32w5d: Pieces of news

Things have been pretty quiet here since the shower.  Cass stayed until today and kept me company.  On Monday we went to a shopping area nearby and I tried to get some exercise.  I walked up and down one street, stopping in a few stores, and I was exhausted!  After going one way, we went into Williams-Sonoma and I threw myself into a chair (a display chair? Who cares, I didn't break it).  An employee came and asked if I was ok or if I needed any water.  I said I was fine and just needed to rest.  She came by again and asked when I was due.  "Any day now?"  I told her it was twins, which people seem to take as a good explanation for why I am so large.  The employee was 29 weeks pregnant and had a very cute little bump.  Today Cass and I went to a bridal consignment store nearby and Cass found a beautiful wedding dress for her wedding in October.  It's a very romantic dress, a trumpet silhouette with lace and a train.  Cass looked beautiful.  I was glad to be a part of her wedding planning since we live in different states, and I thought between bedrest and the babies on the way, I would not get to be involved.

I am certainly enjoying being out, and it does make the days pass more quickly.  Unfortunately, in the back of my mind, I am still afraid something will go wrong, and my activity will put me in labor.  Every time I go out or am walking, I feel like I am extra-sensitive to any feelings of pressure.  Strangely, I almost never contract when I am out and about!  I think that I have spent so long being worried that I will go into pre-term labor, it is hard to accept that I might be somewhat stable and that doing previously-forbidden activities might be safe. 

At other moments I think, "Oh my goodness, I am going to be 33 weeks on Thursday!" and am so surprised and excited at how far I've come.  If I make my goal of 36 weeks, that means 3 weeks from Thursday (not that my uterus will get the message to go into labor exactly when I want it to).  That is really not much time.  At these moments I feel relieved and excited.

I get tired out from my activities.  My stamina is nowhere near what it was!  I am glad there is not much time left in the pregnancy because I am quite large and not entirely comfortable when I am up and about.  In 1 week and 2 days, I will be able to do whatever I want, that's hard to fathom, but I expect that I will be really tired when that happens!

In news, I returned Max and Ian to their rightful parents.  I miss their little faces and all their snuggles!  But I think Eric and I are both sleeping better at night without them fighting on the bed, or crawling under the duvet to nibble at us.  Since they left, Peanut has become very affectionate, as you can see in today's picture.  He likes to sleep on my belly while I'm on my side (which I usually am if I'm home).  Unfortunately this makes me very hot, and also gives me contractions.  So it is a constant battle where I push or lift him off and he climbs right back on.  I want to give him love and affection, especially in this time we have before the babies arrive, but I really don't think it's a good idea for me to just sit and contract for the sake of a cat's feelings.

Other (good) news is that a friend just got results from her first IVF-- she is pregnant!  I am very excited, we'll have a month of overlap in our pregnancies but my boys have another playmate on the way!  I am always happy when friends' infertility is resolved.  It is still early in the pregnancy and not yet time to buy the onesies, but I am hopeful for her and glad that she is feeling good.

Oh, there is another shower gift that is cute-- my aunt Jane got us two stuffed animals, a rabbit and a lamb.  Which is perfect, because my special animal as a baby/kid/young adult (yes, into puberty) was a stuffed lamb I called Lambie, and Eric's special animal was a stuffed rabbit named Runny Babbit.  I guess history repeats itself!