Making a Baby: Weeks 20 and 21

Dang! I did it again. I meant to post a weekly pregnancy update last week, I swear. I was probably busy writing a grant while simultaneously eating all the baked goods in the house. So, instead, you'll get a two for one deal - which includes two pictures of my ever ballooning belly in one post. Now, who doesn't want to see that?

Well, we're past the mid-point. I am obviously pregnant (see photos below), though I have not had to fend off any strangers from trying to rub my belly. I'm guessing because it's winter and I am usually wearing a coat; basically I'm a pregnant ninja when I'm wearing the one coat that still fits.

Interestingly, I do still have to say 'no thank you' to hoards of clueless servers who continue to offer me wine and one really persistent barista at a hoity-toity culinary shop who just wouldn't let me pass up this delicious Ethiopian roast. And yes, I know I could have caffeine in small doses, but when a pregnant lady says 'no,' just roll with it, okay?*

*Once the first trimester passed, coffee suddenly smelled SO good. Even though I had been months without it, thus it had nothing to do with caffeine withdrawal, I needed it. So R found some good decaf and now brews me a small pot each morning...you know, after he's finished making himself real coffee.

A fun side note, since the baby has been capable of tasting what I'm eating, we've had Indian, Thai, and Ethiopian. I've convinced R that we are preparing our child to be a good eater willing to try a diverse range of foods. This is partially true but my primary motivation is nom nom nom!

I am now in my second week of pre-natal yoga. It's good exercise, since going I'm more prone to moving on my own and working on my poses and stretches, and (best part) it seems to alleviated my round ligament pain and my horrible leg cramps. Pregnant ladies, get thee to the yoga! Plus I get to chat with other pregnant women. The only downside (besides repeatedly going into down dog while enduring massive heartburn) is that I feel especially huge thanks to all the available comparisons. Most of the other women are further along than me by a few weeks, yet I think proportionately I am bigger. There are two explanations: 1) I am short and (was) petite and am carrying a bigger than average fetus so my belly is just going to be bigger; 2) all the pregnant women feel that they are bigger. I'm guessing it's a bit of both.

I recently realized that I have been taking my belly button for granted all these years. I knew it was going to get distorted, maybe even stick out, but I didn't think it would happen so soon and so suddenly. Initially it was just sort of spreading and getting more shallow. Then suddenly one day it looked like the angry eye of Sauron. I think it will be a while before it actually pops...but who knows. My next post might be: Hey everyone, my turkey timer is out!

See! If there were flames coming out of my belly button this would look exactly like the eye of Sauron!
P.S. See that little ridge? Notice the pale oval all around the belly button? Yeah, that was my belly button. All that part was on the inside.

Now, without further ado, here are my Week 20 and Week 21 belly pictures. Yep, there's a baby in there.

20 Weeks - just found out we're having a boy!

21 Weeks. Am huge, getting bigger, business as usual.

A general statement: I do own more than one pair of pants. Those are just the pants R and I agreed I would wear for The Taking of The Pictures. A very grave ritual which mandates that I don my 'picture pants' and force myself to smile while R shouts things like "Say baby!" and "Where's your belly button?"