Hiccup!

After a minor freakout, I realized everything is just fine.

I was just lying in bed talking to C. before he fell asleep, and we were talking about the baby. I told him how much I love feeling him move, walking around with him all day, spending time with him whenever I want. This is the one thing I'll miss about being pregnant.

After C. dozed off, I thought to myself that I didn't remember the little guy moving since about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Just then, I started pushing on my stomach, feeling a little heel, or perhaps a shoulder down low. Nothing. I laid still. Nothing. I took a giant swig of cold water. Nothing.

Then, a move! I checked my watch. 12:37 a.m. Let the kick count begin.

But this wasn't kicking. It was a dose of hiccups. And he had them for eight minutes! Just then I giggled to myself. While I'm on the outside smiling, thanking him for the little cue that everything is OK, I imagined him having a lazy day inside, waking up long enough just to have mom give him the hiccups!

P.S. And as I write this, he's doing his own variation on the crocodile death roll, giving me a cramp or two in the process. He's probably just getting me back for waking him.

Little ol' me

I had a friend ask about me tonight. Not the baby. Not the weather. Not work.

Me.

A few weeks ago, I began to grow tired of the constant pregnancy questions. People greet me with "How are you feeling?" And it's a sympathetic question. "How is the baby?" That one is all excitement. I realize these are all great questions, but when I field many of the same questions every day, it wears on me a bit. At one point, I wondered if anyone could think about anything but this pregnancy.

G. is planning a wedding and told me it's the same with her. People ask about the plans. The dress. The details. Then I realized I am so guilty of this, too.

In an effort to talk about what's new and current, I inevitably fall back on that. I did it with another friend today who also is planning a wedding.

But what I remembered is my friends and I are not just interested in each other's lives. We're not just consumed with what's happening now. We genuinely care about each other. And how we are feeling. How we are doing. How we are living.

Sure, I'm pregnant. Sure, she's planning a wedding. But a year from now, I won't be pregnant and she won't be planning a wedding. I'm positive we'll have plenty to talk about then.

P.S. And if you worry that I'm the least bit thrilled with my pregnancy and my baby, don't. I am doing cartwheels (in my head)! Every time I feel movement, I smile to myself. This is something I have wanted for as long as I can remember, and I simply cannot wait to be a parent!!

Cafe preggers

I read this in a Baby Talk magazine last year when I was pregnant, but it's all starting to make sense to me now. And for those of you thinking it's a bit exaggerated, let me assure you it's not. (I'm slowly realizing there's not enough room in there for dessert all the time!)

Cafe Preggers
First Trimester Menu
Appetizer
Tums compote
Entree
Fresh saltines on a bed of saltines, lightly seasoned with saltines
Beverage
Ginger ale (IV drip available upon request)
Dessert
10 minutes in a dim room with an ice bag on your head

Second Trimester Menu
Appetizer
Half a roast chicken, extra crispy
Entree*
A succulent leg of lamb smothered in pork chops, served with BBQ ribs and garnished with cheeseburgers (all burnt beyond recognition for your safety)
Beverage
Toll House pie smoothie, prepared with 1/2 pint heavy cream
Dessert
9-by-16-inch pan of double-fudge brownies

Third Trimester Menu
(Each course followed by 15-minute neck massage and/or bathroom break)
Appetizer
Three bites of tossed salad
Entree
Two bites of lasagna
Beverage
None, so you'll have room for dessert
Dessert
A Tic Tac

* Double portions available if you're expecting twins