Pregnancy Notes

I hope to keep better notes on this pregnancy, since it may very well be our last. And my mom likes regular belly shots, so we'll start with this one. The past two days have been largely nausea free {before 9 p.m.}, which would indicate I've turned a corner. Hurray for the second trimester. It's a wonderful thing. Some thoughts so far.



On Eating:

I have more cravings than aversions when I'm preggers. They start early and tend to stick. Thus far I crave the same foods I did during the other two pregnancies. Onion bagels toasted with butter, ice cold milk, hard-boiled eggs, pasta with piping hot red sauce drizzled over the top {never mixed in}, and homemade smoothies. Not together, of course.


And Thai food is a biggie, but that's nothing new. I dream in Drunken Noodles. You know what I miss daily about working in the city? Not the awesome career. Not the hilarious girlfriends. Not the crazy nightlight. I miss Pongsri on W. 48th.


The only thing I cannot stomach at the moment is salad, which is unfortunate. I typically eat a boat load of organic greens {arugula, baby spinach, spring mix, romaine} every week. But right now we have to keep our distance or I'll vomit.



On Growing:

I'm not going to lie and say I love the entire process of being pregnant. My Sweets thinks I complain a lot toward the end. But one of the things I do enjoy is watching my body swing into full Mama Mode. The changes are miraculous. I definitely embrace them. It's probably because I've been about the same weight since junior high. Which is fantastic in a practical sense, but boring too. I can eat all day long--everything and anything--and never work out thanks to the "skinny genes" on my dad's side.


But as soon as I get pregnant, my maternal reserves rise to the occasion and prep my body to grow, nourish and birth another 8+ pound babes. The first few pounds go right to my butt and thighs. I get curvy and start to show a definite baby bump by 10 weeks. Love that. I gain roughly 40 pounds with each pregnancy, and my body typically bounces back to normal around 8 weeks postpartum. The breastfeeding helps. My point is... I really appreciate the middle months of pregnancy and the all-around fullness while it lasts. Plus, I think baby bellies are super sexy, and My Sweets agrees.



On Everything Else:

I am even more forgetful than usual when expecting {yikes!}, but I have a superhero's sense of smell. That can be a good and bad thing. The only swelling issue I experience is with my fingers. Both rings are stuck on by midday, but I can't stand the thought of not wearing them. Even for a second. My hair never gets silky and thick like the books claim, but my nails do flourish from the prenatal vitamins.


Right now I'm still in some regular pants, probably for another two weeks, but I've already switched over to maternity tees. Liz Lange makes a nice stretchy/long/fitted one for Target, and--surprisingly--Burlington has a small but cool selection of printed tees for the lady in waiting. Plus, my friend Alana keeps dropping cute tops at the house... which I love. Thank you :)


Already the children take great pride in trying to name their baby sibling. Especially Buby. In case I forget to mention later, he likes "Rocky." Bleu lifts my shirt every day and places her hand on my growing baby bump. She tells me where the head is and then crouches down to listen for a heartbeat. I love how into it she is. So far.