Random-ness for week 22

Holy wow. I love looking back at the grainy photos I've taken on my iPhone to see what I had thought was a good lil' pooch going, only to take another one a week or so later and realize that I'm even poochier.

I admit, I started becoming offended when I'd hear someone say, "you don't even look pregnant!" Really? So you're saying I've always had a gut like this? Wow, thanks. Glad this bumperoni just blends in with the rest of me so much.

But just in the past few days...I've officially popped.
Here are two pics, taken a week apart in the same tank top. If you don't see a difference, please leave my blog. ;) (Please note, on the left, I'm wearing a sports bra and on the right, I'm wearing a special nursing bra, so don't be thinking, "wow, her boobs are filling out, too!" Unfortunately, that is not the case.)



So this week's post was originally going to be a heartfelt post about something very special TO ME...but I'm going to hold off until I feel a bit less frazzled. Instead, I'm just going to share a few random thoughts I've had in the past week.

1. A shout-out to my pal Gina for introducing my boobs to a Pea in a Pod's nursing bra. To be frank, my boobs haven't grown as much at this point as everyone said they would. Apparently, I take after my mom in the chest department. BUt, what has grown is the circumference around...and even just increasing my bra size by one (not the cup, mind you), it did nothing to alleviate the iron like fists that were pummeling my chest with every breath. I would take my bra off at night and have deep red indentations and it gradually started making me want to go braless, which is not something we small-chested women ever want to do as it's not very flattering. Unless you're Kate Hudson. So yeah, the Pea in a Pod bra is a godsend...and my boobs agree. I hardly know it's even on. I only bought 2. I might need a few more... and never go back to underwires! Who cares if I don't have bigger boobs? I'm already taken..! ha

2. Sneezing when pregnant sucks. As if your muscles aren't already stretched to their max, sneezing sends you into short-lived, yet sometimes downright agonizing moments of spasmodic chaos, tightening up the rib cavity, propelling you forward while the rest of you grimaces in anticipation of the stabs of round ligament pain that are surely on their way. Feels GREAT. Ok, I"m totally weirded out. As I was writing this, I sneezed. No lie. I swear on the baby inside me. Wtf? Let's try something else. You know what else sucks? Having the prize patrol show up while blogging.

Wait for it...wait for it.

Damn. Nothing. So... Moving on...

3. For those who have yet to be pregnant, don't let the literature fool you. They say you get an energy surge in the 2nd trimester. Here I had been thinking that would mean that I'd suddenly become superwoman with a belly...and feel like dusting, cleaning, cooking, working for the dollars AND still have energy to exercise. NOT. What it really means is that compared to 1st trimester, I want to take maybe two fewer naps a day. So now I only want one. Before I was knocked up...naps were a luxury I treated myself to once every two or three months. Now, I forgo doing things like showering or brushing my hair so I can lie down.

4. As the baby inside me expands in size, and as my skin grows tauter and my ribs feel more and more crushed...I still am in disbelief. I just can't get over that this is natural. That we're SUPPOSED to be feeling all this craziness inside. And out. Do animals freak out when they go through this stretchy-stretchy stuff?

5. And let's also not forget how freaked out I get when I lie in bed at night and really think about what it is that is making my stomach protrude. THERE IS A BABY inside. A real human. And no matter how many times I hear others say it, or how many times I read about it, I am still weirded out. A baby? IN ME??? I can't even express what I mean fully. All I know is that I'm glad I don't smoke weed cuz I would be so "out there" with the zany thought that I'd probably scare the baby right out of me. Ok, there are probably other good reasons for not smoking weed, too.

6. I feel him kick a lot now. Mostly, he's kicking downwards, like stamping on the opening of my cervix. Or he'll give me the boot to my bladder. I've yet to have the consistent fist pumps that you can feel from the outside. Poor Neil. He tries, but lil Dub doesn't perform when we want him to. Geee, runs in the family. Our cat is the same way.

7. We are registering this weekend! I am looking so forward to it. It's my first weekend home in over a month...and boy, are we filling it up with the fun errands. Going to hunt down a glider... register.... maybe put together the crib...clean out the baby room since it's chock full of crap right now...and hang up all the clothes I bought on the new lil' baby hangers I just got today. Oh the joys!

8. All in all, I'm feeling decent though. Of course there are tiny complaints, and then the arthritis still being a problem...and the uncontrollable moaning that comes out of my mouth when I try to change positions in bed or when sunken in too low on the couch, but heck, I can deal with it.My next doc appointment is tomorrow. I have finally gained some weight... I put on 5-7 lbs in the past 5 days... at last! Woohoo!

and on that note... here is our 22-week official journal pic.... :)