Pregnancy - a love/hate relationship

This post might offend some people. I'm sorry if it does. A lot of people will probably disagree with me, while a few might actually admit to feeling the same way. But this is my blog and it's my place to vent about how I feel, so that's what I'm going to do. That being said...

I'm sorry...but I'm just not one of those pregnant women who just LOVE being pregnant and think it's the most glorious thing ever. Yes, I'm thrilled to be bringing a new life into this world and I can't wait for Brayden to be here. I love planning the theme for his nursery, thinking about what he'll look like, and dreaming about holding him close and snuggling him. I love hearing his heartbeat, seeing u/s pics of him, and feeling him move. I get excited about all of the milestones that I reach during the pregnancy, because it's one step closer to my little man being here with us. I even think my growing belly is really cute and I love rubbing it and looking at it in the mirror, and knowing that he's inside of there. Those things are all amazing and wonderful and truly are a miracle. (The long fingernails and long healthy hair are definitely a nice bonus too.) I'm much more excited about actually having a baby in November than being pregnant, if that makes any sense. It's kind of like when you are engaged and you get so caught up in the thought of planning the wedding the entire time that you forget to look forward to actually being married.

But the way my body feels every single second of the day? I have to say...it totally sucks.

Nausea (by far, the worst thing EVER)
Vomiting
Lack of appetite because everything sounds revolting
Indigestion
Diarrhea
Gas
Cramping/spotting (which makes you absolutely terrified)
Oily skin/acne
Stretch marks
Decreased libido (poor DH)
Backaches
Sciatic nerve pain
Headaches
Stiff, sore hips
Tailbone pain (and literally trying not to scream every time you sit down)
Swollen fingers and feet (bye-bye wedding rings and cute shoes that don't fit anymore)
Feet so sore you think you'll never be able to walk again
Uncomfortable sleep (which leads to...)
Exhaustion
Feeling disgusting and thinking that you probably look that way too

I mean, seriously......does any of that sound like a picnic to you??? I'm not even sure if I've listed all of the symptoms I've been experiencing. That's the forgetful preggo brain for you! Oh yeah, add that one to the list. I've consistently been forgetting birthdays and holidays this entire pregnancy and sending out cards 2 weeks to a month late!

On a side note: I know that many people struggle with infertility and loss and wish more than anything to be able to get pregnant. I want to make it clear that I am so incredibly grateful and feel so blessed that I was able to get pregnant so quickly and haven't had any problems in that area. My heart and prayers go out to women who have experienced that. My intention is not to minimize that in any way by all of my complaining about pregnancy. I am just trying to honestly share my own experiences along this journey.

What's funny is that for those 4 months of TTC, I even remember thinking, "I just want to be pregnant so badly, I don't care if I have morning sickness the entire time!" Well, now I think that I probably totally jinxed myself with that line of thinking. Crap.

Sometimes it just feels like pregnancy is the unfortunate route you must go through to bring a baby into the world.

In the words of the Human Torch (from the Fantastic Four): Flame on.