8 MONTHS!!!!

Ok people - we're in the home stretch!!!!  8 months down - just 2 more to go until we get to hold our sweet little miracle.  This 8 months thing MAY be what everyone was talking about when they say that things start to get just a little bit more difficult as our little one's due date gets closer.  Here is an update of how we are at 32 weeks!

Size of Baby:  The size of a honeydew

How is mommy doing?

The good:  I'm shocked to report, that I'm still maintaining my "energizer bunny-esque" ways.  I imagine myself as that little pink bunny, but instead of the drum...I just have this massive belly.  I end my days in absolute shock that I actually accomplished as much as I did.  I'm not sure if it's the extreme nesting (sounds like it could be a show on HGTV), I'm not sure if it's the new house WITH the extreme nesting, or if I really am this crazy lady.  Don't get me wrong, I'm exhausted at the end of the day - but what I'm able to accomplish before my head hits the pillow is still pretty amazing.

Also, while this isn't a symptom, other people's reactions to me being heavily pregnant have been quite amusing these days.  I've been offered seats on the train, people visibly step out of my way when they see me walking down the sidewalk (as if I was wearing a giant sign that says "WIDE LOAD"), I get extra bread at the salad restaurant I frequent at lunch, a stranger wished me a "Happy Mother's Day" while I was walking to Grand Central a few weeks ago, and a homeless man told me I should name my baby after him!.  I'm enjoying these simple pleasantries through out my day - just a few more reasons to smile.

The Bad: I'm having a lot less patience these days people.  On a scale of 1-10 as to how full my my patience tank is....it's probably like a 3.  NO ONE is safe!  Anything can be annoying, and it's random, and it can come out of no where.  So just beware.  The fact that you wear shoes in the house could boil my blood, the way you close a cabinet might set me off, what you order for lunch could completely send me on a terror, and I might even just have an issue with the face you're making at me.  So beware - and I apologize in advance.  It's not me judging or reacting, I blame it on my daughter.

I'm not happy to report that the visceral reaction to smells is back!  I thought that this was going to go away after the 1st trimester, but it's back, and I'm back to the selective choices for dinner.  Don't get me wrong, I'm hungry all the time and I WANT to eat everything.  But certain foods just make my stomach turn.  The past few nights I've opted for ice cream or cereal for dinner - mainly because it had no real odor.  And also, because ice cream.

Finally is the pregnancy insomnia.  I'm not worried or anxious like I was during the first trimester.  This time it's more about comfort...and heartburn.  I'm exhausted by the time I GET in bed....but it's the falling asleep part that's a little bit more tough.  

The Ugly:  AND, cue the swelling.  I was so thrilled that I had made it through 31 weeks of pregnancy with no swelling.  And right at that 8 month mark my feet turned into Hobbit Feet.  Like it looks like I'm wearing someone else's feet as my feet.  My feet are reminiscent of a memory foam mattress - like if you pinch them just a little bit, it takes a while for the pinch marks to bounce back to normal.

I can't even explain the heartburn....most days I just walk around holding a bottle of Tums, because I just need them all day, every day.  Doesn't even matter what my choice of meals was that day.  It wakes me up at night, it keeps me up when I'm trying to go to sleep, it interrupts my phone calls and meetings, and it's even given me a sore throat.  We're battling through.  There is a very famous old wives tale that says - if you are plagued with heartburn all pregnancy, it means your baby is going to have a full head of hair.  So if that's true, I'll have a little Rapunzel come D-Day.  I'll grin and bear it for my child's beauty - anything for a killer head of hair!

How is baby doing?  Baby is doing great!  Now that we're in the home stretch, we are seeing the doctor more frequently - every 2 weeks for the next month.  We haven't had any sonograms since 22 weeks, but from measurements and the doctor feeling my belly, we've been assured that baby America is measuring right on schedule and that she appears to be perfectly positioned.  We'll go in next week to start getting sonograms as we get closer to my due date, but she's doing well!  And she moves ALL the time.  We've started to be able to feel her different body parts when she moves at night!  It's so weird being able to see the bump from that little foot poking me in my ribs!

What I'm craving:  Candy.  All kinds of candy.  Chocolate candy, sour candy, crunchy candy, hard candy, chewy candy, ANY candy.  This isn't much different than how I was before pregnancy, I love candy.  YES people, everything in moderation.....I have not exceeded my recommended pregnancy weight gain, I'm keeping an eye on myself and balancing candy intake with leafy green salads for lunch.  But OMG candy....

What I'm missing:  Now that I'm generally the size of a house with legs, I'm missing some of the mundane daily activities that I used to be able to do with ease.  I miss being able to seamlessly shave my legs, or pick up something I dropped, or lean over to sweep up a small pile of dirt, or getting in to the lowest drawer in my bathroom, or being able to sit down without it being a bit of a trust-fall exercise.  My feet are completely gone....I'm belly for a far as the eye can see when I stand up....sometimes I trip over things on the street/sidewalk below me, simply because I can't see them!  I stepped DIRECTLY into a pothole this AM...because it was virtually invisible!  So yes, I miss the normal daily things that you non-preggos take for granted!  

What I'm fearful of:  Something going wrong in this last home stretch.  America and I have had a wonderful pregnancy together the past 32 weeks.  Every appointment has been good news, followed by more good news.  We're just weeks away from the finish line, and I want to do everything in my power to make sure that we are both still healthy and ready when D-day gets here.  I'm thankful for the more frequent doctor's visits, and I'm thankful we'll be keeping an eye on her now with some sonograms starting next week, but I still worry that there is time for some mishap.  So hang in there baby America!  It's almost time for your grand entrance!

What I'm looking forward to:  Holding our little girl!  We have a few pieces of clothing (her wardrobe is not in "coming home" shape just yet) and a few gifts that we've received that had to be washed.  So I washed/folded them with special baby detergent at home to put away in her little changing table, just waiting for her arrival.  There isn't even a baby in those little onesies, and I was already overwhelmed by that sweet baby smell.  I don't care if she's screaming her face off, or if she's snuggling into my neck, or if I'm watching her daddy hold her and feed her a bottle....I just can't wait to hold that little nugget.

For those of you who didn't know, we have taken to calling our tiny creature America, mainly because of the proximity of her due date to the 4th of July.  I'm sorry to anyone I may disappoint (but let's face it, most of you are probably relieved), but that is NOT going to actually be her name.  Mike and I have a few names that we are deciding between - some of them are stronger contenders than others, but we're going to name her when we meet her for sure.  Yay for less than an 8 week countdown!  I'm hoping for a speedy and restful last few months baking this little bun in the oven. She's almost here!