Beware of Sun

The days seem to be passing slowly and quickly at the same time. I have known about our impending bundle of joy since Saturday, almost a full week now. The week has gone by fast, but at the same time, each day has seemed so slow to me when I think about how long I have to go until this baby is here. Or how long I have to go until people can really tell I'm pregnant. Or how long I have to go before we can see the baby on a sonagram. Even my first prenatal visit seems like a long ways off, and it is only three weeks away.

I am becoming so aware of my body. My husband and I have already had a discussion about whether my symptoms are real or whether me knowing that I am supposed to have them creates them, in a way. I said, "You'd better be careful before you say that this is all in my head." I just think that I am more aware now. If I had an upset stomach before Saturday, I just thought it was something I ate. Now, if I have an upset stomach, I think it's connected to me being pregnant.

I feel also that my center has shifted down. Already I seem to be centered around the middle of my body instead of my head or chest, which is where I usually feel centered. Now it is all about the belly, and the tiny popcorn kernel of life that is percolating there.

Today's symptoms: I have been a little tired. For the past several nights I have been waking up too early in the morning, for no good reason. This morning I woke up at 4:30. I am usually such a good sleeper, so it is strange to be waking up so early in the day. Also, food looks less appealing to me. My husband is trying to get me to eat more. He cooks me breakfast in the mornings these days, which is wonderful. Today he presented me with a huge bowl of cereal, easily twice what I would normally eat. I had to smile. He's making chili for tonight, and I really hope I can work up an appetite for it.

What I learned about pregnancy today: Exposure to sun can cause melasma, which is apparently what happens when your skin has so much estrogen in it from pregnancy that it gets burned more easily, causing some brown splotches that can stay on your face throughout your entire pregnancy. It was a good warning for me to stay out of the sun!