29 weeks and waiting

I'm officially 29 weeks today but 28 weeks is when they make the official call if it's going to be a C-section.  We will have to wait another week to find out, unfortunately. 

Our ultrasound originally scheduled for today was pushed to next Wednesday.  I got a call two days ago saying my doctor wants the tech to do the actual ultrasound (she's the best) but the tech only works Tues-Thurs so we got bumped.  It happens, though I do wish they had caught the error earlier since you schedule these appointments three weeks out and it's more of a pain for Rhett to rework his schedule.  The day before my birthday, we will find out what exactly is going on in there with PB.  Hopefully everything looks healthy and normal, aside from the placenta and her precarious placement with insert foot-here.  Honestly, kiddo...could you have picked a less comfortable spot for both of us?  You can't be very well cushioned with your head poking out my side and your feet kicking the placenta.  

I also realize that the day after my birthday I hit 30 weeks which conceivably leaves us only 7-8 weeks until delivery (TBD.)  Yikes!  That happened fast.  The nursery isn't ready- heck it isn't even painted! - but at this stage, I'm not all that worried.  She has her cradle for the first 6 weeks so things will happen when they happen.  Worst case scenario, I text my C-section date to our contractor and maybe that will get him here faster.  

Among other things I'm either enjoying this late in the game:

• Let's be honest: I had a super long awkward stage of pregnancy whereby it was unclear if I was expecting or just significantly more zaftig.  That was annoying as hell.  Yes, it's my first baby, I get it but everyone kept saying how I'd simply "explode" by 6 months and...yeah, not so much.  It didn't happen by the books for me.  I now know I can chalk it up to an extra-long torso and well-conditioned abs, not to mention many, many layers of scar tissue from all of my surgeries.  Fast forward to the start of Month 7 and finally I had a discernible baby bump.  I was admittedly a little overly self-conscious and none too comfortable in that in-between stage before the third trimester.  Meh.  Now I'm loud and proud and will walk around in spandex all day because yup, I'm preggers. 

• Now I am (albeit vainly) pleased to hear all sorts of unsolicited comments from friends and strangers and my new favorite yoga instructor expressing shock that I'm nearly 8 months and don't look it at all.  So maybe there is a bright side to having such a extended is-she-or-isn't-she phase, after all?  I had to walk around my own reunion telling people I was expecting because, for some reason, the cut of my dress wasn't a tip off.  ha!  No, seriously - I did not get a boob job.  Come on now.  Haven't changed that much in ten years...

• Other than not sleeping, these bullshit leg cramps, and intermittent sciatica, I feel great!  Some days I still forget that I'm actually pregnant and no, I'm not kidding.  Obviously the minute this karate kid starts her exercises, it's a whiplash back to reality and I'm like, "oh yeah, there's a small human in there."  Overall, though, my life hasn't changed all that much during my waking hours and now that I've filled my Zantac script, I expect it to be smoother sailing on the heartburn express.  

•  Bending and stretching is fantastic temporary relief!  Maybe when I'm unable to do even the most basic forward fold in yoga, I'll feel differently but for now I keep my schedule of 4 days a week and walking Oscar.  I certainly don't feel like doing anything more strenuous and that's fine.  I gauge fitness in flexibility and strength and knowing that I'm not breathing like a heifer when I walk up the stairs so what I've got going seems to be working.  It may be a bit ambitious to keep up this schedule once we're into September but until my doctor tells me otherwise, I'll enjoy my zen and lack of cankles.  

•  I am SO glad we took that entirely-too-long birthing class in the second trimester because I'd last about 10 minutes sitting in those chairs these days.  I was on the floor even then and I was only just shy of 6 months!  Why torture pregnant women with two-day, 5 hour sessions?  Give me a packet and a power point I can watch at home, thanks.  I learned more or less nothing and all of the scary pregnancy symptoms we discussed in class have yet to materialize so maybe I'm just lucky.  Pssshhh a massage is NOT going to send me into premature labor and I can't wait for my prenatal birthday treat next week.  I'd rather YouTube a bunch of current C-section videos during second breakfast than sit through one more baby class.  Oh wait - I already do that.  Fascinating.