7.3-ish months, including a tummy picture for Michelle

Well, it's happened. I can't get into my temple dress. Fortunately the nice ladies at the temple let me borrow a nice big one, so we were still able to go to the temple last week--what a great experience. I think it has new meaning to me as the baby's birth comes closer. It is a wonderful blessing to serve in the temple, and I don't want to let being a parent hold me back from going back regularly because I doubt I can do it as well without the temple. My cub scout uniform won't button up either, so I have been wearing it over another shirt. It's mildly disconcerting when you try on your clothes and find you can't even get them on, even if it's for a good reason like a growing baby taking up all the space.

I took some tummy pictures last week, but I couldn't bear to post them. I told my sister Michelle that and she said she wanted to see them and that she thinks pregnant people look so pretty, so I decided to try taking another picture, and I was much happier with the results. It probably helped to take a picture of all of me instead of just my torso--that makes sense. I wanted to avoid having to show my face since I wasn't sure whether to smile or ignore the camera, but a close-up of one's own torso is probably enough to give anyone self-esteem issues, pregnant or not. So here is a picture of me today, with eight weeks to go, because I love Michelle--thanks for helping me to keep my commitment to keep some kind of record of what I look like pregnant.

This month things have been very different from before. Those little thumps have mostly been replaced by little lumps--meaning that lots of times I can feel a knee or an elbow or a foot or a head or something pushing hard for long periods of time, usually underneath or near my ribs. I'm amazed at this little guy's strength sometimes. It would be mildly disconcerting to feel those little lumps under the surface of my tummy if I didn't know it was a baby, but since it is a baby, it's kind of fun. I have to wonder if it's annoying or nice from Baby Q's perspective to feel me rubbing my tummy. I really am enjoying watching and feeling these changes take place in my body. It is amazing to me that my body knows how to build a human being and give him all the nourishment and oxygen he needs. I am having an interesting time figuring out how to sleep comfortably at night--it usually involves putting pillows all over the place. So far it hasn't been too hard to get a good night's sleep. If you come to visit, bring your own pillow, because I'm using all of ours.

I can't explain how much I love my little boy. I am trying to be prepared for labor without focusing so much on it that I don't enjoy anticipating being a mother, which is much more important. The thought of all the little things that are involved in tenderly nurturing my own child sometimes makes me happy to the point of tears. It seems so right to be doing this.

If you read this blog by getting emails from me, I'm not sure if you'll see the picture. You can always go here to see how my posts look on the blog.