Pop goes the belly.

They say your pregnancy belly just pops out in an instant. One moment your stomach was flat and smooth and lovely, then WHAM- you can see all the way to the back of your belly button. I'm inclined to say 'yes' and 'no' to this. I'm pretty sure I started bulging immediately after the pregnancy tests; however, I'm also pretty sure this was due to bloating. As far as the WHAM belly bulge, Josh says that happened to me. I'm not sure when or where the moment occurred, but the other day I was informed, "Wow! Your belly really is growing." Yes, that is why I now love my maternity jeans with the stretchy waistbands- they make me feel good. When I wake up, I'm always inclined to look down across my stomach. So far, above the belly button, it's flat as the fields of Indiana. And an inch below that (now gaping open) belly button, there is my baby bulge- sticking up an inch or two higher than everything else!

I'm obsessed with it.

I'm actually obsessed with touching my belly. I look like a fat hungry man visualizing a medium steak from Texas Roadhouse. Just rubbin' the belly- all. the. time. One of my midwives noted (outloud) at the last appointment that, "I look great and she would have never thought I was pregnant." My belly was seriously offended at that point.

On a different note than my ever growing and expanding and entertaining belly, the little person inside is moving- enough for me to notice! At work the other day (around 1:30ish am- I know because I looked at the time and decided to call Josh anyways) I was feeding a baby in the nursery and suddenly had the strangest feeling that someone was dragging a paintbrush lightly across the inside of my abdomen. Baby?! Is that you??? Of course, with me, tears are always near the surface (not just a pregnancy thing, bummer) so I fought back the onslaught of salty waters, called Josh (who was very excited and understanding for 1:30 at night when he had an 8K later that morning), and of course, rubbed my belly. Since then, baby makes his or her presence known several times a day. Sometimes just subtle movements repeatedly, one time I felt a nice solid kick. At this point, I'm not uncomfortable and every movement is met with joy and a spoken announcement to whomever is in hearing distance. "The baby just moved!" Josh hasn't gotten an opportunity to feel a good kick as they are still sporadic enough to keep me guessing. Word on the street (from all the other pregnant women on my hospital unit) is that feeling the baby move is one milestone that helps a dad get excited about the baby. Josh is already super pumped- he's going to blow a gasket one of these days.

On a side note, Josh is going to be such a great daddy! I could list all the reasons, but that would just be gushy. I'll put it in my baby journal instead. I will just repeat, he is going to be Such a great daddy. Also, last night I made him youtube and watch a birth with me. I think we were both completely grossed out. I know they call it a 'beautiful experience,' but I'm pretty sure the only part that's beautiful is actually getting to finally hold and know your baby. The stuff before that? Josh summed it up with "Just please, please don't make me watch the placenta come out." (I can't believe some people eat it. I mean, really, have they SEEN it!? Not to offend you if that's something you did... shudder. I do hear it's more palatable if you dry it and then grind it into a powder. If you're curious why in the world I would know that, you should hear some of the questions other nurses ask me because I'm a "Palmer wife." According to some of the best rumors, I'm going to knit a bag for the placenta/umbilical cord which I will leave attached to the baby until it rots and falls off, tattoo "NO VACCINES!" on my baby's chest, and call my contractions 'energy waves,' as 'contraction' is too negative of a word. Hot diggity!)

For now, I'm off to do my daily inspection for stretch marks (I hear the fairer skinned you are, the more you will get. Combine that with my super dry skin and we're going to have a desert in summer permanently tattooed across that lovely belly.
And I will show it to my child and say "Look what YOU did to me!!!" And then I will hold them in a long hug (as they are probably scarred from seeing my stomach) and tell them that they were worth every mark.