A Little Grumbling...Topped Off With GOOD Thoughts

So now that I'm in the "final stretch" things are getting even more uncomfortable. You other moms know what I'm talking about. I'm really trying to focus on the great experiences from the pregnancy, but I want to take just a moment to complain a bit. Then I'll be done with it. :)

• I am not sleeping well AT ALL, of course. I was getting these annoying leg pains when sleeping. Whichever side I was sleeping on, that leg would hurt, waking me up. I would turn over - which is nothing easy at this point!! - to the other side. The leg would stop hurting, but an hour later, I'm awake again from the other leg, the one I am now lying on. Back and forth all night. Waking up every hour or two just to switch sides. The dr said this was normal, actually - from pressure on my nerves from the baby weight. So I've finally found a sort of solution... I am not wedged between two pillows, one on each side, so that I am not on my back or my side (if that makes sense at all!). No more leg problems, but I'm still waking up every hour or two, and it's not really all that comfortable.

• My back is killing me! Nonstop. Upper. Lower. You name it - it hurts.

• Every time I move, I sound like it's the most difficult thing ever. I have to put so much effort into getting up, down, everything which means all this huffing and puffing and then big sighs once I'm done with all the work (yes, even from just getting up sometimes!). I can't seem to do anything without making a bunch of noise!

• Oh, and if I for some reason need to sit on the floor...just try to watch me get up! If Ryan's not around to help, getting up involves both hands, knees, and all sorts of struggling...

• Every time I move, I have a contraction. No, they're still Braxton Hicks - no labor (thankfully!) yet. But it's still happening all the time, it seems. My whole belly gets hard for a minute or so every time I bend or lean over, and whenever I do all sorts of things! Of course I can't bend much... It can be pretty funny to watch, I'm sure.

• Sitting down is even uncomfortable sometimes. Now that Aiden has moved down a bunch more, I feel like I'm squishing him at times! And when he moves, he'll move onto my bladder suddenly, then off again, on again... You get the picture.

• My belly is definitely outgrowing my maternity clothes at this point. I am constantly having to pull down my shirts to cover it all the way (that is - the ones that I can still wear, which are few).

• Every little thing I do is exhausting! Man - just fixing my hair does me in! Sometimes just standing for a bit has me feeling weak and out of it.

But none of that's stopping me!!! Regardless of how difficult every little thing seems to be these days, I still LOVE being pregnant! People are already assuming that I am anxious to NOT be pregnant anymore and that I'm just miserable. Well, sometimes I'm a bit miserable, I suppose - but I am certainly not anxious to not be pregnant! I am not going to wish away the last couple weeks when I know that once it's over, it's over. Yes, I can't wait to have my little boy in my arms. I still love him being in my belly, though. I get him all to myself and have him with me every second of the day. All I have to do is put my hand on my belly, and I can feel him moving around in there.

I can even watch him and feel him practicing his breathing! My belly will barely move up and down as he "breathes" in my tummy. It's really amazing!

I know I am going to miss being pregnant. I have been looking forward to it for so long, and nine months (well, it's really 10 now isn't it?) does go by so quickly! And I already know that as hard as pregnancy can be for me, I can't wait to do it again!