Blah blah blah, I want belly pictures

Yesterday, Lindsey pointed out via e-mail that I haven't been very good at keeping you all visually apprised of my expanding girth, and now that I think about it, the last time you saw The Belly, it was featured as a supporting character in my first post about BlogHer (the second recap is coming, I swear).

How rude of me. This thing clearly deserves your undivided attention.

If you care about me at all, please disregard the shine on my forehead and all those pink dots scattered across my face. It was almost midnight when Luke took this picture, and besides, that whole "glowing skin" phenomenon you hear about in pregnant women? It's a DAMN MYTH. 

And since I care about YOU, I'm warning you not to view the full size of this image. It's not pretty.

Right now I'm at twenty-three weeks, and sometime during the last ten days or so, Freka must've decided to begin working on her life-long dream of becoming an Olympic gymnast, because holy crap, does this girl like to move it (move it). In between the time my feet touch the carpet and my head hits the pillow, she rolls around in my womb like a bowling ball. Several times my entire body has flinched in reaction to her fetal shenanigans, but they always bring a smile to my face, because hey, movement equals life, right? As long as she's treating my insides like a jungle gym, I know she's doing well.

In the area of weight gain, I currently clock in at 142 pounds, which means I've gained back everything I lost to morning sickness and then some, but it's only recently that I've come to experience geniune, ravenous hunger. And a renewed fondness for Ruffles sour cream and onion potato chips.

Luke and I have signed up for a few classes at the hospital where I'll give birth--Childbirth Preparation, Labor Support, and Breastfeeding Basics, the first one starting in September--and the baby's room is actually starting to look like a baby's room. My in-laws generously purchased Freka's crib, while my own parents eagerly committed to the bassinet. Luke's childhood dresser and the rocker my mother used when I was but a babe myself are in their proper places, and several items of clothing are hanging in the closet.

This is really happening. On or around December 10th, we're really going to have a baby.

Hold me.

Comments

[Lindsey]

Hooray for belly pics!!! You look sooo adorable!!! Oh and Freka, you look great too. Have to give the little one some credit too, right?

I think all of the movement is definitely a good sign. I just hope she settles down at night when it is time for bed. With any luck she'll get on your sleep schedule before she is even born. ;-)

I'm totally craving sour cream and onion chips now.

[Isabel]

Frema, you look GREAT. And that belly is too perfect. I want to rub it all day! ;-)

I love that you have Luke's old dresser and your rocker. That is very special.

December 10th, here we come!

[Silly Hily]

Holy crap are you a freakin' adorable pregnant woman!

[Lizarita]

Holy crap, Frema! That baby is really growing in there because you've gotten bigger since I saw you at BlogHer. (And that is a compliment NOT a "you're fat" statement)
You look PRESHUS. It's probably a good thing you weren't showing as much at BlogHer because I don't know if I would be able to resist the urge to rub that belly now!
And um. Your boobies? Nuff said.

[Katie]

I agree that you look so cute and adorable! I know grown women usually don't like to be called cute and adorable - sorry about that.

Depending on your goals for your childbirth classes, you may want to consider going through a private teacher rather than (or in addition to ) the hospital :-) The hospital classes are great to teach you about hospital policies and how things will happen during the typical epidural birth. If you desire something besides the typical epidural birth (and I'm not saying you SHOULD, just IF you do), I would go to a private teacher :-) My personal favorites are Hypnobabies and the Bradley method. There are a lot of eclectic teachers that cover all sorts of methods.

[Sadie]

Wow, it has been a while since you posted a picture! You look great, and I like your Pooh jammies. :)

[Audrey]

You look so gorgeous!

[Marriage-101]

Oh my gosh! You're pregnant! Wow, it really has been awhile since I've seen a preggy picture. Oh and ditto on the pooh jammies.

[Molly]

Holy crap!! You look fantastic!! I know I just saw you a few weeks ago, but that baby is growing in leaps and bounds. The picture made me misty-eyed. Damn pregnancy hormones. Oh wait, that's you. What's my excuse?

[alyndabear]

You look fantastic! If Freka really does turn out to be an Olympic Gymnast, at least you & Luke will get really REALLY nice presents on your birthdays. ;)

[Katie]

What a beautiful belly!

[Jackie]

You look awesome! I love baby bellies - damn, I have baby fever BAD! I won't be at St. Joe's this weekend, which is good for you because I'd seriously spend the meeting rubbing your belly - in an envious sort of way, not a creepy one.

[daddy d]

Thats our girls. What a joy!

[mjd]

You look lovely as always. Those six pregnancy tests must be accurate, you really do look pregnant.

[sant]

Yeay for belly pics! You look fantastic! And by the way, I love your term "fetal shenanigans"... it's much cuter than teenage shenanigans;)

[VirginiaGal]

Oh wow. You look great!

I love that you are wearing the same bottoms as in the first belly pic.

[Bethany]

You look fantastic!! I love the Pooh pants.

[Erica]

You look beautiful.

[Rachel]

You are the cutest damn pregnant woman!! You look fantastic!! I totally wanna rub the belly, but I don't wanna draw back a nub.

[wolfbaby]

you look beatiful and all this talk about being preggers and seeing all the beatiful baby pics on the blogs i read is really giving me a hankering for another baby. not that the two i have arne't keeping me busy mind you but it seems when they hit two yrs old a real bad bout of babyitis hits and you want another.. *sigh* whats a girl to do?

[kerrianne]

I love that you are wearing Pooh! pants. And that you call your bouncing gymnast "Freka." So awesome.

[Alexander Pavlovich Romanov, Autocrat of All the Russias]

C'mon...you look mahvelous...as welcome as a flower in May.

Pregnant women attain a certain level of beauty that is hard to define, but it places them above other women.

Oh, and, don't feel bad...sour cream and onion Ruffles kick ass. Midway through a bag myself.

[Kelly]

Adorable! :) You look so cute!

[eva]

That is one impressive belly! Best of luck in keeping the hands of strangers off. Good for Freka letting you know she's up and about-minimizes the worrying for me. I totally hear you about the skin - along with extra shine, I'm sporting extra zits (face) and painful eczema patches (rest of me). Mmm sexy.