23 Weeks & Baby Carrier!

I ordered my baby carrier last week from Tender Cargo, and got it within two days! To add to the speediness of the delivery, the shipping was free. Woo hoo!! It is a Beco, which I chose because a couple people in my life have really enjoyed having this brand. So, I hope Tiny Dancer will get some good use out of this carrier. So far, Bear seems to like it just fine! :)

I am now 23 weeks into this pregnancy. Having the first trimester sickness buried away in my distant memory, I have to say that I am really enjoying being pregnant. I feel great, and it is amazing to feel Tiny Dancer (TD) moving and squirming around all throughout the day!

At the tail end of the first trimester/beginning of the second, I felt so unsettled by changes of the pregnancy and the fear of another miscarriage that I commented to some friends that I just wasn't one of those women who loves being pregnant. That definitely has changed as the pregnancy advances. I wouldn't say that I absolutely LOVE being pregnant and wish I were pregnant all the time, but there are some things that I am really, truly enjoying:

• Feeling TD move
  
• The roundness of my belly, especially first thing in the morning
• Some maternity clothes
• Eating more liberally than when not pg!
• Not dealing with TTC
• Browsing baby gear
• Maternity leave! (at least in my mind I love it, though I am not on leave yet!)
  
• Mike's bonding with the baby
• My bonding with the baby
• My relationship with Mike - I love the way it is evolving as we prepare for our new addition
• My boobs

On the flip side, there are a few things that miff me about pregnancy:

• waking up a lot in the night for better positioning
• heartburn
• my ass & thighs
• backaches
• rib pain
• clumsiness
• forgetfulness
  
• easily wiped out if I overdo it
• still having to watch what I eat so I don't end up gaining a million lbs
• no margaritas, beer, & martinis
• no hot tubs
• maternity clothes
  

Funny thing is - these little inconveniences are so, so worth it. I feel like I am in the process of something so amazing - and sometimes (with the risk of sounding a bit grandiose) I feel like I am such a friggin' bad ass for being able to MAKE A BABY!!! Granted, I wouldn't be here without Mike, but my body has this amazing capacity to nuture a developing life, and that just blows my mind!! On that note, I leave you with a 23-week picture, taken in our garden!