It's Not Labor, It's Pregnancy

35 weeks and 5 days.

I feel like I am pregnant for the first time all over again. When I was pregnant with Ava, she came so early that I never had the opportunity to experience all of those late-pregnancy symptoms. And until now it didn't really occur to me that the reason I've been feeling like crap is probably because I'm nearly 36 weeks pregnant and carrying a 5+ pound human being in my abdomen who likes to stretch out to the furthest confines of my rib cage. I just keep blaming my irritable uterus. My stomach is in my throat, or at least it feels like it is. My intestines have stuffed themselves into a 2-inch-square space where my stomach used to be. It's no wonder I end each day with two Tums and a glass of Metamucil. But I'm not complaining... I'm just trying to convince myself that every cramp or pressure is no reason to freak out. It's not labor, it's pregnancy. So I'm learning to cope. Today, I ate a snack every 2 hours instead of three meals, and tonight, I'm not crampy or feeling like I am going to explode.

Baby has been very active today. So active that I wouldn't doubt it if he flipped himself back to breech again. I hope not, but it really wouldn't surprise me. On the positive side, it's great that he's so active. I love feeling him wriggle around inside me. It's one of the very few things I will miss about being pregnant. I have never been one of those pregnant women who can tell what body part is poking me, but it doesn't matter. I'm just the proud mommy who's happy to be poked!

I pre-ordered birth announcements today so that I can get the envelopes early and (hopefully) get them addressed before the baby arrives.