pregnancy 0.9

i don't have a specific theme to talk about this week in regards to pregnancy so here's another general update. these are the things that are at the top of my mind at thirty one weeks:

mat leave | i had an interview last week, and while i have no idea whether or not i'll get the job, the whole process has definitely started a dialogue about mat leave. instead of just assuming i'll be home for six months to a year (a year! really? no not for me i don't think...) jon and i have debated how fast i can go back to work while still being comfortable with the time i've spent at home. that number varies but we've played with four months, three months and even six weeks! it's so hard to guesstimate this type of thing without the sniff being here. the result of these conversations however is the solidification that jon will take pat leave when i decide i want to go back to work. it's pretty great to be dating a modern man, i'll say that much!

ribcage pain | i put this "symptom" near the top because it's totally the worst. it's also hard to explain: it feels like the baby is actually pressing up on my ribcage (though maybe it's actually my stomach and diaphragm). it makes me wish i was five inches taller and that there was such thing as a ribcage massage (that didn't get immediately awkward wink wink;)

heartburn | i call this heartburn and not acid reflux because that's mostly what it feels like. sometimes i'll eat the tamest of things (mashed potatoes! bread!) and for the rest of the day it buuurns. nothing's happening but my throat sort of feels like it's on fire. thank goodness pregnant women are allowed tums :) and then jon comes home and says "wanna order pizza?" and i say "noooooo dear god noooo!"

nausea | they say this comes back in the third trimester. for the most part it's been pretty consistent for me (and short lived when it does occur). but i did notice over the holidays, and for awhile afterwards that i felt nauseous every single day. this kind of bummed me out when it happened during christmas parties, so i just found a quiet corner or bedroom to sit in until it passed. still no upchucking (knock on wood, knock on wood, knock on wood!!!) so that's fabulous.

peeing | this is no joke. i'd say i'm on a schedule of every twenty minutes. but worse than that is the urgency. i'll be fine and then all of a sudden i'll just have to go.

movement | i can finally see the little sniff move. i think i was able to feel him move and kick after twenty-two weeks but couldn't really see it until about twenty-eight weeks. that's pretty late on average i think. i have mixed feelings about movement. sometimes it's wonderful and exciting and other times it kind of hurts and feels very strange and foreign.

strangers and friends | i was so prepared from reading blogs and hearing horror stories about strangers and friends feeling like they had the right to touch my tummy and ask me all sorts of personal questions. but surprisingly this has not happened at all. not one tiny bit. everyone i've come in contact with has been incredibly respectful. and honestly? i'm kind of disappointed! i didn't realize i would be proud of the belly and want people to touch it. as for the chit chat, i have some opinions but am also open to advice. plus, there are some things you just want to talk about - personally i prefer genuine conversation over pointless small talk.