Confessions of a Pregnant Girl, part III

I am quite overdue for an update!

• I hit the 33 week mark today. For those who don't speak in weeks, that's about 7 and a half months. 
• I am definitely showing, but strangers still don't ask or touch unless I say something. I am getting more and more uncomfortable as I fight for space with my tiny human. While it's scary to think I have so little time left, I can't wait for it to be over so I can have my body back. 
• I found my first stretch marks a little over a month ago. At first there were just a few faint pink marks under my belly, but they are multiplying in number and getting darker. Oi. I'm sure they'll get even better by the end. 
• I used to think baby brain wasn't a real thing and that it was just an excuse for pregnant women to be airheads, but OH MY GOSH. It is real and it is awful. I feel so stupid sometimes! The other day, Joe needed the car for work, so he gave me a ride. On the way there I realized (or at least I thought I realized) I forgot to grab my phone on the way out. So I put the number for the clinic in Joe's phone in case he needed to get a hold of me. Then, the next morning I remembered I still needed to find my phone, so I called it. And where did I find it? In my work bag!! I had it with me all along!! I've been forgetful in the past, but it's so bad these days that every single time I go into another room to do something, I have to stop and think to remember what it was I went in there for. 
• I'm going to a Halloween party tonight and I am so excited for my costume. It's something I can only pull off because I'm pregnant so I'm pretty stoked about it. For the sake of keeping it a surprise, I'll post a picture of my costume tomorrow, but trust me, it's pretty stinking clever. 
• I have mastered the art of peeing in a cup and I must say, it makes my doctor visits so much smoother. Except my last one. I went in to collect my sample and I totally forgot to do it. I just did my business and got out. So I chugged my water bottle and had to collect it 10 minutes later. The nurse wasn't even mad because apparently, it happens all the time. Pregnant ladies are pathetic! Gah! Stupid baby brain... 
• Living in a city where people are just barely starting to get to know me has been nice while being pregnant. I've had like, zero people fondle my belly since I've started showing. But last weekend I went home for Thanksgiving and hands were everywhere! Obviously my family all wanted to cop a feel, but then there was church where all the ladies who raised me wanted to feel too. It wasn't too bad actually. It was fun to have my little sister feel when the baby was moving because I don't think she's ever gotten to feel a baby move while it's still inside. 
• Speaking of feeling the baby move - at my last doctor's appointment she told me I needed to start counting kicks and that I should feel baby move at least 10 times in an hour. That has not been a problem for this child at all! Sometimes I can get 10 kicks in 5 minutes! This is definitely a squrimer. It's still pretty funny when I'm trying to get Joseph to feel or see it move because he always looks away at the wrong moment. Last night he poked my belly and told baby to "Move!" and for some reason, he immediately looked away right after he poked it and baby made a big movement the second his eyes were off. When he turned back to look, he poked again and could feel that baby had shifted positions, but he'd totally missed it happening. 

Confessions of a Pregnant Girl, Part II

So far being in the second trimester has been exciting and frustrating all together.

• What's been the most exciting is that I definitely know I've been feeling baby move. I mentioned in the last confession that I thought I might have felt the baby move, but now I definitely know that those little gas bubbles were indeed baby. The movements have been getting more and more distinct and I even notice them while I'm at work too. Which is nice but it can be so distracting... How am I supposed to concentrate at work when I have a small alien tickling me from the inside???
• At work, with a client, explaining an exercise to them
• Me: "So yeah all you do is you move this way -" *punch* 
• "uh huh, just like that. And then you -" *punch, punch* 
• "yeah, you've got it!" *wiggle, wiggle, punch*
• Recently, I've discovered that baby's movements are now strong enough to be felt from the outside too! I was sitting on the couch and I felt like some of the punches were really strong so I placed my hand on my tummy and sure enough, I could feel the movements under my hand! I was so sad Joe couldn't be there, but I texted him right away to tell him. At least by the time he gets home I'm sure the movements will have gotten stronger so he should have no problem feeling them! 
• Something that is both frustrating and exciting is the fact that I am finally starting to show! Sort of. I am 23 weeks along today (or 5 months for those of you who don't measure time in weeks) and it only really shows when I let my stomach muscles totally relax. Otherwise, when I've got my core engaged, it just looks like I'm starting to get fat. 

"Psst, is that girl pregnant or is she just getting fat?"

"Aw what a cute pregnant girl! And the faces she makes are totally adorable! She will have a cute child."

• I have finally made the switch to maternity pants at work, thanks to my sister-in-law and OH MY LANTA WHAT WAS I WAITING FOR! They are so comfortable. I really like the ones that have the super stretchy tummies just cause they feel more secure and don't emphasize the fact that I have a billion layers going on around my stomach in the summertime. Now that I have a good variety of pants for work, now I just need to collect a few more maternity tops and I should be set!
• I think I would like to check out some prenatal yoga classes soon. I've been able to find out about a class the happens here in GP so now I just need to make a commitment to go. This will be my first time venturing into a fitness group outside of school that doesn't involve rugby people, so wish me luck! If I had a pregnant friend to bring along that would be great (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, to a certain pregnant girl who moved back south just before I found out I was pregnant!)
• Okay, this one's a bit of a rant but... One thing that annoys me about being pregnant is how everyone who knows I'm pregnant wants to treat me like I'm made of glass, or they think I need to be extra careful while I'm doing things. Like the other day when I was standing on a stool to fix the dryer vent a co-worker said, "Be careful! If anyone here needs to avoid falling it's you!" And then another time when another co-worker was struggling to move a big heavy box into another room, I just stepped in and pushed it as I've been taught to push anything in rugby and she was all worried that I might hurt myself. I just don't understand how my body can all of a sudden become this frail, delicate thing when all my life it has been strong and reliable! I just wish people would trust that I know my body and I know how to listen to it when it needs a break. As I've been playing touch rugby with a group of people from church, I have definitely noticed that I can't cut and run like I used to (not that I was much of a runner before), but I don't push it! I take breaks when I need to and I stop when I've had enough. My biggest pet peeve is when someone doesn't think I can do something just because I'm a girl and I feel like a lot of people underestimate my abilities just because I'm pregnant! I'm carrying a child, not a disease. I'm not dying. Calm down, everyone.  **DISCLAIMER: I am in no way saying that pregnant girls should ignore restrictions placed on them and go out and push their bodies to the max. I am saying you should listen to your body and do only what feels comfortable. Pregnancy is no time to be trying to break any world records**

Confessions of a Pregnant Girl, Part 1

I'm not gonna lie, being pregnant isn't as exciting as I thought it would be. I'm supposed to be getting all amped up for the little person I'll be bringing into the world soon, but it's hard to get excited when you hardly feel like anything's happening. Mind you, that may change once I actually start to show and the whole world can see I'm pregnant too, so that's why this is "part 1" of my pregnancy confessions...

• I don't think I've ever had to pee in a cup more in my entire life than I have since I've been pregnant. And I'm pretty sure all ladies can agree with the fact that peeing in a cup SUCKS. For some reason you can never figure out where the pee is coming from and so you inevitably pee on your hand every. single. time. And then there's the walk of shame as you carry your sample out to the collection site in the warm cup. Speaking of pee, I may as well get the rest of my bodily functions out there too...
• Holy gas, Batman! Not only do I get gas more frequently, but it is deadlier than it has ever been before. There have been a couple days where I just end up crop dusting my entire workplace and make the patients and therapists gag. My mother would be so proud.
• This is gross, but I have dry skin all over my stomach and boobs! It's so bad that when I take my shirt off at the end of the day, I have a small shower of flakes fall out. So attractive. 
• At 16 weeks, I have reached the point where my belly makes it uncomfortable to crouch for long periods of time (which I do a lot at work). It's made my work pants start to feel a little snug in the waist, but I can still wear my jeans. Sort of. As long as I go without a belt I'm fine because as soon as I sit down it will dig into my tummy. Unfortunately, my pants can't stay up on their own, so I just end up looking like a slob when I try to wear something fancier than yoga pants or sweats. 
• I have had several moments where I've thought I felt the baby move. But then I realize it's just gas. There has been one instance that was different from the others though! So I wrote it down in my journal saying "If a kicking baby feels like a muscle twitch deep in my lower abdomen, then I think I felt the baby move. If that is not what a kicking baby feels like, then disregard this note."
• Pregnant girls have to drink so much water! At my first prenatal appointment my doctor pointed out that I needed to be drinking more water. So for the next month I was hydrating like crazy. And on the day of my second appointment I made sure I drank lots. But she still told me that my urine sample said I'm not drinking enough! I feel like I'm going to need to carry around a camelback water bottle just to meet the doctor's orders. 
• Normally, I hate putting additional sauce on anything I eat. Joseph does this all the time - he'll douse his plate with ranch or siracha or BBQ sauce and it always makes me so mad because it's like he doesn't like my cooking. But lately, I've been adding ketchup or BBQ sauce to everything. Not that there was any question, but I think this proves that I am definitely carrying his child. 
• I have discovered a couple perks to being pregnant and that is that I'm able to get Joe to do a few more of the little things for me. Like if we're watching a movie and I want a drink, but I left my cup on the kitchen counter, he'll go get it for me. Even when I'm closer. Sometimes when we're both in bed and I realize I left my phone in the living room, he'll go get that for me too. I'll have to be careful as I test how far he's willing to go though so I don't lose his co-operation before I get the midnight munchies for 7-11 potato wedges during a snow storm. That will be the big test if he makes it that far...