my lack of glow

It's well known that pregnant women are rumored to have a "glow". The pregnancy glow, they call it. Your hair is shiny and bouncy, your skin is clear and glowing, and you are radiant. Also, I think rainbows shoot out of your ears and little bluebirds follow you around.

I seem to have missed the boat on all of these things. So far my hair is the same as always, my skin is the worst it's ever been, and the bluebirds apparently didn't get the memo about following me around; what the hell, bluebirds?

In addition; I started this awesome, sexy thing recently. Snoring. This whole pregnancy (starting like week four) I've been SO congested at night and in the morning, and often times all day. Apparently this is quite common:

"Higher amounts of estrogen during pregnancy can contribute to swelling in the mucous membranes lining the nose and even cause you to make more mucus. What's more, the amount of blood in your body increases and your blood vessels expand during pregnancy, which can lead to swollen nasal membranes as well."

My nose definitely feels swollen and stuffed up on the inside most of the time, making it harder to breathe at night, and apparently; makes me snore. :( Yesterday, I went and got some of those Breathe Right strips, and it did seem to help a little- Ian said he didn't hear me snore. So, I'm hoping that fixes that problem; though the strips themselves aren't very attractive. Especially when you add it to the mouth guard I already wear to not clench my teeth at night, and my giant pregnancy pillow.

Yes, the attractive "pregnancy glow" seems to be something that won't happen for me. But you know what? Honestly; I just don't care. Because I catch a glimpse of my growing belly, and I realize that in 5 months or so, I'll have two little girls in my life, and none of this will matter.

~M