What sounds longer?

18 weeks? 

Or 4 months?

When I was thinking "wow, I'm 18 weeks along!" this past Sunday I was really feeling like I was getting somewhere.  I mean, yeesh, that's almost halfway there!

But then on Monday, the 28th, I realized that Wiggles is due in 5 months, making me consider myself to be 4 months along.  And 4 months... just doesn't sound so impressive.

I mean, 18 weeks?  I've been counting since week 5!  I'm not only in the double digits, I'm about to move up into the 20's in a couple weeks!

But 4 months?  That's, like, barely second trimester.  Barely pregnant.  Just barely moving along.  Right at the beginning.  That's when people in tv shows and movies and stuff announce it and *then* you get to the actually pregnancy stuff.

So I'm going with weeks.  Makes it feel like I'm actually moving along. 

*****

I'm starting to get a belly.  It's not a cute belly.  Instead I have a puffy muffin top that cannot be hidden without pulling my pants up almost to bra level, which is actually quite comfy right now.  I can feel hardness under all the extra pudge, but it's not like your average person on the street can look at me and think I'm pregnant.  So I'm just rubbing my lower belly a lot.  Gotta send out my clues that I'm a pregnant lady, not just a pudgy chick eating her third breakfast of the morning at 10am  (I am voracious until lunch time). 

Funny thing is, I haven't gained any weight.  At first I was all like, "yay!  I'm just changing proportions!"  And then I realized that this probably just means that I've lost all the muscle mass I spent so long building up in my yoga and pilates sessions (that I'm not very good at, but at least I was trying!). 

*****

I'm back into full on locavore mode.  I totally lost that over the late Fall-early Spring period when there was almost nothing growing in NC except sweet potatoes.  I am so sick of sweet potatoes. 

But now my CSA box comes stocked with goodies every week, and I've just signed up with another CSA thingie that isn't just produce but also has pastas, breads, juices, jams, cereals, grains, soy products, dairy, etc all made in NC (and beer and wine, but we don't drink anyway :) ).  I'll get my first delivery next Friday.  And my favorite (expensive) garden store has a local farm stand by the cash register with cantaloupes that are actually ripe, and tomatoes and strawberries and cauliflower and squash and peaches and... yeah, I'm in heaven.  I went to the Farmer's Market this past Saturday and I easily dropped $40 and ate most of that right off.  Fresh bread!  Fresh fruit and veggies!  My Cinnamon and White Chocolate Chip Scone from La Farm! 

Have I mentioned my own garden?

Oooooh, I am loving our garden this year! 

My peach tree has peaches!  My strawberries spread all over and now I have a ton of strawberry plants, all moved to the sides.  I'll need to take a picture and post it because it just looks so nice right now, my little cinder block raised bed with strawberries, herbs and carrots growing in the small holes, and tomatoes, marigolds, basil and squash in the middle.  Then there's my 3 sisters garden.  P had a tiny 3 sisters that he kinda fell on, but it's doing okay (not sure any of the corn will make it), and around that I planted cantaloupe and green beans.  I also have our patio planters moved out to the patio finally, with flowers and peppers and a patio pumpkin and a tomato plant that was supposed to go in an upside down planter until it fell over too much and I gave up. 

Outside is so pretty and green with this permeating smell of happy tomatoes.  I'm finally getting the basics of soil down and my raised bed is growing fast, MUCH faster than last year with my 3 "good" plants haha!  I already have oodles of green tomatoes and many more flowers on the plants. 

I've had some trouble with my chickens scratching up the marigolds in the raised bed, and an adorable brown baby bunny in my back yard who ate my first wave of cantaloupes (there's a fence up now).  My garden still has a lot of tending needed, and a lot of growing to do.  We'll see how well I keep up with that :)

In the meantime, we're working to decide on patio furniture and figuring out how to finally attach our hammock chairs.  And looking at buying a minivan (sigh).  And planning a trip up North.  And trying to get through the last couple weeks of P's school.  And adjusting to the pregnancy thing.  And, well, lots of plans and things are being made and a schedule is building up and life is full and I'm excited, because it is full in a happy way! 

Now I just need to remember to take pics of my garden to share...