Something in the water

It has been so much fun being pregnant with several of my friends and my sister! What a blessing to share this exciting time in our lives together... to have someone to celebrate and commiserate with! S My sister and Candice were originally 6 weeks ahead of us on due dates.  Amberly is 6 weeks behind me, and Jenna is 10 weeks behind me.  Erin is about 20 weeks behind me.  And we have recently found out that Anna and Cate are pregnant too!  So yes... I am pretty much surrounded by pregnant people.  There is something in the water!

It's also made for some really fun photos like our Christmas maternity sister photo shoot.  We had planned to get some pictures made from a professional photographer before Sissy was put on bed rest.  We weren't able to get our official photo shoot done, but we had a pretty good fill in with my mom... too bad we were really rushed that day!

I am up for opening this gift early like Sissy did, by the way.  It's only fair, after all :)

Loved these adorable PJs

Our traditional "Sissy Hug" picture was a little more difficult this year with Trace and Aubrey wanting in on the action.

Here we are at Candice's Shower

Easton is ready to meet his little buddy, Trace!

Amberly and Jenna helped host my friends shower!

We added one belly to the bunch at Amberly's shower!

Can't wait for all these babies to get to know each other!

 I'm so excited that Trace Parker will have friends to grow up with.  If they turn out to be half as good of friends as these girls have been to me... he will be one very lucky boy!

Are we there yet?

No.

Are we there yet?

No.

I feel like an errant child begging my Father from the backseat of a long road trip to let it be time to be at our destination-- in this case,  the arrival of my baby boy! And trust me... I'm doing my fair share of whining and begging God from the backseat.  Example #77,026 where I am not in control... God is.  (You'd think I'd learn this lesson by now... man, am I a stubborn child!)

The calendar says we are 38 weeks pregnant today, and boy am I ready! Patience has never been my strongest virtue.  To think I even feel the need to say that out loud is laughable... anyone that knows me has more than likely never listed me on their "most patient people" list!  I wish I were more patient, and I really do try, but it definitely isn't something that comes naturally for me.  If you EVER see that fruit of the spirit in me-- it's because of the Holy Spirit working an overtime miracle that day!

It's not that I'm that tired of being pregnant, although, according to Jefforey.. we "have to be at least 12 months pregnant by now."  Which truthfully, including the miscarriage...I've been pregnant like 11 of the last 12 months.  If I'm being honest... I am a little ready to have my body back.  I'm ready to have my foods and beverages of choice again.  Oh how I miss sushi.  And Dr. Pepper.... and a looong list of other items on the "no fly list" while pregnant.

It's not even that every single conversation I have throughout the course of a day begins, consists of, ends and completely revolves around "When is Trace Parker going to get here?"  or "How are you feeling?"  Although, admittedly... that does get a bit old!  But it's not like I can blame people... it is on my mind 24/7!  It's becoming increasingly difficult to get anything accomplished because I am thinking about him constantly!  Up until yesterday, I have (thankfully) been so busy with work, that I haven't had much time to dwell on the fact that I'm about to have a baby.  I was managing our biggest event of the year, and I was just praying that Trace would wait a few more days so I could attend it!  Now that we've made it through the Race to Remember, I having a bit of a tougher time staying focused on ANYTHING but BABY!

I am mostly ready to have this baby boy because I am dying to meet him!  I feel like I just can't wait another second to see his face in the flesh instead of on some creepy ultrasound machine or alien-esque 4D photo. I am longing to hear him cry and smell his sweet baby fragrance, not the artificial imitation that is his closet (which I sneak into at least 5 times a day just to sniff!).  I am honestly just ready to know he is here and healthy.  Everyone tells me that the worrying has just begun, that you really never stop this constant thinking of your kid business.  Hooey.  At least when he is HERE, I can lay eyes on him and see that he's still breathing. There is so much faith involved in this whole pregnancy process...  So many scary things that can happen.  I'm not proud of this, but I am admitting to you that I have really struggled with worry lately.  Apparently, that comes with the territory, but I don't want to accept that.  Sin is sin, and no amount of "mommy justification" will change that -- worry is NOT from God!

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you;my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

If I am constantly worried about the health and safety of this child, am I really being a good example of God's peace?  What does my worry say to others about my faith?!  I called to make an appointment with my tax preparer, and God used that gentleman on the phone to bring this issue to my attention, he must have been able to hear the anxiety about the arrival of our son.  He asked, "Are you my sister in Christ?"  I said, "Yes, sir!" He said, "Well then just declare and proclaim a healthy, safe baby and delivery. No need to worry!" And I thought... Right you are, Mr. Tax-Preparer-appointment-taker guy! Right you are!

How many times does the Lord tell us not to worry throughout Scripture?!  Tons of times.  I found an encouraging post about worry that you can check out for more examples than I've listed below.

Isaiah 43:1-3  But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob,  he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you;  I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;  and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.  For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior...

I often use this verse on baby door hangers.  It's a beautiful image, but it's not just pretty-- it's TRUTH!  It's the promise of God!  We have been redeemed!  We are claimed by the Maker of the Universe.  He called us by name!  He promises to be with us and tells us not to fear.  Who am I not to listen to that direct command!  Forgive me, Lord!

Hebrews 13:6 So we can confidently say,  “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

It is time that I start living on faith and confidently saying The Lord is my helper whom/what then shall I fear?! Thank God that He never lets go of me...even when I am a wimp and get lost in the seas of worry!  Praise God that He brings us through storms and challenges and allows us to rest in His incredible peace!

Psalm 118:24- "This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

I've also been convicted about my change in focus lately and about my whining, complaining and begging God to let it be time already!  I want to stay focused on the reason I was made-- to bring glory to God in all that I say and do.  If I'm constantly questioning (see: begging/whining) the timing of my son's arrival... am I really living with an attitude of gratitude for all I've been given?  Am I really rejoicing in the day the Lord has made?  Sadly, no.

Habakkuk 2:3-

For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
    it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
    it will surely come; it will not delay.

Verse 4 in Habakkuk 2 says (From the Message) “Look at that man, bloated by self-importance—
    full of himself but soul-empty.
But the person in right standing before God
    through loyal and steady believing
    is fully alive, really alive. 

If I am waiting on this vision to become a reality, and I'm focused on ME.. the trivial things that are important to me.... I become full of my selfish desires.  When we're full of ourselves, we can't be full of God.  I loved how The Message put this verse ... "through loyal and steady believing we can be fully alive, REALLY alive!"  That's good stuff!

Ecclesiastes 3 (From the Message)
¹⁴ I’ve also concluded that whatever God does, that’s the way it’s going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God’s done it and that’s it. That’s so we’ll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear. (emphasis is mine)

¹⁵ Whatever was, is.
Whatever will be, is.
That’s how it always is with God.

Yep, right again... God's timing is perfect.  That has been SOO easy to say, and lots "less easy" to really believe or live out lately.  I've decided today that I am going to stop begging Trace to come and start rejoicing in the time that I have left with this little buddy in my womb.  I'm going to celebrate this special time because it's the last precious time that it will be just us!  While I still kind of hope that Trace will subscribe to the good ole Camp War Eagle mantra, "Early is on time. On time is late.  Late is unacceptable."  More importantly, I'm going to rest in the comforting peace and knowledge that my God has this thing under control, and Trace will arrive safely at His appointed hour, which will be just the way it should be!

Your prayers are appreciated!

My precious baby niece

Aubrey Faith Ladner graced the world with her presence on January 15th at 4:53 p.m. I am so grateful that I was able to be in the delivery room. It was an amazing experience to be able to watch her take her first breath.  There really aren't words to describe that miracle!I feel more prepared for labor now,and even more anxious to meet our little man.  Hopefully, ours will go just as smoothly!

Sissy finally got her girl!  My sister is SUCH a girl mom, and she desperately wanted to have a baby girl!  We are all so excited that Aubrey Faith has arrived safe and sound, and she is just beautiful.  These pictures don't really do her justice.

If you want to learn more about her arrival, or see more photos for that matter-- check out my sister's blog.

I've kidded my sister that I have about 300 pictures of Andrew from weeks 1-3, but I basically have had to scavenge these few from her blog!  I guess it's a 2nd child thing... or maybe she's busy being a mom to 2 kiddos now, and can't send as many pictures.  Either way... the following adorable pictures are not in any sort of order.  They are just some of my faves from the beautiful Aubrey Faith.

I could just eat those cheeks!!

Obviously, I love this one.  In case you are wondering... I'm the "Auntie" :)

 Here's a picture of her door hangers I made for the hospital.  I love making cute little girl stuff.  So fun for our little princess!

 This is our first picture together.  The first time I got to hold her, Trace was so excited! I think he knew it was his big cousin, and he was kicking like crazy... effectively giving Aubrey a baby back massage!

 This might be my favorite photo ever taken.  It's so precious!  Her newborn pictures were all pretty terrific, but this one takes the cake.

 My sister married into a VERY big Disney family.  This little Minnie is just adorable!

 That was the bonnet my sister and I wore home from the hospital. 

 Such a little angel baby!

 LOVE!

 My sister was so concerned about her baby acne, that's why she says there aren't many pictures from these weeks. I think she's ridiculous.  Nothing could take away the cuteness of this child!  Baby acne is just a sign of great breast milk and effective hormones :)  I love her little first Valentine's Day outfit.

 War Eagle, Baby Girl!

Such a sweet shot with her awesome big brother! It's hard to imagine loving anybody more than I love these two kiddos.

Showered with Love

Another thing that pregnancy has taught me, is that I really have the BEST friends, family, church family and co-workers in the entire world!  We have been so blessed to have friends throw us showers to celebrate the coming of our precious baby boy!

  Here I am at 31 weeks (looking very swollen already, sadly).

Our first shower was hosted by my long-time girlfriends from left to right: Ashley Ham Wells, Anna Weathers Smith, Katie Uithoven Baugh, Amberly Pierce Baugh, Jamie Duckett and Jenna Duckett Payne on January 17th at Cindy Ham's house.

One thing I LOVE (insert sarcasm) here about baby showers are these incredibly awkward photos of you opening gifts... why do we think it's a good idea to take these photos? I have no idea, but they are not kind to animated people like me.  Here's one of my "favorites."

My friends are very talented, and had the cutest shower ideas ever!  I loved everything about it... the cake, the decorations, the door hanger, the fellowship...  We had such a fantastic time!

On February 3rd, my friends from Auburn threw us a couples shower with an adorable baseball theme at the home of our dear friends, Ericka and Rusty Jackson.  They didn't miss a detail... we had peanuts, cracker jacks, cotton candy, nachos, hotdogs, sour straws... even Jefforey's "traditional" baseball snack of Snickers and blue Powerade.  They even made some trophies for Trace with MVP, Rookie of the Year and Allstar!  So adorable!  We had a blast!  I just wish I had pictures of all the shower details!! 

At least at the couples shower, I have someone to share the fun "gift opening" photos with!

Me with my beautiful hostesses (minus Katie Smith, who unexpectedly had to be away)-- Claire Marie Whitmore Maceina, Ericka Bennett Jackson, Sara K. Smelley Goodwin and Courtney Lawrence Isbell.

 I was so glad to have some of our best friends that we don't get to see nearly enough to join us in celebrating our little Rookie :)

On February 19th, my sweet co-workers through me a shower at work.. even though I've been home on bed rest, and we were only 2 weeks from our biggest fundraising event.  We are abundantly blessed!

Here I am at 35 weeks

 My sweet HMC family:  Rhonda Osborne, Laina Williams, Susan Sanders, Elizabeth Bell and Chrystal Hoffman.

The next day, Jefforey's co-workers showered us with love as well!  We had a joint shower with one of his co-workers who was two weeks ahead of us in the pregnancy.  She has already had her beautiful baby boy, and we're incredibly jealous!!  Sadly, I didn't have my camera that day, but hopefully, we will get some pictures from the folks that were there that we can add soon!

On Saturday, Feb. 16th, my sister, Drew, Andrew and Aubrey made their first trip to Albertville.  Yes, I recycled an outfit.  Sue me.  When you're enormous... your wardrobe becomes limited :)  Mom decided to throw a joint shower celebrating Trace and Aubrey for family and Sissy's friends (since she wasn't able to have one before Aubrey's arrival because of her bedrest).  It was wonderful to see everyone, and we had a wonderful time!

It was so good to see Brandee Oliver Sims and her precious baby girl, Greenleigh!

 Mom really went all out with a pink and blue theme for her new grandson and granddaughter!

 Aubrey girl pretty much slept the entire time and seemed to enjoy being passed around meeting all the fam!  Isn't she a doll?!  I'm so in love!

 The next day, our precious church family at Albertville First United Methodist threw us a shower rounding out quite a busy week for this girl on bed rest!  It was such a HUGE blessing, and we had a blast!  Again, I didn't do a very good job taking photos of the details, but everything was so nice.  All of the girls (youth and kids) helped me open the gifts and load them into the car.  Becca was an awesome helper!

 With 3 of my sweet youth ladies-- Mille, Anna Clay and Maddie

Last, but certainly not least...Jefforey's family threw us a shower on Sunday, Feb. 24th at his Aunt Pootie's house.  We had a great time, but again... unfortunately, I left my camera.  Hopefully, I can add some photos that his aunts and cousins took soon!

We have been so blessed with gifts and love of our friends and family as we celebrate the soon-to-be arrival of our sweet baby boy! So Trace Parker... you are one loved little boy.  Everyone has been so gracious and kind to provide gifts for you and now, they are just waiting to meet you.  It's not nice to keep everyone waiting, so please... come on anytime you are ready!

Getting an inside look at Trace Parker!

On January 18th, we woke up to a beautiful snow covered winter wonderland AND a doctor's appointment in Birmingham at 7:45 a.m.  Yuck!  Had it been ANYTHING other than the much anticipated 4D ultrasound... we probably would have called to reschedule, but seeing as we were too excited to get an inside peek at Mr. Trace Parker to sleep-- we decided to brave the worst driving conditions I have ever purposefully driven in to make it to that appointment.  We left at 5:45 and braved solid re-frozen slush until we made it to HWY 431... a trip that generally takes 15 minutes took about 45 minutes.  Once we got to the highway, however, road conditions improved considerably, and we made it to Birmingham around 8:15-- just 30 minutes late.  Trace was very cooperative at first, even posing for the "camera."

 Check out his smushed little goochie nose!  We think a lot of his features look like me, but like his first few photos... there is something about that profile that just says miniature Jefforey Allen Morgan :0)  He appears to be in the 59th percentile for weight/height, and 100% perfect!

 A lot of folks mention that he resembles Andrew in this one... I have to agree :)

But by the end of our time, he literally stuck his little hand up as if to say "Alright that's enough. No more pictures please."  It was comical to say the least, and it seems that we may have gotten a glimpse into his little personality.

Sweet little buddy!  I am more excited than ever to hold this little guy and kiss those chubby little cheeks.  March 20th cannot come quickly enough!

Winter Wonderland

On the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 17th we got a nice snow shower on Sand Mountain! As per usual, with the smallest accumulation of snow in our neck of the woods, the world shuts down... and there is no milk or bread available in stores for 50 miles!  Before you start thinking "crazy southerners," please remember that we don't have the equipment to salt or scrape roads that our northern counterparts do! And because it's pretty rare-- we REALLY don't know how to drive in the mess! While travel problems were not expected, we did have quite a mess on the roads that night and next morning.  We had a corporate kickoff that had to be canceled that night, so we got to enjoy a snow day!

  It was a beautiful snow, and the dogs seemed to enjoy it.  Even our foster dog (sweet Buddy the bulldog- pictured below- that stuck around for a week or so) got to enjoy from the warmth of our dog house!

Here you can see the house before it was painted to catch a glimpse of the progress.  I thought it would NEVER be warm enough or dry enough to finally get the siding painted, but it did a few weeks later!

The next morning was our 4D ultrasound, so we got to drive on messy, icy roads all the way to Birmingham!  It was a LITTLE crazy, but we made it safely, and most of the snow was gone by mid morning. No power outages, no major traffic issues, short-lived-- just pretty snow, and a little down time.... the kind of snow I like best!  Thanks, God!

The things they forgot to put in the "warm cuddly baby brochure"

Warning:  This is a graphic post.  If you are not pregnant, never been pregnant or have no interest in understanding the sometimes odd and disgusting changes that a pregnant woman's body goes through... do yourself a favor.  Don't read any further.

This post is exclusively for girlfriends (known or unknown) who have honestly wanted to know what it's like to be pregnant from an extreme extrovert, self professed "over-sharer" who has no filter's perspective.  It will be more information than you think you want... until you are 8 months pregnant wondering WHY in the world no one ever told you these things! So please know... this post isn't for everyone.. proceed with caution.

Up front, I feel the need for a disclaimer-- I am about to tell you the good, but mostly just the bad and the ugly about my experiences with pregnancy thus far.  I do this not to scare you, or to complain; as I sit 30+ weeks pregnant with my first child, I write this post because I feel that I was grossly under-prepared for some of the pregnancy challenges I have faced, only to hear from my OB and friends that said challenge is "completely normal." Then why the heck didn't I know about it before?!  I have joked many times that they failed to mention ______ (fill in the blank with any one of the list of items I'm about to compile) in the "have a cute, cuddly baby" brochure.  Granted, I have not read every single pregnancy book out there.  I'm sure some people tried to warn me, but I must've missed a lot!  All of that said simply to say this.... I don't yet have that cute, cuddly baby, and I already know that every bit of the bad and ugly are ultimately and completely worth it. From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I have truly been thankful for these symptoms because they have reminded me that I am, indeed, pregnant and blessed enough to bring a sacred life into this world. Every single item on this list is worth it just to feel that sweet baby move inside your womb!  Not any word or combination of words in the English language could ever describe that amazing feeling!  And no amount of pain or inconvenience could ever put a damper on that feeling.  It's magical!  And I know that it will pale in comparison to holding my baby boy for the first time and the whole host of amazing experiences his life will bring.

 So please know that while it's going to sound a WHOLE lot like I'm complaining when I bring these issues to light, I want you to know upfront-- that's not my intention.  I am SO glad I get to go through these things because I know many people who would love to have these "horrible" experiences and aren't able to... so I'm counting all of this list as blessings, but at the same time... I'm going to get real with you.  Just so you can never say that I didn't tell you about this stuff!  And I definitely do not claim to "know it all" about pregnancy by any stretch of the imagination... I'm a newbie, and I've had a GREAT pregnancy thus far according to the textbooks... so gosh, I realize how much worse everything could be!  Also, it's important to note that every single pregnancy is apparently as different as our fingerprints, but still... here's my 2 cents worth of observations of the cons of  a blessed, healthy pregnancy thus far.

I so badly wanted to be one of those women... you know the type, you probably have friends like the type... (I do, and I hate them right about now!) those that "feel better pregnant than they've ever felt in their lives".  You know them--  their skin has that beautiful effervescent tone, their hair and nails are flawless, their smile sparkles (and you can actually hear that "ding" like in the orbitz commercials), their bellies look like they swallowed a basketball because that's the ONLY place they look pregnant and they've never once been tired or nauseated during their entire pregnancies.  Jerks.  But darn it.. I wanted that part of the fairytale!  Maybe that's why I feel so slighted by these symptoms...or maybe it's because I felt prepared for parts of it and not others, and I feel like the whole list should get equal treatment!  I don't know, but for what it's worth....

Here's my top 10 things they forgot to list in the "have a warm, cuddly baby brochure":

1. Leg cramps- holy stinking cow.  I've had calf cramps before, but these are just mean.  Every night, when I'm not awoken by the unavoidable need to pee-- I am awoken by a vicious attack on my calf muscles, hamstrings, feet or hips.  They are no fun, and they are consistent! And the good news- they're normal, and no amount of potassium I ingest seems to help me avoid these little buggers.  So just get ready for that one. 
2. ACNE- My face looks like a pubescent teenager on steroids.  It is a hot mess! And I'm not happy about it. Stupid, evil hormones...
3. Pregnancy Rhinitis- Apparently, your body produces more mucus EVERYWHERE! And I have been sniffling with an awesome post-nasal drip, throat-clearing cough since about month Who knew that this was normal?!  Welcome to pregnancy!
4. Increased Discharge and Vaginal itching- I'm almost convinced that hormones are just evil demons that cause issues everywhere in your body.  This is one area I wish the hormones would just leave alone, but alas-- they don't.  You should just prepare yourself now to purchase some panty-liners and prepare to be uncomfortable.  That's all I can really tell you about that subject until you experience it.  Just know it's "normal."
5. Heartburn- Again, I thought I had experienced heartburn and indigestion a fair share in my lifetime.  Apparently, I only thought I knew what heartburn really was before pregnancy!  Until you are kept awake by stabbing pains, and you're convinced that you have become a fire-breathing dragon.. you know nothing of this pregnancy beast.  Indigestion
6. Shortness of breath- Woah.  This is a big one... especially if your job requires a lot of presentations.  This is also the one of the top 10 that snuck up on me the most!  I was trying to give a presentation to our board of directors... talking for an hour or so (no big deal), and it hit me... this tiny human has forced all of my internal organs especially my diaphragm and lungs up.  Everything is compressed, and the "new normal" is NOT to be confused with the olden days.  You can't breathe.  Ordinary activities make you feel like you've just completed an Ironman. Make plans accordingly.  Singing and speaking engagements should be taken with caution!
7. Forgetfulness-  that whole "placenta brain" phenomenon is no joke or excuse. Something happens to your memory when you're growing a human.  Maybe it's that you are always thinking of this little person, so you're already distracted on your best day... or maybe it's a combination of the other symptoms' wear on you... either way.  You will not be as productive or efficient, and you will forget why you've gone into the room you've just entered.  Make lots of notes for yourself... even if you're just going down the hall!  It's a must to surviving pregnancy brain.
8. Clumsiness- it's funny.  While some of your senses, like your sense of smell for example are heightened to the point of super-hero status....others, like balance or spatial awareness.. not so much!  It's like I have developed this orb attached to the center of my body, but although I see it constantly, I obviously forget it's there.  I knock stuff over and belly bump everything in sight.  The center of gravity shift is one of the more comical on my top 10.
9. Round ligament pain (RLP)- When you cough, sneeze, make a quick movement or sometimes just breathe, there will be moments of intense sharp pain in your pelvic area.  The first few times I experienced RLP, I thought something had to be wrong... I mean, I was to the point of penning a last will and testament, but no.  Just a normal pregnancy pain.  So never fear!  You actually get used to it.
10. Don't take bending over for granted! Oh my goodness... it's HARD to put on socks and shoes.  It's all but impossible to shave your legs.  This belly business complicates ordinary tasks to the point that you change your wardrobe if you're alone! I'd heard people talk about it, and I thought... "oh it's probably just hard."  But no.. it really becomes impossible to breathe and put your socks on at the same time. 

There are 5 "honorable mention" items worth mentioning. Things not making the list because I think they are pretty well covered in maintstream pregnancy literature, but you still won't understand their complexities until you experience them:

1. Morning Sickness-- whoever branded that title was LUCKY!  I never once felt sick only in the morning.  It is constant.  It is annoying.  I have never been a puker, but I got to the point that I PRAYED to puke (which I did my fair share of anyway), but the nausea didn't ever go away.  That's one reason I think I was so tired in the first 13 weeks... because I was constantly doing my best to not throw up 100% of the time I was awake.
2. Frequent Urination- it's an inconvenience all day, but at night-- super annoying.  The worst part to me... before pregnancy when you felt like your eyeballs were floating, and that you would DIE before you could empty your bladder... you went to the toilet and you had a gratifying 30 second PLUS pee.  You felt justified in your need to rush to the restroom!  Now, you have that same urgency for maybe 3 drops sometimes.  I don't know why I find that so irritating, but it's like the pain and the inconvenience just isn't worth it for 3 drops of pee.
3. Sleep interruption- (see number 2) It's not just the rush to the restroom, though.  I think it's a combination of the psycho crazy dreams, the anxiety of the changes you're preparing for and the regular discomforts of your new body.  Get yourself a good body pillow and a pregnancy wedge and prepare to lose some sleep. Apparently, it is just prep work for the months/years to come.
4.  Swelling- I knew it was unsightly, and I knew it was likely for some people, but what I didn't know was how uncomfortable it is.  It's hard to explain, but it just feels weird for your feet to look like stuffed sausages
5. Exhaustion- I thought I'd been tired before pregnancy, but yet again... I must not have ever really been tired.  Pregnant tired is a new tired... especially in the first trimester.  There were moments when I would come home from work to change into my bum around clothes, and I would fall asleep mid-change until Jefforey came home and found me asleep. There.are.no.words to describe this kind of tired, but if you're pregnant... you will soon understand.  Growing a human takes a lot of energy... even when you can't see it.  So EVERYTHING is more difficult, and the amount of tired you feel from getting out of bed is almost comical... if you weren't too tired to laugh about it.

So there you have it!  Hopefully this has better prepared you for what's to come!  Get ready... it's the ride of your life, for sure!  And obviously worth every inconvenience :)