Pregnancy Rights

Don't worry, this isn't a super-serious post about reproductive rights or anything like that. I just read this article on babycenter.com and thought I would share. Our household has adopted most of these rules already, but occasionally Ben needs reminding about the air conditioning.

10 indisputable rights of pregnant women:
(via Katherine Martin)

1. She shall have the right to drop something and look around pitifully until someone feels bad enough to come along and pick it up. (done it)

2. She has the right to messy toenail polish. This includes the right to get a pedicure to avoid having messy toenail polish. Whether a pregnant woman decides to embrace her right to messy toes or a pedicure is her choice and she shall not be judged. (pedicure scheduled for today)

3. She has the right to spill food on her belly without being mocked. (do it all the time!)

4. She has the right to lay claim to any food in the house. All others shall assume the last piece of pie or the last serving of cereal has been claimed by this right unless told otherwise. (Ben tends to save the last piece for me anyway)

5. She has the right to waddle. Anyone in the presence of her waddling is restricted from laughing or gawking at said waddling. (been doing)

6. She has the right to claim “pregnancy brain” at any time. (done...more than I would like to admit)

7. She has the right to moan, groan or grunt when getting out of a chair, rolling over in bed, putting on her shoes or doing any activity that requires shifting her weight. (or whine when my belly hurts)

8. She has the right to claim flip-flops as appropriate footwear under any circumstance. (haven't been able to do this as much as I normally do)

9. She has the sole rights to the house’s thermostat. Do not question when she has the AC on and it’s 60 degrees outside or if she has the windows open while it’s snowing. Wear extra layers in the house without complaint. (ahem, Ben!)

10. She has the right to talk about being “large” or “huge”, but no one else can claim that right. She is the only person allowed to talk about her size. (aside from Ben's grandmother everyone has been telling me I'm a cute size, thanks goodness!)

And now...packing for a weekend in Meridian for baby shower #3! Wish me luck, I'll be driving ~5 hours by myself this time :(

Wish List

Between the warm weather and my hormones, these past few weeks I've been plagued with acne on my back. I've never had it on my back before and I cannot stop messing with it! Yesterday I asked Ben if he would run a Noxzema pad over it and put some spot zapper on the bad ones. And he doesn't know what to do. He's never even heard of a Noxzema pad before! Oh to have had that adolescence! I (jokingly) told him he was a jerk and I hope our child has his good skin. Which got me thinking about what I hope Whit inherits from each of us:

Umm, are you serious?!

Oh no ma'am, I just cannot do it. No amount of "it's natural" talk will get this image out of my head! And I can just imagine how awkward that photoshoot was. Although on all of Target's website, this chick seemed the most comfortable wearing one of these!

Childbirthing class... and my mini-panic attack

Ahhh, that's better, at least now I know that if I really am crazy, everything will be alright!

Ben and I went to our Childbirthing class weekend extravaganza this past weekend, and it was...

This week... in pictures!

Part of our crazy weather this week included a few days of 90+ degree heat. It was too much for Zoey to deal with.

Don't worry I'm waiting until the birth to crack open that wine bottle!

Who knew the key to getting along with women was being pregnant? I've had so many strangers come up to me and give advice, sympathy or congratulations. Last night at the bookstore I got nauseous and was rubbing my belly looking pained and an older lady says, "I feel your pain! I remember those days. but enjoy them when they're little, they grow up quick!" And funny that the advice I get most often is "enjoy them, they're not little for long." And the advice Ben keeps getting is "everything is about to change." Really, guys? Way to be some Debbie Downers!

That was my Facebook status this morning. And now, I stand corrected. I took one of our dogs to the vet for her annual check-up and shots and the tech that came in for her nearly fell out about me being pregnant. He was a young black guy that was SO excited I was having a baby he honestly had to sit down for a few moments! It was hilarious, and a little odd, and I really didn't know what to do other than smile and laugh with him and listen to his stories.

Mercy the stories! Maybe that's why people love a pregnant woman, it reminds them of when their children were babies and lets them bask in those memories for a moment. Almost every parent I come across wants to tell me about their children or their grandchildren, and the story of their birth, or whatever ailments they went through, or honestly anything! The vet today told me a random story about her accidentally underfeeding her baby when she was nursing because she was (and still is!) a very skinny minnie. It had nothing to do with anything we were talking about, or anything to do with my dog, just a completely random story about nursing.

Not that I mind. Sometimes the stories crack me up, sometimes they give me great relief because either it's letting me know I'm not that different or it distracts me from freaking out. And besides, I've always been a believer in making other people's lives better. Whether that means giving things, money or effort to charity or just listening to people when they feel the need to tell you something. And it's funny, no one has been judgmental or pushy about things. Everyone has been as happy as they can be and any advice they throw out has been mostly valid. The only thing I haven't listened to has been the "oh you can have a *little* wine".

Crazy how as soon as I'm pregnant, that's when everyone wants to give you alcohol. And here I thought if I ordered a glass of wine at seven months pregnant people would dive to slap the glass out of my hand! I'm beginning to wonder if I did order that glass, how many people in the restaurant would just nod their head with a wink!

Almost finished with Round 1 of thank you cards...