29 weeks (and a few pros and cons).

I'm in the middle of my 29th week and still loving being pregnant.  I don't want to say I wish it would never end because I do want to meet my baby, obviously, and finally find out if I have a son or a daughter (a James or a Lucy), but pregnancy has been good to me.

At 29 weeks, I've learned about some pros and cons of being pregnant in public.

Pros:
- Random people (who, I imagine, would otherwise pay you no mind) flash you and your bump genuine smiles.
- Strangers wish you a Happy Mother's Day (and it makes me want to bear hug them, but that might get weird).
- Strangers in close proximity congratulate you and ask when you're due.  That makes my day every. Single. Time.
- People are more helpful (as in holding doors, reaching things, etc.).
- You can have a belly and feel absolutely beautiful in fitted clothing without even thinking about trying to suck it it (not that you could anyway).

Cons:
- Way too many people call the baby "It."  Have you seen It?  I'm not having one of those.
- Apparently, you can't have any emotions about anything, otherwise you're hormonal (much like not being pregnant and having anything you might possibly feel be blamed on the fact that you're on your period, even if you're not on your period).
- People feel it's their right, nay, their duty, to tell you that your belly is huge and you'll never make it anywhere near your due date.  My belly is 34.5" around, thank you very much.
- If you tell people how great you feel, instead of being met with the same positivity, you will be told to "just wait until (fill in the blank with something negative)," or about how awful labor is and you just wait, or "that's only because you haven't had (insert super awful pregnancy symptom)."  If pregnancy is such a beautiful thing, how come so many woman have so many pessimistic thoughts?
- You're warned about how many strangers will touch your belly, but in my experience, NO ONE touches my belly, and I want them to because I'm JUST SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS BABY!

24 weeks: my whole world weighs about two pounds

From my little karate chop baby, to an upcoming shower, to home repairs - everything is moving so quickly!  I feel like I'll blink and pregnancy will be over and my baby will have already been born.  It's crazy to think that I'm nearing the end of my second trimester, and with the delivery date rapidly approaching (at least it feels that way to me) I'm starting to think about all new things; considering the baby will most likely come early, when should I have my hospital stay bag packed? which detergent is the best for washing Baby's sheets and clothes? will I accidentally cuss at the doctor or nurses in the delivery room and then feel guilty?  So many thoughts and questions!

You know how sometimes you look at a picture of yourself and think, "WHY COULDN'T I MAKE MY FACE LOOK NORMAL?!"  That's this.  I swear I'm happier than I look, but it's like I forget how to, you know, HAVE A WORKING FACE when a camera is around.

I think luck was on my side when I found this dress.  It's not maternity, but because of the hippie-ish style and the higher waist, this baby should last me for a while longer (assuming my stomach doesn't torpedo overnight).  I'm still having such a difficult time dressing myself, but I'm beginning to think that maxi dresses might be my new BFF...

21 Weeks: Belly Ripples

In the last few weeks, I've gone from feeling what felt like popcorn gently popping in my stomach, to feeling full-fledged kicks, and even seeing more defined, ripple-like movements; this is by far my favorite part of pregnancy.  This evening I laid on the sofa until it was dark just because I didn't want to get up, turn a light on, and possibly make baby stop moving!

I'm wearing | jacket: American Eagle (like, 10 years old) // sweater: I don't remember, but that baby is COMFY // dress: ASOS (not maternity, but it's got enough stretch for another month... I hope) // clogs: Lotta From Stockholm // sunglasses: c/o Oasap

Current cravings: still donuts, but I wouldn't mind a side or four of cheese and veggie pizza.
Current weight gain: 8.5 pounds (although my scale isn't 100% accurate, so I'm curious to see at my OB appointment next week).
Current aches and pains: my back hurts after too much standing or walking without sitting breaks, and my hips are sore at night which makes it difficult to sleep at times.  BUT, if these aches and pains are what it takes to grow a baby, I don't mind them a bit!
Maternity clothes: I have a few maternity shirts (only two have the ruching to make them look like actual maternity shirts), one maternity dress that's a little too big at the moment, and a pair of black maternity ponte pants.  Because I'm still so petite, most maternity clothes are far too big, but I've outgrown most of my regular clothes which makes getting dressed a real challenge!  I was lucky enough to find a new, unused Belly Belt on ebay for $6, so that should allow me to continue wearing my regular jeans for another month or two (and by that time it'll be so warm I won't have any interest in jeans).