Baby bump retrospective

  

Week 20: My first baby bump picture wasn't taken until Monday, April 4th, the 5th month of my pregnancy.  This was the first day of project week.  A week in which my co-worker and I led a group of middle schoolers on exploratory day trips around Seattle.  I now have even more admiration for my co-worker as she was about a week from her due date that week and walked around the city for several hours a day.  I don't know how she did it!  At this point, I was still able to wear all my regular clothes with a belly band.  Even now I can wear some of the shirts I bought at Anthropologie (like the Ella Moss one below).  Probably because I have a weakness for empire waist style tops.  Also, because I'm so short (5 feet), they were too long for my torso to begin with which meant there was plenty of space for an expanding belly.  My husband was not always around when I thought of taking a photo, so this one was taken in our bedroom's closet mirror.

 

Week 22: This photo was taken on April 14th, during my spring break.  We were visiting my in-laws in Orange County.  I notice that my belly looked even bigger when I was wore dresses.  This is a dress I already owned.  I hadn't worn it in awhile because it made me look like I was pregnant, but now that's okay since I actually am :-)  Yeah, I'm one of those people that suffers from a little belly - especially right after a big meal.  That combined with my love of empire waist dresses, has resulted in many embarrassing encounters with people asking when I'm due.  It's nice to have a 9 month span where that question is actually appropriate!

Week 23:  This was taken on a weekend trip to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival with my friend.  It's also the first photo where I'm wearing a maternity top and jeans, both from Old Navy.  I think that's definitely the best place to get bargain priced maternity wear, at least for casual use.  This was taken mid-way through the day, and my big breakfast may have contributed to the big looking belly.  I think there was still a lot of bloating happening this early in the pregnancy.

Week 24: This was taken on a visit to Alki Beach after returning the smelly Pottery Barn rug I mentioned in my last post.  This was the first and only time I wore this H&M shirt before retiring it to storage.  I was sure it would work since it used to be loose on me pre-pregnancy.  However, it turned out to be too short once the belly pushed it out.

 

Week 27: This was at our baby shower, where I was holding my friend's baby.  The same friend who was pregnant during week 20 and walking around Seattle with me.  I didn't wear this dress again after the party as I realized my breasts had gotten too large for it and I kept showing too much cleavage during the party.  The dress, actually sold as a nightgown at Anthropologie, was also a bit short - especially with the baby bump.  As per usual, I have on my cozy orange wool Haflinger slippers.  My mom started buying these for us when I was a kid, and I still love them!  This chair is the "rocker" that's going to go into the nursery soon.

Week 29: This was our first visit to Kubota Gardens in South Seattle.  It's not as orderly as the Japanese garden at the Arboretum, but it's free and a lot bigger.  It was a hot day and this was the first time I started to feel the effects of swollen feet.  I was also getting really dehydrated, but didn't want to drink water and then be forced to use the port a potty at the park.  (The creepy looking guy in the background is actually our friend who came to the garden with us.)  This not so flattering dress is from Old Navy maternity.  It's comfortable, but  the diagonal stripes just seem to emphasize the large belly.  My mother-in-law was nice enough to buy me some maternity clothes (including this dress that I picked it out) when I visited her back during week 22.  I think this might have been the first day where it was warm enough to wear it.

Week 35:  It's been awhile since I've taken a photo.  Probably because I've been feeling so swollen and beach ball like.  Right around the end of the school year (week 30?), my feet were permanently swollen and great at least an entire shoe size.  They are also so wide that all I can now fit into are flip-flops.  The green flip-flops in this photo were a cheap pair I got at Target that serve as my house slippers now that it's warmer.  The top is a non-maternity Ella Moss top from Anthropologie.  It makes me feel good that I can still fit into some "normal clothes," albeit clothes that were obviously too big for me before if they fit me now.  The jeans are from Gap maternity.  They aren't as comfortable as my Old Navy maternity jeans because they don't stay up completely unless I wear a belly band as a sort of belt.  

I did buy one pair of comfortable birkenstock type shoes so I'd have shoes that are somewhat supportive to wear during the summer.  I'm really hoping my feet will shrink back down, or I'll have to get all new shoes, which would be a bummer - not to mention expensive!  The swelling has also led to carpal tunnel in both hands, although the left one is worse.  I've set aside the baby sweater I started knitting for baby Nam for the time being.  I also have to make sure I wear a brace and keep my wrists straight and elevated when I sleep.  That is, when I can sleep.  I had no problem sleeping until the last few weeks.  Now, I'm so big, that shifting position in any way is uncomfortable and I regularly wake up in the middle of the night.  I also don't really want to take naps during the day because it's uncomfortable, especially with the omnipresent heartburn.  Swimming has been the best respite from my now lumbering and awkward body.  I got a 30 day pass to the neighborhood park district pool and have been trying to go every other day.  While I'm in the water, nothing hurts or feels swollen.  It's wonderful! 

Hopefully, I only have one more month to go until baby Nam's arrival!