Week 22: And all that jazz

Greetings from New Orleans! After two days of stuffing our faces with the local fare, people watching and walking until our feet hurt, I’m writing to you on the eve of the French Quarter Festival in our cozy hotel room with moments of quiet reflection. This trip has been an amazing experience so far. We’ve explored the French Quarter, admired some art at the New Orleans Museum of Art, hung out with friends in Bywater and played around City Park. I’m so glad we still have a few more days of adventure before we have to head back to Atlanta!
Being right in the middle of my second trimester has been wonderful. It’s true what they say about women feeling their best in the second trimester. I know it might sound weird, especially since I’m carrying a very obvious bump, but there have been moments when I actually don’t feel pregnant (except for when I have to bend down to try to buckle sandals and physically remember the baby obstructing my full range of motion). Let me explain. I definitely have much more energy than I did in the beginning, and I feel most like myself right now. I feel more comfortable in my own skin, most likely because people no longer have to guess or tiptoe around asking me whether or not I’m pregnant. I don’t feel like I need to pass out from exhaustion before 8 o’clock every night, and I’ve started to feel like all I want to do is move my body—walk, dance, sway from side to side—whatever it takes. Jesse’s been great at reminding me that I do have to slow down and take breaks, though; otherwise I will end up wearing myself out. I try to nap every day for at least 30 minutes, but it’s been getting increasingly harder. Part of it is energy, but I think the bigger part of it is that I’m just so excited about planning for our little boy. That’s why this family vacation has been so perfect: We’ve been moving around a lot, but it’s still a very relaxing trip.
Something I realized the other night at dinner was that this is probably our last trip as a trio. It hit me unexpectedly as I felt a kick. I placed my hand on my belly and got a little choked up. Our growing family feels more and more real with each passing day. Our boy is getting bigger, and I’m definitely feeling it. And not just me either. Both Jesse and Anaïs have felt him move around, adding to his presence. It’s like he’s telling us that he’s already arrived. In some ways, it does feel that way. We talk about him daily (if not hourly) and all three of us sometimes have mini conversations with him, too. All of that makes this such a wonderful and special time for us. We’ve even started brainstorming names! But that’s altogether an entirely new post for me to write for next time.