2 Months

 

This is your second official photograph. Apparently you're camera shy because you're nowhere to be found.

If I look like I just woke up from a nap...that's because I did.  

So far, you have been remarkably easy on your mother, all things considered. At first I thought this pregnancy would be rough, but now that we've both adjusted to each other I think we share space pretty well actually.

Right now you are the size of a raspberry and are currently in the process of growing hands and feet, eye lids, and nostrils. It must be exhausting to do all that growing, but I bet you're doing a good job.  

I haven't experienced much in the way of pregnancy symptoms in the last several weeks. I'm not fatigued at all--in fact, despite being pregnant and being on a caffeine hiatus--I have more energy than I usually have. I've actually been waking up at about 2:30 AM pretty regularly and can't fall back asleep until about 5:00 AM, but even without all that sleep I'm still relatively alert throughout the day.

I also haven't suffered much from morning sickness, which is too bad because I was counting on that to prevent weight gain in the first trimester. So much for that I guess. About once or twice a day for a period of about a half hour or so, I might get a small wave of queasiness--but nothing that is particularly bothersome. I don't have food cravings or food aversions per se, but I have noticed that I seem to have a color coded preference. Green and red things are less desirable to me than white and yellow things, which is unfortunate because green and red things tend to be healthy, whereas white and yellow things tend to be highly processed carbohydrates. We are choosing to view this early distinction of colors as evidence that you are probably a gifted artist or something.  

And much to your father's delight, I'm not an emotional wreck either. There hasn't been any major crying fits or bouts of hysteria like all the books said I would experience. I confess that last week I did experience an out-of-character welling up of emotion while watching a news clip about Hurricane Sandy. It was this piece about a Long Island family who had to evacuate their home without their kitten. Much to the family's delight, when they were allowed to return to their home two weeks later their kitten had made a safe place for itself atop their fridge and survived. For some reason that particular story made me cry, which is weird for me. Fortunately Dad was in the other room at the time so he didn't bear witness to this.

If I didn't know better, I wouldn't even think I was pregnant. I know I'm pregnant though because, despite a positive pregnancy test, I went and got a blood test confirmation anyway. This was about 2 weeks ago, and the nurse said I was "definitely pregnant" as my numbers were on the high end of where they usually are at 6 weeks. I am choosing to interpret this to mean that you are just really robust, and not that you are twins.

Please don't be twins.

So if these early months of pregnancy are any indication of things to come, I feel pretty good about things. Hopefully you'll be one of those kids who, for your whole life, I'll say things like "even from day one, he was such an easy baby. No wonder he never got in any trouble at school and went on to win a Nobel Peace Prize."

Oh yeah, I'll probably be referring to you as a "he" until we know for sure in the next few months. For whatever reason your dad and I have recently taken to referring to you in the masculine sense. It just feels wrong to refer to you as an "it." Plus, if I'm being perfectly honest, I think my whole life I always expected I would have a girl first, and so maybe by my calling you a "he" it will be less of a shock if you are in fact a "he" after all.  

Don't worry--I'll be thrilled with either a "he" or a "she," as long as it's just one "he" or "she."