A Little Cranky, I Think

I've finally entered the period of time that I always pictured in my thoughts of having a baby: obviously pregnant, eliciting responses from strangers without bringing it up, or hinting. Store clerks are telling me the sex of this baby, asking when I'm due. I had a man in my office building today ask me when I'm due, and tell me "feel better." (I didn't realize I wasn't feeling good!) A man held the door for me as I walked through with my lunch, and tell me "enjoy your lunch - both of you!" Surprisingly, this general interest in my "condition" has not extended to bathroom lines. I am a big believer in karma, and doing nice things because you never know when you might be on the other side of that favor. I have always, to my knowledge, let pregnant women pass me in the line. Maybe women are just more catty than men, but no woman yet has let me skip the line. I don't necessarily expect it, but would like to think that since many of the women I'm speaking of have obviously been in the same situation, there might be a little sympathy. I've always heard there's a special place in hell for women who don't help other women. Hmm.

I had my glucose screening last Thursday, and haven't gotten the results back yet. The drink didn't taste so bad, it was having to drink it in 4 minutes that was hard. Also in the world of OB-GYN news, I am now at the point of having to go in every two weeks. Woot. Everyone is reminding me that I'm so close to the end now, not much longer to go, better start getting things ready...so why do I feel like I've been pregnant forever, and that there is no end in sight? I'm not tired of it, I guess, just feeling like this is perhaps a permanent condition. I'm starting to get so used to perpetual heartburn and frequent bathroom breaks, that I have a tough time remembering life before. I really used to only pee about 4 times a day. I acknowledge that that probably wasn't very healthy, but I pee 4 times in the night now. Additionally, my belly is now large enough that I'm spilling on it constantly. Food/beverages that used to fall to the floor now fall squarely on my midsection. Cute.

Not much going on here

Shawn and I went yesterday and got massages with the gift certificate Patsy had sent us. I think we both really needed it. I finished my last papers for grad school on Monday night at about 1 am. Officially done! However, for the last week, I have been having such bad back pain, I've been taking two showers a day; I stand bent over with my lower back under the spray as hot as I can take it. That, with a light course of Tylenol when I really can't take it, and ANOTHER pillow added to the bed seem to help a little. (I think I'm up to 4 pillows) The massage was great, although with prenatal massages, they are a little skittish to touch your lower back, or work you too hard. I would definitely do it again, though...very relaxing. Shawn's was pre-emptive - we left the massage place and watched the Huskies get beat up for three hours.
In other news, I have scheduled my one hour glucose test for the 23rd. I'm kind of dreading it, mostly because I know the drink will be pretty nasty, and the doctor won't let me take it home and drink it before I come in. I have to hang around the office for an hour. On my lunch break. I don't have to fast though, which I know some doctors are making people do. My coworker who is pregnant failed her test by two points, and had to go back in for the three hour blood drawing event. Yikes. I'm hoping to avoid that, and pass it the first time.
All the warnings I had heard about the baby's kicking getting painful have of course, come to pass. It's not so much the actual kicking that hurts, as the location that baby chooses to pound on for 15 minutes at a time. For some reason, my right lower rib is particularly deserving. Never my left side, only right. The kicks aren't so hard, but after 12, the area is a little sensitive. And, of course, the baby's favorite time for the daily kick-a-thon is during nap time. I'm trying to sit quietly with the kids, and talk to them quietly about why they need to lay down and relax, and I'm hopping up out of my chair every two minutes and gasping for air. Really relaxing. Last Sunday, Shawn and I were sitting in church while the choir was singing, and we couldn't concentrate, since my midsection looked like a bad scene from Alien. I knew that at any moment, something was going to come popping out. We also couldn't keep from laughing. Hopefully, this Sunday will be calmer.