Pregnancy post

I haven't really done a pregnancy post in a while, and I thought it would be nice to post about something lighter after my angsty post on Friday. Plus, this pregnancy thing was really a big mystery to me before I started to actually go through it, so you could think of this as an educational post, if you've ever wondered what it's like to be pregnant. Anyway, I'm in the homestretch now, the good old third trimester, and so I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on what it's like to be at this stage of pregnancy.

The most surprising thing, for me, is how much I am enjoying being pregnant. The first trimester was hell, with all of the nausea, but since then, even with all of the restrictions, it's been much better. I think the thing I enjoy most is knowing that there's a little person growing inside of me, sharing my days and experiences. It's neat to imagine what this little person looks like and what this little person will be like once s/he makes an appearance. I love feeling the little movements, and I'm now at the point where I am starting to distinguish between kicks, punches, flips, and headbutts. (I'm not kidding about that last one. I've been headbutted. I'm sure of it.) It's just a fascinating experience to have another being hitchhiking along with you for 9+ months.

I'm surprised by how much I'm still able to do. My workouts have definitely slowed down a bit, and I've had to adapt some exercises (especially weight training stuff), but I'm still working out regularly and feeling great. My energy level is high---I haven't been napping excessively or anything.

I have, sadly, had to stop running. I had a running injury a while back that had for the most part gone away, but the extra weight I'm carrying seems to have aggravated it again. (If this isn't an incentive to go back to and maintain my "ideal weight" after this pregnancy, I don't know what is!)

Some things that have surprised me: I do become short of breath easily, especially when taking the stairs. Eating too much makes me extremely uncomfortable---smaller meals are definitely better. Basically, your uterus expands so much that it squishes everything else, like your stomach and diaphragm, into a very small space, so that's the reasoning for the two things above. I wasn't prepared for the back pain---although it makes sense, since I'm carrying an extra 20+ pounds all in one section of my body. And things like cleaning or doing the laundry take longer, because I have to find positions that don't hurt my back.

The other surprise is that Baby Jane seems to already be on a schedule. There are definitely times during the day when s/he is always active and times when s/he is rarely active. Unfortunately, "late at night" is one of the active times. I shudder to think what this kid's sleep schedule will be like...

Oh, and I'm definitely waddling now instead of walking. And I can't see my feet anymore.

I haven't had any weird experiences of people coming up to me and touching my belly, but I did have someone ask me the other day if I was carrying twins. (Ouch.) We have, however, heard some flak from a few of my relatives that our totally gender-neutral (and cute) nursery theme is "too masculine". The gender conditioning starts early, apparently....sigh.

So that's a glimpse into the life of a third-trimester pregnant woman. I have no idea if this is interesting to any of you, but I'd be happy to take questions in the comments if there's anything about pregnancy that you're curious about. (Hmmmm....everything you wanted to know about pregnancy, but were afraid to ask?)