Friday, January 30, 2009

Week 12 tummy

It's not all that impressive, I realize.

But it is a lot bigger than it used to be. Plus my baby is only somewhere between the size of a lime and a lemon.

Apparently at 12 weeks, it should be a lime. I'm making up the lemon part. I'm not sure what they're going to give me next.

If you've never read a baby book or looked at one of those sites, you do not know that as soon as it's bigger than a pin prick, or an angel kiss, or whatever it starts out as, they start comparing it to fruit. I think the first one might have been raisin or cranberry.

I've signed up for these weekly email updates. They're informative, and the fruit amuses me.

"This week, your little darling is the size of a grape!"

"This week, your baby is the size of a prune (although decidedly less wrinkled)!"

I'm not kidding you. I'm quoting almost verbatim, especially the cheesy "less wrinkled!" part. Last week it was a kumquat. This week a lime.

I must admit to curiosity about the fruit of choice and just how big they go. I'm going to doubt it's ever a weird, exotic one like chirimoya, or an awkward shape like starfruit.

But back to my little lime.

The sonogram person yesterday said it was measuring almost a full week bigger than 12 weeks. They said this is fine, in that you don't really know when you conceived, they just go by your last period.

I pointed at Nick. "Do you think it could have anything to do with my husband's size?"

They stifled laughter and replied that yes, genetics can play a role.

I didn't mean it jokingly.

One of my huge concerns is that this baby is going to turn out to be half as big as me. In fact, size concerns are as follows:

That by month seven he or she (and if it's that enormous, I am hoping for a he) will have squished my lungs, heart, and in fact all my organs up into my throat trying to get comfy. And remember the part in Alien just before the alien bursts out of that guy's stomach? That will be me. And! And by the time my kid is fully cooked, he's not going to wait to be delivered, he's just going to reach a huge hand through my hoo-ha and pull himself out.

And then he'll demand a roast beef sandwich.

You know I'm not kidding.

29 comments:

  1. Yay for the belly! So very exciting! Thank you so much for sharing this picture. :) :) :)

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  2. Holy cra* Lisa...on my very best day, I never looked as good as you 12 weeks pregnant! I just know you'll end up one of those women that are only pregnant up front. You knwo the kind, in line at the store they look normal. Then they turn and there's a little volleyball tummy at 9 months. And a week after giving birth, you'll be back to your regular clothes.
    Yay for the lime though. Wonder what (s)he'll be next week?

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  3. A.S. - My pleasure! :)

    Susan - I would love that, oh, would that make me happy, but I just don't see how. I know I still look little but my thighs and my butt have grown enough that I only have a couple pairs of pants that still fit - and the belly is not the issue.

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  4. Well, if that's the case, he'll be doing chores by the three month mark! Yay! I mean, isn't that why everyone has kids? To have someone to mow the lawn and take the garbage out?

    No? Oh. Must be just my family.

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  5. Well, if that's the case, he'll be doing chores by the three month mark! Yay! I mean, isn't that why everyone has kids? To have someone to mow the lawn and take the garbage out?

    No? Oh. Must be just my family.

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  6. All of my male cousins on my dad's side of the family are giants. All of them were not terribly oversized when born - in the 8 pound range. Which isn't tiny, but my petite aunt managed to keep her throat free of abdominal organs the whole time.

    You look fantastic. And you're gonna be fine. Of course, you could always tell Nick to make sure there's a roast beef sandwich in your hospital bag, just in case.

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  7. 12 weeks?!? Wow - you look great!! You are so lucky your belly isn't buldging like crazy and you have to wear maternity jeans at 10 weeks like me. I like to tell myself it's b/c I'm short. There's nowhere for the baby to go but out, right? Yup, that's it.

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  8. Oh, I would totally get knocked up to have my tummy look that good. Wow!

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  9. You look great. In fact, compared to the last pregnant woman I saw up close(my sis-in-law, 37 weeks gone with twins) you look amazing.

    I'm wondering: at 37 weeks, will they actually compare it to a watermelon? Or are they more considerate than that? Not like there's any other fruit-type objects that big out there to use as a comparison.

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  10. my cousin is a tiny tiny lady, and her husband is a tall tall man - 6'5", I'd guess. She gave birth totally unexpectedly like 6 weeks early. But the baby was plenty big, and healthy, and she woke up from sleeping to find her water had already burst, and so the labor went nice and fast.

    I mean, that's in no way a scientific study, but in my head, the baby was like "dude, there is not enough room in here. I'm out."

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  11. FreckledK - Actually, that would be a huge up-side. I would be delighted.

    As for the tummy...The months leading up to my wedding I got a trainer and worked so hard, particularly on my abs. They were kick-ass by the end of September. I was feeling like it was all for naught, now that it's going all to hell, but my trainer said I did myself a huge favor, and going into pregnancy with really strong abs helps in so many ways. So I guess not a waste, all that work.

    Dagny - Well, that's some hope. Nick says he was 10 1/2 lbs, which is scary.

    As for the sandwich - that is a great idea. Nick will likely need a snack if the baby's not up for it.

    Canaan - Being short doesn't help, that's for sure. There's nowhere to go but out. Also, this picture was taken BEFORE eating or drinking anything. There's a huge difference once I have anything in me. I don't know if this is the case for you?

    FoggyDew - Twins. While it would be nice to get it all over with in one shot, carrying twins would be terrifying. And I am wondering that exact same thing about the watermelon. I don't want to look ahead - I like the weekly surprise.

    Anonymous - That un-scientific explanation makes a lot of sense to me. Six weeks early, though - that would be so much earlier than I'm ready! Yikes!

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  12. A few things:

    I don't even know what a kumquat is.

    I'm scared to have kids with my husband because he is 6'3" and a Big Guy. Birthing his child will likely break me.

    Yay for 12 weeks! 12 weeks is the safe-point, right? Or am I making that up?

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  13. Oh my god ! We first let me say a very belated congratulations, Tej turned me on to your blog and I must say i have laughed out loud a few times.

    I'm glad to see not everyone is all "it is so great being pregnant, blah blah blah", and the visual at the end, well, they should give that out in high school health class as a form of birth control.

    Congrats and good luck !

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  14. Interesting, I mean, I guess fruit is natural, so it might be a better choice than say, a marble, or a softball. I think animals would be funnier though, "Right now, your baby is the size of a platypus!"

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  15. @Foggy: Here's hoping she never makes it TO a watermelon. Zowch.

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  16. love it! you are adorable. thansk for sharing!

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  17. i remember seeing all the different stages at bodyworlds... it's just crazy to think it really is THAT small! and at least the week by week fruit size will become random facts you will have for the rest of your life. you can correct people with "actually, a lime is bigger than a kumquat"

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  18. Great photo! Wow, I hope the delivery is, you know, normal and not self-administered by the child. Because, you know that kid will be witty and smart from day 1! When you referenced Nick's size, I had to think twice before I realized you meant his overall size. Not one specific part of him which is critical to the baby making.

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  19. Hillary - I thought so, but I believe it's actually 13 - because we're aiming for 40 total. But it's so close to a third of the way - yay!

    And I am glad you know what I am talking about in terms of size of husband. Scary childbirth possibilities.

    And I can't say I've ever had a kumquat in my life. I found it a surprisingly random choice.

    Alisa S - HI!!! I'm so excited to hear from you! I am really glad you like it!

    And as for the preg, yah, I am firmly in the happy to be producing a little human but not reveling in having absolutely no control over what happens with my body for the better part of a year. And the idea of giving birth scares the everloving crap out of me.

    J - Hahaha! A platypus! You know, maybe it is because fruit is innocuous and sort of friendly, in an odd way. People might be upset being told their baby is the size of a kitten or a toaster.

    LiLu - I know. Very scary.

    mrsmac - Ah, thanks! :)

    notsojenny - This is true. I will have more random fruit knowledge than ever before. That's something, anyway.

    HKW - Thank you! I really hope so.

    And I have to tell you, you made me laugh out loud with your misunderstanding. I really wish I HAD said, "Do you think the child will be huge because my husband has an enormous penis?" Every time I think about this I laugh so hard.

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  20. WOO HOO for 12 weeks and a little lemon!! Maybe next week it will be a little baby pomegranate ;)

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  21. I wouldn't worry. I was an 11.5lb baby, and I am only 5'2'', whereas a firend of mine is 5'10'' (a girl) and she was like 6.5lbs.

    Let's hope it's all opposity, big human, small baby :)

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  22. I heart belly shots and am so happy for you! Thanks for sharing so I can live vicariously for now...because believe it or not, I have many of the same pregnancy concerns and I'm not even DATING anyone right now!

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  23. The strong abs are crucial- they'll help you push that baby OUT!

    However, let it be said, that at no weeks pregnant your stomach is still as flat if not flatter than mine. Grrr.

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  24. And on another note, for the love of God, can you imagine what that woman who had octuplets looked like at week 12? Twenty two grapefruits. I swear...
    And 'octuplets' are so wrong my spell check denies their existence.

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  25. Well, now that I've finished sobbing from the sight of what I consider a nice, flat belly, I ca write again. I remember thinking about all my organs that must have been displaced as my sweet children braced their feet against my rib cage and pushed down to stretch all the way out. Egads.I'd curse, stuff my pancreas back into my ear and plea loudly to anyone who would listen to make time go more quickly.

    (Actually, I squealed - Look at Lisa's belly! when I saw the picture. Cute!)

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  26. Um, that's EXACTLY what my stomach looks like right now. Which is.. annoying? Haha, but weee! Pregnancy!!!

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  27. There's a baby in there? Congrats. Lemmonex sent me here.

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  29. ummm ~ all I can say is I feel fat thinking that you are a lot bigger than you were before ~ as you are smaller than I am now ~ and I'm only 129 at 5'6" (though I'm hoping to get back down to 120-123 by the swimsuit season).

    There is no one in the world that would look at you and think you are even a little over weight (even if you weren't pregnant.

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