Signs you are Ginormously Pregnant

So now that I'm 34 weeks pregnant (while being the size of someone that has been growing a baby for nine years), I've become an expert on being huge and understanding the signs that allow me to realize this.  Here is what I've learned......

1. EVERYTHING you sit on/in (ie. chair, car, couch, toilet seat, bed, husband's lap, etc.) makes a noise (ie. groaning, squeaking, cracking sound) upon sitting on it.
2. You could drop money and depending on the total amount, you might be content leaving it for someone else to pick up instead of working up the energy to bend over and pick it up yourself.
3. People politely smile at you with the oh-honey-you-look-huge-and-you-must-have-seventeen-babies-in-there-or-are-10-weeks-overdue eyes.
4. No matter what you wear, the bottom of your belly is starting to hang out of the bottom of EVERYTHING....even the maternity clothes that you thought you would never be able to fill a few months ago.
5. You are still able to walk, so you comprehend that you still have legs and feet....you just have to see them second-hand now, like in pictures or in the mirror.....
6. You sit in the most un-ladylike position, with your legs spread apart to allow room for your belly....and you don't even care anymore.
7. Your husband tells you "Good job, babe" after successfully putting on your underwear - like THIS is a major accomplishment in your day.  (haha - seriously Adam did this yesterday.  I think he's entertained watching me try to get dressed in the morning)
8. It's 40 degrees outside and you are content wearing flip flops because there is no way that you are going to attempt to put on socks and shoes.
9. You can now use your belly as a table - need an extra spot to fold laundry or place an iced beverage....look no further....
10. The driver's seat in your car is set so far back that your arms can barely reach and every time you drive you get the song "Low Rider" stuck in your head....

Does This Baby Make Me Look Fat?

I am close to the 32 weeks mark!  We are more excited to meet William than ever!!!

These pictures were taken right before my 1st baby shower, with friends, at 31 weeks and 4 days!

Whoa, belly!

Who's pregnant??

My Favorite Time of the Day

My favorite time of the day:  once Adam is home and we can relax as a family - I read my book, Adam watches football and William plays 'stomp' inside mommy's belly....

Jeans Day!!

Last Friday of the month = Jeans days at work.  (oh, the small things in life)

Since the only maternity jeans I have are capris and I can't wear those to work, I figured I'd give my pre-prego jeans a shot.  Yay!!  They still fit!!  (again....the small things)

Let's be serious though....they are about a few months past the point of being able to be buttoned and about the same on the zipper (can only make it about an inch or so up) - so I'm depending on my belly band and my long maternity shirt to prevent from exposing my dainties underneath. 

But...with all the changes going on with my body and my ever-expanding belly (and let's face it - ass and hips and legs and arms and chin(s)...), it's hard to tell how much things have changed since I'm pretty much wearing an entirely different wardrobe.   So good to know my thighs haven't exploded so much that I can't fit in my normal clothes.....[happy dance!]

My Disappearing Belly Button and Other Changes

So there is slowly a growing list of changes that are affecting my body.  Some are completely stereotypical and expected....some others, not so much.

Here are just a few of the things that have been changing or I have been learning:

• My belly button is strangely disappearing - I figured this would happen much later in pregnancy. So far, it's become super shallow and small. I'm waiting for it to 'pop' and become an outie.
• I've learned you can see movement on the sonogram. I had no idea. When you look at an ultrasound photo, it seems like such a basic image/technology. Last week, we could see William moving around like crazy in there. And there is so much movement I can't even feel. It was just amazing to be able to see our baby moving around - it made it feel more "real".
• I have a very noticeable linea nigra (dark line) on my belly now. I didn't really notice since I can't exactly look down and see it directly. I noticed it in the mirror about two weeks ago and called Adam to look - his response: "Oh, yeah, I've noticed that for awhile now." Hmm....I was a little behind.
• Crossing my fingers I can hold off on any stretch marks until as late as possible....none so far....just waiting....
• I know pregnant woman shouldn't lay or sleep on their stomachs, for very obvious reasons.  I'm not sure I realized the same about sleeping on your back.  I assumed once I got so large, I wouldn't want to.  I am normally a back sleeper and I'm realizing my changing body no longer likes this and I know I have to focus on sleeping on my side.  How do I know this?  It's the waking up in the middle of night when I have turned on my back and a feeling that I'm drowning.  I guess this is the normal feeling of reduce circulation due to the pressure of the baby and large uterus.  It's bizarre and scary and I'm working to convert to a side sleeper.  [I'm working to find a body pillow to help - propping a pillow under my head, another between my legs and another under my belly can be quite difficult in the middle of the night, especially when trying to switch sides]
• 'Hot flashes' - I'm not sure if this is necessarily pregnancy related or the fact that it has been in the 90s lately.  All I know is that at dinner with friends Friday, I was fanning myself with a menu while one had goosebumps and another put on a sweatshirt because they were cold.  This isn't the first time either.  over the past few days, I've been getting bursts of being super hot.  Hormones much?

With all these changes and a few more, I still can't complain - I'm not huge and I'm still basically comfortable and can still sleep well.  I'll let you know when this starts to change.  HA!

Growing Baby....Growing Belly

22 Weeks!  Sonogram today!  I can hardly stand the anticipation.  Didn't sleep much last night, just praying we find a healthy baby!

Daddy's usual Wednesday FB update: 

Mommy's growing belly:  (I know, I know...it's huge for how far along I am.....fatty-bo-batty style. HA!)

Growing Baby - 20 weeks!!!

Baby continues to grow.  Since the legs are more proportional to the rest of the body, measurements are now made from head to foot (instead of head to rump). 

At 20 weeks, baby should measure about 10 inches!!!  Hold up a tape measure to get an idea - baby is definitely getting big!  Being 20 weeks means I'm halfway there!  So it makes sense that baby measures about half the length it will grow to be at birth!

As far as Adam mentioning he could feel the baby is still up for debate.  We were watching a movie last night and I could definitely feel movement - and it was much stronger than it has ever been.  Adam came over to feel it.  Not sure if it was just my pulse or something else, but he says he felt "something". 

Is that baby?

So, I am still feeling those "twitches" and I'm about positive what I'm feeling is baby bouncing and moving around in there.  The 'feeling' is definitely isolated to below my belly button and in the right general area, but I can't completely figure it out yet.  I just hit the 19 week mark this week and it's about the right time to be feeling baby but I'm hesitant to get too excited and then wind up finding it's nothing but gas or digestion or that it's actually just what it feels like - twitches of some sort. 

Can anyone help to describe in better detail what I will be feeling when I feel the baby move?  I keep hearing people describe early movement as a 'flutter' like a butterfly's wings brushing up against you.  This is a little more distinct than that though.  I can maybe see the 'popcorn popping' example a little better.  Is this actually baby??

More Changes

So over the last few months, I've been experiencing an ever-changing body - which is to be expected.  First, I was hit with morning sickness and the first trimester fatigue - both came and went.  I've already had my share of heartburn, that I can only expect will get worse.  I haven't been struck with many cravings so far, just the normal fatty-bo-batty kind that I've always had.  My belly (and let's face it, my ass) has been growing.  My complexion has gone from pre-pregnancy bad to even worse.  I've put on a few extra pounds than I should at this point.  However, this week I'm being faced with another change - an increasing appetite.

During the first trimester, morning sickness was nothing like I expected.  I had no relief hanging my head over the toilet - only nausea and dry heaving - how lovely, right?  All of this from morning until bedtime. Everything smelled horrible!  I could barely stand to walk into the kitchen from the garage without turning green.  I remember some days I would spend the evening in the bedroom to avoid smelling any food, previously cooked meals or garbage that might be lingering around the fridge or kitchen.  As much as I knew I needed to, the thought of eating fruits or veggies also made me queasy.  I ate a lot of junk.  And to stop myself from feeling even worse, I would eat about every hour to settle my stomach.

I was so happy when the second trimester began and morning sickness wore off and I could eat regular food again!  I was able to go from snacking constantly to eating my normal meals.  Until this week....

While not changing the types of food I eat, I can no longer make it to lunch without a snack without my stomach starting to digest itself.  I am needing a snack in the afternoon too - no chance of making it to dinner.  What's up?  I've been trying to watch what I eat over the last week since I know I had been gaining a little too much, but this is not making it easy.  Understanding that the baby is only about nine inches long, I can hardly consider that I'm "eating for two."  Is this normal at only about 20 weeks?!

Growing Belly

So for the baby only being the size of a large baked potato and my uterus being the size of a large cantaloupe.....the only explanation for the rest is fluid and fatty-bo-batty filling (or maybe there are 6 baked potatoes in there....).  HA!

NOTICE:  (this is mostly for my mom and sister that will understand)  You can totally still see my collar bone....I"m just saying......

Baby Moving?

So I know that you can start to feel your baby from around 16 - 22 weeks.  Sometimes later, rather than sooner, for first time moms that just aren't sure what they are feeling.  I am exactly 18 weeks today.....

...and I think I felt baby today!!!!!!!

I know that there's lots of "stuff" going on in my body right now so I can't be sure, but it was something "different"!

I just finished drinking my instant breakfast and eating some sliced pineapple while I was in a meeting this morning.  Then it happened - I felt a little twitch or 'flutter' in the lower right side of my belly.  It was almost like a mild muscle twitch, but inside.  I only felt it for a few seconds and haven't felt it again since. 

Was it baby??  I hope to feel it again soon to be sure!  What an exciting feeling!

In my day-by-day pregnancy book, I read this little hint today (how appropriate!):

"This is an exciting week for Pregnancy Land-ers.  During their first pregnancies, many women feel their babies move for the first time right about now.  If you haven't felt anything yet, drink a glass of cold orange juice - both the coldness and the sugar are known to get babies kicking - and lie down.  Give your heart a chance to slow down.  Breathe deeply and relax.  Feel any butterflies?  How about gas bubbles?  You may not be nervous or gaseous - that fluttering and bubbling could be your baby on the move!"

I'm thinking I'm going to stop at the grocery on the way home for a little OJ!!!

Morning Belly - 6/12/10

Sick of seeing my belly yet?  It's only going to get bigger and bigger and bigger....oh heavens.

Still waiting to feel the first kicks!!! 

Doctor appointment on Tuesday to hear the heartbeat again...and then the NEXT doctor appointment will be the sonogram!!  So about 20 or 21 weeks, we will be able to see if the baby is growing and healthy and if we are going to be having a son or a daughter!! 

Whoa Belly!

Belly is growing!!  (perhaps a little earlier than what most people expect!)  I'm currently at 16 weeks and 5 days.

All the books, articles, magazines, online posts, anything....seems to say that women having their first child usually don't start showing until about 5 or 6 months.......

Well, thanks to my mother for my terrific genes, I'm a belly over-achiever.....These pictures are at 16 weeks and 5 days.

The baby is about 5 inches now - from the tip of your thumb to the end of your hand (if that makes sense...).

I still have some sort of a recognizable waist....

There's a baby growing in there!!!

Also, please note...although my chest looks awfully small in these pictures, I assure you, it has grown like I couldn't have imagined!!  I know your chest is supposed to grow during pregnancy, but I guess I had it in my mind that it happens late in the 3rd trimester....WRONG!  In my 1st trimester, I went up over a cup size! 

You're welcome for the TMI....hehe.

I finally did it.....

I'm saying right now....I should always listen to my mother (until she starts up with her crazy talk...)  OK. So most of the time, I should listen to my mother.  How about that?

I went to Target after work Friday to look at maternity clothes.  I'm not so big that still wearing the belly band isn't an option - the zippers are just getting lower and lower each day and I'd like to be prepared with the next phase of clothing options before I start flashing people in the office....

HOLY MATERNITY PANT COMFORT......

I had no idea what maternity pants were, honestly.  Were they just regular pants with a big waist?  Oh no, they are pants with a belly band built in.  The biggest question that arose from trying them on was....why don't women wear these EVERYDAY?!  I only bought one pair in black to start off, a t-shirt, a dress and a nice shirt for work.  One word:  comfortable.

Waking up

I know it might sound completely absurd, but the belly I keep seeing and feeling when I wake up in the morning is amazing!!

Not sure why it's more "defined" in the morning when I'm laying down (or it's much easier to tell from the rest of my stomach region), but something feels and looks completely different. After the first day I noticed it, I couldn't wait to go to bed to be able to wake up and feel it again!

I love that Adam is next to me, and until my belly pretty much explodes and is free game for everyone to touch, Adam is the only one that is currently enjoying rubbing it.

Our baby is in there!! He or she can move and taste and smell and hear! The baby can hear Adam and me talking. It can hear my heartbeat. I'm amazed!

Can't wait to go to bed again to wake up and feel the belly again!

Why is it so noticeable in the morning??

IMPORTANT NOTE TO READERS: In several months when I want to cry and push the baby out of my huge stomach, when I can't fit in any clothes, when I can't stand, sit or lay down to get comfortable and I have to waddle instead of walking normally....it will be critical that someone slaps me upside the head to remind me how magical I feel right now and that baby is coming soon. Thanks :)

I'm not fat...I'm pregnant

So I know I've been loving my little baby bump that I'm starting to sport around under my clothes.....however, on top of the clothes, I look like I've drank too many beers or eaten too many donuts or large pizzas myself.

I can't fit into my normal pants (without my belly band and the pants unbuttoned) and some of my tighter shirts are a little tighter around the belly and the boobs (holy moly, have I talked about the boobs yet?? Who knew it was normal to grow so much in the first trimester!! a whole cup size, yowsers!). So basically I'm looking awfully chubby without the tell-tale belly of a pregnant woman.

Needless to say, I am frustrated with this. I've been joking with people that I need to buy or make a shirt that says "Stop staring, I'm not just fat, I'm pregnant." I think it has a nice ring to it and should be quite effective. :)

Your thoughts?? Haha.

Growing Baby....

People are now starting to seem genuinely confused about Adam's facebook statuses.

This week - 4 inches from head to rump, or as daddy says....

The Day Has Arrived....

I have a confession....

I no longer button my work pants. They still fit fine in the butt and legs and waist (for my high waist pants), however, it's getting a little tight in the belly region and I'm somewhat sick of having a button digging into my belly whenever I'm sitting down, which is 99% of my day.

About a week and a half ago was the first day I wore a pair of work pants and bravely didn't button them and hoped my long, tight cami would hold them closed and up during the day. I figured, as classy as that was, I needed another solution. I found it at Target. The BeBand - a band for your belly to help hold up unbuttoned/unzipped pants in your earlier pregnancy, hold up too big maternity pants or to help you post-pregnancy in your maternity/regular unzipped pants.

Let me tell you - magical.

The biggest question is....is this baby growing or is it fatty-bo-batty belly and love handles growing? For someone that's practically been on a diet for the last 10 years, eating a little less like I'm losing weight and a little more like everything tastes really good - that's fatty-bo-batty fo sho. At least now that I'm feeling better, I am back to eating fruits and veggies and I'm heading to the gym for the first time in months after work today.

So now I seem to be covered until the belly starts to pop and I'll be looking for maternity clothes. Thanks to mom and Mel, I've already got a start on some adorable tops! :)