Crazy body

I'm 23-weeks along now and growing! I have grown very noticeably especially in the last month. Very exciting and very uncomfortable. This post is just to share (and document) my current symptoms and just stuff about being pregnant...

*Linea negra: the darkening of the skin in a line straight down from belly button.

*Sensitive skin: I've gotten pink (almost burned) from being out in the sun in the last week, with sunscreen! Very rare for me.

*Pimples: more frequent on my face but not too bad, but my chest almost always has a couple :(

*Back pain: hard to manage but I'm doing stretches and learning to bend/lie down/move more properly.

*Energy/Emotions: this last week has been kinda low on both...feeling sad for what seems to be no reason sometimes

*Food cravings: I've really been wanting dairy products a lot. I bumped up my calcium regime to see if that makes a difference but nothing so far. (I should be taking that supplement anyway I'm sure.)

*Bellybutton: has become more shallow and is darker skin inside. I had to change out my stainless steel ring for my old gold one since the other apparently was a little infected.

*Breasts: bigger, and darker pigment

*Hips: a little wider (can't wear most old pants or shorts)

*Feet: I'm still debating whether they've actually grown yet or not. Some shoes feel that way.

*Hair/nails: hair seems normal, currently letting it grow out...nails have been really nice

*Brain: huh?

*Bladder: he's definitely sitting on it

*Baby kicks: He's so active and it only is slightly a nuisance when I'm trying to sleep and he's doing gymnastics, lol. J can only feel it occasionally at this point.

Don't have: sensitivity to smell, edema, nausea, blotchy skin...

Doing well, overall. Putting together a scrapbook for our lil boy to distract me when time passes slow and channel my excitement.

:)

Less than 4-months left

I sit and meditate more and more on how my life and our lives (mine and my husband's together) will change so drastically. The biggest part of me is excited and maybe even feels ready, but there are still those parts of me that are anxious and even sad to let go of the life we have now.

I love being able to spend as much time with J as I can. I know that time will be decreasing and will be different. What I'm confident in is that we are both committed to each other and our relationship; we're aware that it's going to be a struggle for quality time at times but our marriage is important enough to put that extra effort in.

I've known for a long time now that I want to be a mama. I actually have a good amount of confidence in my ability to be one (and the encouragement from my friends and family helps that feeling too). The parts I struggle with are teenage years and just that normal parent worry of "I want the best for my child"..."Will they make the right choices"..."How do I protect them without smothering them?"

Etc...etc...

I'm already a "mom" I guess. As soon as I wanted to become pregnant I had to change how I do things, how I think about things, what I plan my life around. I care for my coming child by what I eat, drink, and do or don't do; it's all about him. That's the difference for women though; we're mom's from conception. Guys get a little more adjustment period but I think it hits them even harder than us in some ways. Being motherly is more natural for women than for men most of the time. We get a head start being mama while the baby is still inside; he is daddy in an instant on the day the baby comes out.

From either side, it's big. I'm just so thankful I can share it all with the love of my life. ♥