The Beginning of the End

Last night while reading the week by week pregnancy book, part of our Friday night routine, we learned this week (27) is the start of the third trimester. We have just 3 short months until the sleepless nights, smelly diapers, and nearly housebound days and nights (packing a diaper bag can be a form of incarceration, you know). It's strange to think that the pregnancy is coming into the home stretch. Our prenatal appointments are now every two weeks and I am still batting a thousand in going to the appointments (you can imagine it is easy to leave work early). Our next appointment on March 17 is our third ultrasound and we should get a verification that everything is going well. Of course, we have not been worrying too much because we have an abundance reminders that the baby is healthy and good.... the constant kicks.

Tif has been going through a series of tight tummies followed soon after by a bigger tummy. Each time, the baby is in kick mode. This week while we were watching TV, I was laying next to the tummy. After about 20 minutes, I was annoyed. Most were huge kicks and I cannot believe Tif is putting up with this all the time. When I look at the belly moving, I am reminded of the scene from Alien, or the better parody scene from Spaceballs, with the alien coming out of the stomach. I think the only thing that keeps Tif sane is her trust in the anti-stretch mark lotion she religiously smears on every day. Despite the annoying kicks, Sierra didn't have a problem last week when she had her head on the bump.

Also as we round the home stretch, I look back on the last six months and the anxiety levels. I remember a couple of years ago when I was shopping for my nephew in Target's baby section, Tif would not go into the aisles at all. It was like a kid trying to push the wrong ends of magnets together. A couple months ago, when we found out we were pregnant, Tif was as willing to go through the baby section as she was to get her last flu shot. Last night, as part of our weekly Friday night routine, we were in Target walking past the baby section. When I asked Tif if she wanted to look at the baby stuff, I got an upbeat "Yeah!" Although we are still refraining from buying anything.