34 Weeks

I feel bad coming out and saying it, but I think you have all been replaced.

I still read your blogs and am inspired by all your running, but I have to admit, not running for 26 weeks has made it difficult to read about it. Not only because I am extremely jealous, but also because I have just kind of lost interest in it. It's hard to admit, but in a way I am enjoying the mental and physical break. I mean, I hate the fact that I haven't been able to do it for so long and hate that it's going to SUCK when I try to start up again, but in a way, I love that it's just one other thing I don't have to check off my list of things to do.

Especially when I am less than 6 weeks (hopefully) from having my first child and obsessing over all the things that I still have to learn: pain coping during natural childbirth, pros and cons of interventions, breastfeeding, vaccinations, what to do with a baby when she actually gets here, what to pack in a diaper bag, what to pack in a hospital bag, what the numbers on diaper boxes mean (I thought the 1, 2 and 3 were for ages, much to the amusement of my co-working mamas). Go ahead and laugh at me, it's fine.

I'm TOTALLY clueless I tell you and lately it seems, I clueless about EVERYTHING. And no matter how much time I have left, it will never be enough time to learn all the things I feel I still need to learn. I still have about 2-3 books I want to get through and everyday I find a new, fascinating website that provides more information than anyone could ever possibly need to know.

But I have to admit, the one thing that has been taking up most of my time the past few weeks has not been educating myself on pregnancy, childbirth and parenting. It's about something much more important...

NURSERIES!!!

OK, so decorating a nursery is obviously NOT more important than those other things, but when you are deep into the "nesting like a mofo" chapter of your pregnancy, cleaning and organizing the house and getting the nursery all set up and ready (even if it's still 6 weeks before your due date) seems like the ONLY THNG THAT MATTERS RIGHT NOW!!

So, that's what I've been doing the past two weeks. Lots of nesting, decorating, cleaning, shopping ("YES JEREMY, WE NEED TO HAVE A BOX OF DIAPERS AND BABY TYLENOL IN THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW, JUST IN CASE") and obsessing. And in the course of all my googling nurseries online, I have found some pretty amazing blogs out there from super-creative moms and the amazing spaces they have created for their little bundles of joy.

So there you have it. You have been replaced with blogs on nurseries, pregnancy, child-rearing and baby craft projects. Never thought I would be that girl, but I am.

Don't worry though. I'll be back to obsessing over Gu flavors, running shoes, weather.com and 20 milers again in no time. I've already got the Philadelphia Distance Run and Marathon on my radar in the fall. :)

Other than that, things at 34 weeks are good. I'm slowing down, but still feel alright. I'm much more tired and feel like I have grown SO much in the past two weeks. Actually. I know I have since I suddenly gained 3lbs in the past week. This makes for a grand total of 28lbs so far. Not so bad, but the sudden growth spurts do tend to hurt a bit and I'm starting to notice a few more aches and pains.

For example, when I get up any of the 32 times a day I have to walk to the bathroom from my office, I actually have begun to waddle a little because it feels like my pelvic bones have spread apart while I've been sitting there. I can't believe I'm a waddler. People actually laugh at me as I walk by their desks. Sigh.

Thursday night, I had my 34 week appointment and everything was great. Bean is measuring perfectly and her heartbeat is strong. Her noggin is down and her feet are up, already making mama proud. Keep up the good work Bean!

Finally, tomorrow, Jeremy and I have our childbirth class. We signed up for an amazing, one-day intensive Birthworks class at the Maternal Wellness Center that is literally a 5 minute stroll from our house. Very convenient and I love the fact that we do not have to spend 3-8 weeks taking a class. My midwife assured us we will get all the information we need about of the one day, 4.5 hour course as we would the one that spans a few weeks. I'm really looking forward to the class and am excited and nervous in a way to see how J reacts to it.

I'm sure as soon as we leave the class, the obsessing over the nursery will quickly change back to obsessing over birthing. After all the research I have done, I am fully committed to having a natural childbirth, but get many, many, many fleeting thoughts about how difficult and painful it is going to be to push a human out of my body.

Of course. I run marathons. It shouldn't hurt that much, right? ;)

Don't worry. I am fully aware of how that statement is going to come back to bite me in the ass.