It’s hard for me to believe that I’m actually more than 5 months pregnant (except when I try to put on pants). I am definitely doing my best to enjoy all the good things, though. It’s starting to get to the point now where it’s pretty obvious to people that my abdominal bulging isn’t just the result of too much cake. Though, I definitely did indulge in too much cake recently, in honour of my birthday. Mmm. Cake. People are saying how cute I look, which is nice, especially when I’m feeling a bit mountain-esque.

It’s interesting though- some parts of my experience seem to jive with the universal things. I get teary-eyed at all sorts of situations and when seeing small children and babies, I definitely like to eat a lot and sometimes crave somewhat specific things. A good rub to the belly when my ligaments are sore is nice. I was pretty excited at my last ultrasound. However, with some things I’m seemingly falling outside the typical experience. I haven’t bought a single baby thing yet, while some women have already totally pimped out the nursery by this point. We’re not finding out the sex ahead of time, or calling the fetus by a pre-chosen name (for now it is CookieMonster, or baby, or occasionally, in my head, Babynaut). We haven’t bought any minivans or enrolled in any preschools.

I always thought women were essentially completely consumed and distracted by their pregnancies- I mean, having a little alien thing inside you must be pretty distracting, right? Maybe some women are consumed, I don’t know. Perhaps I’ll become more distracted as time goes on. While I do have times where my uterine passenger is at the forefront of my mind, I am decidedly not just a walking, eating gestational sac like I imagined. I might not have the physical stamina I had previously (physical limitations being the biggest difference for me at this point), but I’m still really into all sorts of other projects, and I haven’t lost any sense of self or gained any new earth-motherness or anything. I’m glad about it.