22 weeks

Nugget Update Email: 

"This week, your baby weighs in at a whopping pound and measures nearly eight inches, about the size of a small doll. But your little doll (who now has eyebrows, eyelashes, and maybe even some hair on that little head) is a living one who can now perceive light and dark. She can also hear your voice, your heartbeat, your gurgling stomach, and the whoosh-whoosh of blood circulating through your body. And as her brain and nerve endings develop, she may reach for her face (or whatever she can reach) just to experiment with her newfound sense of touch.


By now you may have been the target of at least one well-wishing tummy-toucher — you know, those people (and they could be anyone — friends, co-workers, the guy you buy your morning paper from, a perfect stranger on the deli line) who just can't resist reaching out and rubbing your belly. And who can blame them? After all, pregnant bellies — so round, so cute, and housing something even cuter — practically beg to be touched.  Now, at 22 weeks pregnant, you may not mind being treated like an exhibit at a children's museum (and, if you're a touchy-feely person yourself, you may even welcome the public display of affection for your belly), but if you do mind, there are a couple of approaches you can take. One, use your words ("I know it's tempting, but I really would rather you didn't touch my belly"). Two, back off — literally, dodging their advances. And three, turn the tables by giving their belly a rub to see how they like it (especially effective with middle-aged men sporting paunches). Remember, you're sharing your body on the inside — you don't need to share on the outside too."




Personal experience: 
J and I were in Micanopy last month and this lady came up to me and talked to my stomach... grabbing me, rather aggressively, without ever acknowledging ME. Like I was a floating baby encompassed by a stomach. It was really strange and, not knowing how to react appropriately, I just walked off giggling nervously towards Joel like a lost kid in a grocery store. 
In retrospect I didn't care that much about the actual act or even the fact that it was so personally impersonal. I don't care when my friends do it either...I actually enjoy when they get to feel the KICK! that I feel all day and night. 
The only thing that has bothered me during this pregnancy, besides straight up RUDE personalities that have become socially inept over the past few months and I avoid like the plague, has been a close friend who made small comments like "I wasn't even showing at blah blah weeks..." and "you are going to be big" comments. 
REALLY?
It initially made me feel really insecure and hyper sensitive, knocking my usual euphorically happy pregnant state into a world of comparison. I don't recall replying with any feelings, per say, but did go through that whole...I shoulda' said this... thing. I also felt it was super rude as the person has always been smaller than me and a bit obsessed about their weight from the get go. 
I googled stomachs at 'so many weeks' and saw that a lot were bigger than mine. When I went to see my mid-wife and asked her about my belly showing and possible excessive weight gain she laughed at me. She showed me a graph of my projected weight gain and said. You are perfect Samantha. I had only gained 8 pounds since we found out. She told me that our bodies are all different and they do what they need to do according to our babies needs.
 I felt relieved and wanted to call that person and tell them that I was right on point...and "ah nah nah boo boo". Obviously I got over it immediately and just chalked it up as that person just being that person and me giving in to a sensitive moment. 
But the point I think these emails SHOULD be saying is forget people who make passive aggressive comparison/ or general comments about your body! It is housing a person and will do what it needs to do to produce a beautiful healthy baby. 
Everyone's pregnancy is different and everyone's emotions are different. I have had friends who got pregnant and became crazy hormonal driven women, depressed and apathetic women and elated and active preggos. I think the important things is to find humor in the weird things that our bodies and minds go through and have each other's backs during this wild ride. It's hard enough that we go through such an external change so having that internal, emotional support is where it's at. 

On an unrelated note-

 I am refurbishing a dresser for my girl's nursery and was looking for cute dresser knobs and came across this nice batch of weird. 

I am a little tempted to go there. 

*laughing* sad clown knobs?