Bump.

Aside from the initial announcement, I haven't done a real pregnancy-themed post yet. Well, here it is! 20 weeks. We have our anatomy scan tomorrow, and I can't contain my excitement. It's been 6 long weeks since I've last seen our little one, and it seems like an eternity! I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight.

Oh, and this baby is ACTIVE. I was told that maybe I'd feel flutters by 18 weeks. Ish. Maybe.

15 weeks and I felt like popcorn was popping in my stomach. Regularly. Came out of nowhere, and hasn't stopped since. My midwife struggled to get a good count on his/her heartbeat because the little munchkin would not sit still during my last appointment (Let's hope that baby cooperates for the ultrasound tomorrow).

Now this little dude/dudette is definitely doing all kinds of acrobatics and throwing 1-2 punches. All day every day. No lie. This kid does not sleep, I swear.  What did I expect when both my husband and myself are super energetic people? A sleeper? No. There is a very hyper baby in my belly, and there is no denying it.

I must look like a completely deranged moron, the way I will just be going about any activity at work, on the train, at home, and just stop and smile from ear to ear. Come on, what am I supposed to do when this little one starts bouncing around? Joy has no measure for what I'm feeling. I can't wait to meet this baby fo' real, but I'm beginning to get concerned that my heart might literally explode from loving too much. Is that a thing?

Hunger: it's finally here. I had a really horrendous time towards the beginning, and my body pretty much refused any and all food intake. Coupled with starting a new job which involves at 3/4 mile uphill hike of a commute each day, and I ended up LOSING weight up for quite a while! But I've been eating like a horse for about 6 weeks now and all is good. I definitely, as you can see, have the bump going for me.

Clothing has only just begun to be a struggle. For a while I was really discouraged and insecure, because before the bump was really visible, I just felt fat and frumpy. I had a lot of bloat at the beginning too, so I really felt as horrible as I looked. I wore baggy dresses and tops to hide whatever hint of a belly I had, since I didn't tell my boss/colleagues the news until after we had our 12 week scan (which happened at 14 weeks for me, so they had to wait a while, and it was beginning to become obvious).

Now that I've got this cute little bumpy thing that I am so proud of, I'm trying to wear closer-fitting tops, dresses, and skirts to show it off! Jersey maxi skirts and my maternity leggings from Target are my bff's right now. Seriously, if you're pregnant, buy these leggings. I wish I was still in the States so I could order more. I have already gotten so much wear out of them, as elastic waistbands on everything else were first awkward and uncomfortable, and now are just downright impossible. I've really struggled to find cute maternity-friendly clothes here, since there are 0 high street maternity clothing stores in the UK, and most stores only carry their limited maternity range online. The few stores I've been to (Debenhams, H&M), had really disappointing jeans-and-tshirt options in very poor quality. What's with the horizontal stripes? Why are you making us look wider? Cut it out! And where are the work-appropriate clothes? Mommas-to-be need to go to work, too!

 There's a serious need for maternity clothing in the market here, but I digress.

I'm starting to get sick of hiking skirts up to my bra line and wearing giant sack dresses with a belt, but I'm starting to get the hang of dressing this bump. It's an uphill battle, since my size and shape is constantly changing every week (or every day!). Some days I panic about how much my body is morphing, and I worry that I'll always look like a funhouse mirror. But I'm sure that the motivation to get back into shape will come in spades, and that I'll always have to remember to be patient with myself. After all, it's going to take 9 months to change, so it will probably take a decent chunk of time to go back to "normal". Positivity and patience. It's all worth it for the end result.

Another total lifesaver is my Nutribullet. On those days when I can't be bothered to cook due to exhaustion or a picky palate, I blend up something fruity and green to make sure I'm getting all of the nutrition that baby and I need. We finally bought a transformer (this transformer) to convert several of my American appliances for use here in the UK. It's worked like a charm so far for both my Nutribullet and my Cuisinart ice cream maker, and I'll be using it for my sewing machine too. If you're moving abroad and don't want to have to replace expensive appliances, then I highly recommend it.

Enough rambling for now! I'll talk about this baby and everything associated with it until the cows come home if I don't stop myself.