Too Big for My Britches

Now that I'm in my third trimester I have the daunting task of finding more maternity clothes to fit over these two growing babies. Specifically shirts. The problem I face is that I am smaller on top but very round in the middle. So shirts that fit my shoulders do not cover my belly. At first I didn't think this would be a big deal and that I would just go up a size in maternity shirts...so, off to the store I went.
When I got there, there was a sweet young lady (about 5-10 years younger than me that clearly had not had her body alerted by pregnancy) who started a dressing room for me. I picked things off the rack that I thought might cover my belly, and still keep me cool in this heat we've been having. From time to time she would check on me and take the clothes I picked back to the dressing room...very non-invasive. Then I made my way over to the bra section to get a new size for the THIRD time and WHOOPS, there she was right behind me asking if I knew what size I was. I told her my estimate, she sized me up and then asked, "can I measure you?".
I knew where she was going with this having worked my way through my junior year of college at Victoria Secret. There is this system that people in the undergarment world have come up with that is supposed to be a sure-fire way to determine what bra size you are, ranging from the band to the cup size.
I declined her offer twice, knowing her tactics wouldn't work on me, but was growing tired of her asking and caved in the third time. (Apparently she thought she knew something that I didn't.) So she busts out her cute little measuring tape (pun intended) and wraps it around me in the three areas that she has been trained to do. We all know where this is going. Her measurements clearly contradicted my estimation (and entire life experience of living in my body and clothing it for years) and she announced to me that I was wrong about the size I was choosing. For some unknown reason I engaged her in an explanation of why her size would not work and gave her several examples of why I was confident in my decision, but again she persisted. The heat in the place was getting to me, so I wasn't thinking clearly and I allowed her to pick two of her sizes for me while I brought in the size I knew would fit me. Looking back, I have no idea why I put up with this, I remember feeling like I was in a cloud and in physical pain all at the same time, so I must not have been with it enough to kindly shut her down.
We ventured into the dressing room and I tried my bra choice on first as she looked for more long shirts for me to try. Yep, it fit just the way I wanted it to. Then, only to extend the craziness I waited until she came back and asked me how it fit to show her that it fit perfectly. "Oh no," she said, "if you have two months to go, you're going to grow out of that." The first thing that went through my mind was, "um, have you every been pregnant...with twins for that matter?". Of course I answered my own question and decided to try her choices on. Sure enough they didn't fit for the exact reasons that I told her they wouldn't. She insisted that I would grow into them. At this point I had heard enough about my growing and just decided to let it go.
I tried on all of the shirts, (like 30 of them) none of which fit. They were to big in the shoulders and the back. And at this point I was officially exhausted. I had to get out of there. It must have been God with me that day that kept me from giving that girl more attitude than I must have, and to top it all off, because she did assist me for so long and all I walked out with was one top after 2 grueling hours, I told her supervisor what a wonderful job she had done and agreed to fill something out online that would look good on her record. So weird.
So, anyway, I'm not sure how I'm going to keep this belly covered for the rest of the pregnancy, and I'm going to have to take a couple more breaths before attempting the bra thing again. But I'm looking forward to the future, and have learned two great lessons. Number one, never let someone younger and cuter assist you in a clothing store, and number two keep your privates private...no one else knows them like you do.

Makin' Babies

Well, I've come to the conclusion that this whole baby making thing is overly understated. Typically when you think of baby making, you think a that one magical moment when egg and sperm unite to make a baby, or babies in some cases. This, my friends, is just the beginning of making a baby. I am very much still in the process of making these babies. There is no other way to describe it. Unlike the first of my blogs, as I have stated, in this last trimester I am finding this job much more rewarding. I actually can feel what I'm making on a daily basis. I am at 28 weeks and definitely have a ways to go. If the babies were ready to come, I would welcome them gladly. But here's hoping for at least 8 more weeks in the oven.

I always like it when Nate and I are filling friends in about the pregnancy and he says "we" have a couple more months to go. He is TOTALLY experiencing this pregnancy, just from a different perspective. He has been unbelievably supportive. Not only has he had to continue his day to day business, but when he gets home he has had to take on several different roles depending on the circumstance. To name a few, he has had be my counselor, waiter, handyman (which I find very attractive), personal chef, personal assistant, launder, master organizer, bed side nurse, and representative. You know...life goes on when you're pregnant and the smallest things have become harder and harder for me to do on my own. I know I paint a perfect picture of Nate, of course he is just a perfectly flawed as I am, but I'm just taking it all in and watching how this babies makin' business is building our family.

I have to give a shout out to all of my loved ones for your support. I can't even start the list of the people who have blessed us during this time. These babies can feel the love!

Side note: Um, is there are reason why I can't keep food and liquids in my mouth when I eat like I used to. I have developed a "hole" in my lip. It's hilarious, but definitely linked to this pregnancy. Also, I've lost a lot of the strength in my grip...whassup wit dat?

No Pain, No Gain

There are places on and in my body experiencing pain that I had no idea COULD experience pain. Alright, well that's an overstatement, but my goodness. It's quite comical when I think about it. I can't even stand up, reposition in my chair or roll over in bed with out wincing and feeling like my legs are being pulled off of my body. (For you moms out there...some of you know what I mean and why that happens...I won't go into it for the sake of everyone else.) My hips feel like they are burning all through the night, and we're on a once an hour rotation from side to side. Fortunately the constant need to pee has subsided for now (knock on wood), but maneuvering this belly from side to side while I'm trying to sleep feels like I'm moving the ocean and all of it inhabitants inside of me. I can't even roll over in one smooth motion any more, it's quite the process. You'd have to see it, I can't even explain it.

Now I believe I may have moved into a phase where I can't feed myself enough. I've started to get sick again anytime I'm hungry, which is becoming more and more frequent. I suppose that's one of the perks about pregnancy, you can enjoying eating more without the guilt. It's for a good cause.

I've also become more easily swollen. Today I went to a shoe store to buy a pair of comfortable flats for the fall. Of course as I walk in I get "the stare" from the sales associate. You know, the stare that says, "Oh my gosh, I hope she doesn't give birth in my store". Then as she approaches Nate and I she asks the question she must ask in order to start formulating a plan in her head just in case I do go into labor, "When are you due?". Then comes my favorite part when I answer "November" and the look of concern turns into a look of confusion. I let it sit for a few seconds and then I tell her that it's twins. So, now that she is relieved and slightly admiring me for still walking around being as big as I am, we start looking for shoes.

She tries to push a couple of her favorite brands on me, one in particular, but I'm not a fan and politely decline. I find my favorite brand and a shoe that I think will do for the duration of the fall during pregnancy and ask to try it on in a size 8. I tell her that should fit because my feet have grown being pregnant and that is now my new size. She asks if she can measure my foot. So we go over to the chair, she takes the shoes and socks off of my swollen feet and ankles (poor thing) and proceeds to tell me that I actually have very wide feet. REALLY...I MEAN REALLY...I had no idea! I couldn't believe that I had really wide feet, and for the life of me could not figure out how that had happened. (Just kidding) She then tried to tell me that I was a 6.5 wide when before I was pregnant I was a 7 regular. I thanked her for measuring me but told her I'd like to try the 7.5 and 8. She brings out the shoes explaining that some people try to make up for width by adding length and that I'll probably like the 7.5 best. I knew I wouldn't but I indulged her. Meanwhile, she tried to push her favorite brand of shoe on me again, at which point I politely said that I could not stand the sight of that particular brand of shoe and again would not be trying any of them on today. (I really did say it in a polite tone...she didn't get the hint the first two times, so I really didn't know what else to say.) Over all the visit was successful. I purchased my size 8 fall flats and the sales person was even kind enough to put my shoes and socks back on for me ( now-a-days that's a big deal).

Anyway, "No pain, No gain" as they say. I can't even imagine what it is going to be like to be mobile and somewhat agile again once these little ones come. That will be a good day.

Savoring the Moments

It's been almost 27 weeks now and I'm in the phase where I'm savoring the final moments of my independence. Not only that, but also savoring the final moments of feeling my babies kick around inside me and move like crazy. I'm enjoying eating ice cream when I want and not feeling bad about the frequency, having free time, taking cat-naps when I have that free time, and spending the little time I have left alone with Nate. At times I feel more like I am mourning my independence than savoring it, but I realize that on the other side of this pregnancy lies more moments to savor.
Before I became pregnant everything was going really well. I enjoyed my job, my husband, my family and friends, and I felt a great sense of purpose in life. But something was missing. I kept trying to make myself believe that I didn't want to have kids yet, but I knew the whole time that's what was missing. I'm looking forward to being a mother and parenting my children. Talk about a huge sense of purpose, molding lives has to be one of the most purposeful things in life. Granted I realize the negatives that go with it, and I plan to blog regularly about them as they come, but until then I'm just going to savor the moments.