Pregnancy #2, in which things get real

{We found out we were having a girl on Valentines Day - so pink cookies were easy to find.}

I love birthy topics, talking to pregnant ladies abouttheir birth stories and pregnancy experiences, all things birth related really. Some of this stems from what a great 9 months I had the first time around. I mean, there was the heart burn and the terrible months of July and August where any amount of clothing in this Southern humid air was instantly drenched in sweat, but for the most part I loved being pregnant with Becks. This time around, I am having a different experience altogether.
At about week 21 I was pretty much done, ready for my baby girl to be here, ready to have possession of my body once again. For those of you who aren't used to the 40 week scenario - that's about half way though. I won't complain too much, but from the moment of conception this pregnancy has put my allergies into high gear, something that apparently happens to some women and is officially called prenatal rhinitis. At this point it's been 29 weeks of nonstop sneezing and runny noses.

One thing people don't tell you very often is that the last trimester of pregnancy gives you a glimpse at what your geriatric days will feel like. I groan when getting up from or getting into most positions, my bones and muscles ache and I regularly pee myself a little when coughing, sneezing or laughing too hard.

I've decide a few things have contributed to my nonplussed attitude towards this pregnancy - having a toddler prevents me from napping much or sleeping in as often as I did the first time around. And while I would never trade in the 2 years that Beckett nursed, the last pregnancy was kicking off a long period in which my body, even after Beck's birth, was still not my own. So instead being at the beginning of an exciting journey, I'm at the half way point and I'm feeling a little homesick and worn out.

So here are some things I'm doing to get through this last trimester with my spirit in tact:

• Take long showers - it makes me happy and it's an indulgence because I know it's not good for the environment or our pocket book.
• Drink a cup a day - my first time around I had a cup a week, now with more demands on my time and energy, I allow myself one cup of coffee a day.
• Ask for foot rubs - I am lucky in that my husband offers these up pretty often, but if he doesn't and I'm feeling like I need a little pampering  I just ask. He has never refused me.
• Enjoy a glass of wine - so not doctor recommended, but very seldom,  usually when we have friends over, I will have a half a glass of red wine. Women in Europe do it and a whole continent can't be wrong.

There are, of course, things that are great about pregnancy number 2, like knowing that most every thing that made me worry the last time around is totally normal and not having too much anxiety about labor. We're much more prepared. I will not be packing my hospital bag in between contractions this time, that's for sure.

However, for now it's 29 weeks and counting until I have another birth story to share with all my birthy friends.

(You can read the first one here - Part 1 and Part 2)