Now that I've been pregnant for 7.5 months, I have developed some thoughts about this magical and bizarre time in my and Bryan's life. As my students are fond of writing, "Every coin has 2 sides," and this includes the pregnancy coin.Things that are great about being pregnant
- Always getting a seat on the bus -- other commuters will understand this
- An excuse to not take on more work -- finally, I don't feel like I have to join every sub-sub- subcommittee or task force that is created
- Being able to say what I want -- I admit, I get really crabby, and sometimes my interior monologue becomes exterior, as it recently did at Rainbow Foods in the Express Lane: "Hey! This is the 15 items or fewer lane, not 75 items or fewer!" Because I am visibly pregnant, I didn't get shot for saying it.
- Not having to clean the litter box -- though I still have to smell it
- Naps -- though I've always loved my siestas, now I feel more justified in taking them
- Cleavage -- there's a first time for everything
- Shopping -- baby clothes are so darn cute. Why don't they make clothing with decals and sewn-on tails and footies for adults?
- Feeling the baby kick -- this is especially fun when the kicks and squirms are visible, like a scene from "Alien"
- Looking like the side of a house -- or, as Bryan says, looking like a Terry Gilliam or Salvador Dali painting (see photo), which is both flattering and disturbing.
- Feeling like the side of a house -- and all that goes with this. It's difficult for the side of a house to get comfortable in bed.
- Formerly delicious food is off-limits -- no more Dan Dan Noodles, egg rolls & pho, or pasta and marinara sauce for me. (To clarify: I can eat them with no problem, but there are consequences later.)
- Formerly delicious wine is off limits
- Clumsiness -- I was never what you'd call graceful to begin with, but now I've reached a whole new level of awkward. You do the math: klutzy lady + ceramic/glass dishes + cement floors/counters = uh-oh.
- Forgetfulness -- I used to have a mind like a steel trap. Now it's like a steel sieve. Did we agree to meet today? Am I supposed to be somewhere now? I forget.
- Feeling the baby kick at 11 p.m., 6 a.m., and all points in between. I know, it's preparation for what's to come, but still, I'd like to sleep.
I was not a good pregnant person but boy did I like the result.
ReplyDeleteI remember looking at my babies after they were born and being awestruck at the fact that that little person had been inside of me ____ hours/days/weeks before.
I still look at them with wonder (although less frequently now) 20 and 17 years later.