Big, Round Thoughts

As Tempest repeatedly kicks the iPad, I am forced to finally recognize that I am now officially bulbous. Not "oh my god, how much longer" bulbous, but my tummy is noticeably round and sticks out past my not-inconsiderable chest. I can't use it as a dinner table yet, but I am resting my wrists on it as I type, and the iPad is resting on it, leaning against my thighs.

It is becoming a strain to bend down to pull on my socks or tie my sneakers. I am determined, however, to continue to prove to my fellow preggosaurs that it can be done without assistance right up through delivery day. I did it with Pooka and WiggleWorm; I will do it with Tempest. I do not need Hubs to do my shoes for me. I will admit that I need him to help me reach high shelves that I can normally get at without a belly, but since the bulbous mass does get in the way, it limits my reach.

I had a chat with my grandmother earlier today that got me thinking. She told me, when Pooka and I arrived, that she didn't want me doing a bunch of housework when I got here. I asked her later on if she had done much sitting around when she was pregnant in her thirties. Of course she didn't. She was a registered nurse who worked nights at her local hospital and tended the kids before and after school when she wasn't at work. So why, when I am 33 and pregnant, should I do any differently? (Little does she know that I tend to do more than she thinks I do while she and Grampy are away at church on Saturday evenings. Muahahaha!) I have to wonder where this attitude of "sit and rest" came from. My OB when I was pregnant with Pooka said to maintain my pre-pregnancy activity level throughout the gestational period. Dr. Badass seems to agree, so long as the pregnancy remains low-risk. It's a strange attitude that has pervaded the layperson's culture.

Anyway: I made marinated lamb chops for dinner tonight. I have come to the conclusion that wrapping individual pieces of meat in aluminum foil with a little bit of marinade or oil, then baking for 30-40 minutes at 450 degrees, is the best way to cook meat... EVER. It comes out moist and juicy and is a hundred times easier than trying to watch it in a pan on the stove. We also had steamed asparagus and potato and cheddar pierogi. The grandparents approved. I win.