A lot has changed in the past month.
I had just a terrible first half of the pregnancy, but this is the fun part.
The third trimester is a few short weeks away, I have strangers cracking mile-wide grins at me, and Livvy is super busy in my belly, not only growing quickly but moving around like gangbusters. I worry so much less about her and her health when I get to feel her wiggles and hiccups throughout the day; every kick is reassuring. I also feel like a million bucks, with zero nausea now, a surplus of good hair days (thanks, pregnancy hormones!), and the energy to enjoy full, fun days with Tessa and our friends. I have my social life back and feel less lonely. Also, I love not having to worry about whether or not I look fat in these photos ... or in real life. At this point I'm up 12 lbs, and my belly is a source of pride, of contentment, and promise. I'm excited to document my changing body and emotions with these posts, as I did very little writing or picture-taking when I was pregnant with Tess. I didn't keep this blog then, and we still just had a point-and-click camera.
I've actually hit a really rough patch in my freelance writing career, as my hours with my biggest client got all but eliminated. That's been stressful to say the least--it's less than awesome to be applying for jobs when you're almost six months pregnant--but now instead of being a source of stress (as she was when I was sick and getting adjusted to the idea of having another child) this baby is a place where I go for joy. (Most days) I'm feeling connected to her and excited about her and about growing my family. I have lots of twinkly visions of Thanksgivings and Christmases and birthday parties and family vacations for years to come. I've never loved Tessa more, or felt more secure as a mother, and I'm so excited to go through all these phases with Livvy, too. This time I'll know what I'm doing. Right?
