Photographic Friday: Postcards from "The Bump"

Today I'm officially 14 weeks and 2 days. I have about 180 days to go. Looking at the difference between my 10 week picture and my 14 (+) week picture, it looks as though I've popped. It really happened in between my 12th and 13th week.

For now, I'm not walking about "sporting the bump" nor am I really trying to "hide it." I think when I wear certain clothing people just think I got a little carried away at Thanksgiving. I haven't had a chance to tell my Department Head at the college nor have I told the owner of the practice I work in so, until they know, I'm going to refrain from wearing my tube-tops to work to proudly display my new superpower... growing humans.

At 14+ weeks I'm feeling much better than I did in the first trimester. I was VERY lucky in that I didn't get morning sickness (or nausea really at all) but, the fatigue... man, the fatigue. I'm so used to being able to push myself; work 12 hour days then come home and work some more. Not anymore. I was seriously concerned all of my muscles were going to atrophy with the amount of time I spent riding the couch! Every day, if I wasn't working, I could be found laying on the couch. Aaron would come by every few hours and hold a mirror in front of my nose to make sure I was breathing, and roll me on to my side to avoid getting bedsores.

Now my energy level is slowly coming back but, in exchange, I'm getting terrible bloody noses (which the doctor said is normal), I need to go bra shopping, (AGAIN), and I'm starting to get a pregnancy appetite (which is scaring me, a tiny bit.) I'm one of those people who really has to monitor every morsel of food I put in my mouth or else I'll pack on the pounds like it's my job. Right now I can't deprive the baby (and let's face it, I'm hungry and I have cravings) so I'm trying to make really healthy choices. For instance, instead of a bag of Heshey's Kisses, I might make some trail mix with nuts, raisins and throw in a few chocolate chips. Luckily a lot of my cravings have actually been for really healthy things (avocado, pineapple, green apples, soups, and MILK! MILK! MILK! (I'm a milkoholic). I do, however, refuse to discuss my love affair with Doritos!

I couldn't have asked for a better person to be by my side for this pregnancy. Aaron is extremely supportive, helpful, and tolerant. I don't know how I would have survived the first 12 weeks without him doing everything for me. Seriously, laundry, cleaning, walking the dogs, filling my car with gas, dishes, cooking, grocery shopping and well, anything else that is supposed to be done. It doesn't hurt that he thinks pregnant women are delicious looking so I take comfort in knowing that if I completely let myself go, the sun will still rise and set on me in Aaron's eyes. ;)