28 Weeks - The 3rd Trimester

The 3rd Trimester

That's right. I've officially entered the 3rd Trimester.  The golden 2nd trimester is over, and now all hell is going to break loose, apparently.  All of the pregnancy books and websites basically tell me that I should prepare for an upcoming sh!+ storm of symptoms, oh, and labor.  I should just pitch a tent somewhere and curl up in a ball and wait for the pregnancy gods to strike.  Screw the Mayans, the end of the world isn't this December, it's RIGHT HERE and RIGHT NOW if you ask this pregnant lady.  

According to everything I've read, I should be blowing up like a balloon, having contractions, and taking up knitting, or some other calming hobby as I won't be sleeping anymore for, oh, pretty much the rest of my life.

Oh ... and one other symptom I'd like to mention for your enjoyment:

• Leaky boobs. Your breasts may already be producing baby's first food, a yellowish substance called colostrum.

LEAKY FREAKING BOOBS?  I totally did NOT sign up for this.  I wasn't told that my boobs would start leaking until AFTER the baby was born, and that was bad enough, but at least I had some time to mentally prepare.  Who the heck made up this one?  This is SO not ok.  I can just picture it now.  Me, at work, presenting to a room full of people acting like I know what's going on, only to look down at a top that looks like I just entered myself into some wet t-shirt contest ... except in this competition, there is no prize ... just severe embarrassment, and hopefully a pink slip so that I'd never have to show my face on this side of the Mississippi again.  Luckily, I haven't had to break out the booby tampons yet, and lets hope it stays that way, or else each of you reading this will hear my cries through the internet waves.

Other than checking my bra every time I go into a bathroom, how do I feel about the 3rd Trimester?  I feel, mixed emotions.  I'm excited to have come this far.  Knowing that if I had to deliver RIGHT NOW, chances are, the baby would survive, and that is a huge relief.  But there is a part of me that feels a little underwhelmed.

For my entire pregnancy, the 3rd trimester seemed so far away.  Then, like magic, I left the golden gates of the 2nd trimester behind.  I have entered through the decrepit, tired, heavy, swollen and aching, gates of the 3rd trimester, only to come to the realization that I STILL HAVE 3 FREEEAAAKKKINNNGGGG MONTHS LEFT!  The only other time I've felt this accomplished, yet dissatisfied at the same time was when Dave and I hit the 20 mile marker at the Boston Marathon in '07.  It was raining with horrible headwinds, but it was an amazing day. We'd been running for what seemed like forever and were just at the and of the "hills" in Newton when we crossed the sign for the 20 mile marker.  My first thought was, "holy sh*+! We just ran 20 miles!!!", to which my 2nd thought was, "Oh crap, we still have 6 miles left!!! aughhhhh!" 

It it great to be here, don't get me wrong, but I think I'm just about ready to take that turn onto Boyleston Street to check out that sweet finish line.

The 3rd trimester brings another symptom that they don't mention next to leaky boobs.  I've started really thinking about the fact that fairly soon, we will have brought another human being into this world.  When I think about what this actually means, I start wondering if I'm really cut out for this 'mothering' thing.  I know, I know ... "Hey Preggo, you probably should've thought about that before your 3rd trimester ... like, maybe, before you got pregnant??"  And I did ... a lot ... but thinking about it then, is different than thinking about it now, because now it's actually going to happen.


It's no surprise ... I'm not very maternal.  I grew up playing in the mud and trying to beat the boys in sprint races, and getting pissed at my cousins when they wouldn't let me pitch in whiffle ball because I'm a girl.  The LAST thing on my mind was raising another individual.  I didn't have dolls, and my barbies never had kids.  Dave is MUCH more maternally inclined than I am, and he is so good with kids.  Am I really cut out for this?  I think every soon-to-be parent should be thinking these thoughts before they have their child.  I guess I have to assume that if you're thinking about these things, then you're proving that you care, and that has to be a a step in the right direction, right? I sure hope so.


That being said ... I do have one weakness ... and that's for Charlie boy.  Eat your heart out ... he's the most handsome and wonderful little guy in the world, and I tell him so everyday:

 
He is my first son.  He's very hairy, and doesn't speak much, but I know his personality, and I know what he wants and what he needs.  He has brought out maternal sides of me I never knew I had.  Like ... brushing his perfect teeth, treating his hot spots, cleaning his ears, and wiping his bum.  Yeap, I've wiped his bum.  Sometimes he doesn't ... get it all ... so instead of it ending up in my house, I've wiped his little furry bum.  I NEVER thought that would happen, but I do it with love :)  So ... maybe I can handle a little person.  It can't be much different than caring for a puppy, right?  Neither can speak English, yet both are able to tell you what they need in their own ways.  


One time, though, when Charlie was a puppy, I didn't' get home to him in time, and he pooped in his crate.  He got so excited when I got home, that he kept stepping in his poop and smearing it all over the wires of the crate.  As grossed out as I was, I felt SO AWFUL because I know he didn't mean to go in his crate, but he had diarrhea and couldn't help it.  I felt like the worst mom in the world.

... if I've learned one lesson from that, it's that when I put my kid in his crate and leave for the day, I will make sure he has food, water, and a clean diaper ;)

How far along? 28 Weeks, 4 Days

Countdown: 11 Weeks, 3 Days

Total weight gain: 22 freaking pounds as of our appointment last week.  No matter what I eat or how many walks I take charlie on, this little man just keeps growing!  ha! go figure!

Maternity clothes? Yes. Dave took me back to Destination Maternity in Natick this past weekend to pick up a few more things for work.  Clothes I could fit in two weeks ago are suddenly too small :(

Stretch marks? nope, still stretch-free! thank god!

Sleep: Our central AC broke in our bedroom. Nothing is worse than an angry, over tired, and HOT preggo at 430am. 

Best moment this week: spending some time up in Rye, and SLEEPING IN.

Miss Anything? wearing 3/4 of my wardrobe.

Movement: Yes!  He's my little baby ninja!  I love watching my stomach at night when he seems to be most active ... so weird to see it twitch!!

Food Cravings: no major food cravings this week to note ... but I would LOVE a glass of FREAKING WINE ALREADY!!

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope!

Gender: BOY!

Labor Signs: Nope! But apparently soon ... fan-freaking-tastic.

Symptoms: no leaky boobs, thank god ... but I have had one crappy symptom.  The ankle I had surgery on last year was bothering me quite a bit this weekend.  I don't know if I tweaked it walking on the beach, or perhaps it's the extra weight, but it was a bit of a downer.  Luckily, it comes and goes, and as long as it doesn't keep me out of my heels, then I'm ok :)

Belly Button in or out?Still hanging on for dear life!!!  It's funny, though ... when I'm laying down and try to get up, it sorta pokes out a bit as I flex my stomach!  weird!

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, but shhh ... dont tell the 3rd trimester that.

Looking forward to: I'm going to start prenatal yoga this week!  There is a preggo-only place in North Andover that I'm going to try out. Sorry, no skinny folks allowed, haaaaaaa!!! But for any other fellow preggos reading this, here's the link if you're interested:  http://www.maternalhealthandfitness.com