Well, let me clarify. I've known how strange pregnancy is for a few years now, as this is not my first hoe-down. But I had forgotten some of the things that happen to you while you grow a person. I'm getting farther along, and so some of the strangeness that I had filed away in my brain is starting to resurface.
There's, of course, the physical changes of this glorious 9-month long crazy-fest. Oh sure, you know about gaining weight and looking like you've got a couch cushion stuffed under your shirt, but did you know that some women's feet grow while they're pregnant? Like a whole shoe size. Luckily, my feet stay the same. They're big, but they're the same big as always.
The worst physical aspect of pregnancy, to me, is not gaining weight. Its when my bones start moving. You see, as she gets bigger, my tummy-baby starts to push everything (stomach, lungs, those type of things) up into my rib cage. And I can start to feel my rib cage widening. Its not very pleasant, in case you were wondering.
Then there's my temper. Its shorter. And more unpredictable. I find myself getting upset easier than I used to. I don't know if it's because the wiring in my brain is actually different, or simply because it's 105 degrees outside, I can't walk, and I am in a constant state of have-to-pee. (Seriously. I have to pee ALL THE TIME. Sometimes I walk out of the bathroom, and think to myself "Crap. I have to pee again.")
I also eat weirdly. People always ask what foods you crave, expecting you to say something outlandish, like fish sticks dipped in chocolate icing, but I never crave really weird stuff like that. But I do develop weird little quirks when it comes to food. For example, take me to a Mexican restaurant, and I'll go to town, but make Mexican food at home, and I don't want it. It has to be brought to me fully prepared by someone outside of my home in order to eat it. Odd much?
I realize that I sound a bit like I'm ranting. I kind of am. I don't enjoy being pregnant. It hurts, and 9 months is a long time to be in pain. I would actually rather go through labor and delivery every day for 9 months if it meant I got to skip pregnancy. Does that even make sense? Well, it does in my head.
There are some really cool things about pregnancy, like feeling your baby move, and seeing ultrasounds. It is a very interesting experience; I love being pregnant because it means I get to have another baby, but I hate it at the same time.
I want the next 9 weeks to pass quickly because I feel terrible all the time, but mostly, I want to the next 9 weeks to fly by so that I can snug up on our baby girl and Portia can meet her baby sister.
