Let the Hyperventilating Begin

At 29 weeks. Photo by Dairy Darilag. Makeup by Elaine Ganuelas. Hair by Sonia Castillo. Styling by Pia Rojas. The Most Comfortable Dress Evurr (I can seriously live in this dress!) from Gingersnaps.

How did nine months suddenly turn into nine weeks?!

It's week 31, which means that I have about seven to nine weeks to go before this little one decides to move out of my belly. I have three baby showers scheduled, and I'm still pretty clueless about what to register for. I know I can just go to any old store and ask for a list, but I get the feeling that those lists are padded with non-essentials. So I've been asking mommy-friends about the things that the baby will really need. Space is already an issue as it is. (A weird complaint, considering we live in a three-bedroom duplex.)

I think I'm having a verrry easy pregnancy (knock on wood), but there are still some teeny causes of discomfort. The worst symptoms are peeing every hour, not getting a good night's sleep, having backaches, feeling like I'm drowning when I lie on my back, and getting dark underarms (TMI, I know! But let this serve as a warning to all other women out there who plan to get pregnant!). And I finally know what leg cramps feel like! I wake up in the middle of the night with my calf or my toes cramping up--never, in all my years of dancing and playing sports, had I ever experienced leg cramps. Which tells me that walking around with a baby in your belly puts more stress on your body than five hours of rehearsals or three savage games ever could. 

I'm also about two pounds over my ideal weight gain, and some people might say that's perfectly fine, but it stresses me out. I've gained about 18 to 19 pounds so far, which means I have to be strict about the one-pound-a-week thing from here on out. I'm told the last few weeks are the toughest--you can gain four pounds in a week!

I'm also starting to worry about the shape I'll be in after I deliver. While I'm concerned about the aesthetics (loose, flabby skin, unrecognizable breasts), the bigger concern is functionality. I'm scared that I'll be too exhausted or too lazy or too unmotivated to drop the 20+ pounds (and then some, if I want to get back to my wedding weight!). I'm scared that I won't run as fast as I used to. I'm scared that it'll be ages before I can walk uphill and not lose my breath.

But it's all worth it. I think I'm really falling in love with this little monster, even though we haven't met. Sometimes the kicks are kind of painful, but I don't mind at all. The 3 a.m. squirming keeps me up, but I love feeling him/her move around. Sometimes H and I look at my lopsided tummy, at a weird little bump, and try to figure out what body part is pressing against me. One time, we figured it was a foot and probably annoyed the little thing by tickling it. Haha.

Nine weeks before we meet him/her. Nine weeks before our lives change completely.