06/22/2007

Nia Madelynn is hungry. She has been hungry all day. In fact, she has been famished and has required multiple meals. I lost interest in eating just shortly after my third breakfast, but was forced to continue or suffer nearly-intolerable stomach pains. So much for this nonsense that the Dr.'s so cheerfully shared with me during my last ultrasound. "She's a little peanut!" they said. Do you think it is possible that Nia heard and is now on a mission to gain weight? I find that my day is quite interrupted with all this additional meal preparation. Once today, not feeling like preparing gourmet fare, I inhaled quite a bit of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream. It wasn't at all healthy, I admit, but won points for simplicity (especially considering I just ate right out of the tub.) Shameless consumption of food, I tell you!

Not only is Nia hungry, she is also antsy. I'm ready for her to be born, too, but really we should try and wait a few more months. It's all technical mumbo-jumbo to me...something about waiting for lungs to develop...but whatever the reason, I don't think she can arrive yet. I've tried telling her this, but she can't hear me and continually tries to escape. Just this afternoon the whole family watched in silence as she distributed multiple punches or kicks to my mid-section. Ouch!

Now that I'm in the last trimester, I'm recalling how awkward I feel with an additional tenth of my body weight added to my belly. If, when I'm old, I have one of those horrible hunch-backs, it will be as a result of pregnancy stoopage. Another issue at this stage of the game is a severe loss of mobility. In the middle of the night (when I wake up desperately needing to use the restroom), I find I am nearly incapable of hefting myself off the bed. I have considered lining the floor with pillows and just rolling off the bed, but all safety issues aside, I would then need to achieve a standing position...also nearly impossible when this far along. My pants are all falling down--absolutely refusing to stretch over my growing belly. Unfortunately, my shirts are all simultaneously creeping up my belly with the same thought in mind. My clothes have all opted to 'run for their lives' leaving my wardrobe to consist primarily of tee-shirts much larger than my normal size and pants that can be pulled up and over the belly. I'm not much to look at, but at least it's modest.

Meanwhile, the busy toddler is still, well, busy...and bless his little heart! He's trying so hard to be helpful. Today while loading the dishwasher he was able to help put in the silverware and a Tupperware bowl. He also put one of his cars in. I discreetly removed it later. He took on the task of vacuuming in the living room, also. The spot (approximately 1 ft. square) that he vacuumed for 10-15 minutes looks brand new! This is my 'big helper'. Oh, boy!

Totally unrelated to anything else in this post, I have to add this tidbit. Nathan has an unnatural attachment to his "Boos". 'Boo' is Nathan's word for any of his stuffed bears. He loves them all equally and indiscriminately. For this reason I assumed it would be no problem if I washed up one of his stuffed bears and threw it in the dryer. It desperately needed some freshening. Honestly, I doubted he would even notice. I headed to Nathan's room, collected Boo, and made my way to the sink to give him a good scrubbing. Nathan dropped whatever it was he was doing and stood at my side, looking up at me tearfully, all the while saying in the most pathetic voice..."Boo.......where Boo??" I said that Boo was taking a bath. Mourning continues. Then I wrung Boo out and walked him over to the dryer where I gingerly placed him alongside a dryer sheet. Nathan literally climbed in after that bear and pulled him out. He held his bear close to him, oblivious to the moisture seeping onto his own shirt. Unwilling to relinquish his precious cargo, I gave up the fight. Later I found Boo tucked in bed...his wet head resting on a pillow. I hung him from the shower rod to dry. Nathan hasn't noticed yet. Phew. Isn't it strange how protective kids can be. Odd, really. Simply baffles me.