Halfway There, Shrimpy

Well, I couldn’t picture a summer without a garden this year, so I bit the bullet, cleaned up the place, got a few plant starts and *poof!* we now have a garden. I’m not going overboard this year, but if all goes well, we’ll have 4 different tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and jalapeno peppers, yellow squash and a variety of lettuces and strawberries. The prep work was actually not that bad and it seems that tending to the garden gets a little bit easier year after year.

On the baby front: Well, with my pregnancy now officially at 20 weeks, we are (give or take) halfway to B-Day (Birth Day). It sounds like crazy talk, considering that I still remember that Friday morning when I took a home pregnancy test like it was yesterday. Needless to say, things now officially seem real. We had our latest ultrasound, which produced some great images of the baby. You can see them all at the link at the top right (Pregnancy Progress Photos) and in one shot in particular, mid-tumble, the baby seriously looks like a little shrimp. Maybe we'll start calling him/her Shrimpy from now on.

My belly continues to inflate, and I’m waiting to see if my belly button will pop like the timer on a Butterball turkey. I also know I’m really pregnant now, because I’ve already had a few people begin their sentences with, “So when are you due?”, without me ever telling them that I was expecting. That gave me some pause to think, but I guess is to be expected. And yes, I’ve had a few folks reach and rub my belly without asking. (I really wouldn’t mind if they just asked first!) Human nature is funny.

We’ve also been busy taking hospital tours, starting birthing classes and yes, even stepping into baby stores for the first time. Though we were worried that it was all going to be overwhelming, we took our sweet time through the stores, and it wasn’t as bad as we expected. Here is our first visit to BRU (Babies R Us). It really wasn’t as terrifying as our faces might lead to believe - we hammed it up a little. Tom had fun testing out the turn radius on strollers.

I’ve been learning the lessons of patience, letting go and constantly listening to my body (and the baby that’s growing inside of it!) I did recently give jogging a try again (very slowly), but unfortunately, it wasn’t really as easy as I had hoped. The rest of my body (legs, arms, lungs) was willing and able, but my abdomen decided to stage a revolt from the pressure, so I decided to switch to swift walking instead. I have, however been starting to take weekly prenatal yoga classes, which have been really wonderful for relaxation, focus and overall stretching. Never have I been in a room with more pregnant women, all at different stages! I plan to continue as long as possible – but hopefully not like the woman who was still attending class, three days after her due date, hoping to help encourage her body into labor! I also hope to give swimming a try, as an alternative way of keeping active and exercising.

Funny, what a difference a few weeks can make, though: Just over a month ago, I ran a fun quarter marathon at a very comfortable pace and felt like a champ…whereas now I feel like it’s too much at a slow jogging pace. Did I get SO out of shape during the month break that I took off? Is it my own mind subconsciously concerned for this baby, not wanting to risk anything to harm him/her? Maybe it ultimately really is Shrimpy telling me to just S-L-O-W things down. Life will be fast enough once November rolls along, and maybe this is my reminder to enjoy each moment as is, without feeling the need to rush through it.

In any case, we’re happy that summer seems to have arrived, and are just enjoying and appreciating the “two-of-us” time right now, since we know November Crazy Time will be here in a blink.