A Pause During Pregnancy

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY PRE-PREGNANCY LIFE

1.  Diet Coke – I’m sure that I could have some in moderation, but I read somewhere a long time ago that they didn’t know how the sweetener in diet drinks effected babies and so I have steered clear.  But, oh how I miss them.  I think they miss me, too.

2.  My feet – I know they are still down there, but its been a while since I’ve seen them.  I hope they are doing okay.

3.  Spicy tuna rolls – I have been eating sushi while I’m pregnant, but only the vegetarian kind or the shrimp tempora, since the shrimp is cooked.  But my absolute favorite are spicy tuna rolls.  I miss them terribly.  I usually sneak one bite when we are having sushi (sure, I’m deathly afraid of drinking Diet Coke, but I’ll down raw fish in a millisecond.  I know, it makes no sense…), but I long for a big roll all to myself.

4.  My big chunky jewelry – I love big jewelry.  Necklaces, earrings.  All of it.  But when you are huge, the last thing you want to do is add MORE big, chunky things to your appearance.

5.  Shoelaces – I can’t get down to them, so I’ve been wearing slip on shoes instead.  But I miss my tennis shoes.  And their laces.

6.  Sleeping on my stomach – Ahhh…..  Let me just relish that thought for a minute….  So good….

7.  Pants with buttons – My maternity pants keep falling down because of that stupid elastic waistband.  I can’t wait to put on a pair of my real jeans with real buttons and real zippers.  Sometimes I catch myself staring at women’s crotches in total jealousy of their buttons.  I’m really making an effort to stop doing that.

8.  Clothes sizes – Normal clothes are measured in numbers (4, 6, 10, 12…).  Maternity clothes are measured in statements (medium, large, X-large, you-are-freaking-huge-large).  I’m ready for the non-judgmental numbers again.

THINGS I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT DURING MY PREGNANCY

1.  Tummy Butter – As big as I am, I do not have ONE stretch mark yet.  Not one.  And I owe it all to Palmer’s Tummy Butter.  I hate the way it smells (like sour vanilla, if you ask me), but it does wonders on the belly.

2.  A heating pad – You aren’t really supposed to get your body temperature too high when you’re preggo, but nothing soothes my sore back like a heating pad.  I keep it on low and I don’t use it for very long.  But when you stretch out in bed at the end of the day (that’s when my back hurts the most), nothing feels better than a little bit of heat to soothe those muscles.

3.  My Boppy Pregnancy Wedge Pillow – This pillow wedges under your belly and helps keep it level while you are sleeping.  It is so helpful and keeps me from hurting my back even more.  Although, its kind of hard when you roll over in the middle of the night because you have to drag your wedge pillow with you.  I’ve knocked Chris with it so many times…

4.  Strawberries – I eat ’em every day, all day, in everything.  And if its not an actual strawberry I’m eating, its a strawberry flavored something.  I so wish I had craved chocolate or something decadent, but I’m all about the strawberries.

5.  Chris – Everyone should have a Chris when they are pregnant.  He’s a foot rubber, back rubber, heating pad adjuster, dinner cooker, trash taker outer, clean upper, dish washer, heavy things carrier, compliment giver, and stud muffin all rolled into one.