Holy $!&% At any time now, my life could be forever changed. I can become a mother in the blink of an eye. One day I’m just doin’ my thing and the next, I have a son. This is mind-blowing to me and unreal.
I can’t complain. I’ve had a really good pregnancy. It’s been a wonderful journey and now I’m 38 weeks and nearing the end if it all. I have to admit that while I am looking forward to the rest of our lives with our future son, it hasn’t really hit me yet and it won’t until that baby is in my arms and life suddenly takes on a new meaning.
It hasn’t been the easiest several months though. Life has a way of coming at you like a freight train at times and you just have to go with the flow and deal with it.
Since I haven’t checked-in in a while, I’ll give you a brief summary of each trimester (from what I can remember)…
First Trimester
Finding out I was pregnant was funny and exciting. We didn’t believe the pregnancy test at first because we needed more than blurred pink line. So when FF went out to get another pregnancy test he decided it was a good idea to buy 4 more just to be 100% sure. lol! Hunger and sleep took over my life during my first trimester. I wanted food at all times (at least 5 big meals a day) and I was falling asleep at 7pm and then waking up at 4am with insomnia on some days. I didn’t get tired during the day, but by the time I got home I was out like a lamp. My nose would bleed every now and then and I was thirsty all the time. Morning workouts were fewer and much shorter. Forget about nighttime workouts. I was too busy eating and falling asleep on our apartment couch. My bump was not evident at any moment during my first trimester. We also didn’t announce our pregnancy until the end of the first trimester and of course, everyone was excited.
Second Trimester
Pregnancy was not on the forefront during the second trimester. We bought a house, started a renovation, finished a renovation, moved and I pretty much dealt with all of that on my own while still working everyday. Hubby was doing the best he could with giving his moral support, but when you work on a busy traveling schedule like his, it’s hard to have any involvement in the every-day decisions that need to be made during a reno. You hear the stories “Renovations are a pain! Try not to do it while pregnant!” It’s all true. I was visiting the house every morning and afternoon and making after work trips to Lowe’s for whatever was necessary.
I’m glad all of this happened during the transition of the end of the second trimester into the third and not the third in full because it would have not been too enjoyable. I did notice I started getting more tired more often, but I think it had to do with having so much office work that had me nervous and not sleeping. This is also when the ever present dark circles under my eyes started getting bad. Not having the right concealer didn’t help the situation either. The bump finally made an appearance by the fifth month. At this point, I wasn’t even making the slightest attempt to stay in shape during my pregnancy.
I did get to fly to Puerto Rico and enjoy some time with my family over there. We started getting baby gifts and at this point, the kid has more clothes that I’ve ever had in my life time. Tons of baseball attire as well as beach trunks and swimwear. Go figure!
Third Trimester
The last leg. I got pregnancy rhinitis for the second time. That’s gone with a little dip in the ocean and a few pours of the neti pot saline solution up my nose. It lasts about three days. (I highly recommend the neti pot btw for any congestion). I hosted a baby shower/housewarming party 1 week after I moved into the new house during an unfortunate heat wave of 102° in Miami. My poor guests! It was nice to see everyone all at once though since I barely have the time to go anywhere else. FF was able to be here on that day, so we did a very casual and non-traditional party. No gift opening in front of everyone and no games. Just hanging out and eating a very good lasagna and goodies. I’m not a fan of planning parties, so the thought of hosting a shower was not my favorite. My mom helped a ton and we made it happen (after fluffing pom poms for over 2 hours). Never again.
I started getting lower back pains because of the baby weight and what I thought were leg cramps on my left leg. It turns out it is sciatica. It will all be gone while the baby is out. We toured the hospital, which was a great way of getting familiar with the space. I also took a childbirth and Hospital preparedness class. My hospital bag is packed and I receive daily calls/texts from family and friends checking up on me.
Perks & Non-Perks of Being Preggo
- When you’re pregnant, you’ll probably get special treatment and lots of attention. I’ve had to give in to the special treatment (why not?). Everyone wants to carry everything for you! When you’re independent and self-sufficient like me, it’s hard to say ‘Yes’. However, it becomes really easy when you realize that the generosity of others is really worth the while. So say ‘Yes”.
- While shopping for home renovation items, I also got tons of discounts and I didn’t ask for a single one! The secret really is in being nice. Then they see the belly and they ask about it. Then I ask in return if they have any children and the rest is history. 10% off here, 15% off there. Money saved!
- Lots of compliments and lots of unsolicited advice. I say thank you and just nod my head with a smile. No need to make a big deal out of it.
- More conversations with random people (this could be both a perk and a disturbance depending on the conversation, and your mood)
- Lot’s of staring. Let me tell you, the last time I had this much attention was when I was on TV. This is the closest you can get to being a celebrity. I’ve been to the beach several times and there’s always staring. I’ve even passed people in the mall or on the street and I hear “Did you see her belly?” I never knew it was that interesting to others. I don’t mind the attention and I can deal with it gracefully if it happens, but I prefer to walk this earth unnoticed if given the option.
- Yes, strangers do reach out to touch your belly. I think more people are aware of the stigma behind it, so I get a lot of people asking if they can touch my belly. Usually it’s people I know so I don’t mind it at all but Juanita from the supermarket? No, thanks.
- No one judges you when you eat like a pig like I do. “Can I have another flan? Thanks!”
- I love this one… My husband looks and talks to me as if I’m the most beautiful warrior he’s ever seen. Can you hear the collective “Awww”? We haven’t even gone through labor yet so we’ll see what happens after that!
- There are a million other perks and non-perks that I could mention, but those are pretty much the main ones.
Now I’m just waiting to see what happens with this kid. FF is away in AZ until maybe the 10th of June which is the last day of the baseball draft. Work is great and I’m planning on working until the end. The house is feeling like a home, even though I currently have no fence around my property as we’re in the process of building that. The nursery is getting there (fence demolition caused an incident with the nursery window, so now we have to get that fixed). My mom arrives today to be on baby standby… and I just keep getting bigger & more uncomfortable but definitely positive, hopeful and at peace with what’s to come. I’m in no hurry so we’ll see what happens. Wish me luck!
Thanks for reading!
Related posts:
Related posts brought to you by YARPP.