Growing a Baby - The Bump(s)

Even before I was ever pregnant (with this baby) I told myself I was NOT going to do it. I was NOT going to torture my children like this...

...then week 14 hit and I panicked and this happened....

I did it.

I made my children line up and take a picture with me and my ever growing belly.  (Isaiah was apparently practicing his mug shot look that afternoon.)  See the thing is, I have done this with all of my previous pregnancies. I liked having a visual documentation of not only how big my belly got, but also how much my kids grew UP during that pregnancy. How little they were when we told them "you are getting a new brother or sister" compared to how big they were once that baby arrived.

But this time I figured I didn't need to do it. I could just take a picture by myself and that would be good enough.

Apparently good enough wasn't good enough. Deep down I really wanted this picture series (one last time). So I set up the camera on self-timer, offered the kids candy for their cooperation and snapped away.

And again at 18 weeks...

Again with the horrible shadows. Erg. I really need to stop taking these pictures in dark basements.



And now because I can not resist a good comparison. Here I am at 17 weeks with baby #3 (aka Hannah) - circa March 2012.

18 weeks with baby #2 (aka Charlotte) - circa December 2009.

And last, but certainly not least 18 weeks with baby #1 (aka Isaiah) - circa December 2006.



























Oh wait...there is no picture of me at 18 weeks because there was NO BELLY to document. Oh how I miss intact abdominal muscles. They hid that growing baby so well for so long that first time around.

More of these bump/mug shots to come in the next few months...consider yourself warned:)