April seems impossibly far away in the dead of winter.
As I spend my days walking to and from work in negative temperatures, trying to avoid slushy puddles and giant snowbanks while complaining about this city’s complete inability to make the roads passable, I can’t imagine that in a few short months I won’t be needing the winter boots, fleecy gloves and ice scrapers. I won’t be worried about falling into snowbanks or find myself wondering if I have bundled up enough for the day. Instead, I will be enjoying sun and rain showers and flowers and the fresh smell that spring brings.
I will be enjoying a brand new baby who will enter into our world.
April seems impossibly far away.
We have three more months to get ready for this baby. Three more months to decide if we will move into a bigger place before or after I give birth. Three more months to clean the house, set up a bed, reorganize baby clothes, and decide on a birth plan. Three more months to start discussing names. Three more months to feel completely and utterly overwhelmed. Three more months to really come to grips with the fact that our family will be growing to four.
Because it really hasn’t sunk in yet.
Not for me at least.
Whereas everyone else is pretty sure I will pop any day.
People ask me how much longer I have. “How many more weeks?”, “Must be soon now!”, “Where are you going to put three more months of baby?!”. My boss announces my arrival to meetings by saying “Here comes Laura and the quadruplets!”. My husband is jokes that I might go into labour at any time.
And I laugh. And I say “I still have a full trimester left to go!”.
The point is, I am huge. Or at least I look huge to those around me. And I guess I am feeling huge whenever I waddle hither and thither or every time my hips start to ache in the middle of the night.
But I still don’t really notice it until I turn sideways in a mirror. I never really reflect on just how far along I am until someone comes up to me and forces me to realize that this baby is only a mere trimester away from making his or her arrival.
28 weeks pregnant
One trimester. Three months to realize that it is time to start planning for baby number two.
Only three months.
April isn’t that far away. Not really.
I wish people realized how UNHELPFUL some of those comments can be, especially on days when pregnancy isn’t feeling all that glamourous. I’m not that big yet (in fact, I’m getting the opposite kind of comments “Oh! Really? That far already?!”), but I remember last time being a few weeks away from my due date at a a large craft show. Someone walked past me, audibly gasped and said “Oh my!” as if she thought I might give birth right there. Maybe it’s just hormones…but people can be SO insensitive!
Rae recently posted..A wee snapshot
I think that is the problem with size comments, no matter whether you’re big or small – it makes the Mom feel like she isn’t doing something right. Either she’s *too* big or *too* small. And if you’re “too” something, then you’re doing it wrong. That isn’t what people mean of course, but that is how it feels.
Truthfully, I don’t mind the comments so much in pregnancy. When that is the first thing EVERYONE who sees me comments on, it gets a little old, but otherwise, I think it is kind of funny. On the other hand, I get very defensive when my baby is born and I am told “What a big baby!”. It almost feels like an insult. NO INSULTING MY BABY! MY BABY IS PERFECT.
Yeah, maybe I have a little bit too much crazy-hormone running through my bloodstream too! :)
Laura recently posted..Not So Long Now
This is crazy-weird timing because this afternoon I saw a old friend from my hometown. She is a really beautiful pregnant lady, anyway I said this to her, and then proceeded to say, “you’re like nine months pregnant aren’t you?”…suffice it to say she was 29 weeks! This coming from me who gained 55 pounds with my first…it was a beautiful moment
Haha! That is so funny to me! I’m getting a lot of those comments too. Mostly they are disguised as “How many weeks left?” which usually means that people are expecting a small, single digit answer. When I answer “13” or “a full trimester!” I see their eyes get big in shock before they recover. And I get it – it isn’t anyone’s fault that I LOOK like I couldn’t hold any more baby in me. :)
Laura recently posted..Not So Long Now
This post makes me miss my stomach being hard. And not, well, not hard like it is now.
Your belly is beautiful.
Amy Pike recently posted..Ella’s Arrival
:) I’m going to write a post on you soon. :) And how you were all like “I want to lose weight because I’m huge and pregnant”. But I won’t say I told you so. No I won’t.
I really loved your comment though Amy, because that is one of the things I remember SO vividly about post-labour. I remember feeling like I could shove my hand right through my empty middle and touch my spine. It felt so soft, so floppy, so empty. I really missed pregnancy. It will get better, I promise! xo
Laura recently posted..Not So Long Now
I’m convinced that this one is another boy. :) I carried and gained weight like that with Noah. A gain of 40 pounds that ALL went to my belly with that guy. April REALLY isn’t that far away. Especially when you think of how fast January has flown by. So excited for you guys!!
Courtney Kirkland recently posted..52 Faces | Week Four
Me too! I’m glad someone understands why there is no doubt in my mind that my baby is another boy. Seriously, I am not even really considering girl names. (Won’t I be surprised if it is a girl, but that won’t happen!) (…not that I have any boys names picked out yet either).
Laura recently posted..Not So Long Now
I am short and slender so any amount of baby weight on me has the potential to look that much more… huge. With my first I gained 50 pounds and anyone could see every little pound I gained. I had this lady say I was getting too big so fast and HER daughter wasn’t showing as much as I was. It was so unbelievably rude (mostly because it went on and on), the thing is is that her daughter is a good 7 inches taller than me and baby or not, had at least 70 pounds on me. No kidding she wasn’t showing like I was. I don’t think people realize that these comments, while meant in jest (not everyone can be that mean-spirited), can really cut to the heart of a women’s self esteem, especially if it’s a rough day or even if she’s having a tough time dealing with the many changes in her body.
Joy recently posted..Safe from the floods
It is so unfair to compare sizes between pregnant women. We compare ourselves enough as it is. I know that one of the reasons I feel so big is because one of my co-workers is also pregnant and due only a month after me. She is naturally tall and slender and this is her first. If I saw her walking down the street, I wouldn’t automatically assume she was pregnant still. But I am pretty sure she is also comparing herself to me – feeling guilty for feeling out of breath or uncomfortable because she still doesn’t look very “big”. The point is, we’re doing enough comparing for ourselves. Everyone’s pregnancy is different and it certainly isn’t helpful AT ALL to go up to a pregnant woman and compare her to someone else.
Laura recently posted..Not So Long Now
This baby is pushing out on you! You look like all belly :) April will be here before you know it!
Natalie recently posted..Recipe#3-Roasted Pork Loin
Seriously, right? I am thankful I was quite big with Cameron too otherwise I would be worried about birthing this child! :)
Laura recently posted..I Was Home – Faces of a Family