Third trimester

When we finally, finally got pregnant, I had a nagging fear that I was going to have a really difficult pregnancy, and end up in the precarious position of complaining bitterly about the very thing I’d been trying to do for almost two years. I was delighted to discover that being pregnant isn’t so bad for me. I’ve been very lucky – no real morning sickness, pretty mild first trimester symptoms, a few aches and pains but nothing terrible.

But as we head into the home stretch, it’s getting a little tougher, and I’m complaining a little bit more. The aches and pains are getting worse, and they’re messing up my sleep more often. I wake up tired with achy hips, and some nights I’m up for hours trying to get comfortable. Perquackey often has the hiccups when I wake up, accompanying my tossing and turning with a gentle but irritating internal drumbeat.

It’s hard to remember that I have to slow down. A few weekends ago, we primed the baby’s room. It didn’t feel terribly hard at the time. But later that day, feeling like I really needed some exercise since my yoga class had been cancelled, I decided to walk to Levi and Stacey’s, two miles away. It seemed like such a good idea.

It was not a good idea. It took over an hour, and it exhausted me completely.

Then, this past Saturday, we painted Perquackey’s room. I tried to tape the baseboards, but kept forgetting that I can no longer lean over from the waist without feeling like I’m going to suffocate. And I must have really strained my hamstring without noticing, because I woke up at about 5:00 on Sunday morning literally screaming in pain from a combination of the worst charley horse in history with tightness and pain up and down my whole leg.

I woke Sandy up, too, since I was screaming. (Apparently I yelled “this is the worst pain I’ve ever had in my life!” which made Sandy a little apprehensive about heading into childbirth with me.) The rest of that day, which featured endless leg pain, exhaustion, irrational tears, and stroller shopping, was tough.

We’ve got eight weeks left, and it’s going to get tougher, so get ready for more kvetching. And then I really am going to feel the worst pain I’ve ever had in my life.

It’s going to be worth it.

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