I had a random person ask me yesterday when I was due. Argh! I'm finally huge enough that it's absolutely obvious. I'm not just lookin' a little heavier - I'm pregnant. Makes sense, since I only have a little over three months to go. Aside from the intellectual logic, though, I've found the dramatic changes a little shocking and overwhelming. Did you see the crazy comparison pictures on our homepage? That's only in FOUR WEEKS time, and I already look like the scary before and after photos you see in those wild magazine diet ads.

Shocking.

Overwhelming.

I shudder to think what else could possibly happen in the 12-15 weeks I have left. How can a person physically withstand so much weight gain in only one part of the body?! It's hard not to obsess over, and I find myself pondering a never-ending barrage of absurd questions. Does your poor stomach need to stretch what limited skin you have over the ballooning baby, or do you get to grow some extra for coverage? Will my belly button ever go back to the way it was?? How long before I can look down and see my feet again???

My latest joy has been terrible lower back pain. It's especially bad at the end of the day, and I'm sure it'll only get worse. Good news? I can feel the baby moving all the time now, which is a real delight for me and Felix. With a good kick, I can even see my stomach move; a little creepy but mostly very cool. Oh, and I've been carting my Discman around with headphones stuck to my tummy so that our baby can enjoy the sounds of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Studies show that Vivaldi is a fetal favorite (HA! and everyone said it was Mozart), and since I still haven't really overcome the strangeness of talking and singing to my belly, I figure that beautiful classical music is the second best thing.

Stay tuned for another four week photo shot when I hit 28 weeks....