Necessity is a Mother

Now is the time in pregnancy where I feel like it's important to have a sense of humor. 

 Otherwise I'd cry.

 

I feel like the Michelin man.  Or a stuffed sausage. Or Foghorn Leghorn (something about having all this weight up high on my body makes me feel like a rooster).  Baby went through a growth spurt last week, I believe.  The bump has all of a sudden expanded to basketball sized proportions.   It really is funny looking.  J and I giggle every night about this giant belly.  But we're so ready to meet the culprit.   I am 31 weeks now.  Only nine more weeks to go.  Holy cow.

Excuse the leaves in the photos.  Gutters were cleaned but I was too lazy to sweep aside the debris.  I'm back to feeling exhausted.  I think it's just from the physical side of carrying around so much extra weight.  I cut out fabric for the crib skirt yesterday, crawling around on my hands and knees on the hardwood floor and I felt the weight.  I had to put on some of J's knee pads.  

Anyway, I have run out of things to wear.  I don't have many things that fit anymore.  I have about five outfits that I can wear to work.  I just rotate the day I wear each item.  I've been looking longingly at the rest of my closet.  So I made a quick tee out of necessity.  I don't love it but it will have to do.  Pregnant girls can't be choosy.

 

I used my favorite Burda long sleeve tee pattern from the 2/2011 issue.  I decided to go slim fitting now that I have a big bump but I think it ended up a little too slim.  I cut my usual size and modified the front according to Zoe's maternity tutorial.  I didn't add any width, just length to ruche and I think that was a mistake.  That tutorial is a fantastic maternity tutorial for those lucky gals who only gain a bump and don't expand anywhere else.  I, on the other hand, have spread out all over.  I should have started with a size up.  If I make a maternity tee again (which I might soon) I'll add some width as well as length for the bump and I'll start my ruching down about an inch or so.

I did bands at all the hems to avoid battling the ripply hem.  I added a wide band at the neckline to look like a mock turtleneck.  I wanted a high neck to cover up my new bust line ;)   None of my stripes match because of the amount of fabric I had.  The stripe is really subtle on this knit so I think it's fine.

I can tell from wearing and from the photos that I need more width through the bust, shoulder and back.  My knit has super duper recovery, so a knit with less recovery may have fit better.  This knit has some spandex in it.  Anyway, it feels too slim for my tastes but that could also be personal preference.  It adds to my stuffed sausage feeling.  I'm wearing it anyway.  Like I said, it's a necessary tee.

 

We had our last ultrasound this past week.  We did one of those fun 3-d ultrasounds.  It was amazing.  We have confirmation that she is indeed a girl, so I can continue on with the pink.  And the ultrasound tech even spotted a little bit of hair on her head!  She kicks like crazy.   But then again, she hasn't stopped kicking like crazy since I first felt her.  It's a very surreal feeling.  I hope I don't sound too whiny when I talk about feeling super sized because I know how lucky I am to be able to experience this.  Every bit of it is worth it.  And it has all been fun- the good and the bad.   I can't wait to finally meet this little person who's been making such a fuss in my belly for last few months.