It's Monday - so time for Mommy Talk....

How much weight did you gain (w/ picture...are you brave enough:) )

and what did you like MOST about pregnancy?

What did you like the LEAST?

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know how crazy I am about taking tons of pictures. So when my friend, Amy, told me that she regretted not taking more belly shots when she was pregnant, I took her advice and at least every couple of weeks had Brian take a picture of my belly - for both pregnancies. It would take me hours to scan them all in and do a cool slide show of the progression so you'll have to make do with these photos instead.

This first one is from my pregnancy with Sam. Brian always read a story to my belly at night so this pose is a perfect memento of that experience.

(taken around 36 weeks)



This photo hangs in our upstairs hallway and I get to see it every day and remember how it felt to be anticipating the birth of our first child. That was what I loved most about being pregnant - the excitement and wonder of knowing I was going to be a mom. It was also fun to dream about who's eyes the baby would have, who's personality would the baby have, and most of all, I longed to hold a healthy baby in my arms. I gained about 35 lbs with my first. I got my very first stretch mark in my 40th week. If only he'd been born a week early!! I managed to lose all my baby weight and then some (10 year high school reunion in '05 was a big motivator), so when I got pregnant the second time around and lost 15 pounds before I gained any, this is what I looked like at 15 weeks......

I wore these pajama pants all the time. (Remember these Jennifer?) I'll never forget the first time I went back to church after being so sick in February. It was the first time I'd put anything other than pajama pants on. When you're so weak that walking the length of Super Target wears you out, clothes are the least of your worries.



Eventually my belly popped out. It seemed like it took forever with both pregnancies. I loved having a belly (until the 38th week and beyond).

I wasn't so lucky in the stretch mark department with my second pregnancy....
She was worth it though!

I put this picture in because of this maternity dress that I was able to wear to five weddings.
(three during Sam's pregnancy and two during Julia's) I got my money's worth, that's for sure!)
Oh, and only one person (other than Brian) saw me in it twice.



Julia's belly shot: at 32 weeks
I barely fit in these pj's that when I was pregnant with Sam, I easily fit into at 36 weeks.
If you include the 15 pounds I had to gain back, I gained almost 70 pounds during my second pregnancy. At the end I needed to hurry up and have the baby so my maternity clothes would fit again.

My hair has a little wave in it anyway, but when I'm pregnant and not losing a single hair, it gets downright curly. As you can see by my white belly, the bikini had been tucked away for months by this time.


(sorry this is sideways)
Labor day with Julia - one day late...something I liked the least.....being pregnant those last few weeks: Heartburn, charlie horses, going to the bathroom every hour....you know, the usual.....