Pregnancy...

Well, we are long over due for updates. We went to Spokane over Fall Break to visit my family and we had lots of fun. Every time I have tried to upload the pictures, my computer stalls, and I get impatient, so I think when I have a second I will just put a slideshow up to save my insanity. It was great to see lots of my family and do some fun things. More on that later.
I am now almost 33 weeks into my pregnancy, and I am finally starting to feel it! I love being pregnant (I know some hate when girls say that, but it is true). I love feeling our little child moving around and growing, getting ready to come into the world and be loved and cuddled. I love thinking about what a miracle little children are and how wonderful it is to know that David and I helped create this little being. I love talking with Isabel about "her baby" and watching as she lifts my shirt to find the baby (aka, my belly button) and give it kisses. Knowing what it means to love your child, it makes me even more excited, because I know just how special it is to have a child. We can't wait, and I am realizing how fast it is approaching.
Now I don't want to complain, but I thought I would tell you some of the things I deal with so that when I am up at night with a newborn, I will remember what it is like to be pregnant and be happy that they are in my arms and not my belly:
-The rib kicking has begun. Because Isabel was so tiny and had little short legs, I didn't get much of the feet in the ribs. But I think this one is making up for it. Anytime I am sitting, I feel my ribs getting a swift kick and it makes me sit up very straight. It was very hard to do in a cramped airplane seat with a sleeping toddlers in my arms, so I got pretty uncomfortable.
-I get hot flashes that will rival any menopausal woman! My husband can attest to that! They come all times of the day, but especially at night. Now ever since we have been married, he is always the one that sleeps without covers with a fan on him and I usually have about 3 blankets on me to keep me warm. Talk about role reversal. He wakes up in the mornings and saying he is getting a sore throat from sleeping in such cold temps. I on the other hand can't even have a sheet over me, I have the ceiling fan going, a box fan blowing on me, and the window open to let that crisp fall night air come in and cool me off. And with all that, I still wake up sweating and complaining that I am too hot. David can't even put an arm on me cause it will cause me to burn up. Sorry hun, hopefully I go back to normal in a few months:)
-I can now hardly bend down to get things off the floor. So Isabels toys lay scattered around the house until she is in bed for the night and I just have to go around once and crawl to get all her toys. I am thinking of passing this chore on to David after he is done studying.
-Shoes are becoming more and more difficult to get on and tie. Luckily I have a pair of shoes that I can slip on without the help of my hands. I think these will become my staple until the baby comes. Now if only I can find some Sunday dresses to match the shoes:)
-Heartburn is back. I get it at really random times, so I haven't been able to tell if it is from something I eat or what.
-The smell of coffee makes my mouth water. I felt the same way when I was pregnant with Isabel. Normally, I think it is pretty stinky and don't like coffee flavored things. But something with being pregnant makes me go crazy when I smell coffee. I even will walk down the aisle at the store with the coffee, just to get a big ol sniff of it. Pretty weird. But when I was pregnant with Isabel, we were at Sam's club and they were sampling these breakfast granola bars, and one of them was a mocha coffee flavor. I thought, yay, I can finally eat something that tastes like coffee but doesn't have caffeine. I took one bite and nearly spit it out on the floor. So the taste is no fun, but I sure love the smell of it!
- I have been getting a lot of Braxton-hicks contractions. I didn't get them very much with Isabel, but I get a lot now. Everytime she is sitting on my lap or I am carrying her, I get one, which makes it even more uncomfortable to do those things. I am trying to practice my relaxation techniques to ignore them. I just hope they are doing things to help me out when labor starts, so I don't have another 19 hour labor on pitocin.
-Surprisingly, my carpal tunnel is not as bad as it was with Isabel. The last 3 months, I was in so much pain and numbness that I cried many nights when my hands woke me up from hurting so bad. Now, certain tasks make my hands a little numb, but the braces at night help so they don't fall asleep as much and start hurting. I am so grateful for this. I was nervous that the next time I got pregnant, my hands would hurt so much, that I wouldn't be able to change Isabel's diapers. Thankfully (or not) I am still able to do so.
I am currently measuring 2 weeks ahead of my due date. Now it would be great it that meant I may deliver a little earlier than Dec. 10th, but I am nervous it means I am just growing a large baby who wants to make Mommy work extra hard to get them here. Here's to hoping for an early birthday for them!
I love being pregnant, even with all these crazy things going on. I feel so priveledged to have these spirits come into our family and I love being a mom. I will go through it as much as possible to bring our children to our family. We can't wait to meet this little person that is rolling around in my tummy and see what joys their personality brings to our family.