Wednesday 23 January 2008

21 weeks

I always thought I'd get really into the whole pregnancy thing - taking way too many photos of my growing belly, keeping a journal as soon as I found out, bugging everyone around me with constant talk of the baby, that sort of thing. But so far that hasn't been the case. I was feeling bad about it but I'd still keep putting it off because it felt really dumb to start doing something like that at some random point. Then I decided to start at 20 weeks, you know, kinda the halfway point and on the day it ticked over to 20 weeks I felt like rubbish and didn't want to say anything to anyone, let alone the world at large or this little thing growing inside me. And finally, sometime last week, I realised it really doesn't matter and it's not worth stressing over. Maybe this is part of my attempt to get more prepared for motherhood - I am trying to be a little less of a perfectionist and not let the small things bug me so much. It's a fairly new goal for me, so no real idea how well it'll work out. Anyway, on Sunday, when the little counter thing I have told me I was 21 weeks pregnant, I made Graeme take a photo, and here it is:

21 weeks

We have attempted to take photos before this, but none of them came out that great - at least now we've found a spot in the house to take them...

Uh, yeah, so some random things I am discovering:

Morning sickness can last much longer than you think, especially if you let yourself get hungry or tired, and then, when you finally think it's gone, it can randomly hit you again one day for no apparent reason and you will just chuck your guts up. Thankfully, by this point, you will have become an expert at knowing when your body plans to projectile vomit and can make sure you are in a suitable room.

Your brain simply does not function the way it should. I usually have an awesome memory and some days I forget things 5 minutes after I've heard/read them. Words and sentences do not come out the way you think they should. Everytime I have cut up tomatoes in the last couple months, I have referred to them as strawberries :)

One day, your top (t-shirt, jacket, whatever) will fit. The next day, it won't. The problem won't just be your tummy, but also your boobs, which have suddenly become massive.

Maternity clothes are hard to find, often ugly and usually way too expensive for the fact that they definitely have a limited use. H&M is my new best friend, especially after the sales.

You get really sick of trying to work out how to refer to the baby. 'It' seems way too impersonal, but you don't want to label it with a gender, because then people will assume you know what it is. For the record, we don't plan on finding out the sex, but we still usually refer to it as 'he', since the odds are high that that is what we'll get. Either that, or Squishy :)
"I shall call him squishy, and he shall be mine, and he shall be my squishy!" -Dory in Finding Nemo

The fact that you have passed the first trimester doesn't really do much to alleviate your fears that something will go wrong. Much better are the little kicks that tell you the baby is having a party in your uterus (or, as Graeme said, building extensions), even if it prompts a sudden urge to pee. I am also hanging out for my ultrasound and midwife's appointment next week to get some extra reassurance that everything's fine. I'll also have a picture of Squishy to show you then.

8 comments:

  1. Nice photo of "squishy". Smooth profile. Hoping that posting this comment works. Love you. Dad.

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  2. awww lovely pregnant tummy! I dont think I have actually said congratulations yet, so CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! :)

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  3. Thanks so much for the photo, Kate. You look gorgeous. So excited for you. Can't wait to see you in July. Love Karen & John

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  4. Hiya sweetheart, as dad says that's a really nice photo of our "squishy" grandchild and your belly of course.
    Love the photos for the 16th you seem to capture the everyday very well. love you

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  5. Are you allowed to call the baby Squishy officially?
    Squishy O'Finn - THAT'S a footballer's name

    At least with a name like Squishy there's no potential nickname issues. Kids would simply call them Squishy, because it's so cool, it's the best name ever.

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  6. Wow, look at you! Josh said you'd posted some pics so I had a peek. You look great, Kate, with your little preggy belly. Can't believe you're already half way.

    Also, I like Squishy Finn too, that would be a very cool name. Unlikely they'd find another kid at school with that name! Love Jac

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  7. Can I just say it has benn me bugging you to post a belly photo but LOOK how many comments you've already had and not from me!!!
    Looooove the name Squish! It is sooo appropriate. Know what you mean about the memory brain thing - it does come back but not for awhile!
    Also Josh obviously dosent realise that your child (either gender) will be called Beaton - we called our's Finn after all! We would accept a middle name Squishy Beaton Finn - Now that's a name!!
    Thanks for the photo and thoughts - you look great and sound just right.

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  8. Actually Sharon, we got that email which included reminders of everyone's middle names and were thinking we both really like Jacob AND it would really work as a middle name to one of our favourite first names :). We like Connor too, but it's a family surname, so it's out.

    Speaking of, if all you people are reading (including the ones I know are reading and haven't commented yet) why haven't I got emails with your details, huh?

    I have been telling Graeme that we will just call it Squishy forever, but he doesn't seem to think its a good idea and also argues that they have one of those rules here where you have to give your kids actual names and that probably wouldn't count... But feel free to all continue to use Squishy - its a good nickname anyway.

    OK, so I've like written a whole new post now... oh well.

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