The truth about pregnancy...

...or my pregnancy at least.

For as long as I can remember I always thought pregnant women were so cute!  I love pregnant bellies and pretty much every pregnant person I see is so precious.  Then you see maternity pics like this...

*never in a million years could I personally take a pic like this*

and it leads to believe that pregnancy is not only cute but can be sexy too.  Well this pregnant girl definitely does not feel sexy (that was never really a pre-pregnant feeling anyway) and it's hard to even feel cute most days!

In the first trimester you just feel tired and crummy majority of the time.  If you are like me, your skin becomes incredibly oily and you look as though you've just hit puberty with unbelievable acne.  As your body is getting used to (or not accepting) all the new hormones raging in your body you get to experience things like constipation and frequent urination. 

*just a glimpse at what my acne looked like in the beginning...GROSS*

When you get to the second trimester you finally have a little bump and it's pretty exciting.  People can usually start to tell that you are carrying a baby in your belly and not one too many six packs.  You actually start to get your energy back and begin to think that pregnancy is not so bad after all.  You do start to gain more weight, so most likely your wardrobe does not fit anymore, therefore maternity clothes become your best friend.  (I'm thinking of wearing panel pants forever!)  At this point you may also start swelling.  Putting your feet up whenever possible is the best thing at this time.  You also may need to wear compression socks.  And don't be surprised if you are really limited as to what shoes you can wear.

*just putting my feet up while I had a chance at work*

*compression socks are a lifesaver*

Then you get to the third trimester.  You can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, yet it still seems so far away.  By this point your belly is so large that everyone and their mother feel the need to tell you that you are about to pop.  You no longer walk anymore, but instead waddle.  The swelling that started in the 2nd trimester is only worse and even starts to cause carpal tunnel.  The carpal tunnel is so bad in the morning that you can barely put on makeup and straightening your hair is totally out of the question.  You sleep in 2-3 hour intervals, waking to attempt to get comfortable or get up to pee.  Speaking of peeing, if you don't go to the bathroom often, it's likely that you may wet your pants if you sneeze, cough, laugh, or heck, maybe even take a deep breath.  Maternity clothes don't seem to fit or feel cute anymore, instead you want to wear sweat pants and your husband's oversized shirts. 

Your body goes through some crazy changes during pregnancy.  Some days you don't feel human and you wonder if your body will ever be what it was 9 months ago. 

Please don't take all this the wrong way...I am very grateful for the opportunity to be pregnant.  I am so thankful for an uncomplicated pregnancy and so far a healthy baby.  I am so anxious and excited about meeting our sweet baby girl.  I know that all this craziness called pregnancy will be totally worth it once I get to see Lillian and kiss her sweet face.  Until she arrives I will do my best to make the most of this pregnancy and take care of her and protect her while I can.