i have learnt

Image: I am fertile by Ana Ventura

I haven't really spoken much here about being pregnant. And with only a matter of weeks to go I thought it might be time for a catch-up post.

Things I've learnt:
- Considering how terrified I was about pregnancy, I count my blessings every day at what an easy, blissful one I've had. This has taught me to start being more positive (rather than shit-scared) about the next bits.

- I've learnt that I can no longer refer to myself as a girl. "Pregnant girl" sounds all sorts of wrong. I have learnt to refer to myself as a woman. Hehehe, still sounds funny though.

- I've learnt other women with young children are out-of-their-minds excited about babies, and can barely stop themselves talking about birth, spew, poo, sleepless nights, household mess, etc etc, for hours on end, all with some type of mysterious glee in their eyes.

- I've also learnt that as soon as you mention you're pregnant, these same women can't wait until the baby arrives to talk about these topics of conversation. They jump in right away. What they don't remember / don't realise, is that I will have the rest of my life to talk about all that stuff. Right now I only have a few weeks of normal life left to talk about normal things. I just want to make the most of that.

- I have learnt that everyone wants to come and visit in these last few weeks. I'm happy to see everyone, but am absolutely exhausted by the constant stream of visitors. And am getting further and further behind in my work (that I had been hoping to have all finish by now). I'm actually considering escaping by leaving my own house for a few days, just to get a rest from all the visits.

- However, I have also learnt that everyone is SO excited for us, and have been unbelievably generous towards us. This has been amazing!

- I have learnt that pushing a full shopping trolley is one of the hardest things for an already overloaded pregnant body.

- I have learnt that being short, people can't see your giant belly behind the trolley, and very few people get out of your way or offer to help you push it up the carpark ramp.

- However, when there isn't a trolley and the belly is obvious, other women in the general public will give you the nicest smiles.

- Despite Mr You regularly referring to the baby-bump as "you big karate poo", I watched him absolutely melt when we visited the neonatal-nursery (with teeeeny weeeny babies in there) during a recent tour of the hospitals' birth centre.
While we are both very scared about how we are going to cope as parents, and how we will manage getting used to such a different lifestyle, it is clear to me he is going to love every minute of it more than anything in the world. I have learnt that this is the single most reassuring thing for me.

- Recently during a yoga class, while meditating and being prompted to try to listen to our heart beating, I realised I currently have two hearts. ♥♥

- Mr You then realised I may also have a penis. Many jokes followed.