Belly Laughs_ The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth - Jenny McCarthy [28]
Another effective strategy and one that feels devilishly good is this: While your husband is getting undressed at night, look in a magazine and shout out, “Damn! That George Clooney has a fine ass!” See how he likes it.
OOOOH! I Think I Felt the Baby Move . . . or Maybe It’s Just Gas
(Baby Kicks)
This was a moment I couldn’t wait for. After going through the hardships of my first trimester, I couldn’t wait to be rewarded with a little kick. Of course, at first it’s more like a butterfly fluttering, and if you’re not paying attention, you might think it’s just gas. The difference: Gas is nasty, kicking is wonderful.
I felt the first movement at about sixteen weeks. I was sitting on the sofa watching TV (again!) when I felt this little flutter. I knew it was the baby and I lit up with happiness. Yeah, we all see the ultrasounds, but nothing can prepare you for the first flutter in your belly. At this point you feel even more connected to your baby, and it makes you want to start eating more vegetables. Your precious cargo just became more precious.
It was hard for my husband to relate to this because it was too soon for him to feel anything from the outside. But once he got his turn, it was fun to watch him freak out. When the baby got bigger and the kicks were much more intense, I would put his hand on my belly and watch his face light up. I’m sure it was rewarding for him after the drama I’d put him through those first few months.
Looking back, some of my fondest memories were the times I would sit alone on my couch (ah, the couch again) and feel my baby moving about. I would place my hand on my belly and sing him little songs. It was our time together and I loved every minute of it. That said, it drove me crazy when he got hiccups. I hate getting them myself, but when you feel them—your belly jerks a little every time—but aren’t the one having them, it’s too strange.
It wasn’t until a friend of mine taught me how to put a positive spin on baby hiccups that I started to actually enjoy them. She explained that one way of thinking about it was that hiccups were a way for the baby to tell us that he was okay in his little home. The hiccups were his sign for “Everything’s okay, Ma!” Needless to say, from this point on I LOVED his little hiccups.
Enjoy it while you can because the hiccups and kicks are going to turn into less endearing little cries before you know it!
Organizing Freak
(Your Nesting Instinct)
As with animals in the wild, the pregnant human female will one day have the uncontrollable urge to get her little nest in order. I kept reading about this and wondering when my time would come, when my instinct would kick in. I was in my eighth month and still calmly looking past jammed and unorganized closets. Then came the ninth month of pregnancy, and all I have to say is move over, Alice from the The Brady Bunch, cuz my organizing bitch took over. I would get these bursts of energy and pace the house like a caged animal looking for things to clean and organize. After I organized the jammed closets and drawers in a twenty-four-hour period, I searched the house for more to do.
Then I realized I needed to get my baby’s family tree in order. An essential thing to do, right? I got pictures of my husband’s family, combined them with mine, included both our baby pictures, and made album after album of our genetic history. It’d probably be years until our son cared about these, but I had to do it. There was just no stopping me.
After that task was completed, I thought it would be a great idea to move furniture around. Picture my big pregnant body, wearing my muumuu,