Pregnancy cliffnotes: A brief look at the past 9 months.

I have officially been pregnant for 38 weeks. Before I cease to house another human in my body, let's take a look back at the most memorable moments of this journey...

First Trimester, in which I peed on the stick
This is me on October 11, 2008. I had climbed on stage to sing with Los Enanitos Verdes. I didn't know it at the time, but Belly was there too...most likely splashing around a pool of Heineken. A couple of weeks later, on my birthday, I peed on three different sticks and EVERYTHING changed. My initial reaction was to google hysterical pregnancy and talk myself into it. In other words, I convinced myself that I had convinced myself I was pregnant. Then, we heard the kid's heartbeat and it became real. While Ton Ton, Big E, Uli, Ani, Mamacita, and everyone else around me did back flips, I was a big ball of hormones who couldn't stomach any animal products. It was not the best of times.
Most valuable lesson learned: How to cry on cue, and use it to my advantage.

Second Trimester, in which the bump made its debut
By week 16, my aversion to animal products had faded and I was putting away industrial sized plates of food, specially ice cream. However, I must insist that my rapid weight gain (9 lbs in 4 weeks!) was due to an abnormally heavy baby and placenta. It was also around this time that we saw Belly on the ultrasound. We took Big E and Mamacita and they tried to bribe the nurse into telling them the sex, but she didn't budge. I spent the next few weeks obsessing over the blurry ultrasound pictures, convinced that I saw a bird-like claw where the baby's foot was supposed to be. Doctor B. assured me that the kid is not part pigeon.
Most valuable lesson learned: How to maximize size and exposure of the bump to skip ahead in line.

Third Trimester, in which I acquired my own gravitational pull
Despite no longer being able to tie my shoes, this has by far been the best part of pregnancy. Ton Ton and I took a fabulously relaxing trip to Cancún (no, we didn't catch swine flu!) that consisted of lying on the beach for hours, eating, taking naps, and eating some more. When we returned, it was shower time! And we didn't have just one, but three fantastical showers thrown by our amazing friends, families, and co-workers. They all featured our two favorite things: food (lots and lots of it!) and free stuff! We cannot thank everyone enough. So...this is Ton Ton, Belly, and me hanging out at home last Saturday night. I'm taking a brief hiatus from singing back-up for major international artists, but having just as much fun!
Most valuable lesson learned: How to go to the bathroom several times a night without opening my eyes.