I’ve gotten to the point in pregnancy when people start saying “Oh, you don’t have long now!” both because I am visibly huge and also because it feels – even to other people – like I’ve been pregnant FOREVER. I was pregnant when it was cold in the spring, pregnant when it was hot in the summer, pregnant during the beautiful fall colors and now it is cold again and I am STILL PREGNANT. It depresses me a little to have to say “Yes, well, 6 weeks isn’t that long” even though it feels like the longest amount of time it’s ever taken anyone to finish doing anything ever.

Of course, then I go to the mall and see the Christmas decorations and turn on the radio and hear Christmas music and think about the fact that I only have 6 weeks to finish all these knitting projects and OMG IT’S SO SO SOON! I NEED MORE TIME! I CANNOT POSSIBLY HAVE ANOTHER BABY!

Despite my mixed feelings, I am quickly nearly the point where my personal level of physical discomfort is greater than my fear of keeping an infant alive. Besides the kicked in the crotch pelvic pain, I have horrible sciatic nerve pain in my left leg – which seems like a total “DUH”, considering that’s the hip I’m constantly carrying a toddler around on. The doctor gave me a ridiculous pamphlet on stretches that are supposed to help (stand with your back against a wall! sit in the butterfly position! try the cat-cow pose from yoga!) but considering I’ve been doing ALL OF THOSE several times a day for the last 8 months I think my only hope at this point is a daily Tylenol or two and lots of lying down.

Of course, lying down just makes my heartburn worse, although I’m not sure it could get any MORE worse (more worse?? really, Suzanne?) than it is right now. It’s gotten to the point where I’m not even that interested in food, because I know it’s going to hurt so much later. Plus I have this terrible taste in my mouth that I can’t get rid of. I’ve never experienced anything like it before (while pregnant or not pregnant) but it’s totally gross. At first I thought it was an aftertaste from an artificial sweetener in something I was eating or drinking but I tried switching to water & full fat/real sugar food and it doesn’t help. I tried Googling it but the internet is torn between suggesting I just brush my teeth more and a horrible, birth-defect causing mineral deficiency and suggesting I should be eating more marmite and tahini. I don’t even know what marmite is. I’m going to mention it at next week’s OB checkup but I’m guessing it’s just another of those annoying, unimportant symptoms that will go away immediately after giving birth thanks to the mommy amnesia.

Wait, what was I talking about?

I guess the good news is my hemorrhoids aren’t nearly as bad as last time. Knock on wood.

Advice appreciated.

———————————————————–

And for my very last giveaway of Giveaway Week, the winner of the $25 credit to Becca’s Hugs & Kisses Designs shop is…

#2 Katherine from the lovely blog The Flowers in Her Hair! Katherine, I sent Becca an email so hopefully she can set you up ASAP and you can start TRYING to pick out something to buy. Good luck choosing though, what with the beautiful fabric items AND the prints!

And to all my readers, thank you so much for your participation and your patience with my giveaways. I know some people get totally bored and hate entering and some people LOVE the chance to win free stuff, but it is just so fun to work with great handmade shops I can’t resist. I tried to make them as easy and requirement free as possible, but hopefully you found some new Twitter friends, blogs to read, and places to do your Christmas shopping.

xoxo

Suzanne

This post may contain TMI. You’ve been warned.

I’m already at the point where I have OB check-ups every 2 weeks instead of once a month and oh my GOD does it make time go by faster. Between vet visits and Little Evan’s check-ups and trying to keep the laundry piles to a reasonable level and making sure there’s at least some sort of toddler- appropriate food in the house I can barely remember to SHOWER every 2 weeks, let alone show up for appointments at predetermined times. Especially when I can hardly walk from the kicked-in-the-crotch pain combined with the horrible-strained-muscle-in-my-leg pain and now for extra fun throw in what-I’m-pretty-sure-is-a-raging-UTI pain.

I WARNED YOU.

Yesterday I was so proud of myself for making it to Stroller Strides, only to discover not only can I barely walk around the park I definitely can’t jump up a flight of stairs or stand on one leg while doing chest presses with an elastic band. I guess the good news is I showed up and plan to go again Wednesday and maybe even Thursday if I can still walk. Which is doubtful, because at my OB appointment today I was all “Oh hai, I have a UTI” and the doctor was like “Ok, you need to go down to the lab for a test and we should have the results by Friday.” And then I died dead. Because if you’ve ever HAD a UTI you know how long 48 hours can be if you feel like you have to pee constantly while at the same time feel like you’re being stabbed in the crotch with a super pointy knitting needle. (Not to be confused with my already constant KICKED in the crotch pain.)

Luckily, E was more sympathetic than the doctor and took Little Evan to the store for giant amounts of cranberry juice while I lay on the couch only moving enough to hit “next” on my Google Reader. Hopefully some rest and a ton of fluids does enough to keep me from ending up bed-ridden. Because if there’s one thing worse than being in so much pain you can’t get out of bed it’s being in so much pain you can’t get out of bed while a toddler jumps on your stomach and hits you in the face and screams that he wants milk and a new diaper.

In other 30 week check-up news, my doctor said that although Braxton-Hicks contractions are mostly normal, if I have more than 6 strong ones in an hour I need to come in. I’ve been having them pretty regularly, although my regularly I mean I can count on having them when I walk long distances and/or haven’t been drinking enough water but they never fall into a pattern. And they don’t hurt, they just make my belly really really tight. She also implied I may not make it to 40 weeks if my body is already preparing itself for labor like that.

The rest of the appointment was uneventful but kind of awesome. I actually LOST half a pound since last time, although my belly is bigger and measuring right on target. My blood pressure is excellent, as usual, and the doctor (who I hadn’t seen since before I had Evan) was extremely pleased to hear my first birth had gone well. Also, for the first time in two pregnancies, the receptionist remembered my name and said “Hi Suzanne, I have your chart here” when I checked in. Guys, I’M A REGULAR. Just like I used to be at that one bar, where a guy named Billy worked the door and would let us in free. Only at this bar there’s no alcohol and you’re much more likely to see someone experience the consequences of a drunk hook-up than the hook-up itself.

Now I have 2 more very busy weeks to  go before my 32 week check up when I again think OMG THIS IS ALL HAPPENING TOO FAST.