Stretchy Jeans and Citrus Fruit

You may have guessed from the title of this entry that I am going to write about pregnancy. It really is the strangest thing - being pregnant I mean. Currently, I am enjoying every moment of it, but some of the early stages have not been so fun. Allow me to reflect a bit...

The day I found out that we were expecting, I couldn't contain my excitement! We had only very recently decided that we were finally ready to entertain the possibility of adding a new member to the Rude family, and then it was suddenly a reality! I took the at-home test during my lunch break and already had a feeling that I knew what the results would be. Sure enough - the line was definitely there! I hid the evidence in the bathroom and planned to surprise David that night. So much for that idea... He got a cut on his hand and went digging around for the antibacterial ointment and came across the test. I heard him in the bathroom ask confusedly, "um...what does this mean?" I raced into the bathroom and said, "it means we're going to have a baby, and it was supposed to be a surprise!" I was really too excited to care about him finding it, and we could talk about little else that night besides the fact that WE were going to have a CHILD - crazy!

As my pregnancy progressed, my excitment never faded, but sometimes my joyfulness did. Morning sickness really stinks. I know I didn't have it as bad as some women do, but basically I felt like I was a helpless seasick blimp for several weeks. Although I only actually vomited on a few occasions, I felt like I was in a continuous state of nausea for days on end. I would generally make it through my workday without serious incident (eating saltines and drinking water like a madwoman) and then immediatly crash on the couch for a nap each evening. I had to eat something every 2 hours to avoid feeling miserable but not many foods sounded good. My sense of smell was crazy-sensitive (helping trigger more nausea) and my digestive system was all messed up too. The fatigue was what shocked me the most though. I could hardly stay awake at my computer, driving, hanging out with friends, - anytime really. Thankfully, these symptoms started to decrease around week 15 and by week 18 or 19 they were gone.

The second trimester has been wonderful! Sure my body is feeling uncomfortable and none of my clothes fit, but I get to feel the baby moving around now and we've been able to experience the wonder of ultrasound. It was hard to distinguish "baby" movements from other bodily movements early on, but around Thanksgiving time I was sure that those jabs were coming from tiny fists and feet. Now I've got a regular little party animal. It doesn't matter what time of day or what I'm doing - there's a lot of movement going on in there! We had two early ultrasounds at the doctor to confirm the pregnancy and check the heart, but our 20 week ultrasound was really something amazing. First, we found out that we're going to have a boy! He really is the most precious thing I have ever seen. He was making little chewing motions with his tiny mouth, he waved his fingers for us (and gave us the thumbs-up sign - cool kid already), he streched his legs, and tapped his little foot. We got to see all his vital organs and I'll admit that I cried as I watched his beating heart. It is so small and fragile, but it's beating strong in his tiny chest. I can already tell that I'm going to be one of those super-protective moms, sorry everyone. *sigh*

Time is already going so quickly, I just know this little boy is going to arrive before we know it. I'm trying to enjoy every moment while I can, and very much looking forward to welcoming him into my life. In the meantime, I'll wear my stretchy jeans with pride and ignore the jokes about how many oranges and grapefruits I manage to consume! =)