Belly, Belly Good

One of the things that people tell you when you get pregnant for the second time is that you are going to start showing a lot sooner than the first time. While I knew that, I wasn't prepared for the onslaught of the belly.

With Abby, I was actually not into maternity clothes until almost 17 weeks pregnant. It was nice to know a little secret that no one else knew while your pants choices start to dwindle. Thankfully I had a few elastic waist pants so I just looked like I had gained 5 lbs or so. What was even better was that before we told the world, we went on a cruise. So I not only looked like I had gained 5 lbs, I had actually had gained 5 lbs! Here was my first official maternity clothes picture:

This time it was quite different. I actually started to grow out of my clothes around 10 weeks but could still get away with some of my larger size pants. I even invested in a Bella Band. This is basically a pregnancy girdle and while it can be worn with pre-pregnancy clothes unbuttoned at the top, I was just going for a little concealment until I was out of my first trimester and we heard the heartbeat. The band wasn't that bad during the morning but by the time I got home, I had to just get out of all my work clothes and into a nice pair of sweatpants and one of Josh's t-shirts. The Friday before my 12 week appointment, I was running by my director's secretary. She actually asked me if I was pregnant. My face turned bright red and I asked if I was really showing. Thankfully she said I had a pregnant "glow" and she could just tell. But otherwise I didn't look pregnant. (Minor tangent...pregnancy glow? Did that just mean I was sweaty? Did I need a shower? I never understood this term)

By the time I eked my way to my 12 week appointment, my maternity clothes that were sitting patiently in a box on the top shelf of our closet started to call me. I went to my 12 week appointment and everything checked out perfectly. Not to mention the nurse stating "Wow! I can see your uterus when you lay down!" Okay. Random and weird at the same time. Now it was just time to tell everyone else and get into some comfy clothing!

I was able to get out of the Bella Band and just wear the maternity pants with my regular shirt...for a week. Then it was full on. Here is a picture of me this time at 17 weeks:

Bit of a difference...I think women's bodies are like a memory foam mattress. They just spring back into life as if to say "I remember this!" What is even weirder is that when I took this picture, I had only gained 4 lbs. Four little pounds and I am a Goodyear Blimp. I even had a guy stop by my desk today and say "Wow! You are huge!". I think the lashing my glare gave him was enough because he started backpedaling faster than I thought was humanly possible. Men...