Work

Being pregnant is hard.  Some parts of it are nice, and some parts of it are fun.  I am actively trying to enjoy as much of it as I can, because there are few things I hate more than getting to the other side of an experience and realizing I wasted most of it being unhappy about it.  But the fact remains that I weigh more than I ever have in my life, the skin of my stomach resembles Craters of the Moon National Park, and I have a hiccuping energy vacuum encroaching on most of my internal organs.  All these factors and more can combine to make the simplest dang tasks seem like the most difficult and daunting feats in the whole world.

That being said, I walked across campus, made dinner, and drew a comic today!

Hospital

Boy, I had big plans for posting comics over Christmas break, but it seemed like when I wasn't with family, baby-prepping, or working on my thesis I was too physically tired to pick up my tablet and pen. We are in the home stretch now--- at the end of this week I'm officially full-term, so even though our due date is February 8, it could almost be any day. 

ANY.  DAY.

Luckily we've got an arsenal of wonderful people around us to help, including my brother:

...when he remembers, that is.

Spells

Apologies again for the long wait between posts.  I started this comic two weeks and about four pounds ago, but it being the end of the semester, I didn't have time to finish it until now. 

Lots of new things happening since the last post!  I've graduated to wearing Will's t-shirts, the Orb frequently has hiccups, and I'm being introduced to the less pleasant third-trimester goodies---stretch marks, swelling, and trouble sleeping.  But, having a nice husband, a happy dog, a close-by family, and a pretty Christmas tree help offset these things.

Turnover

I am getting much bulkier.  Simple things are harder to do.

Perspective

Sometimes I think Will thinks I make this stuff up.

Week 28! We have entered the third trimester. I am definitely feeling much more bulky and it's harder to do simple things like turn over in bed and chase the puppy across the neighborhood. The Orb is super active now; she was kicking and punching so much today that I had to leave school early so I could go home, put on some stretch pants, lean back, and actually get work done.

Voles

I swear people around me must be able to see my stomach move like a bag of popcorn.  I'm pretty sure she's oriented with her head on my left side and her feet on my right, because I feel kicking most frequently on the right.  But the weirdest sensation is when she moves her whole body, and then it looks like there's a colony of voles building a condo under my sweatshirt.

Poke

Sorry for the long wait between posts... October is birthday month for many friends and family members, and so much of my time has been devoted to the crafting of presents and such.  But there have definitely been some recent developments... the Orb is getting much more active and responsive to outside stimuli to the point where digesting food can get a little distracting.  But it's neat getting to know her a little and knowing that she's aware of what's going on around her.

Hug Your Mom

I finally got around to painting this picture to tell my watchers on DeviantArt why I've been so slack there.

It was nice to have time to sit and focus on a piece; I like doing comics, but I'm usually trying to draw them in a few hours after school or on the weekends, and I don't get to pay a lot of attention to depth or color.  So this was a nice change.

It's A....

We had our 20-week ultrasound on Tuesday!

It's a girl!  Well, we're 80% sure.  She was so curled up (like me on a cold morning) that it took a half an hour just so the nurse could get an image she could work with.  She had me roll over on my side, stand up, and was wiggling the sensor all over my stomach to try to get the baby to unwind.  But our baby was being pretty modest... I guess we just have to keep that up for another twenty years or so.

After the last post, my mom said, "sooner or later, you'll have to draw you smiling in one of these."  Part of that is for comic effect... it's easier and usually funnier to cast yourself as the brunt of a joke.  But, in actuality, seeing our baby moving around and watching her heart beat and spine curl was a big leap for me... this isn't just that amoeba squid-creature attached to me anymore.  This is a little girl, with a (potential) name and personality.  Now I can look at baby clothes.  Now I can look at nursery colors.  Now she has a real, tangible future.  And that's made me a lot happier and feel a lot more connected than I did before, when she was just The Orb.

We'll get another ultrasound in a few weeks to be 100% sure of the sex.  But for now, we're moving into Act II... the second half of our pregnancy!

Ultrasound

Tomorrow we go in for our 20-week ultrasound.  I've been thinking about what we'll find out for weeks...

One of my friends at work thinks it'll be a penguin.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring....

Breakfast

Will:  "Maybe you should do a comic that's not about throwing up."

I Really Am

I love my husband Will very, very much.  He always mostly says and does all the right things.

But the times that he doesn't make for better comics.

Also, I am aware that not being able to drink Malibu isn't a symptom of pregnancy, but it has made me much more aware of the presence of the Orb.

But yes, ta da!  Happy Thirteen Weeks and elastic bands around pants buttons!

The Future

In the pool the other day, my mom offered us some motherly wisdom. 

 

 

Peaches

You never know what's going to displease the Orb, apparently.

Luckily I had scouted out where the bathroom was in the lobby of the Comfort Inn I was currently in.

Energy Parasite

One definite symptom I've had?  Fatigue.  The Orb demands your energy!

The Origins of the Orb

The idea to draw a short comic about our new hormone-controlling being came about 8 weeks into our pregnancy when my brother, who works at an ice cream shop, brought us a pint of--not raspberry, as I had asked, but strawberry ice cream.  While my physical reaction was mostly perfectly sane, this is roughly what went on in my head:

ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES.

 We are young, broke, first-time parents navigating these emotionally-charged waters with a certain amount of fascination and anticipation.  I tend to make sense of the world around me by diminishing it into cartoonish sketches, so the idea for a small art blog was formed to keep family and friends involved in our process. 

Follow us as we, the keepers, bend to the ever-demanding, ever-increasing power of the Orb.  Welcome to our blog!

Also, in Corey's defense, the strawberry ice cream was delicious.