34 Week Dr. Check Up and Some Gushing

Everything at my dr. appointment this morning went well: When I go back in two weeks, they'll be doing another ultrasound to estimate the baby's size since the doctor is somewhat apprehensive that because I measure big I might be growing GIANT baby in there.  I'm still not concerned that he's gimongous, but I would appreciate it if he'd get his left foot out of my rib cage; sometimes I feel a little short of breath because of that limb kicking me in the lungs.

At the doctor's office, the nurse chirpily said, "Getting close!"  And that's a phrase a lot of people are saying when they look at me these days even though I still have 6 weeks until my due date.  So, even though I still have what I think of as "plenty of time," as I was driving today, I was thinking about how near the end I'm getting with this pregnancy, and to be honest, it makes me a little sad.

I know I joke a lot about the discomforts and inconveniences of pregnancy, but truth be told, I do enjoy it -- in my own way.  Granted, I'm not the sort to gush over the "beauty" of pregnancy, nor am I the sort to sit and marvel over the intimacy of the growing baby within me.  However, that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy certain aspects of pregnancy, so I figured today I'd highlight a few things I like about being pregnant:

• My "spidey" senses.  Especially my intensified sense of smell.  For some preggos, this is annoying as it can trigger nausea, but for me, I find scents -- even typically unpleasant ones like gasoline or car exhaust -- to be intoxicating.  I'm especially obsessed with cleansers and cleaning products.  If there were a way for me to just sit and sniff the Bath and Body Works foaming hand soap in White Citrus all day long, I would.  I also seem to really delight in brushing my teeth.  It's weird, I know, but there's something really awesome about both the taste and the texture of my toothpaste that makes me LOVE brushing my teeth!
• My hair.  It's usually a little on the fine side, but during pregnancy, because fewer hairs are shed, my hair is thicker.  Which is great.  But, it also, I swear, feels softer and healthier.
• My skin too.  I'm not going to claim a "glow," but my skin is softer during pregnancy and clearer.  I don't normally have many issues with blemishes, but it seems that during pregnancy, I am even luckier than normal in that I don't even seem to get a blackhead.
• My baby belly.  As much as I joke and sometimes mock-complain about having to heave my giant self around, in a lot of ways, that's just hyperbole.  The truth is that I really like having that belly out there.  For some reason, I guess, it makes me feel both healthy and feminine.  Does that make sense?  I'm not sure if it does, but to me, I suppose there's a certain amount of pride in being pregnant -- there's just something about it that says "I'm healthy and strong enough for this."
• Feeling the baby move.  And seeing him move, since, at this point, his movement is visible on the surface and he reacts to touch on the surface as well.  Sometimes, it looks as though he's just wiggling back and forth within there.
• Having Norah cuddle my belly.   We still don't think she fully grasps that I'm pregnant despite the fact that we talk to her about it, but she does seem to "know" something is up, and she's been extra cuddly with me lately.  A week ago, while we were watching Sesame Street, she climbed in my lap, grabbed my arms and wrapped herself up while saying "cuddle, cuddle!"  And often times, if we're lounging together, she leans against or hugs my belly. 

So, even though I'm excited to meet Caleb in less than 6 weeks, I know that once he's here, I'll miss having him inside me and I'll miss being pregnant.  I don't really know that we'll have more than 2 children (we aren't ready to definitively plan one way or another), so a big part of me is trying to savor these remaining weeks.

But you may have to remind me of how sentimental I was in this post when, in a short time, I'm bitching and moaning again about being uncomfortable.  I'll try to remind myself, but as is typical with a preggo, forgetfulness is a plague.