Yes I'm showing! or, yes, I'm showing...

I'm pushing toward 21 weeks pregnant now. There have been two responses that are driving me crazy:
1. "Oh, you couldn't tell it." This from an older gentleman at my part-time job who I don't see often. He's a nice guy, really, but I want to punch him in the face. Because at this point in my pregnancy, telling me that I don't look pregnant sounds to me like "You are really fat."
2. "Oh, you look great, you're glowing." This one maybe doesn't drive me crazy but since I feel like I look like crap and I definitely don't feel like I'm glowing, it makes me a little nuts. It's easy to respond with a "Thanks!" but when you're walking around, constantly hiking up the belly band and adjusting your jeans, "great" is not an adjective you'd use to describe yourself.

It's only logical that this pregnancy would be different. I didn't show with Baby M until I was about 6 months along, and my belly popped out at 16 weeks with this little one {a BOY!}. I didn't even post a "belly pic" until I was 28 weeks!
I'm going to get real here: This does not excite me. I would be much more satisfied if my belly was displaying the adorable roundness that other (thinner) moms display so freakishly.
The reality is the only reason my belly is popping out is the extra pregnancy pounds I never lost from M and probably added on to those extra pounds that I had before I was pregnant, ever. Bah, humbug.
My dear friend said to me at one point during my first pregnancy that I was the only one she knew who was worried about weight gain during pregnancy. Well, let me put it this way: Those L-Bs don't come off easy and I knew/know that should the weight I gain be the right amount, shedding it shouldn't be difficult. Shut up already, "What to Expect When You're Expecting" e-mails!
Who really wants to chow down on spinach and carrots, every. single. day.?!
So to get back that feeling of "great", I have to primp. I choose to wear cute shoes or lipstick or something that makes me feel like some random person who fleetingly looks at me in Costco isn't looking because they're trying to figure out if I'm pregnant or well rounded (ha). Yes, I am wearing a bright shade of pink on my lips, thank you very much! Bright, isn't it?! feels nicer than Stop looking at me because you can't figure it out! At least ask if you're that interested!
Because I know we all have these moments while pregnant.  

...

Right?

Here's my get-the-heck-over-it pic. I never feel more 17 than when I'm snapping my own picture in a mirror. Which happens never. Except today.

Don't talk to me about food!

Here's what nausea during pregnancy for me is like:
Think of food, feel nauseous. Food commercials? Change the channel! Hubby wants to tell you about the great burger he had at a lunch meeting? Leave the room in mid sentence, leaving him wondering why you're being so rude. Try to come up with ideas for dinner... and end up making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when hubby gets home because the thought of anything else prompted queasiness.
Eat food without thinking about what you're doing, and I survive—but do you know how hard that is?
I also do a lot of frequent snacking. Of course, I'm not complaining, because throwing up is a rare thing for me and I'm thankful, but I will be happy when the nausea stage passes.
In fact, I have never in my life been so impatient for winter, my least favorite season, to be here! This comes in a combination of 95% joy for the new baby and 5% really, really wanting to lose every pound of baby weight. Shallow? Maybe. But I was doing pretty good on the weight-loss thing, and when we discovered that Baby No. 2 was on its way, it was put on pause.
Back to the nausea: At least when mine ends my husband will get regular dinners again. It seems quite unfair that he gets to put together scrap meals because I have a pregnancy-induced hatred of steak, hamburger and cooking, but then I remember it's partly his fault I'm like this, and I don't feel sorry any more!

:)

{On a side note, I just learned the hard way why trying to coax a tired toddler into a nap by putting her on the futon with the dog is dumb... You figure it out. Bad mommy.}

You know you're a parent (especially of a girl) when: Seeing teenagers at any store sends you into "I would never let my daughter wear that!" rampage.

Birthday and breaking the news!

The past few weeks, I've been trying a variety of different ways to do something cute to announce that Matt and I are expecting our second child. There are so many cute things on Pinterest, I thought for sure I could do something as cute.
Well, the attempt has so far failed, but not for lack of trying. First I was going to do witty quotes on scrapbook paper, but I couldn't think of anything good for Matt. Then I was just going to do us holding our birthdays, because this new baby will be the only winter birthday in our little family, but M had absolutely no interest in her sign. She was far more interested in everything else she saw around our yard, like her slide, or the dog, or grass, or... You get the picture.
Then, there was having time to do a photo with Matt. When he was home, though, I usually was at work or we were busy doing something important. So then I thought, why not something like just the shoes we wear as an announcement? So I took a photo of my boots as a start.

But then I realized that since we don't know the gender yet (I'm only about 10 weeks) and I have no gender-neutral baby shoes, what would I do for the new baby? Maybe I over think things, yes?

So today is my birthday, and I thought I may as well spill the beans for everyone so that 1. I can talk about the pregnancy symptoms (hello, nausea, I did not miss you) and 2. It is rather ironic that for two birthdays in a row, I will be pregnant. I sense upcoming trials (two kids under two?! A little intimidating!) but God's timing is perfect, so I know that He has something in store for us all. 

Blessings!