16 weeks

People are always asking me how I'm feeling, seemingly because pregnancy has a bad rap for making women feel like shit.  Fortunately I don't really feel like shit, I am mostly just feeling tired (I sleep 9-10hr a night).  And large.  I'm in an in between stage where some of my normal clothes fit, but a lot of them don't and so getting dressed every day involves a lot of trial and error.  Also, I grow at what appears to be an exponential rate, so something that fit on Monday doesn't fit anymore on Thursday.  So far in this trimester I'm still pretty much hiding the bump, bc I basically just look chubby or like I ate too much pasta.  Despite being tired and uncomfortable all the time I still walk ~6 miles a day and work out at the gym 1-2 times a week.  I want to get this up to like 4 days a week, but that might be wishful thinking...if only that magical second trimester energy boost would kick in....  

I've been getting annoyed at the websites and pregnancy apps that say I should have glowing skin and lustrous hair now that I'm in my second trimester too.  I have neither.  My hair, while it does seem to grow faster, is also falling out faster.  My skin thinks I'm 16 years old, not 16 weeks pregnant.  So one of the feelings I experience a lot is grossness.  I have a newly bulbous body and adolescent skin and I end up putting together my outfits based on what fits today, not necessarily what looks good together.  I'm very lucky in that I can wear sweatpants, leggings and joggers to work.  I don't have to look professional, but I try to not look gross.

I always envisioned myself looking super cute during pregnancy, like with a nice round baby bump and a totally normal body otherwise.  Not so, my friend.  My body has lost muscle tone all over and so I just seem very soft.  I also retain A LOT of water so it doesn't help with the squishyness.  My broad shoulders and wide hips aren't doing me any favors right now either.  Lately I identify mostly with William "The Fridge" Perry or Sir Charles "The Round Mound of Rebound" Barkley.

All joking aside, I mostly feel tired and awkward these days, and I don't have my energy back and I'm not glowing.  Enough with your second trimester lies, Internet! One thing that isn't a lie is round ligament pain from the expanding uterus, which I definitely experience.  It's not so bad, but is sometimes sudden, and I imagine any sharp pain associated with that region could be frightening for many women. One other crazy thing is that your ligaments loosen up and stuff, which is mainly so your hips can spread and let the baby through, but this affects your whole body.  INCLUDING YOUR FEET.  Yep, my feet are now almost a whole size bigger than they were pre-pregnancy, and just because my toes are longer now.  Can't wait to see how much bigger they get when they start swelling later on!