Final stretch
Well, close to the final, if you consider the third trimester to be the final stretch! I can’t believe I’m already 28-plus weeks along. Things are going well. At my most recent doctor’s appointment, I took the “dreaded” glucose test to see whether or not I had gestational diabetes. I put “dreaded” in quotation marks because, after the fact, I am not sure what all there is to dread, accept maybe the whole blood-drawing thing (which doesn’t make me queasy, as this has become a regular part of the whole pregnancy process). Once I got to the lab I was given a little bottle of orange drink (a form of glucose) to chug within five minutes’ time. I had heard horror stories from mothers I know: “Oh, ick, that stuff is disgusting! I had to force myself not to yack!” and “I had nightmares of that stuff for weeks after the test. I don’t think I ever want to have another baby if it means having to drink that horrible, awful, nasty-ass s#$t.”
Honestly, it tasted like flat Orange Crush. Or like the orange-flavored sugary drink we used to drink at church functions. It wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever tasted, but it was by no means the worst (some of the drinks I drank in college take that award!). I am happy to report that I did not test positive for gestational diabetes, so that is one less thing to worry about. The baby is doing well, and measuring right where she should be. Her heart beat is great and I can feel her move all the time! When she’s really active, you can feel her move from the outside, and sometimes I can see my stomach move around. If I didn’t feel so connected to her, I’d probably freak myself about by replaying scenes from the movie “Alien” in my head, with myself as Sigourney Weaver’s character.
One of the highlights of my summer (aside from the pregnancy) was the honor of standing up in my sister Maggie’s wedding in our hometown. I stayed in Chicago for two weeks, and on the first weekend went to my ten-year college reunion in South Bend. It was great to catch up with my friends and talk about our lives. It didn’t seem like any time had passed, and even though the weather didn’t cooperate (does it ever in Indiana?) we had a blast. I was exhausted by the end of the weekend, and spent the next two weeks hanging out with my sister Katie and my adorable nieces, Lucy and Amelia, my parents, and visiting with old friends.
The week of Maggie’s wedding was a blast, and the ceremony and reception itself had me putting on my dancing shoes (as much as a 6-month pregnant lady can dance) and visiting with more family and friends. It was a great “final trip” before the baby arrives (Nick and I remarked on how this would be our last flight before having a little sidekick, and patiently tried not to get irritated with crying babies and parents hauling giant car seats and strollers slowly throughout the airport–karma is a bitch, after all).
The weather in the Bay Area has been gorgeous, and we are in the process of transforming our tiny little living space into a family “home.” Let’s just say, after years of moving, I thought I had gotten rid of all of the “junk” I didn’t need. I was wrong. I don’t know where all this crap comes from, but every time I set out to clean something, it seems like a pile of junk just spontaneously grows out of another pile. The plus side to having limited space, especially with a child on the way, is that we don’t have room for excess. Every inch of space must be utilized in a functional way.
On my recent trip to Babies ‘R Us (a place that I hope to never have to go to on a crowded day…that store is nauseating!) I realized how much stuff a person doesn’t need when having a baby. Not to mention how absurdly consumeristic Americans’ shopping habits are (I’ll save that for a different post).
I hope to update this blog more in the coming months, now that my second-trimester energy “burst” is winding down and I am adjusting to the fact that I can no longer see my feet. Cheers!