I've been planning to post some pics of my bump when it decides to show up, but for now, there's really nothing there yet. I do think I look pregnant at night after I've eaten all day and drunk bottle after bottle of water, but really it's just food, gas, and water retention. Since my uterus is about the size of a grapefruit right now, it pushes all my other organs (mostly intestines) up and out which is another cause of my belly bulge at night. So, although I won't be buying maternity clothes for a while, it is time to get some bigger jeans, or at least a "bella band" that makes it possible for me to leave them unbuttoned. I've been improvising with a hairband by looping it around the button and through the button hole to give me a little extra room.
My next appointment is on Feb 24. I don't think they'll be doing an ultrasound, but we should get a chance to hear the baby's heartbeat with a Doppler. I can't wait! We're also thinking about discussing the idea of cord blood banking with our doctor. That basically entails having blood from the umbilical cord or placenta frozen after the baby is born. This is becoming popular because it enables the stem cells from that blood to be used if the baby or I ever developed certain illnesses such as lymphoma or other cancers. Apparently, it's a pretty expensive insurance policy, though, so we want to find out the statistics about how frequently it's actually used. Decisions, decisions!
On a different note, my nausea has almost completely subsided and I'm gaining back some energy (knock on wood). Hopefully, that will mean I can stop using my planning periods at school for nap time. I've only actually fallen asleep twice, but I did get caught with my head down on my desk by one of my students who dropped by for some tutoring. After that, I decided it was time to spill the beans to all of my classes about the baby before rumors started spreading. I'm usually extremely private with them about my life outside of school. The most they really know about me is that my husband is in the army, and that I'm from Kansas. Although they do tend to ask questions about my personal life, I steer clear mostly because I know they would do anything to get me to digress from grammar and literature. Needless to say, I was actually a little nervous to tell them about my news.
Telling them, however, has turned out to be a blessing! After their initial elation (yesterday, I had to explain what that word actually meant, and one girl thought it was so beautiful and full of meaning that she would name her baby "Elation" some day), I realized they probably thought my being pregnant meant they would have a sub for a chunk of the semester, which, to them, usually means free-for-all. I had to break it to them that I'm not actually due until September, so not to get too excited. After we laughed about their shattered hopes, they really started showing their concern for me. They told me they would really have to start behaving themselves to keep me from getting stressed! And they actually have been. I'm sure it's a combination of sympathy mixed with seeing me as an actual person rather than just "Mrs. Canty," but this past week-and-a-half has been smooth sailing. They seem more trusting, more comfortable, more respectful, and it's made work so much more enjoyable. One told me she was so glad I decided to tell them because they knew something wasn't right, and they all thought I was just becoming depressed. A couple of my freshman girls even stop by every day to make sure I'm eating a good lunch. "We want our baby to healthy," they tell me. Anyway, I've learned that part of my students' untrusting wall and problem behavior was probably a result of my unwillingness to share my life with them as well. What a great learning experience!
