34

Sure, I'll get back to the chronological timing of events, but since I'm even on week 34, I thought I'd post about the babe. I am frequently asked "how are you feeling?" by pretty much everyone I come in contact with. And, typically, my response is "good. I feel great."

I really do. Considering stories that I hear left and right about crazy pregnancies (which bytheway come out of the wood works whenever you are pregnant), I really am great. I'm still teaching all of my classes at the gym, and still feel like I can do most everything that I set out to accomplish (minus the fact that I found myself mentally planning out my trips up and down the stairs today in an effort to maximize what I'm taking up/down, and minimize the overall trips). We're actually more prepared as far as "house logistics" (setting up the crib, etc) than we ever have been before, and that's a big relief. I've even started buying diapers. It's my third time going through the process, and in some ways, I know exactly what to expect and what I'm getting myself into.

But, at the same time, I have no clue.

Like, I had no clue that a baby could push quite so much. In every direction. Max was a constant mover in my belly. Alexis, sure she moved, but I'll always remember her as the girl with hiccups. This one has favored the right side of my body for some time (the doctor even chuckled a bit as she measured me and I was clearly bigger on one side of the belly than the other), but has also managed to earn the nickname of pusher. If I had an ultrasound machine at home, I'd be able to take a pic and show you what I mean - but she really takes the length of her body - head (or possibly shoulder) to her foot, and pushes them in opposition as far as she can. Out of nowhere I'll look down and see these huge lumps coming from opposite sides of my belly. Mike didn't fully believe me until one night he actually started to push back (I think on her foot) and she just kept doing it.

Some people say that they can tell the personality of the child from the womb. Which makes me a bit curious (and slightly nervous) as to what we are getting into.

Or, I know how fatiguing a newborn is. I've been there. And, while I absolutely love how tiny they are, I also know how completely exhausting they are at the same time.

But, fatigue coupled with two other little people will be a new unknown. Or, complete chaos as I've been told by so many other moms who don't hesitate to share how it all feels. At least for awhile. (Awhile is defined so differently by so many. I've had some tell me they felt like that until graduation, others seemed to have recovered slightly sooner).

Definitely finding a new normal will take some time. And, at some point my right hip, my ribs and my bladder will recover from all of this action.

One would wonder what all of this is for. And, I'd have to say, that at least for us, when we looked at Max, and then at Alexis, while we know how much work they are, we also knew that we weren't ready to be done with the little person chapter yet. Some days, just seeing how fast Max has grown, and what an amazing guy he is, gets me so excited to start the process again with the next one.

So, when the time comes that babe is screaming with a bright red face, my head hurts from how tired I am, my house looks like a bomb exploded, my belly feels like a bowl full of jelly, and I have nothing figured out for the next 15 minutes of life, I hope a part of me will remember how awesome it really is to feel this babe in my belly. And, that it won't last forever. And, that I just need to take a deep breath and recognize what a miracle and blessing the whole process is.

Then, I'll probably have to hurry off to change yet another diaper.