April 17th, 2013 – 28 Weeks

It’s been a busy week for my family – my parents are moving out of their house today, my brother is heading to Nepal tomorrow to practice guiding a trip to Everest base camp, and meanwhile at Chez Niska, I continue to grow a human in my belly.  I just had my glucose screen today.  It doesn’t taste that bad, but having to fast for 9+ hours (even water) isn’t the best.  I’m nervous to find out the results – I don’t want to have to go through the 3-hour test if I fail the 1-hour, and I definitely don’t want to hear the words “gestational diabetes”.  I’ll probably be just fine, but the thought of having to deal with the stress of testing my blood sugar 4x/day or giving up carbs & sugar makes me groan.

We’ve definitely had a lot going on.  We made a day trip to Philly to visit our friend Laura from BLIND Inc. before she heads to law school.   I was running on very little sleep from the pregnancy insomnia, and the hormones didn’t help the stress of not being able to find a parking spot.  But it was a fun day - we got some great exercise walking around the city (no small feat for someone with swollen ankles and a big belly), got a cheesesteak, and toured the National Constitution Center and Independence Hall.  It was pretty neat to stand in the Assembly Room and court room of Independence Hall, where our founding fathers debated and signed the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, the birth of our nation.  This week we are also hosting an NFB friend of Matt’s for dinner, going to a networking dinner for a Disability Rights Bar Association event, and catching an Orioles game.  Whew! 

It’s hard to believe my trip to MN for the baby shower is only a couple weeks away.  I’m excited to see our families and friends, and maybe bring them some nice weather.  It’s still snowing there in mid-April, I think the natives are getting pretty restless.

I have begun to notice my belly getting big enough where it’s starting to get in the way.  It’s becoming more challenging to bend forward or breathe (even laying on my side).  I have also noticed that I cry more from the hormones.  I cry during an argument if I’m tired & frustrated.  I cried thinking about how upset I’d be if something happened to Brent while he was traveling.  I cried when I heard that my uncle selflessly drove up to MN several times to help my parents move out of their house.

There are some moments when I forget I’m pregnant.  And there are moments where the fact that I’m about to be a mom hits me like a ton of bricks.  I was looking at the disassembled crib the other day, thinking about what the room would look like once we finished putting it together.  Then I thought, “Wow, there won’t just be an empty crib in a few months.  There will be a person laying in it.”  I’m so used to carrying our baby inside me that the reality of her being on the outside hasn’t quite sunk in yet.

One thing’s for sure – my belly has POPPED and is definitely noticeable.  I was at Bath & Body the other day picking up some candles, and for the first time a stranger commented on my belly that I hadn’t specifically told I was pregnant.  I had picked out an espresso candle and the guy at the counter pleasantly asked whether I was sure I wanted that, and didn’t it bother my nose since I was pregnant.  He proceeded to ask me all sorts of questions: when I was due, did we have names picked out…I’m sure he was just being friendly and trying to win me over as a customer, but it was get a little creepy when he thanked me for coming in and said he hoped he’d see the baby after it was born.  I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised.  I know he was just being polite, and the lady at H&R Block told me to bring the baby in too, but it’s just weirder when a guy does it.  Gee, sure, random stranger, let me make it a priority to bring my baby back to your store so you can hold her.  At least he didn’t try to touch my belly.  I could care less if family or friends do that, but if I wouldn’t at least give you a hug when I saw you, I probably don’t know you well enough to have you touch my stomach.  The only stranger that has been that bold was an old lady at church.  I let that one go because she was so sweet.