Pregnancy: My Good and Not-So-Good Experiences

I've been thinking a lot about my pregnancy experience lately. Being pregnant has been one of those life events that I have always looked forward to having. Now that my pregnancy with this child is coming to an end, I just want to reflect on the things that I have enjoyed and embraced as well as the unpleasantries of this pregnancy.

The Good

• Feeling like I was pregnant...I just knew it!
• Confirming I was pregnant (x3)
• Telling Nae-Nae we were pregnant
• Getting Nae-Nae's reaction on video
• Hearing the heartbeat and seeing the baby for the 1st time (9wks)
• Hearing the heartbeat at each doctor's appointment
• Feeling the first flutters of movement
• Naener's reaction to feeling the first kick
• Feeling the kicks get harder and stronger throughout the pregnancy
• Watching my belly grow
• Telling my parents, his parents, our families, and our friends
• Sharing the news with my Merle (grandmother) before she passed away
• Feeling like a complete woman; my body has come full circle and doing it's intended purpose
• Letting go of the control I once had over my body
• Curves
• Learning to embrace the bodily changes 
• Feeling boob-a-licious and having cleavage for once in my life
• Thick head of hair
• Getting pedicures more often
• People wanting to touch the belly (with permission)
• Support and interest from people
• Kindness of friends, family, co-workers, and even strangers
• Keeping the sex a surprise
• Hearing everyone's guesses as to what the sex will be and the theories that go along with the guess
• Going to breast feeding classes and labor and birth classes with my hubby
• Sharing this experience with my hubby
• Nesting
• Healthy pregnancy...everything has been normal and right on track
• Feeling my maternal instinct get stronger and stronger
• Preparing for and living for something that is larger than me...it's not about just me
• Anticipation of meeting this little gal or guy

The Not-So-Good

• Fear of the 1st trimester
• Waiting for the 1st ultrasound (9wks)
• Keeping it a secret throughout the 1st trimester
• Letting go of the control I once had over my body
• Nausea in the 1st trimester
• Food aversions (meat was so gross to me - ugh) in the 1st trimester
• Getting a fat butt
• People commenting on the fat butt
• Cankles (swollen ankles and feet)...UGH!
• Big thighs
• Dealing with the changing body
• Heartburn
• Constipation
• Hemorrhoids...no, wait...just one annoying hemorrhoid
• Peeing all of the time
• Unable to get into a comfortable position to sleep
• Restless leg syndrome
• Belly hair...where the hell did all those hairs come from?
• Looking like Buddha when I sit down
• Having my boobs rest on my stomach and my stomach rest on my thighs (this is not a good scene during heat indexes of 100+ degrees, my friends)
• Unwelcomed touches to the belly
• Sensitive belly skin (in the 3rd trimester)
• Not sleeping
• Anticipation of when labor will begin (this sitting here and waiting is killing me)
• Anxiety
• Sensitivity to...well, everything and everyone!!!
• Nesting
• Driving everyone around me NUTS
• The unknowns...of pregnancy, having a newborn, being a parent
• Unpredictability 

**This list is not exhaustive. I will be back and updating this list as more things pop into my head!