Ah, the benefits of the belly!

I thought it was time for a general update . . . my team (at school) went on our annual Long Lake Conservation Center trip this week. After two nights on an impossibly hard matress and three full days of treking around the woods, I am racing to the chiropractor today. I did, however, discover some of the hidden benefits of pregnancy while on our trip. Evidently, people give up their seats the second a pregnant woman approaches. Who knew?! I was also offered several breaks from the kiddos during our trip because I "might need some rest". Huh? I'm proud to say that I didn't take anyone up on those breaks (although I was the first to bed each night). I was also the only one offered a blanket so I could lay down on the snow-covered ground during our star-gazing class. And finally -- get this -- my students even offered me the one extra dessert at each meal "for the baby"! I'm not so sure how I'll adjust to losing all these perks once March passes!

Although I continue to be enamored with my ever-expanding belly region, I'm growing a little concerned about the sudden disappearance of my navel. Ryan assures me that it's still there -- that it just covers more surface area now. I don't know when that happened. One day it was there, then next it was gone. Not that I was a big fan of my belly button to begin with, but I've come to mourn it's absense just a little.

I'm beginning to think that our little girl isn't so little anymore! I'm feeling all kinds of movement these days and am thinking that she must be starting to feel somewhat crowded in there. Fairly regularly she positions herself front and center, so my belly gets rock hard. It's still bizaar to me.

There has been absolutely no progress made in the area of a name. We thought we basically agreed on girls' names until we found out we needed one. I really think it may come down to a game of rock, paper, scissors at this point!