Surprise Pregnancy

Today I am exactly 34 weeks pregnant (or for those who speak months, almost 8). This will be my and my husband's first child (girl!) EVER, so we know very little besides what we have observed in others and learned thus far.

We were married less than a year ago in July and I was pregnant a month later, though we still didn't know for two months after. I had birth control, afterall, with a 99.5% effectiveness, but it only took a month to beat those odds.

My husband was nervous, I was anxious, and our families were baffled. They thought we were joking when we first shared the news. There were multiple double-takes before anyone believed us and our very serious faces.

Though once the shock was over everyone was ecstatic with the transformation.

And boy (or girl) did I transform.

Not only did my suddenly enlarged and ever-growing breasts make cleavage impossible to hide or keep from dropping every crumb in between, but my belly jumped from zero to 60 in size, constantly bouncing off everything I came close to, like riding Piglet's balloon (if you've seen the original Winnie the Pooh's I grew up with). Suddenly everything became more difficult, from sitting, to sleeping, to bending, to walking, and even breathing. Every move I make seems to leave me panting.

But not only was my outward appearance affected.

From the beginning my nose decided I would have allergies for nine months straight. Brushing my teeth often made me gag and want to throw up. I became a no-blanket naked sleeper to escape burning up at night. My brain lost its will to process or remember simple things. And eventually I had to resort to prune juice everyday to keep my bathroom time regular.

While all these things (and more) are quite on the downside of being pregnant, there have also been truly amazing changes as well that, though they seem fewer, do tend to overthrow the kingdom.

For one thing, I never get tired of feeling my baby move. It is the strangest and most fascinating to feel her kick or push or roll around inside my giant belly. I love to imagine her swimming around in the dark, feeling me laugh and talk and walk and breathe, and her reactions to it. I poke her sometimes when she's sticking out a limb and she'll move or poke back. I'm constantly telling my husband to look at and feel my belly. I just cannot get used to it. It's too awesome!

Imagining the time when we have a baby girl has transformed me into the nestiest of nesters. Every adorable thing I could think of making for my little girl I have tried. So far it's been a hat, a skirt, a dress, some booties and sandals, a bracelet, a headband, and more. I'm still working on a soft warm blanket she probably won't need until winter. But I can't help it. I want to make everything!

Sometimes I think I'm a little crazy. But I thought that before I was pregnant so it's probably not a symptom.

Anywho, here's a glimpse of my changing life. I'm taking my mom's place, or stepping into her giant shoes that fit me now like mine would fit a barbie. I sure have a long way to go before I catch up to her, but this is the start. I didn't exactly choose it so soon, but I never intended to stop it once it started.

I am ever ecstatic and proud to soon be a mom.

Here's my ecstatic face.