The Joys of Pregnancy

The past 18 weeks have been quite a journey and although I know that there is much more excitement to come, I've been reflecting on the path so far. As I move into the halfway mark of 20 weeks, I've experienced some wonderful and not so wonderful feelings and changes. I would definitely say that finding out I was pregnant left me feeling overjoyed and astonished. How could something so fantastic happen so quickly? Iain and I were not expecting immediate luck and rather thought that it would take months, if not longer, to join the ranks of the expecting. I'd attribute a good bit of success to the online ovulation calendar we used to track the month. I found it at www.webmd.com and from what I understand, a good friend of Jen Kosior (formerly Bell) has found equal success from using the same WebMd tool after trying for months to get pregnant. Congratulations Rachel! I'd also say that right now in the second trimester I don't know if I've ever felt better. During the waking hours, I just have this amazing glow and incredible energy. I also think that I've started to feel the baby move but these flutters are sporadic and slightly difficult to tell what it is. Now the downside to these amazing feelings is acne and weight gain. Even though all of us know weight gain and pregnancy go hand in hand, it is TRULY difficult to outgrow every piece of clothing in your wardrobe except for sweatpants! I now have two pairs of work pants that fit, one maternity and one a size up from my normal size, and I've been matching them with baggy sweaters and over sized shirts. I'm fortunate to work at a university which permits me to dress pretty casually but it doesn't do much for my self esteem. If I eat an extra cookie or two, I cannot make up for it by overexercising the next day. I realize that at the end of the day the weight gain is for an incredible reason and this keeps me positive through this period. I look forward to what comes next even though I've heard it could include swelling, backache and sleepless nights. I am so excited to start a family with the most wonderful man and spouse I could have possibly found. We look forward to having our little one here for the holidays next year. Have a great week everyone.