Let's keep it real, shall we?

Let me begin by saying how incredibly grateful and blessed I feel to even be in this position. I can't put into words how excited I am about Gretel/Seven's arrival in 6 months.  I am exactly where I want to be. I planned and timed everything out exactly like I wanted it to be, and it actually worked out that way. BUT, that's not what you always want to read about, is it? Hey, I'm in PR. I know what sells. So, in addition to the fluffy things, I would like to "keep it real." In honor of keeping it real, I'm going to share with you five of the less-than-glamorous aspects of my pregnancy thus far. (Also, these WILL get shorter. You're just so far behind that there is much to catch you up on.)

1. I drink a lot of Gatorade. A lot. Not kidding. My refrigerator looks like I'm training for the Tour de France. After I was sick for so long, there aren't many things I can stand to drink. Ginger Ale, Sprite and any other caffeine-free soda makes me gag, and Gatorade seemed to stick with me. Let me put it this way. For the last 3-4 weeks, I've spent about $100 a week on the stuff. Yeah. You're welcome, Publix.

2. I burp. A lot. I'm a girly girl to the 10th power. I hate dirt, bugs, sweat, body functions and general ickiness. So the fact that I went from never burping (especially out loud) to not being able to control it is unacceptable. I think the husband thought it was funny at first. Now I think he is getting grossed out. Most of the time, they are dainty. I go to speak, and a small, funny noise comes out. Other times...well, you know that scene from "Elf" when Buddy downed a 2-liter Coke and then proceeded to rattle the wall hangings. Yep. This girl. I can't believe I admitted it, but hey, we're keeping it real.

3. I can't button a single pair of pants that I own. When I told my mother, she thought it would be helpful to tell me that she didn't have to wear maternity pants until she was 7 months pregnant. Gee. Thanks. Isn't there someone in Alabama that needs a pep talk?

4. Apparently as your uterus grows, your bladder shrinks. Not really, but it feels that way. I wake up in the middle of the night at least once (EVERY NIGHT) because, I'm certain, Gretel/Seven (who is only the size of a peach right now) is kicking my bladder with all of her/his might. It makes car rides very, very long.

5. Ok, so I will only share four things. I don't want to be totally negative, so I will share Gretel/Seven's first picture. I think that "keeping it real" also requires a reminder of just how incredible this whole thing is. This was at 8 weeks, when she was only 17 millimeters long. Now she is about 3 inches long, or the size of a peach. Half of that is her head, but I've been reassured that she should even out by the time she gets here.

In the first image, you can see where his/her brain is developing. She's standing on her head, basically, and the dark circle is her brain. In the other pictures, the ring is the yolk sac, but the nurse said it looks like she has a halo. Was there ever any doubt that my child (and Kyle's) would be an angel with a big brain? I don't see any hands going up. If you look at the circle, the go to the right, you will see her head, arms and legs.  Pretty cool, huh? My second ultrasound is on Wednesday, so I will hopefully have a new picture to post.