week 21

this week i experienced my first unsolicited belly rub. ohmigosh. can i please get all the stickers and cookies because i wanted to slap the lady so bad but refrained? i mean seriously. i feel this is a noteworthy accomplishment.

on a similar note. i finally am feeling movement of the nugget. mostly i have to be sitting/laying down and very still to feel anything. but there are definite things happening that can only be described as a person doing backflips inside of you. G was even able to feel the belly move one time.

it is also becoming practically impossible for me to resist the impulse to refer to the #rowenugget by the gender. we are telling our immediate families this weekend so after saturday we'll be able to say "him" or "her" to errbody.

obviously there is no hiding the bulge. except sometimes it could still be mistaken for plain old fatness. especially because i believe that my hips and my face are joining the plump party. at the gym i want to be like, "i'm not just fat!" and "i'm exercising while pregnant, excuse my twenty pee breaks!". because regardless of what the commercials say, it is not a judgment free zone.

on a serious note, in general i am really struggling with gaining weight/looking large and in charge. it is not my favorite aspect of pregnancy by any means. i know some women really love looking pregnant and having a round belly. i just want to be like a size 2 forevvvaaa. and it's basically crushing my dreams and bringing to light all my control issues to have to let that go.

baby size: the internet becomes more and more inconsistent. anywhere from 7ish-10ish inches "head to heel" and 10-13 ounces.

weight gain: according to the gym scale, which is notorious for its inaccuracy, i have gained about 7-8 pounds total

craving: the only thing i want on the reg is ice cream. however, i'm not eating ice cream every day so i consider this nutrition success.

can't even: birth. i mean. i don't want to do it. like not even remotely excited about it.

loving: calling the nugget by name. it is seriously starting to feel like a decent and lovable human being instead of a vindictive alien.

week 20

can you believe that it is already halfway to baby day? i cannot. furthermore, the "baby's room" still has a full size bed in it. oh ya. and my shoes and G's clothes filling the closet.

we are soooo on top of things.

sometimes i truly feel like i'm just getting fat. there are no flutters, bubbles, or internal movements that could possibly be the nugget. speaking of. if you are a stranger. or a man. please. do not touch the belly. it's flubby and there's nothing exciting happening that warrants you rubbing your germy hands on me.

sleeping is starting to be a chore. it's hard to get comfortable. it's impossible to stay asleep. this has resulted in a cranky mood, short temper, and a bizarre desire to cry. i am not one of those awesome people that can run off of 3 hours of sleep and be pleasant. watch out for me when i'm living with a newborn. it might be dangerous.

despite the flub and lack of sleep, i am feeling pretty good these days. eating is fun again and i've been working out on a semi-regular basis. G wishes with everything inside of him that i would cancel my gym membership and "relax" but seriously. running is so horrible and amazing at the same time. i can't help myself.

baby size: this week we start measuring the baby "head to heel" instead of "head to rump". "head to rump" we're about the size of banana (6ish inches) and 10.5 ounces. from "head to heel" about 10 inches.

weight gain: i am sure that i have gained more. but i don't go back to the doctor for a couple of weeks.

craving: i believe i am out of the hangry cravings. but savory foods are still kind of iffy (read: utterly disgusting) and sweet foods are more tasty (which is totally opposite to how i normally am).

can't even: spending money on maternity clothes. you got me by the belly, gap maternity, i have to buy the ugly maternity clothes or go naked. but i don't have to like it. not to say i want to go naked. i do not want that.

loving: the time left of just me and G. i'm actually pretty sad to say goodbye to the days of two humans and two fur babies.

week 18

in week 16 i was all like, wow, i am looking so pregnant.

ha.

then week 17 hit and suddenly my pants felt two sizes too small and the belly band became a necessity.

this week the rowe nugget is making their presence known to anyone whose eyes divert from my face to my wasitline during conversation. i have one pair of pants left i can button and not feel like i'm going to die. i cried tears of joy at this discovery.

 

i know, i know. i look so overjoyed at my growing womb.

i've also had some rando cramping, aches and pains which i hear are totes normal. the only really strange "pregnancy symptom" i have left is the constant gagging while brushing my teeth. i literally can't even. on a similar note, please lord jesus, let me sleep through the night.

baby size: from "head to rump" around 5.5 inches and 6.5 ounces, the size of a sweet potato

*sidebar-vegetables and fruits come in all shapes and sizes so really what is the true size of a sweet potato?

weight gain: 4 pounds. thus sayeth the scale at the doctor's office

craving: the cravings are pretty much over. except every now and then i think I NEED ICE CREAM SO BAD. usually i can ward off this feeling for at least 3 days.

can't even: the comments. yes, i am pregnant. yes, i am working through pregnancy. yes, i am taking maternity leave. yes, i know i look fat. thank you, everyone. just thank you.

loving: we find out if the rowe nugget is a sir or a miss this week!

 

sweet baby rae

last weekend i was lucky enough to get to shoot baby rae's "newborn" session. normally, i am not the most enthusiastic person when it comes to baby shoots. babies are unpredictable. but this turned into one of the easiest sessions ever.  she was an absolute champ with wardrobe changes, naked photos, and being posed. 

baby girl, what i'm trying to say is, i will take your picture any time. 

i mean. seriously. how can you look at that last image and not totally melt? amiright?

week 15

the bump made its grand appearance. it is not a beautiful round mound of babyness. oh no. instead it is a pooch of what appears to be too many candy bars. i feel this is a typical stage of pregnancy. the stage of "no, i'm not JUST getting fat, there's also a person in there". however. i suppose there is a lingering chance that the baby bump could be the result of too many candy bars. regardless, i need new jeans.

also, high fives all around. i've remembered to take my prenatal vitamins at least 80% of the time for the last week. i mean. this is a massive victory for me. there are many things to remember in pregnancy and unfortunately, taking vitamins daily is not at the top of ma list.

in general i am feeling like an actual real human being again. for much of the first trimester i was convinced that pregnancy was a time with you were resigned to feel like angry aliens invaded your body for their own personal brand of torture whilst you simultaneously had to pretend to be overjoyed.

baby size: 4 inches and 2.5 ounces...the size of an apple

weight gain: we don't own a scale.

craving: ironically, fruit. fruit and protein (peanut butter, nuts). however, i think this craving has a lot to do with the fact that neither fruit or protein make me feel like i'm going to die and gluten and fried foods make me feel like i've been poisoned.

can't even: the smell of meat and b.o. are still instruments of satan in my life. also, quit asking me the nugget's name. a) we will tell you when we want to. b) noneya. c) his/her name is nugget. duh.

loving: i will take this golden opportunity to say that G's been a good sport in light of my ever changing moods and has been as helpful as he can possibly be.

week 14

in a great burst of novel inspiration, i've decided to blog about pregnancy. because, you know, the internets isn't already full of stay-at-home moms with beautiful round bellies and glowing faces telling of the wonders and joys of growing a new life within their lovely womb. yet while i applaud these women, i must stand far off from them lest i get a sunburn from the shine of their pregnancy glow. so i thought i would add my take on the matter. it is not eloquent. but it is honest.

do i love pregnancy? so far that's a resounding "no". if i could i would gladly export my uterus from my insides to G's and let him experience the beauty of growing a human.

today i say goodbye to the first trimester with a face full of hope turned toward trimester two. first trimester, you brought me full body hives, all day "morning" sickness, tailbone pain, and general discontent with the world. i'm done with you.

i have gained exactly zero pounds thus far. this is my victory of trimester one - hope that i might not look like violet the blueberry from willy wonka at the end of this baby growing extravaganza. my baby bump is actually last night's dinner refusing to do anything except expand like rice in a bird's stomach.

furthermore, clear skin. can i get some praisy hand emojis on that one? my usually dry, flaky, sometimes oily, always combative winter skin is being unusually tame. thank you, pregnancy hormones for getting this one thing right. i love you. wait.

finally. the low down.

baby size: a lemon.

weight gain: 0, but the nugget measured perfectly at our thirteen week visit.

craving: was salt with a side of salt (pickles, chips, popcorn). moving toward cold and sweet (fruit, icecream).

can't even: the smells. oh, the smells. refridgerated food and meat are both toally gag worthy. but the worst of all is onions. also b.o. normally, i am a hugging type person. but seriously, if you smell like anything but happiness, rainbows, and fields of flowers do not get near me.

loving: um. well there's... also... hmm... but for real. dreaming up a nursery (white on white on white). maybe not loving, but entertained by weird pregnancy dreams (especially the one where i was a rapper).

and then...

there were three.