Rounding the corner into 25 weeks and I still smile whenever I think about the child who will join us in about four months. He/she still moves around quite a bit in there and I think it is the strangest thing to be driving or at work and feel this whole shift or sharp jab in the lower regions. Getting really excited about meeting Thump and figuring out the little developing personality. I've been reading more about labor, birth, and breastfeeding - in addition to getting loads of advice (most taken with a grain of salt). There will probably eventually be a pregnancy picture - if I can get around to it - mostly because this growing is hilarious. I can still do a lot with clothing, play up the belly, downplay it (much more often) - in fact, when I wear something that makes the belly front and center, I am surprised by the response (and usually I didn't realize that shirt would create that effect). Per what I expected, I am uncomfortable and I that as I get bigger, it will get worse, but I have that end goal in sight: baby.
In extra wonderful news, we have a slew of friends that are newly pregnant! If you recall, I can attract fellow infertiles and all other sorts easily, so most of these couples have overcome something to achieve these pregnancies. Because we all need a little goodness and hope, friends of friends used IUIs to create son #1 and are now pregnant with son #2 without any assistance, a dear friend and coworker is seven weeks along (heartbeat heard this week!!!) with her first attempt at IVF, good friends are pregnant with #2 & farther along than they thought after a miscarriage last year (heartbeat heard this week!!!), and far from the least, friends moved away are pregnant with #2, who will join his/her almost 6yo sister (another heartbeat heard this week!!!)! I'm filled with joy for all of these couples and am desperately hoping that two more of our couple friends are added to the ranks very very soon. And yes, heartbeats heard for a tiny baby are what make that little person incredibly real to me, so the three exclamation excitement is so necessary!
I just walked into the bathroom to look for something (soap?) and ran face into my red sharps container for all of the needles we used during IVF. Stark reminder, huh? I'm going to take a chance and dispose of it. I hope that I never have to see so many needles, vials of medication, and a sharps container ever again. So grateful for what those products were able to help us achieve, still don't like them. Will there always be this small difference between my pregnancy and the 99% of others? There has been discussion around the ALI community lately that tiptoes around the infertile (in the trenches, not yet pregnant) versus the pregnant/parenting infertile - and how connected the latter is to the community. I don't think I can forget what we went through for five years to get here - even if we wanted to. But that's probably a much longer, more thoughtful post.
I'm going to keep reveling in the joy of announcements and heartbeats this week.
