Life Lessons & other things I have learned from pregnancy

* listen to advice. think about it, and then decide for yourself whether or not it is something to act on.
* on that same thought - when you are told something, consider the source in which it is coming from. just because someone says things happen a certain way, doesn't mean they do. i had someone tell me that you can't tie your shoes when you are pregnant. i am 7.5 weeks away from my due date and can still touch my toes - and yes, i can still tie my shoes too.
* no matter how much you try, no matter how air-tight your argument is or how valid your point may be, some people cannot be reasoned with.
* chose your battles wisely. some issues are worth addressing, while others are not.
* the world is full of people who are paid not to think - like those who work for insurance companies and business offices. far too often, just because they say the answer is "no" doesn't mean that it really is. it just means that they don't know. don't be afraid to challenge them on this. it's your money, not theirs.
* ignore people who have nothing nice to say, and seem to be determined to deflate your hopes.
* if you are pregnant during the flu season, get a flu shot. that was one of the smartest things i've done during pregnancy, and it saved me from getting sick at least twice (excluding the last two weeks that i was sick - which was one of the most miserable experiences of my pregnancy, specifically because there was very little medication that i was permitted to take)
* true friends are willing to work through a conflict, or at least overlook a conflict that may come up in the friendship. those who cut you off, are not worth keeping.
* if you have plans to become pregnant in the near future, and have maternity coverage with your insurance, make it a point to know your coverage backwards and forwards. make sure that you know exactly what it covers. and then explore other options for coverage outside of your insurance. believe it or not we would have been better off NOT having maternity coverage with our insurance because there are so many other programs available that will cover all or most of your maternity costs if you do not have maternity coverage with your insurance. over the last couple of years, we put far more money into our insurance coverage for maternity than they are willing to cover. So after the baby is born, we will probably drop our maternity coverage and go a different route next time.

You are more than welcome to add your own lessons learned through pregnancy if you would like.

As far as the pregnancy update goes, I've experienced a couple of things lately - I think I have lost my mind. Some days are good, while others are just plain terrible. I spent Thursday through Saturday in a daze. I cannot even begin to elaborate the extent of my mental fogginess. It was terrible. I had the hardest time keeping track of what I was doing, and remembering what I needed to do. On Friday I went grocery shopping and spent half of my time circling the store and retracing my steps, because I would repeatedly forget to pick up and item from that part of the store. So frustrating. I've also increased ability to randomly drop things (like my cell phone - i really hope my cell phone makes it to the end of this pregnancy), or spill things. It seems that I am constantly forgetting to hold up my cup when it has liquid inside - like water...or orange juice. It's really bad. It seems that my baby has been sucking up my brain juice.

Speaking of the baby, it seems that he is becoming more and more particular these days, specifically when it comes to the position that I sit, recline, or lay. If I slightly off-centered, he will kick and squirm until I reposition myself. He also doesn't enjoy when I wear pants with the panels that cover most of your belly. He kicks at the elastic all day long until I change my pants at the end of the day. And frequently when I am trying to sleep, he will wiggle and squirm until I am no longer able to sleep and forced to get up. (My child is waking me up and he hasn't even come out yet!) I have a feeling that this baby is going to be a highly opinionated child.

And I have recently realized that I've been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions (pre-labor contractions that start after about 20 weeks that prepare your body for birth). But the funny thing is that I didn't realize what they were. Last week late at night, I kept having a pinching feeling in the lower part of my belly that seemed to come every couple of minutes. I was a little confused about this whole thing, but because I was so tired, I went to bed. I had a couple more of those pinching feelings, but they stopped after I layed down. The next morning I called the doctor to ask about those pinching feelings. After a series of questions, she was able to determine that they were in fact, Braxton Hicks contractions. I was like "OH! Man that explains a LOT!" Apparently I've had them for at least a couple of weeks, but didn't realize it. I thought when you had Braxton Hicks, that you would feel your whole torso contract - not nessicarily the case, so I learned. I laughed for a while after that. Sometimes I just amuse myself.