I’m fast approaching the 35 week mark of this pregnancy. Let me remind you that my labor with Wesley started at 36 weeks and 4 days. But also let me remind you that he only weighed 3 lbs 15 oz at birth. I had no idea how spoiled I was to carry such a small baby until now. The baby girl inside my belly must be more of a regular baby. Here’s why I think so.

A) I feel her A LOT.

I remember that when Wes was born and we learned he has Down syndrome the nurses wanted to know if I had felt him “normally” in the womb. I didn’t know how to answer that because he was my first pregnancy. I felt Wes move in the womb, sure. I felt him hiccuping frequently. But it was nothing compared to what I’m feeling with this kid inside me now. She moves frequently–so frequently that I find myself thinking to her, “You know that once you’re living with us you have to sleep sometimes, right? RIGHT?!” She is quiet sometimes, but she sure seems to move a lot. Every time I’m awake at night she seems to be, too.

B) Her movements make me uncomfortable in a way I never was with Wesley.

I find myself shifting around a lot, trying to get her to stop moving, or to at least make it less uncomfortable for me. She pushes against my rib cage, my bladder, and my lower back all. the. time. My lower back is constantly sore. If John even accidentally brushes his hand somewhere near my lower back I can’t help but say, “Oooooh, pleeeeease, push against my tailbone. Pleeeeeeease.” The counter pressure is nice. The only way my lower back feels better is if I’m on all fours with my hips in the air. (Not really a convenient position to be in very often.)

I can’t help but think about the next five weeks and wondering, is it truly necessary for the baby to get much bigger? She seems strong and healthy to me as she is. Maybe we can have it over with by 36 weeks like we did with Wes?

I realize I just entered the category of “pregnant women who whine.” Or maybe just “pregnant women.” Because I think it’s fair to suppose most pregnant women, amid their joyful anticipation, experience a few inconveniences that elicit some complaints too.

And don’t even get me started on varicose veins.

But I guess this is one way to make me feel over-the-top ready for the baby to come when she’s ready to. I hope we’re ready when she is.

A ship under sail and a big-bellied woman,
Are the handsomest two things that can be seen common.
~ Benjamin Franklin

So it’s probably about time I made mention of The Pregnancy.

I don’t have any pictures of me pregnant with Wes between weeks 26 and 36 (when he was born). So this is me today, at 29 1/2 weeks pregnant. This means I’m about three-quarters done.

I still teach aerobics three times per week. During the first four months of pregnancy I taught six to seven hours a week, and my body loved it (except I was tired a lot). Now that it’s only three times per week my stamina is actually worse, so I’m trying to attend additional classes to pick up the slack. Wouldn’t you think the body would appreciate a break from the exercise? But no, the body loves the stimulation, needs the endorphins.

One reason I cut back on classes was so I could sleep more (I was getting up early for 6 a.m. classes). But sleep still eludes me most nights. I remember this about being pregnant with Wesley; often I’d end up on the couch downstairs watching the super early morning news shows at 2, 3, and 4 a.m. Now I just try to lie in bed and go back to sleep, but sometimes it takes 2+ hours. It’s frustrating, now that it’s summer, to see the darkness brightening outside and to hear birds singing good morning when it’s scarcely 5 a.m. and I’ve been awake for two hours and desperately want to go back to sleep.

I’m pretty sure I’m picking up more weight with this pregnancy. That’s due either to A) the fact that I eat whatever I want even when it’s not really a good idea, or B) this baby is bigger than Wesley was. It’s probably a combination of the two. Wes was only 3 lbs 15 oz at birth (born at 36 weeks 5 days), and according to What to Expect When You’re Expecting, my current baby (29 weeks) is supposed to be almost 3 lbs already.

I think by this point in my pregnancy with Wes I was seriously into nesting. About a month before he was born I recall visiting Babies R Us three or four days in a row during my lunch break. I was so particular about making sure we had everything we needed to take care of him once he came. And that it all matched, or at least color-coordinated.

This time around, the only thing I’ve done so far that even vaguely resembles nesting is eying up the baby girl clothes at Wal-Mart on my way to the dairy section. I think I’ll like having frilly dresses in the baby’s wardrobe, and I admit that the other day I lusted after some sage green Mary Jane baby booties. The actual nesting will have to wait until we’re done with the basement. Then I can set up the baby’s room, move Wes to his Big Boy room with a Big Boy toddler bed, and pull out Wesley’s old baby clothes and get all nostalgic as I hang them in the new baby’s closet.

This time we’ll see if the baby comes early like Wes did, or decides to go full term. Wes came when he was ready to come, and I guess this one will too. Hopefully we’ll be ready.

A baby sister for Wes come August.