the cliche'

It's official... I have become the stereotypical pregnant woman. At long last, I not only look but also FEEL undeniably pregnant, and it's been more than a week since my last "I feel just like my non-pregnant self" moment.



The evidence-

~ I need to pee every 45 minutes (or less!), regardless of when or how much I drink;

~ I am exhausted, but not just from a lack of sleep;

~ On a good night, I can sleep for about 3 hours at a stretch before some ache or pain has me rearranging all the pillows (and making the trip to the bathroom, since as soon as I am awake, I again need to pee);

~ My ankles, the only skinny part of my body, have begun to swell. Not yet to the point of the dreaded 'cankles,' but I can barely make out my ankle bones today. My feet are following suit, too;

~ I am thicker than I am wide, so when I turn sideways to get out of someone's way, I end up more in the way than before I turned;

~ My BE band is back on permanent wardrobe rotation. The waistbands of my beloved yoga pants won't stay up without it, and I need something to block the draft on my otherwise-exposed underbelly (that part that's "covered" by my tented shirt, but in the open air as seen from below).

So, yes, here I am at 34 weeks and I finally, truly feel pregnant in all the glorious ways I imagined. I'm happy to report that I have no 3rd-trimester nausea or heartburn (yet... knock-on-wood), but I do feel quite large and I routinely bump into walls, doorways, and countertops with the belly.

AND- out in public, for the first time, a complete stranger asked me when I'm due. Luckily, no strangers have attempted to touch the belly, but I walk with a fist cocked and ready-to-go, just in case. :-)