The Renter in My Uterus

***This post was written a full month ago (today being April 9) . Keep this in mind as you read. In addition, there are a few more posts I've written documenting my experience during March. I will be posting new ones daily, so check back often if you'd like to hear the whole story up till now!
If you want to hear the story of how we found out, click here (the first blog in this series)

My belly is not my own anymore. This has become very clear in the last week or so. When I try to get up from the couch when I'm tired, I (without even being aware of it) push myself up belly first, instead of naturally using my abs to PULL myself up. With great effort. And I'm only 13 weeks along, seriously?
What a difference from before. I had (mostly) complete control of my body. My directors would ask me to jump, I'd say, "How high?" They'd ask me to do five releves in arabesque or a pirouette from fifth position and I'd say, "No problem!" Now, the renter in my uterus (albeit, most likely a pretty cute renter) has a lot of say in what I'm able to do and what I'm not.
I notice a feeling of distinct "other" in my center. Not a scary "Other" like in the amazing series LOST, but a kind of "other" that is not just ME in the driver's seat of my abs anymore. There is a space in there, I can FEEL it, that wasn't there before. I blame it on my growing uterus--which apparently was tiny before. And of course by now the little human is supposedly the size of a small peach. Which brings me to my underlying point of this paragraph: WHAT?!?
Which dovetails into my next point: What happened to my abs? I'm about to start paying for space on the back of milk cartons, featuring this text: "Missing! Gina's abs. In the place they once were, is now a small but distinct layer of poofiness. Reward for any information found."
Anyway, so far I don't think it's obvious (yet!) I am renting out space my uterus to a small human. I of course can tell the difference because it was previously my paying job to stare at my body and make it perfectly placed-- but judge for yourself (me at 13 weeks in ballet class):

at 13 weeks in ballet class

I am still enjoying ballet class. Noticing myself having to make small adjustments in what I'm doing of course, but still very grateful for the outlet and place to exercise and express my art. Hoping my little renter is enjoying the movement and music as well.