Waiting on Baby Ellie

I am one week away from my due date and it's officially a waiting game. We are so ready for Ellie to be here and it seems the more excited we have become, the longer it is taking for her to get here. She seems to be just as stubborn as her parents. She is obviously very comfortable where she is and is making no immediate plans to move! I am driving Ryan crazy asking him at least 10 times a day, "When do you think she's going to come?" to which he replies, "I DON"T KNOW!" We can't wait to see her and see what she looks like and to hold her. But realistically....I am tired of being pregnant!

Everyone said that I would reach that point, and they were right! In the beginning the doctor gives you an "estimate" of how much weight you should gain over the course of the pregnancy.....what a JOKE! In my opinion, that estimate is an evil plot to make you feel as bad about yourself as possible. Here you have a professional telling you "you really don't want to gain more than "x" amount of weight, but don't diet." WHAT????!!!!! As someone who has always watched her weight and excercised regularly, this tremendous weight gain has been quite difficult to handle. Making it seem even worse, is my "Your Pregnancy Week by Week" book, which for the past 2 weeks has said that at this point I probably won't gain any more weight..... What delusional person wrote this, I don't know! But during this time where I shouldn't be gaining anymore weight, I have gained the most weight so far! Lovely. The statement, "You may notice some swelling" is like saying, "if you jump off a building, you might come in contact with the ground!" I look like the Michelin Man! (and I am not kidding). This was confirmed yesterday when I went to Mamaw's for lunch and no sooner had I stepped foot into the house, Emma, Sam and Mamaw all started dying laughing at me! Then at the table it became a fun game to mash fingers into my feet to see the imprint that is left because of all the water retention. I am so over this!

As if being depressed by my enormous body wasn't enough, seemingly simple tasks that were once taken for granted, have become quite difficult in these last few days. For example, tying my shoes...not a big deal right? WRONG! This task became a problem as I was shopping in Target the other day. I looked down to notice my shoes had come untied. So I attempted to bend down and tie them. No such luck. I couldn't reach my feet by bending over and realized the only way I was going to be able to tie them was if I could sit down and bring my foot to me. Not a problem right? WRONG! Because herein lies another task that is taken for granted....being able to get back up once you sit down! I know, from much experience at home that if I sit down, I might not be able to get up without help from Ryan. So there I was in Target walking around with my shoe laces flopping like a 3 year old... and there was nothing I could do about it.

Other tasks that have proven more difficult are things such as:

1. eating at a table without spilling food all over myself. I can't get close enough to the table to prevent it from happening!

2. putting on tights - it's cold out and my Michelin Man legs do not need to be seen, so tights are a necessity. I can't reach my feet so I must lay down on the bed and struggle with all my might to get my foot in the tights. (Ryan is a big fan of this show....he gets a huge laugh out of it! I am so glad I am providing such comic relief!)

3. wearing shoes - My once size 6 foot has now exploded to a size 7-1/2! on a good day!

4. finding something to wear - my maternity clothes which used to be on the baggy side no longer fit....my stomach is so big that the elastic waist squeezes me to death when I sit down. The only relief is to wear my yoga pants and pjs - not a good look at work. Not to mention that my stomach hangs out from underneath my shirts. I am sure I'll sell a lot of houses this way.

5. getting in and out of the car - I basically have to fall into the car. Getting out of the car means I have to grab hold of the steering wheel and door and pull myself back up.

6. going to the bathroom in the middle of the night - having to get up from laying down is the most difficult....gone are the days of relying on stomach muscles to help raise yourself up. I basically have to roll off the bed and pray that my feet hit the floor first.

Please don't be niave and think these are the only tasks that are posing problems. There are many more that do not need to be discussed in polite company. Needless to say, I am very ready to meet my baby and am longing for contractions (or as ryan calls them...contraptions) to start. I know that as soon as the pain begins I'll think I was crazy for praying for them to happen, but I am just trying to keep my eye on the prize!