Adventures in Swelling

What is that large blue object my darling doggie Chandler is looking at? Uh... that would be my growing belly!

This isn't going to be a post complaining about all the aches and pains of pregnancy. I am actually in amazement of the changes- both good and bad- going on with my body. There are so many changes happening in a short period of time that I just stare in the mirror in awe instead of discomfort or disgust (although those looks creep in every once in awhile.) No other time in my life will my body change this much. No man will ever go through what we women do during pregnancy. This is kind of a pregnancy journal entry. This is just to explain the latest chapter in this adventure.

There are good changes and not-so-good changes going on with this pregnancy. I'll save the best for last!

Swelling

One thing I love about being short is having cute little pixie feet. I love my feet- they are so dainty. That was until the day I looked down after a long day of cleaning and saw my little dainty toes had turned into puffy Vienna sausages. How and when did this happen!? Just a couple hours ago they looked normal! Eventually the puffiness went away....

That is until a couple weeks later when the temperatures started to soar and I went to the E.R. The puffiness had gone from just funny looking-feet to painful. My hands also started to swell to man-hand size. Of course I was (am) paranoid of pre-eclampsia (excessive swelling can sometimes indicate pre-eclampsia.) Thankfully my doc told me my blood pressure is perfect and I should drink more water and put my feet up more often. I drink two or three 34 oz. mug-fulls of water each day and try to relax more. (I actually have an excuse not to clean the entire apartment.. although it's hard for me to sit still when things need to be done.)

My shoe size has gone up because of this swelling. I used to wear a size 5 1/2. I bought some flip flops a couple weeks ago... in a size 7!

Swelling is a normal part of some women's pregnancies. My body is retaining more water and my blood chemistry is all a'changin' since there's a human growing inside of me!

Stretch Marks

When I went to the E.R. they asked me a bunch of questions. One was "have you had any breakdown of the skin?" I asked, "Do stretch marks count?" I've always heard of women getting stretch marks and didn't think that they would be such a big deal. However, that all changed when my thighs starting itching like crazy. Did I have some rash? Did some bug bite me? I looked in the mirror and it looked like a cat had scratched up and down my thighs. I screamed in terror and Ryan came running in. He of course said those nice husbandly things, "Oh, you are the most beautiful woman in the world. Yadda, yadda, yadda..."

Some women think using cocoa-butter lotion is a complete waste of time. I have used it, and I know they won't erase the stretch marks completely, but fade them. Mine have actually faded a bit. Well, then new stretch marks appear. I've decided to start naming them. The two newest are Carl and Lenny.

Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum!

I have a big ol' preggo belly. But that's not one of the bad things of pregnancy- I'm actually saving that for the good part. Being so big has made me think- it has to be hard for giants to move around. Their bodies are so cumbersome. Have you ever seen a giant try and pick up a quarter from the floor? It's the same for me- moving around is just plain difficult! I swear I need one of these old-people chairs:

My husband would like it if he didn't have to pull me out of the recliner every time I needed up to go potty (which is often these days.)

I can't ever get comfortable when I'm trying to fall asleep. I'll be comfortable on my left side for about 2. 7 minutes and then need to switch to my right side. I kind of have to give myself a little push off the mattress or kind of sway a little side to side to get some momentum to turn over. And since I'm running out of lung space due to this growing boy I am always out of breath. Just from turning over in bed!

Getting in and out of our van is always a chore too. I used to think those pregnant women who couldn't pick something up off the floor or tie their shoes were exaggerating. Um. No. My mind is completely changed. I'm just thankful it's summer and I can slip on my flip flops, otherwise my husband's job would be to pull me out of chairs and tie my shoes!

Insert Annoying Beavis and Butt-Head Laugh Here

I make bodily noises like a frat boy. Actually I think I make them better than a frat boy. That's all I'll say about that...

What is Going On?!

I've been pregnant before, but I lost Gus when he was 5 weeks gestation. So the first-few-week-symptoms weren't new to me with this pregnancy. But now that I am nearly 28 weeks there are new things going on that have puzzled me. The baby hasn't been very active in the past few days. I don't really feel the kicks anymore, just like he's rubbing his head and/or baby bum over the walls of my uterus. What are baby hiccups supposed to feel like? Am I having Braxon Hicks contractions? My back is hurting more than usual- am I having pre-term labor? I don't have a lot of experience to draw on in these situations! I am a little anxious sometimes, but I just trust in God and know everything is in His hands. I do my part by staying healthy.


Now on to the brighter side of pregnancy...


I'm Ready for My Shampoo Commercial

I've always had really thin, limp hair. I use volumizing shampoo, conditioner and hair products. I blow-dry my hair upside down. About one hour after I do my hair it goes flat.

But now- WOW!

I don't even have to do my hair for it to appear thick and full. If I just wash it and let it air dry it looks luxurious. I've never really fussed over my hair, so while this is a perk, it's not like the most wonderful thing in the world. I'm not getting too attached because I know when the baby is born it will all start falling out!

My Job as a Hand Model Starts Now

My fingernails now grow quickly. They also don't chip. Too bad I HATE long fingernails. I can't function with them. I feel like I'm scratching my eyes when I am putting in my contacts. Again, this is just a perk!

Braxton Hicks

This may sound strange, but I am actually grateful for Braxton Hicks contractions. I can definitely feel them, but they are painless. I'm sure in a couple weeks when they start to be a little more painful they will bother me. But for now I'm happy for these practice contractions. It is nice to know my body is preparing for the real deal.

My Big Beautiful Belly

I mentioned before that I've always had kind of a poochie tummy before pregnancy, so seeing my belly grow because of a child inside of it instead of eating Taco Bell is nice. The stretch marks haven't crept up to my belly yet (they're hanging out down south on my thighs.) So sometimes after I get out of the shower or when I change my clothes I just stare in amazement at my stomach. It's so BIG and so awesome! It's been interesting to see my belly button get more and more shallow. It hasn't popped out like a turkey timer yet, but it's pretty darn close.

I just love to rub my belly and feel how hard it is. And the best reward to rubbing- I feel my baby boy kick. Deep below the layers of fat and tissue our son is living and thriving. The first few months of pregnancy were odd- you know there is a living being inside you, but it doesn't really feel like there's anything going on. The first time I felt him kick and really knew it was him kicking and not gas bubbles- my heart skipped a beat. It was a nervous and excited and new feeling I had never experienced before. You imagine what it feels like to feel your baby kick, but when it happens... it's indescribable. As he has gotten bigger he's actually moving all the skin and tissue on my belly. It looks like a little alien trying to escape. Last night while I was reading, I was resting the book on my belly. Maybe I was "squishing" him or maybe he just wanted to say hello, but my book started "bobbing" up and down. He was kicking my book!

I'm not quite sure what body part is what, but sometimes I feel something really hard at certain areas of my belly. I mean really hard. Is that his head? Or his little bum? Maybe his back? It's so neat!

Ryan can't get enough of watching my belly move. He could touch and stare at my belly for hours if he could. I see him in awe of his son already. Just imagine how much love and devotion he will have for his son when he is outside the womb.

The Best Part of Pregnancy....

is our baby, of course. Knowing there is a person inside me, with his own DNA, his own soul, his own identity. Sure he has both my husband and me as a part of him, but he is his own little person. I wish I had a camera to see what he's doing down there in my womb. I wish I could see his little face. I wish I could hear his cries and coo's and baby laughs. It's kind of a strange thought- we will see our son for the first time sometime in September. But I have known him since found out we had conceived him. One minute he'll be a mystery- the next he'll be born and all our wonderings (most of them anyway) about him will be realized. Our lives will change forever when this baby is born. An indelible mark will be placed on our souls when we become parents to our child when he comes into the world. Sure it will be scary. We'll be responsible for a body, mind and soul other than our own. I'm thankful God is merciful.. we will need all the help we can get.

I know I may have complained too much about my pregnancy, but that really was not my intent. I am very lucky to have had a non-complicated pregnancy. And really, if I didn't have the stretch marks or the back aches or the aversion to certain foods I would be freaking out. I'd rather have all uncomfortable symptoms than a symptom-free pregnancy. I want to know that things are going the way they should be. And I shouldn't get to discouraged about the weight gain or the cottage cheese thighs or puffiness. I know most women experience these things in pregnancy, even though it feels like I am the only one in the world that has these red badges of motherhood.

The only part I very much dislike about this pregnancy is the renewal of depression in my life. It's not a Darth Pregger, easily annoyed, cry over a car commercial kind of depression. It's a bit darker than that. It is something that I have talked to my doctor about and am now receiving appropriate help. I have battled with depression on and off since high school, and it saddens me that it struck again during the happiest time of my life. But this deserves a separate post that I hope to get to soon.

I embrace all the changes going on with my body. I read somewhere that a pregnant woman is like a beautiful tree that bears heavy fruit. I think that quote is perfect. All the changes that are happening - the good, bad and the ugly are beautiful because they are a result of a greater good- the creation of a new soul, a new life- my son.