Thirteen Weeks

How far along?  13 weeks.

How big is the baby?  Three inches long or, according to BabyCenter, the size of a medium shrimp.  What a stupid size-comparison.  I just measured, and a standard post-it note is 3"x3".  I prefer office supplies to "medium shrimp."  Fake baby has fingertips by now and is starting to look slightly less like a bobble-head, as his head is now only one-third of his whole body size this week.  Yeah!

Total Weight Gain? I now no longer button my pants.

Belly Update? I definitely can no longer suck it all in - there's an undeniable belly, but I'm afraid that to the general public I still look simply like I've had a few too many IHOP breakfasts lately.  That said, my bloating has gone WAY down - I actually feel smaller (tighter?) than I did three or four weeks ago now that I'm not retaining every ounce of water I drink.

Eventually I will figure out how to display these pictures creatively.  "Eventually" evidently does not cover today.

Just in case you have any doubt that I am feeling much thicker than I usually do, I offer you this picture of my belt.  Please note that it is belted three notches down from my usual notch (where my finger is pointing).  The belt was actually too big for me from the beginning, so last Thanksgiving I very classily used a knife in my mother's kitchen to cut an extra notch - and even then, the belt was always a little too loose.  That is, until now.  So believe me - I feel much bigger than usual - specifically, three belt notches bigger.

Maternity Clothes? My BellaBand is my favorite thing EVER (it's basically like a tube top that holds your unbuttoned pants up/hides your muffin top/smooths all lines).  I feel a lot less like a stuffed sausage because of it. I wore a maternity shirt last week, but I don't think anyone could tell - it just looks like a parachute top.

Movement?  No.  Still a few more weeks.

Food Cravings?  MEAT.  MEAT.  MEAT.  When Preston asked me what I wanted for dinner last Friday night I said, "Red meat."  We went out for dinner specifically so that I could order a steak; I ordered it medium well, but my craving really was for something rare or medium rare (which I knew I couldn't order...sigh).  Keep in mind that I eat red meat practically never and that I have had steak (at home - never in a restaurant) probably six times in my entire life.  On Sunday night I had a second dinner of chicken nuggets simply because I wanted MEAT and that was the easiest option.

My appetite has definitely gone up a notch (or eight) this week, and I'll admit that it's a little (or a lot) terrifying.  Whereas for the last eight weeks or so I've simply been nauseous if I let my stomach get empty, now I find myself in actual physical pain (as in doubled-over in my carrel at the library) if I don't eat substantive snacks/meals often enough.  And lo, I can eat A LOT.  At least a lot compared to what I'm used to eating. I feel like I'm starting to hold my own with Preston.  And, um, he's a lot bigger than I am.  Last night, for example, I had a large-ish dinner at about 7:00/7:30, stayed up till 11:30, and after lying in bed for thirty minutes with hunger pangs, had to go make a bagel at midnight.  This morning when I woke up I wasn't sick from hunger, but within half an hour of being up and walking around, I had to have a bowl of cereal to prevent nausea.  I'm also drinking a ton of water.

Food Aversions? My food aversions seem to be gradually disappearing!  I cooked both Monday and Tuesday nights (Monday: spaghetti with broccoli and chicken; Tuesday: wild rice with sautéed veggies and a light cheese sauce), and I even baked a double batch of M&M cookies on Sunday (though by the time I was finished I felt really sick and had to lie down for two hours).  Still not into making coffee at home, but luckily my beautiful friend Scottie sent me a Starbucks gift card (Thanks, Scottie!) which means I can enjoy decaf coffee when the mood strikes.  Hurrah!

What I miss: Being able to eat cookie dough.  Totally the worst part about being pregnant so far.  The caffeine I can live without.  The alcohol I honestly don't even miss.  But when I made M&M cookies on Sunday and couldn't have cookie dough (raw eggs)...ADFJHDSKJFHS.  I was pissed.  As per usual, I miss my normal chest, sleeping on my stomach, not having to sleep for a minimum of nine hours a night, actually sleeping through the night, and not having to pee thirty-eight times an hour.  If Pennsylvania runs out of water, we'll all know whom to blame.

What I'm looking forward to: Have I mentioned that we have an ultrasound on Friday???  That I've been waiting for FOR WEEKS?  Yes.  I am looking forward to that (though I'm sure I will panic about it on Thursday night and become convinced that I am making it all up and that Fake Baby really IS Fake Baby.  Example: I'm currently too scared to write Fake Baby another letter before the ultrasound because what if he doesn't exist?).  I'm also looking forward to being "out."  I'm getting itchy to tell people at work and school and just generally stop hiding it.   I'm also ready to start exhaling when I teach.

Dogs: I'm pretty sure they know something's going on.  Callie in particular is much more attached and affectionate than usual, and even Ness is sticking closer.  I can't wait for them to be big sisters.  And yes, I do plan on being that lame and referring to them as Fake Baby's big sisters.

Milestones: I really don't want to jinx myself, but...I'm starting to feel better and to have more energy.  As in, I think this afternoon I'm going to try to work out.  I am feeling pretty out of shape (upper arms and thighs, I'm looking at you), and I can't wait to get my body moving (minus how 80's-exercise-video that sounds).  Even as I've been walking the dogs or walking to class over the last few days I find myself walking faster and faster, almost wanting to break into a jog.  It's just nice just not to feel completely exhausted all the time (that said, I took naps on both Sunday and Monday).  I'd like to start doing some easy-ish workouts this week and hopefully start going to the gym (on campus where we live) in the early mornings next week - at that point I'll be "out" at work, so if I see other teachers in my kind-of-tight workout clothes, it won't matter.  I'm still a little too scared to go running, but I'd love to get on an elliptical.  Basically, I really want to be in shape for this pregnancy (for my sanity, for the baby's health, and HELLO, LABOR).  I was in pretty good shape coming into it, and although I do feel that I've been listening to my body over the last month that I haven't been exercising, I miss feeling fit and strong.

Oh, and THIS: most random pregnancy symptom thus far = tailbone pain.  As in, OH-MY-GOSH-it-hurts-to-move tailbone pain.  According to Dr. Google this is normal during pregnancy due to all the ligaments stretching/my uterus becoming a beach ball and smushing all my internal organs together.  The fact that I had a tailbone injury last year (just a bad bruise, I think) apparently doesn't help matters.  The pain comes and goes, but when it comes...man.  It is not pleasant.  I waddle a lot.  I also whine a lot to Preston that my butt hurts.  We have a deeply mature relationship.