New Appreciation

Forget the ice cream! Pass me the sour cream! I love this stuff. It makes just about anything taste better. At the moment I love covering anything hot with it. Well within reason I guess. But if any of you need a little pick me up just add sour cream! And don't use the light stuff, it has to be full strength!

So I have another list - a list of things I thought I understood about pregnancy, but have found a new appreciation for.

1. Weight Gain

While it hasn't been a super hard adjustment for me, it has been an adjustment. It is so weird to look in the mirror and realize that is MY body. It's especially weird when I dance. It just doesn't look the same. But I haven't been depressed about it. I've been able to stay fairly active and since being sexy with a belly is impossible I'll settle for the unique beauty of an expectant mother.

2. Aches and Pains

I really do feel like an old person in the mornings. It hurts to get up and walk to the bathroom. I'm constantly rubbing my back. And I could do without the soar muscles that aren't there because I worked out hard the day before. I just didn't know that your body really did feel that way. I mean I understand why, but still I just didn't think it would make me move around so slowly and stiffly!

3. Feeling the movement inside you

When other people are pregnant they put your hand on the baby and you feel it move for just a few seconds. What I didn't realize is that the baby really moves all day long. I mean it rests of course, but I am constantly feeling the baby. It's the best thing I've ever felt. I also didn't realize that it would feel like gas! Sometimes when you feel a really big gas bubble move down (sorry to be gross, but seriously!) - that's what it feels like. So sometimes I kind of think that I have to fart, but it's just baby!

4. Hunger

I knew hunger was increased during pregnancy - what I didn't realize is that it changes to an urgent need. And if you hold off your hunger because you can't eat at the moment or whatever it hurts! And sometimes my stomach will hurt because I'm hungry, but it's hard to tell that I'm hungry. Weird.

5. Mood Swings

I knew pregnant women had mood swings, what I didn't understand is that it would happen to me! I'm typically a pretty stable person emotionally. Usually when I'm upset I can reason myself out of it without causing drama - mmmmm not so much lately. Now everything is associated with emotions and no matter how hard I try to control those emotions, I can't. So I just have to tell myself that I'm crazy and it's ok to feel whatever I'm feeling, but it isn't reality. Super weird experience.

6. Swelling

I actually haven't had this too bad yet. When I'm standing for a long time or when I work out my hands and ankles will swell slightly. I really hate the way it makes my legs and ankles look! But I feel lucky that I'm not swollen all the time yet!

7. Lack of energy

I have always been a super active person, but now if I do too much one day I need the next day to re cooperate. That's hard. There are so many things I need to do and it's really hard to get myself to do them. I just have to plan a nap in the day if I have to get lots done in the morning. And it really is that way. I did not think that would happen to me. I couldn't understand how I could just not have the energy to keep going.

8. Having a 3 dimensional tummy

I knew I could see other people's tummies, but I didn't really think mine could get THAT big. Oh no it's growing and growing quickly. It's like I didn't have a tummy for a while and then one day it was just there and now it's growing with a vengeance! It makes standing close to counters a little awkward.

9. Can't do certain things

I always pictured myself as one of those lucky beautiful pregnant women that don't seem to gain that much weight, look like they weren't ever pregnant the day after they give birth, and can just keep doing everything they did before they got pregnant. Mmmmm not so much. Last night I went to dance and some of the moves were SO hard. That was particularly funny to me. I guess I won't be able to keep dancing on pointe all through my pregnancy after all! Again, just didn't think it would happen to me.

10. Memory loss

Wow! This one is the one that has really opened my eyes. I swear to you I am not stupid, but boy you could've fooled me! I can't think fast enough to keep up a conversation sometimes. And primary this week was a joke. I'd forget what song I was teaching the kids mid sentence and have to just turn around and tell them to sing because I couldn't remember what I was just telling them. I'm terrible with names as it is, but now I often forget the names of those I already know! And forget about trying to remember the new ones. This is definitely the most difficult aspect of pregnancy for me at the moment.

Again, sorry for making so much of the blog about the pregnancy, but it will help us remember and then I can write all this down in some book or something sentimental like that. So thanks for hanging in there with me!