Monday, July 14, 2008

Did You Really Just Say That?

As all of you know, I am pregnant. In fact, I am really pregnant. With my first pregnancy, I gained 28 pounds. The experts all say it is healthy for the average woman to gain between 25 and 35 pounds, so I did just right. With my first pregnancy, I was so happy to be expecting, I didn't care how large I got. It had taken us over three years of lots of heartache and tears to get pregnant, so when I finally found out I was having a baby, I wanted to get big fast so that everyone would know I was pregnant!

My second pregnancy came as a surprise, but a very welcome one. It had been so difficult the first time, we felt very fortunate to have gotten pregnant with no fertility treatments. During my pregnancy with Will, we found out at my 20 week ultrasound that I had a few weak spots in my placenta. It was nothing to really stress over, but I was instructed to take it easy. Well, I really took it easy. At my last doctor visit before going in to have Will, I had gained 40 pounds. I still went one more week, so I'm thinking my final tally was probably somewhere around 42 pounds. I wasn't really all that self conscious about my size with my second pregnancy either, even though I managed to gain 14 more pounds than the first time! With both of my first two pregnancies, I was able to get back to my starting weight within a few months, so I wasn't too concerned.

Now, let's talk about my current pregnancy. This pregnancy has been difficult for me in so many ways. I was sooooo sick at the beginning. I threw up so often that I had a blood vessel in my eye that wouldn't quite heal up all the way because I kept re-bursting it! Some of you know who are around me a lot, but a lot of you don't know that I have a condition when I'm pregnant called ptyalism. It makes you produce much, much, much more saliva than you naturally would, so to deal with that, I had to spit ALL THE TIME! I know, it's so gross!!! I hate it! It is miserable. I can't explain to you how embarrassing it is to be speaking to someone and have to excuse yourself to go spit! It's crazy! Luckily, that has just about completely gone away. Occasionally, in the evening, it'll come on a little bit, but it's nothing compared to what it was for about 26 weeks straight!

This pregnancy, I have also been much more aware of how I look. I think I'm on track to gain a little over 30 pounds, which is within that 25-35 pound window, but for some reason, I have felt huge. No matter how many times my sweet husband and family tell me how radiant I look, I still feel like a blimp. I'm starting to think lately after some of the statements that have been made to me, that I am a blimp. Here are a few of the things people have said to me in the past few weeks. (Remember while you read these that I have 9 more weeks to go.)

Person 1, "Aly, when are you due?"

Me, "Sept 17th. I have about 10 more weeks."

Person 1, "Wow, I thought you were gonna say next week!"

Person 2, "Honey, how much longer do you have?"

Me, "About 10 weeks."

Person 2,"Oh me, you'll never make it!"

Person 3,"Bless your heart! You look like you're gonna pop!"

Me, "I hope I don't pop!"

Person 4, "Have you ever gotten this big before!?"

Me, "Yep, I sure have."

(This one's my favorite)

Person 5, "How far along are you?"

Me, "I'm about 30 weeks."

Person 5,"Good Lord! By the time you have that baby, you'll be as big as a house!"

Me, "Well, I hope I won't be as big as a house."

So, the moral of this little diatribe is this:

If you see a pregnant woman, if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all! You don't have to shower her with compliments! She (I) may be really large! She (I) may look like I'm going to go into labor any second, but don't tell me those things! I can promise you that I, along with every other woman who ever carried a child, am acutely aware of how large I am. I am the one who tries to put on pants that fit me two weeks ago, but will no longer fit around my belly. I am the one who is now having a great deal of difficulty bending over to tie my kids' shoes. You don't have to tell me, nor do you have to tell any pregnant woman. WE KNOW!

Anyway- I have spoken my peace.

Be nice to pregnant women. You never know when her crazy hormones will take over and she'll point out all of your imperfections in response to your snappy comment!

Aly

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Have You Ever.......?

Allison had this list on her blog and it was so interesting to read, I decided to do it, too. It's pointless, but entertaining!

If it is highlighted in red, that means I've done it.

1. Touched an iceberg

2. Slept under the stars

3. Been a part of a hockey fight

4. Changed a baby's diaper

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Swam with wild dolphins

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a tarantula

10. Said “I love you” and meant it

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise

15. Seen the Northern Lights

16. Gone to a huge sports game

17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables

19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Bet on a winning horse

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Taken an ice cold bath

28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Ridden a roller coaster

31. Hit a home run

32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking

33. Adopted an accent for fun

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment

36. Loved your job 90% of the time.

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Watched wild whales

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach

41. Gone sky diving

42. Visited Ireland

43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited India

45. Bench-pressed your own weight

46. Milked a cow

47. Alphabetized your personal files

48. Ever worn a superhero costume

49. Sung karaoke

50. Lounged around in bed all day

51. Gone scuba diving

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Done something you should regret, but don’t

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Been in a movie

60. Gone without food for 3 days

61. Made cookies from scratch

62. Won first prize in a costume contest (I don't dress up. Ever.)

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Been in a combat zone

65. Spoken more than one language fluently

66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone

67. Bounced a check

68. Read - and understood - your credit report

69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy

70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did

71. Called or written your Congress person

72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge

74. Helped an animal give birth

75. Been fired or laid off from a job

76. Won money

77. Broken a bone

78. Ridden a motorcycle

79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph

80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing

82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days

83. Eaten sushi

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read The Bible cover to cover

86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about

87. Gotten someone fired for their actions

88. Gone back to school

89. Changed your name...(when I got married)

90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands

91. Eaten fried green tomatoes

92. Read The Iliad

93. Taught yourself an art from scratch

94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.

95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt

96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

97. Been elected to public office

98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream

99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care

100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you

101. Had a booth at a street fair

102. Dyed your hair

103. Been a DJ

104. Rocked a baby to sleep

105. Dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours

106. Raked your carpet

107. Brought out the best in people

108. Brought out the worst in people

109. Worn a mood ring

110. Ridden a horse

111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap

112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe

13. Buried a child

114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play

115. Been inside the pyramids

116. Shot a basketball into a basket

117. Danced at a disco

118. Played in a band

119. Shot a bird

120. Gone to an arboretum

121. Tutored someone

122. Ridden a train

123. Brought an old fad back into style

124. Eaten caviar

125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need

126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant

127. Published a book

128. Pieced a quilt

129. Lived in an historic place

130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage

131. Asked for a raise

132. Made a hole-in-one

133. Gone deep sea fishing

134. Gone roller skating

135. Run a marathon

136. Learned to surf

137. Invented something

138. Flown first class

139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite

140. Flown in a helicopter

141. Visited Africa

142. Sang a solo

143. Gone spelunking

144. Learned how to take a compliment

145. Written a love-story

146. Seen Michelangelo’s David

147. Had your portrait painted

148. Written a fan letter

149. Spent the night in something haunted

150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane

151. Ran away

152. Learned to juggle

153. Been a boss

154. Sat on a jury

155. Lied about your weight

156. Gone on a diet

157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget

158. Written a poem

59. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox

160. Gotten food poisoning

161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission

162. Hiked the Grand Canyon

63. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks

164. Gone to the opera

165. Gotten a letter from someone famous

166. Worn knickers

167. Ridden in a limousine

168. Attended the Olympics

69. Can hula or waltz

170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books

171. Been stuck in an elevator

172. Had a revelatory dream

173. Thought you might crash in an airplane

174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert

175. Saved someone’s life

176. Eaten raw whale

177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint

178. Laughed till your side hurt

179. Straddled the equator

180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing

181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival

182. Sent a message in a bottle

183. Spent the night in a hotel

184. Been a cashier

185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

186. Joined a union

187. Donated blood or plasma

188. Built a campfire

189. Kept a blog

190. Had hives

191. Worn custom made shoes or boots

192. Made a PowerPoint presentation

193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course

194. Served at a soup kitchen

195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube

196. Know CPR

197. Ridden in or owned a convertible

198. Found a long lost friend

199. Helped solve a crime

200. Responded to a NJP newsletter