Posterity
Last time, I was so determined. Every month, I told myself, I’d capture the glory of My First Pregnancy with grinning, top-lifting profiles charting my miraculous transformation from overstuffed sausage to adorable basketball to land-borne whale.
But I slacked. And then gained forty pounds, and other priorities mysteriously trumped picture-taking. Like counting onesies. Again. And again. And folding them (ha!) into precious baskets according to colour. No.. no… by size. No, no.. by season.
(Yes, it’s true. Waiting for a watermelon to emerge from between one’s legs inspires chronic, OCD-inspired nest-building.)
And then he arrived, and so it was done. But this pregnancy… well, let’s say it packs twice the spectacle. I am compelled to document JUST HOW HUGE I get, for the same reasons a tourist presses up against the glass of a bus window to snap a real-live New York City mugging.
In one of my only belly-shots from last time (aside from the halloween hippies and the embarrassing, due-date video of a crude interpretive dance involving a broccoli stalk), taken late September of 2004, I am six months along and smaller than I am now at four months.
With two passengers, I popped at a measly 12 weeks.
And yesterday at 18 weeks, perhaps halfway to Explosion Day, I'm already sick of maternity clothes weeks before single-baby mamas even have to unbutton the first snap of their favourite super-hip jeans in order to sit down.
Bring on the wheelbarrow! And pass me a glass of Nestle Quik while you're at it. And while you're up, can you do me another box of K.D.? And don't forget the ketchup. It's not for me. I'm no bottom-feeder. It's for THE BABIES.
sweetsalty kate
16 Comments
Reader Comments (16)
I do have sympathy. I can understand your pain, but honest you look too cute.
Call me crazy (as I'm sure you will) but I have always dreamed of twins. I am godmother to twin girls and their mother has inspired me...not by being perfect or tandem nursing for five years or any particular thing she did, but because she allowed herself to be the mother of HER twins. However that looked and felt right to her. Her household became a symphony. Not always symphonic but completely in harmony. It did happen. I have no doubt that you will figure this out.You are such a good, intuitive, soul-searching mama already. You can do this.Keep us posted on the belly and all things related.We love you out here.B
It's just so intense and physically shocking compared to before, when I didn't feel pregnant at all until 6 months or so, relatively speaking (at which point I packed on the 40 pounds in about 3 weeks, making up for lost time.. he he).
You know what though? Humour kicks denial in the butt on its way out the door (and any last whiffs of denial are fading fast along with the increased rate of growth). So despite the self-deprecation, I don't feel 'fat'. I never have, pregnant.. and I don't think anyone should. I'm just full. Big difference. :) Marvelling at it is part of the "uhh.. yeah, I guess it IS twins after all.." process.
And one more thing: I LOVE grinning, shirt-lifting profiles! Love 'em. Those of you who have managed to crank out a few, I am envious. I've seen some great ones. I was all weirded out by it, so felt maybe I should either put on a ski mask, or look away. The latter is somewhat less creepy, so there you have it.
Anyways, it's great to see your pictures and you look fabulous! As much as I always felt awkward and uncomfortable, I do think that pregnancy is a gorgeous state!
And yes, the feeling of fullness, the tautness of life, is something to marvel over.
When I was six months along, strangers would say stupid comments like, oh any day now. And when I'd say that I had another three months to go, they'd always ask if I was having twins. No. You sure? Yes, I'm sure. But my favourite part about being so big was donning my bikini twice a week to swim laps at the Y. I was almost always the only woman in the pool and I know it weirded some the old timers out.
I know you know this, but it's to be expected that you'll be bigger, since you have twice the babyness growing inside you.
Someone I work with is at 3 months on her first, and she is POPPED, so we're all thinking twins. She's tiny little thing too.
I only took one pregnant photo where it's obvious with my first, and only one with my second, where you can't tell. I kinda wish I had.
Actually, considering most people just thought I was fat, no, I don't.
And no one looks forward to not being able to bend over or having to pee every 2.3 seconds. We just forget it until next time.
I miss my twin belly a bit now...
STOP MAKING ME WANT MORE BABIES, KATE!
;)
KelYou look great!!
where do you live? I am going to come and steal you for a day.
seriously, i remember you saying you lived in Vancouver. Do you still? We are thinking about Bellingham, WA...did you ever go there? I know it's super close to Vancouver.
Just a thought. Trying to garner some inside info on it.
Peace moonmamam
But I still felt pretty, albeit a similar beauty to that of a whale. Or a Buddha statue. And the weight fell off once the girls were born - it really was all there just for the pregnancy! Well, all but three stubborn little pounds that I've been too busy to excercise off.
I found pregnancy to be almost as intense for me as the newborn days by the end, but in a very different way. I didn't seem to be able to do *anything* while pregnant the last month . . . and then suddenly I was doing so much, but I was ready for the change (kinda - I was sick of doing nothing). It's great that you are blogging this - I felt too detatched from anything other than my babies to be motivated to capture my pregnancy. And I know I've already forgotten so much!
Eve and Kelly, you are on to me. I am trying to spread this epidemic, make all those I know have twins too (or more of them) so that we can start one of those martini playgroups and commiserate! [evil cackle]
Jen H, I so know how you feel! I'm also neither here nor there. Although well.. let's face it.. more 'there' every day. But I went to the belly straightaway, without that thickish no-mans-land, which actually made the transition to maternity clothes easier (as well as quicker). I only have three words for you: old navy sale! :)
MB, are you kidding? You living in such gorgeousness.. steal away! I didn't know you were considering a move north. We lived in Vancouver for almost 10 years, then moved back to where we're from in the Maritimes, on the far eastern coast (Nova Scotia to be specific). Washington is great but my knowledge of it is limited to weekend seattle trips and mount baker skiing. I can't imagine you anywhere else though, than in a magical place.. like some incredible hot spring or arizona vista...
Ethel, welcome, and I'm always keen to see more of what's in store! Perhaps we'll cross paths on mayasmom?