Twelve Weeks

How far along? 12 weeks

How big is the baby? About two and a half inches long (i.e. still a small lemon or a large lime). However, even at two and a half inches, he still has all the necessary organs, structures, and systems; they still have a LOT of developing to do before he could survive, but he's basically a mini human! HOORAY! Sex organs are clearly male or female.

Sidebar: I'm pretty sure that Fake Baby is a boy, which is why I'm referring to it as "him." I have absolutely no basis for this suspicion - it's just a gut feeling.

Total Weight Gain: No idea. My doctor will tell me if anything is wrong with my weight gain. I will say, however, that I bought a pair of sweatpants a size up at Victoria's Secret this weekend, and my life is now so deeply improved I cannot explain it. They are incredible. They are also hot pink and awesome and I never want to take them off.

Belly Update: I'm still in the feeling-chubby-but-not-looking-pregnant stage (and have a feeling this is where I'll be for a while. I will try to stop complaining). As you can see from the first picture, I've definitely gained some weight around my chest/waist, but as you can see from the second picture, I still don't have much of a belly.

Stretch Marks? Not on my stomach...

Sleep? Is about the same. I wake up at least once a night to pee, and at least once a night to lie awake for an hour feeling like I'm about to throw up my kidneys. Awesome.

Maternity Clothes? My BellaBand finally arrived (I'm wearing it in this week's pictures)! This means that I no longer have to button my pants. VICTORY. In a fit of self-loathing/self-pity last week, I did actually buy a bunch of maternity clothes from Old Navy. They arrived yesterday and most of them are still WAY too big, but since I hate wearing tight clothes, I feel like I'll probably start wearing the two sweaters sooner rather than later. I'll also probably wear the super long and delicious tank-tops to bed. The rest will have to wait a few months.

Movement? Nope, but Fake Baby can now feel me! His reflexes are developed enough that if I press on my uterus, he will respond!

Food Cravings? Carbohydrates in all shapes, sizes, and forms (specifically: goldfish crackers, shredded wheat cereal, pre-packaged peanut butter crackers, and saltines). I am on the anti-Atkins diet.

Food Aversions? My food aversions have gotten better this week. As in, when I went to the grocery store on Friday night (and yes - that is how exciting my Friday nights are. Be jealous.), I wasn't repulsed by ALL THE FOOD EVERYWHERE. I even - wait for it - cooked dinner on Monday night. A dinner that did not involve cereal or grilled cheese (the dinner was roasted chicken with roasted potatoes and green beans, to be precise). Be impressed. Last night I even had a SALAD for (my second) dinner. With LETTUCE. That said, when I made this vegetable soup earlier in the week I honestly thought I might throw up while I was chopping the vegetables. So, meh. Still not loving real people food, but hating it less. Hurrah!

What I Miss: I miss having any energy at all. I am getting so tired of feeling sick and being exhausted. I also miss being able to depend on caffeine for a quick pick-me-up, not having to trim my (super strong and gorgeous - thank you prenatal vitamins!) nails every two seconds, my normal-sized chest, sleeping on my stomach, and being able to work out in the mornings.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Our ultrasound next Friday! Both because I need some reassurance that everything is ok (seriously, you guys - I took ANOTHER pregnancy test over the weekend just to make sure I was STILL pregnant. I am actually crazy.), and because squeal! There's an actual little person inside of me! It's crazy.

Dogs: I thought I'd add this category simply because I am curious to see how the pups react to my pregnancy/our child. I've heard some people say that their pets respond immediately to their pregnancy - that they can sense (or smell?) that something is different with their owner. I was actually going to say that our dogs have absolutely no idea that there's anything going on, but now that I think about it, Callie in particular has been much clingier lately. Instead of Ness, it's Callie sleeping at our feet on the bed at night (which leads to Ness whining at two in the morning wondering why sheeeeeeeeee isn't on the beeeeeeeeeeed...her life is so harrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd). Callie's been much more insistent about receiving attention, and she's just sticking to me more closely (e.g. right now as I sit in the study typing this post, Callie is sleeping on the floor next to me; normally she'd go sleep in a bed - either hers or ours). I really think that both of them will be fantastic with the baby, but I know it'll be a huge adjustment since, for the last two/three years, they have been our babies (they still will be, of course, but there's no denying that it will be different).

UPDATE an hour later: Now Callie has abandoned me and Ness just pooped on the rug. So apparently NOPE nothing has changed.

Milestones: I told one of my professors that I'm expecting. I just hadn't gotten the work done for his class, and after I sat down in his office last Friday and he told me that I looked exhausted and asked me if everything was ok, I just lost it. I didn't technically cry, but the tears were brimming and the chin was shaking. It was embarrassing. BUT. He was tremendously supportive, and very understanding - he immediately offered his congratulations. I obviously still have to do the expected work for the class, but just to get that off my chest lifted such a load - and honestly, it was a load that I didn't even realize was there. It felt so good to say it out loud. My other milestone is that I finally bought two new bras. They are much more supportive (read: old-lady) than my usual bras, but feel SO much better. Also, my cups no longer runneth over (this is a good thing).

Oh, and THIS: I am still having the most ridiculous dreams. One night I dreamt I was herding goats in the mountains (with my third-grade teacher, no less), another night Preston and I moved into a basement apartment and had to have our portraits painted as a condition of the lease (but on the other hand, the apartment had a washer and dryer!), and another night we were walking along the river in Washington D.C. trying to find a hotel that had wireless, and then POOF we were in Germany, on the run from someone who wanted to steal our baby. We hid in a magic hammock that made us invisible to our trackers. I am totally not even kidding. In sum: I feel like my pregnant body is more than making up for my lack of hallucinogenic drug experiences. Turns out I would've been just fine without them.