Bending Over is Hard to Do, etc.

Have I told you lately how much I love you, dear readers? After so many long absences, you're still here! Thank you!

Yes, nearly six weeks have passed since my last post, but I have a very good excuse. A few days ago, my husband and I moved out of state. After months of waiting for his military orders, we finally received them about three weeks ago. My new home? Newport News, VA, about a seven hour drive from the military base in Charleston, SC. So in less than two weeks, I went to my last doctors' appointments, resigned from my beloved tutoring job, and helped my husband pack all of our possessions, clean the house, and shop for an apartment in VA--all while entering the third trimester of my pregnancy.

Did I really sign up for this? Really?

Needless to say, it's been a tough go. On the second day of apartment shopping, I ended up on my hands and knees barking up my stomach onto the beautifully manicured lawn of the Newport News Hilton Garden Inn where we were staying. Not a good day for me.

Fortunately, the rest of the move went smoothly enough, but I'm beginning to slow down even more than usual. Carrying around an extra 20 lbs. on my small frame isn't easy. I can barely bend down far enough to put on my socks, let alone see my feet when standing. My belly grows by the day now. I waddle everywhere I go. And my energy (as well as my ability to think clearly) comes and goes in alarming ways.

However, my biggest problem lately has been abdominal cramps. Too much walking or bending causes sudden dull pains to shoot through my abdomen, so I've been trying to rest whenever possible. I don't want to end up with a newborn in my arms before Thanksgiving. All I have in the nursery right now is a changing table and a bouncy seat!

Despite everything, though, I'm happier than I've been in a long while. Right now, my husband and I have a beautiful apartment in a quiet community where the leaves are just turning brilliant in the cool fall weather. I feel a bit more settled into my pregnancy despite occasional discomforts. And I'm sure the double dose of Prozac isn't hurting either. :-)

Next on the list: visit family in TN, inform my health insurance provider of my new address, procure a new OB, sign up for birthing classes, and write a birth plan. Hopefully, I'll find some time for blogging as well.