Physically, I am still feeling pretty good. I’ve had a bit of heartburn, and I am finally past the point where I can sleep on my stomach (so sad!), so sleep is getting trickier. A nearly-weekly happening is very early morning insomnia, where I wake up sometime between 2 am and 4 am and can’t go back to sleep for at least an hour. But I’ve continued walking (I aim for 2-4 miles daily), prenatal yoga classes (three/week), and acupuncture, as well as started seeing a chiropractor, which I think has all helped my body relax and prepare.
There’s absolutely no doubt that I’m pregnant and the comments from strangers have increased accordingly. Weirdest yet: I was going into the bathroom at some rural Tennessee McDonald’s, where we’d stopped for a break on our way back home from Christmas. A guy coming out of the men’s restroom stopped me, and said “Congratulations. Do you know what you’re having?” I answered that we were going to be surprised, and then excused myself because I HAD TO GO TO THE BATHROOM. I guess it could be weirder, but how funny that he thought I needed to stop and talk to him about my pregnancy.
The mental/emotional shifts that I’ve experienced over the course of the past seven-ish months feel like the most striking things I’ll remember about this time (even more than the terrible nausea early on). As a strong extrovert, I am pretty used to wanting to do all kinds of social things. But during this pregnancy, I have been happiest at home by myself, with Hubs, or in a one-on-one scenario. In larger groups, I feel dull, and as though I can’t quite keep up with the conversation. My fear of missing out, which used to be really strong, is now nothing compared to my desire to go to bed early or cuddle a cat or dog. It’s an interesting change for me, and one that makes sense, given how internally focused I am on myself and on Plum.
Speaking of Plum, s/he continues to have a strong heartbeat (135-145 beats per minute) at midwife visits, measures right on schedule, and according to my favorite pregnancy app is the size of one of those sit-on scooter boards that I played with in PE in elementary school. I also love that I am already getting a sense of Plum as an independent person: Monday morning, Hubs woke up early to go to the gym, but reached over to feel my belly before getting out of bed. Plum was kicking up a storm, all while I slept peacefully. It’s pretty fun to imagine that it won’t be more than 10 or so weeks (and maybe fewer) before we meet this person on the outside!
Inviting Joy 