whoa baby!

21 weeks. time is flying!

lots of changes these days. like, for example, i'm sitting here trying to type a blog feeling like i just ate 5 lbs of pasta because baby has decided "hey! there's so much more room up here!" and has moved into my ribcage for the time being. where normally my lower belly is tight and round, it is now loose and deflated while my upper belly is quite round (and uncomfortable), unless i can convince little monks to move back down to where he/she is supposed to be.

i also feel like i finally look pregnant (in some clothes anyway). it's definitely that stage where people are starting to look at my belly and wonder. my sister's friend had a shirt that said "yes, i'm pregnant." i think i need that shirt.

i'm feeling kicks and turns and movements all the time now. what started as just a flutter here and there are now full-blown scheduled times of activity (right now i'm picturing the part in step-brothers where they bunk their beds and survey the room exclaiming "there's so much room for activities!"). for example i found myself wide awake at 2am a couple of nights ago, first hungry for a pb&j sandwich, and then returning to bed for probably the most movement i've felt so far. about a week ago i was finally able to feel the little movements on the outside of my belly, but i am lucky to catch them. but that night, all i had to do was rest my hand anywhere near my belly and that was enough to catch the choreography going on inside there. it was crazy! and even the hubs has gotten his hand over in time to feel a few bumps here and there.

i feel a lot of normalcy right now. no crazy emotions or cravings or anything like that. still a general tiredness from time to time, but not a "i can't get out of bed" exhaustion like the first trimester. i just usually think to myself how great a nap would be. i've gained 3 whole pounds, and for this i am very relieved. i admit there's a lot of vanity tied to that, because i've long had a great fear of what my body would do during pregnancy. i'm short, and already curvy. haven't considered myself "thin" since my early teens. i have little room in my body for a baby (and when i say this, i don't exaggerate--i just got back from my prenatal appointment on friday and was shown exactly where the top of my uterus is right now...i have four inches left--FOUR, people). and because of this i always feared i'd balloon up and be one of those women who gains tons of weight during pregnancy and is left with an unrecognizable body afterwards. i had pre-accepted the fact that i'd just be a beached whale as pregnant person. but i think i'm doing ok. i've read and heard that if the majority of your weight is gained towards the later half of pregnancy that you have a much better chance of returning to your normal weight pretty quickly after birth. now, don't get me wrong. i DON'T think these thoughts are healthy in anyway. nor do i judge other pregnant women by the way their bodies take shape during pregnancy because i've always thought pregnant women were beautiful. therefore, i realize that this points to an underlying issue of insecurity. but, dangit, right now i'm just happy that people are telling me i look great for once in my life! i'm living it up while i can!

so other than the fact that i sometimes feel like my legs are going to break off at the hip, i feel pretty good. no major problems. but dang, my hips really hurt sometimes! and i can't pinpoint exactly what it is. some sources say it could be sciatica, and some say it's your joints moving because your ligaments are more stretchy. whatever it is, i'll be glad when that part is over. i'm living for my heating pad most nights.

i also think i finally settled on a healthcare provider to deliver our baby. i didn't initially plan on switching, but i think we've made the best decision possible given our options. and i've learned a lot more about the birthing process since this all started. i just pray everything goes normally and without complication. i like to whisper our baby words of encouragement that usually involve the word "seven" and "little." i like to stay away from words like "nine" and "ten" and "big."

i also went to this giant mom-to-mom sale event thanks to a friend who gave up her ticket and got a lot of goodies for really great deals! one of them was a pretty sweet dinosaur onsie. it even has socks with "claws" on them. it is awesome. my husband and i have a thing for dinosaurs. and i was a dinosaur for my first halloween. super cute.

and i'll just leave you with that thought in your head since this has turned into a novel. and i'll try and get some pictures up soon of my growing (and moving) belly!