The past few weeks have been full of changes. Physical. Emotional. Occupational. Familial-ish. (Yes, I'm pregnant and can make up words).
To start with the obvious, it is a new year. I feel that pregnancy allows me to be immune from any resolutions (read: I rarely make resolutions, so now I'm using this pregnancy as an excuse- whenever I can). With a new year comes new ideas, new behaviors and new attitudes. It also meant that I could finally say, 'I'm having a baby this year!' Which then lead to a whole new freak-out, but that's another story (or two or three). Seriously, I am 28 weeks pregnant, which means that I have approximately 12 weeks left. Yikes!
In regards to the physical changes, my belly is truly and utterly there. I have been swimming twice a week for the past year and in recent weeks, I have noticed that flip turns aren't as tight, butterfly is difficult to reach forward and my hips are continuing to sink during backstroke. But, I know swimming is a wonderful activity to do (during pregnancy and any other time), so I will continue to do it. My belly (and loose ligaments) have also put more strain on my back. I have scoliosis, so I see a chiropractor about every 6 weeks to get adjusted. Now, I'm on a 10-14 day track. And, I decided to treat myself to a massage every so often (gosh darn).
Emotionally, I think things have remained the same as they were in the first trimester. I have up days and down days and days that I swear my mind doesn't belong to me. But, to say that I'm getting anxious with the upcoming events would be an understatement. However, I was able to put some of those feelings at ease since we registered this past weekend! While we don't have everything, we do have a start. And, we're signed up for a birthing class, so we can check that off of the list as well. Another item to check off: the glucose test. It was completed at the beginning of this month and contrary to what everyone said, I did not think it was a 'beast' of a test. It was like drinking orange pop from a fast-food restaurant that didn't have any carbonation and had extra syrup added. From here on out, I get to see a doctor every 2 weeks before we start making the weekly trip!
With the start of the new year comes the start of a new semester. Finally, I am in my last semester of school. Sorry friends, there will be no doctoral studies for this chick. I have two classes this semester (along with the one that I teach) and then I will have a $15,000 piece of paper to hang on my wall and stare at every day. Because why would I want to have any idea as to what I want to be when I get done with school in 4 months?!? Thankfully, I will continue to coach, so I do have something in place (although it would be tempting to go and live rent-free with my parents again, like I did after undergrad...)! I should be having another freak out with this, but with the new year came another new family change. My dad took a leap and accepted a job as a math teacher! After a few years getting all of the necessary paperwork together and courses completed, he returns to the classroom after an 18-year hiatus. He used to teach at the Air Force Academy, but stopped when he retired in 1995 and since then has been in the corporate world. He said he always wanted to go back and teach, and now, at the young age of 21 (plus some!), he's followed his heart! So, to all of you out there that feel forced to know what you're going to be when you grow up... it's okay if you don't know until your heart is ready to guide you.
In terms of little Baby Girl... she continues to put a smile on our faces. I think people think I have a medical problem because sometimes I just sit and stare at my belly. In the past few weeks, not only has there been an increase in movement, but now we can actually see the movements! The best part of my day is laying in bed at night with Phil and seeing her move. She's been really active (at the last appointment, our doctor had to check the heart beat a few times because she kept moving) and it truly is an amazing thing. At 28 weeks, she is about 2.5 pounds and almost 15 inches. While I am far from a mild weight gain of just 2.5 pounds, everything continues to check out a-okay!
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