How long can one not show?

I had a doctor’s appointment today – pretty useless in that nothing was done beyond measure my uterus and take blood for a thyroid test. I’m now in the second trimester. The doctor said this is when many women start to have more energy and feel better. But since I never felt too bad to begin with, I don’t expect much of a change.

It’s odd to think that six months from now, I could very well have a second child in my arms. That both seems so near and so far. So near in that it’s only six months and it’s within this calendar year. I think not crossing into another calendar year during this pregnancy somehow makes it feel shorter.

At the same time, when I think about how many weeks of my stomach growing are left, then it seems like a very long time.

I have occasional flashes of wow, our lives will change this year. Or crap, can I really handle a huge belly and labor again? But generally, I don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about it. Usually, I don’t even know what week I’m in at any particular time.

I asked the doctor how much growth was expected in the next few weeks. Could I wait until after the second set of screenings to inform my work?

He said that depended on the person, but that because I’m tall, I probably wouldn’t be showing.

Last time I told my employer around the 4th of July for a due date in the first third of December. This time it will probably be the second half of July for a due date towards the end of December. Basically, I’ll be giving about the same amount of notice.

I didn’t think that would be possible, since I heard that women show earlier the second time around. I do think I’m showing more than last time, but it’s still not enough to attract notice. Or at least not enough notice to cause anyone to comment yet. If it’s because I’m tall, I guess I’m grateful.

Bouncing already

They say you feel the baby moving sooner the second time around and so far, that seems to be true. I’ve been feeling it for quite a while, especially when I first wake up in the morning. But this is the first time I’m feeling consistent bouncing around, so much so that it’s briefly painful. When I had the ultrasound recently, I saw how it bounced up at regular intervals. I wonder what causes this. Instinct, boredom, development?

Now I feel these bounces as sharp pangs in my lower left abdomen. More than 25 more weeks of this? Yikes.