changes

There are so many things that women don't share about being pregnant with each other.  A young woman shares the news with women who have children of their own, and they say excited congratulatory statements and then randomly start rubbing your belly and talking baby talk... No one says, "Hey! Just a heads up, blah blah is about to happen so be prepared."

Well save for my Vanessa.  lol She told me.  She is seriously like the big sister I never had.  Thanks to her, I know more of what I can expect. But no one else is telling me things that you would think you would want to know!  So here's a list of things that I have come to learn so far that I wish someone would've told me at some point (and some things Vanessa did tell me, but no one else has given warning about).  Enjoy! (and feel free to laugh at any point! lol)

• Maternity pants are truly great.  No zippers, no buttons.  My favorite are from Old Navy.  Where the waistband should be, there is about a 3" or 4" elastic band.  It's pretty much amazing.  Now I know for a fact that my fly isn't in fact down.  lol 
• Outside of the maternity store in the mall, don't count on having much of a selection in any other brick and mortar store.  Yes, several clothing stores have maternity clothes... however they do not readily sell them in stores, and if they do, they only carry a handful of them.  It's very sad, I know... Our J.C. Penney's for example has literally one of those 4 pronged clothing racks for their entire maternity section. 2 prongs for tops, 2 prongs for bottoms.  It's very discouraging.  
• Heartburn.  The end. I honestly don't know that anyone could've given me enough warning for this one.  I have NEVER had heartburn before.  But the second I first experienced it in my first trimester (actually before I knew I was prego) I knew what it was.  Not pleasant and I seriously hope it goes away after our baby arrives.  
• Being pregnant is painful.  All the random shooting pains in places you have likely never felt pain before,  your stomach muscles aching like you tried to do a sit-up competition, and the charlie-horses are ridiculous.  Thankfully I was warned about this one. Pain is normal, no matter how abnormal the location and timing, as long as it's not long lasting.  
• Your nose becomes an enemy.  You smell all kinds of things much more strongly then ever before and many things bother you like they've never bothered you before.  The smell of frying bacon or sausage, once a very pleasant experience, makes me evacuate the premisses to avoid getting ridiculously sick. Chad thought I was making it up to be funny... now he knows better.  lol
• Eating for 2 doesn't necessarily mean a big old helping of everything.  But being hungry all of the time.. like all the time.  The key is lots of little meals/snacks thru out the day to avoid over eating then feeling miserable.  Then you don't feel more bloated than you already feel!  lol
• You feel ugly.  I am personally convinced that all these women who act so happy to be pregnant and say they just LOVE the experience, are full of crap.  Your first trimester you're exhausted all the time (as in some women have been known to think they have mono!) and you're getting sick to your stomach a lot.  Your second trimester you aren't as tired, but your body starts changing and doing things it didn't do before. All of your clothes stop fitting, well other than your socks.  Shoes don't fit right anymore as even your feet start to go thru changes.  You feel depressed because to you, you feel bloated.  And feel that you look bloated.  And none of your clothes fit.  And you have to keep reminding yourself that it's ok, because it's a baby causing all of this to happen.  lol So if you see a pregnant woman, try to compliment her somehow.  It helps.  lol 
• You have to go to the bathroom a lot and all of a sudden.  As I was trying to explain to Chad, there is 6.5" and 5 oz of baby where once my bladder and other internal organs used to be.  lol which makes me fill up faster when eating and suddenly have to go to the bathroom.  lol  We all know about the frequency but sheesh.  lol 
• The power of suggestion is no your friend.  You will be in the middle of a conversation when all of a sudden someone says something about food, and all of a sudden you want it.  Now.  lol.  I want fruit, vegetables, smoothies... all just by random word association games my mind plays on it's own.  lol 
• You lose your memory.  I have never been a very flighty person. I've always prided myself with being on top of it... not so much anymore.  I have to be reminded of so many things or write so many things down that it's sad.  Chad likes it because then I don't as easily remember things he said lol but... it annoys me that I can't remember as well.  

And no joke, that's about all I can remember.  I was sitting here thinking there are so many things I want to share about this experience so far that no one tells you, and that's all I can remember!  So... I'll update this as time goes on.  lol :)