3rd trimester

I thought I would be more diligent about writing about my first pregnancy. But with my new job, I haven't spent much time doing anything online. I can't remember the last time I checked out MySpace or FaceBook. I get home and I have no intentions of getting back on a computer except for an occasional game of Internet Backgammon.

My second trimester was uneventful. I had a weeks' worth of swelling which was mainly due to some unexpected and unnatural humidity in September and October. I combatted that with more water and kept my feet up if I could and voila, no more swelling. But I really do believe it was due much more to the fact that it was so hot and humid those days. I had a weeks' worth of difficulty breathing. Mostly due to a congestion cold than anything else, because here I am, much fatter, breathing normally (just don't ask me to do stairs). My second trimester also brought along the realization that my IBS wasn't going anywhere. A friend of mine said her IBS was dormant throughout her pregnancy. Mine, on the other hand, came out of dormancy and reared its ugly head in pairs. I had to modify my eating again. I went back to plain foods, nothing high in fat, nothing processed, no vinegars, no spices or sauces, and no sweets. Now, that's not saying the full truth. Did I eat these things on occasion...yes. Cravings haven't really been my thing. I've had few cravings. But on occasion, your body just tells you what to eat. It could be a salad and that salad most definitely needs some sort of dressing - whose main ingrediant is vinegar. And with the holidays, including Halloween, all inclusive of my pregnancy, I ate my share of sweets. But each time, I paid the price. A price I quickly realized was not worth it. So, for the most part, I kept to a simple diet and avoided sweets. Luckily, I have not really craved much in the wave of junk food. A piece of chocolate here and there, but if you knew me at all, you would realize the magnitude of this difference in diet. I eat fruits mainly. For what I would consider the largest change in my diet, I now eat citrus fruits like I would have previously eaten chocolate. I am NOT a fan of peeling oranges or tangerines or eating peaches, but my baby has a mind of his own. So I eat fruit in large quantities. This baby better love fruit in a year from now! :)

Now, 3 weeks into my 3rd trimester, the largest change is my belly and my ability to eat all day long. I wouldn't consider myself huge. I wouldn't consider myself one of those pregnant women most people think are cute because they are all belly and their size 4 frame makes it impossible not to want to touch their stomache. But for those who know my basic size XL size, they can tell I'm pregnant. I believe I would be considered "all belly", as I do not feel like my ass has grown or my thighs have grown or my face has rounded out too much. I"m sure a few pounds have been placed in each of these strategic locations, but for the most part, the 20lbs I have gained thus far resides in my midsection where Jameson turns and twirls like a dancer most days. I also find that I can no longer eat large quantities of food in one sitting. The food gets stuck and the pressure at the base of my esophagus is unpleasant at best. Small portions every 2-3 hours seems to work best for me.

And lastly, peeing. Peeing during the day is fine, but at night, it's quite a task. Rolling out of bed takes a lot of effort now and waking up every 2 hours is no fun. I sometimes have to push my husband to leverage my large ass out of bed. So he wakes up too. It's a group process. But he never complains and is always back to sleep before I can say Thank you. Some nights, i wonder if he even remembers how often I've woken him up.