The new normal - for now.

There’s a commercial that says “Having a baby changes everything.” Well, I’m sorry, but they are wrong. Getting pregnant changes everything. I am sure that once Jack gets here, everything will change (again), but from the moment I saw that second line, my life changed. From what I eat and drink, to the way I sleep, to even what I watch, I can’t think of an aspect of my life that hasn’t changed. I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like when he is here, but I can honestly tell you I wasn’t prepared for half of what happens during pregnancy.

Food: Oh, I had “morning” sickness (all day long) and I had a few cravings here and there. Mostly, it’s been foods I can’t eat. My husband has said I’m probably the only pregnant women alive that eats less now than I did before I got pregnant. I mean significantly less. I’m just not hungry and I’m more careful about what I put into my body. Except s’mores. Man, I love s’mores. But I was really looking forward to the crazy cravings (i.e., pickles and ice cream) because anyone who knows me knows I’m a picky eater. I thought this would be my chance to branch out. Nope. This kid is just a picky as me. Maybe more.

Peeing: Sorry if this is TMI, but I pee. A LOT. At least 3-4 times a night. Probably 8 times a day at work, if not more. Not mention I pee first thing in the morning, before and after I take a shower and then again before I for leave work. Yes, I drink a lot of water, too, but man, I never thought I’d have to pee so much. That’s probably more about me than you want to know.

Sleep: See above. Since I’m peeing so much at night, I don’t really sleep through the night. Furthermore, you aren’t supposed to sleep on your back or belly when you are pregnant. Only on your side. And your left side at that. So, I bought a fancy body pillow that takes up half of the bed (yeah, Chris was thrilled with that purchase) and I try to sleep on my left side, but somehow, that darn pillow ends up in the floor and I end up on my back. My perinatal doctor said there’s not much you can do about ending up on your back, but he calmed my fears by saying he’s never lost a baby to a mom sleeping on her back.

Sleep, Part 2: Funny things happen to pregnant women. Dreams, for example, are really crazy and vivid. I have had some really screwy dreams and I wake up thinking they really happened. For example, I dreamed we bought a new car. We went to the dealership, picked it out, test drove it and financed it. We drove it home and parked that baby in the garage. The next morning, I get up to go to work and I’m sitting there wondering where the hell my new VW Routan was and how my Hyundai got back in the garage. Seriously. I was confused for like five minutes. Carpal tunnel is another new joy that I have recently discovered. Who knew you can develop carpal tunnel during pregnancy? Honestly, I didn’t even know what it was until it happened to me. Apparently it has something to do with the circulation and blood flow during pregnancy. It mostly happens to me at night, but sometimes during the day, too. There is nothing like waking up at 3 in the morning with your arm and hand numb and tingling. It’s just so pleasant, let me tell you. My BFF Lori tells me I have restless leg syndrome to look forward to, as well. I can’t wait.

Television and Movies: I love scary movies. Or I used to. Actually, I still do, but now, for some reason, I’m scared to watch them. Not because I’m afraid of them, but something inside me is worried that I’ll get too scared and go into preterm labor or something. Again, I cleared this with my doctor who said he has never seen that happen. But who knows? I could be the first. Also, I used to be a big news buff. I could watch the cable news channels for hours on end. Now I don’t want to. It’s all too depressing. The economy sucks. There’s way too much violence in the world. The disaster in Haiti is awful and sad. AND – did you know the world is going to end in 2012? Apparently, this is true. My husband is obsessed with the History channel that is now devoted to showing programs about the pending doomsday. They all say we’re going to die in two years. Right before Christmas at that! Happy freaking holidays, everyone. Nope, I don’t want to see that. Ignorance is bliss, my friend.

There’s probably like 50 more examples I could give you and go on and on about this. But this blog entry is long, I’m tired, my carpal tunnel is flaring up and I have to pee. :)