If second trimester was a person, I would play with her everyday at recess, sit with her at lunch, have sleepovers all the time, braid her hair, make her flower tiaras, tatoo her name on my forehead, and totally be her BFF. As all the books say, this is the easiest trimester of the pregnancy. But I have a very important addendum to add to that. This is the best trimester of LIFE.

Seriously! I can EAT and not feel like barfing. I can go without naps (*gasp*). I feel ridiculously happy all the time for no reason (ok, maybe not ALL the time but more than normal). I can stay up past 8 P.M. I can go a week without crying. I can think past the next meal (not to mention I can MAKE a meal and EAT a meal…still my favorite part of second trimester). I can carry on a conversation without losing track of what we were talking about. I can remember to put on deodarant. And I can TIE MY SHOES!! *victoryfist*

One part of this trimester I’m not quite sure on is how I feel about is the “baby bump” issue. This is about the time it starts to show, only it’s kind of in the “tweener” stage. I’m too small for regular maternity pants, too big for even my “big” jeans. (Don’t lie girls; we all have them). 

Everyone wants to see the belly. Every time I say I’m pregnant, people’s eyes go straight to my belly (not unlike when you announce you’re engaged and people immediately grab your hand for the eye candy).

This is a weird concept for me, and I would imagine it is for most women. First of all, the word “belly” never did sound  cute to me. It sounds blobby and jiggly and like it’s not supposed to be there. We are taught they are not attractive.  We are taught to hide bellies, we are taught to stuff bellies into our jeans, and we are taught to work out so that we don’t have them. Now all of a sudden, it’s all people care about. They WANT you to have one! They want to see it and touch it and have it pop out of your jeans. This was never the part of myself I’ve ever…EVER…wanted to showcase.

Some want to tell you that “oh well you should be showing already!” or “I can’t believe you are showing that much already!” or anything else that makes you feel even more aware that your body is changing in a way you simply cannot stop. Not only does it make you worry you are changing, but now you get worried if you’re changing at the right pace and in the right way

So here’s what I have been doing. First, I confide in the people I know love me no matter what. And I repeat to myself what they’ve told me recently. Cody: “You’re the most beautiful girl in the world.” Mindy: “I think you look just right!” Mandy: “You look fabulous!” Kelly: “You look like a skinny pregnant girl!” I’ve never known my friends to lie to me so I let THESE comments sink in and not let silly worries get in the way.

Then I remind myself that I’m having a baby. A BABY. Baby needs room, baby needs nutrients, baby needs rest. Baby needs anything I can give him/her within my power to grow. And the baby will take that and blossom into a sweet little chunker with his/her entire life ahead of them. He/she will be an amazing superstar of a kid who laughs, runs, and plays hard.

And me and my body will do whatever we can to make sure that happens, fast or slow, big or small, stretched or not.  I’m not the One who makes my baby anyways, so if I don’t even have control over this process, what am I worried about?