Learning Patience



33 1/2 week belly photo



October 5, 2011

33 weeks, 6 days

Pregnancy has taught me a new level of patience.

This past week, as I made my way through TSA at the Flagstaff airport (en route to San Diego for Baby Shower Weekend Extraordinaire), I felt remarkably calm.  I squatted down, took off my shoes, and slowly stood back up (could you imagine losing your balance while in line with however many impatient travelers behind you?!).  I gracefully lifted my bag onto the conveyor belt and smiled as I *quietly* burped up my morning dose of yogurt and berries.  I found a seat in the terminal and chuckled as I realized that I was breathing rather heavily.

Within the chaos of the airport, my mind was quiet and peaceful.  I was acutely aware of my body: my steady heavy breathing, Baby wiggling away inside of me, the squeezing of my compression stockings pushing the fluid back up to my heart.  It was a wonderful sensation - being present with my body, if even just for a few moments.

Now to maintain my new-found patience in the year to come.......

34 weeks!  Whopeeee!!!  My official Baby Shower was just perfect....not too many people and surrounded by those women (and a few men) that are so very dear to me.  Naturally, as I am sure most preggie mamas say, it was overwhelming.  So much love, praise, unsolicited advice....and to try and process it all in just a few hours was both rewarding and exhausting.  My nieces did a fabulous job of playing "hostess" and "waitress".  I feel so incredibly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends - a support network that will be my backbone over the coming year.

Now I am back home.  Home.  Sigh.  Home and ready to organize the goods and prepare for Baby.  I told CJ, "No more big road trips 'til after Baby comes!" The temperature has been a chilly 45-50 degrees today and they are predicting snow tomorrow.  Oh, wouldn't it be fun if we had an early winter and a nice, big snow storm when I go into labor?!  Hehe.... I swear my husband is doing a little dance to the weather gods (he not-so-secretly wants to deliver our baby somewhere other than at the hospital).

Fun Baby Fact:  Baby can be up to 5 lbs this week.  CRAZY.  If Baby is a boy, his testicles are descending (if I were a man I might have greater appreciation for this particular event....).  Fingernails reach the ends of the fingers getting ready for a manicure- oh, and speaking of!  The little Vietnamese lady who gave me a mani/pedi, touched my belly and claimed, "It's a boy!"  Hehe....

Fun Pregnancy Fact: My morning wake up call has become a right calf cramp.  If I manage to flex my foot in time, it passes over with only mild pain.  However, in the event that I am not so speedy in the flexing I find myself laying very still and wincing while attempting not to wake my love biscuit lying beside me.

Striking a pose while out for a hike in Rancho Penasquitos
Canyon Reserve (San Diego)...elastic pants rule!