35 Week Belly - One Giant Ab of Steel

My belly is hard as a rock. It's like I have a superhero power, with the ability to roll off the bed without help, leaping over the cat like he's the Empire State Building! Hooray! If I was an exercise guru, I would teach others how to have their own giant Ab of Steel. Arlo hates the Ab of Steel - he refuses to sit on my lap. But Dave is attracted to the Ab of Steel like Oreo Cookies to Milk. It might have something to do with the fact that the Ab of Steel is protecting his progeny. I like to think it's because I have the largest muscle Dave has ever seen.

Growing, Growing, Growing... But Baby is Still Smooshed

I can't believe how large I'm getting. Tonight I was using a restaurant bathroom with a very large mirror, and a Janet Jackson song was playing over the loudspeakers, and so I wiggled a little bit to the music while I washed my hands. And I realized that I looked absolutely, 100% ridiculous dancing.

Then I fell off the couch when I reached for my drink on the coffee table. The belly weight pulled me right off!

Yesterday we had another sonogram, and this time the photos came in 3-D. The technology isn't perfect, and some of the pictures looked a bit weird, but there is one certainty: the baby is squished. Every photograph of the face shows 1. the baby has Dave's lips, 2. the baby has my nose, and 3. the baby's face is completely smooshed, like it's looking through a window and making faces. I can't help but feel bad for the littlest Reckess. But baby will be out soon (5 weeks til our due date) and will be able to stretch its face as much as it wants.

Are Those Bunny Ears I See?

I sent this photo to my mom yesterday, and she insisted I post it for all of you. I'm not exactly sure whether those pink and black things are bunny ears, space antennae, crab eyes? Because they certainly don't look like my feet.

Showing Off My Eighth Month Belly

Two photos (click on each to enlarge) for your viewing pleasure, taken at 32 weeks. Only 8 more weeks to go! Now if I could only figure out where the baby is going to go as it grows. It's getting a little cramped in there.

The baby's movements have changed substantially in the past week and a half. Rather than kicks and random movements, baby has a schedule (10pm? Law and Order is on TV - time to wake up and move!) and reflexes. So when Dave puts his head against my belly to listen in on the noises of the womb, baby kicks him in the ear. If I push on baby's feet, baby kicks back. If I rub near baby's head, baby moves. Amazing!

FYI: black maternity dress from Gap Maternity Online. Pants are beginning to be uncomfortable and slide down the belly. (For relevant musical interlude, click here to listen to the Nields' song, Shoes: Farewell My Pants) Maybe I will wear this black maternity dress every day for the rest of pregnancy???

FYI part 2: Last night Dave and I went out to dinner, and I wore sweat pants and a sweatshirt (which for anyone who knows me knows that that is NOT acceptable). Before we left the house, I asked Dave if it was ok that I didn't change. He replied, "Considering how much effort you would expend just to change clothing, it's ok. But 8 months ago, it would not have been ok." Ah, true love.

Look What Three Weeks Can Do!

Well. I thought that I wasn't really growing that much, and then I decided to take a picture this evening to post on the blog... and WOW! The top picture is at week 25, and the bottom picture (taken today) is week 28. I can't believe how much we've grown!!!

ps - do you like my pregnancy pants? Hallelujah for spandex! Mom bought these for me at Pea in the Pod, in case anyone's interested.

pps - click on the photos to enlarge them, if necessary

No More Feet

It's official! I can no longer see my feet when I stand up. And yesterday I could barely put on my socks - Dave came into the bedroom to see what all the noise was about, and there I was, huffing and puffing and trying my hardest to pull up my ski socks for our cold walk to the Syracuse Basketball game from our house. And I'm not doing that much better with my winter boots.

What I've discovered is that the belly with the baby in it is not in any way like a belly with extra fat on it - the baby belly is hard and unmovable and like an extra limb. I cannot squeeze by people's chairs in restaurants or suck it in when I lean over. It is large and in charge. As is the little person inside.

More Belly Pictures

Week 18! The first picture shows you my camoflauge, the second shows you what it would look like if I wore my bikini to school.

This morning I was blow-drying my hair upside down, and when I flipped over, me, the baby, and my hair all went flying backwards into the bed. Whoa! Talk about weight distribution! Then I felt the baby flip again - thud.

Then Dave and I went out for breakfast, and I realized that I didn't know where to put my napkin - across my belly, my lap, my breasts? Hmm. I choose the belly and held it in place with one hand, the bagel in the other. And then I dropped the bagel onto the belly, where it flipped cream cheese side down and landed on my black pants. It was awesome. Dave and I laughed and laughed.

We Have Movement - and another picture!

Another view of the 14 week belly
Posted at week 16 (so there's a little bit of lag time between pictures...)

We have movement!!!! The little person inside is a gymnast. I stayed up from 2:30am to 5:00 am this morning, watching infomercials detailing how to become a SPAM business-owner, because baby did not like the jalapeño peppers I ate last night at dinner. This feeling is very new, so hopefully I'll get used to it soon and get a little more sleep. Besides, Purna the cat got angry at me because she had to share the couch AND the afghan at 2:30am, which is when she generally has dibs on the couch. She sat on my hip for 2 1/2 hours, staring at me with her ears back, telepathically urging me back to my own bed. I finally got the message and returned to bed, and baby went to sleep (or at least got down off the trapeze).

My View

My view of the tummy. I had to bend backwards a little bit, so it's a bit exaggerated. And that's a tie in front, not my belly-button popping through my shirt like some piece of rope.

14 weeks along

oh, here I am all smiley and tired after a long day at school. But look at my belly! That's 14 weeks, folks. Wow!

Ok, ok, we'll give you a picture

Here it is - the first pregnancy photo I'll share with y'all. But geez, it's hard not to scrutinize as I look at it - why is my belly shaped so funny? It's bumpy! I don't know why. Maybe the Belly Band? And my pants are unbuttoned. That could be it. Or I just have a funny-looking shape.

Photo taken: October 10, 2007; 11 1/2 weeks pregnant.