now we're getting into the thick of it

Now that I'm getting into the final stretch of things (the last few weeks) things are definitely starting to get a bit more taxing. Fortunately I've only got one week of work left, so I should be able to handle that. The downside is after the last day of school, I won't have anything whatsoever to distract me from the general uncomfortable-ness of being 9 months pregnant. I hate to say it, but even if the kids are all wound up and excited (due to the impending holiday season), dealing with the range of behaviors is far more bearable than thinking about being pregnant.

This is it, folks, the home stretch. The tiring and uncomfortable phase. Granted most of the third trimester pregnancy feels this way, at least some of the time, but at this point in the game, it's not just an occasional thing. Part of my problem right now is that the baby's big enough that there's almost always feet stuck up in my ribs, and no room for any of my internal organs. I feel pretty constricted these days, and breathing and eating are two things that I no longer take for granted. Neither of these activities are particularly fun at the moment.

The breathing trouble is multifaceted--there's the chronic nasal congestion and nosebleeds (exacerbated by the bone-dry air) and the fact that my lungs are squashed into a tiny space. Now I get to huff and puff my way through the day...I always sound like a heavy breather--it's kind of weird.

Then there's the heartburn. I had this during the first trimester as well, and back then, I could avoid much of it with careful planning--as long as I stayed away from spicy foods (and other things I was having aversions to) and did all my eating early in the day, I could largely avoid the worst of it. Now, nothing seems to work for very long. The strategy of eating small meals just means that I have heartburn more frequently instead of 3 times a day, but due to the lack of available space in my stomach, I have to do it anyway. These days I pretty much have to force myself to eat, and since I can't eat hardly any of the things that I really *like* to eat, it's not enjoyable. Spicy foods have been off the list for awhile, but now even bland foods no longer guarantee comfort--I can get heartburn from eating such benign items as potatoes, applesauce, or a banana! I secretly wonder if there's any point in trying anymore...There's a lot of things I can't drink either, so I'm pretty much restricted to water--or really mild teas. Juices are way too acidic--I find I do better just eating fruits (for example, I couldn't drink orange juice if my life depended on it, but I can usually eat oranges--go figure). I guess this is what acid reflux disease is like--not so fun. I'm doing the papaya enzyme/Tums combo, and those both only work for a limited duration before it comes right back. Joy.

The main thing I'm dealing with besides the whole eating/breathing thing, is just generally feeling uncomfortable and grappling with the lack of sleep. I think the lack of sleep just makes you even more aware of how crappy you're feeling in general.