34 (35?) weeks

Well, I've been away for two months because, guess what?, I've been feeling great!  It finally kicked in, the feeling healthy and magical and pregnant feeling I was promised.  Once I recovered from the gall bladder debacle I finally have had the chance to feel great.  Sure, I'm still tired, and getting more tired as the due date approaches.  And I'm still not my peppy, hyper, familiar self.  But I've gotten used to it.  I think I've come to terms with it.  And I've taken the opportunity to go deeper within myself, taking the time to bond with this more mellow version of myself.  I'm really happy about it, and I'm reading some great books, and I'm feeling really good.  We are now six weeks from due date and the baby is actively hiccupping and kicking and moving all over the place.  I have been a little obsessed with the positioning of the baby, he keeps flipping over when I want him to settle into the upside down position, but everybody tells me that his position doesn't matter yet.  I have also started taking our childbirth classes, and it turns out I'm not the only one worried about position, so that makes me feel better too.  This week I've begun to get some of the hormonal weepies back again, but I kind of like them.  I mean, I'm truly happy when somebody does well on Britian's Got Talent, why not shed a tear or two?  I've also been connecting with other pregnant women, which has been great.  I've always been a party person, with party friends, and the reality is that I'm a little shy in non party atmospheres, so this has been a new thing for me- connecting with people while sober.  It has been really nice, although I do tend to get a bit bored.  Still working on this.  We moved houses on May 1st, which involved a nightmarish battle with the landlord and a day of me, at 7 months pregnant, on my hands and knees painting floor boards, but it is finally over, we are finally out of that horrible house, and are soooo in love with the new house!  It's the first time in a long time that I've taken pride in my home, although I'm sure nesting has played it's part.  We are starting a garden, my husband is building a man cave for his drums and hopefully carpentry stuff, and we have decided to try for a home birth.  This is something my husband really wanted, but I just couldn't picture in our last house.  I can totally picture it here, so even if the actual birth doesn't take place here, I am happy to be spending my labor here, and hopefully we will be able to have the baby here as well!  We are ordering a birth pool and I'm gathering all the stuff we need, and we are on a roll.  The countdown has begun, although I'm trying to remind myself that it could still be another 8 weeks until I meet this little monkey.  My internet has been shoddy as hell, but I'll try to blog more again, now that I'm feeling better and confident.  I also feel like I have some milestones to report, but I can't remember right now.  I can't actually remember anything right now, including words when I'm trying to complete a sentence, which is funny.  Oh, one other thing, I look great!  I keep expecting my belly to go into overdrive, which it inevitably will, but I've managed to maintain a healthy weight and everybody tells me how good I look.  I don't feel super heavy, although I can tell for about a day when my belly has had a growth spurt.  I am slow moving, but usually feel up to getting up and walking around.  My hips really hurt for about 2 weeks, ending last week.  I think it is partially the relaxin, and also partially not moving enough while I sleep.  I felt too lazy to lug this belly into a new position at night, but it seems like it is important.  Now I try to switch positions frequently, and the peeing in the night helps with this.  It's amazing how the body is able to come up with some of its own solutions.  I can't figure out how to solve another problem though- a constantly threatening Charley Horse in my left leg.  I got two Charley Horses last week, in the same spot, always while lying down in bed.  Now I have this feeling that it is always there, and if I point my toe or stretch out my leg it starts to show itself.  I'm getting a little stiff and want to stretch, so I'm trying to figure this one out.  Of course, if it is anything like any of my other pregnancy complaints, it'll just resolve itself in about a week, so we'll see what happens.  Finally, I officially have a mask of pregnancy.  I wear two kinds of sunscreen, plus makeup, on days I go out, and yet it is still there.  I was hoping I was the only one who could see it, but my husband noticed it last night, so now it is official.  It isn't that bad, just some blotchiness on my forehead, some freckle looking splotches over my nose and cheek, and what looks like some lip liner on the edges of my lips, but it annoys me nonetheless.  I think I just have to live with it though, and continue with the sunscreen and hope for the best.  I kind of like how it looks except for the forehead, so I'm not that worried.  I just hopes it goes away after the baby comes so I'm not stuck with some sort of dirty looking face permanently.  I got a real stretch mark on Tuesday.  I've had a few light marks around where my belly button is, but this one is a real stretch mark. I'm furiously lathering it up with bio oil, but I'm pretty sure those remedies are not so effective.  Again, I'm not super concerned about it, I just don't want it to get worse.  Of course I'd love to be somebody who is happy to show off her belly, but I haven't been that person in years, so it's not like a few stretch marks are dramatically interfering with my life.  Okay, I think that is it for now.  More soon.  :)