Halfway to Parenthood

Well here we are, 20 weeks along, at the halfway point. There simply is no denying that I am very much pregnant. No amount of sucking in will suffice to hide this bump! And I am so wonderfully, blissfully okay with that. At first, I wasn't sure how to feel about my changing body but the bigger this belly gets, the happier I get and the more amazed Josh seems! It's so sweet. I love seeing the evidence of life in me, this miracle that I alone can nourish. It's the greatest honor and privilege of my life and I am cherishing every single moment of it all. 

20 Weeks!

Luckily, I've felt pretty good my whole pregnancy so far (knock on wood). People keep asking me, with their head tilted slightly, eyes looking pitying on me, "How are you FEELING?" It cracks me up how they assume that I should be a miserable mess and I almost feel guilty when I answer "Great!" Their surprise never fails to make me smile. "Really?" they ask in disbelief. REALLY. My first trimester I was tired and hungry but it was nothing that a couple naps and six meals a day couldn't take care of. As long as I didn't wait too long to eat, I could keep the nausea at bay. But I never got sick until the beginning of my second trimester when I made the epic mistake of having a breakfast sandwich and frappe from McDonald's. Let me tell you, getting sick that one time was more then enough to make me infinitely grateful that I have been spared from morning sickness. Other then the occasional gag from a horrible smell or sight, I have nothing to complain about. Okay, maybe that's not being completely honest. I have had to deal with constipation my entire pregnancy but as long as I watch what I eat (stay away from carbs, load up on the fruits and veggies, drink hot lemon water) then I can keep it from being too painful. :-) Too much information? Just keeping it real people.

On a more exciting note, Monday night, Kamuela seemed to be doing the haka in my belly, his movements so intense that Josh could lay his hand beneath my belly button and feel the kicks or punches from his son! It was such an incredibly magical moment. Our little lion man is becoming quite the mover, I feel him all day long (even as I am typing this out). On Tuesday night he seemed to be rolling around, which an entirely new feeling! At one point the left side of my belly got really hard, as if he was pushing against it with his back! Josh and I could both feel him there and then a moment later, he dove away and my belly was soft again. I am just in awe. Absolutely in awe. Josh gets nervous when I push his hand down harder, "Stop! What if that's his head?" and he always snatches his hand back real quick. I try to tell him that Kamuela is pretty well protected in there with the layer of fat and then all the amniotic fluid and everything else and that we won't be able to hurt him, but Josh isn't going to risk it, which is sweet and annoying all at the same time. ;)

On Saturday, Josh and I met up with our good friends Linzie and Kellen in Tacoma to do their maternity photos! Their little girl is due in April and I am so grateful to have one of my best friends as a bump buddy. :-) I cannot wait for our babies to meet! 

Thank goodness for husbands to help the pregnant ladies. :)

20 Weeks vs. 33 Weeks :)

I've been lucky enough to still be working, doing my photography, albeit at a bit of a slower pace right now, which has worked out perfectly. I love being able to go out on shoots every once in a while and then work from home the majority of the time when editing and booking, etc. I have also been enjoying this feeling of being uber domestic, when I'm barefoot and pregnant cooking dinner, doing laundry, washing dishes, cleaning house, kissing my husband hello when he gets home from work. :) I cannot lie, I just love it! In my down time, (or as I refer to it, when I'm being lazy,) I cruise Pintrest, imagining Kamuela to be the most stylish child ever or surf through all the "mommy blogs" to find out what I should be registering for, you know, ALL that STUFF that I surely will so desperately need and will probably never use. So far we haven't bought a lot of "baby stuff", just a few adorable outfits here or there. We received a tiny little bassinet on loan from our amazing neighbors and have already gotten quite a few precious gifts from friends and family. Kamuela is getting spoiled already! He even got his very own piece of mail the other day, addressed just to him! Josh said I couldn't open it because it wasn't to me, but I argued that since Kamuela is IN me, that I'm his proxy and therefor... I opened it. :)

Overall, life is pretty awesome and I couldn't be happier. It's not even happiness really, now that I think about it, but contentment. I am so at peace and content, which of course lends itself to happiness, and THAT, that is awesome.