Bump Baby Bump

The other day I was walking through Georgetown and a homeless man shouted to me: "Hey! Pregnant lady! Congratulations!" I had a non-maternity coat on, zipped up over my belly, but I forget how obvious my belly is. I guess I feel like since I am still wearing my regular coat I really can't be all that big, but when I am getting recognition from unexpected people on the street, that is a big ole wake up call as to how pregnant looking I really am. Part of my constant amazement at how big I am getting stems from the fact that I don't have a very good full length mirror in my house. The only full length mirror I have sits propped against a bedroom wall with a door in front of it. It is so covered up that I feel like I barely use it. When I am out and catch a glimpse of myself in a true full length mirror I always stop and look again, because it is amazing that another person is fitting inside my stomach (and pushing haaaaaard as I type this).

Lately it has been fun to play the game “guess that body part” when I feel a sharp push or a rock hard spot under my skin. Something I read says the baby may have turned head down by now and is getting ready to prepare for birth. Birth! It has occurred to me recently that some how or another this baby eventually has to exit my body, be it naturally or through surgery. This is starting to make me very jittery. We watched a birth video the other night in which a woman naturally gave birth to a 10 pound 1 ounce baby. I could feel my legs tightening closed as the video started and by the end I think I had cut off all blood flow in my lower extremities I was clenching so forcefully. Ow. I wish I could fast forward through the actual birth part and get to the part where I am holding my baby in my arms. The part that makes me forget about all the pain and stretching I had to endure, the part that makes me want to have another child right away. Holding this baby against me and seeing the tiny life we created is what I am looking forward to the most.