In that light, I've decided to compile a list...you know me, I love my lists! Two lists actually...the things I will and won't miss about being pregnant. I'm warning you, the things I won't miss might be a bit longer right now...that's just how I'm feeling, but for once, I've got to be honest about it and not let that little nagging voice keep me silent.
Things I will not miss about being pregnant:
- Back pain: This time around, the back pain has been more intense. Part of this has come lately, because I injured my back putting Rusty back into his crib and I do believe that part of it is the fact that I am on my feet almost all day five days a week teaching, whereas with Rusty I was already off of work and just enjoying lazing around in the summer months. I have just two more weeks of work left, and then at that point I think things will ease up a bit...or maybe not.
- Putting on shoes, boots, painting my toenails. This has all become quite difficult. Again, with Rusty it was summer. I wore flip flops...nonstop. This is a cold winter and I often have to put on my boots, always have to put on socks, etc. This baby is tight and compact in there and sometimes I find it almost impossible to pull those boots on. My dear husband has even done it for me a few times because he sees me sitting on the stairs, huffing and puffing, trying desperately to pull that boot on. Is it a bad sign that my TWO YEAR OLD got my shoes off of the shelf for me the other day and set them down for me to slide my feet into?
- Rolling over in bed. This I remember. I recall the heft of the stomach from one side to another. I can't complain much here, because I don't have the awful hip pain that keeps so many women up in the night, but the mere act of rolling from one side to the other can be a bit interesting!
- Peeing a million times a night. Ok, maybe it is just four or so, but this baby seems to have its head permanently lodged upon my bladder or something. I find that if I wake up, I have to pee. I usually go about three or four times a night...I'm not joking. I try to make sure it is the last thing I do before I drift off to sleep, yet it is inevitable...at some point throughout the night I will wake up needing the bathroom. I am just happy that we have one attached to our bedroom...it makes it much easier to shuffle in there in the middle of the night and dark and just get it over with.
- Constantly feeling full and bloated. This is another thing I don't really remember from last time, yet I'm sure it was there. I can eat a simple bowl of cereal in the morning and feel totally bloated and full, yet an hour later I am starving. I know it is just because everything is squished and compact in there, but when you are teaching and busy all day it can be hard to fit in the "mini meals" that they suggest. Today I have had a 12 grain bagel with cream cheese and a chicken salad sandwich...that's it. No time for anything else, and no room at the TIME to actually EAT anything else. Oh well, once the baby comes I will make up for it by consuming HUGE meals to compensate for nursing. That's what I will tell myself anyway!
- The kicks, jabs, wiggles. This baby is SO active. Rusty was active as well, but not as much as this one. I also had a situation where the placenta formed in a place that was not normal and muffled much of his movement. This baby...not so much. There is no muffling going on there. I often wonder when this little one gets any sleep as it is constantly wiggling, moving, pushing and pulling. I feel a foot to my ribs many times a day, but I simply cannot find it within myself to EVER be upset about this. It is just too much of a miracle for me. I LOVE the movement. There is something absolutely amazing about knowing that the thing that is jabbing you constantly in the ribs is actually a FOOT! A FOOT! Can you just stop for a minute and think about how crazy that is? The movement is also so reassuring to me. As a mom that has been through a few miscarriages, movement is huge for me. I found with Rusty that I was often worried about if he was still ok in there or not because I wouldn't feel him for so long at a time. My fear would get the best of me and I would lose focus on the amazing beauty that is being pregnant. This time, I hardly have a moment where I feel anything close to that fear, as just about the time I start to think, "When was the last time I felt this baby move?" that will be the exact moment that the little one gives me a shove!
- The kindness of strangers. It is my experience that there are a lot of people out there that want to make the life of a pregnant woman much easier. Doors open miraculously, people allow you to go ahead of them in line, smiles come from complete strangers. I'm one of those people that honestly doesn't really mind people asking me about my pregnancy, because I love to talk about it! I love to say that I am so excited to have this baby. I don't even mind if they say "I can REALLY tell that it is getting close now" because that means the baby is thriving and growing. I'm going to miss the kindness of strangers. It is different once you have the baby and little old ladies are coming up to you in the grocery store telling you that you are doing this or that wrong. I have also not had anyone really tell me-so far-that I look huge or anything like that that could seem to be a put down. I think this also makes it easier.
- Rusty kissing my belly and saying "HI BABY!" He is getting excited about the baby and I think understanding things a little more. Almost every single day he will talk to my belly at least once, sometimes more. He will say things like, "Hi baby!" or "I love you baby!" or "See you after Christmas Baby!" I sometimes have the baby "talk" back to him, and he really loves that! He kisses my belly, wants to rub it, and even claims that HE has a baby. One day I said "This baby is kicking me!" and he proceeded to say that HIS baby was kicking him as well. I now hear this at least once a day, sometimes more. He will say, "Momma, my baby is KICKING me!" It's pretty cute and seeing him interact with his sibling while it is still in the womb makes me so happy. We have managed to get some pictures of him doing this, and I think it is precious.
- SLEEP. I'm not always getting a lot of it these days, but I know that once the baby is on the outside...the sleep will certainly lessen. When I was pregnant with Rusty I was SO anxious to meet him. I was so worried about whether or not everything was okay that I spent the last several weeks just wishing him to be here. This time I am so much more relaxed about that. I actually wouldn't mind if the baby came a week late for several reasons-it would mean that our doctor who is currently on medical leave will be back and able to deliver, it would mean that I can more easily take care of it while it is inside, it will mean more time to prepare while not working full time. I know that that this baby will come in due time and I am happy that I don't have the same stress that I did about Rusty arriving.
- The ability to not worry about sucking in the stomach. THERE IS NO SUCKING IN OF THE STOMACH! I like that I can just wear what I wear and not think, "Do I look fat? Does this make me look fat?" I mean seriously, there is a big belly hanging off of the front, that is what everyone is looking at!
- My maternity jeans. They are really uber comfortable and right now I have an excuse to wear something with a spandex panel. After the baby is born that excuse sort of goes away, doesn't it? I will probably try to continue wearing them as long as I can get away with it. I love the expandable panel. It's so nice. I wish I could wear my jeans all day every day...they are my current most comfortable pants.
I made a list when my pregnancy with RJ was getting closer to the end. My NOT miss list was wayyyyyyyy longer than yours. Makes me seem like the biggest complainer in the world. But it WAS bad. Thankfully this one is better....so far.
ReplyDeleteI say wear your mat pants as long as possible!