What is this 'pregnancy glow' I keep hearing about?

Women go into pregnancy thinking that pregnant women have this special glow, or a superpower, if you will. The people who are spreading these rumors are either full of it or they have never met me. It seems like everywhere I turn someone is telling me how great pregnancy is and how excited they are for me to have that glow that pregnant ladies have. Well, I am here to tell you that that darn glow does not exist, at least for me, especially when I am looking at myself in the mirror.

All I see when I look at myself are the humongous dark circles under my eyes, the basketball under my sweater, the odd way my pants fit today, and the serious split ends in my hair, because I haven't had a chance to get a trim.

I feel like Hollywood lies to women. In all the movies and TV shows the pregnant lady is gorgeous, she usually doesn't have aches and pains, and she has a devoted husband who runs out of the house on an ice cream run at 3 a.m.

Real life is nothing like Hollywood for most of us pregnant people. For example, I am continuously exhausted, even if I do get eight or more hours of sleep -- which is rare, because I toss and turn all night trying to get comfortable, and I get up to pee at least once or twice in the night. I am also constantly sore, like I lost a fight with a Golden Glove champ. My back hurts, my hips hurt, my neck hurts, I have migraines and tension headaches all the time, and I can't lift my kid without feeling like the baby is going to bust out of my stomach.

I want to know where my "special pregnancy glow" is that just makes me irresistible and gorgeous to all people because I am pregnant. I have gotten, "Oh, wow, you are showing a lot lately," "Are you feeling OK today?" "How are you feeling today" and of course my favorite, "You look tired today."

Well, I am here to tell you that yes, I am tired. I am growing a human being inside of me and I have a 3-year-old! Yes, I am showing a lot today -- I am 31 weeks pregnant! I would be concerned if I wasn't showing. And for those of you who are concerned if I'm feeling OK, I am feeling just fine; thanks for asking. I'm actually pretty good, all things considering.

One time in the next nine weeks I would like someone to tell me that I look good for a huge pregnant lady, or at least be honest with me and tell me I look like crap! Your honesty would at least give me a good laugh or maybe make me cry. I never can tell these days because I am so hormonal, but honesty is always the best policy.

Hopefully I will be feeling better soon because I have had that amazing medical miracle called an epidural and I have finally gotten rid of the aches and I have a beautiful baby girl in my arms. Stay tuned to find out how much longer I can last.

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Kristen Pind, a native of small-town Gower, Mo., came to Southeast Missouri State University with big dreams of being the next Katie Couric or Diane Sawyer. She never thought that by age 25, she'd be married with a baby and living in Cape Girardeau. Keep up with Kristen's adventures as a first-time mom -- one who's still a girl trying to figure out how her own life fits together. Turns out, she's living a dream she never knew she had, and loving every minute of it. Kristen invites moms of all types to find her "Baby Steps" page on Facebook.