Week 26: Farewell, Second Trimester
I am almost two-thirds of the way through my pregnancy; this is the last week of my second trimester.
It's been a good trimester, and I'm kind of sad to see it go so quickly. It brought me eventual relief from the wretched first trimester. I had renewed energy so I could actually get off of my sofa most evenings, if I'd wanted to. I was big enough in size so that I looked pregnant rather than just bloated, but still small enough that I remained fairly mobile, without many aches or pains. I know all of this is about to change, and in some ways it is already.
I still feel pretty energetic in spirit, but I've noticed in the past week or two that my body is beginning to lag behind. I've had minor back aches the entire pregnancy, but they've increased a great deal recently. If I'm not complaining about my back hurting from sitting, I'm whining about it hurting from walking, standing, doing laundry, or sleeping. And sleeping...oh God, how I miss sound sleeping! I see now what my books have meant when they've stated that pregnancy sort of prepares your body for the arrival of a newborn - all of the tinkle trips in the middle of the night and the inability to get comfortable really makes it difficult to get much rest, so I guess when the baby comes along it won't be as shocking to my system to be up much of the night with him. I feel like I'm going through training for the marathon that is new motherhood. Bending over is really becoming a challenge already - Seriously, I had no idea putting on my underwear would be such a balancing act, and it's only going to get worse?! And, something I didn't think I'd experience so soon but have discovered in the past week is shortness of breath. There are times, like right now, that I'm able to breathe normally and easily. But at other times, like all morning long this morning, I feel like I can't catch my breath, like I can't suck in enough oxygen to satisfy my lungs. I've been feeling these strange squirmy sensations in my rib cage over the past week, so I guess my organs are probably beginning to shift and squish upward and out to make room for Baby Neener. I've been feeling very full lately - I feel like a scarecrow whose torso is overstuffed and overflowing with straw. And I still have over three months of growing to do? How is this possible? Nevermind, I don't want to think about it.
It's not all bad, though, and the things that are bad aren't "first trimester bad." It's tolerable. (Says the girl just entering the final trimester. We'll see what I'm saying in a couple of months.) And, it's comical at times. I think it's very funny that I have to contort my body in strange ways to shave. Putting socks on my feet? Laughable! I just know Stephen finds it totally arousing the way I flop around in bed like a fish out of water when trying to turn myself over. It's also nice because now that I'm getting bigger, and as some have accused me of beginning to waddle, people can sense my growing helplessness and offer to help the poor pregnant girl. Today at work, Tatiana offered to get my water out of the refrigerator for me and "meet me halfway" because I looked tired, and Jennifer wedged herself between the copier and wall to rescue some papers I'd dropped in front of her. The best part? I don't even have to ask - people are just nice and help! I'm terribly excited about the freeing of Baby Neener in a few months, but I can't help but wonder how I'm going to function with the loss of my round, pregnant belly. I'll have to start picking up my dropped pencils myself again, and I'm just not sure I'm ready for the return of that kind of responsibility.
The most fun part, I think, of this upcoming trimester is going to be the increasing awareness of the realness and inevitability of the arrival of our baby. It's been easy to put off thinking about certain aspects of parenthood or making some preparations for his arrival because we've been able to shrug and say we have until January. January is not as far off as it was, and is only going to grow nearer. While sick and pretty much homebound most of the weekend, I did finally wash all of Baby Neener's clothes, blankets and sheets. The baby's room is still a mess, but slowly the mess is being transferred into boxes to be placed in the garage indefinitely. It's my goal to have the room ready-to-paint in the next couple of weeks. My Lord, for once in my life I'm not completely procrastinating doing chores - could it be I'm actually excited about this kid?
According to my weekly pregnancy update e-mails, I can expect to grow about a 1/2 an inch per week from here on out. (What? Come on, is that even possible?!) Baby Neener is around 13 inches long and weighs about two pounds. And the news that made Stephen proud? Baby Neener's testicles have begun their descent into his scrotum! If that's not party-worthy, I don't know what is.
It's been a good trimester, and I'm kind of sad to see it go so quickly. It brought me eventual relief from the wretched first trimester. I had renewed energy so I could actually get off of my sofa most evenings, if I'd wanted to. I was big enough in size so that I looked pregnant rather than just bloated, but still small enough that I remained fairly mobile, without many aches or pains. I know all of this is about to change, and in some ways it is already.
I still feel pretty energetic in spirit, but I've noticed in the past week or two that my body is beginning to lag behind. I've had minor back aches the entire pregnancy, but they've increased a great deal recently. If I'm not complaining about my back hurting from sitting, I'm whining about it hurting from walking, standing, doing laundry, or sleeping. And sleeping...oh God, how I miss sound sleeping! I see now what my books have meant when they've stated that pregnancy sort of prepares your body for the arrival of a newborn - all of the tinkle trips in the middle of the night and the inability to get comfortable really makes it difficult to get much rest, so I guess when the baby comes along it won't be as shocking to my system to be up much of the night with him. I feel like I'm going through training for the marathon that is new motherhood. Bending over is really becoming a challenge already - Seriously, I had no idea putting on my underwear would be such a balancing act, and it's only going to get worse?! And, something I didn't think I'd experience so soon but have discovered in the past week is shortness of breath. There are times, like right now, that I'm able to breathe normally and easily. But at other times, like all morning long this morning, I feel like I can't catch my breath, like I can't suck in enough oxygen to satisfy my lungs. I've been feeling these strange squirmy sensations in my rib cage over the past week, so I guess my organs are probably beginning to shift and squish upward and out to make room for Baby Neener. I've been feeling very full lately - I feel like a scarecrow whose torso is overstuffed and overflowing with straw. And I still have over three months of growing to do? How is this possible? Nevermind, I don't want to think about it.
It's not all bad, though, and the things that are bad aren't "first trimester bad." It's tolerable. (Says the girl just entering the final trimester. We'll see what I'm saying in a couple of months.) And, it's comical at times. I think it's very funny that I have to contort my body in strange ways to shave. Putting socks on my feet? Laughable! I just know Stephen finds it totally arousing the way I flop around in bed like a fish out of water when trying to turn myself over. It's also nice because now that I'm getting bigger, and as some have accused me of beginning to waddle, people can sense my growing helplessness and offer to help the poor pregnant girl. Today at work, Tatiana offered to get my water out of the refrigerator for me and "meet me halfway" because I looked tired, and Jennifer wedged herself between the copier and wall to rescue some papers I'd dropped in front of her. The best part? I don't even have to ask - people are just nice and help! I'm terribly excited about the freeing of Baby Neener in a few months, but I can't help but wonder how I'm going to function with the loss of my round, pregnant belly. I'll have to start picking up my dropped pencils myself again, and I'm just not sure I'm ready for the return of that kind of responsibility.
The most fun part, I think, of this upcoming trimester is going to be the increasing awareness of the realness and inevitability of the arrival of our baby. It's been easy to put off thinking about certain aspects of parenthood or making some preparations for his arrival because we've been able to shrug and say we have until January. January is not as far off as it was, and is only going to grow nearer. While sick and pretty much homebound most of the weekend, I did finally wash all of Baby Neener's clothes, blankets and sheets. The baby's room is still a mess, but slowly the mess is being transferred into boxes to be placed in the garage indefinitely. It's my goal to have the room ready-to-paint in the next couple of weeks. My Lord, for once in my life I'm not completely procrastinating doing chores - could it be I'm actually excited about this kid?
According to my weekly pregnancy update e-mails, I can expect to grow about a 1/2 an inch per week from here on out. (What? Come on, is that even possible?!) Baby Neener is around 13 inches long and weighs about two pounds. And the news that made Stephen proud? Baby Neener's testicles have begun their descent into his scrotum! If that's not party-worthy, I don't know what is.
2 comments:
Oh, just wait until about week 36...you won't be shaving anything. Maybe Stephen should be assigned that task!
Let's party!!!!
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