Hot.

I've been wearing tank tops, skirts and sandals to work this week. I figured I'd wear this stuff now before the air conditioning really kicks in at work and I'm freezing. Then, I'll bust out the short-sleeved tops and pants again. Turns out... the air IS on full blast. People have been coming to my cube in sweaters, pants and, yes, even jackets claiming it's, "freezing in here!"
What the hell am I going to do now? This is insane.
I spent the past weekend killing myself. As you can see, I didn't quite complete that task either.
Saturday I went to the Three Acres School yard sale (happens twice a year). Some bargains and 2.5 hours later, L and I relaxed and caught up on family news. We then decided to take the conversation to a place that served food while we talked. Dots Back Inn. Home by 2:30PM and ready for a nap. But, oh no! I can't take a nap! So, I put on my shorts and raked the yard... why not? I'm only a lollipop that's supposed to be taking it easy. So I later did, I sat on my ass... in the car. I went to D&C's to borrow some tools, Sears for a lawn mower (ours died) and Ukrop's for dinner items.
Sunday was worse. Well, successful (we accomplished lots!) but not at all "relaxing" like a Sunday should be. We woke up and walked K&E's dog, went to Lowe's for more supplies (Rob's working on the brick patio! Yippee!), I potted purple flowers in my new pots, and I later scrubbed the entire back porch with a sponge and a bucket of Murphey's soapy water (Why the hell not? Mold & dirt came back after 3 years of neglect and I'm PREGNANT so why not get on a ladder and hand scrub the entire interior wood trim work? I'm an absolute idiot. And now, an idiot with a back ache from hell.)
I think I'm reaching the point of realizing my days are numbered. More importantly, the weekends are numbered. If I rattle off the various activities that await me these last few months, from baby showers to a bridal shower to visiting my folks one last time in Greensboro, the already numbered weekends get even fewer. *Gulp*. And maybe I'm still not quite yet realizing the time crunch.Maybe, instead, I'm trying to still plan ahead for when it does hit me. The inevitable, "Oh my God! We're having a baby in month!" Cause, the reality is, I'm NOT going to want to be physical, in any way shape or form, that last month. I'm not going to want to be moving book shelves, rearranging furniture, setting up a crib and hand mopping the nursery floor... so I gotta start doing that now. And hell, I don't want to do any of that now so I better avoid it by going out on the back porch and scrubbing mold cause that's way more important on my shit-list of things to have done before baby.
Its a rat race in my head these days.
I've noticed that in my pregnancy books it recommends not crossing your legs to keep your feet from swelling. But what the hell do you do when you are wearing a skirt or dress? Show the world this is how I got into the mess to bgein with? By not sitting ladylike? In any case, I'm noticing more and more how difficult it is to even try and cross my legs when sitting. It's like cinching up a bag of water... the cinch just wants to untwist and let it all hang out. My belly and baby hate being tightened up a bit more. I'm looking less and less sophisticated these days.
I've also been watching Evie move. I can sit here and watch my stomach blurb outward to the side as she flops over to get into a more comfortable spot. Its wierd. At first I thought it was wild and cool. Now it kinda creeps me out. There's a freaking human in there!!! Oh my God people, what they hell was I thinking getting pregnant? This fun little biology experiment is REAL. There really is a human... a person... in...my...body. JC, this is blowing my mind. Its kind of scaring me a bit, too. Its only getting bigger and there's only one exit.
I walk into things with my belly now, too. I bump counters, sinktops and doors. Everytime I leave the company restroom, there's a big water spot on my shirt where my belly flopped onto the sink counter. Its fantastic. I can see where I'm quickly exiting the "Oh-you're-so-cute-with-your-belly" stage and entering that not-at-all glorious "Holy Shit You're Pregnant! Get out of the WAY!" pregnancy stage. *Sigh* Next stop, ...cankles and hemmeroids. Great.

Creepy

Oh, the magical world of Flash and finding freebie Flash programming online.
See the new "Countdown to baby" animation on the right?
What will happen to me once all my freetime is gone after baby is here? Oh what will I do with myself?

28 weeks & on a sugar high

I'll post an overall shot of me later tonight***... I didn't have Rob take one this morning cause I forgot and because I forget EVERYTHING these days.
Today was the glucose test at the doctors. Suck down on orange drink and feel that baby SQUIRM! That drink tasted like an 8-year-old made a batch of kool-aid with 4 Cups of sugar instead of the suggested 2 Cups. Who-wee! And it still wasn't enough to make me peppy after a long night of insomnia last night. I hope it was due to the crazy wind & weather outside and not just another fun sign of pregnancy!
Speaking of fun signs of pregnancy, this weekly read can just go to hell. Who thought they were so damned cutsey as to write this?: Welcome to the third trimester ~ the period of leg cramps, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, itchy skin, aches and pains, swelling, heartburn, indigestion and . . . your baby's arrival!
It might be true but you don't have to tell me all this while grinning (can't you read her grin underlaying all of this?).
BTW - my fundal height is 30 (what the heck does this mean? I have no idea... its a belly measurement but I dunno if this means baby is big or small). And my weight gain *gulp* is 21lbs so far! Agh! I put on 5.5lbs in just over 4 weeks. OK, so maybe this is a normal steady pace but c'mon people! Its still alot on the human body! I know I'm pregnant but seeing the numbers climb like this still makes my head spin... its unreal. At this rate, with gaining an average of 1lb a week, I should be about 33-36lbs when baby gets here. That's in the completely normal range. Which, is very good. Its still just crazy to think there's a BABY IN HERE!
***I'm adding a photo. I was reluctant to post this one showing my face cause I look like a forced happy. I used to be so good at photos, now they are all so bad, ugh. I was legitimately smiling... or so I thought. I am happy, I swear!

Another prego lost to motherhood

T had her baby yesterday. A bouncing baby boy just over 8lbs. And man, is he ever cute to stare at and hold! I can see now how parents forget to eat, shower and communicate with the outside world. I just wanted to stare at him like a hummingbird with a mirrored gazing ball. If he's sleeping, you stare at his soft neck going up and down with his whistling breathes. If he jolts, you want to wrap him up tight and pat him. If he yawns, you yawn back while whispering goofy things like, "awww!"
Damned, I want one... and at the same time... I am NOT AT ALL READY!
What the heck was I thinking?!.
I loved holding him. It was so magical and awe-inspiring. Its like going for a ride in your friend's new expensive car and you think, "What a f%*king amazing ride this is. And that new car smell - I love it! I would love to have this. But man, they are screwed with making payments now. Dumb-asses! Let them have their fancy car, we'll just make them drive all the time so we can enjoy it without the payments & stress of getting a ding. Suckers!"
I'm..... a baby sucker! I feel for it! Ack! Once you roll that baby out of the hospital, you lose a couple thousand dollars and commited yourself to months & months of payments! *gulp*
Its not even the money part that bothers me... its the work! Phew! I don't know the first thing about a newborn. I know they eat all the time and sleep all the time and yet somehow YOU never sleep or eat during any of that time.
I'm going to drop ours. Or forget to feed it. Or cry along with it. Or forget to change it and it will get some horribly painful diaper rash. Or I'll leave it somewhere... like in the grocery cart while I'm down 4 aisles picking out something. Or I'll put it to sleep all wrong. Oh my Gawd! We are HAVING A HUMAN! How the hell can this type of behavior (creating human life) NOT be monitored by someone? How can just anyone do such a hugely responsible task as making and raising a baby?!.

Week 27 - Third Trimester

Well, its official... I'm in my third trimester.
What does this mean? Well, baby now weighs about 2 lbs (what mom now weighs is a whole other story). She will also now be measured in full length (not just crown to rump), so she's around 14.4" inches long. She can now open her eyes (yes, underwater!) and does everything most babies do - suck their thumb, swallow, sleep, play and yes, even cry.
Its crazy. She's just about "done" aside from putting on weight (yikes!).
Now is when both her and I, begin to truly pack on the pounds. I should start putting on, roughly, 1 pound a week. Yikes! All my women co-workers are in Weight Watchers and they are all averaging 1 pound a week, too... its sounds like an agressive amount either direction you go on the scale.
In other news, T is due this Friday and I'm anxious as hell. Waiting for her date has been... long - I can only imagine how she feels. :)

Belly Claustrophobia

I'll be 27 weeks this Tuesday - that's the beginning of the third trimester. That's 6 months prego to those of you who need this translated further into Laymen's Terms.
"As you continue your pregnancy week by week from about 26 weeks pregnant on you might start to become less comfortable."
I'm beginning to feel claustrophobic in my own skin.
I'm feeling large (bending and reaching are becoming more limited in range)... and I know its only going to get far more restrictive.
This, terrifies me.
I tried to explain this to Rob as best I could. Its like being in an already too small room and the walls are slowing closing in on you. You know that you won't get crushed, just very tight with limited space. You also know if you are uncomfortable now... its going to get a lot worse so relax and ride the ride the best you can. Does this make any sense?
I guess what's really got me scared is that I can't do a damned thing about it. Typically, if you are in an uncomfortable position, you can move or make changes to get out of it. In this case, I'm stuck just getting more large and limited in the things I can do comfortably. I get a little anxious at the thought of how much "worse" things are going to get. I feel like my time to do things (to still have a wide range of motion) is limited. I get scared just thinking about how much MORE scary its going to get. What if I wake up one day, a month from now, and just cry over the fact that I can't breathe? It makes me hyperventilate a little at the thought. Which, means I'm probably raising my blood pressure just over all this anxiety, which, is not at all good.
I need to relax, but how?

Wise cracks and hormone buzzes

Walking to the car after work yesterday, I discussed the ins and outs of pregnancy with a male coworker/friend. His wife is about almost exactly one trimester behind me. Its nice to know that I'm not the last one to deliver (unlike my yoga group which will all be gone & done with their pregnancies in June. It sucks being last).
We started joking about getting fat, cankles, and acne. Of course, I started bopping and scatting (as Rob refers to it) and felt like I was on stage with a microphone. I began to take the conversation to levels of the extreme - What will he do if my water breaks at work? What if I look like I sucked on an air-hose in the end? Will I be fat and sweaty.
Two more coworkers came out to join us - another male (with 2 kids under the age of 4) and one female (with a kid who will be 2 this summer). I went on...
Me, "What if my water breaks at work? Do I run [I begin running with my legs open wide] to the bathroom leaving a trail behind me?"
Female co-worker, "No! It happens slow, so sit still."
"So, you're going to wheel me to the elevator and press '1'... just send me down for someone else to deal with? Or will you have the decency to call me an abulance?"
Male co-worker, "We'll hand you the elevator phone - you can call them."
Me, "Oh, I can just see the looks on people's faces on the floors below when the doors open. 'Uh, I'll get the next one...'"
Me, "I hope those chairs are super absorbant. Who cleans these things up? Is there a janitor crew that throws down sawdust or what?"
Male co-worker [immitating the late night clean-up crew throwing down sawdust and sweeping], "That's the 3rd one this week!"
I thought I would pee my pants. The humor in all this is abundant these days. I kind of like the fact that I'm taking so much of this in stride... this great big human experiment I am currently involved in. Its all so out-of-control and you're at the mercy of nature doing whatever it wants. You have to laugh, you have to be open to all kinds of thoughts & comments. I feel almost like a little kid when I think about what is going on inside - I'm fascinated, curious and come up with the most absurd thoughts. I do not think this is unique to just me, especially given the fact that T is looking into getting an incontinence pad for her bed just in case her water breaks in the middle of the night. You don't want to ruin the mattress! We giggled at the thought of this. I then told her I was not interested in borrowing that hand-me-down. More giggles followed.
I'm rather enjoying this pregnancy induced "beer buzz." The intoxication of prego hormones is a pretty nice energy high that I've enjoyed these last 6 months. I always thought women got emotional (crying), exhausted (depressed), grumpy, bull-headed and overall difficult to live with. However, for me (forever the opposite of mainstream society when it comes to my emotional state), this has all been... blissful.
I'm actually sad at the thought of returning to the way I used to be.

You know you are pregnant when....

... you feverishly open a Tootsie Roll, anxious for the fake chocolate rush, only to have it plop onto your dirty office floor and roll a few times. You know they never vacuum and that you've spent the last week with your bare feet on the floor. You hesitate only for a second (not because you second guess what you are about to do but rather checking to see if anyone will see you) as you grunt to bend over and reach the deliciousness that awaits you. Emphasis on *grunt* because bending is becoming a luxury and less of an easily achieved range of mobility.
*sigh*
It was tasty.