More Aches and Pains

I had always read about women experiencing hip pain during pregnancy, but I was in denial about that not settling in until later. Ouch! I was wrong! The past two nights have been awful. My hips ache and burn and scream in pain, no matter what position I try to sleep in. I miss blissfully sleeping on my side hugging my body pillow. :( I've been exhausted the past two days from not sleeping, and just not feeling so great since my hips are so sore even during the day. I meant to try some yoga yesterday but never got around to it. I plan to use my yoga DVD later today, or at least stretch and take a bath. And this is only the beginning, which my husband lovingly reminded me this morning by pretending he was my doctor and responding like we both know he would. At least that was good for a little laugh.

Also, Tums have become my BFF. I must remember not to leave them at home when we visit some dear friends (holla! I know you're reading!) this weekend. Indigestion has made itself comfortable in the upper half of my two-hemisphere belly (see the the belly button post).

Other than these two issues, I can't complain. I'm grateful this pregnancy seems to be going well and for every little tap I feel.

Belly Button Woes

My belly button is ugly. It's like a huge crater, and is totally visible through all my clothes. I feel like I have two bellies: One above the belly-button crater and one below. I've been reading other baby blogs and scrutinizing their belly pics and have determined it's just a fact of life and most people go through the same thing. Or, at least I think that to make myself feel better.

My button is starting to get pushed out ever so slightly, though. I've had three laparoscopies for endometriosis, so that means I have some teeny horizontal scars from where the scope went through my belly button. They were never noticeable before, but I can definitely see them now. I wonder if they'll lead to more stretch marks...

More Movement and Weekend Recap

My belly has stuck around, so I think it's safe to say it's here to stay. Even first thing in the morning when I'm lying on my back (yeah, I still do that, so what?), it looks like I swallowed a whole cantaloupe. I love lingering in bed in the mornings. I tend to feel movement then, too, and it's so peaceful and calm. It's nice for us both to marvel at my growing belly before starting our day.

I'm feeling movement more and more. It ranges from what feels like muscle spasms in one tiny spot to fluttering to bubbles popping. In fact, bubbles were popping in there for several hours yesterday afternoon. I loved it! I didn't want to move or concentrate too hard on something because I didn't want to miss a single thing.

My mom visited over the weekend and we went maternity clothes shopping. I picked up a good amount of things, and since I fully embrace my Old Navy yoga pants and tank tops for my many hours at home, I'm probably pretty well set in the wardrobe department.

We also ordered the crib and it should be here in a few days. My mom and stepdad shipped us the rocking chair my mom used when I was a baby, and that arrived yesterday. It won't be as comfortable as those amazing rocker/glider/cushiony options available for well over $400, but it's free. And, I've decided to officially consider it a family heirloom since it's been passed down to us. Plus, the bonus is it doesn't look like it has to belong in a nursery, so we'll be able to fit it in to the decor of another room later. The countdown to the anatomy scan is 12 days! I hope this baby cooperates. I'm ready to start looking at gender-specific things.

First Stranger Comment

I met another milestone this week! I received my first stranger question about being pregnant. I was in a little jewelry boutique and the saleswoman came right up to me and started asking me baby questions. I wanted to squeal with delight!

16-Week Appointment

My appointment this morning went very well. I finally (haha) gained weight: 1 pound. At first, I was concerned about not gaining any weight, but my doctor said it's no problem until I hit 20 weeks. The baby seems to be doing well. The heartbeat was strong and much easier to find than the last appointment.

My next appointment is in three weeks: the anatomy scan. Woohoo! Come on, baby, show us the goods! (And, please, God, help me not pee my pants from having to drink all that water.)

Maybe Baby Movement

I just have to document this. It will either be a very important milestone or something to laugh at later if I'm completely wrong.

I was lying on the couch reading when I felt something different all in the same spot (I'm 16w2d today). I felt three quick muscle twitches--almost spasms--and one little flutter grazing from one side to the other. These four movements happened over the course of about five minutes. The first caught me completely off guard (what was that?!?), but I still thought it couldn't be. The second made my heart race a little. I told myself I wouldn't say anything to Junior unless I felt it a third time. *twitch* There is was! I felt the little grazing while I was describing what I felt. The grazing really did feel like a goldfish swimming around.

OMG. Could this be it? I hope I'm not crazy!

Sciatic Nerve Pain

Ah, the sciatic nerve pain (lovingly referred to around the house as my "butt pain") has kicked in. It started last Friday after I attended a healthy mom's expo the night before. The expo wasn't that large and I didn't feel particularly exerted, but the pain was so bad the next day that I couldn't even sit. I was a sad sack. The pain eased up by Sunday, but I've been feeling some minor zings off and on all week. I'm worried about surviving my shopping trip with my mom this weekend, not to mention anything else with a lot of walking or activity.

I'm getting increasingly impatient about my belly not popping or feeling movement. I know it's normal not to feel anything for another couple of weeks, but I compare myself to the girls on thebump.com and drive myself crazy (which I know is ridiculous, but I can't help it). For one thing, I want it to be obvious that I'm pregnant, but mainly I could use some reassurance that everything is OK. I have an appointment tomorrow, and as usual, the anxiety kicked in a few days ago. By this time tomorrow, I should be able to sigh a breath of relief.

Clothing Torture

A good friend lent me some maternity clothes last night. I actually exclaimed when I tried on the pants. I've been torturing myself for weeks by still wearing regular clothes! Maternity pants, here I come!! I still have my usual weekday work-at-home uniform of yoga pants (which are awesome), but I'm excited to have some great options for when I actually want to look presentable.

My mom is planning a visit next weekend and we'll do more maternity clothes shopping, but at least I'll have something cute to pick her up from the airport in!