oh yes, now I remember

There are certain things that you forget or maybe just don't notice with your first pregnancy that you do with your second. The one that stands out in my mind and is currently bugging me has to do with my lower back.
Not the pain, I remember that well. It's the way your lower back starts filling out, I like to call it back belly. Each time I put my hands on my hips I am reminded that now I have no waist it's like an inter tube with a bulge in the front. Now I'm not sure why this one is bothering me so much but I can't get over it. I'm always looking at my back in the mirror to check to see how much more I have filled out. I really don't remember this last time around although I know it happened.
I also don't remember the lovely Braxton Hicks contractions, in fact I don't remember feeling them until much, much later. I must be more in tune with my body. Last time I know I had them but I thought it was the baby stretching and that was causing the pain and hardness. I have been having at least one a day for the last three weeks.
Leg swelling. Okay, now in the heat of July 2006 I remember well the swelling. It was hot, it was summer and I wore heels to work. But now it's April, it's cold and I'm still wearing heels to work (well today is dress down Friday so flats) It's almost a nightly thing to come home and my lower legs are so swollen that my calves feel rock hard and it's not from all the Tae Bo I'm doing. I just look down and think "I hope the look better in the morning! Please don't let them stay like this!" Each morning I wake up and feel my legs, "oh good, they look normal!" and start the process again. I don't even want to think about when summer gets here.
Something new this time around is the itchiness allover. Seriously I can't stop itching, it started on my leg and right hip, moved to my arms and now onto my back. It gets so bad at night that I just hope to pass out from being tired so I don't scratch my skin off.
Loving the memories all of this is bringing back, I have yet to find a good one. Well maybe the baby having hiccups for the first time this morning was a fun one.