the unnecessary and unwarranted comments from people about my body**, the unsolicited belly rubs, and the questions that are way too personal to be coming from virtual strangers.  I'm really not up for talking about my girl parts with folks I don't know. Here's the thing - I'm learning that people really mean no harm; most folks are just fascinated and curious.  Still, I'm learning how to sidestep the questions and get people together in a nice/nasty way. I'm learning that women experience pregnancy differently, and our bodies do as well, so there's no need to panic because I'm looking more pregnant than the other women in my mommy-to-be group. Their bodies, their business, and mine is mine.


I just wanted to share a quick update about what's happening in my world.  I have lots of topics in my cue to discuss about pregnancy and a bunch of other stuff, and I really want to make them happen.  Whenever I start to write, I'm reminded of how much I love it.

Until next time, I'll be over here rubbing my tummy and trying to stay away from online shopping now that we know the gender!


**Sidenote: No pregnant woman wants your appraisal of her body.  Please keep your ignorant a$$ comments like, "Oh my gosh you're getting so big!" or "You're HUGE!" to yourself, especially if you are a man who will NEVER understand the sacrifice of carrying/delivering babies. My pot belly is full of baby, what's your excuse, sir???   Whew, it felt good to get that out.