3/9/11 - 16 weeks - Day and Night

Today officially marks the 16 week point.  Some people say, "Wow! You're already 4 months along!" although I don't really buy that.  Months aren't really 4 weeks (except for February, obviously) and so really I'm just over 3 and a half months.  I'll be at 4 months on the 17th (oh! St. Patrick's day! No green beer for me. Sad face.)

I thought this might be a good time to show you the different between my day belly and my night belly.

I am still wearing exclusively non-maternity clothes, even though I do have some maternity things ready for when the time comes.  But right now, I have at least 6 pairs of pants that I can rotate through that fit relatively well, and I haven't even needed to unbutton them yet.  Mostly this is because these 6 pairs of pants used to be too big for me, but they were too nice or I liked them too much to get rid of them, but now they are serving their purpose quite well.

Anyway, this is what my stomach looked like on the morning of Day 16.  We'll call this photo "Day 16 -Day."

This is the stomach that my non-maternity clothes fit into.  It lasts me through about 5:30 p.m.  At 5:30, for some reason, I start puffing up like crazy.  I'm usually starving by this time, so I think it's probably just air in my stomach, or gas.  But whatever the case may be, by the time I get home from work, I am ready to rip off my work pants and put on sweatpants.

But it gets worse - oh my does it get worse.

After dinner, even if I don't eat a lot, "the belly" comes out.  I mentioned this last week as well, but it's time for you to see "the belly."

We'll call this one "Day 16 - Night."

I'd say there's at least an extra two inches around in the Night picture, don't you agree? If not, let me tell you that it certainly feels that way.

At "Night" my stomach feels hard and I like to flick it with my fingernail to hear the hollow "thud" sound that it makes.  My skin also feels like it's stretching beyond it's capabilities and by the time all of this kicks in I am moaning and groaning and holding my stomach while I stumble around the house like a drunk.  Sometimes I can't take deep breaths because of the pressure.  I can't bend over comfortable and I want to stick a pin in my stomach to relieve the intense pressure.  It's no fun, I tell you.  Is this simply a sign of the times to come?  Ugh... if so, I'm going to be one uncomfortable baby mama.