Things I've learned

Still no baby yet.

I've been getting contractions off and on the last 2 days. But they are pretty inconsistent. Some are really strong and start in my back and work their way to the front, others are just small and usually pretty painless. The timing is way off too. Sometimes they are 10 min apart, others are hours apart.

At least I'm kind of heading in a good direction right?

(38 weeks! Hopefully my last week being pregnant for a while!)

Once I'm done with this post, I'm going to download last weeks "Wait Wait, Don't tell" me radio show to listen to on my iphone and head out for a walk. The nice thing about where I live is that no matter which direction you go in, you have to walk up a hill at some point. I'm thinking hills may do the trick here...

At least, I'm crossing my fingers it does.

See, the truth is that I don't think I could physically make it 2 more weeks until her due date. And I especially couldn't make it another 3 before my induction date if she's late. Yesterday was tough. Bryant and I (well, mostly Bryant) cleaned up the entire apartment and by the time I went to bed, I could barely get back up to use the bathroom. I've never been so sore in my life!

I'm really hoping this weekend is my last as a pregnant woman for a while.

But I can't complain too much here, this whole experience has been a great one and I've learned so much.

So if these are my last few days being pregnant (and I'm praying it is) here are a few things I've learned, and, even though I'm no expert, a few tips I have for those who are newly pregnant or will be someday.

1. "Morning sickness" is not an accurate term. If it was, you would only be sick in the mornings. Unfortunately, it can strike any time of day or night and certain things will set it off. You just have to learn to work around it. For me, I learned fruity kids toothpaste reduced the chances of puking while brushing my teeth, gatorade was easier on my stomach for breakfast instead of milk or juice, and sometimes, that pizza box just needs to go out on the porch for the night because that garlic smell was going to make me ralph.

2. Tums. Keep some next to the bed, in the kitchen, and in your purse. You'll need it.

3. You'll have food aversions just as much as you'll have food cravings. Stick to the foods that work, even if it's the same thing for lunch every day for a week.

4. You'll get a super-human nose and every smell will bother you.

5. Don't watch people eat, or sniffle on the tv, it will make you gag.

6. Invest in a good set of maternity clothes. I thought t-shirts, skirts and leggings would last my whole pregnancy. They don't

7. Speaking of maternity clothes, invest in a belly band. No one tells you, but there will be a point where you no longer fit into your regular jeans, but you're not big enough to fit into your maternity ones yet. The belly band lets you hide the fact that your pants are unbuttoned and unzipped, and they allow you to wear your maternity pants a little sooner. So worth it.

8. Everyone is going to give you advice. People who have had 10 kids, and people who have never had kids. Listen to it, consider it, be grateful for it, but you can choose to follow it or not. Every mother and every pregnancy is different. Take the advice you want and ignore the stuff you don't.

9. Random people will touch you're belly. Just accept this as a fact of life. If it bothers you, just rub theirs back...

10. Accept help. This was a hard one for me to learn. I have a certain way I like to load the dishwasher, mop the floors, put away groceries, but sometimes I just have to get over the fact that Bryant doesn't put the bowls in the right side of the dishwasher rack and just be grateful for a moment to sit and enjoy doing nothing.

11. You're going to become bi-polar some days. Just keep the phrase "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to say that, I'm just hormonal" on hand at all times.

12. Some people get stretch marks, others don't. It's just genetics so don't get upset over them. Wear them proudly as a badge of motherhood.

13. Research, research, research! The more you learn about what to expect during pregnancy, the more comfortable you'll be with it. So when you wake up and your feet resemble the stay-puff marshmallow man, you won't panic.

14. Pregnancy is rough and uncomfortable, but enjoy it. 9 months is nothing compared to the satisfaction I get from knowing I will be a mother for the rest of my life!