In a strange way, I have felt both the nastiest I have ever been and the most beautiful I have ever been, both simultaneously. How you can feel as beautiful as a supermodel despite stretch marks and "cankles" is beyond me, but it is possible and it is miraculous!
Keep in mind that I have on reserve, in a super secret location locked away from the world, a collection of photos with those stretch marks, swollen feet, and stylish hand splints I have to wear every night to bed, to bring out on the day that you claim I am ruining your life for not letting you go to the movies with some boy without cleaning your room first. I can also tell you some grotesque stories of the body functions you have caused your poor mother.
But, for the most part, pregnancy has been beautiful and enjoyable. The positive aspects have far outweighed the negative, and I don't think anyone who hasn't experienced pregnancy could pretend to fully understand. There are many parts about being a woman that flat out stink... but after this process, I am realizing that God has reserved a special duty for us that is unparalleled. All of those womanly woes make these moments possible, and for that, I am grateful.
First Trimester :: The first trimester had to be my least favorite. While the mental excitement and newness of being pregnant is exhilarating at times, the symptoms definitely catch up to you. Morning sickness is a misleading name. I was sick just about every morning (I-35 was littered with remains of my breakfast, FYI), occasionally at lunch (though work helped me keep my brain off my nausea long enough to make it through the afternoon), almost every night after dinner, and about every other night before bed. Good news, though: I lost 12 pounds! And I got to eat a lot of milkshakes: yum! While I would look in the mirror each morning and hope to see growth in my belly, I soon realized the only thing showing progress was my chest, an area that growth was neither needed nor welcomed.
Second Trimester :: The physical changes in my body during the second trimester were mostly the desired ones. My boobs and belly were in a constant race for furthest out, though my boobs mostly lead the way. When my belly would hit a growth spurt and I would get excited, my boobs would hit a growth spurt to, knocking them back in first place. The nausea mostly subsided. We got to see a sonogram in which you actually looked like a baby, not a grain of rice, and we got to find out your sex. Though many of the pregnancy websites and such would say that I would start feeling your movements soon, I didn't feel these until much later than most. I would turn off anything in the house that would make noise, lay on the bed as still as I could, and try to feel you. Nothing! You were sneaky!
Third Trimester :: For the most part, I enjoyed the third trimester. I got to feel your movements and your kicks, which is one of the coolest feelings ever (though you do kinda feel like you are in an Alien movie). You were very shy though. I knew you were awake and moving, but the second I would put your daddy's hand on my belly or tell him to watch, you would freeze. In my head, this is what you were doing in there:
My belly finally beat the boobs, though don't mistake... the boobs gave it good effort! Your growing body started taking up more and more real estate, which caused not-so-fun-but-bearable symptoms like heartburn (Tums, anyone?), varying appetite, difficulty breathing at times, etc. I didn't really have any cravings (although one time I really wanted to have sour cream for lunch), but your daddy had enough cravings for the both of us. The last month of pregnancy is when most of the undesirable pregnancy symptoms like swollen ankles, corpal tunnel, and the infamous waddling show up, but it wasn't all bad:
- Cankles are actually easier to shave than ankles because there aren't any bumps to work around;
- Maternity clothes are easier to shop for since the waste of all of them are stretchy and made to fit most (plus maternity clothes are made to fit people with curves and breasts!);
- Tums come in this super-yummy mint flavor that actually keeps your breath fresh, too;
- Strapless bras stay up when you are pregnant because your belly holds everything up.
Finally, for the pictures (and yes, these are professional ones with some touch ups to hide stretch marks and that annoying scar from my belly button piercing I got as a teenager):
All in all, I have loved being pregnant with you, and I am anxious and excited to meet you in (I hope) less than 2 weeks!
Loves you, little one!
Mommy
