Target gets a silver star when it comes to maternity clothes. To get a gold star, they'd simply to have more of the types of items they're currently selling. And maybe some casual wear and sleepwear.

The section was even easy to find: next to the plus size section. Back when I was plus sized, this might have bothered me, but I guess it makes more sense than shelving them next to the juniors.

Considering that they had a small number of racks, there was a good selection of casual and nicer clothes, including some dresses. I was amused to see that the maternity dresses they were selling were the same type of wrap dresses I discovered still work in my own wardrobe.

In recent days, I went through all my clothes to determine which still worked and which would have to be stored for now. This left just a few wrap dresses in my closet, along with a couple of my looser jackets and a blue button-down maternity shirt I found at the Salvation Army store.

It would have been nice to find more clothes at the Salvation Army, but they have a very small maternity section, and even though I went through all the rest of the tops, I only found a few that would work. While it's a popular style right now for tops to have an empire waist, blousy bottom, and a longer torso, those trendy shirts didn't seem to have made it to the Salvation Army. I guess people who want to get rid of such items sell them at the local consignment stores instead of donating them to the Sal Val.

Target had not just one but two choices for a winter maternity coat. I had initially thought of just getting a wool parka, like the one I gave away a couple years ago. The justification was that at least I could wear it again after the pregnancy. But truth be known, I gave the parka away because I no longer wear them. So even that would end up being a wasted expense. I chose the only version with pockets, and it's actually a really cute black and gray button-down wool coat, with room to grow. I haven't thought of buying clothes with "room to grow" since I was about 8, shopping with Mom. The coat was only about $60, and hopefully, I can sell it at a consignment store when I no longer need it.

I was also happy to see they had maternity jeans, and not just any jeans: dark, straight-leg jeans. Yes, jeans that even I, with my prodigious thighs, can wear. And they even have pockets. Believe it or not, clothing designers, even pregnant women like a place to put their keys.

Another good thing about Target: now that they've redone the women's section in the Baltimore Pike store, all the dressing rooms have two mirrors so you can see how everything looks from the back. Increasingly, that's becoming my better angle. I'm considering hiring someone to follow me with a mirror, directing people, "Don't look at me from the front. Only look in the mirror." Maybe if I wear big sunglasses, they'll think I'm a mega star.

Even so, I'm still not big enough for the unobservant to figure things out. I was working out in the gym yesterday, working on my upper body. According to reputable sources, including my doctor, it's a good idea to continue regular exercise while pregnant, although paying attention to how your body feels and not straining yourself.

Just as I was finishing with the seated chest press, one of the trainers headed towards me, clearly intent on talking to me. I thought, nervously, he might be there to correct my technique, or to inquire if I had a doctor's permission to be working out my pecs while pregnant. But when I asked, "What's up?" he told me he'd just come over to say hi. We chatted for a little while, and when I mentioned that I was expecting, and that my due date was June 4, he registered a look of surprise.

Now I realize that men are not always the most observant when it comes to noting physical changes, but shouldn't it have seemed odd that, since I last saw him about a month ago, my chest spontaneously grew a cup size and I now have an unmistakable bump from the side? Now, granted, I was deliberately wearing an oversized T-shirt, but I thought it was still fairly obvious, especially when I've been maintaining my weight within about 10 pounds for the last three or four years.

Then again, he might have come over in hopes that I'd volunteer the information. After all, the last thing you want to do in a gym, when you're not certain, is to ask somebody about their perceived pregnancy.

I'm finally past the headaches I was getting as a result, I believe, of caffeine withdrawal and dehydration. Now that I've begun drinking more water, I very seldom have any pain. Plus, now that I'm off the caffeine cycle, I actually have more energy, which is nice.

Unlike the traditional pregnancy "morning sickness," I seem to get nauseous in the evening, about an hour or two after eating dinner. The added benefit: it keeps me from additional late-night snacking. I went a little hog wild the first week or so I knew I was pregnant. Those impulses have now subsided. Now, I'm simply eating somewhat larger meals than usual and am rarely interested in snacking. So far, I've gained between 3 and 6 pounds, depending on which tracking week you compare it to. I'd been having some severe weight swings just before I got pregnant (of up to 3 pounds in a week), which makes me wonder if I am, indeed, a week or two further along than the doctor believes.

This morning, I stopped at K-Mart for some storage bags to put away the rest of my normal clothing, having already filled the plastic container in the garage where I usually store my out-of-season clothes. Where to put them after they're bagged up? That's the next challenge.

But for now, I'm happy to say, that except for special occasions, I'm fine. That is, until it gets a lot colder or unless (until?) I get too big for even my recently-purchased clothes.

More on Alyce's pregnancy:

Musings on Alyce's Pregnancy