Yes, I know it's been a while since I last wrote anything. There's been a lot going on. Mr. 2G2BT and I got engaged and decided that the wedding would be September 28th, 2013. Baby first and then wedding. I know there are those that have their opinions about that so to them: Whatever. For obvious reasons I can't exactly start trying on dresses right now however, I can pick a venue for our reception. I think I have found one but I need my fiance to agree so we will be going to check it out together. Another thing that's kept me busy is that my baby shower was in November. My best friend, Tricia, did an amazing job with it along with my mom and Mr. 2G2BT's mom. I really couldn't have asked for anything to have been any different. It was a perfect day. Then there's the obvious....I've been cooking a new little human being! Our new little man is due January 10th. Yep, you did the math right, that's just 4 days from now. OMG! I can't even begin to wrap my brain around the fact that the due date is already here. So exciting and so scary all at the same time. Along with all of this good stuff, I have learned that pregnancy is a serious roller coaster and there is some good, some bad and some ugly involved. So, before Little Hawk decides to make his appearance, I wanted to share with you some of the highlights of what I have learned.
I think that I am going to take these a little bit out of order and save the good for the end. That means I will start with the bad. Pregnancy is amazing. There's no doubt about it. I don't even have anything that I can compare it to. I mean, there's a whole new person in my belly right now. Does it get any more incredible than that? However, the fact is that not all parts of pregnancy are fun and for some reason, women don't really talk about all of this. Probably why books like "What to Expect when you are Expecting" are so popular. We as pregos just want to know that when funky things happen we are normal. Some of the things that I've encountered are: extreme swelling in just my right foot, total inability to sleep, crying for absolutely no good reason at all, trouble breathing, acid reflux, can't bend over at all which means things like picking things up off the floor or tying shoes is impossible, fingers hurt and can't bend at times and the list goes on. Then there are medical things that I've had to learn about and some can be scary. At what is considered full term I suddenly had to have the 2 hour glucose test. WTF! Why now? After spending the day throwing up from having to drink that nasty stuff, the test thankfully turned out fine. Then there's a phrase I've heard a lot on and off for the last few months...high amniotic fluid. The first time I heard it I did internet research (not a good idea ever) and saw all sorts of horrifying things. I was a wreck! Turns out one of the common causes of this is a large baby. Yep, having one of those. I'll get an updated weight this week but 3 weeks ago the estimation was 7 lbs, 7 oz. Holy crap! Remember where that is supposed to come out of??? And people wonder why I'm freaking out. No tiny little newborn for us. All in all though I have been very very blessed. It has been a complication free pregnancy for the most part and I've had a good time with it. It's only been in this last month that I've gotten miserable and am having a horrible time doing even simply daily tasks. I had a good friend not too long ago come right out and say "I'm going to ask you totally inappropriate questions about being pregnant because we are friends and I know you will answer me." It was so refreshing to talk candidly about the whole experience. I wish that more women would take that approach and just ask each other!
Now for the ugly. Well, we've already talked about my freakishly swollen right foot. The left swells too but who can tell that next to the insanely swollen right foot? It's crazy how much and how quickly it swells. Oh so attractive. My loving man says I have Fred Flinstone feet. I can't even get upset because he's right! While I haven't gained a tremendous amount of weight, it is definitely all in my belly. This definitely kicks me out of the cute prego club. I look huge and a very strange shape. Mr. 2G2BT says that I'm aerodynamic. However, again, this shape has only taken form in the last couple of months. Something else that nobody really talks about is that dark line that pregos get down the middle of their belly. Definitely falls under the ugly category. I hear that this will go away with time after delivery though so really praying that's true. Then there's the maternity clothes. It reaches a point when just nothing looks cute. I don't care how much money you have to spend on clothes. Beauty truly does come from within and regardless of what the celebrity of the month says, you reach a point when you look in the mirror at your body and while you know that what you are doing is beautiful and incredible, you just don't feel beautiful at all. Nope, I feel like a beached whale. Once I admit this out loud, there is always someone else who says that they felt the same way at the end of their pregnancy. Again, why don't women talk about this? While we are on it: designers of maternity clothes, why do almost all tops have a belt? I haven't seen my waist in many many months. Do you think people are going to miss seeing the baby bump if there isn't a belt there? It's kinda stupid if you think about it all. Then there is the pain. Nobody told me that other than labor there would be pain. I expected back pain and kicking me in the ribs pain (there are days when I think his feet are stuck there) but I didn't expect take me out of commission pain. I literally woke up one day and couldn't move. I cry when I try to turn over in bed at night because everything hurts so much, on some days I can't walk at all from the severe abdomen pain, most days just every single step hurts my belly. Forget getting in and out of the car. I don't even have words to describe how that feels. Once again, I learned that this is normal with a big baby. Has to do with his head and that it's causing pressure on well, everything. Warning about this would have been cool! Last week I experienced the infamous Braxton Hicks contractions. Happened for 4 days in a row. I told a co-worker about it and she asked if it was exciting. I told her yes but it also hurt like hell! If actual labor is worse than that I'm not going to live.
The Ugliest thing I've seen so far though has actually been some of the people I've encountered. As we've discussed before, I've had everything from stares to random strangers rubbing my belly. I promise you I'm not Buddha. Good luck will not come your way from rubbing my belly. Quite the opposite actually. What really surprises me though are what I always thought were the basics. People refuse to give up a seat at things like school functions so that I can sit down. I've had drivers actually speed up when I'm crossing a parking lot in the crosswalk. While out shopping, other shoppers have made comments about how slowly I walk and said things such as "I can't believe she goes to the store like that". Just a FYI-I'm pregnant, not terminal. The world did not stop spinning and most specifically, Christmas was still going to happen so there was shopping that still needed to be done. So, I carry on the best I can. There are the comments about my size such as "you must be having twins, I've never seen anyone as big as you that wasn't having twins". These comments come from both strangers and acquaintances alike. However, my personal favorite was at Michael's Craft Store in Boynton Beach. I walked in and stopped to decide to walk straight down the aisle or go to the right to look at the sale items. I was ambushed by the manager and an employee who tried to talk me out of going in the store! Their reasoning was that I looked like something was wrong when I walked in and I was obviously ready to give birth at any moment (I had a month to go). The manager even went so far as to tell me that there wasn't anything in the store that I would like. So, yes dear readers, I would have to say that while there are a lot of physically ugly things about pregnancy people are by far the ugliest thing I've ever seen. I won't be pregnant much longer but the scary thing is that these people will be walking around among us with those personalities and lack of common sense forever.
Now we can get back to the good. Here's the most amazing part....I have a bassinet in our bedroom and any day now there is going to be a whole new person in it! A person that didn't exist 9 months ago! A person who is half me and half Mr. 2G2BT. Out of a friendship that started at 4 years old, there is now going to be a new human being. If that's not mind-blowing I don't know what is. Yes, we have seriously outgrown where we live and yes, we are all going to feel the financial impact of a baby but OMG! There's going to be a new person here! We both have incredible families so the support system is definitely in place. Again, we are very fortunate. As for the relationship between Mr. 2G2BT and I? Stronger than ever. Yes, we have disagreements, we are only human. No, we don't always see everything the same way and there's a lot of compromise going on. However, I see how much he loves me when he looks at me. I feel how protective of me and the kids he is. I appreciate his deep commitment to taking care of us all. Isn't that the part that really matters? I don't expect everything to be rainbows and unicorns but I know that if we work together and listen to each other, we will be OK and make it through. I especially know that when labor does kick in and I'm terrified and in pain, he will be there holding my hand and getting me through it. I can depend on his support then and always. So, while we still have major decisions to make like godparents and a pediatrician, the core of it all is solid. We love each other, respect each other and take care of each other not because we have to but because we want to. I can't wait to see what our adventure holds for us.
There you have it, the good, the bad and the ugly. Right now I'm fighting a wicked sinus infection, in a ridiculous amount of pain with every step I take, look like a beached whale (although Mr. 2G2BT tells me daily that he thinks I'm quite sexy pregnant), get out of breath having a phone conversation, can't keep up with anyone in any capacity, can't get close enough to the kitchen counter to reach anything in the cabinets and haven't had on my beloved high heels in months (gave them up when I almost fell off one) I still think it's the best thing ever. I'm a constant mix of excitement, fear and anxiety. So, if you see my crying for no obvious reason, just be patient with me. I promise I will get better....I hope. If you really want to do something to help though, promise me a martini, margarita or a beer after delivery. What? The baby already has a ton of clothes. I need something more useful for me!
