Are pants really necessary?

25 weeks pregnant (tomorrow)

I feel like an overstuffed sausage, bursting out of my pants. My MATERNITY pants. My loaner pants (from Rachel's sister) fit, but their waistlines go up to my breasts. Other pants and shorts of mine cinch me off at the waist, so it's like I'm wearing a belt. And there's a reason there are no beltloops on maternity pants. Maybe I just bought my pants too early. But I needed them. I just want to wear my shirts by themselves. Oh that reminds me, I need to buy more maternity underwear. Three pairs just doesn't cut it anymore. Regular underwear have the tendency to snap-roll down like one of those window blinds that snap-roll up.

Too much information? Brace yourself for more, or just stop reading.

My bras are feeling pretty tight too. This is more troublesome because right before I got pregnant, I was sized and found out I was two cup sizes off. So I'd invested in all new bras. Now they are all straining. And I'm not the "born free" kind of girl. (Unless it's with built-in-bra camisoles...but you can't wear those every day.) I tried on some nursing/maternity bras at Target today, but I don't know what size to get. It's probably way too early for me to get one, but certain things are happening (I'll say no more...any friend once pregnant will understand), and there's the whole tightness thing with my regular bras. So do I buy a cheap one now and then get more when the milk fairy comes to town? This is stressful.

While we're on the subject of private bodily functions that I'm putting out there on the internet for any stranger to read, I have felt so full after eating evening meals recently. The other night, Dave and I had an early dinner which was very small (I made bruschetta to share--we had 1/2 a loaf of French bread between the two of us) and a little dessert (strawberry-rhubarb crumble...mmm...but I digress). About half an hour AFTER eating, I was so full, I felt like I would pop. The feeling did not subside for at least seven hours, and I couldn't lie down until well after midnight. The weird thing? I was hungry during those seven hours. There was just no place for any more food to go. I thought I was going to be sick. I have the same feeling tonight. I ate dinner four hours ago, and I feel like I just got back from an all-you-can-eat buffet.

My body seems to be retaining any food I eat. A good thing? At my prenatal appointment today, I measured exactly 25 weeks, and the doctor said I was feeding my baby well. Yeah me! Although these past four weeks saw the largest weight gain of my pregnancy so far. I gained 8 lbs.! That brings my total to 19 lbs. of weight gain. And I'm feeling it. On our neighbourhood walks, the hardest part is getting back up the hill to our house at the end. Throw on our steep driveway, and you have one huffing and puffing pregnant lady. Friends have told me that there are always one or two particularly big growth spurts between visits, and the nurse who weighed me didn't gasp in horror today, so I'm really not worried about the weight. I know my baby's getting what he needs, and generally I'm eating very healthily. All those Canadian chocolate bars I brought home with me are just on reserve. Dave asks for them more than I have one, so it's a good thing I know where they're hidden. I think I had one three days ago. I'm being good. Baby just needs (quality) chocolate every now and then.

My back is starting to ache more often. I see a chiropractor, but I don't want to go more regularly now. I think it's just that I can't twist in a chair to crack my back and relieve the pressure anymore. My muscles are getting pretty stiff back there, so I think I'm going to get a massage this week. I have a date with a friend tomorrow to walk around Gray's Lake in Des Moines (incidentally, this friend is also my chiropractor!), so that should do my body some good (if the heat and humidity doesn't get me first).

Although I was generally frustrated with my Target shopping experience today (bra shopping), I must say I had a very pleasant experience while checking out. The cashier indicated to me that he was deaf, but in the end, he was still one of the most courteous cashiers I've had in recent history. I used to be in the service industry (several cashier/clerk jobs), and I would never have dreamed of being rude to a customer. These days it seems that nobody cares about the customer. The staff shortages are really noticeable--particularly in Calgary, where there are help wanted signs in every window. The other day at Walmart (or HyVee...I think Walmart though), the cashier didn't say a word to me, and when he gave me my change, he just said, "Here." I asked him where my bag was, and he pointed down to the counter and said, "There." I was appalled. Fast-forward to today. Sometimes all it takes to brighten someone's day is to smile and mouth (and sign, if you're deaf) "thank-you". I said thank-you in return, and I left the store with a warm fuzzy feeling. Come to think of it, I've never met a deaf person I haven't liked (and yes, there have been a few). I'm sure there are some jerks out there, but so far my impression of the deaf is that they're all nice. And I don't care if I'm being not being p.c. by talking about it. Not a bad stereotype to be given, am I wrong?

Thanks for sitting through my ramble. I really would welcome any comments on the above bodily/clothing dilemmas.

Did I mention today that I still love being pregnant, despite all this?