Updates, the Baby Edition

As promised, I give you baby updates.

We had our 3D sonogram on New Year's Eve. It was amazing. I swear he looks like me. And check out his little smirk and the way he is totally flipping us off in this picture. If this is any indication of his personality, the next 20 years will be quite trying.

I feel sort of huge. My back hurts sometimes, I involuntarily grunt all the time--when picking things up, when trying to tie my shoes, when rolling over in bed. It's going to be a long two-and-a-half months until he arrives. I recently heard someone say that all you can do in the 3rd trimester is get through it, and that's how I'm feeling about this. I'm just going to get through it.

My coat barely fits. I can button the top button, but then it just sort of flaps open. And it is way too freaking cold for this. Next baby should really think about being born in the summer or fall.

For awhile, the baby was spine to spine with me, which made my back hurt quite a bit, with these occasional shooting pains in one tiny area. And until he shifted around, I began to waddle. Every woman thinks it won't happen to her, but what can I say? Waddling was the only way to keep my back from spasming as I walked around. I am mad sexy, no?

All this thrashing and moving and kicking and poking is kind of getting old. And painful. Yes, it is a nice reassurance to know that he's still alive and well in there, but fewer jabs to the ribs would be nice.

In spite of the rib-kicking, the heartburn (have I mentioned the heartburn? Terrible.), the difficulty sleeping, the back pain, the waddling, and the feelings of hugeness, I am so in love with this baby boy. We read to him and sing to him, and I cannot wait to hold him in my arms. We've pretty much decided on his name (but it's a secret) and he just feels so real. It's still sort of surreal to think that he'll really be here in such a short amount of time, but he's got such a firm hold on our hearts already that I can't imagine my life without him.

And now I am going to go listen to Adele's "Make You Feel My Love" and "My First Child" by Nil Lara and maybe cry some more.