After getting some advice from a friend to “embrace the bump,” I decided to head to De Bijenkorf  today, in search of some more fitted maternity attire. It’s winter here in Amsterdam, so I’ve gotten quite used to piling on a sweater (or three), a couple of scarves, and my wool overcoat, making me look – and feel – more like a marshmallow than a petite pregnant woman. But when I got into the fitting room and started striping off the layers, I was quite surprised to see a much more noticeable baby bump than I recall seeing before. Granted, it could just be the angle, or the sandwich I ate just before shopping, but my god it popped out of nowhere!

Starting to believe there’s a baby in there! (12.5 weeks)

For anyone who’s ever been pregnant, you’ll know what I’m talking about: there’s a moment some weeks into being pregnant that your belly starts to feel a little like a baby bump, not just uncomfortable bloating. I got a little sense of that today. It was pretty magical actually, and made me feel incredibly proud and happy to be experiencing the miracle of procreation. And needless to say, I bought the shirts!