Get Your Glow On

My sister sent me an email the other day requesting a positive blog about pregnancy, since I seem to be painting it in the most horrific light.   I immediately deleted her email and threw up.   Since then, however, I have somehow managed to keep my head out of the toilet for not just one day, not two, not three, or four – but a whole week!   I’m not going to jinx myself yet and say that I think the worst is past me, but I am feeling a hell of a lot better.

And since I am not cursing my uterus (I said uterus, not baby) every 15 minutes, I have found that lo’ and behold – I love being pregnant!!   Its like being part of a secret club, only everyone knows you are in the club and they are either jealous or happy for you.   Its pretty awesome.

I’m not sure if I have the “glow” yet, but I know that there are definite things that make me glow on the inside right now:

Sleeping – At first, I was really annoyed with how sleepy I was.   I became narcoleptic.   I would be talking to someone and just nod right off.   Several times I actually cat napped in my car after work before I drove the half hour home because I was THAT exhausted.   I used to try to fight it.   Just pretend I wasn’t as tired as I was.   I wouldn’t alter my schedule or take breaks when I needed them.   I just trucked on.   But now, I’m learning to embrace the sleepy.   When I get tired, I sleep.   And I don’t feel guilty anymore.   And I’m loving it!   We should all get this much sleep all the time!   Think how much happier we’d be if we could just doze off whenever we felt like it!

Maternity Clothes – Now, I had heard me some horror stories about maternity clothes.   One time before, when I had just found out I was pregnant, I wondered through the maternity clothes section at Target and I almost had a heart attack.   A size medium looks like WHAT?!?!   And then there was the whole Motherhood trip from hell.   But in recent weeks my belly has taken off, and I actually can’t fit into my regular pants anymore.   I sent a picture of my belly to my mom who immediately freaked out that I was still trying to squeeze into a size 4 pants.   Two days later, a giant box of maternity clothes showed up on my doorstep.   Thanks, Mom!   And let me tell you.   It was Heaven.   Heaven.   I pulled out the pants and was a little freaked out by the elastic band, but when I put them on it was a beautiful thing.   Suddenly, I didn’t look fat and lumpy, I actually looked pregnant.   And the maternity tops are cut to accentuate your belly, not hide it.   So your belly takes a cute round shape instead of rolling over the top of your pants.   I LOOK SO CUTE NOW!!

Bagels – Every morning for as long as I can remember, I have had two pieces of toast with butter for breakfast.   And I have been perfectly happy.   But now, 2 pieces of toast fills me up for exactly 5.7 seconds.   So, I switched over to bagels WITH cream cheese!   Its like a paradise I never knew existed.   Now I crave bagels all the time.   With cream cheese, butter, peanut butter.   As a sandwich or melted with cheese.   Doesn’t matter.   I love them all.   I love them so much, I wrote them a song:   (ahem…)

(to be sung to the tune of Ode To Joy)

Bagels, bagels, I adore thee

Soft and chewy, or hard with crunch.

Served with cream cheese or with butter

Bagels, you make my heart rejoice!

Prettiness – Under normal circumstances, it would never be appropriate for a male co-worker/stranger/mailman to tell you that you are pretty.   But when you’re pregnant, apparently that rule is voided.   Everyone tells me how pretty I am!   Even some of our students have told me!   If you know someone who is pregnant, tell them they are pretty.   I can guarantee you that no matter how inappropriate it might feel, you will receive a gold star for life.   There are so many UNpretty things about pregnancy that hearing someone say how nice you look (even if you know its not true because you are still wearing yesterday’s socks), it just makes my day!

Talking – I have started talking to the baby ever since it grew ear holes last week.   I know it can’t really hear anything until 12 weeks, but I don’t care.   I only talk to it in my car though, where no one can hear me sound like a lunatic.   But I do talk to him.   I ask how its day was and tell him about mine.   Its kind of fun.   Chris has talked to him a few times, too.   When Chris talks to him, he talks through my belly button.   Like a microphone.   Its pretty funny.   I can’t understand what he says because he’s all pushed up against my stomach, and I keep telling him not to talk so loud!   But, its really cute.   And that makes me glow.

Taco Bell – I can’t live without it.

So far, its been pretty rough being pregnant.   But I think things are starting to look up.   I’ve got more energy, and I’m enjoying food again.   And sometimes, just sometimes, I think I might even glow a little.   And that sort of makes the whole head-in-the-toilet thing worth it…