Final Thoughts on Pregnancy

Due date's quickly approaching!

I can't believe that it's finally time! Any day (or moment) now we'll be PARENTS, an adventure for which we feel completely unprepared, but we've decided to go ahead and do it anyway...ha! Just as we were totally naive in the transition from married-couple to parents-to-be, we're about to transition from parents-to-be to family-of-three, and so I wanted to take a few words to recap some of the highs and lows of this whole pregnancy thing...


My oddest pregnancy "symptoms:"

• Nose bleeds. I know--weird! I have researched it thoroughly, though, and the increase in blood volume plus hormones that mess with the, um, "mucus-y" areas of your body can equal nosebleeds during pregnancy. I've gotten a bloody nose a few times a week from Day One, but besides being inconvenient when they happen in public, I've gotten used to them for the most part. Unfortunately, they can be alarming to anyone hanging out with me during an episode! 
• Swollen scars. Once again, totally random but totally normal (apparently). About three months in, I noticed that my small scars (from life, childhood and the dermatologist) started to look swollen instead of flat. I guess it's the hormones (the usual culprit)?
• First trimester skin woes. Mother Nature, this is cruel and unusual punishment for a woman whose hormones are already making her emotional! Thankfully this was a passing phase for me, but I mean, really--a twenty-something woman starting a family shouldn't need Clearasil!
• Blurry eyesight. I had read somewhere that swelling in pregnancy can lead to blurry eyesight, and if you know me, you know I have terrible eyesight to begin with. I was not surprised, then, when at about 35 weeks my contacts started driving me crazy and my glasses seemed like the prescription is off a bit. I have now resolved to get Lasik post-baby because this stinks.
• I swear my teeth shifted. I mean, I have crazy, racing thoughts. :) Much like PMS, I believe that pregnancy amplifies existing thoughts and emotions, not creates them, but I have entertained "crazier" thoughts than normal: Yes, including that I'm convinced that my bottom teeth have shifted slightly.  I figure that acknowledging these thoughts' absurdity is evidence that I'm not crazy myself. 
• Random barfing. I had a pretty typical first trimester, nausea and just a little throwing up. Thankfully the nausea subsided around 16 weeks. However, I have continued to randomly barf at inconvenient times throughout my entire pregnancy. The first time was at Old Navy...then the coffee shop...then the nail place... Basically I've "marked" most Alpharetta businesses. Awesome.
• Belly button soreness. My belly button never popped out, but it has been almost turned inside out, and so it's been really sore. The skin has never seen the light of day, so there's a really sensitive ring around it that gets irritated easily.
• Snoring. My throat has been swollen in my third trimester, and so I've started snoring. I would say too bad for Ryan, but it actually wakes me up because it hurts my throat so much. Let's pray that this goes away IMMEDIATELY after giving birth! :)
• Painful sneezing. As my belly's gotten bigger, sneezing has become a painful ordeal! My whole body tenses up, but my stomach muscles have no where to go. Ouch!
• Random freckles. I've been avoiding the sun a lot so as not to acquire a "pregnancy mask," which I know I'm prone to because of previously being on birth control. However, despite my sunning limitations, I have had random freckles and small spots crop up on my face, which is disconcerting since my existing freckles haven't multiplied or changed since I was little. Makeup routine, adjusted.

Things I WILL NOT miss about being pregnant:

• Being thirsty AND having to pee--simultaneously. Ever heard of "in one ear and out the other?" Same concept, but much more annoying. :) In fact, I've started buying water by the gallon and stashing them around the house because I'm so thirsty. All. The. Time.
• Backaches. I'm "over" walking around like a little old lady and secretly wishing to have a floating handicap bar by which to pull myself up.
• Swelling. I've said enough on this subject. (But, then again, I could never say enough on this subject...)
• The feeling in my stomach like when an elevator drops. When the baby shifts from side to side, it's nauseating!
• Intense emotions. Sorry, Ryan, for crying so easily! :) I promise the old me's still in here and will shortly return!
• Not sleeping well. Oh, eight hours a night, how I miss you! I'm DONE with the bathroom breaks and pillow shifting. 
• Watching the scales. I suppose that every woman struggles with this. You can't control it, no matter what you do...and that's depressing.
• Bumping into things. Beyond my bellyflop, there have been several times I've hit my stomach with objects (the worst of which being a car door...ow!) because I have no spatial recognition left in reference to my body anymore.

Things I WILL miss about being pregnant:

• People are unnecessarily nice to you. It's actually kind of awkward, but you get used to it. And, since you can't really stop strangers from being kind, I've learned to just take it in stride. However, I have tried to avoid being too needy with Ryan. I'm not fragile or weak, and the "but I'm pregnant" excuse should be limited to a needs-only status in my opinion.
• Prepping and dreaming and planning! I suppose not all moms-to-be enjoy this aspect of pregnancy, but I loved it and am a little sad to move from dreaming to doing.
• Her hiccups. This baby's movements have been really inconsistent and erratic, so her hiccups have been such a sweet and reassuring feeling for me. Anytime I've caught myself freaking out because I haven't felt her move in a while, I've prayed for her to get the hiccups because they're a very distinct movement with a long duration.
• Our dogs' interest in my belly. It's not like they're going anywhere once the baby comes, and I know their curiosity will simply transfer to the baby herself; however, I really have enjoyed my extra attention and bonding with them over the past few months.
• Ryan's excitement over pending fatherhood. As much as I've been freaked out about being a mom, Ryan's been excited over being a dad. He tends to be a lot more happy go lucky than me to begin with, and so he has very little worries about having a baby 24/7. In fact, he's so excited when he talks about our future family that I'll really miss his daydreaming.