The top ten things that have surprised me the most about being pregnant

Here are some things I was NOT expecting while I was expecting...

10. Losing weight: At one point, I had lost 15 pounds, and I still weigh about 5 pounds less now than when I had first become pregnant!  Morning sickness is most definitely not a glamorous way to lose weight and not something I was expecting! (I've checked in several times with my midwife about the weight loss: she says it is perfectly fine and normal and nothing to worry about... happens to lots of expectant mothers who suffer from nausea and change their diets for the better).

9. (Along those lines...) Not really showing yet: I suppose it depends on what I wear, but at 23 weeks now, a lot of people don't even notice I am pregnant (again, the baby is growing along just fine, things are just "rearranging" in the general tummy area in an unexpected way).

8. Water: the horrible things plain ol' water does to me!  Heartburn being the most evil.  Did anyone else have this issue?

7.  The things I CAN do: Ollie and I went kayaking the other afternoon.  I thought I would just try it and see how the paddling motion agreed with my stomach muscles, but was pleasantly surprised to find it was perfectly easy and normal: just like it's always been!

6.  The things I CAN'T do: bending over (to pick up and put away bolts of fabric, for example... something I do quite often, as you can imagine) is not my favorite thing.  I find myself leaning and wiggling sideways, or avoiding the situation altogether, rather than bending at the waist like I used to.

5.  The things I CAN eat: this baby likes spicy food... lately it's been salsa.  Mucho salsa.

4.  The things I CAN'T eat: I haven't had a potato in MONTHS!!!  I can't imagine I will ever like potatoes again, but maybe I will someday...

3.  Being so tired all the time: I guess this one shouldn't have surprised me ;-)

2.  Crazy dreams: Dreams that the baby was a sheep (a very cute brown sheep!), dreams that the baby was born perfectly grown, but in miniature like Tom Thumb, dreams that people find out I am secretly a horrible mother and decide to take the baby away from me (that was a rough night...).

1.  Being treated like a queen: obviously, I love this part of being pregnant.  It could be friends who wouldn't dream of letting you do the dishes, or a husband who carries in all the groceries, or favorite customers who stop by with baby presents (I love presents!), all these things are definitely what you'd call "perks."   

Pregnancy sure is a wild ride, and there's probably nothing out there that could possible prepare you for it.  I'm just thankful for the wild ride every day and trying to roll with the punches and looking forward to meeting this little person and beginning a whole different type of wild ride all over again!

XO,

Rhea