Halloween Belly

I went to a Halloween Party on Saturday, and this was my costume. I was going to go as "pregnant Snooki"...but once I started thinking about what all that transformation entailed...I decided some black fleece and double-stick tape sounded much better. Plus, I was sporting my school colors at the same time. Winning all around! Speaking of winning, I won "Best Homemade" costume at our party. 

What's funny is that since I took these pictures on Saturday, I'm pretty sure I've grown. I looked down at my belly during church and realized that it was indeed bigger than the day before. Crazy how that happens!

Since becoming pregnant, I've had my share of people giving me little tips and advice based on their experiences. Eat almonds everyday, get some kind of exercise in, make sure you register for this, don't even bother with getting that, etc...  Even though there are times I wish I could change the subject, I know everyone who has offered any tidbit of information has done so because they want me to have the best experience possible, and I greatly appreciate that! That being said, I had my first bout of awkward baby/parenting advice last week. The woman is someone I know, but not that well. We say hello to one another, and that's usually about it. Well, she proceeded to tell me about what to expect if we were having a boy. Namely, how involved he would be with his penis. From peeing on you when changing their diaper, to having their first erection when their little, to how many times a day they shower as teenagers and what they're doing in while in the shower. I really wanted to interrupt her and tell her that I was almost 30 years old, and that I'm quite aware of the fascination boys have with their male parts. It's not really a secret. But I didn't. I just sat there thinking, I can't wait to tell Kyle all of this. 

The big topic of discussion lately has been what my "birth plan" is. Well, I plan on having a baby. That's what I plan on. 

The best advice I've received so far, in that regard, is just to be prepared for anything.

Honestly though, I'm not one that has a 5-page plan of what I want to have happen during my child's birth to make me feel like a complete mother. I know that I don't want to be induced unless absolutely necessary. I know that I want to at least attempt a natural birth if things are progressing quickly...but you better believe if I'm on hour 14 and I'm only at 6 cm, the anesthesiologist better be on his/her way. And if things get scary for me and/or the baby, bring on the c-section. 

I think a lot of my outlook has to do with being a veterinarian's kid, and seeing a lot of babies born many different ways. Sure, the ideal thing is for a mother just to labor and give birth like nature intended, but sometimes, that just doesn't work. Baby gets stuck in the birth canal, baby is turned the wrong way, mother's vitals drop etc... There are lots of examples like that, but I guess my point is, nature's way is great and perfect when it works, but sometimes it doesn't. I fully intend to just go with the flow and let my body do what it knows how to do, and if I need some help along the way, I'm not afraid to ask for it. And that's just me. You bring your kid into the world however you see fit...You'll get no dirty looks or judgement here. 

Anyway, I hope your week is off to a good start, and you have some fun Halloween plans. I'm going to be sitting on my front porch with a tub of candy to pass out to kiddos. I did buy a pack of Fun Dip to pass out. I can see a lot of parents having to vacuum out their mini-vans on Thursday because of that move ; )